Thank You Sis

Sweet Pea my adopted sis (We adopted each other several years ago) sent me a beautiful birthday gift! Last year she gave me the Willow Tree sisters. This year she gave me the beautiful Willow Tree Angel of Hope. She is adorable holding her lantern. I love her Sis and love you too! No camera yet to take pictures but I promise a bunch of photos soon.

No baby piglets yet out of Ms. Scarlett but my money is on today before supper. Rhett is being typical male and frankly doesn't give a da**. Charlotte has learned the sound of my voice. When I call her name she comes running to the gate to get her treat. Whenever someone else calls her name she will look up at them but not move. I have spoiled the momma pig by giving her a apple or some lettuce a couple times during the day. Yesterday I heard Momma Hen going crazy and went out on the porch to see what was wrong. At first I thought another hen had gotten out and came down to her pen and they were fighting through the wire fence. When I took a second look it was a hawk! (yeah I know a perfect camera moment lost) The hawk was trying to get one of the baby chicks that had gotten out of the pen. It was hiding between the fence and a rock. I went out and the hawk flew up into a nearby tree until he saw I wasn't leaving then he flew away. I put the chick back with Momma Hen and she moved all her chicks to the other end of the lot that has a small roosting house and is keeping them close to her. This morning we found 2 of her baby chicks dead. I am thinking that maybe the hawk was trying to pull them through the chicken wire and injured them internally as there was no visible injuries on any of them yesterday. The 22 is now loaded and waiting for the next hawk visit. The other Momma Hen is doing well with her chicks. She sees Rusty coming and doesn't hurry to cover her babies. Think she realizes he won't bark if she lets him look.

Out of all the produce Gerda gave me I ended up with 12 quarts of tomatoes, 12 quarts of green beans, 12 pints of apple butter, 3 quart jars of dehydrated onions, 3 gallons of limeade, 2 gallons of orangeade, 2 loaves of strawberry bread, 1 pint of strawberry butter, 3 quarts of frozen strawberries, and still have 2 boxes of apples to make applesauce and apple pies. I also have a few zucchini to make into zucchini bread. We have had lots of fresh salads each day from all the lettuce, mushrooms, tomatoes, cukes, onions, etc. plus the animals are getting lots of veggies and veggie scraps each day. It sure was a blessing to get so much fruit and veggies the produce stand gave to her to make room for new delivery.

Eggplants, cukes, peppers, broccoli, brussel sprouts, peas, carrots, radishes, lettuce, spinach, and herbs are growing like crazy since the rain we had Monday. Am going to be mulching the garden today so I won't be spending the summer hoeing weeds. Am also going to be pricing boxes of stuff I have stacked in the livingroom for a yardsale. We are going to have one with my friend Gerda. She is trying to declutter her home so we are going to join together and get rid of our junk and hopefully make it someone else treasures. The sun is shining and its suppose to get up in the mid 70's today with Friday being 85! Time to be outdoors getting that to do list marked off.
Have a blessed day!

Rainy Monday Doesn't Get Me Down

Just kept me busy in the kitchen. I am very blessed to have a friend that has "connections" with a produce stand. She blessed me with well over a bushel of apples, tomatoes, green beans, strawberries and lots of other veggies and fruits. I made 12 pints of apple butter, canned 12 quarts of tomatoes. Made 2 loaves of strawberry bread and have my beans all ready to be canned in the morning. I just love seeing the pantry fill up with the only cost being the canning lids. I am going to be canning applesauce after I get the beans going in the morning. The animals are loving all the veggie and fruit scraps they have been getting the past few days. I still have to think of something to do with all the oranges and tangerines.

We had a heavy rain last night and several rain showers throughout the day. Made the garden stand up and look nice. The radishes, carrots, lettuce, spinach, and peas are growing fast. The broccoli, brussel sprouts, and peppers are standing so pretty and tall. Tomorrow I hope to set out more of my herb seedlings and egg plants. Its suppose to get up to 85 by Friday. Spring is flying into summer around here.

While I was stringing and breaking beans I enjoyed looking at the beautiful flower arrangement Kuma's mom sent me for my birthday. She is stationed in Germany so Kuma is staying here at the homestead until her return. The flowers are all a lovely lavender in a beautiful white basket. They still look as fresh as the day they were delivered and smell wonderful. Thank you Debbi!

Kuma and Rusty both got baths the other day but are already in need of another one. Kuma likes to roll in the dirt and Rusty likes crawling under things. When Charlotte had her piglets we brought the runt inside to warm it up. Rusty thought the piglet was his baby. He sat by it, licked it and when the piglet finally stood up Rusty nudged it with his nose to get it to walk. When the piglet would stop Rusty would nudge it again. We took the piglet back to its mom once it got stronger and Rusty wasn't happy. Every morning and evening when we feed he goes to the pen and stands there till one of us open the gate so he can go inside the pen. He then walks by Charlotte and goes directly to the piglets and looks till he finds Piglet. He watches for a few minutes and then turns and walks out of the pen. We had a hen hatch out chicks and one had a hurt leg. I brought it inside to see if there was anything I could do. Rusty had to check the chick out and lick it. When I took the chick back to the hen Rusty wasn't happy. He now goes and stands outside the pen where momma hen and chicks are and just watches his chick. If momma happens to be sitting on the chicks and he can't see his chick he barks. I have to make him go away from the pen until momma hen gets off the chicks so he can see and not bark. I think Rusty would make a good foster "mom" even though he is a neutered male. Whenever someone is leaving with chickens or bunnies they have purchased from us Rusty follows them to their car and actually walks on his hind legs trying to reach the animal leaving. Its like he thinks they are his and they belong here and doesn't want them to leave. Since we have sold over 100 chickens the past week Rusty has been doing alot of walking on his hind legs.

I have been getting up and going right to feeding the animals and so have switched my bible and devotional reading to right before I go to bed. It seems to work lots better as I have good things in my mind while falling asleep instead of the bad things I see on the late news. I tell my grands that I talk to God so much throughout the day that he wonders if I ever shut up. When I wake up the first thing I do is thank the Lord for a new day and ask him to bless me and mine. As I go about my morning chores I pray for family, friends, worries, blessings, etc. and the chores seem to get done in no time. I am a very blessed grandma and I hope you have lots of blessings to give thanks for tonight!

A Day At The Homestead

Days at Hidden Haven Homestead seem to go by so fast. Waking up to the sound of crowing roosters. Trying to get out of bed without disturbing Rusty or Troubles. Enjoying the sounds of the early morning while getting dressed to go feed the critters. The bunnies greeting me at the doors and even nibbling out of my hand as I fill their food bowls and give them treats. The chickens waiting impatiently till its their turn for breakfast and have them rush at me like vultures. Charlotte and the piglets hear me coming and are eager for their feed and treats. The piglets are already eating food alongside mom! Ms. Scarlett and Rhett Butler wait not so quietly for their breakfast. Checking to see the new baby bunnies, how many chicks Momma Hen hatched overnight. Making sure Momma Goose and Tessa the Turkey are doing okay while sitting on their eggs. Make sure the teen chicks aren't fighting over their breakfast and Fred the Turkey is saving some breakfast for Tessa. Make my way down to Lady and Tramp. They care more about their doggie treats than breakfast. Polly buries her doggie treat for later and eats her breakfast. Kuma enjoys the rubs and conversation over breakfast but gets down to it as I walk on to fill the bird feeders. Then its on to breakfast for Bud the iguana, Troubles, Whiskers and Rusty before I get to have my own. After breakfast its cleaning the cages and pens, raking and dumping the poo in the mulch pile. Work inside on downsizing for a little while before heading back out for yardwork, gardening, and decluttering buildings and things outside. The sounds of the animals talking to each other in the background is so calming. Watching the birds at the feeders and birdbaths is so relaxing. And then its time for evening feeding. The days are busy and go by so fast but I am enjoying every minute. I am so blessed. I hope each of you have a very blessed weekend.

I Am So Blessed!

Woke up this morning to my email full of birthday wishes and beautiful ecards. Facebook friends, Blog friends and neighbors are giving me beautiful birthday messages along with phone calls from family and friends. How can anyone be more blessed than being surrounded by the love and friendship of such wonderful people! Each birthday wish,card, message, and call is very special to me and is making this birthday a very blessed and happy one. Thank you from the bottom of my heart and may your day be as blessed as mine.

My birthday also brings a little sadness but lots of wonderful memories of my neighbor and wonderful friend Ms. Fran. She passed away on my birthday 2 years ago. Love and miss you Ms. Fran and so glad you are watching over.

Here a Chick There a Chick

I am starting to feel like Old McDonald. The hens are starting to come off their nests so we are catching baby chicks while trying to avoid the very mad momma hen. Have one more hen that should hatch her little ones the 25th while the goose and turkey will be hatching the 7th and 9th of April. Still selling chickens almost everyday. All but 2 black bunnies have been sold from the 9 week old litter. We still have older ones and ones that will be ready a few days after Easter and the week after Easter. Spring is really here at the homestead with all the babies being born. Charlotte is doing great with her piggies. Piglet, Binky and Wilbur are getting fat and sassy. Haven't named the rest of them yet. Just waiting on a name that will fit them. We set out some leeks here and at my dear friend Gerda's. I have so enjoyed being back around her. She is a very busy, smart, wonderful cook, 76 year old German lady that is my best friend. We both think we should be related somehow as we can finish each others sentences, do things the same way, and think so much alike. She made the best German potato salad last night for dinner and sent the rest home with me. She told me to put a small spoonful in a pan this morning and let it warm and cook a over easy egg to put on top for breakfast. We did that and it was so good! Thank you Gerda!
I have so many boxes of items to put on Craigslist and ebay and still haven't made a dent in the stuff we have accumulated over the years. Have tons of stuff for yardsales that we hope to get started on this weekend. Melody is mailing my camera to me so I can take pictures of items for sale, that means I can take pictures of the piglets,baby bunnies, and baby chicks to share with you. Troubles is having a ball here at the homestead. He has so much more room to explore here and gets along great with Whiskers. Rusty is wherever I am. If I am feeding the chickens he is walking quietly beside me. The chickens don't pay him any attention. If I am working outside he is laying near me watching. If I am sorting stuff he is sleeping right at my feet and of course he and Troubles are right in bed with me each night. I am lucky here though because its a king size and they can't push me to the edge. Well my lunchbreak is over and I need to get back to my to do list. Hope each of you are enjoying your spring and having a blessed day!

Happy Belated Birthday Kristine

I did call on her birthday but have been so busy I didn't blog about it. My very first grandchild turned 15 on the 18th! She is getting her learners permit so the roads of Tennessee may be a little crazy for a while. I cannot believe she has grown up so fast. I kept asking Maggie to have me a grandbaby and she kept telling me her dogs were my grandpups. When she became pregnant I was so excited! When she called to tell me the doctor said she was going to have a boy and the due date was the end of March I told her I had a dream and she had a baby girl on the 18th of March. Guess grandma's know more than doctors sometime. Anyway, Kristine or Teenie as we love to call her, I hope your birthday was as special as you are to all of us. I love you and am so proud of the young lady you have became. Look forward to our annual summer week with all you grands. Try to be nice to your little sister and also try not to roll your eyes too much at your mom and dad. You know you love us no matter how embarrassing we are. LOL

This Little Piggy

Went wee wee. LOL Charlotte the sow had a litter of 11 piglets. Sadly 2 were lost. One we couldn't reach in time to clear the airways and it died. The other one momma stepped on it and it died. The rest are fat and sassy. The runt I named Piglet and she is adorable. There is another one I named Binky because she finds a place to nurse away from the others and just sits there after nursing with the teat in her mouth sleeping. She has to have a teat in her mouth all the time, kinda like a pacifier. So Hidden Haven has 9 baby Yorkshire piglets running around till they are weaned and ready to sell. I sure miss my camera!

Bunnies Everywhere

We are trying to downsize the farm, clean out storage buildings, toolsheds, and outbuildings. We are also downsizing the animals too. Pricing things for yardsales, listing on Craigs list, ebay, and private sales. Donating, giving away and throwing away has kept me pretty busy. While we are trying to downsize the rabbits had other thoughts. We have a abundance of baby bunnies that will be looking for a new home in a few weeks. There was alot of 8 week old bunnies but we have sold all but 4 of them. We still have a couple 4 month old bunnies for sale. There was over 100 chickens! Now its down to about 40 with more of them suppose to be sold in the next couple of days. Eggs sales are good but not so good we could sell 100 eggs a day. It has been a busy couple of weeks being back here at the homestead. Its been fun finding things I had forgotten about having and sad letting go of things I really like but don't need or have room for. Its the season for change, downsizing, simplifying, decluttering, and just getting life in order. Though my wonderful winter is over I am actually enjoying the first signs of spring and being able to work outside. Flowers are blooming here, trees are budding and my old herb garden has come to life. I picked some parsley and basil yesterday after cleaning out the beds and mulching. My camera is at the tiny cabin in the mountains so no pictures yet. In all the junk around here I am sure my old camera will surface and I can take photos around the homestead. Enjoy your day and don't forget to count your blessings!