Rum Cake

Today was my hubby's birthday. He wanted a rum cake made from his grandmothers recipe. 

His sister was kind enough to send me the original recipe and I followed it to the letter. 

After it comes out the oven you add the rum butter glaze. I let him do that as I had dishes to clean.

You can see the rich buttery glaze in the cast iron pot.

The cake sat overnight in a cake pan and turned out exactly as he remembered it from his childhood. 

It was a great sharing it with friends after dinner.

Piggy Surprise

Today, we were invited out to dinner with friends from our church. Millie had a surprise waiting for me in her car. She gave me her handmade set of ceramic pigs she painted herself. I had admired them in her home and she gave them to me. They are so happy looking and I needed to see some happy pigs smiling at me.  I will add them to my farm kitchen. They can sit and smile at me while I cook.

So cute, detailed and well painted. Each one has it's own cute face. I can tell they were painted with care.

Beefalo me now

Last Sunday we were invited to a friends farm to meet his Beefalo. He has a real buffalo that has been bred to an Angus bull creating buffalo hybrids called Beefalo. His livestock is tame and likes to be pet and given snacks. We got to pet a real live buffalo and her offspring.

The buffalo was extremely fast moving for such a large animal. We were quick to get out of her way when she decided it was time to move.

She is chasing the horses away from snack time.The upright tail means she is mad.

Ready for more petting and treats.

Coming around fast for more attention.

The gravy train arrives and they all get a snack.

These hybrids are very hardy and survived the drought last summer and winter with no problems. The Angus the farmer had did not come out of winter as well as these Beefalo. They were ribby and thin. The hybrid meat is very lean and full of flavor. It was very exciting seeing what other farmers raise. Buffalo can never be moved from where they are raised. They will destroy any fence to get back home again by walking in ever widening circles. This buffalo was saved as a baby and raised on this farm. This is her home and she is the queen of the herd.

Let There be Shelby

After much talk about the pros and cons, we decided we needed another equine around our farm. Since we have 3 horses one will always be left behind. Our younger horses really go nuts when left behind. We heard that a jenny was needing a new home. Her price was the trade of our two adult turkeys. They needed a new home and we needed them out of our coop. The donkey is hard to catch and needs more handling, but she is healthy and our filly needs her. This was the first time all week my filly was calm for a change. Our other two horses are at the trainers. The jenny's name is Shelby. Since she is very fast the name works.

Maple and Shelby

Looking out for Maple and her new pasture.

Learning about the lead rope and its limits.

Our Tank Lives Again

After three years in dry dock we finally launched out fish tank again. We kept the original rocks in sealed containers all that time. We were able to use all our original rock and wood, however had to by a new pump, heater and tubes.

Clown Loaches waiting to be added to the tank.

Our tank and real live plants.

goldfish and loaches

One of the two Koi we have in our tank. 

Ump Fishing

Here is Ump our young cat standing on my chair to see the fish tank.

She is fascinated by the tank and watches and sleeps by it as often as she can.

Trying to reach the fish.

Frozen tank stare

She waits for anything to happen.

Digging in the Dirt

We are having a very late spring here in the Ozarks. This time I usually have beds done and planted. Everything seems to be taking its time to bloom this spring. Even the bugs are not out yet to feed my chickens. But the grass is green again and growing in our pastures. Soon we can let our horses have some fresh green grass again. We have not had green grass since the beginning of summer last year. The drought  was so bad all our plants died.This year I am hoping for more rain and happier plants.

March Hatching

Here is Ump, the cat, watching over our 2 brooder box hatchlings. Our hen hatched them but did not leave her nest, so I moved them indoors. I usually have 1-3 hatches to restock for our farm each year.

The chicks got much bigger and I moved them out of tubs and  into a used leaky stock tank. You can see I added a stuffed Olivia pig in their with them. Soon their pin feathers were emerging and the dust level tripled inside my kitchen.

After almost a month it was time to get them outside into the coop. The smell of 8 chicks get stronger no matter how many times you change the litter. Chicks smell, end of story.

I had 7 hens and one rooster in this hatch. Now all of them are in the coop learning how to grow up into productive poultry for our farm. Ours are a mix of Americana, Cuckoo Marans, Rhode Island Reds and the always present Leghorns. Every year we get a new rooster to add new blood to the mix. This year we will add some bantam hens for hatching, Americana's for blue eggs, and some perhaps Cornish cross roosters for meat.

A Great Read

I am reading a great book for our times called Rediscover Catholicism by Matthew Kelly. It is not just for Catholics but for anyone who wants some real answers to living a genuine life in these times. If you just read the Prologue you will be hooked. Matthew is a great writer for this broad subject for many walks of life.  He is clear in his chapters and has a lot of good information about living in our current times. It is hard to put this book down. Anyone wanting to find answers to life, give this book a try. You won't be disappointed. You can also get a free copy here plus the shipping.

Happy Easter from the Ozarks

Rose says Happy Easter Everyone. This is our Rex bunny Rose who is now almost 7 years old. This was taken last April when the spring came early. This year it is still cool and only hints of green grass.

Rose adores flower beds.She is wearing her blue harness so she won't run off.

Purple is her favorite flower color.

Snowy Late March

It has has been a long winter and now it snows like crazy at the end of March here in the Ozarks.

My trees are budding and my plants are popping up and then the snow came.

I was warned by a local that we were due another cold shot as the peepers were still croaking.

She was right as rain. I am glad I got my travel done. Now I can focus on spring gardening. I have a ton of seeds to plant and crops to start. Going to be a busy late spring for me and everyone else who plants.

Poppy heading for the warm wood stove in the house.

My hungry hens eating everything under the snow.

Wet and snowy slippery driveway.

Collar greens still growing after two winters.

Spring Chores

Spring is peeking through the grey ground again. Our horses are off the pasture and in a dry lot again. Got to give the pasture a chance to regrow again. Have to move the greenhouse and start seedlings. Have to build a second garden fence in the horse dry lot. All that black soil will be used for tomato and zucchini plants again. Will try to plant corn again this season. All my roses are in bud and life is starting again. Looking forward to fresh veggies and flowers to share.

Short Cold Auction

I went with a horse buddy to our local horse auction in town last Friday. It was very cold and snowy but it is always fun to talk horse. It was the same place I bought my first two pregnant mares three years ago. I have learned a lot since then about buying horses at auction. But it turned out well for our mares and now we have two wonderful young fox trotters to ride.

There were only a handful of horses being auctioned on this night. Only a few were said to be broke to ride. 

This one had a lame back leg but was kind and loved people. She was a big QH mare that

needed some groceries and a bath. Her injury looked recent and was left untreated to be auctioned instead of calling a vet.

This wild grey gelding had a lot of spirit, I am a softy for greys. He looks like my mare. Greys are hard to keep clean and are dirt magnets. 

This mule was very fat with a cresty neck. While rideable I am sure there will be some founder in its future.

This Standardbred mare was once taken care of as she had a short coat for winter. However, she suffered some accident in her left hip causing her to limp badly.

I was able to buy a bridle and a few tack items before the horse part began. I go these auctions to see how other people treat their horses. And I learn to take good care of my horses after seeing how neglect causes such suffering in these beautiful animals. Not all these horses are neglected, some are from broken homes and each has a story when they are at the auction. For my mares their story has a great conclusion, they are in a good home with clean water,green hills and warm hay. They are rideable and useful animals and will have one even after they are no longer useful..