Farm Babies Update

Poor Tessa, our Bourbon Red was so upset when we removed her eggs. None of them were any good and were VERY stinky. Cleaned out her nesting area really well and she just walked around the pen looking sad. The next morning she was sitting in her nesting area. Later in the day she was still sitting. Last night she was still there. This morning she was still there so I gave in . I got some fresh straw so she could make a good nest and I gave her 4 hen eggs to sit on. She took them just fine and seems to be happily sitting on her nest. I know I should have just let her mourn and get on with life but I felt so sorry for her not hatching any babies and that she was still sitting hoping . As for the geese, Bonnie and Clyde there are no babies yet or at least I haven't seen any and I am not about to go check under her! Tessa is gentle but Bonnie would take my fingers off while Clyde took the rest of me! Sold more baby bunnies in the past few days and still have more that will soon be ready for new homes. The baby chicks are doing great and running around scratching everywhere.We got rain last night! Finally all the pollen is washed off everything and the gardens have taken off! The strawberries are blooming. We got radishes yesterday and they were so sweet! Soon the lettuce and spinach will be ready to pick. Got my rosemary set out this morning. All the other herbs are doing so well. I need to cut some of my parsley as its growing everywhere. The peppermint and spearmint has came back in full force and needs to be thinned out before it takes over everything. Thyme, and basil are getting so big. All the herbs are looking so good this year and can't wait to dehydrate some for winter. Speaking of cold weather we are having what I call a Dogwood winter. It turned cold after the rain last night and I actually wore a jacket today. Suppose to start warming back up tomorrow. After the several days in the 90's this cold spell was a shock but sure made for some good sleeping weather.
My daughter Melody is going to have to give up Baby E and her brother J. The mother is moving back to her husband's home in a different town. Please keep the babies in your prayers as their dad was a bad dad to them before the mom left. She went to a shelter for awhile and Melody helped her find a job and a place to live. She also had Baby E from the time she was 3 and a half weeks old. Its going to be hard to let them go but even harder knowing what they are going back to and that they will be too far away to make sure they are okay.
Hope everyone has a very blessed weekend. You will find me in the gardens or keeping the bird feeders filled. I have around 15 feeders and the birds don't seem to think its enough!

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!

Another Rainy Day

We have had several days of showers off and on but this morning brought a nice steady soft rain. The beans and squash are blooming like crazy. All the plants are standing up nice and pretty. Diva and the girls decided it was a good day for napping. No way were they going to go out in the rain. Rowdy is curled up with CC. He actually didn't cry at all when I took Baby and Tiny Tina to their new home. Nor did he bark much when we moved Leo over with the boys before he got big enough to get the girls in trouble. The geese and ducks are loving the rain. All are walking around washing their feathers and flapping their wings. The chickens decided the nap thing was a good idea and are sitting on the roosts nodding off. With the rain brought a easy day for William and I. Too wet to do tilling and garden jobs. We did our morning chores and then did a walk around to check over all the animals. Charlie the ram was limping from a stone in his hoof but now is back to normal. Ricky the goose is still limping. He let me pick him up and hold him while William checked his leg out. He got a little over excited when mating with Lucy in their pool and got his leg caught. Kinda like a pulled muscle which will heal in time. We massaged and pampered him for a few minutes. We made a trip to the bread store to pick up a stack of bread for the animals. They sell out of date bread to feed animals for only $6 for a big stack. Each feeding the animals get their feed plus some crumbled up bread. The bread always gets eaten first. The rabbits love the wheat bread. The chickens love the seeded buns. The geese love bagels and the goats, well the goats love any and all breads. We have to be careful and not give them very much as it would mess up their rumen. William is fixing soup and grill cheese for lunch which is perfect for a rainy day. Yesterday we grilled out and had a awesome meal. William grilled deer steaks my brother had given us and I fixed a salad from veggies a friend had given as well as some of our own grown. Green beans and corn on the cob were from same friend as well as the plums I made a pie with. Our wonderful meal was almost zero cost! I like meals like that. Time to enjoy my lunch. Have a blessed day!

Around The Homestead

The wild baby bunny is still doing well. Momma bunny is nursing and caring for him along with her own. The gentleman that brought the bunny to me didn't just take it from its nest thinking momma had abandoned it. They were mowing all day and while they were on the other side of the field they watched the momma bunny go back and forth from the nest to the woods. She moved all her babies but this one. They left it there and mowed far around the nest hoping she would come back for the last baby. The next morning the baby was still there so they brought it here to see if we could help it. The family knew momma bunny only fed at night and they also knew she had moved her other babies to a new nest. Hopefully "WildThing" will survive.
We also have a baby duck we are caring for. The couple that got DiDi's son "Pickles" brought their duck "Snap" to see if we could help with his leg. Their dog got a hold of Snap and broke its leg. William and I put splints on it made from popsicle stick and so far he seems to be doing okay. For a few days he didn't even try to stand. Now he is standing and stretching his leg a little. It still hurts him if he moves it alot. I massage his foot and bottom part of his leg which seems to help. Snap may have a broke leg but he hasn't lost his appetite or spirit!
We have been having rain and storms everyday. Diva and the girls seem to enjoy it about as much as I do.
Goats don't like getting wet so huddle together. That also makes more mucking the stall chores for us as they make a mess. Oh well, its great for the gardens!
Inbetween the rain we are tilling and mulching neighbors and friends gardens. It has been bringing in some extra money, which is nice.
That's about it for whats going on here. Hopefully the rains and storms will end soon and we will have a few sunny dry days. Have a blessed one!

Windy Cool Day

I was all set to give the dogs a bath today. Walked out to get Kuma and the wind was crazy. The temp had dropped and the wind was blowing hard. Too chilly to give the dogs a bath today but decided to let Kuma come inside for awhile. Knowing she didn't have to take a bath she really had a good time. Her mom will be real proud to know Kuma didn't get on the furniture at all. She was busy sitting or speaking to gets small bites of bacon leftover from breakfast. After her treats she took a short nap, checked out the house and then decided it was time to go back outside to her house. I spent most of the day making soap and cleaning the back porch. William planted more in the garden and we did a few outdoor chores. One day that to do list is going to have everything all checked off!

Busy Time Around Hidden Haven

I have been popping into blogs and catching up on everyone. I just haven't had time to post. We seem to always have a dozen projects going at once around here and never catch up. The neighbors across the road from our driveway aren't planting a garden this year so we tilled it up and now have another garden to plant and care for. I will hopefully have plenty to can and freeze for winter. William was so tired from tilling that he made a way to ride the wagon and let the tiller pull him back to the house. I think he had way too much fun.
We also got a new fence up around the maternity pen and moved Mandy, Baby, CC and Tiny Tina. Its closer to the house so they are getting handled more and getting use to people stopping by to pet them. We moved the baby ducks and Scooter up with Sally and Daffy. They seem very happy. Scooter is right next door to his mom and dad but doesn't seem to pay them any attention nor them him.
We also finished setting up a patio area. I didn't get any photos as it was after dark when we finished. We had severe storms this afternoon and spent part of that time sitting in the patio area and just watching the rain. We had a nice fire in the burn pit after the storm had passed. We spent so much time trying to get it finished we didn't come inside for supper till after 8:pm. Tomorrow William will be doing mechanic work and I will be getting soap and candle orders out. Then we hope to get the rest of the gardens planted. I can't believe how the trees have leafed out!

Sunday Sunshine

No rain in the forecast today. Lots of sunshine means raking and mucking the pens and stalls before the goats go on strike. Morning chores are done and William is cooking breakfast. After breakfast we will spend the day catching up on outside chores we couldn't do because of rain.

Last night I had to do Earth Hour a little different. William was in the middle of a repair and needed the lights on. I turned off everything but the lights he needed and went to bed. I was going to read by oil lamp but decided to just lay in the dark and listen to the nighttime sounds. That didn't last long because I fell asleep!

I am hoping after we get the pens cleaned and rabbit cages moved around we will have time to set out my blueberry bushes. They are nice big bushes I purchased off Craigs list over a month ago but just got them yesterday.

Two of the neighborhood kids came down early this morning. They wanted to help with morning chores. William is teaching them how to milk the goats. They spend most of their free time here around the animals instead of home playing video games like their siblings. I hope they continue to enjoy being outside working and playing with the animals. All but the sheep and bunnies have gotten use to them.

Well I am being called to breakfast. Have a blessed Sunday and I hope the sun is shining in your neck of the woods!

the photo was taken last week from the pickup as we were heading to get hay for the goats.

ViVi is in Jail

For the past several months ViVi has decided to become a escape artist. She would jump over a 5 foot fence without even touching it. She would go through the electric fence without batting an eye. When we built the new chicken pens we made a extra pen with chickenwire on the outside and goat fence on the inside. This is now ViVi's new home and she ain't happy! She has tried all day to get out without success. ViVi has even got the bright idea to stand by the gate and wait for someone to open it so she can try to knock them down and make a break for it. Good thing I figured out what she was going to do and was ready for her. Besides being in jail she is pregnant so her hormones are crazy making her a very unhappy, mad goat! Hopefully after she kids she will go back to her sweet loving self that is again happy in her pen. At least she can enjoy the warm sunshine and beautiful flowers from her jail cell

Woke up to about a half inch of snow this morning. Everything was so pretty and white till around 9am. The sun came out and the snow melted. The girls and boys are use to the snow now and just ignored the white wet stuff. The kids didn't know what to do. They would go to the edge of their stall and look out then run to the back and huddle. They didn't come out until it had melted. I wish they had been here when we got the 6 inches of snow! I was ask if the bucks ever take care of the kids. We keep our bucks separate from the girls so they don't do a unplanned breeding. When the kids are weaned the bucklings are put in with the big boys. They sniff around and seem to know which ones are theirs and watch over them. They will push the others away. When we first had goats we kept Nitro with Sammi and Diva. Nitro babysat so Diva and Sammi could have a night out. Bucks make good dads.

The kids have gotten over the pain of the disbudding and love playing king of the mountain, tag, chase, and all other kinds of games I don't understand. They are starting to eat grain and hay like a big kid and are such fun to watch. Tonight and tomorrow are suppose to be very cold then we will be back in the 60's for a week. What a crazy winter we have had this year. William is on his way to NC from PA. He will deliver tomorrow afternoon and then head home for a few days. There are some things we want to get done around the homestead and there is a auction he is wanting to go to Saturday. If I don't post everyday its because we have gotten busy with a project. I will try to post at least a couple times between tomorrow and Monday. Have a wonderful weekend and don't forget to count those blessings!

More This N That

A very windy crazy evening. We had wind gusts up to 60mph! Our power was out for several hours. We have limbs down all around the yard and even one down across the driveway. I enjoyed the evening with light from the oil lamps and a nice warm fire. The woodstove kept my tea kettle ready for cups of tea throughout the evening. I had made a chicken and dressing casserole earlier in the day and made a crockpot mac n cheese recipe so I had supper which I warmed on the woodstove. My evening was quiet and relaxing while neighbors had no heat, lights or a way to cook their dinner. I love our simple lifestyle! The only thing was I couldn't get on the computer but I had the newspaper to read and also caught up on a devotional book I am reading. Sorted through all the catalogs and magazines to toss, keep or give away. I took the flashlight and checked on the animals. They were all snuggled down for the night. Diva's due date is the 10th and she has lost her "plug" and her ligaments are thinning. She seems to be right on schedule but wouldn't mind if she delivers a day or two early. Can you tell I am impatient?? LOL Well with the power back on I am going to turn off everything and head to bed. Have a great evening!

Baby, It's Cold Outside!!

This morning I actually saw snow flurries. Just for a few minutes but a few snowflakes are better than no snowflakes. The temp was 39F and that is our high for the day. The temps are suppose to keep dropping and the winds are suppose to pick up. With the windchill factor its suppose to feel like 20F today. I love it!! A nice warm fire in the stove. The kettle singing along on top. All the animals all snuggled down in their fresh straw beds napping. Diva staying warm in her sweatshirt. All the goats grow a nice winter coat for winter except her. For some reason her hair stays short so I have always put sweatshirts on her. She seems to like them and the other goats don't try to eat them. I buy them at thriftstores but with being pregnant its getting kinda hard to find them big enough! Yes, around Hidden Haven we are enjoying the cold weather and hope it is here to stay awhile. I have a pot of homemade veggie soup simmering on the back of the stove. I filled my woodbox after morning chores so have plenty of firewood to keep the stove doing its job. I have a couple batches of soap to bag and tag and a batch of soap to pour. Have a couple of soap orders to take to the post office. Tons of paperwork and a desk to straighten up. Lots and lots to do to get ready for our family Christmas weekend that is 2 weeks away! I am also going through photos for a Hidden Haven calendar. My daughter works at Backhome Printing and gave me a awesome price for printing them so I want to get them together ASAP. Lots of things to keep me busy on this wonderfully cold day! Some of my blog friends are in need of our prayers and good thoughts. Some are having problems with their children, some are taking on the care of their parents, some are having medical problems, some are having financial problems, some are dealing with depression or broken heart. Some are facing big changes in their lives. Some are having to deal with loss of job. We all have problems in life but during the holiday season it just seems to make those problems grow. Lets pray for all our blog friends and whatever problem they may be facing today. Lets not say we will pray and then forget as we go about our day. Lets really really say a prayer that whatever our blog friends are dealing with that God will answer each need and they will know God is with them. If life never gave us problem then we would never need faith. Have a blessed day!

My day started at 3AM as we had some bad storms. I didn't mind the thunder,lighting, or wind. In fact I love listening and watching storms. I was up that early for tornado warnings. There was one that touched down between the east side of 95 and highway 301. We are lucky that we live on the west side of 95. We stayed under warnings till 6am and then on watch till 8am. The sun came out about lunchtime and its been a summer warm day. The winds are picking up and its suppose to storm again this evening when a cold front moves in and meets the warm front. If life gets a little boring around here we can always count on the weather to put us on our toes. Diva and the girls slept in this morning because of the weather. It was nice to be able to feed without them pushing and demanding to be fed first. Even the chickens didn't get up till 7am. Nice not having the roosters crowing at 4am. After morning chores I thought I might take a nap but after a few times of the phone ringing that ideal went out the window. I got my package shipped off to my stocking swap partner. Got a couple of soap orders shipped out. Got 2 more of my kitchen cabinets cleaned and decluttered. Wrapped some gifts for family stockings , except this year I am using bags. Last year we filled stockings and couldn't get everything to fit. So this year I had these bags left from a craft fair and decided they would be perfect. I still have several bags that need filling but at least some are filled. You guys have been a busy bunch! The baby chicks are full of energy. They run around getting louder and louder with their peeping. They also are starting to eat more and make bigger messes. William and I still have lots of work to do on the treasure hunt. It was such a big hit last year we decided to make it even bigger this year so have to work on more clues. Its raining again so imagine the storms will be here soon. I look forward to the cold weather its suppose to bring in. Afterall its that time of year for cold frosty days, warm fires, soups, and hot teas. Today would have been my sister's birthday. She died from melanoma at the age of 31 leaving small children behind. Today her children are grown with children of their own. Gaye would have made a great grandmother. She sure made a wonderful aunty to my oldest daughter. Maggie when saying Aunt Gaye came out as Nay Nay and then as she got older she called her Aunt Nay Nay. Gaye loved it. She didn't get to see Melody or Megan but I know she would have spoiled them too. Happy Birthday Big Sis.

I've gotten used to missing you,

My grief's begun to ease;

I don't sit down to write you notes

Or phone to shoot the breeze

.When in a crowd someone may laugh

Or sound a lot like you;

And then the pain will grip my heart

And flood my soul anew.

I've gotten used to missing you,

I'm learning day by day

To focus on good memories

And put the rest away.

On strong days I scan photographs

Of happy times we knew;

I picture Jesus in my mind

And place Him next to you.

I've gotten used to missing you,

And though it's been 26 years;

I still am just a thought away

From aching and from tears

But my sorrow will have an end,

So let the teardrops pour;

Until I'm once again with you

And the One who loves you more.

Friday, November 14

I can't believe this week has come to an end. Its really true that time goes faster as you get older. As a child I use to think certain times would never arrive. Now I can't believe they come and go so fast. William is heading to Oregon. We got some of our projects done before he left but have many more left undone. I will trim the goats feet a couple a day till I get all of them done. I am also working on our annual family Christmas weekend. Its the first weekend in December so I only have a few weeks to get stockings stuffed, food ready, gifts wrapped, and help William prepare for the treasure hunt. I have to find the Christmas carols I printed out so we will have the words when we go on our hayride Christmas caroling. I love getting everything together and having every hour planned so we don't waste a second of all of us being together. Maggie, if you read this don't forget your Happy Birthday Jesus book. She is our reader of the Christmas story and the kids love it. They also write birthday wishes and then burn them so the wishes will float to heaven then we have a Happy Birthday Jesus cake. Our Christmas weekend is busy but so much fun and I will take lots of photos to share. This year it will be at my daughter Maggie's in Tennessee. I will be nervous leaving the animals but have several people going to check on the hired hand while we are gone. Hopefully Diva and the girls won't be too mad at me when I return. Everyone has their swap partner information and I even have my stocking finished and ready to mail. William and I spent a afternoon trying to get Christmas photos of the goats for our Christmas cards. Maggie is designing and making them for us. Diva did really well posing as did Sonya and DiDi. The other goats didn't care much about posing as a reindeer. We have had lots of rain all day with a few thunder showers thrown in. Tomorrow we are suppose to have lots of rain with high winds and lighting. I am looking forward to Sunday as the temps are suppose to drop and by Tuesday we will have some cold winter weather. I have been trying to declutter drawers and cabinets throughout the day. I still have lots of decluttering to do. Every little bit helps. There is no reason to keep it if we don't use it. The baby chicks (3 now) are doing really well. Sister is still sitting on eggs so I have the chicks in the house. If I put the chicks with her she would come off the nest to care for them and not hatch the other eggs. I can keep the chicks as they hatch until she is finished then put them with her. She takes them right back and is a good mommy. Am hoping all the other eggs hatch within the next few days. The chicks are soooo cute! They like to snuggle in my lap and they also like to push each other around. I am using my finger to pat their beak when they bother each other. I only do it once and they run away from the other chick and start pecking at their food. They know my voice and will start peeping when I talk to them. I will have to take some pictures tonight to show how sweet they are. There is laundry waiting on the sofa to be folded and put away. There are gifts to wrap, dishes to wash, rooms to clean, and a cup of tea calling my name. Have a wonderful weekend and enjoy those blessings.... everyone of them no matter how small.

A Nice Surprise

Yesterday when I opened up the mailbox I found a package. It was a nice surprise as I wasn't expecting anything but bills. Niki had made me a beautiful fall table runner. I couldn't wait to put it on my diningroom table. Thank you so much Niki. Its perfect! You made a crazy day on the farm a happy one.

Woke up with a catch in my back this morning. Made feeding and milking a little slower. Diva and the girls let me know they didn't have time to listen to me whine as they were hungry. Still have to give fresh water to everyone, just waiting on it to warm up a little bit. Disappointed to see its going to be back in the 70's all next week. Just when I thought cold weather was on its way here comes a heatwave.
William is on his way to Maine. I am so jealous as he is going to be visiting a friend of ours from a homestead forum we belong to. Chris raises Yaks and has lots of adventure stories I love reading about. He and William have lots of things planned including a trip to a Amish store. I can just see William's truck coming down the highway with things tied on it like the Beverly Hillbillies truck. If they get snow while he is there that will be truly unfair! I am getting a treat this weekend. A friend from the same forum is stopping by for breakfast Sunday on his way to Florida. I can't wait to meet you Phil and Jonathan and Jonathan's sister! I think Phil is really stopping by to meet Ms. Diva and the girls. Hopefully they will behave and not ignore our guests. LOL Well its warming up so off to water everyone and rake the pens. Have a blessed day!

Hello Cold Weather!

Started out with 60F this morning but by lunchtime it had dropped 10 degrees. By afternoon feeding time it had dropped another 10 degrees. Suppose to be in the low 30's tonight so I have a nice fire going. Sitting in the rocking chair drinking hot chocolate and trying to sort soap shipping receipts. All the animals have extra straw in their beds to snuggle into. I filled the wood rack on the back porch so I am nice and cosy. I just love cold weather! Hopefully it will stay cold and this year we will have snow. Will be nice to wear a jacket while doing morning chores. Nothing like cold fresh air to get your day started. Time for bed. Have a blessed one!

This and That

Fred is on the roof of the chicken house tonight. I still have a fire in the stove as its chilly to me. The boy goats did get out though they waited till daylight. Took me awhile to get them back up and poor William had to listen to me stress over the phone. Got all the pens raked today, even the dog lot. Did some grocery shopping, poured some soaps, sold some soaps, cleaned the kitchen and did a load of laundry. I am still very very far behind though I enjoyed the nice fall cool day.

I forgot to answer the question about Brevard, NC. Yes, I was born and raised there. I probably knew your grandmother as we went to the B and B alot! My dad worked for Gray's Barber Shop until he opened his own. He had the newstand, barbershop right across the street from the court house. My mother worked at Ben Franklin 5 and 10. I may have even seen you when you were visiting your grandmother!

I have been tagged by Dana The object is to go to the six page of your photo album and post the 6th photo, describe it and then go to the first page and post the first one and describe that one. I think I have it right. Then I am suppose to tag 3 people. If you want to play along consider yourself tagged! I had the photo album of Diva's kidding in 2007. It was my first time helping deliver goats. (Frosty Dan and Brown Robyn) The photo is my helping Diva deliver Brown Robyn. The next photo is the first photo where she is in labor. I can't believe so much time has passed and the boys are over a year old and have kids of their own! Sorry about the photo being so graphic but that was the 6th on page 6.

Melody went back to her regular doctor. He is working on getting her iron built up and setting up her hysterectomy. Still no word on the lump yet. She has to wait till Jan and go back to Hope Cancer Center. Thanks for the prayers. She really appreciates them.

Fred, The Weather Turkey

The weatherman on TV called for frost warnings tonight. I of course had to go check with Fred. If it was going to be cold enough for frost he would not be on the roof of the chicken house. Well looks like the weatherman may be right for once.

Not only was Fred roosting with the chickens, he was right in the middle of them so they would keep him warm! I have a nice fire going in the stove. The kettle is heating up for a cup of hot chocolate. The rocking chair is calling my name. Have a blessed night!

Thursday Already?

Fred was right again. No rain last night. Weatherman missed again. They are calling for thunderstorms tonight but Fred says not. I have been busy pouring candles, making fall scented soaps, cleaning the soap building, cleaning the guestroom and catching up on all the paperwork that seems to multiply when I turn my back. I am still working on the first of the weeks chores and its time to do weekend ones. Always behind but at least I never run out of things to do. Got to make a soap gift basket for a customers aunt. I love making gift baskets and this customer likes sending them as gifts so it works out for both of us.
Well the laundry is piled on the sofa waiting for me to fold and put away. Soaps are waiting to be bagged and tagged. Everyone have a nice evening. To those in the hurricanes path stay safe and know you are in our thoughts and prayers.

Weather Fred & Happy Birthday Quintin

Evening weather report calls for rain tonight. Weather for this area from online says:
Tonight: Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm this evening, then some lingering showers still possible overnight. Low near 70F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 60%.
Since Fred is on the roof of the chicken house he is calling for no rain. We shall see who is right in the morning.
September 11th holds sad memories for all of us but its also the birthday of my MIL Minnie and grandson Quintin. Quintin always takes that day off from school. He is sad his birthday is remembered being on that tragic day. I am very proud to have such a sweet tenderhearted grandson. He is having a small party tomorrow night at his home which I will miss being 6 hours away. He and his family are going on a camping/fishing trip this weekend for another celebration. Quintin loves fishing more than anything.

He also loves animals. His time spent here at Hidden Haven was mostly out playing and taking care of all the animals here. He has the prettiest blue eyes that will melt a young lady's heart one day. Quintin is full of energy and doesn't like sitting around. He enjoys staying busy and even at his age can repair and build things. Happy 11th Birthday Quintin from Grandma and PopPop. We love you!