Success!

Mom's surprise birthday party went off without much of a hitch.  Just a small rain shower in the middle of it.  Thank you to everyone who helped make it a special day!

The peas and other vegetables I planted are coming up nicely now.  Just today they survived a hail storm.  Hopefully there won't be many more of those.  I got the last two beds prepared for the warmer weather plants and I have my potato rows started with the deep bedding from the goats' winter quarters.

Dad helped me chop down some trees and then we mulched some of the smaller stuff so I have mulch to lay out as well.

I need to start building a new grow-out shelter for some meat birds and turkeys.  I hope to have them ordered soon.  I wouldn't mind some more laying hens too.

Still no pregnancy with Miss, but I think Camo is getting more experienced.  I hope to see her bred in the next couple of months, otherwise I may trade to a new goat.

I think Saturday I will try and get some female rabbits and try that breeding operation again.  Rob isn't fond of the meat but I think if it has barbecue sauce added to it and it is shredded he might like it.  I hope to find a market for that meat as well.  But I am betting my biggest production will be chickens.

Spring is stretching her muscles and wringing out the last of winter.  The world is waking with green moist eyes and the birds are singing.  I love this time of year.

Lost a Friend

We called him Terace, but his real name was Robert.  He lived in California and we only knew him by his voice and laugh.  The few pictures we saw of him on facebook did not measure up to his personality.  We played games over the internet, dicussed funny stories (most of which were his), some politics and religion.

We knew he had a heart condition, he made no secret about it.  He often boasted how he had lived well past the time the doctors had given him.  I am guessing it was his heart that gave out, giving all it could to the world.  Every moment with him was a blessing and we will miss him.

I like to think he went peacefully in his sleep.  I know he wasn't suffering for days on end like many people do in old age.  But he went away at far to young an age.  Too soon for us, but perhaps the right time for him.

Take care friend, may your rest be peaceful.

Holidays

Hope everyone has a good holiday(s).  Parents are in town and there is much work to be done.  Hopefully this will finally get the St. Louis house ready for renters.

Not much to report.  Chickens are laying well.  Getting between 4 - 6 eggs a day.  Goats have still not bred.  Garden is sprouting.  Need to buy female rabbits still.

End of the world

A blood moon will be out tonight.  But while some people may say that is the sign of the end of days.  I say: SNOW??!!! IN APRIL?!?!!

goat housing

So I made my portable goat shelter finally.  It is pure redneck but hopefully will do the job.  Savaged wood and a 30 dollar tarp pretty much make up the material list.

I am hoping Miss gets bred soon but I am not holding out hope much longer.  Camo just doesn't seem to be up to the job since he is so small and she keeps running away.  I may end up selling them both and trying to reinvest in a new doe.

I am trying to decide if I should try with rabbits again or just spend my time and money with chickens since right now they are the only thing being productive here.  I do want to try a rabbit again, just to prove it was a fluke.  Just not sure I can find a market to sell the rabbits.  The meat is good, kind of like chicken and is very lean.

I need to get the chicken tractor repaired.  All the moving and winter weather did a number on it.  I also want to build a grow-out pen for meat birds and I am thinking about getting some more layers since people are interested in eggs.

Big Storms

My work on outside projects is at a stand still while Mother Nature waters the world.  I had thought the goats might like some outside time yesterday while it was between showers but the interval between the rain was much shorter than I had expected.  Goat wash complete.

Still waiting to see signs of life from the early garden seeds.  I hope by the end of this week something will crop up.  (ha ha get it? (ok that was uncalled for))

Once I get another chicken tractor made I will order some meat birds.  This tractor will just be a grow out pen so no need for it to be as big, or near as heavy as the original.  The goats need a traveling pen too so we can have the garage back.  But all of this is outside work.

We grow grass here

And by growing grass, we also grow chickens, rabbits and goats.  And the occasional dog indigestion.

The lawn has turned back to a wonderful green and all the critters are doing a great job of mowing it for me.  Now that it has started to dry up I can get back to cutting down trees to expand my grass growing business.

My lettuce is starting to come up but not much else.  I will plant some more in a week or so if nothing else shows and hope that it takes this time.  Since, you know, it won't snow the day after planting.