Spring is here, and the craziness of summer is my life. The garden got such a late start because of the rain and cold temperatures. I started thinking I would never get seeds in the ground.
The last few weeks have been productive. It looks like almost everything is popping up, and the gardens look good. I am running very low on mulch, so nothing is mulched the way it should be. The weeds are running rampant.
I am excited about the “upper garden”. This was an area chest high in weeds when we moved here. I started taming the area by laying cardboard down and covering it with hay or leaves. Two years ago I planted berry plants up there. Last year I planted a few vegetables up there. This year, thanks to lots of manure, mulch, and time I have planted corn, popcorn, oats, Jerusalem artichokes, quiwa etc. I don’t know if they will live through the deer. Rabbits etc, but I will give it a try. I would really like to keep it natural and unfenced, but I don’t know if that is possible. I went up tonight to check on everything and found that I forgot to cover the popcorn rows after I planted them. Guess what happened??? The birds ate all of the seeds. I replanted it all tonight. The corn I planted last week is coming up, and I am excited to see what grows to harvest.
I am gaining a bigger and bigger following for my eggs and vegetables. The poor chickens can’t lay fast enough for my customers. I am amazed at work when I hear people talk about how good the eggs are, and they would never go back to store bought eggs.
OK, I wrote that several weeks ago .. Time just gets away from me, especially this time of year!!
Phil and I decided we needed to butcher a chicken or two to see how big they really are. Saturday Phil and his friend went into Glenwood to garage sale and run some errands. While they were gone I caught three chickens and butchered them. I was disappointed that they were so small. I was hoping to send them off to the butcher soon but that is not going to happen. They ended up weighing only 3# dressed. I must say, they tasted wonderful! We grilled one with Dorothy Lynch dressing brushed on the skin and Phil beer can grilled another (using coke). The last one is in the freezer.
One of the cool things about chickens is they will eat almost anything. A few weeks ago when I butchered a pig I boiled the head thinking I would make head cheese ….. I just could not do it so I gave all of that to the chickens. They picked the skull clean in no time flat! After I finished butchering the chickens I gave them all of the innards and feet. The only thing I threw away was the feathers and head.
Saturday evening Delana and the kids came over (to wish Grandpa happy Fathers day). The kids love running around and getting into everything. Olivia was in the chicken run and came out with 2 chicken feet. She was waving them around walking them etc. She wanted to know if she could keep them and take them home. I of course was laughing so hard tears were running down my cheeks. I told her she had to ask her Mom … Mom, the vegetarian of course totally freaked and said a resounding NO!
Later I asked Caelum to help me give Mable a haircut (his job is to hold her on the table). Olivia saw all the black dog hair on the ground and wanted to that THAT home as well. Mom didn’t understand that either! (I have to wonder what the kids want with all the junk they want to take home from here)
I wish all the kids were here … I would love to have grandloves out here all the time!
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Sunday, June 12, 2011
flooding
The Missouri River is flooding. We are told it is going to get very bad. We ran into town yesterday to get a couple of things ..... I told Phil I had a lot to do so we could not dawdle. We decided we needed to look at the River and see for ourselves what is happening. Three hours later, we had driven over to Pacific Junction, into Plattsmouth, and back through Bellevue. In PJ, it was a steady line of tucks bringing dirt in to build a burm around the water treatment plant, building up the RR tracks (that is a major line) and around the few businesses that are there. It made me cry to see the people packing their household into trucks are preparing to leave. From there we drove the back road down to the river. We wanted to see an area that last year was hit so hard. We were again stopped by huge trucks with dirt trying to protect the railroads. When we got to the road we wanted to check out it said road closed, so we drove on to get to the other entrance. When we go there, the road was gone. It was nothing but water. Last year these brand new houses were surrounded by water, and could not even use their driveway so I am pretty sure the houses are or will soon be under water this year. Then we got to the river. We were both amazed .... The recreation area our neighbors are part of was entirely under water. The fields that we normally see are now part of the river. I have never seen the MO River this huge. Phil said as we were driving over this narrow bridge that he did not want to come over this bridge again until the flooding is over.
After the bridge you drive up a steep hill then back down into Plattsmouth. Through the trees I caught a glimpse of the river area..... Where there used to be a wildlife preserve, and a recreation area was nothing but water... When we got down the hill into town the road was blocked so we were not able to get any closer, but it looked like it was totally under water to the rail road tracks.
From there we drove north into Bellevue. We crossed over the Platt river ... totally out of its banks and into the farm land. There is a bar and grill on Hwa 75 with a sign that says boat parking soon. It's good to see some humor in all of this.
Going into Bellevue was heart wrenching. The baseball field we spent so much time at last year was under water. The campground that flooded last year was much worse this year. The waters are close to the road, I don't think people will be able to use that bridge much longer. I was worried about the Iowa side, but I think the NE side is going to flood first. The water is very close to the road at the toll booth. It won't take much more to close it.
Back into Iowa we drove along a back road closer to the river than we are .... People are packing up preparing to leave. Houses are businesses are sandbagged ready for the water. My heart was so heavy watching them pack and preparing to leave their homes. I don't know what they are feeling, but I am sure their hearts are broken, and they must feel tattered....
I am so thankful to live where we do. I think I will be able to get to work even under the worst of conditions but if not I have a great place to be safe. Phil and I talked yesterday about what if's ......and how would I. I think I can get to work, going some back roads.
Thankfully we are high and dry. There is no way we can be flooded by this situation, (not saying that we could never be flooded)
After the bridge you drive up a steep hill then back down into Plattsmouth. Through the trees I caught a glimpse of the river area..... Where there used to be a wildlife preserve, and a recreation area was nothing but water... When we got down the hill into town the road was blocked so we were not able to get any closer, but it looked like it was totally under water to the rail road tracks.
From there we drove north into Bellevue. We crossed over the Platt river ... totally out of its banks and into the farm land. There is a bar and grill on Hwa 75 with a sign that says boat parking soon. It's good to see some humor in all of this.
Going into Bellevue was heart wrenching. The baseball field we spent so much time at last year was under water. The campground that flooded last year was much worse this year. The waters are close to the road, I don't think people will be able to use that bridge much longer. I was worried about the Iowa side, but I think the NE side is going to flood first. The water is very close to the road at the toll booth. It won't take much more to close it.
Back into Iowa we drove along a back road closer to the river than we are .... People are packing up preparing to leave. Houses are businesses are sandbagged ready for the water. My heart was so heavy watching them pack and preparing to leave their homes. I don't know what they are feeling, but I am sure their hearts are broken, and they must feel tattered....
I am so thankful to live where we do. I think I will be able to get to work even under the worst of conditions but if not I have a great place to be safe. Phil and I talked yesterday about what if's ......and how would I. I think I can get to work, going some back roads.
Thankfully we are high and dry. There is no way we can be flooded by this situation, (not saying that we could never be flooded)
Monday, May 30, 2011
Memorial day weekend
Well, here it is Memorial day weekend already. It is hard to believe it is almost June. The weather is still frightful. We are getting so much rain, and the high today was only 55.
The chicks are getting so big. They are not big enough to butcher yet, but getting closer. Phil said when he went to feed them today they flew onto his shoulder to get food from him. We certainly need to clip some wings!
Well, I started this two days ago, and just now getting back to it. Friday night we went to a movie in Glenwood. It is always nice to have a “date night”. Yesterday was spent working in the garden. Today I woke to rain, so was not able to work outside. I cleaned my office!!! That may not sound like a big deal but it was! In our house when we don’t know what to do with something it ends up in the office or my bedroom. After a while it is overwhelming! Next I need to tackle my bedroom! I am in the mood to de-clutter, so I have a load to take to Goodwill.
One of the cool things I uncovered today (I had simply forgotten about it) was a year book from 1924. I asked for some advice and found a new owner for it. I didn’t want it …. But didn’t know what to do with it. Now, it will be used for the annual alumni banquet in Weeping Water.
This afternoon I was able to go outside and work in the garden. I have all the starter plants replanted (after they were frozen or flooded out)…. I still need to plant some seeds, but it is looking really good. I have new/different plants to try this year. I am excited to see what happens with my ground cherries. From what I read, they are sweet and wonderful. I am also trying different grains. Hopefully we can use some of the grains to feed the chickens.
Delana invited us to go to a baseball game with them on Tuesday. Olivia won a free ticket because she read so much during the school year. I am excited to go because I have not been to the new ballpark yet. I don’t know if the girls will be “into” the game, but Dora the Explorer will be there on Tuesday, so I know they will like that. Grandpa is excited to take his mitt and hopefully catch a ball.
Well, here it is the next day ….. gosh it takes me a while to get things done. This is the last day of my 3 day weekend. I need to get some seeds in the ground. The kids are coming over in a bit, so I will have some help. I wish I could stay home every day. I think I would get so much done (or maybe not). I keep thinking ahead …. In only 10+ years I will be able to stay at home all day long. I wish I had been born rich so I could do that now. LOL I really love my weekend life. If I could figure out how to pay the mortgage and not go to work. I would be a happy camper!!!
The chicks are getting so big. They are not big enough to butcher yet, but getting closer. Phil said when he went to feed them today they flew onto his shoulder to get food from him. We certainly need to clip some wings!
Well, I started this two days ago, and just now getting back to it. Friday night we went to a movie in Glenwood. It is always nice to have a “date night”. Yesterday was spent working in the garden. Today I woke to rain, so was not able to work outside. I cleaned my office!!! That may not sound like a big deal but it was! In our house when we don’t know what to do with something it ends up in the office or my bedroom. After a while it is overwhelming! Next I need to tackle my bedroom! I am in the mood to de-clutter, so I have a load to take to Goodwill.
One of the cool things I uncovered today (I had simply forgotten about it) was a year book from 1924. I asked for some advice and found a new owner for it. I didn’t want it …. But didn’t know what to do with it. Now, it will be used for the annual alumni banquet in Weeping Water.
This afternoon I was able to go outside and work in the garden. I have all the starter plants replanted (after they were frozen or flooded out)…. I still need to plant some seeds, but it is looking really good. I have new/different plants to try this year. I am excited to see what happens with my ground cherries. From what I read, they are sweet and wonderful. I am also trying different grains. Hopefully we can use some of the grains to feed the chickens.
Delana invited us to go to a baseball game with them on Tuesday. Olivia won a free ticket because she read so much during the school year. I am excited to go because I have not been to the new ballpark yet. I don’t know if the girls will be “into” the game, but Dora the Explorer will be there on Tuesday, so I know they will like that. Grandpa is excited to take his mitt and hopefully catch a ball.
Well, here it is the next day ….. gosh it takes me a while to get things done. This is the last day of my 3 day weekend. I need to get some seeds in the ground. The kids are coming over in a bit, so I will have some help. I wish I could stay home every day. I think I would get so much done (or maybe not). I keep thinking ahead …. In only 10+ years I will be able to stay at home all day long. I wish I had been born rich so I could do that now. LOL I really love my weekend life. If I could figure out how to pay the mortgage and not go to work. I would be a happy camper!!!
Saturday, May 14, 2011
Spring time!
I am not sure where to begin. Life has been so busy lately. The weather has been so crazy. Last week we had a freeze, and earlier this week it was almost 100 degrees. I decided to take Friday off to work in the garden. It rained buckets on Wednesday and Thursday. Friday and Today (Saturday) have been cold and nasty! I am worried that I am not going to get the garden in and still have time to grow and harvest.
Phil has been working so hard the last few weeks to get water down to the chicken coop. It is a pain to carry water down to the chickens every day. It wasn’t bad when we had only 30 chickens. Now that we have all these babies it is a lot of work. He always “over does” everything, so I now have water to the chickens AND to both garden areas. I am so excited. This is going to be so nice this summer. He is a wonderful husband!
The chicks have taken so much time since March. We had them in the house for a couple of weeks. After that to the barn. They were so little at first and the brooder seemed so big for them. Phil made the brooder out of a shelf that was in Delanas old house. She was going to leave it, so he pulled it out and brought it home. It is a 2 story model with a ramp between so the chicks can go between the two levels. About 6 weeks later the chicks had outgrown the brooder. Last Sunday we moved them to the chicken coop. Phil (gosh that man does a lot around here) made an area for only the babies. They are separated by a fence, so when the time comes they will all know each other. Anyway, last Sunday we moved them. We put them in a cage, 20 at a time and moved them. The first load Phil held the cage and I caught and put them in. After it was done we looked at my arms and realized I was bleeding. Those chicks had scratched me with their toe nails everywhere. I put a long sleeve shirt on for the rest of the journey. When I went to work the next day my boss said it looked like I got into a fight with a bear! They are much happier in the larger space.
This afternoon was warmer and I ventured out to the garden to plant. It is still to cold, but I planted tomatoes, corn, pumpkins, melons, and beans. I still have so much to plant, and I wonder how I will get it done. It always gets done but I wonder how?
Phil has been working so hard the last few weeks to get water down to the chicken coop. It is a pain to carry water down to the chickens every day. It wasn’t bad when we had only 30 chickens. Now that we have all these babies it is a lot of work. He always “over does” everything, so I now have water to the chickens AND to both garden areas. I am so excited. This is going to be so nice this summer. He is a wonderful husband!
The chicks have taken so much time since March. We had them in the house for a couple of weeks. After that to the barn. They were so little at first and the brooder seemed so big for them. Phil made the brooder out of a shelf that was in Delanas old house. She was going to leave it, so he pulled it out and brought it home. It is a 2 story model with a ramp between so the chicks can go between the two levels. About 6 weeks later the chicks had outgrown the brooder. Last Sunday we moved them to the chicken coop. Phil (gosh that man does a lot around here) made an area for only the babies. They are separated by a fence, so when the time comes they will all know each other. Anyway, last Sunday we moved them. We put them in a cage, 20 at a time and moved them. The first load Phil held the cage and I caught and put them in. After it was done we looked at my arms and realized I was bleeding. Those chicks had scratched me with their toe nails everywhere. I put a long sleeve shirt on for the rest of the journey. When I went to work the next day my boss said it looked like I got into a fight with a bear! They are much happier in the larger space.
This afternoon was warmer and I ventured out to the garden to plant. It is still to cold, but I planted tomatoes, corn, pumpkins, melons, and beans. I still have so much to plant, and I wonder how I will get it done. It always gets done but I wonder how?
Friday, April 22, 2011
Chicken talk
It’s been quite a while since I have blogged. It’s not that I have been to busy, I think I just had nothing to write about. Our life out here is pretty quiet. I go to work and then come home. Phil doesn’t get out very often at all. I am happy with this kind of life. Phil complains about the chickens and how much work they are, but I think he likes them too. They are all getting so big, they need to go outside to the run but the weather is not cooperating. It is still pretty cold. I can’t wait to get them outside and let them get some fresh air. I’m sure they are looking forward to that as well.
It is funny to watch them mature. Most of the meat chickens (if not all) are roosters. They are chest bumping each other and starting to tussle around. When we come to feed them they rush the door trying to get the first piece of food. One jumped out last weekend and we chased it for a while. Phil told me that 8 of them jumped out this morning … and he had no one to help him. Apparently he managed to catch them all and get them settled in again.
The ducks got a new home a couple of days ago. The rooster we were keeping to butcher found a new home. Phil’s buddy wanted him, so the cage in the barn was now free for new animals. These poor ducks are so much bigger than the chicks, but apparently the chicks pick on them and pull their feathers out. Phil is hoping the ducks will be pets rather than livestock. I personally hope that at least one of them is a female. Duck eggs are great! If two were female and one a male that would be perfect. I’d love to have some little ducks following her around.
I have been doing very well selling eggs. Last Monday I had 8 dozen eggs and no customers in sight. I posted them on a local food web site and I took some to work. The last two weeks have been crazy. Phil and I have not had any eggs at home because so many people want them. I sure hope that keeps up. I took some of the honey from last year to work with me as well. I was sold out in 2 days! Now I have people anxiously awaiting my garden. I hope I am able to grow enough to have what we need plus sell to these people. I have been trying to find a way to make Pooh acres pay for itself. Maybe I am on the way.
It is funny to watch them mature. Most of the meat chickens (if not all) are roosters. They are chest bumping each other and starting to tussle around. When we come to feed them they rush the door trying to get the first piece of food. One jumped out last weekend and we chased it for a while. Phil told me that 8 of them jumped out this morning … and he had no one to help him. Apparently he managed to catch them all and get them settled in again.
The ducks got a new home a couple of days ago. The rooster we were keeping to butcher found a new home. Phil’s buddy wanted him, so the cage in the barn was now free for new animals. These poor ducks are so much bigger than the chicks, but apparently the chicks pick on them and pull their feathers out. Phil is hoping the ducks will be pets rather than livestock. I personally hope that at least one of them is a female. Duck eggs are great! If two were female and one a male that would be perfect. I’d love to have some little ducks following her around.
I have been doing very well selling eggs. Last Monday I had 8 dozen eggs and no customers in sight. I posted them on a local food web site and I took some to work. The last two weeks have been crazy. Phil and I have not had any eggs at home because so many people want them. I sure hope that keeps up. I took some of the honey from last year to work with me as well. I was sold out in 2 days! Now I have people anxiously awaiting my garden. I hope I am able to grow enough to have what we need plus sell to these people. I have been trying to find a way to make Pooh acres pay for itself. Maybe I am on the way.
Friday, March 18, 2011
March madness
Spring is here ... or almost. Tomorrow is the Official first day of spring. Every day I see more signs that winter is (almost) over. The trees are starting to come to life. I see grass coming back. The bees are out buzzing and collecting necter.
I took today off from work. It is so nice to have a 3 day weekend and get some things done. I started laundry then realized that the neighbors were burning down the hillside.... that would not be a problem except now my laundry (hung outside) smells like smoke. Oh well ....
I did a full inspection of the bee hives today. The spring inspection is always quite long ... trying to find the queen ( I can never find her!!) and making sure there are eggs and larve. I swaped positions of the boxes so they can build up (the way they like to do). They look really good. I am so happy to see them healthy. This is the first year I was able to winter them over. I am excited to see how they grow this summer.
The chickens are doing well. I am so excited that they are once again paying for themselves. The price of chicken food has raised so much we had to raise the price of our eggs, so far it doesn't seem to matter to our customers! I am thankful for my loyal customers. I think if I had more eggs I could sell them all. People love farm fresh eggs. We are trying to incorporate the "sick chicks" and the babies into the flock. I have never seen a cock fight until today. I am wondering if it would have been worse if they were not brothers and raised together??? It was amazing to see they actually drew blood! I think we are going to have to cull one of the roosters. I don't think they can live together anymore. I really try to be objective and never get attached but I still do. The chickens are still pets. I still cry when I have to butcher them.
I am getting ready for planting season. The beans I harvested last fall for seed were still sitting in my shed .... so I needed to harvest them. They are now ready to be planted.
Last summer I bought a bunch of seeds at an auction and I wanted to make sure they are good seeds. These seeds were stored in jars in the worst possible conditions. They still seem to have survived. The chickens are enjoying the sprouts!
I took today off from work. It is so nice to have a 3 day weekend and get some things done. I started laundry then realized that the neighbors were burning down the hillside.... that would not be a problem except now my laundry (hung outside) smells like smoke. Oh well ....
I did a full inspection of the bee hives today. The spring inspection is always quite long ... trying to find the queen ( I can never find her!!) and making sure there are eggs and larve. I swaped positions of the boxes so they can build up (the way they like to do). They look really good. I am so happy to see them healthy. This is the first year I was able to winter them over. I am excited to see how they grow this summer.
The chickens are doing well. I am so excited that they are once again paying for themselves. The price of chicken food has raised so much we had to raise the price of our eggs, so far it doesn't seem to matter to our customers! I am thankful for my loyal customers. I think if I had more eggs I could sell them all. People love farm fresh eggs. We are trying to incorporate the "sick chicks" and the babies into the flock. I have never seen a cock fight until today. I am wondering if it would have been worse if they were not brothers and raised together??? It was amazing to see they actually drew blood! I think we are going to have to cull one of the roosters. I don't think they can live together anymore. I really try to be objective and never get attached but I still do. The chickens are still pets. I still cry when I have to butcher them.
I am getting ready for planting season. The beans I harvested last fall for seed were still sitting in my shed .... so I needed to harvest them. They are now ready to be planted.
Last summer I bought a bunch of seeds at an auction and I wanted to make sure they are good seeds. These seeds were stored in jars in the worst possible conditions. They still seem to have survived. The chickens are enjoying the sprouts!
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Another day on Pooh Acres
What a year this has been already. We are certainly newby chicken farmers .. but I didn’t think we would be such BAD chicken farmers. We have tried to follow all the rules, as far as we understood them.
Since bringing chickens to our home last summer we have learned a lot. I thought I knew so much (being raised by farmers and around farm animals) but the longer we have animals the less I realize I know. I had no idea that chickens can catch a cold that will turn into pnemonia. We lost quite a few chickens….. I didn’t count and I don’t want to know. We not only lost the chickens, we lost all the eggs from ALL of the chickens for a minimum of a month. Last weekend was the climax of the illness. Our favorite hen, our only Rhode Island Red got sick and died in Phil’s arms. It appears that the worst is over, we have two hens that are still suffering, the rest seem to be much better. In a couple of weeks the medicine will be out of their system and we will once again get back to selling eggs. My customers are understanding and anxious to get back to production.
I have been getting up at 3:45 every (weekday) morning and going to the gym before work. Although it is good for my body, it makes me very tired and probably cranky. Phil says I pretty much fade out after dinner. I try to sleep in on the weekends to “catch up”. Sleeping in for me is 7 AM!! I had planned to get up at 7 because we have some things to do this morning but at 6:45 I was awakened by a loud Cock a doodle doo from the barn area.
I am amazed to see Phil becoming more and more like my dad. They never met so this is kind of crazy. Phil was a city boy. He used to pay his guys to take care of his garden! He had never lived in the country, never taken care of machinery etc he paid his workers to do all of that. (He owned a sprinkler business) Now, living out here he is maintaining all of the machinery. He builds whatever needs to be built, and he keeps this place running. He will take some scrap wood and make a chicken “hospital” or fix something that I would have thought unfixable. Every day he is growing more like dad in all the good ways.
Since bringing chickens to our home last summer we have learned a lot. I thought I knew so much (being raised by farmers and around farm animals) but the longer we have animals the less I realize I know. I had no idea that chickens can catch a cold that will turn into pnemonia. We lost quite a few chickens….. I didn’t count and I don’t want to know. We not only lost the chickens, we lost all the eggs from ALL of the chickens for a minimum of a month. Last weekend was the climax of the illness. Our favorite hen, our only Rhode Island Red got sick and died in Phil’s arms. It appears that the worst is over, we have two hens that are still suffering, the rest seem to be much better. In a couple of weeks the medicine will be out of their system and we will once again get back to selling eggs. My customers are understanding and anxious to get back to production.
I have been getting up at 3:45 every (weekday) morning and going to the gym before work. Although it is good for my body, it makes me very tired and probably cranky. Phil says I pretty much fade out after dinner. I try to sleep in on the weekends to “catch up”. Sleeping in for me is 7 AM!! I had planned to get up at 7 because we have some things to do this morning but at 6:45 I was awakened by a loud Cock a doodle doo from the barn area.
I am amazed to see Phil becoming more and more like my dad. They never met so this is kind of crazy. Phil was a city boy. He used to pay his guys to take care of his garden! He had never lived in the country, never taken care of machinery etc he paid his workers to do all of that. (He owned a sprinkler business) Now, living out here he is maintaining all of the machinery. He builds whatever needs to be built, and he keeps this place running. He will take some scrap wood and make a chicken “hospital” or fix something that I would have thought unfixable. Every day he is growing more like dad in all the good ways.
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