Today at the cattle sale, we found triplets! Born around April 1, these three are the CUTEST babies!! Billy and Nellie are a beautiful off-white/caramel color, and Josie is sandy brown with white and black markings and black "boots."
We put them in the goat fence with Spencer, Mary, Freddie, Carly and Sam and Delilah the dog. They are learning their way around and browsing on anything they can find.
We got a late start today, and I only bought cucumbers and tomatoes, and the goats of course. It is cooler outside today than it was last week, but we dressed smarter, too. Hair up in a ponytail, sleeveless t-shirt and shorts, and flip-flops. MUCH better.
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Chicken count for today:
OK let's recap:
13 almost laying hens that are about 20 weeks old now and look full-grown 6 Americaunas, 7 Black Buff Orpingtons.
10 mixed (pullets [females] and cockerels [males] - looks like 3 guys and 7 girls) baby chicks about 5 weeks old, 6 are Japanese black bantams (2 guys, 4 gals), 2 are Americaunas, and 2 ????
103 four-week-old pullets, 52 are Rhode Island Reds, and 51 are Americaunas
12 golden buff orpington pullets - 10 days old
18 barred rock pullets - 5 days old
12 (more) golden buff orpington pullets - 5 days old
12 black australorp pullets - 5 days old
8 silver laced wyandotte pullets - 2-days old
8 New Hampshire pullets - 2 days old
and that total brings us to 196 chickens.
13 almost laying hens that are about 20 weeks old now and look full-grown 6 Americaunas, 7 Black Buff Orpingtons.
10 mixed (pullets [females] and cockerels [males] - looks like 3 guys and 7 girls) baby chicks about 5 weeks old, 6 are Japanese black bantams (2 guys, 4 gals), 2 are Americaunas, and 2 ????
103 four-week-old pullets, 52 are Rhode Island Reds, and 51 are Americaunas
12 golden buff orpington pullets - 10 days old
18 barred rock pullets - 5 days old
12 (more) golden buff orpington pullets - 5 days old
12 black australorp pullets - 5 days old
8 silver laced wyandotte pullets - 2-days old
8 New Hampshire pullets - 2 days old
and that total brings us to 196 chickens.
Yesterday at the Cattle Sale
The plan was: wake at 6:30am, eat something quick, feed animals, leave for cattle sale at 7:30 with all 4 kids in tow.
Yeah. That could happen.
At 8:30, we are all in the car waiting for Daddy to finish with the quails. We arrived at the Cattle Sale at 8:40, and it was already HOT out there. It was the first time for the kids to go there in about a year, and they were all excited to see baby ducks and rabbits.
I didn't really NEED anything, but I had $20 cash and high hopes as we started out. The first booth I came to had a boy selling big peach baskets full of yellow squash for $5. The boy was about Noah's age and I wanted to encourage the boy in the booth for working so hard, and I wanted Noah to start thinking of ways to work and earn money. I told him I would be back and I'd buy a basket of his squash.
Next booth, there was a lady with 9 clean quart-size mason jars for canning - 20 cents each. YAY! Bought those and asked her to hang on to them till I came back.
We saw baby ducks for $1.50 each. CUTE little yellow fuzzballs with little yellow bills, but I wasn't ready to buy because I had questions about how ducks deal with gardens and what space and water they need.
Found another box of mason jars, this time 9 qt jars and 4 jelly jars for $3. Bought 'em, asked them to hold 'em. Moved on.
We were DYING of absolute heat drain and were dragging our tails up and down the rows of vendors of all varieties of junque when I spied the MOTHERLOAD. At the end of a table, a guy had several nice looking pieces of very tarnished silver. Jessica walks up and loudly says, "Hey, Mom, is that silver???" I said, "SHHHHHHZZZZZZ!" in one of those yelling whispers you do to your kids. I looked at the footed silver bowl with lid, the silver teapot, the silver coffee pot with warmer stand, the creamer and the sugar bowl all matching except the first bowl. I casually walked the rest of his table where Noah found an unopened ship model still in the box and Monty found me an unopened Soap-Making Kit with a book of recipes and instructions and supplies. I took those 2 items and asked the guy what he'd take for those silver pieces and those, and he said, "Let's see, that's 1 and 1, and 3 and 5, and 3, and 2 that's $15. I handed him $15 and he handed me an empty box to put it all in. What a HAUL!!!!! I didn't care it is was silver plate or what, it was BEAUTIFUL and would look so pretty at Thanksgiving and Christmas! Or, I could eBay it and see what happens. YAY!
I went to the veggie vendors and bought 2 big ol' baskets of yellow squash (each filling a plastic WalMart sack to weight capacity) knowing I was going to make squash pickles, 5 BIG onions, a small basket of jalapenos, 2 seedless watermelons, a bucket of blueberries, a basket of peaches, 5 humongous rutabegas, and 2 clusters of garlics. WOW!!! We picked up our mason jars and bought ice cold drinks for everyone. We had to get OUT of that heat and rush home to unload our booty and change into dry clothes to continue our day.
Today, my dear friend Rachel responded to my desperate plea for veggies of color that she might have on hand because I forgot that my squash pickles were pretty because of the beet stalks and baby carrots (which I didn't BUY at the cattle sale). She told me to come on over and she'd load me up. She had baby beets (complete with stalks and greens - I've got PLANS for those!!), weird purple carrots with orange insides - only a couple, yellow with green-marbled patty pan squash, and 2 humongous cabbages (not for the pickles, just for fun) and non-veggies including 5 big mangos, cherries, and blueberries!!
The plan: invent a recipe for peach salsa with jalapeno peppers and onions. Market it as a local delicacy. Write down the recipe for these fabulous squash pickles that also have beets, carrots, zukes, onions, and maybe green beans this time. Get ALL those blackberries we picked made into jam before they go bad. Pit and enjoy those cherries - maybe with some homemade yogurt. It's 5:30, though, and I'm still keister-sitting and typing on this blog. I gotta get BUSY!!!!! Later.
Yeah. That could happen.
At 8:30, we are all in the car waiting for Daddy to finish with the quails. We arrived at the Cattle Sale at 8:40, and it was already HOT out there. It was the first time for the kids to go there in about a year, and they were all excited to see baby ducks and rabbits.
I didn't really NEED anything, but I had $20 cash and high hopes as we started out. The first booth I came to had a boy selling big peach baskets full of yellow squash for $5. The boy was about Noah's age and I wanted to encourage the boy in the booth for working so hard, and I wanted Noah to start thinking of ways to work and earn money. I told him I would be back and I'd buy a basket of his squash.
Next booth, there was a lady with 9 clean quart-size mason jars for canning - 20 cents each. YAY! Bought those and asked her to hang on to them till I came back.
We saw baby ducks for $1.50 each. CUTE little yellow fuzzballs with little yellow bills, but I wasn't ready to buy because I had questions about how ducks deal with gardens and what space and water they need.
Found another box of mason jars, this time 9 qt jars and 4 jelly jars for $3. Bought 'em, asked them to hold 'em. Moved on.
We were DYING of absolute heat drain and were dragging our tails up and down the rows of vendors of all varieties of junque when I spied the MOTHERLOAD. At the end of a table, a guy had several nice looking pieces of very tarnished silver. Jessica walks up and loudly says, "Hey, Mom, is that silver???" I said, "SHHHHHHZZZZZZ!" in one of those yelling whispers you do to your kids. I looked at the footed silver bowl with lid, the silver teapot, the silver coffee pot with warmer stand, the creamer and the sugar bowl all matching except the first bowl. I casually walked the rest of his table where Noah found an unopened ship model still in the box and Monty found me an unopened Soap-Making Kit with a book of recipes and instructions and supplies. I took those 2 items and asked the guy what he'd take for those silver pieces and those, and he said, "Let's see, that's 1 and 1, and 3 and 5, and 3, and 2 that's $15. I handed him $15 and he handed me an empty box to put it all in. What a HAUL!!!!! I didn't care it is was silver plate or what, it was BEAUTIFUL and would look so pretty at Thanksgiving and Christmas! Or, I could eBay it and see what happens. YAY!
I went to the veggie vendors and bought 2 big ol' baskets of yellow squash (each filling a plastic WalMart sack to weight capacity) knowing I was going to make squash pickles, 5 BIG onions, a small basket of jalapenos, 2 seedless watermelons, a bucket of blueberries, a basket of peaches, 5 humongous rutabegas, and 2 clusters of garlics. WOW!!! We picked up our mason jars and bought ice cold drinks for everyone. We had to get OUT of that heat and rush home to unload our booty and change into dry clothes to continue our day.
Today, my dear friend Rachel responded to my desperate plea for veggies of color that she might have on hand because I forgot that my squash pickles were pretty because of the beet stalks and baby carrots (which I didn't BUY at the cattle sale). She told me to come on over and she'd load me up. She had baby beets (complete with stalks and greens - I've got PLANS for those!!), weird purple carrots with orange insides - only a couple, yellow with green-marbled patty pan squash, and 2 humongous cabbages (not for the pickles, just for fun) and non-veggies including 5 big mangos, cherries, and blueberries!!
The plan: invent a recipe for peach salsa with jalapeno peppers and onions. Market it as a local delicacy. Write down the recipe for these fabulous squash pickles that also have beets, carrots, zukes, onions, and maybe green beans this time. Get ALL those blackberries we picked made into jam before they go bad. Pit and enjoy those cherries - maybe with some homemade yogurt. It's 5:30, though, and I'm still keister-sitting and typing on this blog. I gotta get BUSY!!!!! Later.
*hiccup* . . . .
I jusss wennn in for some goat feed. I dinn ask for anything. *hiccup!*
8 silver lace wyandottes (spelling)
8 new hampshire
all pullets
I'm glad Monty was driving. *hiccup*
8 silver lace wyandottes (spelling)
8 new hampshire
all pullets
I'm glad Monty was driving. *hiccup*
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Stopping to smell the roses . . . .
Antique Roses Print by Danhui NaiYou know, as fast as this world runs, sometimes you have to slam your foot on the brakes and just take a moment to smell the air, listen to the birds. Close your eyes and inhale deeply and let it out really slowly, as if you have all day to do that kind of thing.
When we are running around and caught up in the doing, it's so difficult to really enjoy and appreciate each other. I'm enjoying my husband so much right now, I almost feel guilty! On the one hand, I know we deserve this incredible pocket of happiness after coming through those OH so long very lean years. On the other hand, I keep looking over my shoulder wondering if one or both of us is about to die or something, because it just isn't normal for people to actually like each other at this stage is it? (16 years of marriage this July)
The other day, we visited Mr. Hayes' goat dairy in Thorsby, and we all stood around chatting while he went about the business of milking his goats.It's really odd (for me) to be in a room with 2 men talking about (and using the word) "tits" and having no negative reaction at all. I was watching Monty as he learned more and more about the dairy operation and about the goats. I watched as he petted each goat as she entered her stall and started eating. He just glowed with excitement. I kept thinking as I watched, "Man, he's SO hot! Look how handsome he is!" That's been happening quite a bit lately with us, and it's SO great. It's like a gift.
A similar thing keeps happening with the children. I will catch myself looking at them, not as my children, but as little people. I'll think of them as their teachers might see them, or as friends of mine might see them on their first meeting. And I like them. I LIKE my children. I would like them if they weren't mine. I always tell Jessica, my oldest - 13, "It would be so cool just to be your friend, because I like you, but I'm your mom. I have to say no and I have to say the hard things." Then I'll catch a glimpse of her playing with her sisters by choice, and I just take one of those moments and close my eyes and breathe in deeply and let it out slowly and pray that the camera in my mind will keep that image.
Then I'll watch Noah outside with the baby goat he's bottle-feeding and with the puppy. I take a moment and think about how far this child has come with responsibility and with self-control and I'm just amazed. This is a busy, happy boy. Right now, I'm lying in bed typing and listening to him giggle at a Calvin and Hobbes book. That laughter is music to my ears.
Annie and Lizzy are like conjoined twins. Today, I was watching them. They each got their Nintendo DS games and both sat in one recliner, scrunched together, playing some game that they both have and discussing tricks and tips to "win" the game. They do everything together, and they are each others' best friend! These girls are the reason to have your children close together.
The one positive thing that has come from Dad's long illness and death, is that I think I know better how to live each day as if maybe I won't have another. All throughout each day when I'm faced with accomplishing something on a list vs. listening to my girls sing a song or show me a new piece of art, or my big kids wanting to show me something they've written or read, I'm doing better at choosing those things that MATTER, those things my children will remember over Mom having the laundry washed and folded at all times. I sat with my girls today and ate popsicles with them and laughed and tickled. I spent time with Jessica riding in the car and talking. Noah and I snuggled last night and chatted about the day.
Friends? Those are especially important these days. It's so important to have people who think enough of you to call you or email you, not just because they should, but because it make their lives better to have you in them. At age 44, you don't meet new friends every day that have enough in common with you to want to spend lots of time together, so you need to really TREASURE any friend you have! It's great to be able to help your friends, be needy with your friends, to laugh with them, cry with them, to feed their animals when they have to be away, to taste their special recipes and to share yours, and to just have someone to laugh with over stuff your family's heard a thousand times.
Some other things to stop and notice (that aren't negative things on the news):
*the night sky - have you had time to look lately? still gorgeous!
*a seedling poking up through the dirt - still a miracle no matter how many I see!
*a peeping, fuzzy baby chicken (uh-oh, here we go! see post about my addiction)
*a cardinal
*a rainbow
*lightening in the distance
*drivers who use turn signals (those are especially rare, but they do exist)
*any person doing their job with joy (also rare)
*bees pollinating
*torrential rains watering your garden for you FREE!
*anyone holding a door for you
*any child or teen saying, "yes, ma'am" or "no, sir" and "thank you" and "please"
*any grown-up volunteering to help kids by tutoring or coaching a team
*any married couple together more than 10 years (cause we all know how hard it can be)
Well, I've stopped, and I've smelled the roses, and I've taken deep breaths and I've let them out slowly. I'm glad I took this time to write on what seemed like an uneventful day and wrote so much about things that are around me constantly. Thanks for being with me for that.
Monday, June 15, 2009
Barred Rock Baby Chicks today? Yes, I'll take 18!!
If I were an alcoholic, and baby chicks were beer, Duane Jones would be my bartender and Jones' Feed and Seed would be my favorite bar.
Today, Duane calls and says, "I got some baby chicks in, pullets, Barred Rocks, Black Australorps, Golden Buffs. You interested?"
I had not thought about getting more chickens. 13 almost laying hens and 104 2-week old chicks and 10 3-week old chicks and 12 1-week old chicks is enough for anyone. That's 139 chickens. "Nah, Duane. I'm good." I say it nervously. I know I'm not convincing. I'm lying through my teeth. My insides are screaming, "I WANT MY BABY CHICKENS!!!!" I stifle the inner voices.
Duane says, "Well, you told me to call you when I had chicks I hadn't sold, and I just wanted to give you first dibs."
"Did you say you have Golden Buffs? Those cute little yellow fuzzballs that look like the Easter toy chickens that cheep when you make contact with their metal undersides at the WalMart?"
"Yes, that's them. You want me to hold some for you?"
My mind said, "No, Duane. I'm good." However, my mouth broke loose and excitedly said, "I'll need a dozen each, and I'll be there in half an hour."
Then, like some pitiful addict, I DASH over there and start pawing each variety and looking at the chicken poster on the wall because I have NO idea what a grown Barred Rock chicken looks like. Oh, that's a really pretty chicken - dark gray all over with white spots like a guinea hen, punctuated by bright red combs. Gorgeous.
"I'll take all of these Barred Rock chicks. How many do you have?????"
"Eighteen."
"OK, (I'm starting to slur my words now and gesture unusually) and I'll need a dozen golden buffs and a dozen black australorps, too."
I grab the shipping box from the hatchery and nervously count as Miss Mavis counts out each precious little baby. "OK," she says. "That's 42 chickens. Need any starter scratch?"
"No, ma'am."
I pick up the box after paying and stagger out to the van, drunk with the obtaining of more cute, fuzzball baby chicks. I hiccuped.
Fortunately, I brought Monty along to drive. It's 10:22, and the babies are doing great out in the brooder coop with all those other (and bigger) babies. My head's hurting now. Probably a chicken drunk hangover. I guess tomorrow I'll try some "hair of the dog" and see if that helps. I didn't buy all that he had, just all the Barred Rock. ;o)
Today, Duane calls and says, "I got some baby chicks in, pullets, Barred Rocks, Black Australorps, Golden Buffs. You interested?"
I had not thought about getting more chickens. 13 almost laying hens and 104 2-week old chicks and 10 3-week old chicks and 12 1-week old chicks is enough for anyone. That's 139 chickens. "Nah, Duane. I'm good." I say it nervously. I know I'm not convincing. I'm lying through my teeth. My insides are screaming, "I WANT MY BABY CHICKENS!!!!" I stifle the inner voices.
Duane says, "Well, you told me to call you when I had chicks I hadn't sold, and I just wanted to give you first dibs."
"Did you say you have Golden Buffs? Those cute little yellow fuzzballs that look like the Easter toy chickens that cheep when you make contact with their metal undersides at the WalMart?"
"Yes, that's them. You want me to hold some for you?"
My mind said, "No, Duane. I'm good." However, my mouth broke loose and excitedly said, "I'll need a dozen each, and I'll be there in half an hour."
Then, like some pitiful addict, I DASH over there and start pawing each variety and looking at the chicken poster on the wall because I have NO idea what a grown Barred Rock chicken looks like. Oh, that's a really pretty chicken - dark gray all over with white spots like a guinea hen, punctuated by bright red combs. Gorgeous.
"I'll take all of these Barred Rock chicks. How many do you have?????"
"Eighteen."
"OK, (I'm starting to slur my words now and gesture unusually) and I'll need a dozen golden buffs and a dozen black australorps, too."
I grab the shipping box from the hatchery and nervously count as Miss Mavis counts out each precious little baby. "OK," she says. "That's 42 chickens. Need any starter scratch?"
"No, ma'am."
I pick up the box after paying and stagger out to the van, drunk with the obtaining of more cute, fuzzball baby chicks. I hiccuped.
Fortunately, I brought Monty along to drive. It's 10:22, and the babies are doing great out in the brooder coop with all those other (and bigger) babies. My head's hurting now. Probably a chicken drunk hangover. I guess tomorrow I'll try some "hair of the dog" and see if that helps. I didn't buy all that he had, just all the Barred Rock. ;o)
Taste test results on squash pickles are in . . . .
OMG!!! They are the best thing I've ever tasted. The recipe said to chill them for 24 hours. I didn't know if I could make it - they are SOOOOOOO pretty!
I reached in the fridge, unsealed the canned jar, got a fork and pulled out a tiny baby carrot . . .
INCREDIBLE!!!!!
Then I pulled out a slender beet stalk . . . TRES MAGNIFIQUE!!!!
Holy cow! Who can eat pickles of any variety at 9am????? ME! SNARF snarf snarf snarf . . . .
I'll see if I can get permish and post the recipe.
I reached in the fridge, unsealed the canned jar, got a fork and pulled out a tiny baby carrot . . .
INCREDIBLE!!!!!
Then I pulled out a slender beet stalk . . . TRES MAGNIFIQUE!!!!
Holy cow! Who can eat pickles of any variety at 9am????? ME! SNARF snarf snarf snarf . . . .
I'll see if I can get permish and post the recipe.
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