NaBloPoMo - Day 11 - Sheep in the Mist

Some people may not know that we have sheep. Seven of them... which is 1 more than what we started out with... It was a kind of experiment.

My husband thought that we needed to make something of a hobby farm on our 25 acre property. We started off with goats, but after the first set was killed by a bear, and the second set ate his blueberry bushes one too many times, and then the youngest one died and broke my heart, we gave the two blueberry eaters we had left to a friend who had lots of bushes she really wanted eaten.

We then tried a cow.... and her calf... They were ok. Big beasts that I wanted to call Ham and Burger because, well, yeah, that was the point in raising them. I didn't want to get too involved knowing their time with us was going to be kinda short, but they didn't work out either because they got to like being around the house and wouldn't really go any where else to graze... plus, we had to start thinking about getting a bull, or bull stuff, or haul them to be with a bull... so they went to auction.

Then we got sheep.  Six of them. One ram and five ewes. Six turned into 14 as we had several sets of twins and a number of singles. Spring was amazing around the farm with all the little ones running around. Four ram lambs and four ewe lambs...

We knew the males were going to be sold, and one by one they were. Then came the ewe lambs. I picked my favorites and we sold a ewe lamb and an older ewe. Then our oldest sheep died. So now we have 7... trust me I've done the math a bunch of times...

Two of them are actually "on hold" for sale at the moment. So we'll be down to 5 but our ram Billy has been busy, so this spring will bring a whole bunch of new lambs... and the cycle of life will continue here on the farm...

The picture is from one of our trail cams as the sheep make their way around the property... ignore the date, I had to reset a bunch of the cameras and didn't reset the dates.

The Six Monthiversary

Half a year ago, I sat at your side and held your hand

when you took your last breath...

Six months ago, I promised you that I would do

all the things that you and I had planned to do together,

but I would be now doing them alone...

Twenty-six weeks ago, I prayed as your soul was taken up to Heaven,

and I was left as a witness to your incredible faith...

and hope...

and trust...

and love...

A year ago, I didn't know that 183 days later you would be gone,

and that I would feel like my life had ended too...

but you knew life goes through cycles...

and these chicks you raised are now adults...

and life goes on... 

At 3:20 p.m., about 4,380 hours ago you died

on a beautiful spring day...

The sky was blue, there were clouds in the sky,

and the sun had shone through your window;

the same window you had looked out of hundreds of times

at the animals you loved to see so much

because you loved to see life,

and you loved life on the farm.

And, you loved life...

And, I will miss you in this life,

and look forward to seeing you again in the next...

Love you, Momma...

NaBloPoMo 2018 - Day 21

During this time of year when we stop and think about families and being with families, I stop and think about the strange Son of the South that I married and how my life has changed... remember, I'm a born and bred SoCal city girl...

This is now my team. Weekends during the fall are spent cheering them on... #RollTide

Suddenly I'm going to Monster Truck rallies...

This is Talladega... What? I'm at a racetrack watching cars going around and around?  Have I actually been to Daytona Beach and Las Vegas Raceways as well..?  Yes, but Talladega is like home...

I've learned how to tend to chickens, and cows, and now sheep... 

I've learned how to work a tractor, and a bulldozer...

And grits... I've had to learn to cook grits...

And, we have "dressing" for Thanksgiving, not stuffing...

And, I learned how to make my mother in law's yummy Sweet Potato Casserole, but according to my Southern Hubby, I still can't make biscuits as good as his mother's, nor can I make "fried pie" like his aunt... I'd never even heard of fried pie...

Still this is now my family.  And, 20 years later, I still have to pull out the English-Southern dictionary because every once in a while that dog just won't hunt... 

#NaBloPoMo18

NaBloPoMo 2018 - Day 10

It was a beautiful night for a party.

We held our annual "Wine and Mushroom" Party at our home

this evening.

And it's all in honor of these:

This is a chanterelle mushroom which grows wild on our property.

I was concerned there wouldn't be much of a hunt this year because

the weather has been essentially dry.

Not even a good coastal fog to moisten up the soil

at the base of spruce pines where these like to grow.

However, my guests were pleasantly surprised to find several

of these lovelies, including this awesome, hand-sized specimen here.

The food was great.

The wine flowed.

The fire burned bright into the night.

And, a good time was had by all...!

#NaBloPoMo18

NaBloPoMo 2018 - Day 9

Was it you...?

or was it you...?

I'm a city girl, and one of the things I had to learn about living the Rural Life is that nature prevails and we're in their backyard... although technically they're in mine... but I'm in theirs... still, I don't much like raising chickens only to feed the local wildlife.

Because these are too cute for anyone to eat, much less the critters running around the woods.  Hubby tells me it's the price we pay for living "in the wild."  Well, the wildlife got one of them... of all things, the one that was growing up to be a nice looking rooster... not sure who did it, but suddenly I'm having to learn to protect my own... just one more skill to add to the growing list.

#NaBloPoMo18

November Notes, Day 22

I really miss having goats.

Sure they chewed up all of my roses,

and they ate my husband's blueberry bushes.

But they were so much fun to have around...

I miss goats...

Day 20 - Moo...

Before you notice that I missed a day there,

just take a few moments to enjoy this pastoral scene

involving cows...

Nothing can be wrong with the world when

you're looking at a field of Happy Cows from California.

Given that I now live in "Cream City", this is my view

on my commute in and out of town.

Of course, the neighbors sometimes come over to

say "hello" when I am pulling out of my driveway.

"Moo, cow..."

All That Remains...

We have goats no more...

The fence is open and empty...

After all of the adventures and misadventures

over the past couple of years,

I gave the goats to a young woman

who is getting into Four H

and has the time to work with them.

It was a difficult decision because I really did like having goats...

but not when they were naughty...

and, they gave me a little parting gift

to remind me that goats are goats...

Those were blueberry bushes and my lemon tree.

Funny, they didn't eat the potatoes in the bottom picture.

Now this is all that remains...

I will miss the goats,

but I look forward to new critters and

new adventures...

Christmas Countdown - #10 - I'll Be Home For Christmas

I've traveled a lot over the last several years.

From College to med school to internship and residency,

there's been a lot of times that just the thought of being home for

Christmas made the journey worthwhile.

I think that on every trip home, I probably 

had this song running through my head.

I'm sure that a lot of people can certainly relate.

This year, it's another trip away from home to work

in Sacramento over this next week.

I'll be driving home to arrive just before Christmas Eve.

You can be sure I'll be thinking of a nice warm fire,

all my decorations, and my hubby and fur kids waiting for me

there in our wonderful home...

"Christmas Eve will find me

where the love light gleams.

I'll be home for Christmas,

if only in my dreams."

Day 28 - Thank You

You are a person I can talk to,

who understands me and the words I say.

You even hear whatever's left unsaid.

You really accept me.

With you I never need pretending.

Don't have to be someone that I can't be.

When we're together I feel I'm worthwhile.

You really accept me.

You really accept me.

Thank you for loving me as I am, my friend.

Thank you for letting me be myself.

It's so good to know you love me as I am.

You know the good and bad about me.

I don't understand the things you see in me.

Though you know all these things about me

you really accept me.

Yes, you really accept me.

Thank you for loving me as I am, my friend.

Thank you for letting me be myself.

It's so good to know you love me as I am.

When a person's loved for what he does that's not unique,

cause there's always someone who can do what you can do.

When a person's loved for what he is, not what he could or should be

he becomes a special person, that's what you have done for me.

Thank you for loving me as I am, my friend.

Thank you for letting me be myself.

It's so good to know you love me as I am.

 - Music and lyrics (as much as I can remember) by Tom Franzak

Day 16 - Muckin' Around

From this....

To this...

We had a chicken explosion as I wrote about last month,

so the barn has been getting quite a beating.

If you've never had a chicken coop, it takes a bit of upkeep.

And, at least once every couple of months,

you have to go in there and totally clean it out

and replace all the shavings.

Today was the day.

And, now the chickens have a nice clean home

once again...

Now, if only those turkeys would "spread the love"

a bit more around the barn instead of in one big pile... 

yuck...!

Here a Chick, There a Chick...

On August 29th a broody hen that we allowed to set 

hatched out 14 chicks..

(Maybe we should have counted the eggs...)

For about a week, we didn't allow them to leave the coop

to protect them from harm...

Then one got killed accidentally while in the barn...

After that we let them out of the barn.

And then one got swooped up by a hawk,

and another just died...

Don't know why, but it did...

So we were left with 11...

While the chicks were in the coop,

the other hens didn't have anywhere to lay,

so they found places around the yard in the woods...

Then we found this hen...

She had hidden her eggs at the edge of the woods under 

a piece of metal sheeting...

So we left her alone...

Yesterday we heard peeping...

Another 11 chicks!!

We pulled them out from the nest and put them in the coop...

Time to build a chicken run...

Or give Frederico a vasectomy....

MyPod Birthday Month #25 - Who Knew?

I'm finding a lot of flashbacks and melancholy in this year's iPod shuffle.  I seem to be very reflective this year.  For some who've been following my blog, you'll remember that about a year ago tragedy struck and three of four goats that I had been raising were killed by a bear.  The remaining goat returned only to die a short time later.  It was a bit of a sad weekend thinking back to this time last year.  I think this song is perfect.  Because you never know when tragedy may strike....

#595 - B is for Brooder

We have 13 chickens on the farm.

This year I am trying to raise turkeys.

Hubby didn't like the guinea fowl much, and now there's just one left...

Here's the poults on the first day... 

there were six... were...

Here are the remaining 5 on day 5... doing well...

Believe it or not, they're starting to show little personalities...

We're just curious about everything...

One of them even managed to jump out of the box last night...

I heard loud "peeping" right about the time I went to bed.

Good thing I went to investigate...

Back in the brooder safe and sound...

They're growing so fast, they're not going to last in there much longer...!