Tuesday DayLook: February 25, 2014

 

Looking out from my back porch... it looks crisp, cool and slightly windy.  I really don’t want to stick an arm out to see if the temp predictions are accurate!

I am thankful for... warmth and a solid home – who in these northern climes isn’t thankful for those two at this time of year?  Also thankful that in February I can start to see the end of some homeschooling subjects…lighter days are ahead.

I am reading… newspapers and blogs.

I am praying for... a good friend’s father who is in the hospital with pneumonia.  Graham, who is preparing to receive his first Reconciliation this coming Sunday.

I am hearing... the water trickling through the filter of our aquarium.  It’s a peaceful sound.

I am wearing… black knit pants (kinda like leggings, but heavier material), a purple knit top with a green/aqua cami underneath.  I needed color today.

From the School Room... as I mentioned earlier, we are seeing the end nearing in some subjects.  It’s a great feeling and makes the kids want to work ahead even more.

From the Kitchen... over the weekend, I made up meatloaf and meatballs to ‘base’ our meals for the week.  We look forward to spaghetti and meatballs today.

From the Garden… if I’m going to start seeds, it will happen in March.  Will I have the gumption?

From the FarmYard… a friend in Fargo sells eggs for me, thank goodness!  Last year, Angelina was interested in Polish chickens, so we purchased 10.  There were quite a few cockerels, so not all are laying hens.  However, between them they produce about 2 dozen small eggs each week.  I don’t sell these, but they’re great for egg dishes like omelets, french toast, scrambled eggs or boiled eggs.

A successful moment… the boys (Graham and Zeke) wrestled in their first tournament last Friday and each placed third in their group.  They were happy and we thought it was fun to watch.

A few plans for the rest of the week…
Tuesday: Little Loboe wrestling practice for Zeke & Graham, Greg will help with practice

Wednesday: Eric and I plan to attend a sponsored talk on ‘technology’ – free meal with the deal – is it a date?

Thursday: Little Loboe wrestling practice for Zeke & Graham, Greg will help with practice, Ballet Academy for Angelina

Friday/Saturday/Sunday: Well baby check for Marcus, bulk shopping in Fargo, First Reconciliation Retreat & First Reconciliation for Graham, Scrap quilt workshop for Angelina, Crop Judging for Zeke & Angelina, Possible Wrestling Tourney for Zeke & Graham

A picture memory...

Zeke above and Graham below in 2009.  Zeke would have been six and Graham three.  My how they change over the years…the interest in Legos and building, however, has NOT changed!

Farmyard Fun

 

I haven’t been out to the farmyard for months.  That probably sounds unreal, but with a baby and the super cold winter…it just didn’t happen.  It’s not easy to leave him inside and get all wrapped up to just go out and walk around to see what’s happening.  But, this day, it finally happened!  I bundled up Marcus; because he’s still little and it’s still cool.

Here’s what I found…

Graham riding bike.  It think it’s amazing that kids ride bikes on the grass!  It’s a lot of work to ride through grass; and they have to ride through grass to get up on the main farmyard or to Grandma Green Acres’s home.

The chickens are still able to roam the farmyard.  It’s such a late year, the garden isn’t planted and not much it ‘up’ that they can peck to death in the flower gardens.  A favorite place to scratch is around the hog barn.  I love seeing them roam around the farm…this year, we have enough roosters that the flock is split into two or three groups.  Each is lead/watched over by a rooster. 

The hogs in their outside pen.  We were finally able to open this up when the weather started to become more predictably warm.  It’s been a cold spring.

For this kid, Zeke, it was the BEST birthday gift.  I get such a kick out of seeing him ride it around the farmyard.

The sheep are so friendly this year!  They came right over when Marcus and I walked up to their pen.  The kids will have a much easier time showing these lambs, in my opinion.

This is the first time I’ve taken Marcus out in a stroller.  He loved it!

We moved the laying chicks out to the Wahoo.  They have two heat lamps to make sure they’re warm enough and Eric covered part of their pen so keep the heat lower.  Crazy Spring!!  It’s been in the 30’s at night, even in May.  Hope the weather becomes more seasonal very soon.

I’m trying to get a picture of the polish chicks.  They have feather crests on top of their heads – or will once they’re fully grown.  One of them has a mohawk right now, and it’s quite funny.  They are going to be fun to watch. 

Growin’

The chicks are growing so fast!  I believe all of them had a few feathers when they arrived, but were slower and didn’t have that leggy, steady look.  Now they look taller, thinner, and more alert.  They are however, still cute as the dickens!!  I sure hope they like this tank because they’ll be in it for a while.  The wahoo will not be warm enough for them to live there; I’m guessing, for at least another three weeks, maybe four.  Oh, well.

By the way, last week we also brought the first of the pigs to the farm.  We have 18 in the pens thus far, and Eric figures we need another four or five to fill all of our requests.  Then, we need to get the sheep.  I had hoped to have one of our rabbits bred by now, but am so thankful!  It’s just too cold for a batch of little hairless babies. 

I haven’t been out to see any of these new additions…there might be pictures when it thaws!!

Chicks!

 

The coldest April I can remember in recent years, and this is the year I choose to have chicks shipped in April!  The first shipment arrived on Wednesday, April 10.  Fifteen chicks…7 Easter Eggers (green/blue eggs) and 8 Buff Laced Polish (lay small/med brown eggs).  They are as cute a the dickens!

In the above photo, the chick at the bottom is this huge fluff ball.  He/she is bigger than any of the other chicks…maybe it’s a day older or maybe it’s just the feathers.  Whatever the case, it’s darn cute.  The chick in the lower photo is a Polish chick.  They have this cute tuft of feathers on the top of their head…and they will as adults, too.

 

The second shipment of chicks arrived on Friday, April 12.  This shipment included 20 chicks total…10 California White Legorns, which will lay white eggs; 10 Welsummer (brown eggs) and 5 Speckled Sussex (brown eggs).  All the breeds are cold weather hardy and all except the Polish are Good to Excellent egg layers, meaning they’ll lay 250-300 eggs per year.

The chicks were a little scared and all crammed into the corner when I opened the shipping box.  Thankfully all arrived healthy and have remained healthy in these first few days.  I was worried about them this year because of the cool temps and because such a large number died during shipment last year.

We are keeping the chicks in the garage in a water tank.  We have to cover the tank when the garage doors are opened, but the house garage is warmer than any other building right now. 

Please let the May be warm.  We’d planned to move these chicks to move to the Wahoo in May because the broiler chicks will need the water tank when they first arrive!  The broilers ship the first week in May – that’s only three weeks.  Can all this snow be gone in three weeks??  I may be making a cardboard pen in the outside garage for the ‘laying’ chicks.  Argghhhh!  ND weather is crazy.

Tuesday DayLook: January 29, 2013

Looking out from my back porch... dusk is approaching and there is a light snow falling every once in a while.  It just looks cold, but I’m not going to check!

I am thankful for... babies who make me smile,  schoolwork that is finished without complaint, helpful mothers and friends, ice packs that help migraines, my chiropractor, simple meals, and the knowledge that some year I will sleep better at night.

I am reading… Backwoods Home magazine on my Kindle.  It’s great!  Lots about canning, simplicity, bit of politics, animals, homesteading…etc.

I am praying for... dear friend who had surgery last week and for my family.

I am hearing... the fan over my cooktop.  Cheesy broccoli soup is cooling.

I am wearing… today is a sweatpants and t-shirt day.

From the sewing/craft room (aka. laundry room!)… geez, I should just take this category off until we start up 4-H projects.  Oh, ya!  I’m in charge of a craft demo at our 4-H meeting this weekend – stenciled glass.  Wonder when I’ll find the time to get that organized?

From the School Room... let’s just say it’s once again a challenging year.  I’m trying new things and just pray that the efforts present results.

From the Kitchen... meatloaf, veggies and cheesy broccoli soup.

From the FarmYard… I ordered chicks yesterday!  Speckled Sussex, Welsummer, Ameraucana, California White, Golden Laced Polish, and Cornish Rock cross slow broilers. 

A successful moment… the Christmas thank-you’s are started?

A few plans for the rest of the week…

Wednesday: to town for errands

Thursday: to town for errands & dr. appts

Friday/Saturday/Sunday: crop judging starts on Saturday and kids have 4-H on Sunday

A picture memory... I don’t do much blogging right now, but there is a good reason!  Marcus Laurance was 5 months on January 12.

Monday DayLook: September 10, 2012

Looking out from my back porch... it’s still too dark to see anything!

I am thankful for... believe it or not, the early mornings that I am up with Marcus.  I’m almost accustomed to the extra time to read while sitting and nursing him at 4am.  At some point, I’ll need sleep more, but for now, it works to give me some alone (well almost alone) time.

I am reading… still have a few books I’m finishing up from before Marcus was born, but I think those have to wait for the right ‘time’.  Ya know sometimes you start a book and it just doesn’t click with your mood… that’s where I am with anything that requires too much thinking.  So, I’ve been reading a Highlander series on my kindle.  It’s entertaining, and at 4am that about what I can handle.

I am praying for... a better school year.

I am hearing... not much of anything except a few baby noises.  The little grunts and squeaks Marcus makes while stretching in his sleep.

I am wearing… pj’s & a grey sweater.

From the sewing/craft room (aka. laundry room!)… the laundry is caught up!  I’m a little behind in ironing and putting away folded clothes, though.

From the School Room... one child is not up to speed with his schedule (not much new, there).  The others are doing great, IMHO.  Most subjects have been added to the schedule.

From the Kitchen... 4 qts cinnamon pear sauce, peach pie, peach crisp, BBQ country style ribs on the grill.  Good week for food in our home.

From the Garden… a TON of peppers.  And, the tomatoes are producing.  There was a frost warning this past weekend, but we weren’t affected, so everything is STILL growing!  I am not sure if I’ll do any canning, but there is the possibility.  The pic shows just a small fraction of the peppers I harvested this past weekend.

From the FarmYard… the banty hen hatched two chicks earlier this summer and I have not been out to see them.  Angelina says she’s a good mother and has been teaching them all they need to know.  Unfortunately, one appears to be a cockerel; we don’t need four!

More farm animals have equaled more flies to pester us around the house.  I’m not sure how they find their way here from the farmyard, but every time I open our garage door, at least five seem to lead my way.  Ughhhh!

A successful moment… that I’m actually writing a post.  Eric and the kids successfully cleaned and stored the pool.

A few plans for the rest of the week…
Monday: Eric ,is gone all week for Big Iron, football practice for Dash

Tuesday: Football practice

Wednesday: The kids and I plan to go to Big Iron, Orthodontist Appt for Angelina

Thursday: EC mtg for me in Fargo, Football game for Zeke

Friday/Saturday/Sunday: Tis Friday Football game season, first day of religious education this Sunday, more yard clean-up

A picture memory...

Was it really only in January that Dash received his driver’s license?  It has been a blessing to have another driver is the household.

4-H Achievement Days 2012

Monday, June 25, 2012.  Officially known as 4-H Prep Day in our household.  It’s the day on which ALL the baking is done and many last minute tasks are completed.  We make sure all the small animals are clipped and primped.  Tack and food for the big animals is readied.  Clothing is laid out for the next day’s static exhibit showing/interview judging.

Tuesday, June 26, 2012.  Early in the morning, garden produce was picked, cleaned and set up for display.  Static exhibits (no animals today for our family) were loaded up.  Dash and I were assigned to be judges’ helpers, so we left for town early.

I sat at the sewing/needlework table, enabling me to hear Zach’s response to the judge when he was asked if he ‘liked his sewing project’.  His reply?  “No.”  Silly kiddo!  He didn’t complain at all during the project and he did really well.  The judges encouraged him to keep sewing!

Our kids’ projects for 2012:

Dash: Cooking/Baking – Pear Streusel Pie, Lemon Blueberry Quick Bread; Aerospace – 2 rockets; Crop Production – 2 grain samples; Welding – Snowmobile stand, Butterfly garden stake; Gardening – rhubarb; Poultry – rooster, hen; Rabbits – Senior Doe; Swine – barrow, gilt; Sheep – Mkt. Wether

Angelina: Cooking/Baking – Maple Pecan Cornbread, Double Chocolate Chip Cookies; Food Preservation – Bing Cherry Sauce; Sewing – dress, lace trimmed skirt, pillowcase; Crop Production – 2 grain samples; Gardening – potted flowers; Pottery – Hand formed name plaque; Poultry – hen; Rabbits – Senior Buck; Swine – barrow, gilt; Sheep – Mkt. Wether

Zeke (first year as ‘true’ 4-H member): Cooking/Baking – Brownies, Make Your Own Cocoa Mix; Aerospace – 2 rockets; Sewing – drawstring swim tote with front pocket; Woodworking – cutting board; Crop Production – 2 grain samples; Gardening – potted flowers; Poultry – hen; Rabbits – Senior Doe; Swine – barrow, gilt; Sheep – Mkt. Ewe

Graham (first year as Cloverbud): Cloverbud projects – 2 rockets, potted flowers; Rabbits – Senior Buck

After lunch, I went home with Louis!  It was definitely time for a nap.  Eric stayed behind to get the kids (Dash, Angelina and Zeke) to the Consumer Choices contest.  Dash placed 2nd in the Sr. Division, Angelina placed 1st (and was the only entrant) in the Jr. Division, and Zeke won the beginner division.

Wednesday, June 27, 2012.  Small animal (rabbit & poultry) showing began at 9:30am.  Dash, Angelina and Zeke showed poultry this year.  Dash won overall poultry with the Buff Orpington rooster and was also awarded overall poultry showman.  Angelina showed a bantam hen, while Dash & Zeke showed Ameraucana hens.  They were the only entrants in poultry.

Dash, Angelina, Zeke and Graham (his first year!) showed rabbits.  Our county had a large group of rabbits this year, making it quite a bit of fun!  Angelina was named overall rabbit showman.

A few families went together to order pizza for lunch.  We have such a fun group!  The Tractor Driving Contest began at noon.  Dash won the Sr. division this year.  It seemed to be particularly difficult for our senior entrants this year.  Plenty of stakes were bent, broke or knocked over by all.  They drove a large tractor and a trailer large enough to carry two snowmobiles.

Zeke and Angelina both competed in the Jr. division.  Lots of fun trying to maneuver the lawn mower tractor and trailer around cones and then back it into ‘storage’.

The swine show started at 3pm.  Dash, Angelina, and Zeke each showed a barrow and a gilt.  Zeke won both the barrow and gilt class – he was ALL smiles!  Angelina was awarded the overall swine showman.

In the sheep show, Angelina and Dash showed market wethers and Zeke showed a market ewe.  Dash won the overall sheep showman award.

Dash also won the overall showman award.  He, Angelina and another 4-H member competed in beef, swine and sheep (the only large animals exhibited at our Achievement Days). 

On to the ND State Fair at the end of July, 2012!!