Dandelion jelly, peas and broken tractor

It has been busy the last few days. Yesterday I was out whacking some weeds with the walk behind weed whacker. To do the lawns and such around the farm, it takes about 30 minutes on the riding lawn mower and 2 days with the walk behind weed whacker. There are so many spots with ruts and equipment and so on that a mower can't go. When we bought the farm from my in -laws yard work was not top on there list. I have been working at it each summer to clean up and try to make it look nice and increase yard space where the mower can go. It is coming slowly but surely.

While I was whacking I realized all the dandelions I was whacking so I stopped and picked some and last night made a batch of dandelion jelly, made the hubby happy. It is going to rain for a few days so I told him I would get more made when the sun is back out. I am kinda glad that it is raining, we need it, and I can get some indoor things done that have been neglected because of the sunny days. I just can't stay in when it is nice out.

My peas are up in the garden, I am excited because it was taking quite a while and I was getting worried. I keep watching the thornless blackberry plant I bought and planted for some new sign of life. My son says it looks like I planted a stick, I don't think he believes it is a berry bush so I am hoping for some leaves soon so I can prove it to him that I don't plant sticks.

The hubby is taking our tractor to a neighbors to see if they can fix the pto. We have put so much money in to repairing that tractor, the last visit to the shop cost $ 10,000 - I almost had a heart attack on that one ( the time before was $2300 and the first time $8000) I am getting to hate that tractor. Well when he told me it was broke again I told him there was no way it was going to the shop. I told him put it in the field and it can grow daisy's. That is when he called the neighbor and they are going to see if they can fix it. We had bought this tractor a few years ago off a man we didn't know but seemed honest, well I guess he was not so much.

Well I have the place all to myself cause my son went with the guys and that tractor so I am going to get to work, I love when I get to do my cleaning with no one in my way. That doesn't happen too often.

Our goat had her babies

They are so cute! These are my first baby goats. I was all done milking the cows and was shutting evreything up including the goats and heard the little ones. I am glad it was going to get a little chilly tonight because if it was warmer I would of left her door opened and I wouldn't of known she had them.

She had a boy and a girl. I liked this picture cause they look like they are kissing. I am so glad she didn't have any problems. I was nervous she might and like I said these are the first for us. We are used to helping cows have their calves but never goats.

Another R/W lineback heifer calf !

Mouth and her baby

I thought the possibility of getting more than one red and white lineback was probably not going to happen but we have had five now and this is the latest one and it is a heifer. We have had 3 bulls and 2 heifers and quite a few black and white linebacks also. Our lineback bull was quite a worker and good at his job, wish he was still here.

Late this last fall the dry cow lot got quite muddy so my husband pushed some of it up in a pile and figured when people stop this spring for dirt for their garden he would use this pile. Well Mouth and her baby decided this was a good napping spot also. They stayed there all afternoon till we went to get them and bring them to the barn.

I like to read Jackie Clay's blog, Ask Jackie on Backwood's home magazines web site and after reading it today I am a little bummed. She showed 2 pepper plants she started one in pro mix and one in miracle grow mix and the one in the pro mix was way bigger. I started my seeds in the miracle grow mix. They are growing but now I am wondering if they would be bigger if I started them in something else. I just might have to make a trip out and get some more started in something else to see how they do. Maybe I will just get some of that dirt Mouth was laying in. It would be interesting to see the difference.

Well with it being chilly out ( snow covered many things this morning- BURR!) I am going to go put a roast on. Roast beef, mashed potatoes, corn and dinner rolls sound so yummy. Maybe I will even whip up a dessert and make the family happy.

The planting has begun

Lets see, we have planted two pear trees ( one bartlett and one ambrosia), rhubard, thornless blackberries and peas. Most of these I won't be enjoying for years but I am glad that we have them planted. Each year we have decided to keep adding new things. I am not sure what we will add next year but I have lots of time to think on it.

The raised bed is already for the strawberries now we just have to wait on the weather. I told my husband we should build another raised bed next to it and I could plant something in that. He told me we are not running a CSA and I should slow down before we have way too much. I just love gardening, I can't help it. We are doubling the garden also this year.

We also have added on to the building that is out in the dry cow lot. My brother in law built a new deck so we took the roof off the old one with the posts and attached to the building and closed in a couple sides now they is some more room for the cows to get out of the rain or sun. The dry cows and heifers haven't made it out into that area yet but we are working on it. Seems like before you know it time is gone and we haven't gotten everything done. Only a couple little things to do now then out they go. I love watching them when they first get out, they are like little kids going out for recess.

Unfortunately tomorrow is banking and shopping and all the errands to do, blah! I hate when I have so much I want to get done that I have to go to town for the day. Hopefully I can stock up and get things done that I won't have to go for awhile.

Digging in the dirt

Today I was able to get out and start digging in the garden. I have been waiting for this day. I didn't do a lot ( afternoon milking comes too fast) but I did get a row worked up and will be planting peas in it hopefully tomorrow. Our raised beds are built and hubby says he will fill them tomorrow and I will plant the rhubard. We were out getting the cows in and decided that in one part where the cows go that no grass grows has the very best dirt and that is what will be going in the beds. It is already pre-fertilized for me.

I got an e-mail saying my pear trees have been shipped. This is my first at planting fruit trees ( well trees of any sort really) so I hope I don't kill them. My youngest son just loves canned pears.

I see a few dandelions popping up. Most people think ugh but last year I was flipping through my Encyclopedia of Country Living and came across the recipe for dandelion jelly. I figured what do I have to lose since they are all over the lawn so I made a small batch. At first I was quite skeptical especially when I was cooking the blossoms in the water. It didn't smell like anything I would be eating but after it was all through and the jelly made we actually liked it, especially my husband. He told me I have to make more this year than last year, he loves it on toast. So it looks like I will soon be doing that. I told my sister in law I would be stealing them from her lawn because her lawn gets to where it is completely yellow and she doesn't have any animals. I wonder what people think when they drive by and I am sitting in the lawn cutting the tops of dandelions with scissors?

I even mowed a part of my lawn today that gets thicker than the rest and was able to give fresh grass clippings to the chickens. The quite enjoyed their treat. We do have some chickens that roam free in the day but I cannot let them all because the road is right by the barn and some people drive like mad on our road so chickens in the middle of it wouldn't be good. The few that roam now have to be hurried out of it at times.

Can't wait for tomorrow to get out there and get more of my to do list accomplished!

Happy heifers and cheerful chickens

Well with the nice sunny and warm days we got quite a bit accomplished. Today it is chilly outside so I will try to accomplish some indoor tasks or maybe I will just be a bum in between chores. I haven't done that in awhile. Maybe I will catch up with some of the shows I DVR'ed from RFD.



I finally got the chicken coop cleaned out and with the wet ground keeping me from it, it was quite overdo. I thought it might of turned into a 2 day job because I started sorta of close to afternoon chores but I didn't think it was going to take me as long as it did. But hubby came out to check my progress and helped me get it finished. Now the girls are happy. I still have 2 smaller coops to do that aren't as bad.



We also got one of the older calves pen all cleaned out and moved 5 of the smaller calves to a new larger pen. They are all happier also. Now I have to clean out where the 5 small ones were. A never ending cycle. Probably this weekend. My husband said we are going on a cleaning spree this weekend too and get things cleaned up around the barns. I also will have to mow the lawn. Our backyard gets very thick and if it hadn't rained I would of mowed it today.


Well off to be a bum because no rest in store for the weekend. I love it though, being outside and working, especially when it is sunny!

Some pictures

One of our steers

The sunrise

As you can see I got some batteries for my camera, I bought them cause I was getting a headache trying to remember where I stashed the other ones. These ones are in the open with a warning to my family about finching them. I told them if I had to hide them again then none of us would have any.

I got off to a early start this morning becasue there is a lot to do. I took a break to take a picture of the sunrise ( the best I can do with my camera) because I love when it has a purple hint to it. Purple is my favorite color.

Then the other is one of our steers in his new abode. He posed quite nicely. The old gals are behind him checking him out. Today we have to move another set of calves to a new bigger pen for them.

Right now I am just waiting for another load of laundry to be done so I can hang it out. Since I had a little time I thought I would check out my blogs. I love hanging the clothes out especially sheets when you can put them right back on the bed, they just smell so nice. I also got my flat fixed on my cart so it will be cleaning up the yard piles today and possibly the chicken coop. The ground out by the coop is almost dry still just a little spongy but I think it will be fine to drive on. The coop cleaning is a little behind schedule so the ladies will be estatic if I make it to that.

Well I must be going, lots to do! Hope everyone is enjoying the spring weather.

Nice weather means busy, busy

With all this nice weather I have been so busy but it is a good busy. At the end of the day when I see what has been accomplished I am happy. I started with all the yard clean up. We have a weeping willow tree and it seems that is a clean up project every year and then it was going to be the chicken coop next. We put a tarp over part of their outdoor enclosure so they could have some shade and then it was time to get the lawn tractor and cart to clean out the coop after I pick up the weeping willow tree piles. Wouldn't you know flat tire on the cart- Darn it! I hate when I am in the mood to do something and then I can't. So that is on the to-do list.

Then I thought it was so nice and now I have some free time I would take some new pictures. I got most of them taken when my batteries died. My rechargable one bit the dust awhile ago and I am using disposable right now because I really want a new camera. But my pictures were taken and I would put new ones in to put my pictures on the computer. I have to hide my batteries around here or people finch them and I never have any but of course I cannot remember that safe hiding spot I put them in, I hate when that happens. Sometimes I find Christmas presents a couple weeks after Christmas, my memory is just awful. So no new pictures. So get batteries or find them is on the to-do list. That list is getting so long.

I read though that the scent from fresh cut grass from mowing the lawn helps your memory function and I was commenting earlier to the hubby how the yard looks like it is almost time to mow ( I like it to keep it short and like to mow often and he says I need to give it more time). So if I go mow the lawn maybe I will remember where those batteries are!

We did fully accomplish without any snags moving our 4 steers out of the indoor pen they were in to an outdoor one. The are getting to big for the inside one and now they have a building outside with an area to be out in the sun and run a little. They were quite pleased. The milk cows can come up and peek at them now and the steers had to learn a lesson about electric fences. Well it took a couple a little longer then the others but I think they got the drift. Nothing from this job ended up on my to do list, Yippee.

I hope everyone had a nice Easter! We did! I got to play with my grandson( he is 9 months old) so that was fun. Got lot more things popping in my head to go add to my list.