[FARM LIFE: IT'S NOT AS GLAMOROUS AS YOU'D THINK]

So, when we moved a few months ago, we knew just a little bit of what we were getting into.  I emphasize 'little' here. 
Starting from the ground up, [from scratch] and collecting, assembling, checking supplies AND THEN..finally building, takes alot of time, energy, and money!  Well, those who know us -well- understand what our family has been through over the past 4 years or so. Alot of the people around our glorious country have endured the same thing or nearly the same thing, haven't they! (I say that with all due respect considering the national economic status.)   

About a month ago, a friend asked us if we wanted an old barn that was going to be demolished. 

Of course, our response was "YES!!"

"Well, if you come and tear it down, it's yours,"  He told us.

"Ok," We asked, "When can we come take it down?" 

He said, "The sooner, the better, 'cause it needs to come down!"

Alright, here we go then. A free barn--well, at least we didn't pay for any of the wood, tin, gates or hinges!  We began tearing things down, pulling gates off the walls and the wood off the beams. We stuck our head in and out of the windows, looking at all kinds of stuff in there.  The barn had been there for years: probably more than 60 years. It really was a sturdy old building too. It was full of beams, trim, posts, huge poles and other goodies.  This really amazed me. I mean it really did!  Tons of stuff. I even felt a little sad about our family being the ones who were tearing it down, you know.  It probably could have told so many stories about the days that it had seen.  I guess that may sound strange, but I tend to think that way about things.  It was a neat, 'ole barn.

Here's what we found after we had been working for about 2 1/2 hours!  See this little guy-he was sleeping above the back window and was not about to move.  He would just uncurl himself, stretch a bit, then wrap back up into a ball and doze off again.  

"What are we gonna do?" One of the kids asked.

"Well, we'll just leave him alone while we work. Let's not bother him." I said.

And so we went on working and moving all kinds of stuff out, hammering and pounding on walls, poles and the trusses. All the while, he just slept away. Thankfully!

If you can imagine, this took us only two days to tear down completely.  Yes, they were long 13/14 hour days, but it was down in 2 days.  It had to be cleared and ready by a certain time.  I'm just glad we were physically able to do it.  The first day my husband, the children and just myself worked on it.  We got several trailor loads brought to our new house. There was still alot more.  The first day the kids and I worked on all the gates, hinges, plank wood and posts that we could get onto the trailors we had. We even pulled up lots of briars that had woven around some tomato frames. So we got to have those too.  Hauling it over to our new house was hilarious!  Yes!! Call me 'Sanford 'N Susie'!!  I ain't prow-uld neether! Me 'N the kids driving down the road.  I drove the farm truck with this mammoth load overflowing and pray'n I didn't get pulled over.  In our little town, this is not unusual to see anyway.  So I wasn't too worried. 

This was the breeze way of the barn, along with the planks that we pulled off.  They were more sturdy than you'd think.  Old buildings were built with such care & quality, and this one was made when a 2X4 was actually a 2X4, not a 1 3/4 X 3 3/4. Needless to say, it was a doozy to take apart.  Some of those 16 penny nails were 6 inches long! 

These are two of the gates.  They were actually in great condition. Solid!

We were told we could have any thing we wanted, that was left inside of the barn. 

"WHAT!" We exclaimed.  "ANYTHING?"

"Yes, anything you want to take, you can have it."

There was a pile of wood poles that would be perfect for something I had in mind. 

The next day, just the men worked on the remaining frame and tin.  That was probably much more work than they bargained for.  It was a L-O-N-G day for them.  The kids and I decided that we would pack a lunch and take it out to them. Maybe this would force the guys to take a short break.  We were successful and they rested for a little bit.  Oh, and on the 2nd day our little friend was gone from his spot, even though the walls hadn't been taken down yet.  We think he went up the tree next to the barn(below)

Hauling tin to the trailors. We took 3 additional loads of it to the house.

The final stage took the longest. Mainly because energy was running low, and those beams were heavy.  I'm sure if we wouldn't have had Brother Bob and Brother Clayton helping us that day, it would have taken much longer.  Thanks you guys for all your hard labor! 

So, wondering about what we are going to do with all those supplies? Well, we have already started a new project.  I can't wait to show it.  I'm going to go out right now and snap some pics to post later.

I want to add this thought: I publish this because I want to share our life with you, hoping that in some way, it will be a blessing to you and encourage you.  We are just a family that works hard together, takes time to play together, trying to live a life that is pleasing to God. TOGETHER.

We are so far from perfect and realize that we all need each other to make it..everyday we need each other.  Friends, family and we even need YOU.  You who we don't even know yet, because what you have to share  may help us. 

I count it a blessing, to share our days and read of yours!   

 

Have a great day! Blessings to you~Kimi

{a new little CrEaTuRe}-boy what next? Ok, I probably don't need to know...

We found a little, baby turtle last week and have decided to keep him.  He is a tiny, little thing and loves to swim around.  He's called a Yellow-Bellied, Mud Slider and is not even as big as a half dollar.  We named him "Skip-Er-Dee Zapper". It really is our son's thing and he will be the primary {care-giver}.

Here is a picture of Skip-Er-Dee in the bowl.

Our youngest son found a 'GRUB' and put it in there with him...eeeeewww! 

We did a little research and took the grub out and found a teeny earthworm instead.  He ate it right up in a few seconds.   

We found a larger aquarium this week end and place the turtle in it.  We added water, some rocks and pebbles so he could climb and bask in the sun.  We sat him next to the window and he gets warm that way.  So cute! 

Homestyle Chicken Dinner w/potatoes, carrots & fresh green beans

This is one of the easiest dinners you can prepare, especially when you are running low on time.  Here's what you will need:


*4-5 carrots, peeled/cleaned

*1 qt green beans

*10 potatoes, cleaned, partially peeled

*10 chicken tenderloins, skinless, boneless

*1/3-1/2 stick butter

*S & P

*1/3 C Italian Dressing (I used Newman's Own-Organic)

*1/3 C Parmesan cheese

*1/4 C Mayo



-Place carrots in medium pot. Add a dash of  S&P, pat of butter; turn on low heat; cover.


-Place green beans in medium pot. Add a dash of S&P, pat of butter; turn heat to medium; cover.


-Wash potatoes with scrubbie. Partially peel and cut into small cubes. Rinse. Place in large water-filled pot to boil.  Boil until soft.


-Meanwhile, using your favorite non-stick skillet, add the chicken tenderloins to cook on med-low heat. Add a sprinkling of ITALIAN SEASONING AND 2-3 T WATER; Cover; Be careful not to let them stick. Cook until done. When done, drain any excess water. 


-Add to the chicken, 1/3 C italian dressing, 2 pats of butter, dash of pepper-salt only if desired, Cover and simmer.


-Allow to simmer until vegetables are done.


-While the chicken is simmering, come back to your potatoes. Drain about 3/4 of water from potatoes and add mayo, Parmesan cheese, S&P, and 3 T butter. With your mixer, slightly mash the potatoes before you blend them.  This will help them to blend easier. Now, turn mixer on and gently blend together. Taking care to mix all ingredients, scraping sides as you go; set aside.


-Don't forget to check your chicken and stir the carrots and green beans.

When all veggies are done, serve with cornbread and freshly brewed iced tea.


Total prep time: 25-30 minutes


Serves: 3 adults and 3 children


Note: one thing you'll want to know about using italian dressing is that it will absorb into the chicken and that is just what you want it to do. It will cause the chicken to become very tender and juicy!  It will be yummie and very moist.  You won't even have to add salt or much other seasoning except the italian seasoning. Enjoy!!


Thank you for stopping by. I hope you enjoy this easy and quick meal idea! Come Again~Kimi

A lesson on shoeing a pony

Over the last 1 1/2 weeks we have noticed that our littlest equine creature has been walking slowly and acting a bit more cautious than usual.  We decided to bring him into the little area we have set aside for my chickens and keep him penned up until the farrier could arrive. Yesterday the farrier came and trimmed all the horses and took a look at 'Smokey', our little pony.  Even though the news was not good, it was expected.  We could tell by his symptoms that Smokey had probably foundered.

(Here's his little hoof all trimmed and ready to be sized for the shoe.)

Foundering is a condition that occurs to an animal when their diet is changed or other elements arise, such as a change in pasture, stress with in the herd or even drinking too much water.  "There could be 10 different ways an animal could founder," our veterinarian told us, "And ponies are prone to it."

After a thorough exam of Smokey's hooves, our vet determined that keeping him up was the best.  Placing shoes on Smokey will help to keep the 'frog' and 'coffin' of his hoof off the ground when he walks and also allow for it to heal over the next 8-9 weeks.  Yes, he's going to have to be stabled for at least 8 weeks. Thankfully he will recover, but it is going to be a slow and careful process.

(Here the blacksmith is preparing the shoe for Smokey. It must be a fitted shoe or the pressure could cause more damage to his little hoof.  The blacksmith remarked that Smokey was the easiest one he's ever shod.) 

We have been trying to figure out the cause of his foundering condition. When the new grass begins to grow in the spring, it comes in so quickly that the horses just eat and eat and eat. 

(A black paste is spread onto the underside of the hoof.  It will dry somewhat softer than the consistency of dried out playdo. This gives a 'cushion' for the iron shoe to 'sit' on. It also protects the underside of the hoof from infection.) 

Statistically, most horses will never encounter foundering because of their size in relation to how much they eat, but it is always a possibility.  Riding them regularly also helps them adjust to  the new grass.  Ponies on the other hand are, of course, smaller and their digestive system works differently.  They also eat with out taking a break as often. The new grass coming up in the pasture is probably what caused Smokey's condition. 

(The smaller shoe is fitted exactly to his hoof, then attached with small nail-like drivers that keep the shoe in place for about 4 weeks.)

(There will be 6 little 'nails' tapped into the end of his front hooves.  It lookes like it may hurt, but it's no different than putting a straight pin through the end of your fingernail.) 

(The few final taps and his shoes are set.)

(Now he just needs the nail tips to be trimmed off and then filed down.)

(The farrier and blacksmith took great care with our little guy, continuing to pet and stroke him to keep him calm.  He really did a great job standing.)

Thanks Tanner and Craig for taking such great care of our Smokey and for coming over so quickly. You are definitely #1 in our book! Well, I guess we better get started on that little corral we need to build, so Smokey can at least get out of the chicken run.  Since he's so small, we can keep him in there for a couple of days, until his corral is ready. 

Watch for updates on Smokey as he progresses. And please say a little prayer he heals speedily.

Thanks for visiting and have a great weekend.

Busy on the home front

It has been a busy several months around here.  After moving into our new home, we have not let a minute go to waste.  From building a fence, unpacking more boxes, taking a quick trip to see family out of state, to sorting through all our stuff that won't fit into our new home and having a yard sale that beats all yard sales so far to date, we are getting settled in and enjoying these warm days of spring. Yes, I am definitely planning a garden as well as canning what I grow.  I am still raising my chickens (and harvesting the eggs). I am absolutely still milling my own wheat and making my own bread. I am still attending college to get that degree. I am planning a few new endeavors also...one has to do with 'BEES', another with 'painting', and still another with 'wood' and another with 'pasta'. I am so excited about the new ideas I can't wait to share them.  Do you have any??  

School and lessons for the children are wonderful. They are doing so awesome!  In addition to all their lessons they are such 'willing' helpers around here on the farm. Starting their day with outdoor chores and then working on lessons, and maybe even a horse-back ride afterward brings such a contented and satisfying feeling.  I thank my Lord and Savior for this opportunity!  I haven't ever had a hard time going to sleep.  I look forward to what every tomorrow will bring and cherish the memories of what yesterday holds.  Most of all,I treasure the peace that comes from knowing the One who has given it all. 

Thanks for coming by to visit...I hope your day is blessed, wonderful and that you make it something to cherish also.  The Lord Jesus Christ be with you!