Just another Day on the Farm

No photos from this event as hubby stayed home that day, but I did another couple public speaking event in aug.

I did a backyard chicken and Quail talk, well, I meant to do that but it ended up that the focus was on chickens, lots of questions and feedback, I did bring speaking notes, which helped keep me on point but I am also ways that I do a lot of free flow in terms of answering questions from the folks that attended.

Then I did a critter kit overview.. love my critter kits..

Then I did a talk on training your eye and creating a wild food map..

This was a interesting talk, it covered the basics of learning , shape, color and movement, using  the seasons to find and forage wild food both in country and city.. Creating a food map.

Where I lost everyone was when I asked what to do in each of the four seasons  in regards to learning and a tracking info.

So before I write the answer here in a day or two… hopefully with quotes from readers..

In spring, you look for flowers, marking trees or bushes on your map and on the bush to find later, you would also track water movements and so forth..

But this one appears to be the one that surprised most.. what are the big things in winter that you would be watching for.. in regards to creating your food map..

An GO!

So while I am so excited to have a new laptop and to be back online, I am also crazy busy, so today is a photo update..

The in full cover amazing bean teepee.. and if you facebook at link to a video we put up on the farm page there.

Then one of hubby in the inside for you..

Then one of my old boy relaxing on the new lino, whiles it being relaxed and laid out in the living room..

I hope to get a true post up for you in the 24 to 48, till then.. photos it is.. so much new to share its coming!

I chopped up two different colored hot peppers, made the basic jelly from the pecton package and voila.. sometimes simple is delightful. I though nicely hot, hubby thought very hot and my other taste tester says med heat.

The pumpkin plants are doing well, its that time of year, all small taken off and feed to pigs, the blooms taken off, and everything into the current ones till frost now

How are everyone pumpkins growing this, to the big ones are current around 18 to 24 inches high and 52 to 61 inches long, the medium size are like very large standard Halloween size ones currently, figure they have another four weeks of growth.

I do not write much about critters that are born and raised for freezer camp but Tippy was different, bought in a box at the local bird sale a few years ago, she was sold bred as a meat rabbit for a mear five dollars, I snapped her up, looked in the box and laughed.

Tippy was a lot of things but meat rabbit was not one of them, a great breeder, a amazing momma, but she was little..

She was also a pet, I stopped breeding her last year and I made her the rank of pet, I had told hubby, she moved to pet, and therefor I expected many more years with her, in truth I have no idea how old, she was full size to her when arrived, she was proven etc

I have had a lot of rabbits on the farm, but I have only ever had one tippy toes!

Hi Folks, very limited access to hubbies work computer, I am waiting for a part for mine before it will be back online..

Hope Everyone is doing well.. we will be back 🙂

General overview of a update for ya all.

Sheep: Excellent, the mommas are all looking sleek and healthy, I am thrilled they will be heading into fall ready to make me beautiful sets of twins, the lambs (other then scunchie) are huge and growing so well, she is a runt in all ways.. she was born half the size of her sibling and she is currently eating and doing well other then being a 3rd of the size of her sibling.

Pigs: Growing, Growing and Growing! they are getting big now.. healthy, happy and they come running when they see us arriving with garden goodies.

Horses: Glowing, healthy, and total sweethearts..  what can I say, the horses are fab!

Geese:  Pain in my rear, always need to watch for that Pom, she is just sure, she should take you on, but they guard the pasture well. They had a feather blow out and are growing their wings back in, I got some really nice big feathers from them.

Ducks: Happy, Happy, ducklings are growing well, the sitting hens are wonderful, and they are as always sweet, I have moved a number of them into different areas, while I can not use them freely as normal due to the fisher, I have them in pens and am using them in the barn an front yard as fly patrol and they do the job very well indeed

The gueana, the female is locked up and the pack of males go around and around the area she is but no ticks this year, so they are doing something right..

Chickens, we have had losses in both the older flock and the younger flocks, in total in two killing spree*s the fisher got into the pens twice, and killed 11 birds in total.. we had to do a total revamp of the pens and where the birds are.. so far so good..

The new chicks are growing really well, and I am impressed with their growth, and their temperments.

Quail : cute, sweet and adorable.. I mean they are such sweet little feathered pets.. love them..

The van is on its last regular driving legs, its creaky and sputter and despite being in the shop a couple times it comes out better but never quite right.. so we are on the hunt for a new to us, SUV for the regular commuter for DH. Fun, Fun, but the good thing will be that it will be strong enough and will have a hitch, which means that one part of my required set is coming online in regards to getting a horse trailer so that we can travel to ride in the local area!

The gardens are both amazing and groan worthy, some areas are so lush, that you can see them grow daily, in a blink nd they add another four to six inches at times.. other things.. however, thing I never have issues growing.. bla.. double bla, I mean my squash plants for one kind as small as they should be in june, and its mid july..  but lets face it, that is gardening.. you never know from year to year..

We are in the final push, two to three more weeks is all that is left to get the final plantings in for fall harvests and then what we get is truly what we get 🙂 Last week was a turning point, as I collected and put away four different kinds of seeds..  how very exciting..

The Bean Teepee is amazing and turned out even better then I expected.. I have a ton of company coming in the fall and am working  hard on the gardens, yards etc.

My mother in law is coming to visit and then during her stay, we are having a family get together on the farm for two days which will be lovely but busy..

then my mom is to arrive for a month visit, give or take.. and I am so looking forward to it.. but again we have extra little things we are doing. I am putting in a new lino floor in the kitchen before everyone comes, we are repainting the deck and the front runs, I lucked out and found retro curtains to go with my retro 70s wood and cushions living room set, its a lovely  couch, rocker and chair set..

Dh is doing well, his one assignment at work ended and so he moved from one area to another, I am so pleased that he has settled well, he comes home with smiles.. this means the world to me, while you do not need to love the work you do, liking the people you work with and respecting the work you do is needed.

He has not been writing as much as normal, instead he is in edit mode.. he has a number of excellent stories written that he is editing and re-working at this time..

As in all times in life, we have some great things, we have some so-so things, we have things to work on, things that must be done, things that cost money when you would rather spend it elsewhere.. and that is so true for time as well..

Bottom line.. we are blessed.. blessed that we have jobs, blessed we have our health, Blessed that we have family and friends, Blessed that we have beloved critters, Blessed that we have the knowledge on how to live with those critters, Blessed with knowledge, Blessed to be able to read and learn every single day, Blessed in so many ways, I can not even begin to list them all..

Bottom line.. We are living our dream life on the farm.. its hard work, its a joy, its tears and blisters, its a freedom, and we would not have it any other way!