Sunday, December 6, 2009
Welcome Winter
the cold and snow, but Mother Nature has different ideas.
Mick has cut and split a lot of wood for the wood furnace, and we have to get it all stacked. He is thinking it is going to be a cold winter. I don't like the cold and snow, it hurts my bones.
I had to get the heated waterers out for the chickens yesterday. They don't seem to mind the cold, but I know I had some guineas with frozen feet last year. Hopefully it won't be as cold this year.
We got our first taste of snow the week of Thanksgiving, up until then, we were
in the 60's during the day. Now that we
got the first snow, it cold, and really cold!
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Welcome Fall
We had a small issue with the gender of some of the flock. I gave some hens to an urban farmer friend, and we found out later that it was a rooster, and no roosters in the city allowed! So they brough it back to me and we traded for another hen. Then they called and had another rooster from a friend, so now I am the proud owner of a Black Cochin Rooster, and he is GRAND!
Sunday, August 2, 2009
Ruralosexual
You might be a ‘ruralosexual’ if you can relate to this column
By: John Gladden July 21st, 2009 · Medina Gazzette
In recent years, the term “metrosexual” has burrowed its way into the public dictionary, describing a person who is urban, stylish and has a penchant for luxury. The word has been applied to the likes of actor Brad Pitt, soccer star David Beckham, and others among the similarly hip and famous.
Somehow, it doesn’t seem to describe me or most of the people I know. Most of us don’t live in big cities, couldn’t care less about what’s in fashion, and don’t spend a dollar we don’t have to. We’re more like “ruralosexuals.”
How do you know you’re a ruralosexual? Well, the first sign may be that you are vaguely uncomfortable with any word that has “sexual” in it.
Nevertheless, you can bet you’re a ruralosexual if:
Your idea of entertainment is pulling up a chair and watching the chickens strut around the yard.
The smells of good hay and freshly turned earth are better than perfume.
You run a tab at the parts store.
In summer, you mow your grass once a month, whether it needs it or not.
Most of what’s in your freezer is food you produced yourself.
You know where to find wild berries all summer long.
Throwing something away goes against every moral fiber of your being.
You have stay-at-home clothes and going-into-town clothes.
A good day is when you don’t have to go into town at all.
Your idea of getting a snack is taking a paring knife and salt shaker out to the garden.
You slow down and look at every truck, tractor or piece of equipment for sale at the side of the road.
You’re always racing the sun.
Your thumbs and the sides of your index fingers are stained with dirt for the duration of the
summer from pulling weeds in the garden.
It’s just “fair,” not “the fair.” As in: I’m getting ready for fair.
Your spouse can tell how nasty a chore you plan on doing any given day by the age and condition of the ball cap you put on when you walk out the door.
You’ve taken care of puppies and kittens abandoned on your road.
You’ve reached your hands into places that would scare Indiana Jones.
You’ve fixed things that would stump even MacGyver.
You’ve put on moves that would rival Michael Jackson as you’ve danced out of the way of moving livestock, angry bees, loaded skunks and ankle-twisting groundhog holes.
The wannabes in the cowboy hats just make you smile.
You spend more time outside than in.
You don’t know your own cell phone number, but you have the vet’s number memorized.
You’ve “used the facilities,” shall we say, from a moving tractor because you didn’t want to stop work.
You’ve stopped work to let a family of rabbits scurry to safety.
The patches on your clothes have patches on them.
You know how to blow your nose without using a tissue.
Every time you hear someone driving a tractor up the road, you know who it is by the sound of the engine.
Broken-down vehicles and rusty machines just seem like a natural part of the landscape.
You’ve nearly put your vehicle into a ditch because you were so intently studying a garden, building, crops or animals you were passing by.
Your primary unit of organization is “pile,” as in: a pile of scrap, a pile of manure, a pile of wood, a pile of trouble.
You enjoy getting soaked in a well-needed rain as much as plants do.
What was supposed to be a “temporary fix” on a building or piece of equipment has lasted 10 years.
You live by the rule that if it’s free, you take it.
In the winter, you’d rather watch the fire in the stove, or the fireflies outside on a summer night, than to watch TV.
You worry when the wind blows, when it’s too dry or too wet, when it’s too cold or too hot.
You’ve been so filthy, you’ve had to undress on the porch before being allowed to enter the house.
You wish there was an open season on trespassing four-wheelers.
You have an everyday pocketknife and a special-occasions pocketknife.
A date with your significant other usually involves a stop at the tractor store.
You’ve got dirt under your fingernails, except for the one that’s busted off.
You pull off your T-shirt and your skin looks like you are still wearing a white T-shirt.
You’ve stopped along the road to salvage a stick of firewood that fell off someone’s truck.
You envy people with 40-hour workweeks and regular paychecks, but you wouldn’t trade places with them for anything.
Friday, July 31, 2009
Where Has Summer Gone?
The chicks have grown and they needed a new chicken run, so spent some time and built one for them. After about a week I had to revise the design and add a door so I could reach the feeders more easily. You see, Grace is not my middle name, and I tripped and broke my baby toe again. I needed easy access to the chicken feeders without doing acrobatics with my toe. The broken toe also meant I was off work again. I can't get a shoe on to save my soul, not that I haven't tried. So flip flops have been my pal for the last 4 weeks.
The goats came to visit after I came down with a severe case of poison ivy. They can eat up the poison ivy around the yard and it doesn't bother them. Everyone here in the house has had some poison ivy. We think the dogs are walking through it and them getting it on their fur and we pet them and it gets all over us. The goats are doing a good job of eating it up!
I have the funniest Rooster. His name is Don King. He is a Polish chicken. It is a breed of chicken that I have never seen before. He has this top hat of feathers that remind me of Don King's hairdo! He really is a beautiful rooster. He has a girlfriend named Alvira.
We have also had some other births here at the farm. Sweetie and Tina have come to stay this summer and they both delivered beautiful heifer calves. They have been doing a great job nursing and taking care of their babies and eating up the pastures.
Monday, June 15, 2009
Just Another Summer Day
There is so much yard work and chicken chores to do that I haven't had a moment to sit down and check out the blogs.
The Guinea Keets are hatching...11 so far.... they will probably go to auction. I have too many now! The neighbors are complaining that they are noisy, but I have to listen to their flippin' ATV's and motorcycles...or the weed wacker at 8:00am....don't they realize, some people work nights..... Anyways, as soon as something exciting happens here I will update the blog.
Enjoy the summer sunshine!
Monday, May 11, 2009
The Hatch Continues
Flat Lillian with the new chicks.
The new chicks were doing great and then the eggs we ordered, and my friend Jim put in his incubator, started to hatch. It was very exciting! We now have 10 Blue Jersey Giant chicks, 27 Ameraucana chicks, 25 brown egg laying chicks and 8 Silkie chicks. They Ameraucana Chicks will lay green or blue tinted eggs.
Well it didn't stop there..... the other eggs we put in Jim's incubator started to hatch and before we knew it, there were about 100 chicks. We decided that we would take our chances and try to sex the chicks ourselves. When you order chicks from a hatchery, they come sexed, which means they are either pullets (females) or cockerels (males) and straight run ( mixed sexes).
When you hatch them yourself you have no way of telling them apart unless you do a vent check. Chicks have internal sex organs, so you have to put on your glasses and in a good light, and look at their behinds! Jim and I took a stab at it and checked one of the chicks that we knew was a male( came from the hatchery marked as a male) and started to compare chicks. We think we did a pretty good job. All the cockerels will be sold at the auction, females will be kept as egg layers at our farms.
I am waiting for my eggs to hatch that I have in my incubator. They are due to hatch this week.
My Guinea hens also started to lay eggs. I collected them and put them in the incubator. They take 28 days to incubate before they hatch. They have about 2 more weeks. The keets will then go to Jim's house.
Jim and his wife Gail, also raise Flat Coated Retrievers. He brought some of the puppies over for a photo shoot. They are really so cute! My problem is I can't tell them apart!
Can you?
Sunday, April 19, 2009
Working up a Storm!
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Supporting the March of Dimes
Friday, April 3, 2009
Polish Chicks
What Comes First the Chicken or the Egg?
This hen will stay in her nest only getting up once or twice during the day to get food and water. She won't eat it even if I put it in her nest. Unless I leave eggs under her for 21 days, she may sit there until she expires. I had two nutty hens do this to me last year.
When I went to the Auction I found the most adorable Polish Chicks....
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Time for Some Fun
So where does that leave me? I have 5 brown grocery bags full of unneeded paperwork, envelopes from bills( I pay online) and various other things that get dumped in my office. I filled a whole new file box with everything else and you can actually walk into the room. Saturday is the appointment with the accountant and I will be so relieved.
So here comes the fun stuff.
I sat down tonight and went through some of the blogs I follow and I am going to copy one of the blogs here because it looked like fun. Thanks Angie
My ABC's
A - Age: The big 50, but I mentally do not feel "old" but the body and joints tell a different story.
B - Bed Size: KING! After 22 years in a waterbed, It was time to give it up....we went to the King size...I can't even reach Dave on the other side, it is hell in the morning when he leaves his alarm on, it is so far to reach to shut it off. The only bad thing about a regular mattress vs. a waterbed...it is cold, but I fixed that with heated mattress pads!
C - Chore You Hate: House cleaning, any part of it. I would rather clean barns than the house.
D - Dad's Name: Frank
E - Essential Start Your Day Item: Tea, hot, cold,sweet, flavored, it doesn't matter.
F - Favorite TV Show: Anything CSI
G - Gold or Silver: Gold
H - Height: 5'4" Wish I was taller
I - Instruments You Play(ed): Nothing, nada, zip.....I have the talent of a flea. I can't sing either!
J - Job Title: Package Handler,UPS, evenings, 5/10pm, that is the paid job.... Mom, Chicken farmer, Domestic goddess are the freebies
K - Kid(s): 2 children, actually grown men now, 26 and 23 But I have been known to share my home with whoever the boys brought home, many of their friends call me mom
L - Living Arrangement: 3 Bedroom ranch on 4 acres.....semi rural, easy access to shopping, freeways and plenty of room for quiet
M - Mom's Name: Jeannette, I always loved my mothers name
N - Nicknames: My real name is Bernadine, (after a Pat Boone movie my father loved)but in the 5th grade, Miss Norris thought my name was too long, so she shortened it to Berni, My nieces and Nephews call me Aunt Bummy
O - Overnight Hospital Stays Other Than Birth: Several Minor surgeries....nothing longer than overnight!
P - Pet Peeve: Bad drivers, slow drivers, drivers talking on the cell phone, drivers in the fast lane, going slow, drivers not using there turn signals, and the worst one is drivers who don't even give you a wave when you let them out in front of you!
Q - Quotes You Like: Scars are tattoos with better stories!
R - Right or Left-Handed: Right.
S - Siblings: 2 brothers, 2 sisters, I am the oldest
T - Time You Wake Up: 5:30a.m. I get everyone up and off to work, then I can go back to bed, unless it is a day that is full of activities.
U- The Ultimate Dessert: Chocolate Brownie, or Brownie Sundae
V - Vegetable You Dislike: Can't think of one I don't like
W - Ways You Run Late: I don't like to be late. But there are days when I am fiddling around here or on line....and time gets away from me....but my cell phone has a calendar reminder and I set that often for special things.
X - X-rays You've Had: Teeth, shoulder, knee,hands,breasts
Y - Yummy Food You Make: Chicken fingers, my boys can't get enough of them
Z - Zoo Animal: Polar Bears.....I love the white fur!
So if you are so inclined try thinking of your ABC's and have some fun!
Sunday, March 22, 2009
So What Have I Been Doing?
Piles of paper work!
Then I realized that some of my time was taken up by the boys....
They found themselves on Unemployment as of 3/6/2009
Their positions were eliminated.... which was just a line that employers are using to downsize and remove higher paid employees and rehiring employees at a lower wage.
Monday, February 23, 2009
Proud to be an Eagle Scout
and to obey the Scout Law;
To help other people at all times;
To keep myself physically strong,
mentally awake, and morally straight.
This past Sunday, I had the privilege to attend the ceremony for my nephew Tyler , as he achieved the rank of Eagle Scout.
Tyler is a freshman at Edison High School in Norwalk, Ohio. Besides Scouting, he is involved in sports, and plays the "Quads" in Marching Band.
During the ceremony, which was attended by many friends and family members, guest speakers told of Tyler's accomplishments and his ability to overcome adversity and succeed in his quest to obtain the rank of Eagle Scout.
Many of the speakers praised his work and ability to help others. The talked about his choices to do the right thing, not always the easiest thing. They talked about Tyler and how he helped younger scouts with different challenges. Tyler loved to participate in the Pinewood Derby, making knots and various other scouting activities. He has earned over 30 merit badges and continues to pursue more subjects to earn his Eagle Palms.
Many of the friends and family in attendance were brought to tears as they listened to the heartfelt speech given by his brother Jordan. Jordan is also an Eagle Scout and attends Jacksonville University in Florida. He made the trip home for this special occasion to tell everyone how he remembered helping his brother in his scouting achievements.
Tyler took the podium and thanked all those who helped him reach his goal, including his current and former Scoutmasters, his church youth leader and his Conformation mentor. He also thanked his parents and his Grandparents, Nana and Poppy, for all their help and presented them with special mentor pins to honor them.
Tyler's Eagle Scout Project was to install a concrete patio and benches at the football field behind the High School. He gathered many volunteers to help with his project and collected over $3000 in donations from friends, family and community members for the project.
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Accident and Incindent Report
Under this lovely dressing is a 2.5 " wound and 5 stitches!
Did you ever just have an awful week?
I think this was my week.
Things just seemed to "happen".
I came down with a case of bronchitis, of course it was Saturday
and no Dr. available, so off to the Minute Clinic I went, on Sunday.
Armed with cough syrup with codeine and an inhaler, home I went, to bed.
The week progressed and I was getting better, the coughing eased up and
I felt better. I went to the hairdressers on Friday and
she colored my hair.....a little more blonde than I expected,
and when I got home, everyone gasped!
On Saturday, I came down with a UTI! Of course it was after
office hours at the Dr., so on Sunday I went off to the Urgi Care.
I took my shower before I went to the Urgi Care and
dried my blonde hair and burnt my forehead with the curling iron.OUCH!
Armed with an antibiotic, I went home to bed, again.
Tuesday I went back to the hairdresser and
she calmed the blonde down a bit.
Wednesday we get this snowstorm that dumps 12" of snow on us.
Stuck in the house again.
Today I was getting the trash bag out of the can
and while Adam pulled it up I held the can down
because the bag was stuck. As he lifted the bag,
something sharp poked through the bag and cut my left hand.
There was blood all over.
Quick, washcloth, direct pressure, get some socks and shoes on,
locate insurance cards, can't find immunization record....
and head to the Urgi Care for the 3rd time in a week and a half!
Do I remember when I had my last tetanus shot......NO,
so I called the Dr. Office, and they are "out to lunch".....go figure.
So I called the Health Department, where I get my immunizations
and they were OUT TO LUNCH!
But the receptionist was very helpful when
I explained that I was on my way to the Urgi Care
and she looked it up. Tetanus shot was good!
Walked into the Urgi Care with my hand elevated and
they asked if I was bleeding and I said Yes.
Off to the back I went, no waiting.
I didn't even have to fill out paper work....
I just told them I was there on Sunday.
The receptionist filled out the forms, all I had to do was sign.
Nice physician, very patient. Injected Novocaine into the wound and it didn't work.
Stitched me up anyway.
An hour and 5 stitches later, I was on my way home.
Ice and rest, keep it dry, come back in 2 days for a wound check,
stitches to be removed in 10 days.
I think I need another vacation. Or a padded room!
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
I Heart Faces
There are many photos I have that could represent Joy,
but the one I keep coming back to is the one from my older
son Chris' wedding to Tiffany.
All I can see is the joy in their faces on that day!
They are still like that today!
And the little orbs floating in the picture....
are bubbles! Because it was so hot the day they got married,
we had the wedding ceremony inside the air conditioned building
instead if the sweltering heat.
So you can't throw birdseed or rice inside, so we blew bubbles!
For other photos of JOY in faces visit http://iheartfaces.blogspot.com/
Friday, January 23, 2009
SKYWATCH FRIDAY
Welcome to SkyWatch Friday
This week's entries were hard to choose. I had
two photos that really inspired me.
The first one is a sunset photo. We have been
under the clouds for days on end here, and this
was the first glimps of the sky I had seen in days.
The second is the icicles that have been forming off the roof line.
I was under these looking up toward the sky.
They are becoming massive in length and size, and they can
become dangerous if they fall on your head, so of course
I got under them to look up through them!
For more sky pictures, visit
http://skyley.blogspot.com
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Remodeling 101
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Skywatch Friday
Oh look! It is a bird!