Garden pics

Crookneck Squash blooms!

Radish Haul!

The boys laying by the squash/comfrey bed.

Bush Blue Lake Bean Bed.

Cucs are about to start going places!

Hotsy-totsy Pepper Bed!

The sassy cow with the wheelbarrow just after I gave the hens some weeds.

Attack and rub!

What happened to my scratching post?

Not "just a cow"!

Me: walking out to the garden to pull weeds and cut bolting veggies for Hattie. Looking for her as I walk (she is a speck way in the back pasture), I give a whistle and call "Haaaattttttiiiieeee!"

Hattie: raises her head, gives a moo

Me: whistle again

Hattie: on full alert, begins running

Me: grins

Hattie: running full tilt with occasional bucks thrown in

Me: hot stinging tears run down my cheeks at the sight of her-- pure love and joy barreling down on me. I will miss her and will always cherish the relationship we have had.

Hattie: where's the goods? (see pic)

Two weeks behind!

Oh goodness! Two weeks behind on blogging, yikes!

The highlights of the last two weeks:

~~We took Daisy to Baton Rouge to meet up at a KFC friend's house (Amanda and Chris) to unload her and let her rest for Sandy (from Tenn) to take her home the next day. We had a great time visiting with them and seeing their gorgeous farm/dairy barn. What a treat! Sandy has let us know just how happy she and Daisy are with each other; it truly sounds like a match made in Heaven. From there we spent the night with lifelong friends Steph and Emile. We had fun playing Scrabble, visiting with everyone and having beignets for breakfast the next day.

~~Hattie goes to her new home two weeks from today. The family has 5 children, they are all looking forward to lots and lots of fresh milk!

~~The house has shown 5-6 times, I am beginning to lose track. We are getting more compliant at "living to show at a moments notice"! In the meantime Dave and I have plans to go look at the area in Florida we are interested in. I am looking forward to seeing homes, fact finding and researching the beaches!

~~I spent 4 days this week in Houston at our Annual Medical Director Forum. It was a wonderful gathering. Besides being exhausted I am rejuvenated and reminded how fantastic the company I work for is!

~~The garden is taking off like great guns! The squash is almost waist high! The leaves are so full and beautiful; this morning I peeked under and saw many blooms growing. The blackberries are covered with unripe fruit and the tomatoes are covered with blooms and new fruit. The broccoli and lettuce have bolted and will be treats for chickens and Hattie tomorrow. The garlic looks to be building heads, as are the onions. Bananas are coming up and all the herbs are expanding to fill the bed. It is an exciting time in the garden!!

~~There was a riot at the high school this week. It was a sickening feeling when Char told me. Our kids are fine and were not in immediate danger, though did witness the events. The reports in the paper and the call that went out to the parents were grossly minimized, as a parent that bothers me greatly. For example, a school security guard was spraying pepper spray in an arc around her into the crowd of kids. Several students were tazed also. I have absolutely no confidence that our kids are safe from harm when over-reacting minimally trained security guards are the safety net.

~~Online classes started Monday and I already have two papers to write. If it all goes according to plan I should finish my Bachelors in Science, Nursing in 10 months. I am striving for the perfect life/work/school balance. I foresee myself not having very much time for lazing about my favorite websites!

~~The weight loss is back on track, even after eating hotel food for 4 days (or maybe because of), looks like the plateau has been busted. I cooked brisket and a real dinner tonight, a treat for all.

Have a great week!!!

Way behind in the land of Funk

Texas bluebonnets along the roadside.

roses blooming like crazy on the south side of the house

front (east) side of the house

first big berries!

Lately more and more days feel like The Land of Funk for me. Work is pretty busy, we are living in the "Realtors can come by any minute so live like neat freaks live here" mode and I find myself staring off into space, or having insomnia in the middle of the night! Ick, living with change and stress is the culprit, no doubt. I am really really excited about the new region and new team to work with. The hard part is leaving the team I work with now and getting things handed over. Being way behind refers to the 1001 things I have on a to-do list in my brain--the things that never seem to get done!

We had a potential buyer look at the house yesterday, they absolutely loved everything about it. Today the word is that they are deciding between ours and one other, and will probably come out for another walk about this weekend. They really liked the ponds, the pastures and that the garden is already in. That would be a selling point for me too. I'll update when we have something to share. Here is a link to the listing:

http://search.har.com/engine/2931-Jeffcote-Rd.-Conroe-TX-77303_HAR78538696.htm

Hattie has been spoken for by a family about an hour away. It sounds like she will still be in cow-delight-land with many kids to spoil her and learn to milk her! We take Daisy to Baton Rouge in a couple of weeks; her new owner is meeting us there from Tennessee. She will be spoiled there too. The ducks were spoken for but we can't catch them; they have become a conveyance.

So, things are happening and not happening all at once.

I am contemplating getting back at the college studies. This semester off has been enjoyable in that I haven't had homework, though I worry I will slide and before I know it 5 years has passed and I still haven't finished. Life is like that for me, really good at slipping away if I let it. I feel like that is one personal goal I just have to get done. The other one is the weight loss, which is coming along slowly. I keep hitting plateaus. I need to shake up the exercise I think, maybe start jogging in earnest when we move (our neighborhood here is not so good for that). I probably should ride the stationary bike farther or faster (ugh). My year of the makeover is only in its 4th month so stay tuned for more results!

As for the stress, this too shall pass, and the journey would not be a journey if we didn't go anywhere or grow now would it? I hope wherever you are and whatever you are doing that you enjoy it and are not stressed out. Peace!

What's growing

Thyme

Necta-plum

Oregano

Wisteria

Hops

Tomato

Comfrey

Blackberry (Arapaho)

Things that go bump in the night...

So, at about 3 am every morning Cooper the Cute wakes Dave so he can go out and do dog things. Last night was no exception, his cuteness woke Dave, Max woke up and harumphed his way out with them, bound and determined to get his cookie too. At approximately 3:20 there arose such a clatter of barking and cow bellowing that it was nearly deafening. It sounded like the cow was screaming right outside our window, the dogs were definitely barking the Big Boy bark right outside the window. I groggily got up and went out to see what could be causing such a rukus. It was a bovine, an 1800 lb bovine! A longhorn bull was out by the barn (must have passed right by the window on his way there). He had a smaller steer friend with him, they were over by the fence checking out the cute girls in the pasture (Hattie and Daisy). By the time I went back in for Dave and we put on appropriate bull chasing clothing, the intruders were gone. I could hear in the distance the neighbor's dogs barking so I knew at least which direction they had gone in.

Back to sleep, for a little while--I let the dogs come back in to keep peace and quiet. (once they are awake and in the barking mood, ya know, sometimes they have to bark at bunnies, and things way out in the pasture).

Fast forward to 6 am, time to rise and shine for work! Let the dogs out, make the coffee, stumble about just slightly sleepy. The dogs immediately begin barking again, I know that bark...I look out and there are the visitors again! This time they are between our house and mom's house; please Mr. Bull don't put a horn thru her window! I say something to him (from the porch) that sounds like "Hey! Mr. Ugly! You don't belong here! Scat!" He raised his head, looked at me and began bucking and running toward the barn. Sheesh. I went back in to get ready, obviously he has an attitude and I was not going to convince him to go back from whence he came. The dogs continue to bark in their fevered pitch. They know he and his friend are not our cows!

Dave awakens and calls the sheriff's office, at t his point they are trampling the garden and eating whatever takes their fancy. I begin to really hate them and wish them ill. When I have to leave for work Mr. Ugly is standing in the driveway. He is freakishly huge. I am thankful my car is not red and does not look like a toy to him.

Update from Dave later--he got our girls to the farthest pasture, and got the visitors in a small pen. He said the bull would look sweet for a minute then start tossing his head and acting foolish. They are just not to be trusted or messed with. A constable found the owner who came to pick up his wanderers. Dave said he was apologetic, and promised it won't happen again. I am pretty sure Dave let him know that next time we will just make a trip to the butcher without calling him.

The bull looked like this, with a bigger hind end.

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://gevluef.files.wordpress.com/2009/04/bbr42306spock.jpg&imgrefurl=http://gevluef.wordpress.com/2009/04/&usg=__oP5bQxjQqKpmvUy3YWQBLncxfQo=&h=391&w=600&sz=42&hl=en&start=7&sig2=jFVyc1feopjr77oN_WmVVw&um=1&itbs=1&tbnid=-QcMhS98EAHL_M:&tbnh=88&tbnw=135&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dlonghorn%2Bbull%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26tbs%3Disch:1&ei=XYapS7bJLsWWtge4me3DBQ

Sunshine today

Our last milking for awhile; no idea why I have such a goofy expression, maybe because I am goofy!

First strawberry blooms (will get pinched off).

Milking is going really well, Vera is letting down wonderfully now that Jules is gone. We have been storing up all we can to put off the no-fresh-milk time a little longer.

Cooper, look here!

Change, change, change

It seems like we are all about change lately.

I have taken a position with my company in the Florida region, effective June 1! I have been looking online at homes in central Florida, with hopes to land within an hour of the Tampa or Orlando airport. No idea when we will move, that depends on when the house sells and about a million other factors, (we do have an offer on the house and are waiting for their buyer to finalize their house sale--wowie!) Providence moves in wondrous ways, how silly of me to ever forget that, even for a second.

We (collective) are mostly excited about this next phase of our lives and the challenge of the unknown future. Ok, honestly I am excited about it until I think of all the millions of things I need to do, and then I get a little overwhelmed. It will work out, it will work out, it will work out!

We are not planning on taking any livestock with us, though we hope to find a home on a large lot or in a semi-rural area (garden and citrus trees are a must!). We would prefer to live outside of a master planned community if possible, and avoid HOAs. A neighborhood that allows chickens and has 1 acre lots would be ideal. So, we plan to have a non-farming phase of our lives. A friend that lives in the Tampa area has assured me we can find local goods and grass fed meat, milk, poultry. Maybe this next phase is the one where I perfect my French cooking, or we work on our golf game, or go back to school, or take art classes. I don't know about those details, but the move and the lifestyle changes feel ok and I have peace about it. The one downside for me is Hattie, and selling her. It may sound goofy but I really really love that sweet cow and she is a member of the family. It will be essential that we find just the right family for her to go to. Vera is sold and goes to her new family tomorrow. The buyers were not interested in taking Jules so we took him to the butcher on Friday when we picked up the pork. It is great to have nearly full freezers and this time I remembered to ask for the fat, so lard is rendering as I write this.

Daisy is going back to Theresa, I am very glad for that. The 2 ducks, 6 chickens, and 5 barn cats will convey with the sale or be re-homed.

In other farm news: the garden is planted with the exception of the cucumber, and those seeds will be planted next week. The strawberries are blooming, the fig tree is budding out with leaves as is the apple tree. The oak and pines are in full pollen--a yellow film covers everything outdoors right now. We hope to get some bees from Melissa in the near future so we can convey the bee hives with at least one hive-ful. We could take the empty hives and supplies with us, though we have not talked about this yet. So many questions and things to decide.....!

If you are so inclined, please say a prayer, light a candle or send a positive vibe our way, there is potential for a lot of stress in our lives in the next few months. We greatly appreciate the positive support and shared joy of our friends!

Hey, have a great week!

Here comes the sun and here comes Spring!

barn roof and springtime sky

first lily!

turtle hunting lessons

the last gray day contrasted by bright peach blooms

first professional pedicure, had the massage too--heavenly!

Cooper smiles!

mmmm, garden greens

three brown cows

The cold dreary weather has been gone for a week or so and I just have to say it makes all the difference! The grass even seems cheerful, even though it is barely taller than algae.

Dogs 3.5 :: Reptiles/amphibians 0

The loyal Farm Collies respond very quickly to the master's snakey-dance-cuss-a-blue-streak command! So fast in fact that they killed all 3 rough earth snakes that I disturbed today, and then played with a toad until he was not capable of playing anymore.

Such hunters and protectors they are!

Here is the proper maneuver one employs to celebrate the victory (after rendering the evil spotted-belly toad incapacitated):

And Cooper with snake#2 (in front of his left front paw):

The rescuers with snake #1 (Max is probably saying something like "she will stop all that noise and hopping about in just a minute, for now we get praised if we paw and bite this wiggly thing").

In lighter news, I did get about a zillion carrot seeds scattered (the wind and the dogs helped with that). I guess we will just have to wait a week or two to see how that turns out!

;-) Happy Week All!

Farm and Garden pics

Garden Gnome--trying to catch either raindrops, bugs or snow flakes.

Solarizing the flower/pollinator bed.

Two of the beds uncovered today, they solarized for 4 months--beautiful, rich, weed free soil!

Squash is planted in the near one, bush beans in the far.

Roso de Castro Creole garlic--100% germination!

Roma Tomatoes, nursery grown.

Oregano, wintered over very well.

Brussel Sprouts (only for the cows and I, no one else will touch them).

The garden, March 2010.

Vera and Jules (aka: "leech" or "milk hog").

Hattie and Daisy. I must have a soft spot for cows with white foreheads!

Hattie 3.7.10

Daisy, 3.7.10

She is such a sweet little heifer!

The garden begins-- version 11.1

This years garden is (I hope) an improvement over last years. The focus for me is to KISS--Keep It Simple Sis. In that, I am planting bulk (single crop) plantings in each bed. This differs from previous years where many of the beds ended up being a hodge-podge of all types of things I was trying to grow. Part of the reason for the change is just to simplify--we are only planting things we know we can grow, things we know we like, and things to can for the winter. No sweet corn, and only one variety of bush beans. Last year we did not get to enjoy enough of the things we like and I lost patience when untried crops and varieties failed. The sweet corn never seems to make like I would like it to, so I will buy that at a local farm; same with blueberries (pick your own) and several other crops that are available locally--wonderful for me, I don't have to grow everything!

The three types of tomatoes are Goliath slicer, a Roma paste and an Indeterminate cherry, they are all planted as are the bell pepper seedlings; the blue lake bush beans, butternut squash and crookneck squash seeds are sown. The herb bed looks to be doing well, I added in some dill seed, and need to remember to buy basil starts. Spring has sprung today--let's hope we don't get a late frost!

It felt great to work out in the sunshine, it was just perfectly gorgeous out. The dogs helped me as only they can--chasing off birds and squirrels, barking at the cows (Cooper hit the electric fence and is now smarter). I let the cows all co-mingle and explore all the pastures today. Hattie was so funny! She checked the bunks, and then stayed close to the fence line anytime I was in the garden. She remembers how the treats go sailing over! All they got today were weeds, bright green and juicy, they all seemed to enjoy them. Vera was in standing heat and I believe Daisy may be having her first heat--it is spring time! I've noted the heats and hope to AI Vera in 21 days. Daisy will be bred this summer to a friend's miniature jersey bull. I'll draw blood tomorrow for Hattie's pregnancy test. I suspect she is bred since she has not come back into heat. We have a new pregnancy test that we can use on Vera after she is bred, it doesn't use blood or urine, it uses milk!

I have more work to do in the garden tomorrow (weeding and moving fertilizer). I am glad for it, it feels so good to be outside doing chores in the sunshine. I'll try to remember to get pics of the garden tomorrow.

Have a great weekend all!