Big Cat, Small Basket

Here is our oldest male cat,Tom (a.k.a Snots) because of his sinus condition.

He has overfilled this basket and it is barely holding him in.

Nothing beats a basket on the table in a sunny window on a cool day.

Greenhouse Growings

Pumpkin patch

Zucchini patch

Zucchini and cucumbers

I had the privilege of visiting a friends greenhouse in Hartshorn, MO in the Sunklands of the Ozarks.

They are off the grid and raise all their own food for their family. The children raise the plants to be harvested all year long. They can/jar to preserve the harvest. Since they are off the grid watering can be problematic. A generator is used to get water from the well during the severe drought we had last month. 

It was a learning experience seeing how others grow veggies in the Ozarks. Zucchini and pumpkin are great large growing veggies that can go a long way as a backbone to your food source. Pumpkins can be stored all winter/spring long. Zucchini can go with anything or as the main course.

Orphan Filly Update

TWH mare after an October rescue. She is 7-8 and has been over-bred in the recent past. Now she is with other mares and is gaining weight. Next her feet will need work.

Here is L.L. or Livey Love, the orphan filly now at 1 year of age. She is an AQH who was taken from her mother to be destroyed prior to a sale. She was rescued and hand raised. She is not spoiled and knows she will be a working horse. Her coat is red with a flaxen mane and tail. LL is growing up to be a beauty.

Her unique face.

Here is the mare herd keeping out of the sun and away from the flies.

Costume Redo

The challenge to fix the top and skirt.

Experimenting with different fabrics.

Lots of hand sewing and hook and eyes.

Almost done.

A friend of ours needed some sewing help on her daughters costume. Two parts of the costume had to be refitted and updated to fit her daughter for a Lord of the Rings event. We also added a neat belt with a matching fabric. Now have to go back and redo the sleeves as they are too tight and heavy. Will update after the top is completed.

Maple Update

Here is Maple our almost 2 year old Fox trotter filly. Not in the best pose for her. Alan had spent an hour trying to catch her in the dry lot so we could medicate her leg puncture. He is good at "out-stubborning" the horses. Never give up, never surrender. Maple likes to stay with the herd if there is no grain to be had. Somehow Maple had gotten a puncture in her upper foreleg last week. Her leg swelled and we called the vet. Horses tend to heal well in the wild on their own. But we wanted the best treatment possible for her as she is normally a good filly. After the capture, he walked her around and found the only patch of live green grass on our farm. Maple enjoyed the sweet green grass and the attention. Maple and her half brother Bean will be going to the trainer in August if they are big enough. 

Beefalo

One of the farmers near us raises Beefalo. A bison mixed with an Angus creates this leaner form of beef. The Beefalo are hardy and easy to care for not wild but tame. 

A Very Full Day

Well, today we did yard work, hauled trash, fed livestock, shot some varmints, mowed the lawn, cleaned the house, did laundry, watched husband shoot a wharf rat, drove a neighbor to the car shop, picked veggies from our garden, replaced lights,  drove by the hay farmers, picked eggs, fed horses, visited with neighbor and made dinner. We are having guests over this weekend and hope to have a blast showing off our farm. Now we need to go outside and perform a rain dance since it has not rained in a long time. Yeah, I am as tired as our barn cat on the sofa.

Here be Turkey Lane

Our turkey poults are almost 1 month old and growing everyday. We bought bronze breasted poults from the local feed store. They are large but still baby chicks in the brain. But they keep up with our chickens and go after all the bugs. They are smart enough to stick together and return to the coop at dusk. They come when called and can fly a little. I think they are all females. We will try to buy a straight run of 5 more turkeys to get a male or Tom. We are hoping to breed them. A free range turkey is a happy turkey. Even if they do not breed successfully, they will be great to have for dinner.

Turtle Games

Here is a box turtle my neighbor moved out of her yard for safe keeping. The turtle wanted back into the yard post haste.

After a while my neighbor brought the turtle back into the yard. There might have been a nest the turtle needed to be in. The dog, Lucy, just wanted to play turtle hockey, which involves a lot of barking.

Lucy is getting instructions on the rules of the game.

Rules are thrown out and the barking commences along with more turtle hockey.

The umpire takes the turtle back to home plate and the visiting team was sent home. 

There be Big Spiders

In my garden I was visited by a very large mama spider and her babies on her back. Mama spider was about 3 inches across and could fit in the palm of my hand. I did not pick her up as she had baby spiders pouring off of her. Spiders are great to have around the garden as they eat pests. She drank some water and headed her own way.

Good Night Mr.Sendak

I grew up reading Where the Wild Things Are and In the Night Kitchen. I thought here is someone who

understands what it is like having a little brother around. The honesty and the imagination put on paper stuck in my mind as an adult artist. I hope I never grow up either and keep my inner child forever like Mr. Sendak.

He led the life he wanted as an artist. He was a free spirit I admire and hope to meet one day

on the other side, where the wild things are.

Summer Wedding Quilt

It has taken me almost a year to have time to sit down and work on a quilt. This one was hand quilted by a clients mother and it needed to be finished and bound. I had so much fun sitting down and focusing on completing a project with my hands again. Farming requires muscles, brains and lots of energy. Quilting requires focus and  artistic abilities, I miss using my talents. I think this project turned out nicely. Now I have to finish lining a coffin for another client, ah, life on the farm.

Feeding Cows and more

Our neighbors donkey and goats love to get their daily dose of grain. Opal, the donkey looks like she might have a baby soon. We also grain the cows to get them used to us. They come right up to us for feed now. I am more careful around the cows since my nose was broken.