Organizing Chaos and Rain

Along with sewing, restoration, leather work, farming and chores I am organizing my studio, slowly. I have so many materials I use in restoration I needed to get things to hold it all. Mobile things with lots of drawers. Sewing needles, feet, leather tools, punches, embroidery discs, antique sewing items, lace, threads and so much more. My drawers are mobile so I can move them to get foster kittens, toys and things rearranged for farm emergencies in the walk out basement, aka- my studio. Since we no longer ride our equines, I got all the tack out of my office. Tons of room now filled with mobile work stations.

It has been very rainy in the Ozarks this summer.

So that is why we now have mostly ducks. Ducks love the rain and bugs.I have culled most of my chickens. But my hens still found the time to hatch out 14 baby chicks! Ugh! I just sold one hen and 13 chicks last week. I sold off 2 roosters to the auction house as well. This leaves my old roo and his son along with a half blind game hen and about 6 old hens and 14 baby chicks. Nature finds a way to fill a vacuum. But my ducks are hardier and long lived. They lay most of the year and are very winder hardy. They never stop feeding and foraging. Their eggs are larger and better than chickens. It's easier to raise the baby ducklings. The downside for us - they are not broody. My flock will not set on a nest. I set the eggs under a hen to hatch and I raise the ducklings indoors, then foster duck them.

Our pond is full!

Culinary herbs within reach from the kitchen. Love summer and herbs.

Orphan Filly

Last week a filly was born and 4 days later her mother died. The owner let a full sized horse stallion run with a pony and the large foals birth killed the pony mare a few days later. The owner did not know about it for two days as he has health issues. So calls were made and my friend, a seasoned horse woman, took on the challenge. She has the experience, time and stalls for this tiny filly.

Calf manna powder in warm water 1 cup every 2 hours for the first week day and night. The filly was very skinny but clean and moving around well. This is a mini horse sized halter, the smallest we had. It on for the photos only. The halter stays off when the filly is not with us.

First day on the farm.

Showing me how to feed the filly without a bottle.

Still looking for its mama.

Second week learning manners. Second week feedings are cup and a half of manna every 2.5 hours.

And licking fingers for more milk. Very soft coat and feisty disposition. We will not name it as it does not belong to us. The goal is to get baby to weaning age and back to the owner.

Antique Gas Stove

I love cooking with gas stoves. But hate the way modern ones are so poorly built for cleaning. I love old stoves and know several locals that still use gas or wood stoves like this one. 

It is in mint condition only too short for me. If you are looking for one like this got to Freakin' Antiquin' in Springfield, Missouri and ask about the stove by the restrooms that is for sale,

The enamel inside is like it has never been used. No dents, no rust no missing parts. I hope to have one like this one day.

Cat Bite

As a person who works with cats, fosters cats, rescues cats and has cats -this was a humbling day. We visited a friends farm to fix a computer. Her white barn cat came running out to greet us and get pet/attention. It was very affectionate and kind of a bully. When my friend  asked how to go about clipping her claws - I showed her and got a bit for my troubles.

Thankfully it  is UTD on its rabies and I let my hand bleed out after I let it go. Yes, it hurt- a lot. I washed with soap and water several times and checked for any foreign bits in my hand. I bandaged it and then finished the rest of our visit. I came home and drew the circles around the teeth marks to track swelling and possible infection. You can have serious problems with cat bites. I am also UTD on my tetanus after a broken nose moving cattle one day. Yes, it hurts after 3 days but nothing is swelling  up and nothing is broken. I will be more cautious with strange cats in the future.

Fantastic Caverns

Here in Missouri there are a lot of caves. One of the oldest is in Springfield, Fantastic Caverns. This photo is the fire/coal driven generator for lights in the cave used originally after candle light. Today it is all electric lights.

It is big but very low ceilings. You will have to duck a few times as you are driven around the cave. No bats, just propane powered jeeps pulling carriages under the ground. There are about 4 of these running during the summer season. It is not a long a ride as I had hoped. But it was fun.

Very old cave formation and no bats.

The visitors were all from all over the map. But this was our first time.If you like caves this was pretty neat.

Antique Ironing Stool Restoration begins

I saw this at a yard sale at a friends farm and no one wanted it. I have never seen nor used one but wow do I need one. Modern ironing boards are tall, heavy, rickety and take up a lot of space. This well used by a single family for generations was what I have been looking for. 

It is the right height for my short frame, heavy duty ironing table converts to a stool in short order. This means I can use it then have a table or stool nearby.The leg had be replaced well at some point to continue it usefulness. However there are many coats of oil based paint on this stool. And the original padding is dry rotted. Restoration begins while the weather is good.

Tools of the restoration

The original turquoise blue paint under the white.

Slipped in layers of muslin and padding

Yes, that is horsehair under there.

 After diving into the stool the paint removal will be a long chore. I need to take it apart and stripping will go faster. So I have to stop and work on caging extra roosters and planting my tomatoes. Rain is called for soon and the garden waits for no one.

Just Ducky

So after 2 weeks I was able to locate some other ducklings for my single hatchling. After lots of inquires and texting I was able to go to a poultry farm to pick out 3 week old ducklings. It was a very Ozark kind of farm. No house in the deep woods, no road, just a shack with electricity, AC and running water and cages everywhere. The cages were up off the ground and huge, packed with poultry of different ages and breeds. The birds were in ok condition but the floors of the pens and cages were a foot deep in poop. This causes ammonia burns on their feet. I only needed two but I picked a third that was in a bad way- deformed legs. I got two Chinese Crested and a malformed Pekin.

I got them home and put them in the tub with soap and water. I bathed them 3 times until the water was no longer brown. They were covered in feces and ammonia. I treated them to clean indoor cage with heat lamp and clean dry shavings. After a week of this it was time to put them outside with a foster mama duck. They are doing well with a pool instead of my tub and learning to be ducks. They are thriving in the sunlight, food and TLC. Our farm animals get pampered at our place. I will post more photos when I can. It is haying and planting season and time is in short supply.

Rocking Out

Two weeks ago we attended a friends estate auction. Among her late fathers possessions was a heavy box of polishes stones. It had everything, books, stones and jewelry settings.

So for a fair price I got the whole box sight unseen. It was heavy and the auction was moving at a fast pace. So I put it in the truck and forgot about it until today. There is way too much for me to ever use. So I am rock swapping with another rock hound.

I really like the half polished matte rocks. I had no idea this friends father was into rocks. It was a pleasant thing to find out about him and to share.

Taro Bubble Tea

One nice thing about our area there are several Vietnamese who have settled here in the Ozarks. One thing they have, bubble tea. It is a fruit shake mixed with large tapioca pearls. We got to try taro bubble tea- tasted like the best vanilla shake ever with the gummy balls at the bottom. Now I understand why so many people in other countries stand in line for these. Americans do not realize how tasty these shakes are. No weird synthetic flavor nor aftertaste. Fresh and tasty. If you live around a Vietnamese restaurant go in and try bubble tea. Worth it!

Spring Farm Visitor

A good friend from El Salvador flew in just to spend the week with us.

He is moving to London soon and we will not see him again for a while.

He worked on his family farm and wanted to help with chores. So he got to tractor around, feed the farm and fish in our pond.

He wanted to spend one whole day just fishing and he got to do that.

He caught a lot of bluegill but released them after. It was so nice to have him stay with us. Farm life is not for everyone. But he had fun and will be missed.

Single White Duck and Farm Goodbyes

Last week a single duckling hatched under a chicken. I thought they were all chicken eggs. This big guy hatched- no others did from that clutch. My hens will not raise a duckling. So into our house it goes. It thinks I am its mama now. So I am looking for some siblings for it. Not an easy task around here as most are geese and chickens in these parts.

This guy will be raised outside soon with a foster older mama duck. It will not be easy to do. But if I can locate some siblings it will be a lot calmer raised as a duck and not a pet.

Yesterday I helped our farm neighbors host a farm moving sale. This was bitter sweet. He just retired from AC repair to raise cattle full time, but his wife has Alzheimers. He sold all 800 acres to another cattleman. But the house and all had to be sold as well. Everything liquidated for when she needs full time care.

It cost $5 grand a month to house a person in a nursing home here. But she is not ready for that yet. So they are moving into town in a smaller home near the hospital and the nursing home. Their adult children are supportive but the husband is stressed. This was not the plan they had for retirement. She was so full of life and now with the drugs she is a zombie. The stress of moving away from home, new home and selling off everything has her very anxious. But it has to be done. Everything sold except for a tiny table, a bed and some chairs. The farm house has become empty even down to the last barn kitten. 

These were our best friends here. They came over in a heartbeat to help with farm emergencies. They will be greatly missed. Alzheimers is a horrible disease. It is taking away the thing that make us who we are. Our personality, knowledge and experiences until we become a vegetable. I have seen over 6 people in my life die from this. Each one was different, from different walks of life from people born in 1930's-1950's men and women. What is lost in incalculable. So I listen to those I love. I pay attention to their stories, foods and music. So when they are down I can pull up a memory they connect with. We are so lucky to have portable computer/phones now. We can share photos, music and more instantly. And just for a moment, make someone engage with us once more.