Crazy Spring

Well, it’s been a few months since I last posted in my blog…. it’s been a crazy, crazy spring. So much happening on the farm. We are growing fast and preparing for a new adventure that will begin next year… more to come on that note.

Babies everywhere. Chickens, ducks, and turkeys have taken over the yard. We not only have to hunt the Easter eggs around the farm, but we have to find the turkey and duck nests. They are sneaky critters.

New additions. It’s been a dream to have The Beasts on the farm. We started with the thought that we would only have them short term but that has changed and they will get to stay. I couldn’t be happier. Bo and Babe are big babies. 😘

And more additions to the farm animals… folks know they can drop of unwanted and we will make it work around here. Plus I just can’t stay away from Cackle Hatchery. 🤗

Gone but never forgotten fur babies. There are a few not so awesome moments but we have had the joy of spending many years with these beautiful souls.

May you find a minute or two to stop and enjoy what’s going on around you.

Fencing…. Oh my word

These nosey cows had such great entertainment while we were cleaning out the fence line. We have a wonderful opportunity to work with another couple of large animals and we just can’t wait. In preparation, we are cleaning out the fence line to block off about 15 acres. This process has been much harder than anticipated. I thought that we would just need to do a repair here and there… Batman had other ideas. Total clean out and get it done right. I hate to admit it…. he was right.

The farm truck actually started looking like a farm truck while we were working. (The Busch cans were in the trailer attached to my lawn mower. Only the best around the farm!) It’s funny that we have two sizes of picket pounders…. one my size and the mother of all picket pounders for the ultimate strength of Batman. Dang that thing is heavy!!!

It’s a slow process when you have an old fence that you have to replace. We were hoping we would just need to clean out the line and replace the top barbed wire…. nope! The fencing on the lower half was so bad with rust that the wire broke in our hands. It definately needs to go. I have to say, I’m glad we are doing it this way because it looks simply amazing.

There are some instances that could have been dangerous but Batman had it all under control. Climbing on ladders or up in the trees to get the trees cut in the right way to fall…. well, that’s why women live longer. Just saying!

It doesn’t help that we started working on this project during the winter months. We got lucky with our first weekend. It was dry and unusually warm for January. Second weekend…. not so lucky as it’s cold, windy, and it’s started to snow. Gave Batman the weekend to work inside instead. I know, I’m such a nice person.

What I love about this work… the beauty surrounding us on our land. The ducks flew over my head and skid into the water with a trail of ripples flowing behind them. Those birds were interested in what we (the dogs and me) were doing around the pond. I still have not found their nests! Argh!

My challenge to you… find some fun and beauty while working hard… I promise it makes things easier. 🖤

Let’s try this…

Oh my word!  Winter farming is not fun when you have more than just birds.  This year is the first year that we have dealt with pigs during the winter and the second year for rabbit.  This winter has been much colder and we are learning what works, what works better and what is a complete fail. 

The pigs… they are a bunch of crazies…. like the fools who take black Friday shopping to the extreme.  Finding a way to give them water without it freezing was becoming problematic.  Today we broke down and got a submersible water heater for their water bucket.  While filling up the bucket they wanted to play in the water.  They enjoy “fresh” water from the hose no matter how cold it is.  Then those turds kept trying to get in the bucket instead of using the nipple to drink from it.  Tomorrow we will raise it so that they cannot get into it.  But it’s 17 degrees (feels like 7) and we had already been outside for a few hours. Burrrrrr!!!

Rabbits… we have multiple houses of rabbits.  It is important to separate the boys from the girls plus the breeder girls have their own apartments.  As it’s so dag-gone cold, it’s harder than ever to keep the breeders with water.  Their individual bottles are freezing within a few hours.  Well,  we can’t put the girls in the Frat House because I refuse to breed during the winter. We can’t put the girls in the Sorority because the breeders do not get along with the younger girls.  So, we decided to put them in a section of the chicken coop.  The chickens will perch up top and they can live temporarily on the grounds of the coop.  We have an addition to the coop where the turkey, ducks, and guineas (and more chickens) hang out.  

In the Sorority, the girls like to hang out on the outside.  No matter how cold or if there is snow, you’ll find the girls playing in their area outside.  Jumping from one house to another while kicking in the air.  They are quite adorable creatures.  Today, they have fresh straw to play in covering their huts.  As soon as it was placed, they started digging tunnels from one house to another. 

I’ll take summertime heat over this chilling/freezing cold air to farm in any day.  Takes us 5 minutes to get everything on so that we don’t freeze… by the time we get dressed to go out we are sweating.  Ha! 

But, I still wouldn’t trade this adventure for anything else.  The best part about it…….  I get to do this with my best friend.  

May all of your adventures for 2018 be with someone you love, trust, and admire as I do my Batman.  🖤  cheers mate! 

Keeping it all together

Balancing farm life, professional life, family life, and personal growth is hard! I haven’t been blogging much lately due to all of the crap happening in all of the avenues of life. It’s hard to make a judgement call to take a professional position that is further away from the farm of which gives you a long commute (60+ minutes rather than 40 to get to work).  The answer wasn’t all that hard… it’s a no go for this girl.

All in all you make time to put up the Christmas decor because tis the season! (Only 3 big trees this year but more outside lights!)  The barn yard looked great with each animal area decorated! I loved it. 🎄⭐

It’s hard to make a judgement call to work on the farm house or the barn yard when there is so much to do. But sometimes you are not left with choices… you are left with necessities.. Our Christmas gift to eachother this year was a household item that we couldnt live without… a hot water heater. Of course this was purchased right after the dish washer was replaced. Both were considered necessary in my eyes. I tried hard to go without a d/w but it was just too much time spent at the sink when I could have been out with the flock.

Winter took its time getting here but once it did BAM it was HERE with degrees in single digits. In the cold air three nights ago, Batman and I stood with a knife cutting a string that was wrapped around a guinea fowl toe… took us 30 minutes to cut this off (the string, not the toe)and make sure the bird was ok and didn’t need more medical attention. Tonight I spent lots of energy blocking more wind from the coop to ensure warmth. I was so happy to come into the house with the wood stove burning!

Living in a farm house during a remodel is not always fun but we are learning more about our house and making it OURS! We get to do our thing and make it special. Maybe to be handed down to our kin. 😊

I’m always so thankful for Batman. He works himself so hard to ensure the farm is taken care of. I know upon retirement from being a Soldier, he will thrive on the farm. I cant wait to see him shine bright! My true love. 🖤

Oh the possibilities

Living in the middle of a long term farm house renovation… well, that just amazing fun!  AMAZINGLY FUN TIMES! The best part is… it’s our farm house and we can make all the changes we want.   😃 

We started with transforming the downstairs master bedroom into the bar,  we painted and replaced the floor. The bar looks awesome and I’m so excited to move forward with plans.  The room will have a custome bar and eventually an entrance to the outside.  All in good time… 

During the move of the bar, parts of the rest of the house come into play…. the living room, dining room and hall should have the same floor…. but we found the the living room has 3 types of floor as we pulled carpet.  This makes for difficult decisions… what to do, what to do???  Seems we will end up pulling the old hard wood to repurpise it in the house… this makes the renovation more expensive but more awesome.  Way more awesome.   

Fun stuff ahead…. Living in the house while renovating is a joy………….. thats sarcasm in my voice.  But seriously. We are enjoying making this our home and doing the work ourselves.  It’s rewarding to be able to do this.

Batman may never allow me to watch another home improvement show in the near future…. but I can always Google and YouTube ideas for the next chapter of the house.

Inspiration has hit and it’s amazing. 

The Bacon Journey

Never would I have thought I would be taking pigs to the slaughter house.  Sure, I love bacon and sausage but I didn’t think I would be raising my own.  It’s been just one more farm adventure.  What have I learned on this adventure?

It’s best when the wind doesn’t blow towards the house!  All poop stinks, but pig farming stinks big time… that’s for sure.  

Pigs have a mind of their own.  They go where they want and it’s very hard to get a 300 pound animal to do as told.  When it’s time to get in a trailer to go for “The Ride” it’s best to entice them with slop – The Last Supper.  Our pigs get the best slop from a friend of ours that owns a restraint in town.  #Nonaskitchen.  Just throw it right into the trailer… as soon as they smell it they will go right in. 

These big creatures are like dogs.  They love to play in the rain,  run through mud puddles, shake when your standing right next to them, and eat all the grub you will give them.  They love being rubbed behind the ears and sprayed with a hose. They fight like siblings, speak in grunts (like a teenager), and show excitement to the special blue bucket (the Nona’s Bucket). 

They are not pets – they are food.  It’s best not to get attached to these cuties. If you name them, do what I do and name them food names… Bacon, Chops, Sausage, and Ribs. We do what we do to provide healthy food without additives to the meat.  

A step closer to a self sufficient farming lifestyle. 

💖

Going it alone…

Nope, don’t want to do that again.   If I can help it, I will not have to go more than a month without a backup when Batman has to travel.  In the last six weeks, Batman was gone five. It was not pretty around here.  There is a saying with military spouses that things only go wrong when the Soldier is away… that applies to farming as well.  

Feed is heavy…. and it’s heavier alone.  Most of the time Batman picks up two bags while I’m working on one bag.  Oh, and picking up feed in heels as you have to go straight from work, well that just makes the guy at the local feed store chuckle. 

When one rabbit finds a whole in the house, well they come out in droves.  I know I collected nine one day and there were more still out running around.  Actually, we caught one today that got out three weeks ago.  They may be making friends with the wild rabbits.  Unfortunately,  some who have come back did not fair so well in the woods with the others. 

Sometimes the dogs needs extra attention due to exploration… before work of course… and needs a bath after a skunk spray.  We are still getting rid of the smell on him and in the house.  Yuck!   I went to work and asked my coworker if I smelled bad and he looked at me funny.  Guess I was ok because he wouldn’t have waited to tell me. 

A kitten decided the coop was a great place to grow up.  So Mr Cooper will remain on the farm and work with the girls once he’s big enough.  I’m sure glad I looked behind the big turkey to find him. He’s one of the family now.  

Last, but certainly not least, in my adventure alone was a phone call from my BFF that her hubby passed away.  It’s hard to get that news but harder when Batman is gone.   I was happy to have him home to go with me to the memorial to celebrate Jack with our Coke.  Jack would have loved the farm. 💖

Comfort

What do you turn to when you need to find comfort?  Some people have comfort food (mac and cheese for me).  Some people have a special person or two that know when to listen and when to make you laugh (My sister always said that my youngest son always made her feel better after chatting on the phone… He was a funny kid).  Many people like me find comfort in their animals.  

Pets can tell when a person isn’t feeling well.  Zip knew Batman wasn’t feeling well when he spotted him laying on the couch bundled in blankets.  He never left his side after that… from the bed to the couch and even into the bathroom.  Zip just knew that he was going to make Batman feel better. [He was rescued from an abusive situation.]

My little man Max was the same with me after I injured my eye a couple weeks back.  I had to sit in the Batcave in the dark because the light hurt too much.  Last weekend when I traveled with the hoodlums to KY to take them home and to college, Max was my traveling companion.  He is my comfort dog. [He was adopted from a local shelter… My first foster fail.]

One of the reasons that we foster dogs is to give them comfort.  This summer we had the pleasure of fostering three puppies.  Thank goodness the college kid was home because he was the foster parent and he did a wonderful job.  It was comforting to see these puppies find furever homes (and for me to see him take on the responsibility of these little ones… I think he did awesome). 

One very strange thing I find comfort in is the lizard that I’m babysitting for a special Soldier in our family.  I’ve never own a reptile and never really liked them till this little guy, Sherman.  The Shermanator! I send pictures to his mommy who is serving our country and pray that I learned enough from the purchased book and online research to take great care of him.  He’s pretty cool.  I just add crickets to my list. 💖

All and all, I find comfort, happiness, and contentment in all of my animals.  The growing flock, the stinky pigs, and the escape artist rabbits… they are a lot of work,  but so worth it!  If I went back in time and told the younger me just how fulfilling this farm life would be… I would have laughed, hard.  I didn’t know until now that this is exactly where I need to be.  Batman was right about this. 

 I hope you know where to find comfort and how to return the favor. 💗

Projects

There are always things that need to be done on the farm.  Feeding, watering, cleaning, mowing, clearing land… but when projects are completed, that makes for a prosperous weekend.  The feeling of completion is awesome.  We have a tendency to have multiple projects going at the same time. 

Saturday was fun as we created a shelter for the little pigs and their food.  I wasn’t sure if the piggies would enjoy it as much as I wanted them to but they took to the straw and I found them looking like Vienna Sausages in a straw box.  (Yep, their feed bowl is a turtle sandbox.)

Saturday also brought the addition of perches in the outside coop. Batman said that he’s never seen birds that want to hang in the outside coop instead of the inside perches.   My flock likes to chill under the stars.  💖  (Just like me)  we have had to catch several and get them into the coop… not after this…. They all had plenty of room. 

Sunday, we found ourselves creating a shelter for the ducks that have joined the Overman Farm.  Larry, Curly, and Moe have been a comedy act since they joined us.   They quack and carry on every time I see them… almost as if they are girls.  They swim the day away and play fight in the water.   Watching them brings much joy.  

Don’t worry y’all… we make time for fun too.  Batman went fishing this morning while I was at the shelter and I was able to get my Half Pint on a leash…. we didn’t walk far and she squealed like crazy while I put the harness on, but when I sat with her and petted her ears she was happy to chill in my lap.  Work is necessary, but when work doesn’t feel like work that makes life amazingly awesome.  

Happiness

I have been asked so many times: “Why do you have so many birds?”  Because they make me HAPPY. Batman has been asked why he “lets” me get so many birds.  #1… lets me… really? Come on now.  #2… He always answers the same thing… “because it makes her HAPPY.”  (Big smiles on my face every time!)

Yes, it is a lot of work to keep up with a flock of 100.  (That was my magic number and I achieved that crazy goal.)  I really don’t mind raking the chicken coop.  The poo and straw makes for a nice addition to our compost pile.  There are times that I wish they would sleep in instead of singing the songs of their kind so early in the morning.  It is not long after I crawl out of bed just to watch them in the yard. (Thankful to Batman for opening the coop every morning to give me another 20 minutes to sleep… because I am NOT an early bird!)

There are times that have a broody hen and I get pecked on the hand just getting eggs from her.  Maybe one day I’ll be nice and let them hatch the babies instead of incubating.  Once all of my girls are laying, I’ll think more on that.  Until then, I need the girls to lay eggs to keep up with requests from the ladies at work. 😉 (working girls!)  Its slowed sown now that some of my girls are molting and it so darn hot right now.  I kind of don’t blame them… Its too flipping hot to poop breakfast when it in the 100’s.

My newest adventure is in water fowl and I’m in love!  These guys needed a new home because they were fighting over the girls in their last flock.  They have come to the farm with no other ducks… I’m sure they are missing the ladies.  🦆  I love watching them.  When they wiggle their butts it makes me smile and sometimes I wiggle mine right back.  💗  Looking forward to ordering duck babies next year…. I’ve never eaten duck eggs before.

I can’t explain it really… but when I come home and break out the treats in the blue bucket they come running and I start giggling.  Early mornings and late nights, sun or rain, heat or cold…. I’m so excited to start plans for The Bird House that will be built in the spring.  Its going to be EPIC!  I’ll not be the only one happy… spoiled birds! 💗🐓🦆🦃🐤💗