spring in the midst of winter

We walked the park trails for 3 hours today. All 3 kids, me, and of course Dawg. He had to have all his matted long hair cut off before he was to have a bath. His underbelly was one big mess! This nice weather has afforded the luxury of his kitchen sink bath and mommy special haircut.------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------This is a stone wall at our treasured local state park.As you can see,...

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Hey kids, its show and tell time!

Ahhh, what warm furry coats the girls have grown. So thick and long. I so badly want to brush it for them- if they would only stay still long enough for the underbelly and udder area to be brushed! Of course that won't happen for Lady Chia. She has mud caked all over and she is starting to get a bit knotty in spots. She is a mess! ( she is on an incline so her belly has smooshed downwards with gravity- makes her look very pregnant at that! Maybe...

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Feels like Spring spirit & the goat soap opera

Picture of the bluebird egg Panda & I found this last spring. It feels like Spring out here and I do believe the tree's are being fooled too. I see buds! Wanna see more pictures of bluebird eggs and their life? Here is a link to a flickr slideshow . Beautiful pictures showing the daily new egg and then the hatching all the way up to the second brood! Go check it out and get that Springy feeling...~Goat update~I dewormed the girls with safeguard...

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A costume clothes rack & in need of hop rhizomes...

I have been planning to make a rack to hold all of the costumes I have made for the kids (i.e the cloaks, capes and dresses). I could not find a single example of what I wanted until I came upon this:Now this is what I am talking about! Of course the price tag is not what I deem affordable ($433) but I have sharpened my carpentry pencil and came up with a how to for my own. I sat at my desk looking over all the details and have come up with a supply...

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Rambling about changes

The Fall of 2003 projectDo not let these sun filled days fool you! Cold weather is here and despite the great urge to play outside, the inside of the house is calling. There are walls to be painted- every wall in the house actually. Floors to be tiled, along with a certain little boys room which needs carpet laid -since in a recent fit I ripped it up after discovering the dogs and said little boy were having- dare i say it- a pissing contest!So...

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Beautiful Henny. How I adore you...

I made a trip to the Tractor supply for more feed. They had all their holiday gift items out for all to drool over. I received the flyer in the mail which included a sample of barnyard cookie cutters by Ann Clark Ltd.They showed a rooster in the sample picture but my local TSC did not carry it. Instead they had one titled "The chicken". It is similar in shape to the "Henny" pictured above by Warren Kimble. I loved it and thought of how wonderful...

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My curb side find and the belly drooping Cleopatra

Yep. Old wood frame 8 pane windows! There was a total of 5 sitting on the curb, but these 3 were the only ones fully intact. The 2 on the ends are of the same size and the middle one is somewhat bigger. I have plans for these babies. Big plans. But first I hope to get a winter family picture like this (picture a family of 5 and a duck named Clyde sitting on the bench) ~I made the bench ( and another one) last Spring from scrap wood I picked up at...

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My unusually unusual family's First Snow of the last month 2006

We have our first official sticking to the ground snow fall in our part of Ohio. This is the reason why I moved to my birth state- for the 4 seasons. I would dream of future days filled with snowman building and snow ball fights with my children and husband to be followed with hot cocoa and fresh from the oven cookies. Then a cozy fire to snuggle up by with my Honey.I detest the cold biting wind which keeps us in the house and when there is no snow...

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Yes, it is down again!

I am writing you via the wonderful Library. My modem which is 4 years old has finally succumbed to "old age". I am told that it is a good amount of time for one with children who are around it on a regular basis along with pet hair and dust that rarely get dusted off. I do appologize for the comments not being posted- I do have my moderating of comments on to avoid nasties. I have ordered the new modem and will have myself back on line as soon as possible. I have a terrific "curb" find I cant wait to share. Actually it was discovered on my way...

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When was the last time you explored a library?

I Do not have a printer. I do not bother with it since I go to the library and sign in on their computers(free- no charge for use but limited to 180 minutes a day). From home I email myself links to things I wish to have printed out such as templates for sewing projects like this one Stella shared. I save time but also money. It cost a nickel to print out one sheet in B&W. I then take them to their copy lobby and enlarge them to the proper size...

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My first sewing machine, The goat walk & a hike.

The captain may have the look of toughness to him but he is a real softie when it comes to me. One example is how I acquired my first new sewing machine. It was the Winter I was pregnant with Panda which was the year 1998. The captain, after many beers hanging with the guys, stopped off on his way to pick me up and bought me a sewing machine. (tsk tsk-he was chastised for his driving under the influence & I drove us home.)This is the one the...

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Tag. I'm it...

I have been tagged by Phelan the Homesteading Neophyte, to tell 5 untold truths. I have tried to think of what I should reveal about myself without altering my wonderful image. I thought about this while I added a gate to the back of the animal pen. I thought of this as I restructured the opening by the goat cabin. I thought of this as I washed the dishes. I just cant think of anything to interesting. I am rather boring now that i have children.**************1....

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been so busy...

It been awhile since my last posting but my computer was down and being repaired from a malfunction in the memory card. Add in all this great 60 F degree weather and I have not had the time to play much on here.So Panda had her "Cinderella Ball" at school. She looked so beautiful in her dress, which happened to also have the brand name Cinderella! I am a bargain junkie so of course the dress was only $25 (US) at Burlington coat factory. I found...

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Is that an udder? & Somebody wanna buy me this land?

You know you want to see what I had mentioned in my previous entry. Well I even put an arrow to point it out in case it is not obvious. I cropped the picture for Cleo's privacy issue.Is that not what you see? I am going to say the end of December to the first week in January if it is the begining of an udder. That would put her at being bred with Buddy. I could of swore she had been in heat since he left, but maybe having Chia here and her going...

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Introducing ~Mr. Echo the rooster

This is our newest addition in the rooster department. Meet Mr. Echo. He is an americauna cross- I do not know what the cross part is though...He has become the outcast from the chicken run( being the new guy & all) but has fast become buds with our dear Clyde. Update on the chickens in the run: Only 1 hen is molting which is Dr. seuss. She is pictured here looking like she is going to "throw down" with penny the buff orpington in the upper...

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Fall leaves & pumpkin wine making

Today was the day of a Mad Hatter Tea party at our local library. It was also an afternoon set aside just for Panda and I -together. When her tea party was over, we went for a wonderful walk along the river to see the waterfall and collect leaves for our annual Fall wreath project. What a beautiful trail it turned out to be! The leaves were everywhere and the colors! oh such wonderous colors covering the pathway like a carpet! It gave such a magical...

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A pumpkin is a pumpkin ...right?

Can you pick out the pie pumpkins from the so called carving pumpkins? no peeking below before you guess...... go ahead and cover up below the picture on your screen!O.k are you ready? is it the right or on the left.is it the top 2 or the middle? Yes, It is the 2 behind the hollowed out pumpkin half on the left. (*both hollowed out portions and the seeded portions on the right are of carving variety*). As you can see, there is no difference in these...

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A visit from the Zoning and nuisance investigator...

My planned post has been postponed till tommorow. Instead I bring you this post feature of my neighborly dismay special..... And the battle is on! Apparently, my neighbors on the other side of my "barnyard" think my chickens roaming on MY PROPERTY is a nuisance to them... He has a chainlink fence seperating our yards so my chickens are not in his, but scratch next to it on occasion. He too sits on over one acre and has an outbuilding blocking his view to the rest of his back yard anyway. If they somehow did get in his yard, it would be to eat...

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Tonights bonfire

A quick note and link-I know what I am making for the bonfire celebration tonight! Check it out and book mark this one!! Happy Samhain!~Tam...

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Another lesson learned but trying to laugh...

~You may cut the one wing feathers on a newly brought home muscovy female and keep her in a cage for a few days with your last surving muscovy (clyde), but that does not mean when you let her out, she will stay. I do believe she may as well be walking her duck butt back home. At least in her mind she is going back to her home which is a few miles away, but with her ability of flying cut off with her tip feathers gone on one side, I say the chance...

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another use for green tomato's & another book to look for

During my morning walk around, I noticed my garden had a nice amount of green tomato's still clinging to their vines. They are the black cherry variety ( & a few striped caverns) , so fried green tomatos were out. While on a search for a new chutney recipe, I came across one for green tomato chutney with apples. Of course I still have half a bushel & am making pumpkin butter and another chutney with it, so why not add the green tomato...

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Making a list...

Starting my list of gotta gets. This is just a sampling of my findings in my search for inexpensive Home Dairy needs. I have 2 dairy goats so my needs are not major. I do need to keep the cost low. I refuse to pay out alot of money just because its use is for a dairy and not the common household.If the product is the same item just a different named use, then its good enough for me.This is a seamless stainless steel pail. This is sold for ease in...

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