Not Always Happy Days at the Homestead

Some days just seem to start off bad and go down hill from there.  I got up and started a load of laundry before heading out to walk Kuma and Rusty. When we came back inside the kitchen floor was flooded. Seems William left a screw in his pocket and it punctured a hole in the outer tub of the washer. Using a ton of towels I got the water all cleaned up, leaving me with even more dirty wet laundry. I go out to feed and find that Tessa had gathered all her babies underneath her for the night. The night that the low was 89F! She lost ALL her sweet little baby turkey. They overheated underneath her. She was very upset and so was I. I go to feed Tinker and find that she is holding one of the ducks down with her front paws. She being that she is a livestock guard dog has decided the ducks are not allowed to come to the goat side of the pen. She keeps the goats on one end and the ducks on the other. Tinker didn't bite or try to hurt the duck she just stopped the duck from going near the goats. If she took her paw off the duck it ran toward the goats end to get away from her so she would sit down with her paws over the duck holding it down. I got the duck from her and took it to water to drink. Don't know how long she had it held down but the poor duck just drank like crazy.  After breakfast we go see if we can find the special glue we need to repair the washer. The pickup decides not to crank when we come back outside the store. When we get home I find Whiskers carrying a squirrel he has caught up on the back porch. The poor thing didn't make it.  Even though the washer broke I have my washtubs and wringer that I love so laundry got done and I had time to think and watch the birds while getting it done The glue is ordered to repair the washer and will be here in a few days Until then I will have the time to enjoy the birds and thinking while washing in the washtubs. Tessa lost her babies but we at least know now she and Fred can hatch babies. She also still has her 2 chicks she hatched and is mothering over them. Tinker may be a puppy but is turning out to be a good guard dog for our animals. The duck has learned where it needs to be to stay out of trouble and Tinker patrols her domain with pride. The pickup was a simple thing that was fixed in a matter of minutes.The squirrel didn't make it but Whiskers the cat has proven to be a very good hunter of snakes as well so can count on him to keep those pests away. Things go wrong. Things break. We stress. We worry. It's just part of life. God never promised us a perfect life here on earth. If everything was happy, healthy and perfect then why have heaven? What would we have to look forward to? Things that go wrong in our lives aren't God's doing. He gave each of us a mind and a heart for a  reason. So we could think and do for ourselves. So even though things might go wrong and I stress out there were still blessings to count at the end of the day. 

How Hot Is It?

So hot the animals around here are doing whatever they can to stay cool. Fred, the Bourbon Red Turkey has taken over the fan in the turkey pen. He dares me to try and take it out. I think I will leave it in there tonight. LOL

Help I'm Melting

I haven't melted yet though if this heat doesn't break I just might. The one good thing is I can eat anything anytime because I just sweat the pounds right off. This morning I wasn't outside 5 minutes before my clothes were soaking wet. The humidity is terrible. We lost some of Tessa and Fred's babies because of the heat. This morning after raking and tilling their pen I put a fan in there for them. Its all tied nice and secure so it can't fall on them. They love it and stand in front of it stretching and scratching the ground. The rabbits are still getting their frozen water bottles so seem to handle the heat. The chickens roll around in the dirt taking dirt baths and with the cold fresh water I give them every couple of hours are doing much better. At least we haven't lost anymore. The pigs are taking it easy in their mud holes. They come out long enough to get their water  hose shower then plop back down in the mud. I clipped a lot of Lady's hair off so she could be cooler. She and Tramp will not get in the kiddy pool to cool off nor let me mist them with the hose. Kuma and Rusty have to be forced outside to potty. They rush through that in a hurry and beat me back to the door.  I have been having to water the gardens as best I can because of no rain. So far still getting lots out of them as I am canning just about every evening. The goats and Tinker nap under the shade trees without a care in the world. The heat doesn't seem to bother them too much though I still make sure they have fresh cold water all the time. The ducks and geese are living in their pools. They have the right idea on how to beat the heat. I just keep dreaming of nice freezing cold winds, snow, and ice coming this winter. Soon, it will come. I just need to be patient and get through this hot, humid, summer.

I have been fixing lots of tuna salads, egg salads, potato salads, pasta salad, and of course lots of the cherry tomato salad for meals. That helps me feel cool when eating nice cold foods. Going to make a cucumber salad today to go with the green beans that have been cooking in the crockpot. Will make some salmon patties and also get out the leftover tomato salad and that will be supper. After supper I hope to weed my flower beds and weedeat. I cut the grass yesterday. I have herbs I need to gather and put in the dehydrator.

I have been enjoying the beautiful box of linens from Amelia. As I place different pieces around my home I think of her mom and all the beautiful detail in the ones she stitched and of her delightful choices in the ones she purchased. Am posting a few pictures of some of the pieces I am using. Will post more every few days. They just make  the house seem so warm, loving and cozy. Thank you again Amelia!  Granny J I added a few pieces to my graniteware collection and I am still trying to find where I put that piece I want to send you. As soon as it shows up I will get it on its way.

Harvest Time

Harvest days have arrived at the homestead. When I am not caring for the animals or sneaking out to spend a little fun time with Tinker or Tinkerbell as I call her or helping William on yard or paint jobs I am in the kitchen. The gardens have given us a lot even with all the heat and not much rain. So much okra I pickled some of it. So many bell and banana peppers I made pepper jelly, pepper relish and roasted peppers. The cucumbers keep multiplying like rabbits so I have made dill pickles, bread and butter pickles, and sweet relish. The cherry tomato vines are loaded so I have been making sun dried tomatoes. I also found a absolutely yummy tomato salad recipe using cherry tomatoes. I can't stop eating it. If you are overloaded with tomatoes give it a try! Heck if you need cherry tomatoes stop by. Will be happy to give you some!

Cherry Tomato Salad
4 cups cherry tomatoes cut in half
1/4 cup veg. oil
3 tablespoons of cider vinegar
1 tsp dried parsley
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp sugar
Mix all ingredients except the tomatoes together. Pour this over tomatoes, stir till they are all covered. Chill for 2 hours. Stir before serving.
Let me know when you make it and I will be over to help eat it.
Along with all the above veggies the green beans are coming in like crazy and a neighbor gave me 3 gallon of fresh figs. Tonight will find me making fig jam, a fig cake and canning more green beans. I am so looking forward to winter. Enjoy the nice COLD weather, a warm fire and all the harvest put up during this awful heatwave. Even with the heat and humidity life is blessed here on Hidden Haven. Hope yours is too!

A Week Of Many Blessings

What a week filled with blessings! Wednesday when we came home for lunch we had visitors from North Myrtle Beach, SC. Steve Shepherd, his wife Carla, and their daughter Krysta stopped by. They are starting out homesteading and wanted to see Hidden Haven. We had a great visit. They already have a lot of things going toward and lots of plans for a simple self sustaining life. Check out his blog and follow them along their adventure of homesteading in an area where most people are just enjoying the beach life. Steve and Carla we really enjoyed meeting and talking with you. Look forward to more visits and conversation. Krysta when you are ready there will be a bunny waiting for you.

 Thursday found us visiting a wonderful Mennonite farm. They raise mostly meat goats and sheep but have a few milk goats. That's where we found Buttons. She has settled right in at Hidden Haven and has Mandy finally seeing who the Queen is around here. I call them the 3 Musketeers though as Buttons, Mandy, and Precious are always together and always seeing what they can get into.

Friday had me helping William cut grass for one of his customers and the rest of the day was spent canning salsa, dill pickles, peaches, peach butter, and pepper jelly. Friday also brought a big package to my door. Amelia sent me a HUGE assortment of her mother's linens. Lots of vintage ones and some her mother hand stitched herself. I was drooling as I gentley handled each piece. I am in heaven! Thank you so very much Amelia. I am enjoying them and will be taking photos next week of how they are being used and displayed in my home.

 Saturday found us feeding early so we could head to Moore County. We stopped in Southern Pines at their farmers market. Had a nice time walking around and have plans to set up there soon and sell soaps and herbs. After leaving there we headed out into the country to another goat farm. Only this time we weren't picking up a goat. Katie, the owner was giving us a Karakachans/Great Pyrenees puppy. The puppy is 4 months old and is named Tinker. She is our new goat and poultry guard dog. At first she was shy and scared but after about 30 minutes you would have thought she had always lived here. She runs to meet us at the gate and walks with us while we feed and water the animals. She then walks us back to the gate before going back to lay under the tree and keep an eye on the goats. She didn't like being petted at first but now loves it and even licked my ear. I think she is happy at her new home and job. All day she kept an eye on the goats and tonight when they went in their stable to sleep Tinker went in with them. She is laying in the entryway guarding them. For such a young one is already doing a wonderful job and I just love her! She is going to grow up to be a big dog but that just gives me more of her to love!
Yes, this has been a week of many blessings. You just never know who or what you will see here at Hidden Haven. Don't forget to count your blessings!

Button, Button,

Who has the Buttons? I DO!!!  Buttons is a 3 year old Alpine/Nubian that is now part of Hidden Homestead family. She and the dogs get along great but at the moment Buttons and Mandy are deciding who is Queen Goat here on the homestead. My money is on Buttons. She isn't pushy but she lets Mandy know she won't take anything off her. Life has just got a little more interesting around here and I just know there are going to be lots of stories to share.

I Will Be Back

I am just in the middle of trying to help William with some painting and porch building projects he took on for a neighbor and I am trying to can all the garden stuff that decided to come in at once after finally getting a good rain. I was also given a box of peaches that I am canning and making preserves at the moment. Wanted to stop in and say I am still here and I will be back with lots of photos and farm stories. I also won't leave you without a good laugh. My dear friend SoccerMom came through for me again. Hope her post makes you laugh as much as it did me. What on earth was this guy drinking?????

When we are little we hear the message "Do not drink and drive".  As we get closer to driving age we learn more about this message and why. 

Then when we get our drivers license,  we learn that we should not drink and drive in a car, a motorcycle, a bicycle, a golf cart or any other type of vehicle with wheels.  

But now we need to start adding ~ You must not drink and drive a crock!   

No, no you did not read that wrong.   The new no drinking and driving rule will be ~ No Drinking and Driving Crocodiles!! 

I know you are thinking why on earth do we need to add this rule.  I am forced to share this new rule with you because of a drunk tourist who is lucky to be alive after he was bitten in the leg by an 18ft crocodile named Fatso while he was trying to ‘take it for a ride’.

Since Fatso, a saltwater crocodile, knows the "no drinking and crock riding" rule he was forced to remind the man by way of snapping at man. :o)   Seems the man who had climbed over a fence and entered Fatso's enclosure was lucky to have escaped with pretty minor injuries.  Oh and just in case you had not guessed by now,  the man was drunk! 

Just before this insane "mini-rodeo" took place it seems our hero here had been kicked out of a pub for drunken behavior.   

I can't even imagine how drunk he was when he decided this was a good idea to ride a crock. ~  I'm guessing pretty!

Sustainability Through the Consumption of Things Conserved

Dan Grifen contacted and ask me if he might submit a guest post. I gave him my simple easy rules and he sent the following post to me. It gave me food for thought and I am trying more herbs, spices and even grew a couple of new things in the garden. I am all for being green and saving our earth. But like everyone else being green does cost more. In today's economy when frugal and pinching pennies is a normal thing it's really hard to have the extra money. Maybe each grocery day find one new thing to replace one fruit or veggie could be a start.  I hope you will share your comments on Dan's post and I will post any feedback of his..... Have a blessed day!


"In other environmental issues we tell people to stop something, reduce their impact, reduce their damage,"- US Ecologist Gary Nabhan

Since the beginning of the green movement, there has been a rise in the number of organizations and businesses that are doing their part in the promotion of sustainability through conservation. As human beings, we're told to reduce our carbon footprint, consume less unhealthy foods, and spend less time in the shower! But let's take a minute to step back and look at this from a different perspective; one that Gary Nabhan strongly suggests.
Gary Paul Nabhan,phD., is a Arab-American writer/conservationist whose extensive farming work in the U.S./Mexico borderlands region has made him word renowned. Specifically speaking, Nabhan is known for his work in biodiversity as an ethnobotanist. His uplifting messages and attitude towards life and culture has granted us access to mulitple beneficial theories including his latest of eat what you conserve.
According to The United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organization about three quarters of the genetic diversity of crops been vanishing over the last century and that a dozen species now gives 90% of the animal protein eaten globally. In accordance, just 4 crop species supply half of plant based calories in the human diet.

Nabhan claims that by eating the fruits and vegetables that we are attempting to conserve/save we're promoting the granular dissemination of various plant species. But this goes beyond what we typically buy in the supermarkets, particularly because of price and abundance. We must remember to try new things and immerse ourselves in the very concept of diversity. Keep in mind- the benefits of splurging for that costly fruit/vegetable supremely outweigh the cons. Not only are you promoting biodiversity and further eliminating the needs of farmers to remove rare, less purchased crops off their agenda, but you're also effectively encouraging healthier lifestyles.

Agriculturist Marco Contiero mentioned that "biodiversity is an essential characteristic of any sustainable agricultural system, especially in the context of climate change."  With sustainable crop efforts being lead by the CGI (Clinton Global Initiative) and the IRRI (International Rice Research Institute) the duo plans to provide a more sustainable crop that can withstand natural disasters, avoiding food shortages like Haiti is experiencing. Contiero goes on to state "We need to ensure this is the basis for the future..." - This is exactly what Doug Band the CGI, and the IRRI ar doing by engaging in sustainability efforts.

So remember, next time you're in the supermarket picking out a common varietal of navel oranges or strawberries, turn your attention to something that's a bit more exotic in nature. The same goes for salads/salad ingredients; shop outside the norm, picking spices and vegetables that you wouldn't normall incorporate into your everyday diet. During such economic downtime it isn't always easy to maintain the same level of grocery shopping intrigue, but we must also not forget that in this sundry of foods we can find fun!

Dan Grifen- Supporter of all things green and progressive

Hello Cooler Weather!

I sure hope the weathermen have this forecast right. We are suppose to have rain and temps in the 80's tomorrow. It sure will be nice to have a day not running out to the animals every couple hours giving them fresh water. William also agreed to paint a house for a couple and guess who his assistant is. Its going to take several days so I hope the triple digits don't come back until we are finished.

Henny Penny and her baby chick lost their freedom today. For several days I have let her have free run of the property with her chick. Today she decided to scratch all the mulch out of the flower beds and the pinestraw away from my blueberry bushes. She and baby chick are back in a pen and Henny Penny is not very happy.
Daniel the Rooster is still free to roam. The sore on one of his legs still has him hopping some. He loves to stand outside the pens of the other roosters. It's almost like he is smiling when he looks at them because he is on the outside. He also got upset with me when I put Henny Penny up. Think that was his new girlfriend. We have a couple of young turkeys that hopefully when grown one will become Wizard's girlfriend. He likes flirting with Tessa but with Fred in the picture that's not a good idea. They both are so big they couldn't hurt each other fighting but the heat would wear them down. I think its best to just wait a little longer and let Wizard have his own lady friend. He actually has claimed me. He meets me at the pen door every morning and afternoon. He walks with me as I feed the chickens. He talks to me and lets me rub his head and back. He eats from my hand and walks with me back to the door. I took him out of the pen a couple times but he won't do anything but stand at the door wanting back in. So he is in with white rock hens and Chicken Little the tiny rooster. Chicken Little is one of the very first roosters we got several years ago and always protected me from Speedy the mean rooster that liked to attack me. Chicken Little will get to live out his life here at Hidden Haven with no fear of being sold or going into a pot. He and Wizard are good buddies and hang out together. Other farms have animals with normal behavior. Here we have different but good behavior in our animals. Tessa the turkey is still being mommy to 2 baby chicks she hatched as well as her 13 baby turkey. Crackers the duck finally hatched baby ducks and being a great mommy to them though she hatched and raised a baby chick. The chick is now a hen and still hangs out with her. Crackers herself was hatched and raised by a chicken.  We have a duck and goose that are best buds. We even have weddings for our animal family! Things may be different here at Hidden Haven but they are a good and happy different. If you haven't read the story about Nitro go back in my archives when you have some time. Its 7 parts but well worth reading as he was one very very special goat.

On a different note. If you see I am no longer on your friends list on facebook I have decided to just keep it family. My friends list got very big and a lot of time was spent reading and keeping up with everyone. Since most of my friends have blogs or read this one regular I felt it would be easier for me just to keep up with my girls and grands through facebook.  Thanks for understanding. I hope each of you have a cool and blessed weekend!

Good Night Moon

The day is coming to a close. The sun has gone to bed and the moon is making a appearance. There is a owl close by hooting and a whippoorwill is calling. I just love the sounds of night. Its so peaceful. Supper of cheeseburger pie, green beans from the garden, creamed corn made from corn from the garden, toss salad from garden veggies, rolls, and a tall glass of ice tea is finished. Dishes are washed and put away. Rusty and Kuma had their night time walk. I had my shower and am just relaxing to the sounds of the night. Today was 97F but the humidity was down which made it easier to handle. The animals did well today and didn't mind the heat. The rabbits even ran around their cages instead of cuddling their frozen bottles. I made curtains for the diningroom this afternoon. Cleaned out my closet, cleaned out my dresser drawers and have a bag of items to take to the thriftstore. All in all it was another simple but blessed day at the homestead. Going to turn in early to read and wonder what tomorrow will bring.

A Simple Day

Started the day a little earlier than normal but that was a nice thing. Kuma needed to go potty so she walked back and forth in front of my bedroom door. She was sweet and didn't bark or come into the room. I could just hear her pacing. After her quick trip outside she settled back down for a nap. Since I was up Whiskers, Troubles and Rusty thought I should go ahead and feed them. After feeding the hungry gang I sat down with a tall glass of mint tea and read out of a couple of my devotional books and out of my bible. Megan and family gave me a beautiful pink and brown bible for Christmas last year and I just love it. Things were still quiet around the homestead so I got on the computer and caught up on some blog reading. You guys sure have been busy! And like me you all seem to be having this terrible heat. I keep telling myself that fall is right around the corner with winter on its heels. Our gardens are really hurting in this heat. I am able to water the small ones here and William is able to water parts of the big garden. Its so big its impossible to water all of it. We are getting tons of salad tomatoes and the big tomatoes are now turning a pretty red. Cucumbers and squash are doing well as is the egg plants. This has been a great year for them. I finally got the egg plant dishes made and in the freezer. I have 4 ready for this winter and will be making more next week. For those that ask. I don't bake them before freezing. The homestead starting stirring so it was out to do morning feeding and watering. The heat has been terrible on the animals here. We lost some chickens due to heat and others got so hot they wouldn't even walk to the water bowls for a drink and got dehydrated. We are blessed with wonderful oak trees that shade our home and animal pens but it was still very hot. I have been going out several times a day and giving fresh cold water and even misting the pens. We also put electrolytes in the water which seemed to help the animals. If there is one that seems to be just standing or sitting around looking hot or sick I pick them up and take them to the water bowls for a drink, make sure they cool down and then sit them on the roost for what little breeze they can get. Since doing this we haven't lost any more chickens so hopefully the heat will end soon. This morning while feeding Tessa was out away from her babies eating with her 2 baby chicks. When we moved her and the baby turkeys she kept calling and looking around like she was missing something. We moved the one egg that didn't hatch down to her and that seemed to make her feel better but then she called her baby chicks. When they came and she had all her babies and egg she sat down content. The next day she let us remove the egg. The baby chicks help her look after the baby turkey. They show them how to peck and scratch and talk to them. It is so cute to watch. We have a small pen inside the bigger turkey pen for the babies. The babies are so small they can get through the chicken wire and I don't want the hens in the next pen pecking them. Tessa hops in and out of the baby pen just fine as do the chicks. Fred is still strutting around showing his feathers. He is one proud poppa. The rabbits aren't into eating alot because of the heat. Though they gobble up the slices of apple and pears they get each morning. The rabbit food and whole wheat bread is nibbled on throughout the day but they prefer to snuggle with the frozen water jugs. Lady and Tramp have dug a huge hole in their dog pen under a oak tree. They seem to be staying cool laying in it. I do put frozen water bottles in their water bucket so the water will stay cold for them. Bud the iguana is loving this heat! He just picks the sunniest spot and naps with a smile on his face. Every once in a while he will take a dip in his pool. The ducks are spending the day in their pools. They come out to eat and hurry back to the water. We have 4 kid pools for them and the geese so there is room for everyone to swim. We have been having to empty and clean them every day because they are in them so much but at least they are staying cool. The pigs get their morning shower and then go lay in their mud hole till I go out at lunchtime to give them another shower and fresh water. They seem to be doing okay with the heat. After feeding and watering everyone its back inside for some breakfast, housework, laundry, and walk Rusty and Kuma. Then its back outside to do any chores or projects that are planned for the day. This morning we unloaded over 300 bricks that we got for free off Craigslist last night. They are new brick that someone just didn't use and wanted rid of. I am going to use some around flower beds and sure there will be projects in the future that will find a use for the rest. I am going to cut the grass and weedeat this morning before it gets too hot. After that I will pick the veggies that are ready from the gardens and spend the afternoon taking care of them. I found more flower pots at the thriftstore and with the ones I already had was able to make more tipping pots. I have to finish putting flowers in them but I sure enjoy them. Just simple things going on here at the homestead but what a blessing to be able to have the simple things to do. Have a blessed day and stay cool!

Weekly Guest Post

Thank you SoccerMom for another funny post. With all this heat and humidity I might even be tempted to wear yellow shorts. LOL So people here is SoccerMom......

When The girl was little I would shop at a store called Please Mum, all the bright colours matched so if you had a little fashionista like The girl I could let her pick out her own super cute tops and bottoms and I never had to worry about the colours looking like she was trying to imitate a rainbow. It also helped her develop a sense of independence when it came to getting dressed.

So an important question popped into my head;

Who let the lady out of the house looking like a 5yr old who got dressed by Please Mum?

Why on this good green earth would a 50 something year old woman wear bright, bright, did I mention bright, yellow shorts in public??!! Now I am not talking sports wear I am talking bright shorts that one would put on their 3, 4, or 5 yr old straight from Please Mum only larger!

I am sure she thought she was all summery but I have to say the cars were confused as she stood near the corner do they follow the light at the top of the pole or the bottom?

I mean I know she probably meant well but; If you ever see me wearing bright yellow kid colour shorts please take me home immediately and make me change :o)

Livingthelifeofmagoo.wordpress.com

13 Babies!

Fred and Tessa our Bourbon Red Turkey's have been trying for 2 years to have babies. Fred did his job and Tessa patiently sat on her eggs each time. The only problem is she picked places for her nest that flooded. This spring she picked a place up off the ground but none of the eggs hatched. I felt sorry for her when she kept sitting on her nest and gave her 2 chicken eggs. She hatched those and was a good mommy to them while still laying and sitting on eggs. One of the chicks would sit with her on the nest. Well finally yesterday all her love and patience paid off! Fred and Tessa are the proud parents of 13. Out of 14 eggs I think that is outstanding. Fred hasn't stopped strutting his stuff yet. We did move Tessa and the babies to a nesting house on the ground so her babies wouldn't fall from the nesting place she picked to hatch them.
Congratulations Fred and Tessa! Couldn't have happened to a more deserving couple and don't forget to let me know when you need a break. I am always open to babysit.

Happy Birthday Megan

Today my baby turns 32. Megan is the creative one of the family. She gives the best parties and plans the best games for the whole family. When she isn't working as a nurse for a doctors office she is involved in her church and community. She also stays busy driving her kids to practice, games, concerts and is always there cheering them on, never missing a single game, practice or concert. She walks twice a day and in the past few weeks has lost over 25lbs! When any family member, friend or even stranger is having a problem Megan goes the extra mile trying to make things right. When she was working as a nurses assistant at a nursing home while going to school she would go pick up patients on her day off and take them shopping, out to lunch or just for a ride. She would take some that didn't have family home with her for a holiday meal. She has a heart of gold. She has gone through a lot of medical and stressful things these past few months but that hasn't stopped her from caring about everyone else. She gives 100% of herself 100% of the time. Megan is a wonderful, caring, on top of it mom. She has fun with her two children but isn't afraid to put her foot down and keep them on the right path. Megan I am so very proud of and love you so much. Happy Birthday!

End of the Day

The day is coming to an end. All the animals have settled down for the night. Rusty and Kuma are alseep on the dinningroom floor. Supper was leftover grilled hamburgers, chips, and coleslaw. I spent most of the day cleaning and rearranging the livingroom. A friend gave me a really nice recliner that she no longer was using so needed to change things around to make it fit. Rusty thinks the recliner is his. If anyone sits in it he jumps in their lap and demands petting for payment for the use of his chair. He spent all afternoon napping in it. I didn't get to the egg plants today so they will be top on my to do list tomorrow. I cleaned and rearranged my bedroom, did several loads of laundry and cleaned the kitchen. The next few days are suppose to be really hot and humid with one day in the 100's. I want to finish cooking and freezing meals before it gets too hot. No rain is in our forecast so I will be watering the gardens tomorrow. The rabbits were happy to get their frozen water jugs back. I stopped for a few days while temps were in the 80's. They all wrapped theirselves around the jugs and took a nap. Granny J collects graniteware so I promised her a photo of some of my collection. I have collected for years and found most of it at yardsales and thriftstores. I collect way too many different things but this is one of my favorite collections. Have a blessed night!

Goodbye Cool Weather

I received these beautiful baking dishes and tea set from Kuma's mom a couple of months ago. She is stationed in Germany and loves going to flea markets and places to collect the ceramic cake pans and tea sets. This evening I finally found time to enjoy Debbi's gift. I baked apple sauce cake and it came out so well in the little pans. I rocked away on the back porch while munching cake and drinking some chocolate mint tea from the herb garden.
The last of the fireworks are going off as Rusty sits by my feet and barks at everyone of them. Kuma is tired from her evening truck ride and is fast asleep on the kitchen rug. It was a nice 4th as we spent the day in Monroe at a huge flea market. It is 26 acres so no need to tell you I didn't see the whole thing. I bought a couple of wooden bowls, some dinner plates that look like handmade pottery plates, grapes that I munched on while walking, and homemade potato chips. There was so much to see it was overwhelming at first. I hope to go back one day very early in the morning and take my time looking at all the booths and tables. It was a nice ride there and back and I enjoyed looking at peoples homes and yards. Got some ideas by just looking. I was surprised to see how many homes were decorated for the 4th this year. There usually isn't that many.
William grilled out hotdogs and hamburgers while I made home fries. We took a plate over to our neighbor Vicki. Her husband had to work and since she had a stroke a few years ago its hard for her to get around in the kitchen. I also picked 6 egg plants from the garden. Tomorrow I am going to make egg plant parmesans to put in the freezer. Its very easy and oh so tasty. Just peel and slice your egg plants. Dip them in beaten egg. Roll in bread crumbs, cook in skillet in small amount of hot oil. Cover bottom of baking dish with spaghetti sauce or if you are like me and have tons of tomatoes your own tomato sauce. Then place a layer of egg plant slices on top of the sauce. Scatter shredded parmesan cheese over the egg plants. Then another layer of sauce, egg plant and cheese until you have used all your egg plant slices. Top with cheese and bake at 350f for about 20 minutes. Take out of oven and let sit for 5 minutes. This is soooo yummy! I am going to make several for the freezer as they freeze good and will be a quick and easy meal this winter.
Tomorrow is bleach and scrub the animal water bowls and rake their pens. The cooler weather is over and its back to the 90's so it will be back to giving rabbits frozen water bottles. They have so enjoyed this cooler weather. I have more planting and weeding to do in the herb garden. I hope to have pictures up later this week of how it turned out.
I hope whatever is in your plans for tomorrow and the new week that it is filled with blessings!

Happy Birthday America

Whatever your plans I hope you have a safe, blessed holiday. As I am typing this fireworks are going off all around the neighborhood. Rusty is barking as he doesn't like the noise. Kuma is asleep under the diningroom table. William is asleep. I am staying up to make sure the noise from the fireworks doesn't upset the animals. The fireworks from the neighbor in front are beautiful. The neighborhood kids can be heard oooing and aahhhing over each one. What a blessing to live in America. Free to celebrate or not celebrate our country's birthday. Free to sleep or stay awake. Free to make noise or be quiet. America may be old, tired, and over budget but she keeps on giving and boy is she beautiful. I love every inch of her. Happy Birthday America and may you have many, many more.

The Girls New Nesting Box

Pam from Life on a Southern Farm had a awesome give away and I won! My 3 hole nesting box arrived by UPS day before yesterday. All I could say when I opened the box was WOW! Pam's husband makes nesting boxes on their farm. They sell and ship them all over the country. We have several nesting boxes here on the homestead but I can tell you that NONE of them come anywhere close to being as good as this one. The workmanship, detail, and care that goes into these is amazing. Pam's husband is very talented in his building of these but the care he takes to make sure everything is perfect so no one or hen can get not even a scratch when using the nesting boxes is obvious . Since we have a lot of hens I had to think for a day on where to put the nesting box. Since I only have 3 Rose Comb Bantam hens and this is a 3 nest box I decided to let these girls have it. William and I hung it this morning. Would you believe it even came with heavy duty special made hooks to hang it with!!! Has a very sturdy wire and wood roost outside the nesting boxes. (I have no idea why this changed color but when you click on this paragraph the nesting box shows up bigger.. sorry) If you ever need nesting boxes for your hens you absolutely need to check out these first. The prices and shipping are very reasonable and you will not find this quality anywhere else!

As you can tell Ruby couldn't wait to check them out. She was up before we finished hanging it.

And of course she had to turn around and let Rose and Ruth know all about them.



I had one egg this evening in one of the end nests but Ruth was sitting in the middle one so I left them alone. I think they really are happy with their new nesting box and Ronald the Rooster hasn't stopped crowing all day. Think he is bragging to the other hens and roosters. Thank you Pam and please give your husband a big hug and thank you from Rose, Ruth, Ruby and I. When we start replacing our old nesting boxes you will be hearing from us. No other ones will ever do for Hidden Haven.