Keyboarded Bunny

This is my old keyboard,a gift from my husband. I played it but never cared for the electronic sound. Since we now have the Knabe upright in working order,this needed a new home. I would have donated it to a school, but sadly most no longer have music programs nor bands. We found where musicians hang out and play at Mojo Monkey Cafe in Houston, Missouri. Musicians of all types hang out there to eat, visit,surf the internet and play music. It is a great place for coffee and food. And they were in need of some instruments. So we brought my keyboard  and it was happily added to the set. It will get used instead of collecting dust in my room. 

This is chicken housing for poultry at the feed store. We are looking at this as an option for our bunny rabbits. Larger and mobile is our goal and predator proof. A bunny tractor for the yard. This way the bunnies get fresh grass, sunlight and room to run and we get free fertilizer. They still will be brought inside our house at night. We have night predators that could wear this hutch like a hat.

Wooden Indoor Trees

Here are some rail road ties we priced. They are asking $8.25 each for 8 ft ties. Still looking around. We need these for around our greenhouse.

Here is part of my indoor forest. A dwarf magnolia and a large kumquat with fruit. All are waiting for winter to end and my greenhouse to be usable. My goal this year is to use my greenhouse instead of the inside of my house.

Frozen February

Here is the view I have had all winter. Cold, snow and ice everywhere. So glad we have wood heat.

Zilla roasting against the glass door. It is very warm here as it gets full sun.

You want me to move so you can open the door?-Zilla

Osa and Zilla taking a melting nap on deck. This after spending the entire night asleep inside the house next to the fireplace.

Gasland 2

Since I was not feeling well and had some time my husband and I watched Gasland part 2. It is about how pervasive fracking now is in the USA and the world now. Am I worried? Yes, I have family that live in PA, and CA and friends all over the world. Fracking is now in their backyard. Like mushrooms after a summer storm, our world is littered with wells that are poisoning all our drinking water, forever. It can never be cleaned or undone.

This is just a map of the areas in red of the USA that have fracking going on. 

I am not going to tell you about what happens, just sit and watch it. But the good guys lose and the bad guys, well you know how it goes. In the end we are all going to lose this wonderful planet.

I'd like to thank Josh Fox for being a harbinger. Not many would choose do this.

Blackfish

When I was younger I wanted to be with dolphins and go to a park to see them perform. I was taken to one, but was too young to remember it. I lived in Maine and got to see wild orca in the ocean up close on a small boat. I was happy the orca did not turn over the boat and left us alone. I was awestruck how huge they were.I grew up, moved away from water and forgot about them. Until I saw this movie, Blackfish. I truly thought aquatic parks had closed up and gone out of business. I had no idea these places were so popular. What the masses do not comprehend is that these animals are smart and wild born. They do not belong in a cement tank working for fish. This movie is about what happens to the naive trainers when they work with these huge smart animals. It is just sad human greed and ignorance keeps these places running for our vulgar entertainment. And that baby orca and dolphins are removed from their parents in the wild and in captivity, breaking the hearts of their mothers. The harvesting of these aquatic mammals is big business for Japan (The Cove, a movie) and other nations willing to sell out their natural resources. It is all about money and greed.

I hope one day we wake up and turn away from this form of animal cruelty as entertainment.

Tanks for the Memories

This morning my husband took a nap after pulling an all nighter for a work deadline.The house was quiet as I got chores done. But a rumble sounded and a truck arrived with a trailer to haul away our old propane gas tank. Our tank had leaked out and was no longer usable. So our gas company came to remove it at our request. We had a 100 gallon temporary tank leaning on the old tank The man took notice of it but hit it anyway. He was reckless and almost severed our gas line to the house. I stood back and watched. My two dogs did the same. There was a lot of tugging and tanks clanging and digging bar was used. The driver was at least kind enough to set some new footers and told us how to t-post in our small tank. So much fun to set post in the frozen ground.

Then it took another 30 minutes for him to get the tank on the lifter. I was happy the blue tank was gone and no ruts in the yard. Now we have to find a new or used 500 gallon propane tank that does not leak. Propane prices are high right now and tanks are hard to find. But we do not need propane for heat, only cooking and drying. And by owning our own tank, we can paint it anyway we want. The tracks are from my barn cat on the frozen cement.

February Chicks

Like clockwork my English Game hen gets broody and hatches out by Valentines day. This year she is early. She hatched out 2 chicks last week and has 6 more eggs to hatching out tonight. Whitey was given to us and she has been the best broody hen we have. However, all her chicks have to be brought in from the cold coop and raised indoors. This is her third year of February hatching. I hope this means spring might come early this year.

Redheaded Snow Pup

This is my neighbors red border collie from a few weeks ago. We were visiting their farm as the sun started to set and their dog wanted to play fetch. Always wants to play fetch. And more fetch while she is waiting for more... fetch.

Truly a happy high energy breed.

Goodbye Goldfish

Ever since we brought home my blue grey double tail goldfish, she has had issues. She is in the back of this photo behind the orange goldfish and gold/silver koi . She ballooned abnormally and was unable to keep level in the tank. She stopped eating and got fatter. Yesterday, she just looked bad and finally she just ceased to function. She was not wasted, but given to my chickens as a tasty winter snack. The ground was too frozen to put her under the ground. Meanwhile, the rest of the school is doing very well in the tank.

The Hollow in Winter

There is a hallow near us that has clear water and abundant trees.

It is very peaceful in the cold hallow. It will be fun to swim in when summer arrives. 

The water will still be cold but worth it.

My husband and hiking partner. 

Winter Farming Chores

Farm work never ends even in the cold of winter. We planted several Osage oranges along our fence line. The help them thrive they need sunlight. And we had several saplings blocking the sun. So this past week we had a few hours of daylight left for logging.

Many of these weed trees were growing into the fence wire.

We saved the thicker logs to season for next years wood stove fodder.

When we were almost done for the evening but we had a stubborn Sycamore tree to 

remove from the side of our garage. It has been growing quickly and needed to go. We put a chain on it from our tractor and nothing happened. The tree would not budge. We will have to remove it by hand on a very wet day. I will try to root the cuttings to have the tree grow on another part of our property. Some view these as trash trees. But I love the big leaves and the white bark and the sound the winds make in its canopy.

Blue Bunny

This is Larry, a female bunny. She is shy and my husband 

was handling her to get her more friendly.

Rabbits relax in this position. But is not good for long term. 

We were checking her teeth and nails.

So cute and relaxed.

Looking at her very large feet.

Getting good reception with the bunny ears. 

She spend the next hour in his lap while he worked. 

Larry is a soft sweet and quiet little girl.

Septic Story

This cold week we needed septic service. After 14 years of never having it 

pumped out the system needed it. Our 1,000 gallon cement tank needed to be located 

and unearthed. B&B was able to locate and uncover it fast.

The wax seal held fast and had to be worked open.

We will need to install a riser so the tank will not have to be dug up again. But time and weather was a factor and will have to wait until the springtime.

Pumping underway.

The truck was moved to get better feed. 

We were on the north side of the house and it was bitterly cold.

When finished these guys smoothed out the dirt and filled in the ruts in the yard. 

They were very skilled on the tractor.

Smoothing out the ruts in the driveway. 

They were fast, hardworking and friendly even in the bitter cold outside.