The Fun Begins

Dear Bella,

Thank you for the milk. So far, we've drunk gallons of it and enjoyed it as custards, goat cheese and ricotta cheese, butter and buttermilk, lots of yogurt, and shared the whey for the chickens. Next up will be mozzarella cheese once I figure out how to use rennet. You are a great goat. We, the neighbors included, just wish you weren't so loud!
Love,
Kimberly

PS--I am happy to share recipes for anyone interested! That includes you, KYLE!!!

This Morning

Inside, I'm making Go-Gurt, Goat Milk Yogurt, in the Kitchen.  Sweetheart is assembling our new bee hives in the Living Room.  The boys are playing everywhere and the girl is napping.  Looking forward to sampling the Firecracker Carrots I made last night and putting together Chicken Pot Pie for dinner, though I may change that to Calzones with some of the ricotta I made from Bella's milk. 
Joining in at Barn Hop as well!

Barn Charm, or What I Do with an Afternoon Off

I had my boots on, and the afternoon off.  

With no set plans except to sit and read at the new tea room later, I took off with my camera.

There are plenty of new barns in the area, but I do find these old beauties charming.  Our countryside is greening up now as we've had so much rain.  I try to remain thankful for the rain as I know it is what will help us grow our crops.

It is hard to remain thankful for the gray days and rain, but I came across Psalm 65 earlier this month and wrote it out for my windowsill scripture holder.

⁹ You care for the land and water it;
   you enrich it abundantly.
The streams of God are filled with water
   to provide the people with grain,
   for so you have ordained it.
¹⁰ You drench its furrows and level its ridges;
   you soften it with showers and bless its crops.
¹¹ You crown the year with your bounty,
   and your carts overflow with abundance.
¹² The grasslands of the wilderness overflow;
   the hills are clothed with gladness.
¹³ The meadows are covered with flocks
   and the valleys are mantled with grain;
   they shout for joy and sing.

So, I'll be known as the crazy city lady who chases chickens, and goats, and is seen prowling the countryside taking pictures of old barns, even in the rain.

Go Here

I only get this look a few (hundred) times a day.

He is Risen!

He is risen, indeed.

These Boots are Made for Walking

and anything else!  Seriously love having these boots.  I am free to go anywhere, and I don't have to worry about what it is I'm stepping in.  This has become an important issue here on the farm.  (And they are made in the USA!)

I wore them out on Thursday afternoon as I drove around the valley and took tons of pictures of old barns.  I then went into town on errands.  I returned the For Sale sign to the real estate office and ran into an oldtimer who commented on seeing me out taking pictures.  Small town.

I then went to the grocery and saw the florist whose tea room I was planning to visit after picking up my lemons and onion.  She said she'd be over there in a few minutes.  It also where I buy my eggs until the girls get laying.  Of course, when I went to check out, the same oldtimer was behind me in line.  Small town.
I then popped into the thrift store to give the florist time to get back to her shop.  Didn't see any of the things on my list, so I went to the tea room.

Inside the Tea Room

Yes, I wore my boots to tea.  Small town.

Chandelier and Rusty Galvanized Metal Ceiling

She sat down and we enjoyed our tea together and visited for awhile.  She then let me make some signs for her.  I love that.  She had hung an old window and I wrote on the glass her prices and other information in calligraphy.  She comped my tea and said she likes to barter.   I could get used to this.

Be Thou My Vision

 

Be Thou my Vision, O Lord of my heart;
Naught be all else to me, save that Thou art.
Thou my best Thought, by day or by night,
Waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light.


Be Thou my Wisdom, and Thou my true Word;
I ever with Thee and Thou with me, Lord;
Thou my great Father, I Thy true son;
Thou in me dwelling, and I with Thee one.


Be Thou my battle Shield, Sword for the fight;
Be Thou my Dignity, Thou my Delight;
Thou my soul’s Shelter, Thou my high Tower:
Raise Thou me heavenward, O Power of my power.


Riches I heed not, nor man’s empty praise,
Thou mine Inheritance, now and always:
Thou and Thou only, first in my heart,
High King of Heaven, my Treasure Thou art.


High King of Heaven, my victory won,
May I reach Heaven’s joys, O bright Heaven’s Sun!
Heart of my own heart, whatever befall,
Still be my Vision, O Ruler of all.

Resting Time

"Mom, the girls out are and they're walking down the street.  They're not supposed to do that."-Pumpkin
"What girls?"  I asked, thinking he should be in bed, not staring out the window.
"The goats."
I can still run fast.  And goats are (luckily) a lot easier to catch than chickens!)

WOOHOOO!!!!

Up to the Hay Loft

Once we discovered where #6 was hiding out and failed at catching her this afternoon we changed tactics.  I checked to see where she was when I came in from milking so we could easily find her later.  Under cover of nightfall, we walked out to the homestead house and Sweetheart just scooped her right up.  She pecked at him the whole way to the barn.  (Well, until he flipped her upside down.)

We opened up the pen and slipped her in.  All the other girls were already roosting for the night, but made some noises.  We'll see what the morning brings.

As we walked back  to the house, we both commented on how easy that was.  Amazingly so, especially when compared to the escapades- of the- last week.  She's been loose for nine days.  I figured she was a goner.  Now, to just get her and her friends to lay some eggs!

Keep those name ideas coming...

PS--Check THIS out!!!  BIG smile!  Can't you just see it in the 4th of July Parade this summer? 

PPS--And go visit the Homestead Barn Hop...

My New Ride

1948 International Harvester

 

Guess Who We Just Saw?

Yup.  #6 is still alive and well and roosting in the homestead house area.  After a valiant effort to capture her, we had to give up when she made her way back to the thicket.  I truly thought she was dead or living at the neighbors' house with their flock.  Amazing.  This Chick deserves a great name.

Thank you!!

Our First Daffodil

Thank you everyone for all your ideas and suggestions for the goats and chickens.  Some I have already done, some I will do!

Close Up of Our Cream Separator

 I just had some homemade yogurt I made last night from Bella's milk.  It turned out really good!  I added honey and vanilla to it while I was making it and we love it.  

I tried to make yogurt once before in the crockpot and had a runny mess.  This batch was made in a refurbished yogurt maker Sweetheart found online.  The consistency was perfect.  

It is busy week in the kitchen.  I picked up a box of apples from a farmer selling them on the street corner.  Wish I had a picture of him selling his fruit.  It was just perfect.  

(And yes, I always buy lemonade from lemonade stands.   There's just something about it all.)

Now I have apple chips and applesauce in the works as well as plenty of apples for eating.  The boys are thrilled.  So am I as it will be Autumn before our little orchard is ready.  I'm hoping to make enough applesauce to have on hand until then.

I've been busy also working out details to be a part of the nearby Farmers Market this summer.  I want to sell our produce, fresh flowers, herbs, and some of my body products.  I am also hoping to make some cloth produce bags to sell.  Hopefully, I'll be able to sell baked goods and homemade goat cheese as well.  I've got a lot of work to do obviously!  

The whole earth seems to be coming alive here.  The grass is greener by the day.  The trees are budding and the birds are giddy with delight.  The daffodils are blooming, as are the little blue flowers below.  Anyone know what they are?  They look a bit like grape hyacinth, but the buds open to flowers and don't stay in the clusters.  

Mystery Blues

There is so much to share, and so many posts written only in my mind.  Hopefully, I'll actually get them up soon.  Until then, if you don't hear from me know I am either buried under a bushel of apples, in the barn doing chores, or playing with the kids outside whenever the sun is shining!   (There is a reason it's so green.)

I've also been thinking a lot about tea.  I miss it.  Remember back when this was a tea blog?  Hence, the CUP part of Kimberly's Cup.  Yeah, it was awhile ago.  I am so looking forward to having the couches in one piece and having all our things here.  I am planning on having a tea and inviting everyone I've met so far!

Help Needed

Barn Across the Valley

The chickens aren't laying.  Bella, the goat, is only milking about half of what she was.  I am new at this.  (I've read a ton in the last year to prepare for all this, but I want to hear from you all.  There's only so much a book can teach a girl living in the city.  Now I'm here on a farm and just jumping in, but feeling dumber by the day.) Any ideas?

The chickens are two year old layers, who are apparently at the end of molting, and are probably still recovering from two moves in two weeks and the general trauma of their first morning here.  I haven't given up on them. 

By the way, I saw #6 that evening when the neighbors' dogs went tearing across our property.  She almost flew back into the barn, which is what I wanted.  She disappeared around the back, not to be seen since.  The dogs did NOT get her we know, but she hasn't reappeared since that evening. 

Sweetheart and I searched, trust me.  I did notice the neighbors to the north, whom we haven't met yet, do have a flocks of chicken that were out in their yard yesterday.  Hopefully, she just joined up with them.

Meanwhile, Pecksie, Flapsie, Mrs. Goodenough, and the other girls whose names I'm still debating until their personalities are more discernible, are happily clucking away and still alive.  They're just not laying!


Bella and Eve are generally making themselves known to the neighborhood.  Nubians ARE loud.  Truly.  One neighbor walked by and made a comment when I was out doing chores this morning.  I agreed and retorted that it was payback for all the barking dogs.  Ahem.  Probably should have held my tongue, but it was out there before I thought.  At least they are totally silent at night.  Can't say the same about the dogs.

So, life in the country is great.  It's just noisy.  I am loving the sounds of the countless frogs at the pond and by the creek (crik) and the owls who hoot from the immense trees out back.

We had to change Bella's feed from Purina Goat Chow to oats because that was all that was available.  We have them out in the pasture area during the days, but the grass is still quite short.  We are supplementing with hay.  Someone suggested I switch them to COB to up the protein content.  Sure.  I'll try anything. 

I also question how much milk the previous owners were really getting, but I know that she is giving me about a quart less than the first few days I had her.  What, if anything, can I do to try to up the amount of milk she gives? Am I out of luck?  Have I ruined her somehow?

Joining in Barn Hop #8 and ♥Barn Charm♥.  (Barn Charm links go active Monday evenings.) 

Joy

"But the secret to JOY is to keep seeking God where we doubt He is."  ~Ann Voskamp

Continue searching for Him, in the pain, in the loss, in the mess. 
He is there, no matter our doubts, our fears, our blindness. 
He is. 
When we seek Him, we will find Him and find the joy He gives, right in the middle of it all.

#6-Marvel

So, I am heading back to the house with my pail full of milk this morning when what do I spot strutting through the apple trees, but a chicken.  Assuming it's ours because who else let's their chickens run free?  I set the milk pail up on a sawhorse in case the neighboring dogs came by, as they always do and start walking toward the chicken.  Clunk goes the pail.  The morning milk gone.

No use crying over it, I walk to the apple trees wondering how I'm going to get this bird to want to just jump into my arms and happily go to the barn.  She sees me and runs off to the thicket between our property and the neighbors'.  I head over and the covey of quail roosting in there go nuts as well.

I came inside to try to find the boys' fishing nets (thanks Bonnie!) and saw Sweetheart.  He gets the nets and we headed back out.  Hilarity ensues.  The boys are watching from their bedroom window and want to come outside to play.  Apparently, to anyone not actually trying to get the bird, it looks like a lot of fun.  Whatever.


We've given up and come inside where it's warm, my  hands almost too stiff to type.  And no chicken.  Sweetheart says when he gets it, it's dinner.  Guess I better find a nice dumplings recipe...

Bird Brain

That's me.  Picked up the box of chickens from the neighbors' house last night.  We'd been told there would be 11-12 originally.  Then seven.  Then six.  Apparently one didn't make the journey to their house and they decided to keep more than they originally wanted.  No problem.

We put them in the pen in the barn last night and all was fine when I went to milk Bella this morning.  I decided to be nice and clean up some of the mess they had made, shutting the door, but not latching it as I was inside.

Yup,  they got out.  Luckily, I had already put Bella and Eve into their outside pen or I imagine it would have been worse.  Somehow.  Chickens squawking!!  Feathers flying!! And one apparently made it out of the picturesque window Bella enjoys looking out of that Sweetheart removed to fix.


Bedlam ensued.

By the time it was all said and done, I got five back in the pen.  Some swearing may have occurred in the process.

Where is number six?  Who knows.  I went walking around a bit looking and met a new neighbor who is probably still laughing at me.  She may still be hiding somewhere in the barn for all I know.  The chicken, not the neighbor.

The rest of them are just lucky I already have meat for dinner, or it might have all ended differently...

Go visit Farm Friend Friday for more adventures...

Hello Friends

We've been sick.  All of us.  Today is the best I've felt in a week.  The kids are still under the weather.  We're just praying they'll feel better soon.  Should be back blogging soon.