Summer heat

Good Morning-

Summer has arrived and with it very hot weather.  We hit 100 degrees yesterday and that is just too darn hot for me.  Today (so far) it is overcast, which is a nice break from the sun.  Yesterday my oldest son hurt his foot and I had to bring him in to the doctor.  We didn't do any x-rays, but if he is still in pain on Thursday, we will bring him back to see if anything is broken.  The irony of this being he pushed his little brother and he fell down on my older sons foot.  Yesterday at the hospital, I saw a glimpse of what my life is going to be like with two boys on the farm.

Max, our rooster, is crowing like crazy this morning.  Usually, once I open up their run he stops, but not today.  Our neighbors may not like hearing him crow at 5:30am.  The chickens are all doing good and I haven't seen any further mites on the others.  The hot weather is hard on them, but they have good shade so they will be okay.  Our raccoon family is still living in our old tree.  I thought they might have moved on to a new "home" but I saw them up in the tree yesterday.  My husband also found raccoon prints on our garden pipe this weekend.  Not a good sign for our future vegetables.  We will have to figure out a way to keep all those critters out. 

Well, a new day to begin.  Have a good one...cheers!

Bathroom remodel

We had such a busy weekend working on the boys' bathroom.  We didn't finish it because nothing ever goes as smooth as you hope.  However, we did get a lot done and my husband should be able to finish it this weekend.  I will post pictures once it is all done.  I decided to go with two tones of aqua and it looks great. I am glad the colors worked, as you never know if you will like them once on the walls.  It will be nice to not share a bathroom with the kids anymore.  I need some space without toys in it!

I have been working on the garden a little each day.  It is so over grown with weeds that it is overwhelming.  So, I decided to try and weed a row (and we have 12) every day or two so I can be in control of the weeds.  Everything is growing and I am looking forward to fresh vegetables soon.  Some animal is getting in to the garden because it ate some of my strawberries.  I am guessing it is a rabbit or a squirrel.  I am hoping it doesn't start eating everything in the garden or I am not going to be happy.

Well, my brain is dead and ready for bed.  Cheers!

Farm Life

Good Morning.  This week has been busy and I can hardly believe it is Thursday already.  I went with my husband out of town for two days and it was so nice to get away.  My parents live near us and so they watch the boys for us if we need a break.  I am so thankful for their willingness to take care of them.  Since I am a stay at home Mom, sometimes I get burnt out and need a "time out" so I can regain patience and understanding. 

We discovered a raccoon family living in one of our old cottonwood trees this past weekend.  I have been watching them and last night the Mom didn't come out of the tree.  I am thinking she got caught by a neighbor.  I just went and looked out the window and she is up in the tree, so she is okay.  I know I shouldn't want a raccoon family on my farm, but the animal lover in me can't help it.  I am pretty sure she has 3 or 4 babies.  They are so cute and stay up in the tree while she comes down to hunt for food.  We have chickens and a garden and I know raccoons don't mix well with those, so eventually we will have to figure out something. 

Today I have to spend some time weeding the garden and planting more seed.  The garden is looking pretty good, even though there are more weeds and grass in there than I would like.  Well, I am going to finish my coffee before I start my day on the farm.  The farm life...I love it!  Cheers.

Summer days

This week hasn't been too exciting overall.  However, Tuesday proved to be an interesting day.  I had Henrietta (one of my hens) out free because she was showing signs of infection.  I didn't want her to be around the other chickens and she doesn't like to stray, so I put her out in the yard.  Well, I took a shower, go outside and she was missing.  Finally, we found her but she was dead.  I think my older dog Oliver chased her to death.  She was a very spastic chicken and Oliver likes to herd, so needless to say, not a good combination.  Now we are down to seven hens.  Also, Tuesday I found a mouse in the kitchen.  I was able to lure him into the pantry and the mouse trap did the rest.  I was so glad I caught him before it was time for bed or I wouldn't have had a very restful sleep. 



The boys running through our field

 Our garden is looking good, although, we did loose a tomato plant because of the high winds we have been having.  We have a lot of projects that are unfinished and it is time to start getting them done.  My husband and I both feel a bit frustrated lately, but finishing up loose ends I know will help.  I love to sit outside and enjoy our views and that puts things back in perspective.  It is worth it, through the headaches, because I love our land.  Well, have a great day everyone.  Cheers.

The mouse was a bird

Good Morning.  This past weekend we decided to take some time off and do something fun, so we went camping.  It was great and so nice to get away for a couple of days.  We love to go camping and the boys are getting bigger, so each year is more and more fun.  The mouse I heard in our wall was actually a bird in our pellet stove pipe.  I figured out the scratching was in the pipe on Thursday and my husband opened it up and it was a bird.  He was alive and flew away, so that was good.  I don't know what the attraction is to our house with these birds.  I was relieved it wasn't a mouse, very relieved.

The chickens are doing well.  Max, our rooster, has been crowing a lot in the mornings lately.  He also won't let the hens out of the hen house.  I am not sure what is with that, but he must be sensing danger or something.  We have seen raccoon foot prints on our irrigation pipe, so Max may be aware of them. 

Our garden is doing well and what we seeded a couple of weeks ago is starting to emerge.  Can't wait to have tons of fresh vegetables to eat.  Summer is a fun time.  Well, that's all for now.  Cheers.

Snakes and mice

Good Morning.  I am up early today because I didn't sleep so great.  I was hot most of the night and my allergies were acting up too.  Not a good mix to enable sleep.  Life goes on anyway and I have to keep up with two toddlers with or without sleep.  Today is going to be another windy day, so I need to get stuff done outside before it starts up this afternoon.

We have a lot of snakes on our property and while they are the good type of snakes, they still freak me out every single time.  I had one slither across my foot the other day and I jumped out of my skin and screamed like a little girl.  My boys on the other hand come running if I tell them I just saw a snake.  They get so excited to see them and if they miss out they are bummed. 

Yesterday, I heard a mouse in one of our walls.  I do not like mice, while they are really just cute little things, they give me no peace.  My husband is going to have to put new mice bait under the house again.  I don't like the idea of a furry little thing getting in my house and running around at night, throwing a party, and inviting friends. 

The chickens are doing good.  This morning Max won't stop crowing...not sure what that is all about.  Well, that is all for today.  Have a great day everyone.  Cheers.