Oh what a night!

So yesterday Mom declared that since it was Labor Day Weekend we should take a Vacation. With a farm I have to tell you getting a vacation isn’t as easy as you think. You have to hire someone to take care of your chores and then you have to take a few days to teach them how to do them and well, most of the time it just isn’t possible. Most of the time Mom and I go somewhere while Dad stays home and takes care of things. Or Dad and I will go and Mom stays home.

So when Mom said that we were going on Vacation I was confused. She told me to pack the truck with Fishing supplies, the gun and a cooler of bottled water. Then she added that I better grab the wieners and just incase we didn’t catch our dinner. At that point I knew we were going fishing so I got the truck loaded. I even threw in a few chairs and some fire wood. Then we headed … to the Pond!

Mom grabbed her Camera and we set out to have a ton of fun right here on the farm, while on vacation! Mom and I came home just long enough to do our chores then it was back to the pond. I will tell you that we had fun. Mom tried to get photos of the night sky but just couldn’t get them. We could see the Milky Way and the Moon, as well as Billions of stars … It was very awesome. The only issue we had was when there were so many coyotes that even Jethro hunkered down in the grass and kept very quiet because he knew he was out numbered. Hank hid under the truck but I had the gun and we were okay. Just so you know there were 3 separate Packs out there. We came home about 1am and then slept in late. Today we had lunch with Dad’s Dad and then I visited the cemetery with him.

Even though it wasn’t a vacation like most of you know, it was a vacation for me. And Mom and I had fun. So here are a few pictures from our “trip” hope you enjoy them.

There are two things that I should mention here on the blog that have been ongoing. First, Phinny our Angora Male finally got his worm issue worked out. However, It was at the expense of his fleece. If you remember Jazzie had this same issue a few years back and she is now doing fine but she lost her fleece That year. With the change in our wormer we think everything will be okay. Second, Gracie is not handling the extreme heat very well so we have her on some vitamins and Minerals and she seems to be improving.

Awesome TAT Day!

So today turned out awesome.  It didn’t go anything as planned but it was amazing.   Today started with rain.  In the middle of chores and my roping this morning a down pour happened.  By the time I got unsaddled and to the house it quit raining.  Mom and I talked about when the day was going to bring when there was a knock on the door.  With it being Labor Day weekend we thought it might just be some visitors stopping by.  Well, It was …. and it wasn’t.

They were visitors but not your average visitor though.  On the other side of the door was Chelsea and Rob.  They started with a dream and are now living it.  How so you ask??  Well, They started with Indiegogo.com.  You see, Rob is an aspiring photographer and Chelsea???  Well, She is someone who wants Adventure as she tries to make a difference in the world.  Together with their two dogs they are moving to Colorado.

Normally one would just pack what you own and move right?  Not Chelsea and Rob.  They sold everything they didn’t need and decided to T.A.T. their trip.  If you don’t know what TAT is or just don’t remember it is the Tran- American Trail that goes from the East to the West on Mostly Dirt Roads.  We have had TAT riders here before but Chelsea and Rob were a few “firsts” for us.

First, they were our First Car TAT riders.  Why a Car? Well, As I said before Rob is an aspiring Photographer and while on this live journey he is going to publish a Photo Journal of their trip on the TAT.  It is hard to take care of business on a dirt bike you know.  The other reason for the Car was because we had our first DOG TATTERS!!!  Chelsea and Rob both have dogs and both of the dogs are city dogs.  It was great fun to watch them come alive as they had their first encounters with chickens, alpaca, sheep and goats.  One dog had his hunting instincts awakened while the other ran about thinking everything was a chew toy!  (Just so you know both dogs were on their leads and no animals were ever in danger)

Even Chelsea and Rob were firsts.  Chelsea was our first female TATTER!!  Rob, who took pictures was our First PhotoTATTER!  Okay, I am sorry Rob but you know I had to say it.  Both Chelsea and Rob were both pretty cool.  (and the dogs weren’t bad either)  We gave them a tour of the farm and they got to meet everyone.  Then we took them to see the bench marker.  When they left they took with them some goat’s milk and fresh eggs along with a few tomatoes and a bit of roving.  You know, in case they ever need to spin it up and sew a button on or fix a hole… LOL   I have no idea why Mom gave them Fiber but hey, they took a little bit of the fluffy softness with them that they got to touch here on the farm.

After they left Mom started feeling like she let them down.  She told me “Oh, I should have taught them to Milk or Spin”  Mom always thinks that what she does isn’t enough.  (Chelsea and Rob if you are reading … Watch out if you get back this way she is going to show you all the things she thinks she forgot to show you … LOL)  So how do you get to follow Chelsea And Rob? Well, they are on many social media.  From Facebook to Twitter and instigram  … You can find them the easiest and get to the media that suits you simply by visiting their web site at www.arrowswest.com

Before they left they gave Mom a Snack type bar called a Rise Bar.  It was made of natural ingredients with Pumpkin seeds being the main one … You can find out all about them HERE.  Mom says they are very Yummy and that it won’t be the last time she eats those…. LOL

After such a great visit Mom and I had to run to town and get feed and Mail out my entry into the Dallas 4X4 chute out. When we got home Ms. Karen came by and her and Mom did some combing and Ms. Karen had a nice animal visit.  After dinner I gave Gracie some Vitamin and minerals and such as she was acting as if the heat was getting to her.  The mixture will help her handle these Hot days.

Oh and just so you know Rob did take some pictures here so we might actually be in His Photo Journal he is getting published!!!

 

We have a Plan

Okay so some good things happened today. First, we have a chick! Some how, even through us moving the chicken coop and all, One of the hens sat on some eggs. The sad part to the story is that she lost one chick because they were high up on the stacked hay by the sheep stall. Not only did they fall from over my head but one, I think, got stepped on by the animals in that stall. Once we found them, It was to late for the one, but we took the chick that made it and the two eggs still in the nest and put them and the hen in the show pen. Since Moving the coop all the poultry but Fancy Pants goes in the coop so the babies will be safe in there. And with a bit of luck maybe those other two eggs will hatch too. Looks like the show pen in now the nursery pen … LOL

Most of our day was spent cleaning things up from the last week where we have just thrown everything on the bar in the kitchen. It is kind of a mess and Mom and I worked to clean it up. We didn’t get the early start we wanted as I woke up with a really bad headache that I had to deal with all day. Mom didn’t sleep well last night and only got about 4 hours of sleep from 4am to 8am … we were kind of a sorry site but we worked around the house and the kitchen is much better. And the Floor is much cleaner too.

Mom took some time to get the 4-H data base ready for mass emails too. As for me I remembered why being sick wasn’t so bad when I was a kid. It wasn’t that I liked being sick but it was that Mom always had things for me to do when I was. Today I remembered one of my old past times. My remote controlled cars!! I figured out how to fish tail my car in both reverse and forward. Okay, it isn’t a big deal for a remote controlled car but it was fun and It helped to pass my time while my meds took hold and made my pain bearable.

Another thing that happened is one of the ladies at the Banquet actually did take a photo of me getting my leadership award. It was taken on a phone but at least now I have one. When the only activity you do is 4-H, the awards at the 4-H banquet are my whole years work and that makes it important to me. I know it sounds silly but it is true.

I also filled out my forms for the 4 X 4 Chute out. I have arranged my team roping partner and this year I will take part in three events. I will break away rope, team rope and run poles in the hopes that I can make it as the Around. The Extension Agent tried to get me to do three events last year and I didn’t go for it but this year I think I am going to try. Do You think if I start praying now It would help the outcome of the 4X4??? LOL

Anyway, Not saying my day was in anyway terrible but the best part of the day came tonight in the form of a phone call. Remember the Buck Mom found last night online? Well, He will be coming home soon. The Owner and I have made a deal. She is a very nice Lady and we talked for a bit tonight. It looks like she has had trouble getting young bucks that don’t perform like they should too. I will tell you she made me a very awesome deal and When I go to pick him up you will hear all about it … And I really can’t wait to get everything lined up and tell you everything.

Massive 4-H Time!!

So for the last week 4-H has taken over Mine and Mom’s lives. No, I am not kidding. You see Monday Morning we found out that things for the Banquet were not going as planned and we spent half the day at the Office taking care of stuff. Then Tuesday, the actual day of the Banquet … yesterday … Mom and I spent all day at the office and banquet getting everything under control. Let me say … Mom and Ms. Jenny Rocked it! Our Banquet went just fine.

Ms. Jenny and Mom cooked up enough Brisket for 100 people. That is over 72 pounds of meat. Let me break it down … that is 9 brisket weighing on average between 5-7 pounds a piece. Yup, It was a lot. Then they also prepared a side dish or two to go with it. Then we had 9 double tables with decorations and the front Honors table and the Awards table and the dessert table and …. You get the point. Mom was able to pop this one photo and it is only about half the room and it wasn’t even done. (as you can see there are no chairs set up yet)

Since Mom was cooking and serving the meal she didn’t get a chance to take but that one picture and she was kind of bummed about that. She got out of the kitchen to do her volunteer leader stuff and that was about it. She did take pictures today of most of my winnings. I got a certificate for my horse project and my fiber project and I won the Leadership award and I got a gift Certificate for that and I will be getting a new 4-H Vest in about a month but Mom has to get them my size.

I also got a new stall fork for my Horse project ….

But I just made jokes about it being the worlds biggest nose picker … LOL … I will be taking it to Dallas with my the first part of Oct.

One really awesome thing just happened as I was Blogging though. You see we have had Phinny for 2 years going on his third breeding season and we have only had one baby. So for some time Mom and I have been talking about getting a different Buck. While Mom was on her pc she saw a post that just happened to post at a perfect moment. (God Wink there huh??) Anyway, Check this out …

And this is the picture that posted to Facebook …

This is the Buck with his Mom

Yup, there is a 7 month old buck from a Grey Doe. That means he could breed with our colored does and maybe we would have some colored kids … the big factor is that the price is just about in my affordable range … they are shearing this weekend and we will be starting ours the first of the month … it sure sounds like a God Wink to me as both farms are on the same time line and everything is shaping up at this point. I will keep everyone informed as to how it all turns out!

Day of recovery

So Yesterday we finished the haying and we have to much hay. Trouble is that means we hauled hay more then normal. When you have Asthma and Allergies one extra day can seem like a life time. Today was one of the hottest around here. I got everything from a bloody nose and a headache to being drained today. I just don’t seem to have any energy and feel drained.

While I was feeling off, most the day I worked with Mom to get the final touches put on the 4-H banquet. It seems that if it isn’t one thing it was another. First, the meat was not thawed out that we planned on smoking. Then it turned out to be the wrong stuff as it was already pre-cooked. We don’t have a way to bake 9 – 7 pound briskets for 2 hours each … Well, we finally got things figured out. There is some borrowing of church warmer pans and such that will take place but we will have a meal.

I finished up the Banquet programs and Mom got the certificates printed. Tomorrow is for cooking and decorating but I think everything will go off without a hitch. And when it is over I will be County President of the 4-H. I then will make a few changes that will help build our 4-H program up and make it better.

The end

So today is the end. The End of Haying season as well as the end of summer for me. You see, We put the last of the hay up today. Dad baled way to much again and this year we had to use the stall that Ice normally uses. With in a Month we will have it cleared out so it isn’t to big a deal but it sure made the hay hauling season last way to long. And it makes Mom and my allergies act up. When you have asthma and allergies there is just so much haying you can take.

As for the End of Summer … Well, tomorrow I will be up at 5 am and Mom and I will both be studying in the morning hours. This year I have Algebra II and Chemistry! I am praying I can just keep my grades to A’s and B’s. Last year it was a struggle to keep Biology and Algebra to B’s and at the end of the year I had low B’s but I did have them at B’s.

Oh and coming up on Tuesday is the 4-H banquet. That means it is the end of the old officers and in with the new. Yes, this time I am the New President. Not just of our club but of the county! Well, I am pooped. I am off to shower and head to bed.

How we do it …

So some of you have been interested in how we handle the haying season. First, we cut it down, rake it and then we bale it up into small square 66 lb. bales. Okay, so all of that is just driving the tractor. We own one tractor that does it all. It is a Masey Fergenson 165. It runs a 9 foot sickle to mow the hay, a Vicon 4 wheel rake that windrows the hay and a International 440 Square wire tie baler that bales it. All this equipment is older then I am but it is what Mom knows so it is what we use.

The only other thing we use is a truck, 12 foot flatbed trailer and a pop up loader. Up until last year we didn’t have the pop up loader so we loaded everything by hand. I love that loader because it makes it so much easier to load hay with just me and Mom. I took the time today to put together a video that shows just how it all works. Check it out …

Haying the season away

Today I spent the day helping get our baler up and running. The last of the hay we have to get done is for our own barn and we have some time before it is suppose to rain. So we took our time and worked on the baler as we went. With everything we got done the baler is good to go. That means that we will oil it up and store it away and next year we shouldn’t have any issues.

Once Dad was on his way and baling Mom and I brought in loads of hay. I was going to blog about how her and I get it done so fast and with just the two of us but I didn’t get the video I wanted. So I guess you know what to look forward to tomorrow. I am going to get the video and show you all how it is done!! For now I am headed to bed. This weekend is haying and then Monday Mom and I start school again. We are hoping to get on schedule between now and then as well.

Dull Day

The most exciting thing that happened today was that after 3 days the chickens were let out of the coop. You see we let our Poultry free range. That means they are out roaming the farm during the day eating all the bugs they can find. At night they willingly return to the safety of the chicken coop. All we do is make sure they all go in and then shut the chicken door so predators don’t get them in the night.

When we moved the coop we confused them big time. That night it took us hours to round them all up and put them in the coop. Once we got them all caught and put in the coop we kept them locked in for three whole days. Each day they were provided with corn to munch on and all the water they want. They weren’t happy about it but we made sure they were fine.

Today for the first time they were released from the new spot. Tonight we will probably have to round up some that have forgotten where the new spot is but most SHOULD go back to the new spot and put themselves up. With that said you notice the should is in all caps? That doesn’t mean that all will go as planned … what it does mean is that we know it might be a bit of work.

Other then the chickens all Mom and I did was our chores, watch yarn dry and watch Dad bale hay. There is a new show I have started watching. Okay, it isn’t new but it is new to me and it is called Knight Rider … I love that smart-alec car. If it were real I would want one … It might even be enough to make me want my driver’s license. LOL!

So do you want to see the yarn we watched dry? It isn’t totally dry but when it is I will be reskiened it and get it posted in the shop. I think the only reason it isn’t dry yet is the humidity that we are having. Anyway, Here are the pictures … I am off to bed because Mom wants us to get back on track and finish up the hay and start my school year and her studies again. So I will get some sleep while you enjoy the photos … I don’t care for the pastels but the one we are calling Fire something is so awesome …

Another busy one

Today we got a lot of not much done. We started with Me getting the pipe from the old well out into the pasture. Then Dad moved on and mowed down some more hay. Now we just have to wait for it to dry. Then Ireplaced one of the boards on the trailer so that no one will fall through it when we are hauling the hay in tomorrow.

While that was going on Mom was in the kitchen. She made over 2 pounds of Goat’s Milk Cheese.

There is

Rosemary, parsley and thyme

Rosemary and garlic

Basil and Black Pepper

Italian

She sampled them all and said they all were pretty good. She also made them a bit more spreadable then last time. She also figures that this way if she freezes them if they won’t get to over dried and crumble.

When she got done with that we worked on the getting the Etsy shop opened back up so that I can make a bit of money to pay my way to Dallas in October. We had to remove all the stuff that sold at the fiber booth. When we got done I guess Mom got the fiber bug again. So she got in the kitchen and did a bit of dying as well.

Tomorrow I will post the pictures of what she dyed. I also have to get the samplers in the Etsy shop …