Green Bean Harvesting.

These late summer rains have filled my garden with green beans.

I was able to get in a quick 7 quarts before more rains came. Very happy to have something to harvest this late summer.

Four Weeks Old Kittens

It has been a busy lack of sleep 4 weeks. But the three stooges (the foster kittens) have survived and thrived. Now I am trying to get them into soft food. Oh so messy!

The white and orange male is the biggest eater/complainer. He eats so much them vomits. But I now stop him from over eating. The rest are normal at feeding time.

The gloves are for my protection from tiny claws.

Bobtail is always a hungry female.

The tortoise is very relaxed and loves to have her belly rubbed after a meal.

Feeding the male, again. I have de-wormed them and will have to again. The white one ate the clay litter in the litter pan. I had to give him laxatone to get the GI track mobile. A first in all the years I have worked with kittens- litter eating. One cool thing, a human baby wipe warmer is the best. My kittens are clean and never complain about the cold wipe. It has an LED light for nighttime wipes- very handy. I have not used a bottle warmer, yet. But have one in the wings in case I have a larger litter to foster. I just used hot water to warm a cold bottle. Oh and a test tube holder rack to dry sterilized kitten bottles. That is a time saver!

This 11 week old single male foster only got adopted last week. Very happy for that. And I have three people wanted the three stooges. Very happy to see them go to new homes in about 5 more weeks!

Furry Spuds

Foster Kitten update they are getting fed every 3-4 hours, so happy for the extra time at night. Day time is more frequent feeding and activity. They are crawling all over their kitten tent. The white one is the only male of the three. Have to say that having a baby wipes warmer nearby is wonderful. I can clean the spuds after feeding and they do not get shocked by cold wipes anymore.

And their eyes are opening. This is the tortoiseshell female and the first to open up its optics.

Meanwhile my silver tabby Frosty is a great surrogate for the older foster kitten. No name is 12 weeks and still small for his age. He was found starving between walls of an office and covered in fleas and ticks. But he is doing great at our place.

Foster Kittens day 6

And then there were three, Curly Larry and Moe

The white runt did not live after the first 48 hours. The rest of the litter is thriving including the other white kitten.

Torti is a female.

White one is a male.

Bobtail is a girl.

I am busy feeding and cleaning them around the clock. Being a mom cat is hard work.

Unflocking

So with the heat wave, projects, heatstroke avoidance, lazy farm dogs and lots of non farm stuff, my poultry has taken a major hit this summer. I am down to 10 hens, 0 roosters, 10 ducks. Was 21 ducks, 2 roosters and 20 hens. The culprit- coyotes with pups. Saw them, got one and still the hunt continues. They are smart predators and my best dog is too old and my younger dog is too lazy. This was unexpected. My husband is ok with it as it saves money on feed and time. But I feel cheated to loose all that time and effort.And I love my farm fresh eggs. Our birds are free range and come in at night. The coyote hit during the heat of the day. My birds are an easy snack as my neighbor no longer has goats. The rest are all cattle and too many for the coyote to deal with. So my birds take the hit this year. I always counted on my dogs for years. No dog no protection for my birds. Which is sad since I have always wanted to have my own flock. I am sad that is slowly going away. But my husband wants to travel and poultry and livestock keep you at home. So I guess that is the bright side, for now.

Space Science in the Ozarks

I saw this guy at a quilt shop and quilted it for the local library Space month. Libraries had volunteers decorate, presentations, book readings and crafting for all of July.

Picked up some large shower curtains and photos backdrops to decorate the library.

Part of the craft I taught the kids. Used a clear plastic plate, glued a snap in the center and mod podge colored cello to the plates. The kids got to add the moons as per my directions and then the top black paper plate snapped on top of the cello/moon plate. Held up to the light and turn to see the moon phases. Below is the kids working on the top part.

The kids then got to eat freeze dried fruits, veggies and ice cream like an astronaut. My husband did a slide show of the gross things doctors deal with for astronauts in space. Our part of the event turned out great as my husband worked for NASA back in the day.

When it's cats, it pours!

This tiny 10 week old was found abandoned inside walls of a local business. He was feral, covered in fleas and ticks and very underweight. I was called as a last resort. Today he is almost his correct weight, tick and flea free and ready for the world.  He is tiny but very fast and very clean little man.

He is up for adoption here in the SW Missouri area. I need him to find a new home so I can deal with my latest event- newborn kittens.

I got a frantic call from my vets office, they were given a box of kittens by a local farmer. The mom cat had been run over by a brush hog machine in the field. The kittens needed care and no one was available. I was given five cold kittens in a shoe box in the middle of a busy clinic.

I live close the the clinic so I got them home fast. One died about an hour later, it was huge but not acting right. It had hydrocephalus and was poorly. The rest made it through the first 24 hours. And there is where I am today. Every 3 hours I am up and feeding them. They have tiny umbilical cords still attached their bellies. I have not had time to sex them. I have too many things to do and do not want to get attached. But they are very soft and in good condition. Many I have raised were full of infections and fleas. This batch makes for 36 kittens I have fostered. I have the heating pad, formula, bottles and syringes and the time to deal with these babies. Luckily, my older kitten was ready to join the adult cat household. For great advice on kitten care go to the Kitten Lady.

Farm Life in Missouri

I have the privilege to live near a real family farm. They grow and raise all their own food. They sell the extras and work very hard. They love this life and I am happy to be a part of it. These are photos of just one hour on the farm at 7 in the morning.

The cabbage is ready and now the clocks starts. The whole farm family helps pick, wash, slice and make fermented cabbage the old way. Food for the year that the family loves. 

picking and cleaning cabbage in the shade

barn cats watch the potatoes

wild flowers made by God along the back roads to the farm.

My drive to the farm in the early summer. Chicory grows wild along the road ways.

Old smokehouse still used as a fridge

Fermenting cabbage and all the canning jars.

Hot Blackberry July

We planted thornless blackberrys and they are producing very well. Wild ones and thornless ones they are all ready to pick.

But the heat is tough this year. Very hot and very dry after a long wet late spring summer. The ticks are thick in the grass as well. Our ducks do not want to waddle out and eat all the bugs in the heat. Everything on the farm is taking it easy. Our eldest German Shepherd now has to stay inside during the day to avoid heatstroke. We are going to put up a fan for them outside. We have shade and a pond but it is not enough for the old one.

Hot Sunflowers

Oh the heat has made such tall flowers this year.

Farm for Sale, price reduced!

Update: it has an offer. I hope the closing goes well. USDA loans are tricky. But the seller is helping the buyer as best he can.

I posted this last week and this farmhouse is now reduced. The owners want to move to get closer to their kids. Worth a look if you are looking for a small farm-ette, with a huge barn, quiet neighborhood (cattle, deer and horses) and gorgeous views. If you are looking for a farm house in Missouri away from it all, this is it. These owners are our friends and they need to sell and move. So we are helping spread the word.
http://www.mountainviewmorealestate.com/search/country-homes/missouri/texas/motivated-seller-newer-country-home-for-sale-in-missouri/994349?fbclid=IwAR0BbxMrj6fextvnIXkqUa54gCrOKerYNvSdJsCVAc4nz_kWsqZCNdmOjOw

Farm for Sale in Missouri

Update: it has an offer as of Aug. 1st. Hoping it goes well.

Huge barn even though it looks rusty it is HUGE and in very good condition.

For all my readers who long for a farm in a beautiful area of SW Missouri here is one. Friends of ours have to move for medical reasons. They need to be very close to a hospital, which is about 20 minutes away from their current location. One of the perks of this home- High speed internet is available, located just off the main highway 17. Single owner of the house he built-lots of windows! Quiet country road, huge barn in great condition (large enough for an RV and tractors and a few horses) included,cattle nearby, fields of pasture and woods and peace and quiet. Retired farmer, hunters, young family looking for a started farm, artist looking for inspiration this is the place. I have been to this house many times for dinners, get togethers and farming events. This house is very well made and very new. It is located just a few miles south of Summersville, MO. Worth a look if you are looking for country life that is a short drive to civilization.

https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/2675-Bells-Rd-Summersville-MO-65571/194438178_zpid/

Un Possumed

Sadly after a very intense 48 hours of temperatures adjustments, tube feedings and no sleep the possum joeys I rescued from their road kill mother all died one by one. I got lots of advice and read a ton about their care. But in the end they died quietly in a safe warm home. It was frustrating for both of us but we also learned a lot. Very different critical care from newborn felines and lagomorphs. Out here in the Ozarks life is hard for all living critters. But there are many with the experience to help that are also willing to share. Possum are very good tick eaters. They also eat animal waste and are great clean up crew. Worth saving instead of shooting or running over. They are a very good thing to have around the farm- except in the hen house. Thankfully we have lots of things to eat in our woods before they get to the hen house. The good news a very large possum was under my UTV the other night. Safe from my dogs and pretending to be dead. They are cool like that.