countrygirl-lifeonthefarm

May 2013
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Wonderful book finished

Posted on May 12, 2013 by countrygirllifeonthefarm

This evening I finished reading a wonderful novel by Jennifer Chiaverini which is part of the Elm Creek Quilts series. This one is titled “The Giving Quilt” and focuses on the lives of five very different ladies that love to quilt or want to learn. It’s also inspired by the “Project Linus” program which is a charitable organization dedicated to providing handmade blankets and quilts to children in need. I give this novel a five star rating but would first recommend you start with the first novel of the Elm Creek Series, The Quilter’s Apprentice”. Wonderful reading material and especially so if you love to read and quilt.

The Giving Quilt novel

Filed under: Books & Movies | 2 Comments »

Sassy’s surgery

Posted on May 12, 2013 by countrygirllifeonthefarm

Sassy

Sassy is our “little” blonde cocker spaniel that makes our bed her bed!! Over the last few summers Sassy has made it habit of running, playing and rolling in tall grass and I guess because she love the coolness of it and she’s hunting for mice. She’s a good mouser but she never eats them. On occasion during these outings, we have gotten some nasty ticks off of her. That’s another reason we try to keep her sheared so it makes it easier to fine them and to treat her so she won’t get them at all.

Anyway, it seemed like there were some places where we removed the ticks that she got a hard smooth bump afterwards. The most noticeable one was on her back and we always warned our groomer of them whenever she went to get a haircut. Early in the spring we had the vet here for some cattle issues and he checked her out while he was here. Dr. Wall advised us that the cyst on her back which had gotten about the size of a dime and about a 1/2″ thick needed to come off and he was more concerned about the ones she had on her belly which were smaller but turning black.

Hubby called the doc’s office and made the appointment for the 9th of May and he had to have her there at 8:00. He said while he filled out a mountain of papers for her surgery, Sassy took a tour of the office and got to know everyone. Sassy has such a wonderful temperment and never meets a stranger. Hubby left her there and met me at an eye appointment and took me to breakfast and we ran some errands.

We got a call from Dr. Kelly around 10:30 and he was taking her in for the surgery and wanted to know if we wanted the cysts biopsied and we told him no. We’re not wealthy and have gone through cancer and heart problems with our dogs before. It’s not cheap and we felt like lots of love and attention would be better than putting her through chemo or radiation. The vet’s office called a little after noon to let us know the surgery was over and Sassy had woke up from the anesthesia and we could pick her up around 3:00. She was still groggy when he picked her up and a little unstable. We had to give her antibiotics twice a day which we finish tonight. The cyst on her back has 10 stitches in it and the ones on her stomach had at least two stitches each. The cyst on her back we are told was nothing to worry about but the other’s are very suspicious. He told us that they probably won’t come back where they’ve been removed but to expect more.

Surgery on her back 05092013

She seems to be doing fine and we’ve been very careful to make sure she doesn’t jump up in her bed or go out and get the stitches wet. She never once seemed to be in pain and likes all the attention she getting. We’ve always spoiled her rotten and plan to continue to do so. I want what time she has with us to be as happy as humanely possible. Keep her in your prayers, please! Here’s some baby pictures through current time of our precious little girl!

Can’t help but love that face!!!

Filed under: Animals, Dogs, Family | Tagged: baby, cysts, dog, love, Sassy, surgery | 4 Comments »

Happy Mother’s Day

Posted on May 12, 2013 by countrygirllifeonthefarm

I would like to wish all the mothers, grandmothers and mothers-to-be a very special and happy day! I hope and pray that you are all as blessed as I am being a mother and grandmother. We are a very special breed!!!

HAPPY, HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY TO ALL!

Rita

Filed under: Family | Tagged: MOTHERS | Leave a Comment »

Spring To-Do List

Posted on May 1, 2013 by countrygirllifeonthefarm

I consider myself a pretty organized person. I also consider myself a pretty hard worker. AND, a lot of people that know me think that I’m a cleaning fanatic. I don’t. I clean a lot but if I don’t have a list to go by and check off, I only do a fair job. I have lists for everything. I have Christmas lists, shopping list, gardening list, spring cleaning lists, spring chores, fall chores, and the list goes on and on and on. I thought I would share two of my lists today. First is my spring cleaning list and I start preparing this list during the winter when I can’t do much outside and sitting in front of the TV at night, thinking about the things I should be doing!

SPRING CLEANING & OTHER CHORES

In each room:

Dust all decor, furniture(under & around), ceiling fans & lights, walls

Wipe down walls and baseboards, interior and exterior doors

Take down curtains and wash

Clean/shampoo furniture

Wash windows and ceils, inside and out

Clean all trashcans

Clean all fixtures, doorknobs, switch plates, ceiling lights, paintings (including behind)

Clean/replace blinds

Sweep/vacuum

Mop floors

In the kitchen:

Purge and organize kitchen

Clean kitchen cabinets and drawers & replace shelving paper

Clean small kitchen appliances

Clean stove top and oven

Clean refrigerator and freezer (new this year, shelving paper on refrigerator shelves and drawers)

Clean all decor on shelves and all wall decor (and behind)

Clean kitchen table and chairs (don’t forget the chair rungs)

Replace kitchen chair pads
In the bedrooms:

Wash bedding

Air the mattresses for several hours and spray w/Lysol

Clean bedroom closets & purge clothing & shoes

Clean Sassy’s bed and replace mattress in her bed

In the bathroom:

Clean bathroom cabinets

Wash shower curtains and liners

Purge medicine and toiletries

Clean the toilet tank, bowl and outside
Special chores to complete during the late spring or during the spring clean:

Paint mantel bolts.
Make new quilts for bedrooms.
Make new hassock covers.
Re-finish master bedroom floors .
Put down corner round in guest bedroom.
Build bookshelves in guest bedroom.
Rebuild closet in Master bedroom.
Clean out downstairs closet.

OUTDOOR CHOIRS
- Put water spigot at back of house.
- Clean up old herb garden.
- Clean up game feeders.
- Clean up bus houses & repair.
- Move lilies, peonies & roses.
- Board up the back of the milk house.
- Stack wood in milk house.
- Fix roof on sugar house.
- Clean cellar and apple house.
- Clean up smoke house.
- Clean out boat house.
- Clean up paddle boat.
- Replace plug in paddle boat
- Clean up all lawn furniture.
- Make new pillows for lawn furniture using old denim jeans.
- Transplant peonies from mansion & red house.
- Clean up front porch and mop.
- Refinish & paint exterior doors from porch.
- Clean up small chick room in hen house.
- Tar paper interior walls of chicken house.
- Paint the chicken house roof.
- Clean up and store the bird feeders
- Make more birdhouses.
- Prune all shrubs & roses in yard.
- Clean up flower beds.
- Transplant more garlic to large tire planter from haylot.
- Set up another tire planter for more rhubarb.
- Set up another tire planter for asparagus.
- Move furniture out of tractor shed.
- Cut out and spray all pawpaw sprouts in back yard.
- Put dinner bells up (corner of front yard and at gazebo).
- Paint front porch columns.
- Stain front porch and waterproof.
- Clean up yard.
- Put up solar lights at Gazebo.
- Replace wire over chicken house windows.
- Put new bedding in chicken nest.
- Hang chicken water tank from ceiling near food bin.
- Put new supers on bee hives.
- Change batteries in solar lights.
- Clean off potting table in yard and fill with flowers.
- Transplant white orchid iris, oriental iris and peonies.
- Prune and tie up raspberries.
- Clean off tree limbs in apple orchard.

As you can see I have plenty to keep me busy inside and out of the house. I think I need some elves or get myself cloned about three or four times. Oh well, if it gets done, wonderful, and if it doesn’t, it’ll be there another year. As for my clean house, if visitors come to see my house instead of me, they can pitch in and help!! Guess I better get off this computer and get busy!!

Filed under: Hard work, Planning, To-Do List, PRIDE, Work to be Done, Goals | Tagged: work, spring cleaning, house, outside, dust, smells, every room in the house | Leave a Comment »

Baby calves are arriving

Posted on May 1, 2013 by countrygirllifeonthefarm

2013 Spring calves

Our spring calving season began mid-March and we’re almost done. We have three more yet to calve and they don’t look like they’re “springing” at all. We’ve lost four calves this year and one cow. The cow was Annabelle’s mother but two weeks later another cow loses a calf and hubby uses a little of his magic and convinced her that Annabelle was her daughter. All is well!!

Staying warm in the sun and off the wet ground laying on the hay.

Babies scattered everywhere!

Annabelle and her new Mom! Just in time for Mother’s Day!!

Filed under: Animals, CATTLE, Farming | Tagged: baby calves, cattle, spring babies | Leave a Comment »

New Book Club

Posted on April 28, 2013 by countrygirllifeonthefarm

Eight ladies that I work with have become members of a newly organized book club about a two months ago and we will have our second meeting the second week of May. I’ll be expanding friendship with some of the girls, getting to know some ladies that I’ve met but don’t know well, and meeting ladies I don’t know but hope to add to my friends group.

When we first met we each were to bring a list of books that we would like to read. Those books were put on slips of paper, folded and put in a hat to draw the name of the first book to read. The first book in my opinion was fantastic and the name of it is “Love Lies Bleeding” by Jess McConkey. I highly recommend it for all women!! It has a great story line, not too many characters and a strong woman as the main character.

I’ll blog each month about the books we read and hope it’ll give you some choices for your reading enjoyment. My list of books to read is constantly growing as you can tell if you hook up to the “GoodReads” link on my blog page. I love to read and have a very hard time finding the time to do it.

Filed under: Books & Movies, Friends | Tagged: book club, Books, friends, friendship, Jess McConkey, reading | 1 Comment »

Greenhouse fun

Posted on April 28, 2013 by countrygirllifeonthefarm

This year is going to be a little different in the garden. We still have so much left in the freezer and cellar so we’ve decided to cut back. I didn’t start up the greenhouse this year and instead have just planted a few of the things that we’ll eat as it comes in. I’ve planted some tomato, cucumber, cabbage, squash, cantaloupe and watermelon for the garden and have several of my herbs in cups.

Two varieties of cabbage and squash

Four varieties of tomato

I haven’t started my periennial flowers yet but think I have plenty of time for that. I also like to put some directly in the ground. It will be late May before we can safely put anything in the garden. My rhubarb is up and doing better than it did last year but it’s new and will take a couple years to get established. I started it these huge tractor tires and I need to work some manure into the dirt soon.

I also started some garlic in a tire last year and I haven’t pulled any of it yet. The stems are greening up and hopefully they’ll do as well as the rhubarb is. I was very afraid the moles and voles would eat up both but it doesn’t look like it so far.

I read on someone’s blog and on Pinterest that if you buy celery in the store and cut the root end off and place it in a cup of dirt that it would grow!! Believe me it works and I can’t wait until this gets big enough to eat.

One plant is one month old and the other is about two weeks old. I use a lot of celery when I cook and a lot of onions.

I have a very special friend that heard my plea for a purple and green shamrock and she came through for me. Here’s the plant she gave me along with some that I found at Food Lion around St. Patricks Day.

Purple shamrock

Green and purple shamrock

Gardening time is just around the corner and I still have to clean up the yard and clear out the flower beds. There I go again wishing my life away!! Happy gardening everyone.

Filed under: Gardening, HAPPINESS | Tagged: cabbage, celery, dirt, gardening, spring, squash, tomatoes | 2 Comments »

Easy as pie egg-blowing but not for children!!!

Posted on April 28, 2013 by countrygirllifeonthefarm

Over the last three years, I’ve found all sizes of eggs that the hens have left for me but the little guys in the photo above are real treasures. I use them throughout the house as decorations. I use them in my antique egg crate in the kitchen.

Antique egg crate & chickens

I use them in bird nests for decorations and wreaths. The best part is I found a very easy way to get the whites and, if any, yolks out of the eggs so they won’t rot and become a nasty odor for the room they’re in. I used to take a large sewing needle and gently drill a hole in the both ends of the egg and blow it out but that took time and a lot more breath than I have nowadays. You will want to use the following method when there are no children around just to be on the safe side and you’ll understand what I’m talking about once you see the tool I use.

We keep these syringes on hand for giving the animals they’re worm shots and other vaccines when needed. The tips of those needles are very, very sharp.

The needle point should be small and I can’t remember the gauge we use but if you ask at your local farm store, ask for the gauge to use on small animals such as cats and dogs.

First step is to make sure your eggs are clean and NOT old. The syringe comes in three parts: needle, syringe base and plunger. Next push the plunger as far in the base as possible (after you put the needle in the base). Gentle holding the egg and careful how you place the needle, gently push the needle into the large end of the egg (you will be surprised how easily it goes in the shell, no drilling). Hold the egg in one hand, positioning the egg over the hand holding the needle. I apologize for not having a photo to explain but it’s hard to take a picture and do this at the same time. Try to picture your fists folded and one fist on top and one fist on the bottom (make sense?).

The next step is to keep the needle in the egg and gently pull the plunger out to the end of the base. You’ll see the clear white of the egg pull into the syringe. Pull the entire syringe out of the egg and push the plunger back into the base pushing the egg white into a dish or some kind of container. I usually do this over the kitchen sink and let the running water wash it down the drain. Do this whole procedure again until you feel you have gotten the white entirely out of the egg.

After emptying the last bit out of the syringe, fill the syringe with water (it’ll suck out of a glass of water w/a touch of dish detergent or bleach really easy). Put the syringe back in the egg and fill it with the water (gently) and pull it out and emptying the sink again. I usually do this four or five times just to make sure it’s clean and make sure you entirely get all the water solution out of the egg. Repeat the cleaning as many times as you feel it takes to clean the egg. Set your little egg up to air dry for several days and where it won’t get knocked off and broken. I store them in an egg carton until I’m ready to use them in my decorations. This is so much easier but you just have to be careful using the needle.

These are some of the eggs I’ve used with this tool:

DSCN2827

Filed under: Chickens, Crafting | Tagged: blowing, crafting, deco, egg blowing, eggs, fast, needles, syringe | 1 Comment »

An odd thing happened at the henhouse . . .

Posted on April 28, 2013 by countrygirllifeonthefarm

I’m so proud of my multi-color, multi-breed flock of chickens. Some are over seven years old but I just can’t bear to get rid of them and I have several hens that are good brooders and give me fresh stock each year. This helps keeps eggs coming year round. I don’t do anything special for them and they are free range chickens. I do make sure they have plenty of grain year round and lots of water. I make sure they get at least one gallon of vinegar water a week to keep them clean internally. For about a month now I’ve been getting between 14 and 22 eggs a day out of 27 chickens, two of which are roosters.

This is my oldest hen Ms. Black and she greets me at the door every afternoon, purring and singing and waiting for a handful of grain. I just can’t bear getting rid of her!!

This is Elvis and a few of the girls heading to the roost. He’s such a gorgeous rooster and is constantly foraging and finding fresh worms and bugs for the ladies.

Yesterday afternoon when I took them fresh water and gathered the eggs I found this strange phenomenon:

This not a normal egg gatherind day and the egg at the bottom of the picture is a normal large egg.

This is a normal size egg.

This is a very small egg & I’ll blog later the wonderful decorating idea I use them for. Normally, this small, there will be no yolk, no joke

This beauty is an enormous double yolker and I feel so sorry for the hen that laid it.

Filed under: Chickens | Tagged: eggs, size isn't everything, surprise | 3 Comments »

Watching the new babies at play

Posted on April 28, 2013 by countrygirllifeonthefarm

Now that Annabelle has a new Mom, I thought I would share a few pictures of her and Gyp at play. They won’t be able to do this anymore because the new Mom doesn’t like any other animals near her baby. Annabelle minds her Mom really well though she will still let her come to me for a good rub down. Here’s the babes at play before the final adoption.

They chases each other with Gyp nipping at her heels and Annabelle tolerated Gyp constantly licking her face when she could get to it.

Filed under: Animals, CATTLE, Dogs, Farming, Friends, Fun on the Farm | Tagged: beauty | 3 Comments »

More trees

Posted on April 27, 2013 by countrygirllifeonthefarm

We’ve been so busy the last few weeks and it seems like months since I last blogged and I’m trying to make up for lost time tonight. Bear with me and I promise you’ll understand before this weekend is over.

We have three apple orchards on our farm and all used to be full of old timey apples. Time, neglect and the weather have really been hard on the trees. Each fall we try to have a Sunday Cider Fest and decided if we didn’t do something about replenishing the trees that have died or been uprooted by the wind that we would have to start buying apples to continue the tradition.

We’ve replaced about 10 trees in the last two years and I’ve been trying my hand at grafting with not much success. I think the problem was trying to graft to trees that were not in the ground and established. Two years ago I started taking classes offered by the county extension office to learn how to graft. At each class I’ve obtained 10-15 apple root stocks for semi-dwarf trees.

Since I haven’t had much luck with the grafting, Hubby and I decided I need to make sure the root stock was going to live. When I got the root stock it was bare root and it was too much stress on the grafts competing with the trees trying to get established. We put all of the stock in large pots with fertilized soil and made sure they got plenty of water throughout the summer. We did this for two summers and during the winter took the trees (30 trees) into the mansion basement to keep the winter wind from beating them out of the pots.

Potted apple root stock in the sun but the board fence protected them from the summer winds.

Last month we started bringing them out for some daily sun and acclimating them to the cooler weather. Last weekend we planted the first 15 in the orchard at the west barn.

Hubby used the post hole digger on the tractor to drill the holes and then we had some heavy rains which was great for getting the water to settle the holes and get the water down where the roots would need them.

We set out thirteen more yesterday afternoon and now we wait. Our biggest challenge will be the deer!! The trees that we set out last weekend have already felt the damage of deer. Each one of the trees lower limbs had been eaten off. To keep them from completing the damage we will have to make woven wire cages to go about two feet around and out from each tree. We tried the plastic pipe around them last year and the mice did the damage then. Apparently they thought the pipe was a good place to set up housekeeping and chewed the bark off at the base of the tree and killed them. So MICE and DEER are on my hit list at the moment!!

Filed under: Animals, Farming, Hard work, Harvest, orchards, Wildlife | Tagged: animals, apples, deer, mice, mother nature, ROOTSTOCK, weather | 5 Comments »

Little fluffs of down

Posted on April 27, 2013 by countrygirllifeonthefarm

Almost four weeks ago I had a little black hen get broody on me and she kept filling up nests with her body when I needed hens that were laying eggs in them. She is a bantam cross that was given to me by a couple that had to move to the city. She’s a good layer but of small eggs. I decided to “set” her on six eggs of my choice and size. I only felt comfortable putting six eggs under her because of her size and the size of the eggs I wanted hatched. I had no trouble putting her in the “setting room” of the main hen house and she diligently stayed on the nest.

Last Saturday she gave me four new little fluffs of down and she is a very fiesty mother. One egg wasn’t fertile of the six I put under her and the other little one just couldn’t get out of the shell quick enough. I will leave them in the “setting room” until this next round of cold rain moves through and then let Mom take them into the big girls quarters. I hope they’re all litle hens and no roosters in the bunch!!

Filed under: Animals, Chickens, Farming | Tagged: babies, bitties, chicks, fluffy, sitting hen | 6 Comments »

Farm building under repair

Posted on April 27, 2013 by countrygirllifeonthefarm

Hubby seems to always be repairing something on the farm. Recently he’s been working on fences, hauling more limbs out of the fields from the winter winds and last years durachio. We have lots of repairs to buildings to be completed due to time and lack of repairs before we inherited the farm. Some buildings were beyond repair and have been torn down and cleaned up. This week he started on the corn crib at the mansion.

Repairs made to back of corn crib.

The winds wreaked havoc on the roof of this building and some of that will be replaced in the coming weeks and some will be pulled down and screwed down to prevent further wind damage. The front of the crib is in fairly good shape but this end needs new support at the bottom which you can tell has sunk.

West side of the mansion corn crib and work to be done.

This side of the crib has an addition on it for storing equipment and is in really bad shape. First we have to get the old bulldozer out of it and take it to the scrap yard and then we’ll begin the work of repairing the side of the building. We’ll us it for storing the lawnmowers, tiller, and other small equipment in the winter months. The other side of the building holds the backhoe and is in good shape. It doesn’t suffer the west winds and rain like the side you see above.

Here’s some of the fencing that has been completed by Hubby and our daughter in the last few weeks since it’s warmed up.

There’s always something to do on the farm and never any time to be bored!!

Filed under: Farming, Future work to be done, Hard work, Repairs | Tagged: buildings, fences, fields, repairs, trees, working farm | Leave a Comment »

Our little orphan, Annabelle

Posted on April 27, 2013 by countrygirllifeonthefarm

Two weeks ago today one of our older cows (25+ years) had been in labor for more than a day and finally on Saturday morning had a beautiful little red/white faced heifer.

Annabelle-one day old, tired, cold and just lost her mama.

Her Mom died shortly after delivery and we were lucky to find Annabelle because she wasn’t near her Mom. We think Mom couldn’t get up to nurse her and the other cows came to investigate and Annabelle followed them looking for warm nourishment. Hubby found her about 100 yards from her Mom, wet, muddy and very cold. She was covered with the afterbirth film and mud. Hubby came back to the house to get me and we loaded her on the back of the pickup and brought her to the house. Luckily it was a very nice, sunny morning but still cool. I first got some regular milk we drink, warmed it and added about a 1/2 cup of Karo syrup and took it to her.

Calf bottle full, warm and sweetened.

I didn’t have to work with her much at all to get her to take about a pint and then I let her rest. I got a very warm bucket of warm with some baby shampoo mixed in it and proceeded to bathe her as best as I could and covered her with a heavy towel to keep the cool air off until she quit shivering. She lay quietly in the yard and our other new baby, Gyp, decided to make Annabelle her new best friend. She licked her and lay with her and nipped at her trying to get her to play.

After another hour passed, she seemed a little more active and got up and walked around in the yard so I decided to try to get some more milk in her. She was ready for that bottle and grab hold quick. Gyp hung around to keep her mouth cleaned off (she’s so funny) and we got another pint in her.

Then we prepared her a good warm bed in the small garage close to the house. This building has electricity in it and made it convenient for those after dark feedings. I filled a clean five gallon buck with water for her and hoped she would find it and not knock it over and fill her bed with water which was a little below the bucket. While I was preparing her new home, Gyp watched after her.

Gyp watching Annabelle in the yard while I prepared her bedding.

We fed her a full bottle in the mornings before I went to work and during the day Hubby would feed her 1/2 bottle every four hours and then I fed her again around 6:00 in the evening after I got home from work. She is doing really well and growing so fast!

BUT. . . . . . . .

Another of the older cows gave birth to a dead calf on Wednesday morning and she is usually such a good mother. Her calf was a red heifer and Hubby decided to try another trick we’ve used in the past. He took the dead calf away from the mother and put Mama in a small barn near the house and gave her some extra grain. While she was eating he took a large area of hide from the dead calf and tied it onto Annabelle’s back.

Annabelle with an extra coat & a little trick to find a new mom.

He then walked Annabelle over to the barn to meet a new mama (we hoped). After some more grain, some more coaxing Annabelle to the new area of milk and lots of prayers, the new mama and orphan calf quickly took to each other. Hubby urged me to stay away from Annabelle for a couple days to make sure the adoption would work and I can happily announce that Annabelle’s new mother is very protective of her and Annabelle seems to be nursing and nuzzling her new Mom constantly.

Annabelle’s new mom

The only downside to this story is that Gyp doesn’t have someone to chase and play! That’s another story in the making!

Filed under: Animals, CATTLE, Farming, PRIDE | Tagged: bottles, calves, cows, milk, orphans, tricks | 10 Comments »

The honeybees

Posted on April 27, 2013 by countrygirllifeonthefarm

Like several farmers we’ve spoken to, our honeybees didn’t fair well this winter. We had eight hives and lost all but two.

Bee house and time to check the hives spring 2013.

One of the two hives is very active and the maple tree pollen is heavy this year. The other hive has never been real strong and swarms itself to death every spring. We are going to try a couple of changes this year, one of which, is bringing in a new queen.

The first hive is weak but alive and the third hive is strong and working hard.

Time will tell but we have to work fast since the orchards are full of apple buds and will blossom full in the next week to 10 days.

The bees are cleaning house much like I do in the spring. This is one the hives that didn’t make it during the winter.

Hubby has cleaned up all the hives that didn’t make it and have them ready to try to catch some swarms a little later. The hives that made it will now have two chambers for raising brood and when the right bloom pops out in the forest fresh supers will be placed on each hive for honey making.

We have so many honey customers that depend on us each year to provide the liquid gold that is a big commodity these days. I’ve been asked to place it in our local artisan center but it doesn’t last long enough to get it there. Now, we sit back and wait and pray that we will be blessed with lots of the sweet nectar.

2012 Gold

Beautiful quart jars of honey and honeycomb straight from the hives.

Filed under: Farming, NATURE, Seasons | Tagged: bad winter, cleaned hives, honey, honeybees, working bees | 1 Comment »

Time to ourselves

Posted on April 24, 2013 by countrygirllifeonthefarm

This past weekend was special time for hubby and me. We had the house and farm to ourselves for two nights and one day. You see, almost five years ago my Mom passed away and my youngest brother, Dean, came to live with us full time. Our family of two became three and no more privacy.

This “special t ime to us is very important. Our kids left home at the same time and we had a little over six years by ourselves. Ten years ago we moved to hubby’s uncle’s farm to take care of him because he had Alzheimers and his caregiver passed away suddenly. Hubby was his only living heir that could move in and take care of him and the farm. While he was doing this, he was also taking care of our small farm and his mother’s 200+ acre farm. I was working full time to provide us with some extra cash and medical insurance. We spent another five years with his uncle until he passed away.

Then we had about two years by ourselves again and cherished every moment of the time. My Mom passed on and we took in my youngest brother who is mentally handicapped. Our family of two turned into three. This is why those ”special” weekends alone mean so much to us. We don’t do anything any differently but just knowing that we can run around in our shorts(hubby) and nightie (me) gives us such a feeling of freedom. Being able to sit and talk and not having someone in the next room listen to every word. Until you have been through this it’s hard to grasp the feelings that I’m trying to put in words.

I guess the real reason behind my post is this:

Make every moment in your married life count, cherish each other, do things together!!! Treat every moment as if it may be your last because there could always come a time when that shared time together won’t be there anymore or things could happen to change that couple into a “group” again.

Filed under: Family, HAPPINESS, NEVER ENDING, Romance, TIME | Tagged: happiness, love, private time, together | 4 Comments »

What are you saving it for?

Posted on April 13, 2013 by countrygirllifeonthefarm

Has someone ever given you something special, made you a quilt, embroidered some pillow cases, or anything along those lines? Do you use them? Do you display them? Are they hidden away for no one to see but you? My Mom used to be like that. My Mom’s grandmother, some of my friends do that and even my husband does that. I made him the nine patch quilt year before last and he was so proud of it. I was proud ot it but it isn’t being used. It isn’t even out where he or someone else could see it. I’m disappointed!! Not because I wanted to show it off, though! I made it with love and to keep him warm! He says he doesn’t want to get it dirty. For heaven’s sake, it’s washable! It’s made of fabric and polyfil. It’s warm!

The following quilt I made for our bed about five years ago and was my first attempt at piecing a complicated pattern. I loved it and I wash it about every two weeks and except for fading a little it’s still like new. I wash it so often because Sassy our cocker spaniel sleeps between us and the quilt desperately needs the washing after two weeks. But, like Eddie’s quilt it’s beautiful, it was made with love and I made it to be used, not stuck in a trunk waiting for me to die!!

I have beautiful dishes that belonged to my grandmother, Eddie’s aunt, my Mom and yes, I show them off but I always use them too! Things of beauty are meant to be used, shared, admired. Don’t stick them away!! They may not be as admired when your gone. They may be sold, passed on, handed down but for heaven’s sake use them!

Filed under: Family, HAPPINESS | Tagged: antiques, beauty, dishes, heirlooms, QUILTS, saving things, treasures | 8 Comments »

Preparing for first arrival of hummingbirds

Posted on April 13, 2013 by countrygirllifeonthefarm

Cleaned and ready to fill.

Waiting for hummingbird food to cool and pour into feeder!

I know it’s still cool but I always put my hummingbird feeders out on the 15th of April and it never fails that they arrive around that week. I’ve pulled out one feeder and cleaned it. I make them a mixture of 4:1 water to sugar. Last year we had over 20 by mid summer and the year before about thirty and they kept me busy filling feeders. We usually have four feeders on the front porch and so enjoy watching them feed, flutter and fuss as they are very territorial. This is a picture of last years group.

Filed under: Seasons, Wildlife | Tagged: feed, hummingbirds, spring, Sugar, water | 3 Comments »

April goals

Posted on April 13, 2013 by countrygirllifeonthefarm

Yes it’s almost mid-month but I have some goals to complete before months end. I always have high expectations of what I can complete in a two day weekend and that means I have six days to complete my goals. Here’s the April goals:

1) Clean out the fall/winter debris in the yard

2) Transplant the hibiscus and shasta daisies to another location in the yard

3) Clean all the flower beds and make ready for new additions

4) Make 12 new blocks for the sampler quilt

5) Start spring cleaning the bathroom, pantry and back porch

6) Make new cushions for the lawn and porch furniture

7) Set out 15 of the 30+ apple root stock and nine American chestnuts we started from seed.

8) Finish planting the garden and flower seeds in the greenhouse

9) Spring clean the guest room (decided to start in the least travedled and used room)

10) Clean the paddle boat and put it on the pond

I think this should keep me very busy for the rest of the month. Since turkey season begins Saturday I should be able to start bright and early in the morning.

Filed under: Future work to be done, Goals | Tagged: CLEAN, flowers, garden, goals, guest room, paddle boat, planting, quilt blocks, sampler quilt, spring | 2 Comments »

Interesting ride home this afternoon

Posted on April 4, 2013 by countrygirllifeonthefarm

Spring weather-gotta love it!! This morning the weather forecast called for sleet changing to rain for the day and rain ending in the morning. Well folks, they got it wrong again! It started pouring down snow sometime around 2:00, I think (no windows in my office). At 3:45 I thought I had better get home ( I get off at 4:00 each day) and by the time I closed down the computer, cleared off my desk, locked up the files and got my coat on it was 4:00. My drive home usually takes 40-45 minutes depending on traffic. This afternoon it took one hour and 35 minutes and here’s what my drive home looked like, no words or captions needed and a 10 mph -15 mph ride home:

What I found in the parking lot after leaving work.

Most of the vehicles had at least two inches on them.

Half block from my parking lot.

Pouring down snow and can’t keep the windshield clear.

Traffic is at a stand still on Prices Fork Rd one block from the office. Took me 18 minutes to get one block.

Creeping to the second stop light and traffic is backed up. and I have to get gas before I can head home.

Creeping up a side steet to get to Delimart-I have to get gas before I can head home.

NOw, I’m back on Prices Fork heading for my exit to home. I’t's 4:30.

Newport and headed to Craig County!

Simmonsville turn straight ahead-slow down to five miles an hour and get through the turn!

The big red barn and my driveway are within eyesight now!!

I sure am glad I made it without any mishaps and the snow is still pouring. It sure is great to be home!!!!!!!!!!!

Filed under: Farming, Winter | Tagged: driviing, four-wheel drive, safe, snow, weather | 7 Comments »

GYP – New babe on the farm

Posted on April 3, 2013 by countrygirllifeonthefarm

Filed under: Animals, Pets and other Friends | Tagged: babies, coon hound, dogs, Gyp, pets, Plott, puppy, Victoria | 2 Comments »

Calving season on Caldwell Farm

Posted on April 3, 2013 by countrygirllifeonthefarm

It is calving season on the farm now and we’ve lost three and have 22 on the ground and healthy. We usually have baby calves that weigh between 50-70 pounds at birth. Yesterday we had a first time mama give birth to one that Eddie says is every bit of 125 pounds and Mama is doing great. She has plenty of milk and is very attentive to the baby. When found yesterday afternoon Eddie was shocked and had to work with him for a couple hours. Then I went to help and we gave him some supplemental milk to keep him warm and give him some extra strength. We think maybe his back legs were numb because he couldn’t keep them up for a long time. Mama kept cooing at him and cleaning him and encouraging him. Eddie went to him three more times before we went to bed and tried to give him some more milk but he wouldn’t take it. This morning the big boy is up after a long struggle and doing fine and nursing alot. We’ve lost three calves this year to what we think is a bull that throws monster babies and he’s going to market in the fall if not before. It’s just too hard on the mama’s and two of the mama’s will have to be sold so as not to have anymore babies. Here’s a few pics of Mom and son.

Filed under: Animals, CATTLE, Farming | Tagged: angus, baby calves, farming, heavyweight, heifers | 2 Comments »

Posted on March 19, 2013 by countrygirllifeonthefarm

Do you know what Pinterest is? Do you have Pinterest boards? I would love to meet the genius that came up with this wonderful website!! Pinterest is website for collecting and organizing things you love. I have boards and I use them for crafts I want to make later, ideas for decorating, wish lists, and so much more. It doesn’t take but a few minutes to sign up for an account and it’s free. You will have a login and password so no one can mess with your boards. You can see other Pinterest sites that friends and other people have and you can repin things you love from their pin boards. Check out my site and see some of the thing I truly love!!

You can find it at: http://pinterest.com/ritascrafting/

I have twenty-six boards and 1626 pins as if today. I have a 127 followers that love the same things I do and I follow 128 pinterest sites. I have boards for quilting, crafting, gardening, books, blogs, DIY, cooking, handy tips, Country Style, hunting and outdoors, favorite music, barn quilts, crocheting, front porch living, spring cleaning, primitive decor, fall inspiration, Christmas, primitive outdoors. I love this site and when I see something on the internet that I may want to use in the future, I pin it. It’s fun, inspiring, it’s so organized and I think you will love it to. Here’s a quick glimpse of what my pinterest home page looks like:

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Gardening

446 pins

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Country Style

63 pins

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Wishlist

21 pins

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Edit Board Cover
New Recipes to Try

92 pins

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Hunting & Outdoors

4 pins

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Books I’ve Read/Want to Read

56 pins

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Quilts I Want to Make/Have Made

71 pins

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Helpful Hints

117 pins

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D I Y

189 pins

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Beauty & more

26 pins

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Wish List for Family & Friends

4 pins

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My favorite music

35 pins

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Barn Quilts

32 pins

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Spring Cleanup & Decorating Changes

43 pins

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Crocheting & tips

3 pins

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Canning & Freezing

1 pin

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Fall Inspiration

1 pin

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Christmas Deco

1 pin

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Craft/Quilt Room Re-Make

4 pins

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2013 Resolutions

7 pins

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What I Would Like In My Kitchen

3 pins

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Front Porch Living

8 pins

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Primitive Decor

10 pins

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Primitive Outdoors

29 pins

Try it out and see you don’t get addicted too!!!

Filed under: Creativity, Planning, Projects - DIY | Tagged: boards, collecting, lists, organization, Pinterest | 3 Comments »

Annual Checkup

Posted on March 19, 2013 by countrygirllifeonthefarm

I went to my doctor yesterday for my annual checkup which came out quite well considering how bad I’ve felt all winter. All of my lab work came back excellent except the good cholesterol which she said was low but thought that might be due to not be able to get out and do my normal chores and walking. We decided the stairs at my office will suffice until I can but not to do so much that I might start wheezing again. Dr. Cris was wonderful though as usual and we dealt with my congestion/bronchial issues at great length. In January, she put me on an antibiotic and a albuterol inhaler for the breathing problems. I was starting to feel better the last day of the antibiotics but three days later I was right back where I started. I continued to use the inhaler and Mucinex DM for two more weeks and I was no better and at night much worse. I sent Dr. Cris an email and told her what was going on and that even though I had my flu shot I was afraid to come into their office because of the flu epidemic. I reminded her that I had been fighting this junk since mid-September and was bound to my home and office almost all the time. She was very concerned and put me on another inhaler called QVAR and we decided to see how that went until my annual checkup which was scheduled in two weeks. The pharmacist that filled the QVAR told me not to use both of the inhalers and I didn’t. Dr. Cris had a fit when I told her yesterday. She sent me for a chest x-ray, told me to use both of the inhalers twice a day, continue the Mucinex DM and she also put me on 10 days worth of prednisone. At the end of that 10 days I should be much improved if not completely well and if I’m not I’m supposed to send her another email and she is sending me to a lung specialist. We haven’t got the results of the chest x-ray yet but maybe tomorrow.

I DESPERATELY NEED ALL OF YOUR PRAYERS THAT IN 10 DAYS I AM COMPLETELY BACK TO MY OLD SELF, CRAZY AS A LOON AND HAPPY!!