Pictures from around the Farm

Need A Name Farm

A Simple Summer Delight

So excited to sit down for a minute in front of my computer! When we decided to paint the entry, living room and reading room a few weeks ago I moved my computer into my Hoosier in the kitchen. I love it in here because all my music is on it and I can even watch a movie if I'd like while working in the kitchen. I have not, however, had an internet connection in here until today. (Thank you, Sweetheart!)
So the little ones are all upstairs napping or playing quietly and I finished tearing down some fencing I needed to do. I should be cleaning something I'm sure. But I'm not. I'm blogging! Yippee for me!
We've been busy working around here, outside when there is any glimmer of sun and inside when it's pouring. But Sweetheart was able to finish up the electric fence yesterday and so the goats now have a good acre, or so to roam free in. We would still like to trade the goats in on a cow and have put the word out. The fencing is good because it will work for either animal.
He's still working on some options for the chickens. We are in an area with a variety of predators and that greatly influences how we want to manage them. There are the six we were given: Pecksie, Flapsie, Mrs. Goodenough, Amelia, Laura, and Daisy. We would like to order more for meat and some more layers, but not quite yet. It'll come.
Still working on a name for our farm. Due to my great love of Little Women, Sweetheart suggested Orchard House Farm. It works as this entire area was orchards when this house was built in 1920. I've been thinking of Plumfield Farm. It also pays tribute to Little Women and is also fitting as wild plums are growing everywhere. Everywhere. Other possibilities: Wildflower Farm, Lilac Hill Farm, Out of Control Farm, Still Nothing Growing But Weeds Farm and Roaring Goat Farm Ahem. Loved Bonnie's Leap of Faith Farm, too.
Keep those ideas coming!
I shouldn't say nothing is growing. The flowers are. We are at the end of the tulips, but the lilacs and poppies are in full bloom. The poppies are amazing. Note to self: take pictures of flowers. I'm am keeping the house full of flowers. The iris are as tall as the poppies, but not blooming yet. I think everyone else's are blooming, but mine! We seem to be at least two weeks behind everyone else. We are at the top of the road and have a lot of shade which probably accounts for the difference.
The birds here are amazing. I've checked out some books from the library and am trying to figure out what they all are. The little yellow ones are so lovely and sing such a pretty song. The morning doves remind me of hanging laundry out on the line at my grandma's in the summer time. The starlings are annoying. The robins are simply everywhere. The whippoorwills make me smile, especially when they and Sweetheart sing to each other. (He's good.) There are even hummingbirds. I even got to see one just sitting on a branch the other evening.
I had an answer to a little prayer yesterday. Since we've moved here, I've seen traces of deer, but have not seen a single one. On Saturday, I was out in the morning by the pond where I saw they had been there. I'd been just praying and walking around anyway and prayed that I'd get to see a deer. Sunday afternoon I looked out the window and there they were! Three of them walking across the pasture in the middle of the day. They heard me and two of them took off. The other just moseyed on over to the grove, probably to drink from the stream. Such a little thing, but so neat.
Well, as much as I'm enjoying chattering on, I should probably sign off and go do something more productive. Oh! But I did want to mention that I met someone the other morning that I think may turn out to be a friend. She was a former teacher and now works at home with her three kids. She was very sweet and we both enjoyed visiting while she waited for the person she was supposed to be meeting. We exchanged information. I hope we can get together soon. Wouldn't that be fun? She's the former Literature teacher at the high school, so we should have a lot in common.

Well, I'm off to get back to work now.  What are you up to this week?  Go check out what everyone's doing at the Homestead Barn Hop!

Homestead Barn Hop

1948 International Harvester~Can't you see this in the 4th of July Parade?

Sweetheart had bought the tractor a few weeks ago and had been waiting on it to be delivered once they attached the loader.  It just arrived and is already being put to use.  Hopefully, the weather will cooperate so that we can plow this week.  We've got lots to plant!

Everything is blooming!  We have so many fruit trees here.  We've been told we have apple, crabapple, pear, cherry and plum.  The wild plum trees are everywhere.  They almost outnumber the dandelions.

But not quite.  Lots of these!  Salads soon and maybe some Dandelion Wine.  The boys love to feed them to the goats and bring me bouquets of them.

Look closely.  The pasture is full of pink and blue Forget-Me-Nots.

Pumpkin is trying to blow grass whistles--"Like Margaret Dashwood, Mommy!"  

Dumpling exploring and digging with sticks.

Cupcake was napping.  I'll try to get pictures of her soon, Aunt Carey!  All the ones I've taken lately are blurry.  She's rolling everywhere!
***

While I was typing this up, rain started hitting the window next to me and in the same instant the goats started bellowing.  I got up and had to decide:  goats or the wash on the clotheslines?  The goats won this time.  Now I guess it will be awhile before the laundry is finished.  It rains a lot here.  :)

So, we're keeping busy here on the homestead.  In between the regular work, I'm busy pruning out all the dead growth I can.

Yesterday I spent at least an hour pruning one lilac tree.  It's eye level with me when I'm standing in the upstairs bathroom!  Who knew lilacs could grow so tall?  And all I pruned was from the ground up and as far as I could pull down to prune.  I'll worry about the higher stuff some other time.

I spent the morning working time clearing out the center flower bed of all the dead rose bushes and more.  I wish I had some "before" pictures!  I'll try for "after" pictures tomorrow. I hauled out several wheel barrow loads from just that one spot.

We bought our homestead in January and no one had lived in it for over a year when the 92 year old owner moved out.  Her husband had passed away a decade before, so regular maintenance just hasn't happened in quite some time.  We've done a lot and have so much more to do!

She apparently loved flowers which is a huge blessing to me.  Seeing all the new flowers bloom these last few weeks has been amazing.  Hope blooms!

And, I got three eggs last night.  Spring has sprung (finally) here in Idaho!

Our ongoing project:  the farm name.  We wanted to be Wiseacres Farm, but there is already one here in the state and the domain names are taken.  I suggested Roaring Goat Farm the other day.  Bella's days here maybe numbered.  (Maybe I should let her see the goat ribs I'm defrosting for dinner we got from the neighbors.)  The other goat, Eve, is fine and not at all noisy.  I like Nubians, but she is ridiculous.

Suggestions for names, and serving suggestions for goats, are welcome. 

Linking up to the Homestead Barn Hop!  Check it out! 

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

Barn Hop!

I love Homestead Revival.

When I saw the post about the Homestead Barn Hop I had to join in! I've been posting various pictures this last week from around the farm. Since we moved in just a few weeks ago, I am not doing much (!) except cleaning and trying to make it all a home for us.

I'd love to be writing about building our chicken coop, fixing fences, getting ready for goats and lambs, firing up the incubator in the basement we found, assembling and using the cream separator that was next to the incubator, etc. I can't. Because we're just not there yet.

I've been focusing as much as I can on here about the positives. I've posted some really neat pictures and have shared some of the beauty I've found. I've not posted about some of the really frustrating things.

Why? Because I'd rather vent to Sweetheart. Not really. Although I have been and he is tired of it. And not to just pretend it's all peachy, cause it isn't. But because I am trying really hard to stay positive simply because this is just this season. And this is the reality.

Reality: The three day drive just to get here was not fun. Having been sent the wrong keys was not fun. Waiting outside with the three kids while Sweetheart shoveled off the cellar doors and crawled in that way, thereby being able to let us in through the dining room window because the doors were padlocked shut wasn't much of a welcome.

Having the first person in town you meet be the only plumber in town who was nice enough to stop by on a Friday night because the pipes in the pump house burst when someone (not us) flipped the breaker and being without water for several hours didn't really start things off right.

Having to clean for a few hours just to be able to clear off a spot to sleep the first night- expected but yuck. Discovering that the movers didn't actually pack all the cushions with the couches or chairs and that they are mostly still in Colorado hasn't been that great either. Realizing that every rubber gasket from the washing machine to the sinks has shriveled up and died and that all the plumbing fixtures leak-has caused some unexpected work. Having to replaced the range the first because the mice had chewed up something important made things interesting as well.

Spending untold hours cleaning and cleaning and cleaning just to be able to function has been rather exhausting. We've moved out truckloads of stuff to be sold and to the dump with a lot more in the basement and outbuildings still to come. The endless killing of bugs and mice is well, gross.

Did I mention the normal work of just caring for the wee ones? They've expected to eat and be taken care of as well. :) And they don't like bugs. Major understatement for those of you that have met my kiddos.

Everything single thing I can think of is harder to do as I have to learn the way to do it here.

Any of you still reading? Because it gets better. It does.

All of this has felt totally overwhelming at times. More times than I'd like to admit. But it's not all there is.

We've gone a few towns over to see snow sculptures. I've shared a cup of tea and cake with a neighbor. We've been gifted baked goods and handmade soap. We had dinner at a neighbor's the other night and had another neighbor stay for a few meals as well as he's been helping us out.

Sweetheart has been working like a dog, but loves it and has really enjoyed everyone we've met. Shoot, that alone makes it all worth it.

The boys get to go sledding in the backyard. We have a barn. There are six mature apple trees, There will be roses. We have an original homestead house out back. We've found some really cool antiques around the place. I now have seven pie pans and I know how to use them! I can see the stars. Everyone has welcomed us. The mice situation appears to be taken care of and I kill fewer bugs each day.

The blessings do outweigh the hardships. I sometimes forget that in the moment when I feel so tied down and buried under the burdens. It is then that I remember and catch a glimpse of why my motto for the year is Fly Free.

See, here's the deal. These things are hard in the moment. They are. Shoot, the last year has been hard. If I took one of those stress tests where they give numbers for stressful events, I should likely be dead. But I'm not.

But hard doesn't mean bad, or wrong. Sometimes it's just hard. It wasn't wrong to move here. It's just hard right now. I don't think we made a mistake, or have done anything wrong. In fact, most of what we've had to take care of has had nothing to do with us. We're just fixing other peoples' mistakes and messes.

And eventually, it'll all be fixed and clean. And we'll have a couch to sit on. And we'll get to paint. And that will help a lot.

(Side Note: I chose "Edwardian Lace" for a color. Trying to convince myself it wasn't just for the name. It'll be beautiful against all the dark woods.)

And so we will get to move on with our plans and dreams. We are holding on tight to those things even as we work through the challenges. There are moments I think I'd like to go back to my old life, but reality brings me back: I had outgrown that life already. Here I have room to spread my wings and really fly.

As we sat at the big table yesterday enjoying our grilled cheese sandwiches on homemade bread, served with pickles I put up and tomato soup made from the tomatoes I grew and canned, I could smile and think about being ready to learn how to make the cheddar cheese myself. Soon. Because that's what part of all this is about: learning and growing and living the life we've dreamed.