Orphan Gray

This past Easter Sunday we were invited to a friends house for supper. After we finished our meal the owner of the home complained about mewing in the walls. I offered to help track down the mewing. I crawled under the decking and located a hole, but no access to the mewing. Then I asked about from where was the noise the loudest, in the bathroom it was said. So we located the pipe access hole, and another friend was in the crawlspace under the bathroom, they located a single kitten. It was folded and passed down a pipe into the arms of a warm towel holder. We then tried to locate the mother around the outside of the house, to no avail. And they have a dog that does not tolerate cats. We gave it some tuna in a can then it was offered to me to care for.So after a few calls we got the local vet to meet us at his clinic for a triage. We thanked our host and apologized for tearing up their house in the hunt. We met the vet and he got us started on the kitten feeding train.

The kitten is 2 weeks old, eyes opened but weak.

After a few feedings it got stronger.

Post meal nap time in warm arms.

Looking for more formula. Raising a newborn kitten is not easy. Lots of feedings, warm pads, mewing, and more feedings. Plus our home team does not like the interloper. If all goes well it should gain weight and grow up well. It is a silver gray fuzzy male kitten with long hair possibilities.

Pair of Tabbies

Do you dare, stare at the pair?

Little Green House on the Prairie

We bought this greenhouse over 2 years ago and it sat waiting to be installed.

Finally, we put in a stone foundation and ran electricity to the pad.

Next was dragging it up and onto the pad.

The pad is full of hand gathered stones and gravel.

Pulling the chains

Getting the house up and over

Pulling slowly

Setting in the post so wind does not tip it over. 

My husband brings my vintage Lucite grape lamp for installation into the greenhouse. He found this for me and I loved it, but could not find a spot in the house for it. But for the greenhouse, it is perfect.

All wired in for a night show.

After a busy day, a good night.

All's Well that Ends Well

This week has been very busy on the farm. Along with planting crops we have had our well recapped. We help our contractor to save on labor cost. But to finish the well cap he only had Osa, our shepherd, to supervise.

Custom welded cap oriented to the true directions of the compass.

Cutting in the stone to hold the metal cap.

Grouting and sealing

View from the deck. All the original stones have been moved to other parts of the farm.

Good soil and grass seed are next.

Signed, dated and the depth recorded for posterity.

The original hand dug well is still usable and is now safe.

Rain and Turkey

A very ominous cloud formation last week. Heavy rains washed away my seeds and I have to replant.

No tornado just dark clouds and some hail. It has been a rainy and cold spring this year.

My constant outdoor companions in my pasture.

Tall in the Saddle

Here is our friend and horse trainer working a Mountain horse gelding for trail riding. It was a cool evening and the sun was setting in the west. Both were a bit camera shy but still neat to see. This horse has a great gait.

Oh Deer

Last month we seeded and fertilized our pasture. It is growing lush and tall. We took our horses off the pasture so it can grow. Then these deer showed up nibbling away at our green fields. Making our horses so jealous.

Stone Me Well

 Our original hand dug 1800's  well cap was crumbling. It was becoming a hazard to our livestock and visitors to our farm. So we decided to talk to Jeff Royer our friend and contractor. I wanted a round cap instead of a square one. And a metal lid for the well door for use if needed. So the demolition began this week. The heavy lid and the cap were broken and removed.

Lifting the old cement off the old well.

Measuring the old well and digging it back.

New Portland cement mix and flagstone.

Laying and hand cutting flagstone to fir the round cap.

Finished flagstone surround and waiting for the metal cap. The well is covered with wood until the cap is installed. The cap is a surprise coming soon.

In Trenched

These are from last week and this project to get power and water to the chicken coop has been done. I am just behind with my photos. I was just happy to have it all come together after 3 years of by hand and hose and cords.

Our water softener drain line.

Our contractor and neighbor working out the trenches.

My husband filling in the trenches.

We have grass plugs growing on the mud now.

Over the Hump

This was my Wednesday this past week. Got up at 7 to feed the farm, water the farm, load up the 2 boy rabbits to be fixed.Drove to the vets then the feed store to pick up fencing. 

Saw the neighbor painting his RV, reminded him about vet farm call at 3pm. 

The vet called early and was headed my way. Could I reach my neighbor to remind about his appointment? I was able to get my horse haltered and tied to the tree. Here is my 3 year old gelding waiting to have his teeth floated. He was not happy to be tied up but I was too busy to care. The vet came and we floated his teeth. I held Bean's head and the vet filed away.The sharp points were filed down so the horse could eat without wasting his grain.

Next I went to my neighbors to be there if he needed help with his cows. 

The vet was going to pregnancy check part of his herd.

Learned about cow chutes and how cows can choke in a chute.

All survived and no one was hurt. I went back home to clean the horse mouth blood off my gloves. Our vet was kind enough to bring our rabbits with him. Both boys are calmer and more relaxed now. I made a chick brooder box for incoming chicks.After this I was able to do indoor chores, cook dinner and a friend's son came over to get tutored in math. We finally had dinner at 9pm and then called it a day.

Can You Dig it?

We decided this was the last winter for us to run water hose and electric cords to the coop and horses.

We are having the lines dug and run to the coop.

The trenching was a gift in trade with a neighbor who has a backhoe. He is kind enough to dig where told by our contractor.

It took most of the day to do most of the trench digging. I was busy doing chores inside and outside. It was a perfect sunny day to do outdoor things.

Took three men to trench out the earth. We found huge earthworms and some old bricks. On Friday they should have most of the digging done and then the PVC, wire and water get put in. Yes, it will be nice to have water and power nearby.