TheNaturalNoviceFarmer

so, it's been a minute...

2021-06-14T15:58:00.001-05:00

It is currently almost 10 years since my last post. What's happened in that time?

All the trees we planted died... something about we dug the holes too deep... and then a drought... We no longer have feathered farm creatures. We saved a shetland pony (we later named Ninja) in 2011. Rescued a miniature horse, Lily, who was about the same height as Ninja, just a little more delicate in structure. They have had 7 foals. We took on a neighbor's shetland mare, Dora. She and Ninja had 5 foals, though only 4 survived (Vultures don't just go after dead things. Apparently young things are on their menu, too.)

We've removed Lily and her most recent foal last spring (2020), Ninja and 2 of his progeny this past winter & spring, and got the rest of the ponies calm enough to take care of their hooves.

We've lost all the cats to predation or old age. Lost a dog to cancer caused seizures. Adopted a foundling puppy during the shut downs. The puppy keeps our old dog busy!

We have a 5 year old son who is the center of our universe.

I taught Massage Therapy for a handful of years, then opened up my own practice in the back of a local chiropractor's office. After a couple years and a Yoga Teacher certification, I opened up my own Massage & Yoga studio and have been focused on that, being a mom, and kick-a$$ wife, and a human being... so, not saying I didn't drop the ball here... but there were reasons! I'm saying REASONS!!!

I'm on vacation now, visiting my folks up north and enjoyed a lot of the farming tasks we used to find tedious.

From strawberry picking to strawberry preserves.

The recipe I used was:
https://www.thespruceeats.com/old-fashioned-strawberry-preserves-3057818

Hi there, Stranger!

2014-07-03T16:05:00.002-05:00

Well, I've had some time to adjust to living "out here" now. It still fascinates and amazes me on a daily basis. The places, the people, the situations, the culture, the gaffs... they all leave plenty of room for misunderstandings and entertainment... or both. I work as a teacher at a technical college as well as practicing at a local massage locale, but I've finally found time to pick up gardening again among other interests.

At the farm, we now have 9 goats, 1 shetland pony, 1 miniature horse, 1 dog, 3 cats, and 2 goldfish. I just harvested about 15 lbs of zucchini, 5 lbs of jalepenos, and 4 lbs of onions from the garden. We've made stuffed zucchini, zucchini & chicken lasagna, zucchini bread, sautéed zucchini, more hot pepper jelly, and will try some new recipes! We've started using our crockpot more and are trying some freezer to crockpot meals (awesome time savings). Lots of things have happened. Pictures will follow.

I just wanted to say that I live on and soon, I'll get to this blog again on a regular basis.

Pictures of late...

2012-05-27T14:17:00.001-05:00

Ruby

Cleopatra "Cleo"

Rhoda

Ginger

Lady

Richard

KC (the cat) & Wendy

Here's to checking off a few things on "the List"

2012-05-27T14:10:00.001-05:00

The list... ahh... Is there no one out there who does not have a list? A list of things to be done. A shopping list. A HoneyDo list. A bucket list. A holiday card list. A list of accomplishments. Lists, lists, lists.

Well, my "Need to Do" list just got a bit shorter. We finally replaced the car that Hubby totaled in February. Got a 2012 Mazda 3. It is fuel efficient, has tons of cargo space, and is loads of fun to drive.

We also have another 41 eggs incubating to give us about 100+ chickens. After we cull some and breed others, we're hoping to total about 120 laying hens and 5-10 roosters. Then, we'll be ready for regular production to sell to our interested parties. This is important because that's the moment that this farm begins to generate it's own income! We're so close!!!

Next on the list is to fill in the pot holes in the driveway, repair the old Honda and sell it, put up a fence, get a cow, maybe some goats... the list goes on, doesn't it? It's just one of those things that never seems to end. Every time you can cross something off of it, 5 more things seem to jump into it's place, don't they?

Well, at least we completed a big one yesterday. Not a bad Birthday present, if I do say so myself! :)

Now we have the luxury of trying to cross more off of our lists! Ah me...

Recent happenings in the physical world...

2012-03-17T19:42:00.000-05:00

Hubby was in a car accident 3 weeks ago. He's fine, but the car was totaled. His accident sent me to the ER with an anxiety attack. I'm fine, but what a stressor! I still have some follow up appointments to take care of, but all is well. Now we're test driving cars in our spare time; hoping to find one we like so we can get one I can drive and I can give my Mom's car back to her. We're leaning towards a Honda Insight, but have not yet had the privilege of driving one... It seems that all the Honda Dealerships in AL & FL are only getting in 1 at a time and they are normally sold as soon as they arrive... We're hoping to find & purchase one before the end of the month!

Work has been keeping me busy all quarter. This month is a bit easier to manage, but still exhausting at times. I hit the ground running in October when I started. I had been expecting to start off as a part-time teacher, I jumped right into full-time teaching 5 classes last quarter. This quarter I taught 6 classes and am FINALLY starting to find a rhythm to it that I can be comfortable in. I really love teaching Massage Therapy at the career college (not willing to publish the name yet... Damn you Big Brother!!!). The students are adult- sometimes in age only. Mostly, though, they just don't know what to expect, I think. The department is expanding right now. (Yay! Job security!) Soon I'll have my own desk & workspace! JOY!

The farm has become a regular stop for coyotes at night. To date, we've lost 3 guineas and 1 cat to those monsters. As a result, Hubby has been up most nights with a shotgun to protect the flock. The chickens have begun to lay their eggs. We're getting upwards of 16-17 eggs/day! Yay! We've begun to incubate some to grow the flock and we've been gifting some to friends and family. Some we're giving to the folks who gave us the wood we used to make the coop as a thank you! They didn't ask for or demand it, but it's nice to show our appreciation!

Dad just found work; Mom is still looking. For a while, it seemed that every time they got their hopes up, the job they were after went to someone else. Mom has not yet given up hope, but she's kinda discouraged.

We really hadn't had the energy the past month to attend church more than once. It hasn't been intentional, but when the opportunity to catch a morning to sleep in or relax, we'd needed to take advantage of it lately.

The Early Cat Gets the Bird... Where's your worm, now??

2011-10-08T07:58:00.001-05:00

I officially started my new job as a Massage Therapy Instructor at a local college (about an hour away) on Monday. It came with a rigorous schedule- complete with a just about daily wake-up time of 5:00 am (for those of you unfamiliar with those wee hours of the morning, that is about an hour or so PRIOR TO sunrise). Mondays & Wednesdays, I teach 4 classes that are spread throughout the day beginning at 8:00 am and ending at 9:20 pm. Grueling. On the bright side, it does give me time for office hours with the students as well as time for planning, organizing and administrating my classes and creating lesson plans. Tuesdays & Thursdays, I only teach one class from 12:30pm-2:20 pm- then home. I also have the occasional 5 hour shift of supervising the clinic, after which I "Take one for the team" and get a student massage (it's a dirty job, but I do it because I am a team player). In truth, the student massages are relaxing and it gives me the opportunity for some 1-on-1 time with the students. During the massage, I can asses their competency and give pointers, tips, tricks and general advice that lecturing in front of a class simply can not provide.

I LOVE being a positive influence on so many aspiring LMTs. I love the opportunity to help them succeed in the field of Massage Therapy and inspire them as human beings to see life in a new light. That being said, it's a challenging schedule to acclimate to. Not impossible… just unfamiliar. Learning the layout of campus has had me walking no less than 2 miles daily, just trying to find things like which class I'm supposed to be in, where the administrative offices are, where do I get my attendance records, etc. There's an additional physical strain because, for the past week, I have been carrying bags of books, my purse (which is NOT tiny), and my laptop briefcase with me to each class. Occasionally, I lock my purse up and go on without it. So, this past week has been draining-physically, mentally, emotionally, & spiritually. When I got home Friday after my clinic shift, the entire week's exhaustive efforts hit me all at once & I PTFO'd on the couch for an hour or so. When I went to bed that night, I luxuriated in the realization that I could sleep in on Saturday morning…

Saturday morning came all too soon, ushered in by my Darling Husband- whom I had repeatedly and unsuccessfully tried to wake during the week to spend the morning with me before I headed off to work for the day- awoke at 4:00 am (for those of you keeping track, that is more then TWO hours before the sun comes up). Unable to get back to sleep, he decided to make breakfast… for the both of us. By 6:00 am, he had managed to finish breakfast and rip me from our warm, comfortable, calling-to-me bed and had me sitting in the kitchen, eating a scrumptious breakfast of cheese grits, eggs and bacon.. and coffee (strong with a chance of death- just the way he likes it). It was a wonderfully sweet gesture on his part… but something inside me railed against the notion that I had been torn from sleep on one of the few opportunities I'd had to catch some much needed rest to recover from my week. The injustice! However, I ate most of my breakfast, enjoying his company and asked him what was on his agenda today. Do you know what he said??? He was going to go back to sleep!!! Here I was, my only sleep-in day stolen from me, with the assistance of coffee & breakfast I was awake for the day… and he was going to go back to sleep!

Note: he DID NOT go back to sleep, and not because of any death threats I may have imagined... he stayed up with me, surfing the web for news, as is his morning custom... Ha HA! He's awake for the day, too!

About the title: I have developed a habit of letting the cats out just before I head to work. It's still a bit dark-ish, usually and they are more than anxious to get out & start their days of hunting, climbing and other kitty adventures. They have quickly realized that they can go out early if I am up early, which they now try to facilitate by jumping on my head, back, chest etc. purring loudly and kneading whatever they don't get pushed off of. This morning, when I- bleary eyed- stumbled into the kitchen, I mentioned that the cats needed to go out. Hubby let them out while I found my way to the breakfast table. After breakfast, we mozied on over to the couch so we could comfortably use our laptops for our tasks at hand. Our windows are open to allow the breeze to cool the house since the blazing heat of summer is almost gone. Not long after we sat down, we heard a bird sound, followed by a cat sound and then no more bird sound... Our little hunters. :)

One year ago today...

2011-09-23T12:05:00.000-05:00

We packed up the last load of our stuff into 2 sedans and, with 3 cats in tow, we set off for our new life on the farm. We had no idea what we were doing, but we were looking forward to the adventure of a lifetime!

We had set some short term goals:

Have a kitchen garden. (success with the winter garden, failure in spring/summer garden)
Have livestock. (42 beautiful birds bouncing out of their bins)
Have a truck. (found a 1984 Ford F150 in usable condition for $1000! Woot!)

These things were set to be achieved within a year of moving here. As of yesterday (I know, down to the wire- right?!), all 3 have been achieved!

Through the year we have had our successes and failures thanks to family, friends, neighbors, fellow farmers, ACES Educational Resources, abnormal temperatures, animals (feral hogs rooting up & eating crops, deer eating my spring/summer veggies!), ignorance (Who knew some trees won't grow here despite what the people at Lowes or the Co-Op says?), drought (almost 2 months straight without rain), money problems (shoestring budget), insects (damned fire ants)... etc.

I'm halfway through my Master Gardener classes which should help me yield a better garden to harvest fresh produce from year-round!
Our birds are just about ready to go outside. We just need to finish the coop/pen/shelter for them this weekend before our little jumpers get into trouble in the house.
The truck needs some work, true... but it's nothing we can't handle. It's mostly personalization and getting it fit to do what we need around here.

Once I start working off-farm next week, the budget will be happier and we'll be able to do more around the place.

Our goals for year 2:

Get cows
Get Goats
Get Sheep
Solar panels or windmill for power (not a requirement, but would be nice!)

Now that we're more familiar with the farm and will have an increased budget, I'm sure that these goals can be attained with a bit more speed than last year's goals.

The Chickens Cometh...

2011-09-23T11:47:00.000-05:00

After a week with our keets, watching them nearly double in size, the cats had finally forgiven us for adding a little noise to the house. As long as they stay in the bin, the cats are ok.

Friday morning, though, this time at 5:45 am, about 20 minutes after I woke up with an emergency bathroom visit (fast food is a no no!!), the phone screamed at us. Again, another early morning, pre-sun rise phone call from the US Government. This time, I was already awake and anxious to receive my chicks, so I answered the phone. The kind lady told me that my chicks were in and I could come and get them any time... but this time, "please come to the back door and ring the bell."

OH! Is THAT what we should have done last time?!?!?? Now I get it... Kinda makes sense now why the front office was locked last week. Eh, you live, you be a bit obnoxious, people will garner knowledge to educate you. It was our very first experience getting live animals through the USPS... we were mail order livestock virgins and no one told us what to do last week... can they blame us for not having a clue? I hope not... so, FYI, should you order chicks from a hatchery and get them delivered vis USPS, go to the back door and ring the bell! (My public service announcement for the month.) Much nicer people back there... that and they expect you & know what they are doing with the animals. But I digress...

We didn't hit warp speed going or coming home from the post office this time. Now we were seasoned veterans receiving our small animals in the mail...

When we got them home, we again left the box on the floor in the kitchen for the cats to get familiar with the birds while we readied the brooding bin for them.

Left: Light Yellow- Delawares, Tan-New Hampshires, Black- Black Australorps.
Right: Solid Brown- Rhode Island Reds, Multicolored with stripe- Americaunas, Mulitcolored patches- Egyptian Fayoumis (free exotic chick)

The Chick Brooder Bin

Welcome home little chicks!

Are you looking at me?

Two goals down, more to go!

2011-09-20T12:26:00.012-05:00

When we moved here (9/22/10), we set a couple of goals.

Get a truck
Get Livestock (Chickens, goats, cows, sheep, etc.)
Have an active/productive vegetable garden

The garden was the easiest to start with. Over the winter we dined on Brussels Sprouts, Cabbage and Kale from the vegetable garden. It was nowhere near a viable production model to sell the produce, but it was one helluva start!

The other goals... well... they took a great deal of resources, time and preparation. The truck had to be functional and <$2K... which has had us shopping around for almost a year now.

The livestock required capital to procure materials and make shelters, clear land for their use, put up fences, get feeders & waterers... In short, it would be no easy task... and one of the most time consuming.

I'm thrilled to say that, as of 9/10/11, we have accomplished goal #2: We got our first livestock!

It was a Saturday morning, about 5:30.. A.M... when we got the call. The caller ID said US Government. At 5:30 am, in that half-asleep haze of semi-consciousness, I thought that the US Government could go that special hell reserved for child molesters, rapists and people who talk in the theater. My husband, however, remembered that we were, indeed, expecting a call from the post office once our precious cargo arrived. So, I handed (read "drowsily tossed") the phone to him and he answered. The US Post Office told him that our live cargo had arrived & we could pick it up any time. Slowly, as the light screamed down my while hubby poked around in the clean laundry pile for suitable clothes, it dawned on me: THE GUINEA KEETS HAVE ARRIVED!!!

Hastily, I threw on some jeans, a shirt and some slip-on shoes, Hubby grabbed his keys, then I shut & locked the front door. Together, we jumped in the car and Hubby drove us to the Post Office post haste, both of us as anxious as new parents hi-tailing it to the hospital. Our Babies are here! Our Babies are here!!

We got to the Post Office faster than I thought humanly possible, parked the car and practically danced to the front door. Unfortunately, the front office at the post office doesn't open until 8:30 am. Looking at my phone, I was dismayed to see the current time: 6:00 am. How could they call us, wake us from our much needed sleep and then deny us access to our little fuzzy bundles of joy?? It just wasn't fair! It wasn't right! In the world of schedules and hours of operation, how could they call us & tell us to "come & get 'em" when they wouldn't allow it?? Just then, we noticed some movement behind the blinds in the window to the front office. A Person! A human being! Surely they would open the door if they knew we were standing there, shivering in the 55 degree morning. So we did what any self-respecting, well-mannered person would do... we pounded on the window until they came to the door to see what the hell was going on!

We explained that we had "gotten the call" and were there to pick up our animals. The brusque woman curtly, nodded, shut the door & sent someone else up to deal with us... that next person opened the door just enough to shove her hands and a box through it. Once we had the box, the door shut as the hands that had held the box retracted as though they were spring-loaded! We didn't much care because we were holding the beginnings of our flock! 16 cold, frightened French Guinea Keets chirping loudly through the cardboard box with slits in the side.

The ride home was a blur of street lights and staring at the cardboard, trying to imagine what these little noisy creatures could possibly look like. Once we arrived home, we were met by 4 curious furry faces whose ears peaked upon hearing the birds' cries. Since we were introducing these new elements to their home, too, we thought they should be introduced.

We left the box on the floor in the kitchen.

The cats were curious.

They all got the chance to sniff the noisy box.

Meanwhile, we set up the bin with pine flakes, water & feeder.

Our dining room brooder set up.

We opened the box...

They were all huddled together in a corner for warmth.

We put them in the bin under the heat lamp.

Slowly, they started to warm up and explore.

They eventually found their food...

and water.

They eventually all tuckered out...

...and passed out wherever they were.

Sully was introduced & sniffed a Keet... not interested.

Spike tried to get away from this voice with feet and feathers.

KC would hear their chirps, look their way, and head the opposite direction.

All in all, we love our French Guinea Keets! They are entertaining and happy... and so are we!

Tabs! I found tabs!!!

2011-09-01T16:08:00.002-05:00

Is it weird that I got excited because I found another way to add information to the blog?? Yeah, well... ok. So, now that I know how to add tabs, I'll be adding them as the farm grows. Just an FYI.

Whew! What a couple of weeks it has been!

2011-08-31T16:17:00.000-05:00

Mondays are typically Make-stuff days (breads, jellies & jams, meals to be frozen, etc.). It is also a laundry & housekeeping day.

I've been tutoring a friend in computer literacy in weekly 3-ish hour Tuesday sessions. It's going well and she now has an understanding of how to organize files on a computer. To facilitate the class, my husband has set up a PC tower next to the coffee table and a HUGE behemoth of a monitor that must weigh a million pounds that we must lift to put on and eventually off the table for the instruction.

Wednesdays I've been attending a 4 hour Master Gardener class about 45 minutes away. It's great fun and I've been able to meet new people and network a bit on a social AND professional level. After only 3 classes, I can now understand why many of last year's gardening failures happened. ONly 9 more classes left and I hope to be in much better shape for this year's projects.

I've started volunteering at an agriculture museum about an hour away in order to earn the 50 hours required to be certified as a Master Gardener. I go back tomorrow and hope to have a friend join me in the coming weeks. It's informative and practical in that the education we are getting in class is actually being applied in a hand-on approach. It's hot and it's not the easiest work, but the guide is nice and it's a beautiful site with lots of history. That's 4 hours on Thursday mornings.

Friday is typically a catch-up at home day. We weed, mow, sow seeds, make things for the house, etc. Since we've ordered 40 birds (25 chickens and 15 guineas), we'll be building a brooder, chicken house, and, perhaps, a barn to house future cattle & other livestock. Then we shower & head to a friend's place to unwind, play cards and have lively discussions.

Saturday, we continue catching up and try to organize other projects on the farm.

Then there's Sunday... the "day of rest"... when we get up at 4am for the hog hunt. If we catch something, we go to a neighbor's place to butcher the beasts. If we do NOT catch something, we shower and go to church. Then back to weeding, mowing, clearing paths through the brush and building needed things for the farm.

Then we do it all over again...

You'd think we'd be dropping weight like crazy doing all this...

...apparently that's a slow process, too! LOL!

The Mower Works!!!! It Works! It does! It does!

2011-08-26T17:35:00.000-05:00

Pardon my excitement, but....

IT WORKS!!! YAY!

After all the hullabaloo, Hubby got the mower deck to work. He spent a HUGE part of yesterday afternoon mowing down LOTS of thorny brush leading to the pond.

Hubby's having a GREAT time now that he gets to mow the thorny brush!

You can barely see him behind the overgrown thicket.

The beginning path of cleared ground.

Look how low the pond water has gotten.

Nice...

Even the kitties like the shorter greenery.

Looks like it's manicured.

Can you tell where he stopped for the day??

Making Hot Pepper Jelly

2011-08-26T17:05:00.002-05:00

When I got back home this afternoon, I picked a bunch of Hot Peppers from the garden and decided to try my hand at making Hot Pepper Jelly.

Today's harvest from my garden!

I used the recipe for Easy Jalapeno Jelly out of a book called:

Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving: 400 delicious and creative recipes for today

Things I learned while in my 1st ever attempt to make Hot Pepper Jelly:

It takes A LOT of peppers to equal 12 oz after you remove seeds and veins!

When handling hot peppers, it is best to use rubber gloves in order to prevent the Capsaicin in the peppers from burning your skin.

THIS INCLUDES CLEANUP, not just while you are cutting, seeding & de-veining the peppers.

When the instructions call for a "deep, stainless steel saucepan", what they mean is a "HUGE pasta pot".

Apparently, upon boiling, the raging lava more than doubles in volume...

...and is likely to pour out of the saucepan all over your stove top with little to no warning.

Food coloring is NOT required for hot pepper jelly, despite what the recipe calls for. Mine turned out a brilliant, fiery red/orange- perhaps a homage to the hot stuff within!

Unlike boiling water, when jelly splashes on you while boiling, it does not just drip off. Instead, it sticks to your skin like napalm and begins eating through the 1st couple layers of skin.

No matter how independent you believe yourself to be, this is NOT a 2 handed task. It really helped to have Hubby there to help out.
If you begin this task with any sinus congestion, it will be gone before the task is complete.

As I'm typing this, the can lids are popping one-by-one as they cool. This lets me know that there is a good seal on them. YAY! I did it correctly! Now comes the hardest part: waiting for them to cool and set before I can taste it!

Deer: Majestic or Menace

2011-08-24T18:00:00.002-05:00

The day after we mowed the lawn, we had some unexpected guests enjoying the delectable new shoots of grass that had grown over night.

Remember now that these "Majestic" Creatures are the same varmints that ate all my lettuce last winter

The damned deer ate my red & head lettuce!

Buttercrunch and Romaine Lettuces after planting...

Overnight, the deer ate most of it!

They've eaten my lettuces, my tomatoes, my hot peppers... everything that wasn't covered or caged.
Now I ask you, are they rats with a larger profile and greater appetite or still "aww, look at the deer!"

In my opinion, I can't wait for hunting season so I can dine on some venison!

Our Solution to the Feral Hog Problem (Skip the pics if you have a weak stomach)

2011-08-24T17:15:00.003-05:00

Feral Hogs are a HUGE pest to farmers and residents in the Southeast, including our property.

This ground was growing up in wild grasses.

Hogs have decimated this area and claimed it as their sleeping grounds.

This is just one family group of hogs. There are many in the area.

Not only have the hogs trampled this grassy area, they have destroyed the corn crop that the farmer who rents our land had planted this spring. As a result, we sought a solution. Our answer to this riddle was to form a hunting group. Every Sunday, Hubby and some guys from the area get together at daybreak to hunt the feral hogs. These boys bring their hunting dogs, rifles & shotguns and week after week, reduce the number of feral hogs in the area by at least 2-4 at a time.

Since I can not condone wasting the meat of these creatures, I have stepped in to help clean and butcher the beasts. The pictures below are not for the weak stomached out there, but portray our adventures in learning to live off the land!

These are 3 of the 4 confirmed down. All sows.

1st step in cleaning the hogs was to remove the skin.

Hubby's 1st kill! That's one eating machine that will not be wrecking our field or goring our neighbors or pets.

Another day's harvest

This boar is almost a year old. As it ages, these tusks can get several inches long and can penetrate skin down to the bone, or even sever the bone completely.

Skinned carcasses

These are supposed to be a delicacy. We weren't brave enough to try. I'll let you guess what they are.

Seasonings for sausages

Ground wild pork

A freezer full of pork

Breakfast Sausage all wrapped up

Sicilian Sausage: meat & ingredients ready to mix.

Other Sausage seasonings

Mixing a 5 lb. batch

Mixing one of 2 batches of feral hog sausage

The packaging table... this was NOT a 1 person job.

My mom and husband were integral in seasoning, mixing, partitioning and then packaging the sausage.

Last 1/2 lb pack of sausage

Great when combined with homemade biscuits...

Gravy...

and eggs!

Pile one on top of the other...

Cover with gravy & viola! A breakfast fit for a king!

Not a bad solution for a feral hog problem. The hog population has waned, but not for long. Soon the sows will birth a new generation of crop destroyers and menaces. Not to worry. We'll soon be short on pork.

The lawn is mowed... Finally

2011-08-24T16:12:00.002-05:00

The Farmall Cub has a Woods Mower Deck that we've been trying to get working for a few months now, with limited success.... That is, until yesterday!


Under the Mower Deck

Old Blades are rounded & warped, which explains why it bogged down so easily when it hit thick grass.

Blade assembly with new blades...

...which have an edge!

After mechanical failures in the Cub, missing and wrong sized pieces for the mower deck, we THOUGHT we had finally got it right! Hubby mowed the lawn all around the house including the front & back yards, the 1/2 acre on the other side of the "privet hedge", all the way up to the pond... then it just stopped! Turns out that the belt was splitting and had come too lose to stay on the bearings. It pulled off the pulleys and the mowing stopped. Yesterday, Hubby went to get a new belt for the Woods Mower Deck we have hooked up to the Cub. This morning while I was at my MG class, he tried to put the new belt on, only to learn that it was 4" too short! No amount of adjusting the pulleys would even allow him to get the belt ON the pulleys! So he put in a call to the place we got the part from... they're trying to find the right belt... again.

Go Hubby! GO!

The 1/2 acre is mowed!

Oh well, at least the lawn is mowed... for now.

Addendum:
We got the 1st 2 belts from a parts distributor in Headland, AL (about an hour away). The 1st belt we had used was not the correct one- it was an "equivalent" (as in if you don't have the one listed, this will work). Though it was the right size, it was not the right materials nor was it designed for the job we had intended it to perform- despite the fact that it was the part listed in the dealer's parts book. The 2nd belt, while model number correct, was 4" too short to even be put on the pulleys. The 3rd (& hopefully final belt) was found thanks to the Farmall Cub Forum at farmallcub.com (Their shared experience and wisdom have been a wonderful help on a nearly daily basis) supplying the correct part number (not the one in the manual) and a local parts dealer. We'll be putting it on tomorrow morning to see if it actually DOES work.

Clearing the Hiking Path... Again.

2011-08-24T15:22:00.002-05:00

OK. So, apparently, if you don't keep at the whole "Property Maintenance" thing, plants will try their best to take over whatever project you've started.... Ours was the hiking trail through the woods. But, I digress...

With the summer heat, it was near impossible to spend more than an hour outside... even less if there was heavy labor involved. Since clearing a path by hand involves heavy labor, it didn't get done this summer, though we did manage to cut down some of the trees in the way of our desired trail. Mind you, we are doing all this by hand... that is to say, with hand held saws, hatchets and an ax. Like I said, LOTS of labor involved. Cutting these things out took much more effort than expected and after nearly passing out from the heat a time or 2, we did manage to get the path cleared... that is, of the heavy debris.

While we focused our efforts on the BIG things, the little things fell by the wayside... things like making sure the brush didn't grow over the path too much... or clearing out debris from the few rain storms we DID get... so, we decided to hike the trail a couple weeks ago to take stock of the work ahead. Our cat, KC (short for Kitty Cat), who loves to go on our hiking adventures through the woods, came with us. Wearing our Camelbacks and armed with a machete, hatchet and a pistol, we headed out. Why a pitsol? You'll see...

Here are some of the pictures from that excursion:

Looked like rain might come. It sprinkled. Nothing more.


Beginning the trail... Lots of vines had grown and some new trees popped up, but we were able to clear most of it by hand this time.

This is the pond by the house. It's VERY low. The drainage pipe is sticking out on the left and the pond floor is a deep green from all the little plants growing on the exposed lush ground!

KC, the adventurer!

Hubby was clearing the path with his machete while I, er... um... documented the event! LOL!

Did I mention that a LOT of vines grew over the summer?

This is why we carry a pistol when we're out here. I'm glad it's only the shed skin! I'm keeping my eyes peeled for the former inhabitant, though!

Once we did get it cleared out, the vines, along with the wood we'd cut, made an excellent bonfire! YAY wood ash for the garden!!! Here's some pics for all you Pyromaniacs out there:

Keep in mind that the flames were taller that our house by this point.

The little rain we DID get didn't even make a dent in the fire... We watched the flames until the mosquitoes got too thick to enjoy it. Hubby used the hose to back the pyre down to something that would safely burn itself out. Ah, what we do to entertain ourselves!

Thar be Humming Birds, Cap'n!!!

2011-08-24T15:02:00.000-05:00

Hubby & I had bird feeders out to attract various birds to help with the mosquito and fly problems here at the farm. The birds would come and help themselves to the birdseed, but occasionally we'd see a humming bird poke around, poke at the window, hover a moment and then fly off as if to say, "What about us? Can't we get food, too?"

So we went to our favorite local store, Tractor Supply Company, and picked up a cheapie humming bird feeder, made some "nectar", filled the feeder and put it out. So we watched as one, then 2, then 5 humming birds were flying around, taking turns drinking the nectar. They've been back every day since!

Now, while we're eating our meals, we watch out the window as the drama unfolds!

Apparently, ants, bees, butterflies, wasps, hornets and all manner of stingy-type flying insects ALSO enjoy the nectar! Some even give the hummingbirds a fight in dominating the feeder! It's funny to see these beautiful birds that are no bigger than my thumb fencing with other species of flying things. It's almost choreographed! Sometimes the birds get to eat, sometimes the wasp gets to. It's a neat little drama that happens on a daily basis.

Overgrown!!

2011-08-07T18:51:00.000-05:00

Well, the tractor WAS working... kinda. The lawn was beautifully mowed and looked lovely! (Pictures soon to follow). In fact, it was SO nice that the deer came & visited, munching on the newly mowed lawn.

That was 15 days ago. Now, you can barely tell it was ever mowed! Bahia grass grows so quickly! It's back to thigh high (granted: my thighs are a little lower to the ground than most). There is buffalo grass taking over the place.

But, I'm told that this could be a good thing. Apparently, Bahia grass will penetrate the hard pan to the water table which will make it easier for other plants to get the water they need to survive. The Buffalo grass is supposed to be a haven to doves making dove hunting an excellent option once it goes to seed in a few more weeks.

So, despite looking like we could mow the grass and find a car in true red-neck style, we do have myriad food options that don't involve the grocery store or the factory food system: Hogs are eating the corn in the field, Doves will be eating the Buffalo Grass, Deer are eating the grass. Yay homesteading variety in meats!

After a few days working on the tractor, we figured out what we think is wrong with it: The PTO gear is too small for the mower, the blades are so dull that they are actually round where they should be sharp. So, Monday we'll be ordering more parts and waiting for their arrival. Ah, the life!

Another one bites the dust!

2011-06-29T14:25:00.002-05:00

Well, our vacuum cleaner bit the dust a little over a month ago. We've been doing OK, but dusting just doesn't seem to be cutting it... especially since my folks will be visiting soon. My dad has allergies to cats, dust, pollen, etc. So, naturally, I want him to be comfortable while he's here. So, I must choose a vacuum. Since the budget is tight, I've gotta do some comparison shopping.

Here's the one I'm now considering:

Any reviews?? Advice?? I'm all ears.

Update: It works wonderfully!!!

Herding Humans proves harder than cats.

2011-06-17T21:38:00.000-05:00

You know, I believe that any other animal on the plant would be easier to organize in groups than humans. They could be lead to take action (be it stampede or hide), organized into subgroups with specific abilities and work together towards a common goal. I've been trying to get a parole package together for a friend of mine. This includes letters from friends and relatives regarding his character. People have known about this for months. Still, the letters from my husband, my mother in law, and me are the only reference letters we have collected. Sheesh people! Don't say you'll do something if you won't!

Chemical Warfare with Dangerous 8-legged Beasts in the Garage

2011-06-17T21:04:00.000-05:00

I realize that I can't get rid of them all and that more will eventually come, I know that I live in the country, I know that some spiders to play useful roles in the delicate balance of life... but I feel better knowing that the nest of Brown Recluses I found is no longer a threat. I counted 5 full grown adults, 2 younger ones and 4 egg sacs. Gone. No more. I hope that means I have successfully avoided an infestation, but time will tell.

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle! A fantastic example, if I do say so myself!

2011-06-11T19:49:00.003-05:00

My sister has a friend who is looking to get rid of 7 laying hens. It just so happens that Hubby & I are almost ready to start in the "Chicken Biz". Well, at least we're ready to try to raise some for eggs and meat. My sister gave me her phone number and said to have a coop ready for them.

I didn't exactly have a coop here yet and buying one is WAY too expensive. So, I set forth to make one with the materials already on the farm. Happy coincidence: when the house was gutted and redone 7-ish years ago, all the old stuff from the house was tossed into the garage, which up until yesterday appeared more landfill than garage. Yesterday it became a candy store and I, the proverbial kid! I walked around picking through the heap with a smile growing on my face as I uncovered precious treasures that would be PERFECT coop materials.

FIRST!!! A safety warning!!! If you are ever wandering about heaps of stuff outside, always watch where you put your feet and be super observant of your surroundings. Nails DO stick out of boards, ants DO roam around enough to find you whether or not you are near an ant bed, and Spiders DO lurk in EVERY nook & cranny available to them.

A Brown Recluse inside a cabinet in the garage.

Kitchen Cabinets from the remodel of the old farmhouse.
At times I actually am thankful for lazy people.

I took off the doors, turned them 90 degrees and attached the hinges
to the bottom so they would open into ramps the chickens could walk up on.

Staple gunned some chicken wire over the drawer openings for ventilation and light.
Found some pieces of siding to make a roof sitting atop more chicken wire for protection an support.

The back of the roof peels up for easy access to eggs.

Nailed in some wooden claw strips to ease the climb for the chickens.

True, it probably won't win any beauty pageants, but it only cost me a roll of chicken wire and some staples. I can't complain.

This'll sit next to the house for a while so we can clear its permanent location: next to the garage inside the livestock fence. We're hoping for tasty eggs, delicious chicken and silky smooth fresh milk by this time next year.

Gonna be one of those days...

2011-05-25T01:04:00.004-05:00

Funny thing happened. It's almost 1 am and I'm watching "The Money Pit". Out of no where, I hear a sudden spurt of water gushing somewhere. The water explosion was so loud that both me & my sleeping Hubby jolted from the bed and ran to find the source of the sound. We followed the sounds of a Yellowstone-like geyser to the guest bathroom. As it turns out, the hose that supplies the guest toilet with water burst open and poured a few gallons of water all over the floor before I could get to the cut off valve.

Yup, the plastic just broke all at once. Snapped right off.

Meanwhile, Hubby stood bleary-eyed in the doorway and started handing me towels and told me we'd take care of it in the morning, then promptly went right back to bed where he immediately fell asleep.

It's already one of those days and the day is barely an hour old!!!! Looks like I'll be looking for a METAL connector now... No More cheap, half-a$$ed piece of plastic...!@*%!@(*^@!!!!!

Our corn is sprouting!!!!!

2011-05-24T11:27:00.002-05:00

At least 2 rows of our corn are sprouting!!! We kinda feel like farmers now that our crop is growing. Encouraged, we will plant some more seeds in the field for a variety of vegetables to harvest in a couple months. So, we are setting things up and starting to get our "Farm Groove" on!