My Little Goat

How bout this...we have a goat! He is so sweet and lets the kids lead him around on a rope. We got him so he can help us clear up some of the pasture. This morning I looked out and saw that he was in the pasture with the horses. They didn't seem to mind being together. He can get out of the fencing, so we will keep an eye on him. He's very friendly and calm. He eats sweet feed/corn mix and any branches, leaves, grass we give him. We usually tie him out on a lead and he eats around. It's gonna be a 4-H project for the kids. We'll see how it goes.

My 'lil chick

Ok, I just have to post this little picture of my chick....she is so cute and when I hold her she lays down on her back and stretches her legs out, lays her head back and then goes to sleep. I named her Broody. She is a Rhode Island Red and she is about 10 days old. She is very calm and loves to eat her bits of feed. She's so quiet as she scratches around getting her food.

Chickens are really very easy to raise and except for food and water, they pretty much take care of themselves. Just grow and eat. Well, I guess if you consider that coop we're building, you might say it's alot, but it's more fun than not. More coming...

My Chicken Coop

This is just a quick post...here are a few photos of our chicken coop. Because I love y'all so very much, I came in just now to get this onto my blog...hope you like 'em! I'm so blessed to have you wonderful people in my life, encouraging me on like you do! We set the frame on a few flat bricks to get it level on every side. Of course, I want my little chickens to have a special place to nest and roost! :) Here we are adding the sides and back.

The flooring is made of 2x6's and 1" plywood, braced underneath by add'l 2x6's. Then we placed on the frame and started on the roof.

I wanted a little screened window for my chickens to have some fresh air. So Grant made this frame and then we stapled black chicken wire onto it. We also added a screened window to each side near the top. This is a close up of the window in the front of the coop. It has black chicken wire for a screen. We will make a little flap on hinges that can fold down to allow fresh air to circulate. Then fold back up when it gets colder. Here we have the back wall, front wall and one side wall done. We are just about to start on the last side wall. Then we will work on the door and the egg window door. The egg window is at the back of the coop. You can see the cut out shape. The door will be attached with sturdy hinges. I love doing this sort of thing. I used to help my Dad build stuff when I was little. We built our own house and I even helped dig the footer, lay roofing tile and most of the stuff in between. I learned a lot helping him. Thanks Daddy!

Composting

There's something refreshing about being outdoors and around nature. And have you ever wondered why we throw away so much trash. Well, remember our burn pile??? We no longer have that huge thing and now we have a little barrel that we burn stuff in regularly. With recycling all our glass and metal from the groceries we use, and burning what can be burned, at least we're not adding to the landfills. We don't even have a trash pick-up service. I didn't set it up after we moved. I have wanted to get to this point for a long, long time and think we may finally be getting there...but let me tell you up front...it is work. Mostly, it's just remembering what to do with what. After that...it's easy and after you do it a week or so it becomes much easier!! With all that said, we made a compost bin on Monday. There are many kinds of bins to assemble, but I chose one of the simplest to make. Actually, I didn't make it, the kids did. I just helped place the posts & wire. Check it out.

Garrett is setting the first post. It's kinda scary to be the one holding it while the other pounds with a mallet.

Austin is pounding a stake into the soft soil...it's rained alot and that made it easier to get the post in.She wasn't about to let those boys have all the fun!

If you want to make your own, here's what you'll need:

*12-14' heavy gauge poultry wire *5 five-foot stakes (wood or metal) *zip ties or wire ties-to keep wire steady Here's what you do:

**Roll out and cut about 12-13' of the wire. Press back a few inches on each end to provide a strong, clean edge. Set a circle in place with the wire and secure ends with ties. Space stakes evenly around the inside of the wire and pound each one firmly into the ground, keeping them tense against the wire. Use the ties to secure wire to posts.

The boys straightening the wire against the posts Micaylah is attaching the ties to the posts and wire.

That's it. You now have a compost bin and you can begin placing all your kitchen scraps into it. Here's some additional materials that you can use: *grass clippings *pine needles *wood ashes *sawdust *sod *newspapers *leaves *hay *hedge trimmings *peat moss *paper-not colored *feathers *manure *food you would eat, such as leftovers and things you throw out when you clean out your fridge. Things to remember about composting:

• stir it up about once every 5-7 days
• shred up items for faster decomposition
• proper moisture is key

More info coming!

That takes care of that! You know what I found out? Since you guys are so incredibly smart you probably already know this, but you don't have to have a lot of room to compost. You only need about a 4'X4' space in your yard. And you can put it in a corner.

Is It A Farm Yet???

Now, I cane't rightly a-say what might'n make a good farm 'n figur it might be some difficult to put it into jus one term. Let me study on it a spell....mmmmm. I reckon itta be tha land 'nd itta be them thair critters thata run all about it. Itta likely be that tha airs so fur-resh smell'n itta make ya wonta gittup early 'n set out at tha back and just breath i-tall in. 'N Idda spect that itsa all them trees a-blowin and a-swayin in tha wind a-makin' tha birds twitter-payted so that they flutter about nearly knockin' themseves loopy as they bump into one another. Sometimes we look out and kee-in see a rumbl'n storm com'n across the heels and after, it makes evurthin so purty, clean and almost new agin. As Imma sittin here, I can look out yonder and see the heels cover'd n tha greenest grass you evur did see...horses a-grazin on one side and cows a-brawlin on tha other. Its jus real peaceful-like. We got our share of work to git done around here tho. That barn needs some tendin' to and with tha fence line cleaned up we arra gittin' ready to plant some vegetables to so as ta hopefully reap a harvest in the months to come. I figur we'ra gona have to make this land work for us. Imma gona sell me some eggs to the locals and maybe grow some plants and sell them too. Since we got tha horses, we reckon wer a-gona start a saddle club soon. Got us 'bout 10-11 kids to start off with.

I reckon what makes a good farm is see'n the kids run 'n romp all around and not have to worry. Its a sense of accomplish'n even the tiniest and sometimes mundane (back to myself again :). Its watch'n a little flower or seed that you planted, grow. Its the hope you had as a child and feeling your dreams again as they brush your shoulder or blow in the breezes, speaking to your heart.....................we're still here.....waiting.......on you to dream....again. Feeling the hope welling up and emerging into what you imagined many times before....there it is. When you think about it, having a farm, an apartment, a condo, a house in the city, a little house on a cute corner, a trailor in a park...or any place where you are..... is just the place you're at for that time and are doing what you're doing for that moment...it's not what makes anything any better or worse. It's not what makes you any better or worse either. It's just another place to dream and imagine and build and work. And for us it's just a house on some land....and for right now...it's where we live and it's home.

BLOOM WHERE YOU ARE PLANTED!!! GOD WILL GROW YOU!!!!