28 Valentine's Days WARNING: this may make you gag.

So much has changed in the 28 years James and I have been together but at the same time so much stays the same.  I have no idea how many heart shaped brownies or cakes I've made for Valentine's Day.  I'm going to guess at least 20.  Does James get tired of these?  From the looks of it, I don't think so.

How many poems has he written me for Valentine's Day?  Many more than 28.  Today I got 3.
Do I get tired of them?  NEVER!

How can a carved heart not make a wife feel loved?

This afternoon Adam texted us happy valentine's day and told us what he made for Melissa for an early dinner.  James and I separately texted Adam back.
Me:  "Sounds yummy. Happy Valentine's Day to you too.  Dad and I moved the safes today.......Pop Pop is back in the hospital........"
James: "Sounds yummy.  We just moved the safes around.  That was a challenge.......Pop Pop is back in the hospital......"
I guess that's what happens when you're together 28 years.  Married minds think alike.

We had planned to go to the piano bar tonight for a special treat but, being the boring old married couple, decided we'd rather stay home for a home-cooked dinner and an evening of Grey's Anatomy on Netflix.

I'd be happy with 28 more Valentine's Days just like this one except for my dad being in the hospital.  He recently had a heart attack and today was feeling crummy and had to go back to the hospital.  Any prayers for healing my dad's heart are appreciated.

Not a bad way to spend the day

In 24 hours time James and I collected approximately 20 gallons of maple sap.  Instead of waiting till we were done collecting all the sap and cooking it down at once, we decided to do some a little at a time since we didn't have a giant evaporating pan.  Yesterday was a beautiful day to sit by a fire and watch pots steam.

We didn't begin till Noon so we cooked into the evening hours.  We had dinner by the fire and watched Netflix.  That's how they did it in the olden days right?

We never did finish cooking the 20 + gallons but we have some to put on our waffles tonight.  In the meantime we have lots more sap awaiting our attention.

A homesteading kind of day

I wish all days felt like this one.  We had beautiful weather and I was productive.  I've had a ham curing in the refrigerator for at least 2 weeks and it was time to rinse the salt off and hang it to dry for 6 months.  I covered it with lard which I had rendered from Roxie's leaf lard a few weeks ago, then I sprinkled it with cracked pepper which is supposed to keep bugs away.  It's wrapped in cotton cloths and is hanging in the basement.  I hope it's edible when the time comes.  It was a ham from either Calvin or Hobbes that I had frozen a long time ago so it may not have even been good to start with after being frozen for so long.  I figured I didn't have much to lose (except maybe our lives if we die from e coli or something).  

I said I was productive but I didn't say I was successful at everything I did.  I tried making a cheese I'd never made before.  For some reason my cow's milk hasn't been setting up like it used to. What I made will be safe to eat but it won't be the cheese I was hoping for.  Who knows, maybe it will be a great new discovery (that I'll never be able to reproduce).

Temps have been in the 50s and should be in the 60s tomorrow.  Our maple trees are raining on us so we decided it was time to tap them.  It's always exciting to put the spile in the drilled hole and see the sap begin to run.  Hopefully we'll be able to cook up a few gallons of maple syrup soon.

And just for fun, if you have 3 + minutes to kill, here's a video of Yogi and Willy playing. In case anyone is worried about me leaving my parrot alone with a cat, it's ok, I supervise them.  Willy spends most nights in the chicken barn and has never hurt a bird, not even the small chickens.  She and Yogi have spent lots of time together and seem to be fond of each other.  

Chy and Wilson have a new home

I had been going back and forth about this for a long time and recently decided I was making the right decision to find a new home for Chy and Wilson, my 2 standard donkeys.

The goats will be kidding in a few more months and things will be getting busy here.  After reevaluating what our goals are for the farm I decided it was time to slim down and make room for my animals that produce food.  As much as I love Chy and Wilson, I knew it was time to let go of my giant pets.  I'm thrilled I found a home where they could stay together.  They're living with a single donkey who needed companions and I couldn't be happier with their new home.  Their dad is just the kind of person I'd want them to be adopted by.  Oddly enough, they are living on a farm also on the James River.  What are the chances of that?  As they drove away I shed just a few tears but seriously I couldn't be happier for them.  It was a good move for all of us.

Jaz and Willo, the mammoth donkeys, snuck through the electric ribbon during all the commotion of the move and are now cohabiting with the goats, cows and dogs.  They're a little calmer and kinder to the other animals at feeding time and I love to see everyone sharing without being bossy.

On a sad note, we also said goodbye to Roxie recently.

Typing this puts a lump in my throat because she was the best first pig a person could have asked for. Unfortunately, she wasn't reproducing and was starting to lose weight so I decided it was time to let her go.  Being the gracious pig she was, she very calmly walked into the trailer when the time came and when we reached the butcher she walked out just as calmly where we said thank you and goodbye.  There was no stress on her end, that was clear; maybe a little stress on my part.  Joe, our wonderful butcher, told the man doing the killing that this was my very first pig and they showed compassion that you wouldn't expect from a butcher.  That's why we go there.

So now we move forward.  This is a calm time on the farm.  I'm only milking Raisa, and the goats are growing bigger, showing signs of new life to come.  I'm hoping Papa bred Raisa and we'll have a new calf next October.  Mickey, is getting rounder also and will be giving us more piglets in another month or so.  I've ordered chicks, both layers and meat chickens and they should arrive mid February.

Winter can be hard on the farm but it's also a time for planning.  I'm looking forward to spring and what's to come and feeling hopeful.  I'm also feeling grateful.

Happy birthday, Bob

James and I returned today from a brief trip to Salisbury, NC where we celebrated the 80th birthday of our dear friend Bob.

Bob is the fittest 80 year old I know.  We met him through our running club about 19 or 20 years ago.  He hasn't run for a few years now but is still the picture of health.  Gosh, I hope I look as good and stand as straight when I'm 80.  What a great night it was.  Bob, I can't wait to post a video of your 100th birthday party.

Filthy friends

To look at our great pyrenees, Keri, you'd think she's a real sweetie, a friend and protector of human and animal,  and sometimes very silly.  BUT, she has a very serious side too.  Anyone who knows great pyrenees knows how protective they are of their flock.  Flock being anyone who lives on her property; cow, goat, donkey, chicken, pig, dog, human, etc.  I've done lots of reading about the breed and I think I understand them pretty well now.  They can be sound asleep one minute and then ready for attack in a second if something is a threat to their family.  I couldn't ask for a more loyal and helpful dog than Keri.

That being said, poor Rex had to earn his place on the farm.  Keri had to be sure he posed no threat to her flock.  It took her about a week to back off and be more patient with him.  She laid him flat many times.  She never hurt him but she made it very clear with her growls and posture that she was in charge and he needed to learn the farm protocol.  He has learned and I'm pleased to say they've become great buddies as evidenced by this video.  It's been wet here lately so they're filthy.

Large Animal Veterinarians

There's been a discussion going on on my Yahoo goat group about vets.  Some friends have been through some difficult times this week in regard to their goats.  It's so hard to lose a beloved dog or cat and most people understand that, but not everyone would understand how losing your favorite goat can be just as heartbreaking.

One friend had a goat come down with polio this week.  Shelley recognized the symptoms very quickly, did her research and then dosed her heavily with thiamine.  She was lucky to have some on hand and it appears her goat, Star, is going to be ok.  She was lucky to be familiar with the symptoms of the disease, knew how to treat it and happened to have what she needed on hand.  It's a reminder for me to check my refrigerator and medicine shelf to see what I have and what's out of date.

Another woman in our group wasn't so lucky.  Barb's goat had similar symptoms to Shelley's but it wasn't polio.  It was listeriosis; a disease that affects the brain stem.  She had a vet out but didn't feel he gave her goat the attention she thought she deserved and when she called him back the next day saying it was an emergency he couldn't make it and sent another vet the day after to put the goat down.  She's angry and upset and now feeling guilty.  We'll never know if her goat could have survived if treatment was different, action taken earlier, or if another vet was available.  Listeriosis is a horrible and deadly disease.  Whatever the reason, it began conversations about the availability of a good farm vet.

I'm lucky to have great vets nearby.  The clinic has both small and large animal vets.  Some of them treat both.  This week I took my dog, Baxter, to the vet because he has ear infections.  When the vet entered the examining room she said, "Oh, you've added a new dog.  How's that little goat of yours?"  This vet hadn't seen me in 3 1/2 years.  She moved to W. VA but was filling in for another vet who's out on maternity leave.  She's the vet who treated Darla when she had that horrible abscess that almost killed her.  Remember that?  There were probably at least 5 blog postings about Darla's surgeries and progress.  http://holesinmyjeans-kpannabecker.blogspot.com/2011/06/value-of-pet.html  Here she was back then.

Darla at nearly 4 years old.
Not only did Dr. Dillon take care of Baxter's ears, she made many suggestions for treating his allergies using natural remedies and traditional medicines. She also asked about my other animals and answered my questions about my pigs' small litters etc.  She was in no hurry to move me along and when I went out to pay my bill of just $85.00 she brought her 10 year old daughter out to meet me.

Most of us who raise livestock do our own vaccines, diagnose and treat when we can.  You can't own 20+ animals and call a vet out every time one of them coughs or behaves strangely.   Again, I'm lucky my vets will spend time on the phone with me walking me through this or that.  They've taught me to draw blood in goats and donkeys so I don't have to call them when I need that done.  Last year when Lily had a prolapsed uterus the doctor explained to James every step of the way as he cleaned her up and put her back together.  I could go on and on how many times vets have gone the extra mile for me and my animals, sometimes free of charge.  Maybe the reason they're like this is because many of them have livestock of their own.

Hearing sad stories makes me thankful for my animals' current good health, for my vets and thankful for this group of friends I've made through the internet. Some I've met, some I barely know and some I feel like I know because we've been talking for years on this goat group.  Because of everyones' shared experiences we've all learned so much.

We may think dogs and goats are very different; one a pet and one a producer of food.  When you watch this video you'll see how the two can bond, form a relationship and may have more similarities than we might think.  Cato and Keri are great buddies.  They take turns initiating play and are always gentle with each other.  I'd love to know what they think of each other.  It's my job as their caretaker to give them both the best care I can.


I hope 2015 is a healthy year on our farm.

Christmas 2014

Thanks to our wonderful farm sitter, Marilyn, who has stayed here just about every Christmas for the past 6 years, we were able to visit my family in PA.  She's trying to convince me Raisa wants to live on her farm, that's how much she enjoys milking her.  She's just going to have to get her own Raisa.

It was great fun going out with my 2 sisters and their boyfriends the first night there.  I don't know if we  3 sisters have ever gone out to dinner together like that as adults.  Weird, huh?  We need to do that more often.

The rest of the visit was spent opening presents, sitting around talking and laughing with my parents, sisters, nieces, their significant others, my uncle and grandfather.

James made me a one-of-a-kind gift that shows just how well he knows me.  We love to play Scrabble and Words With Friends (much like Scrabble).  We always have a game going.  Instead of making me a traditional barn quilt he made me a barn Scrabble board.  I couldn't have asked for a better gift.

It's hung on the barn closest to the house so I can look at it any time I want.

Adam and Melissa were with her family over Christmas but we opened presents with them before and afterwards.  They found the perfect gift for me; an awesome butchering set.

They also gave us a really cool hammock to hang on our boat deck.  Now I'm looking forward to spring so we can spend time lounging in it.

As always, I can't wait to see what the next year brings.  I have a really good feeling about 2015.

Our new guardian

His name is Rex and he's 4 1/2 months old.  He looks so much like Keri did at that age.

I hate to report this but it will explain the need for another guardian.  Petey, the adorable tiny piglet, disappeared this week.  We've looked all over, no body anywhere.  My guess is a hawk got him but it could have been anything.  Yesterday someone on Facebook posted an ad for this little guy.  His two legged father died the night before and they needed to find him a home.  This is exactly how we got Keri.  Her human dad had died too.

Keri seems to be able to handle her 10 acres (fingers crossed) but the pigs are on an adjacent 10 acres and she can't be there with them too.  My plan is for Rex to be guarding the pigs eventually.  For now I want him with Keri so she can train him.  He's been living with goats, chickens, pigs and horses so he knows nothing else but being a farm dog.  He's already had training from his parents and now Keri can continue the lessons.  Her first matter of training was to teach him she's boss.  We introduced them outside the fence, away from the other animals, thinking Keri would be kinder.  Well, she wasn't so kind but at least she didn't hurt him.  He definitely got the message and stayed very close to my leg.

When introduced to the herd he seemed completely at ease with them.  It was just Keri he was afraid of.

We left them alone because we thought they'd do better without us there.  As we left Rex begged us through the fence to take him with us.  Awww.

I went to check on them later in the afternoon and things had improved considerably.  Rex and Keri were sharing barking duty.  They were both looking toward the river, low bark and high bark ringing out.  It was kind of cute.  I wouldn't say they're ready to curl up and sleep side by side but they're hanging out together with the goats and Rex prances behind Keri wagging his tail.  Papa and Raisa have chased him and he's already figured out to stay away from them.  I'm sure he and Raisa will figure each other out like Keri and Raisa have.  He seemed comfortable with the pigs.  Wendell laid down up against the fence and Rex was up against him on the other side.  I'll take him over there with the pigs regularly so he can get to know them better.

I'm really excited about him.  I didn't plan on getting another livestock guardian dog but when I saw the Facebook ad the timing and conditions seemed perfect, so here we are with another addition to the farm.  I'm already in love.

Petey

The Thanksgiving piglets have not had a good beginning.  Their mom doesn't have much milk at all and they didn't appear to be thriving.  One morning the little girl looked very weak in her back end.  She also looked very skinny.  I gave her a bottle that afternoon, which she seemed to like.  The next morning when I went to check on them I found her dead under the bedding.  I don't know if she was too weak to get out of the way and was crushed or what.  Maybe I shouldn't have given her the goat milk, I don't know.

I was torn about what to do with the little boy, Petey.  I felt maybe I should bring him in the house and bottle feed him because he no longer had someone to snuggle up against and keep warm with during the day.  His mom spends most of her time out grazing so he was alone.  I really hated interfering with him because he looked strong enough and wasn't skinny like his sister.  The past few mornings I held my breath as I approached his pen.  Sometimes just a tiny spot of black would be showing because he was burrowed so deep in the bedding.  I was always relieved when I touched him and he'd snort.  This morning I couldn't find him.  I knew it couldn't be good.  I lifted the grass and gently poked here and there.  No Petey.  I walked around the shed looking for his body.  Could something have eaten him?  Could he have wandered off in the cold and frozen to death?  I quit looking and drove around the field to feed the big pigs on on top of the hill, feeling very disappointed in myself for not bringing him indoors.

When what to my wondering eyes should appear, but a miniature piglet amongst 16 pig ears.  I couldn't believe it. Petey had hiked a very long way to graze with the others.  He'll be 2 weeks old tomorrow.

Look how tiny he is next to his family.   That little red shack you see at the end of the video is where he hiked from; all uphill.

Cooler weather sparks new projects

Spring, summer and fall keep me busy with outside stuff.  Outside stuff makes me happy (maybe not cutting grass and weed eating). Cooler weather keeps me inside which can be good and bad.  I tend to feel more blue in the winter but it also forces me to find things to do that I might not normally think of; things I'd ignored during the warm days. Lately I've been stepping back and looking at our house and what needs attention.

James and I have talked about taking each room one at a time and giving it the attention it needs.  When we fixed up the house years ago we opened up every fireplace that had been bricked shut. For some reason I never completed the job with the fireplace in our bedroom.  We can use it but I never made it look nice.  I exposed the brick but it's not a finished look that was supposed to be exposed.  It's all uneven and rough.  It was meant to be covered.  Some bricks stick out real far and others are recessed.

I've decided to mortar over them and come up with a nice finish but can't decide what that might be so for now we're looking at a somewhat even mortared surface.  At least it fills the gap between the mantle surround and the brick.  Tile maybe?  I don't know. It may wait another 8 years.

The dimmer switch in our bedroom has been broken for a long time so I finally installed a new one.
Why do we wait so long to do these things?  It only takes minutes to fix. There are some very real hazards to doing this though.  It required scissors to open the dimmer switch package.

I do love a dimly lit chandelier in a bedroom.

I recently experimented with a new cheese, Drunken Goat Cheese.  It wasn't as good as I wanted it to be but it sure looked pretty.  The semi-hard cheese was soaked in a brine and then a wine bath. It had a mild taste but nothing to brag about.

Yesterday I made a bunch of soap and some cheddar cheese, which is still in the press.  The yellow stuff is soap, not cheddar cheese.

Tonight I'm experimenting with the effects of salt and ammonia fumes on copper for some arts and crafts projects.  Growing up my parents gave me an craft present every Christmas (that I can remember) and that was almost always my favorite gift.  I've never outgrown this.  I expect more blue on the copper by tomorrow.

I also continue my fascination with bed springs.  Don't ask me why this is.  I guess I like rusty metal.  I don't know what this will become.  For now I stare at it and imagine possibilities.

I think that's what winter is for, imagining possibilities. 

Papa

This is our new bull, Papa. We're hoping he and Raisa become very good friends and produce a nice little heifer for us next year.

Two days before Papa arrived we separated Windsor and Raisa.  This has been very stressful for them and even a little bit for me.  I think their bawling and pacing upsets the other animals too.  Maybe not the pigs.  The first day Raisa wouldn't leave the fence for long so I wasn't able to milk her.  Today I got about 2 gallons.  She had more to give but decided she was done and, while I like to think I'm boss, Raisa makes it very clear she's boss when she's had enough. I think the reason she came to be milked was because she was afraid I'd give the food to the new guy.  Maybe she's a little more relaxed today because Windsor was off grazing.

Papa is probably 100 lbs lighter than Windsor.  He makes Windsor look roly poly.  Boy, can Papa run though.  He and Keri have been trying to establish who's boss.  I'm not sure if it's been settled yet. When Raisa first saw him she charged him with her back arched, screaming.   Keri thought it was her job to protect Raisa for once.

When I was trying to get some pictures of Papa Keri was nervous about me getting close.  So was I just a little.  I saw him charge Keri so I thought it best to give him space.  I made her stay away so I could move toward him without him feeling threatened by her.  She moved herself between him and the goats and kept watch to see if I needed protecting.

It's hard to photograph a black animal and capture his face with an Iphone.  I always have to edit to remove shadows but it's still hard to see more than his silhouette.

He's still very nervous today and seems to be watching the other animals interact.  He's unsure of and curious about the pigs and donkeys on the other side of the fence.  He lived with cattle only at his last farm so it's going to take him some time to get used to the way pigs and goats walk under donkeys and cows, share food and live very comfortably together.
 Here are a few more photos from this week.  Baxter likes to go to the field to explore and Keri likes having a canine playmate.  The goats used to be afraid of Baxter but now they're just bewildered by the quirky bundle of energy.

I was gathering rocks out of the yard and throwing them in the loader of the tractor and moving them to the creek.  Willy wouldn't stay out of Betty's bucket which proved to be dangerous when I accidentally hit her in the head with a rock.  She's fine, but she learned to stay out of the way after that.

Boy, was I wrong

This morning I emailed a friend, "not much excitement here".  As it turned out, I was very wrong.  My black Friday turned out to be very exciting.  When I went out to feed everyone I discovered Black Olive (my large black sow) gave me a nice surprise, better than anything I could fight the crowds for at a department store; two tiny piglets, a boy and a girl.

They took naps in my lap for about 30 minutes while their mom was eating.  So far they're not afraid of me.  Piglets usually squeal like crazy when you hold them but these two seem to like the warmth of my hugs.  The other pigs have welcomed them and are pretty gentle around them.  I saw Roxie gathering more straw to put in their pen to keep everyone warm.  Every now and then I think I shouldn't be keeping a non-productive gigantic hog but then I find many excuses to keep Roxie.  She makes all the nests and takes care of everyone.  This afternoon I went to check on them and all 10 pigs were cuddled up in a 7 1/2 X 7 1/2 foot shelter.  It's adorable the way they pack themselves together to keep warm to sleep.  Look how tiny the piglets are next to Roxie.

 This is 9 pigs.  One is out grazing.  They could probably fit a few more in.

  Tell me, is this not the sweetest thing you've ever seen?

Because my goats are ready to be dried up, it's time to separate Windsor from Raisa so we can continue to have milk.  I've been dreading this but Windsor is almost 8 months old so it's time.  Raisa is in heat today so she'll follow me anywhere.  I coaxed her through a gate where the pigs are, hoping Windsor would follow her.  My plan was to get her to go through first, knowing he wouldn't.  Then tomorrow coax her back through the gate and not let him through.  Well, he didn't want to follow.  Everyone else did.  The donkeys thought they were missing out on something.

Later I let the donkeys through and Windsor followed.  Now they're exploring new territory.  I hope tomorrow I can get Raisa back to the side of the field where I can milk her.  I have no idea how much milk Windsor has been taking.  I'm kind of excited.

The neighbors' horses were interested in the cows and donkeys now that they can see them better.

It was a pretty afternoon.  Ignore the traffic noise and power lines.  You'd think we live in the city from the sounds of it but that was just 2 cars with one obnoxious driver trying to impress someone.

It turned out to be a pretty exciting day afterall.

Little bear

I went down to milk goats this morning and was surprised by 2 things.  We returned last night after a week of vacation.   I stopped milking the goats so the farm sitters wouldn't have to deal with that.  I thought they'd be all dried up this morning but was pleased to find they all still had quite a bit of milk.  It'll be interesting to see how they'll produce now.  Hopefully all of them are bred now.

My second surprise was this.  See the black spot that looks like it's on the bridge?

Here, I'll zoom in so you can see it better.

Keri had been barking most of the time I was milking but it wasn't till I finished I saw why.  The bear is pretty small and he looked very sleepy.  He kept closing his eyes.  So cute.  Bear season is next month.  I hope this little guy stays safe.

Safe from dummies

When we bought this old house the previous owners asked if we wanted the 2 large safes.  One was from a post office and the other a bank.  They're heavy and wouldn't easily be moved out of our basement.  Of course we said yes; mostly because they're cool, not because we have much of value to protect.

James keeps some things in one of them and the other has been sitting there empty. This summer one of our neighbors was robbed so before we went on vacation James suggested I put my jewelry in the safe.  He didn't say which safe so I chose the empty one.  I locked it up tight and off we went.

Later I went to retrieve my jewelry.  I followed the combination instructions to a T (I thought) but at the end of the directions it said to unlock with the key.  The key we had didn't open it.  Both of us took turns messing with it to no avail.  We searched everywhere for the key.  Nothing.  So, for the past 4 or 5 months I've been wearing the same 3 pairs of earrings and 2 necklaces I took with us on vacation this summer.

Finally I called a locksmith.  Apparently not all locksmiths can open old safes like this so we had to  hire one about 45 minutes from here at a cost of $135.00 just to show up and another $100.00 per hour he was here.    Oh well, what choice did we have if I wanted my jewelry back, right?  I should mention, most of my jewelry is costume jewelry. I'm not a girl whose best friends are diamonds.  I wear what matches my outfit or what I like.

The young locksmith arrived this morning.  I had envisioned him trying to pick the lock, and when having no luck, using a cutting torch to open it.  James watched It Takes A Thief as a child and may have had some more interesting scenarios, I don't know.  What happened next was nowhere close to these images.  Mr. Young Locksmith turned the dial a smidgeon, tugged gently on the handle and opened the safe. No key necessary.  I guess we should have been embarrassed, and maybe I was a little, but mostly I was happy he didn't have to use a cutting torch and spend another hour here.  He was too polite to tell us we were idiots and didn't know how to properly use a combination lock.  He told us this happens all the time and shared other stories to help us recover our self-esteem.  Also, to make us feel like we got our moneys'-worth, he lubed the combination dial and interior mechanisms, stating this may have been why we found it hard to open.  He made us both open the safe to be sure we werent' a lost cause, or maybe to prove we were.

As you can see, the safes work best as storage for paint cans.  Maybe we should only use them for this purpose.

Boat needs a name

We're going to finish this boat and deck, that's a sure thing.  We're loving the way it's coming along and  spending much more time down by the river these days even though the temperatures are dropping.  James sealed the deck last week so all that needs to be done on it is the railing.  I'm enjoying it without for now.

The boat is making major transformations too. Remember this ugly duckling?

There were so many cracks and leaks in the roof water was wreaking all kinds of havoc inside, not to mention it was super nasty and dirty.

Two pressure washings later, plus lots of fiberglass, caulk and paint and here she is today.

We're loving having stairs.  Until recently we were climbing a wobbly step stool.

The interior looks even worse than that ugly picture above but I look forward to posting a before and after photo of it someday too.  Until then, I think we need to come up with a name for her.  Maybe she'll blossom if she has a name.  Hmmm, maybe Blossom.