All in a days work...

                             Yesterday was filled with  wins and losses. We woke up to the cable being disconnected due to non payment. Oh, people please! We have all had something disconnected at some time or another and if you are among the fortunate few who have not-good for you! It doesn't phase me anymore-it's just part of life, the juggling ,the bartering ,the sacrifice. So, you know what you do on a hot, muggy day in the country with no cable and a minute of free time? You breed chickens. Thats right we(all of us-kids included) spent the better part of an hour introducing Roja & Negra to the rooster flock in a most intimate manner. We watched not because we are twisted poultry voyeurs(although I will admit it can be interesting to watch the rituals and rebuttals) but to ensure the safety of my 2 best layers. Roosters can get very aggressive and I don't want my girls hurt. All went well except that the new Golden Laced Wyandotte roo is a little shy and was not able to "seal the deal" so to speak with either. We shall try again today-maybe its performance anxiety.
                               Our well pump that went out again on Sunday, was repaired-needed to switch breakers over-and yes, I did get shocked this time. Those of you following KNOW how much I hate dealing with electricity for that very reason. I survived and I only twitch on the left side ,so all is good-LOL.  Our sweet lil D'Artagnan (a black polish biddie) that followed the goslings around like their mascott died today. It was quiet sad really. Owyn stepped into the duck pond to assist a gosling  and stepped on something furry she yelped. Edd fished around in the mury water and found the chick. Drowned and water logged. Best that we can figure is that he was riding on the goslings back (his fave past time) while they swam and fell off. Chickens are not swimmers-not at all, so he must have drowned. We buried him and all felt the loss while Owyn said a little prayer for him. She's tender that way.
                                         Edd and I got the yard all raked and pens cleaned together before 9 am and spent the day harvesting from the garden and replanting and weeding. It was so nice working next to him. In my head-in th elittle fantasy I keep there- I imagine us working a pioneer homestead up in the mountains somewhere. Me in m y long sirts and bonnet long hair braided and falling over my shoulders. edd shirt sleeves rolled up and suspendered-looking rugged and handsome. You get the idea. Thats how I want it to be. I truly want to just shut us off from everyone and everything and just build our own little universe right here. We decided that the money from his pell check for school ABSOLUTELY has to go into the farm. We need a new coop, the existing one is in too low an area and not meeting our needs for the hens well being. They feed us , we HAVE to give them the very best life possible. It's only right to respect them for their gift to us. Also we have to purchase and house the goats I made incredible deals for. There will be 3 of them, 2 does and a buck. So, I am drawing up the blueprints now and searching for salvageable materials.
                                    I have made purchase plans for 2 laying hens-Speckled sussex and a sussex cockerel. All three for only $30. This is a wonderful progression for the laying stock. Speckeld sussex are very prolific layers and produce some of the tastiest meat available in yard fowl. I should be picking them up by Thursday. I am very excited.  Other than the 3 days of rain literally flooding most of the property and forcing a premature harvest of some corn and tomatoes to save the plants themselves it has been a regular week. I will post more as it happens. I am working on canning tomatoes this week and fried some delish green tomaotes yesterday to go with our bear meat stew. YUMMY!

Today is my GROSS day.

                                                        Okay, today is my Gross day.It's been awhile since I had one so I guess I am a little over due,but in keeping with the nature of the day it came with no warning and the nasties just keep coming. So, my day began by wakng up a little later than usual-which was startling to begin with- at 8am and as soon as I stood up from the bed I stepped in a nice cold puddle of dog pee. Not taking the hint and oblivious to the signs all around me I meander blindly out into the yard to begin my chores. And promptly stepped in a warm puddle of chicken diarrhea. YAAY ME! I rinsed my foot off and grumbling proceedd to feed and water eveything and began my garden rituals. Weeding seemed withut incident until I shoved my right hand in the middle of a fire ant mound. Now you may say,"thats not gross" but then you obviously have never had to deal with millions (ok dozens) of pussy hard lttle blisters that itch insnesly enough to make you clawoff your flesh while sleping-resulting in a oozey, nasty, inflamed open wound. Grossed out now? thought so. I immediately rinsed off my hand ,peed on it and the mound(yes, I am very adept at urinating from a standing position W/O a penis- it's tricky but do-able) and counted the red welts. AWESOME! seeing where the day was going I decided to count my blessings and water the front ,no more weeding today, and head indoors. I detached the spray nozzle and walked to the front gardena and reattached it there. Turned on the water and.. nothing? Hmm, I wondered and unscreed it and tried the hose again. Worked fine. reattached nozzle and got a dribble only ,so I did the guy thing and banged it on something. C'mon we all know it fixes everything k? but it didn't so I adjustd the spray from cone to jet and still only a dribble. After doing this and alternately pointing it in my face and staring at it while swearing, I half hoped it woud spray me ad cool me off. This total lack of good sense resulted in the next catastrophe of the morning. By the 4th or 5th time I had shaken it and banged it and ajusted the spray nozzle and turned on/.off the water I could feel the pressure building an began to see a fine mist escaping with th "dribble" I had been getting ll along. convinced it probably had a dirt glog that needed to dislodge, I looked into the nozzle pressed the handle down and flooded the hose with water pressure and BLAP! SQUISH! SPLOT! a dense wet gooey pray erupted-yes erupted !- like Mt.Vesuveus all over my face. FROG GUTS!! yes, people I said FROG GUTS. It had been glogged alright but with the living(or previously living) body of a small green tree frog that was now properly strained thru my hose nozzle sprayer onto my face!! ugh. After gagging and unscrewing the nozzle to get water to wash my face, I picked the remains of the frog loose w/ my hands(tried sticks and a brush for tile and  nothing was working-EEEEWW) and re-screwed nozzle and called it a day. Once inside my cat (Jack) puked on my foot (thank you JACK), and my son and daughter (kieren & owyn) just came runing into my room tattling on someone (they couldn't decide who started it) for putting boogers in their hair. Aaaah, my gross day just gets better and better. It' only 1 pm and I can't wait to see what else I get  do today.

Mmmmmm, fresh baked bread!

home made artisan "no knead" bread-only had a 1/2 loaf to photograph
the children fell on it instantly.



1 of my fave sandwiches for breakfast, for lunch, for anytime!
artisan bread, tomatoes,onions and fresh parmesan
 or mozzarella w/mayo & italian herbs.



                       Yesterday we baked bread.           Theres no real words to describe the way a home smells when theres fresh bread in the oven. It's almost magical. It conjures images of childhood and treasured holidays.It makes your mouth water and your stomach grumble. The sight of a crusty loaf exiting the oven will almost drive my kids into a feral feeding frenzy. They gather 'round, nudging and sniffing and ooh-ing and aah-ing until the fresh butter gets slathered on a still warm piece and doled out to eager hands. We have to make 2 loaves at a time because the first is almost always devoured within an hour and I know we will want more for later on. This recipe yields 1- one pound loaf, that is suitable for sandwiches, garlic bread, jams & jellies and eating plain or buttered. It has a springy moist center and a light golden crunchy crust & requires little effort from you to create.I am also including the recipe for Onion Jam. I know it sounds odd and maybe even gross to some, but give it a chance. If you like the flavor of carmelized onions on your steak or onions on anything  you will LOVE this recipe. It goes wonderfully on the artisan bread (which BTW I used to pay $4.69 per loaf for) as well. Use the jam anywhere you would use a spoonful of carmelized onions or on crackers with cream cheese as a party horsdevour. I made some yesterday and it is very pretty and would make a nice gift in a bread basket for any occasion.

                                                             ARTISAN NO KNEAD BREAD:

                  3 cups all purpose or bread flour

                  1/4 tsp active dry yeast (u can find it in the baked goods isle at grocers)

                  1 1/2 tsp salt

                  1 1/2 cups warm water (tap warm is fine)

                  5 qt heavy bottom DUTCH OVEN W/ LID-enamel, cast iron, ceramic or stoneware

NIGHT BEFORE: combine all the ingredients in a large bowl and mix well. The dough will look a little rough and ragged (wont be sticky or stuck together -may seem a lil dry and fall apart).Cover the bowl w/ plastic wrap and let it ferment in a warm,draft free spot (pantry cabinet etc.) for 14-20 hrs*** I usually do it for 20 and have no problems. set a timer and enjoy the next 20 hrs.

NEXT DAY: The dough will have grown in size,it will looked pock marked and smell very yeasty and appear wet. gently ease it out of the bowl onto a lightly floured surface. Wit your hands FOLD the dough onto itself a couple of time untilit resembles a ball shape (it will have a "seam" on the bottom -that is fine). place a lint free kitchen towel over it and let it rest for 15 minutes. place a second lint free towel on the counter and dust lightly with cornmeal(regular yellow is fine) ,flour or wheat bran. place th ball of dough seam side down onto the towel and cover with 1st towel again. Allow it to rise on counter for 2 hours. After 1 1/2 hours (30 minutes before bread is done rising)  place heavy bottom dutch oven in oven (w/o lid) and pre-heat the oven to 450 degrees for last  30 minutes of rising time.carefully remove the dutch oven and sprinkle  bottom with a large pinch of cornmeal/flour/wheat bran. pick up your dough with the towel it is resting on and plop it into the dutch oven. it will be a little mishapen -use a towel to grip handles of dutch oven and shake a little to settle.  COVER with lid and bake on center of oven rack for 30 on the outside. remove from pot to cooling rack. Remove lid and bake an additional 15-30 minutes until bread looks golden brown and crispy  on the outside. remove from pot to cooling rack and let cool 15 minutes before slicing. makes a 1 lb loaf.

                                                                   ONION JAM: 

                   2 cups peeled,quartered and thinly sliced small red onions

                   1 cup peeled,quartered and thinly sliced small spanish or brown onions

                   1 1/2 cups apple juice

                   3/4 cups red wine vinegar

                   1/2 tsp rubbed ground sage

                   1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

                   4 1/2 cups granulated sugar

                   1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

                   1/2 tsp unsalted butter

                   1(3 oz pkg) liquid pectin :LIQUID not powder

In an 8 qt stainless steel pan, combine all ingredients except pectin. over medium low heat, stirring constantly, heat the mixture until the sugars are completely dissolved. Increase the heat to medium and bring the mixture to a boil. Boil and stir for 5 minutes.

Increase the heat to medium high and bring the mixture to a full rolling boil. stirring constantly. Stir in the entire contents of the pectin pkg. Return mixture to a full rolling boil stirring constantly for 2 minutes. REMOVE pan from the heat. To prevent the jam from seperating in the jars and looking very unappetizing allow the jam to cool for about 5 minutes before filling your canning jars. Gently stir the jam every minute or so to distribute the fruit evenly. ladle the hot jam into the hot canning jars(follow sterilization instructions for water bath canning) and clean threads with damop clean cloth. Cover with lidas and screw rings into place. Process half pint jars for 10minutes in a 200 degree water bath. Pint jars for 15 minutes. **follow canning instructions for water bath canning-all utensils will be HOT use CAUTION WHEN HANDLING!! **water bath canners can be found inWal-mart for $18.95 complete w/ rack. look for them on the same isle where the food storage items are found (tupperware/rubbermaid etc..)

I hope that you enjoy these recipes as much as we do. I will be posting more canning recipes this week as I try them myself . Success or fail I'll share them with you.





Canning, Preserving & Preparing

                                 So this last week I bought my first quart size canner. It is a water bath canner. There are 2 different types of canning, "water bath" and "pressure canning". Water bath is self exlanatory in that  canned and sealed jars are essentially "bathed" in extrememly hot water to create an airtight seal and heat thru food products thoroughly enough to kill any microbial bacteria that could rear it's ugly head in your pantry a month or so down the road. This method is used mainly for jams,jellies and high acidic foods like tomatoes,pickles and citrus fruits.Then there is pressure canning which involves submerging the sealed jars into a pressure cooker to vacuum seal them during the heating process  using intense pressure , to prevent spoiling. This is the preferred method for canning veggies like beans,potatoes,carrots etc. that have very low acidity.
                       This is my first time canning as an adult ,without my Grandma or my Auntie by my side to guide me. I am driven by the memories of myself and my cousins sitting under her porch in the middle of a sweltering Arkansas summer,sharing a jar of crisp pickles, or sweet blackberry jam or tender seasoned pole beans pilfered from the pantry. What a treat those stolen moments were for our tastebuds,I have never eaten anything since that made me feel that way. So this summer, I am embarking on a mission to can my own, on my own. To do my Grandmother proud. I am canning pickled Okra from the heirloom garden this week and also some of my home made salsa. I have bushels of cucumbers on the vine so pickles-kosher dill-will be next. Feeling confident, I plan to preserve bell peppers and hot peppers both in Olive oil as well  as Egg plant.          
                     I may be in over my head but I went to the local library today and checked out everything they had on canning and food preservation.I also acquired a book called," COUNTRY WISDOM & KNOW HOW: everything you need to know to live off the land"  this book is invaluable to anyone wanting to make a go of living this way,whether you have prior experience or not. I feel prepared and I am excited. I want to share that under-the-porch-stolen-treats feeling with my kids.I want them to pop open the top on a pretty 'lil jar of strawberry jam and remember the sweet taste of summertime as they tuck their robes around them to ward of the winter chill. I want to put a little sunshine on their tongues with fresh salsa they helped to grow and water and weed. Somehow that just makes it taste real.  So this week I will chronicle at some point my misadventures in canning,pectin nightmares and poor seal dilemmas,complete with pictures and recipes too.
                    Rained again today, Praise God. All of Florida and Georgia are on fire and desperately need it.I let the goslings out this morning for about an hour and they followed me like little lap dogs, all around the property. Squonking and eating fresh green grass tips.They are the prettiest little creatures, their eyes are almost human, their mannerisms so expressive.I was able to negotiate a very good price for a trio of pure bred Nubian dairy goats. Now to get the money for them. I will pray and keep my eyes open for opportunity. Thats how it works. We are preparing for a day when we can be self sufficient, we may HAVE to be. The goats will provide us with much needed dairy products, including butter, cheese, cream and milk. They double their value as a source of meat in hard times too. I have switched all the cleaning products over to "green products", concocted in the kitchen. Counters/mirrors/surfaces :1 part water & 1 part white vinegar. put in a spray bottle and shake to mix. Vinegar kills over 80% of all germs and the odor dissoles during evaporation. Has been working nicely.Soft scrub mixture: 1 part baking soda, 1 part liquid dish soap. mix in a liquid soap bottle or ha jar with lid. Will make a gentle ,gritty paste. Rub onto any surface you would normally use soft scrub on(sinks, ceramic stovetops, faucets etc..) let sit for a couple minutes and wash off.Also works great-ADDED BONUS: SOFT HANDS!! trying a recipe for home made deodorant this week, will keep you posted.

RAIN!!! Blessed Rain!!!

                               Aaaaaahhhh, today it rained. I mean it really rained. Midday Edd and I were working in the tomatoes tying them up and trimming the suckers off the stems, when the thunder began to roll. Hoping (but dismissing a little as well) we continued to work. Then BAM! the heavens opened up and we were soaked in ice cold torrential rain. It was wonderful, hopping around ,yelping,"cold! cold! cold!" as we hurriedly attempted to secure the heavily fruited vines before their weight from the rain could snap them. Edd ran into the gosling pen to move them upstairs into the bantams loft(they were quickly getting flooded-new remodel in store for this wknd) while I double checked the cucumber trellis'. So, there I was standing in the pouring rain,freezing my ass off and thanking God for the blessing of rain and I felt so happy,so peaceful,so ALIVE. I really enjoy working this property with Edd & the kids. As exhausting as it can be, as stressful as it gets ,it's moments like that- that make me truly appreciate it all. I wonder if thats how my grandparents felt growing up in rural Kentucky and Arkansas the children of farmers. Poor, tired and faithful.
                            I realized right then, that I had in fact become my Grandmother. Not the beautiful young woman with poor domestic skills and amazing hair that married my miltary Grandfather. The elderly, hardened, very domesticated senior citizen of her golden years.The woman who worked 2 jobs to support herslf and her kids while my Grandfather did a lengthy stint in  prison (back story later),the woman who could make a satisfying meal out of nothing and grow anything,anywhere. She always had a big comfy bed covered in hand made quilts and she loved to share it. She told the best stories and would brush my long hair for hours,even with her arthritis twisting her once lovely hands.. She was firm,but fair in her judgement, and she knew just how to comfort you when you were feeling blue(baked goods and a judgeless ear) and she made the best coffee (in a percolator no less!). Her house always smelled of lilacs and lavender and was brimming over with FAITH. It was everywhere, in everything you saw or touched or tasted. The firm, unwavering belief that it would be ok, that WE would be ok.
                          I have always said that failure is not an option. I now know it comes from her. From her indominable strength, her faith in God, in Love,in Family.She lost my Grandfater to cancer after 30+ years of marriage. She swore he was her "One and Only" and they would be together again in heaven. I love that. She never did date or remarry even though she was still quiet young -in her late 50's-when he passed.  Those same beliefs I hold true today in my own life. Do I mind that I am more like a 70 year old southern woman than a 40 year old who's married to a 26 year old? No, I love it, and so does Edd.
My big floppy sun hats, my need to put bacon grease in a coffee can by the stove,my fear that there isn't enough sweet tea in the fridge,my love of grits and gravy and all things battered and fried, my unwavering faith in US,in God. I hear her voice sometimes echoed in my own words and it makes me smile. The ones we love, who have truly touched our lives and changed us for the better never really leave us, not even in death. They live on forever IN us, In all we do. 
                            Those were the thoughts running thru my head standing there in the rain and for hours afterwards. I hope she and papaw are as proud of me as I am of them. I love you guys, I miss you, but I feel you all around me. Encouraging me, helping me. Thank you. and Thank God for the rain.

Que cera, Cera-whatever will be,will be..

                    We lost our beautiful Lily and Goldie this week. 2 of my favorite young hens. The heat was just too much for them. Even though we have the duckpond which is always full and there are 4 large waterers placed around the property and filled daily they had gotten themselves beneathe the porch and were overcome by the 98 degree heat. lily was first and we tried to rehydrate with medicated I.V. (yes, you can give a chicken an IV-they sell the needles and tubing at tractor supply) but chickens will suffer almost immediate kidney trouble when dehydrated and she just wasn't coming back. Edd had to take her out back and relive her suffering. He cried, I cried, it was hard. She was a simply beautiful sweet natured hen, by far my favorite for color and temperment. The loss of her eggs and meat was but a tiny blow. How ever later that day when we discovered Goldie our last Buff Orpington hen lying under the porch, hours dead, no tears where shed but her egg/meat loss was felt sorely. she was a wonderful producer and was schedule to begin breeding this week with our Buff Roo "Steven". Buff orpingtons ar elarge and showy with their vibrant golden plummage and they are prolofic egg layers so they sell well. They generally have docile natures and are not very aggressive with other chickens making them perfect in mixed flocks.
                      This kick in the gut coming on the tail of living with absolutely no AC for 2 days in 98 degree weather had put us a little on edge. We decided to make the best of it and throw ourselves into working on the propeerty. I have been busy for the last 2 weeks tattooing and piercing all over our area(thank you katie for the referrals), so there were some things that needed to be done while Edd had time off from work. We made new trellis's for the cuccumber from our harvested bamboo (thank you Craigslist!) and we tied up more tomatoes and enlarged the new goose pen for the goslings (they are doing great!) we built new laying boxes out of a scavenged woodeng toy box I found, and built a huge rabbit pen for the bunnies-outside. They are so happy hopping around and jumping on thiings and eating grass.
                    Late yesterday afternoon the skies began darkening and once more the promise of rain hung over us and we were ecstatic! The night before the indoor temperature at our house was 97 degrees and sleep was no comfort. We were not looking forward to another night of lying in pools of sweat and sticking to everything. We had decided to sleep outside on the trampoline to get some relief, but a good rain would not only ease the suffering of the land from the unseasonable dryness, but would drop the temperature considerably and maybe produce a nice breeze too.Thus we began hoping, praying, begging for rain. it swelled, it thundered and the kids put on their bathing suits and Edd and myself settled into our chairs near the chickens and enjoyed the breeze,planning to stay right there til the rain stopped. Nothing. it circled around and disappeared. Not yet convinced it was over we held out hope for a shower later in the night.We got a call from someone in town who had gotten our number from the Tracto Supply Store for chickens. The lady had 2 pure bred Wyandotte roosters to get rid of-free, "but you gotta catch 'em." she said. Wyandottes are gorgeous and 2 new roosters would add to our breeding stock so we packed the kennel in the truck and off we went. Sure enough they were truly beautiful specimens and much easier to catch than you would have beileved. One is a golden laced showing the vibrant fiery oranges and red over blck and blue/green feathering and the other is a "blue" being a light smoky blue on the lower half of his body and a deep rick blue black on the upper. They crow clear and loud, so loud it echoes!
                            Home bound with our new aquisitions it began to rain! delicious smelling crisp, cool, fat,wet raindrops pummeling the windshield and thunder and lightening too! what a show as we drove home, watching the temperature gauge  you could see it dropping quikly-almost 11 decibels in less than 30 minutes.Our hearts soaring and spirits revived and soothed we set about building a pen for the new Roosters at 10 pm last night. it was glad work and we were happy to be doing it. The children helped and we were all done by midnight. Roosters bedded down and tools put away we filed into our newly cooled home for showers and late snacks of bacon omelets and fell into bed, exhausted, excited and grateful. it was a good day, a very good day. I went on craigslist and found some Wyandotte hens to breed for a bargain price of $5 each. Way less than they sell for narmally. Woman didn't sell as well this year as expected and can't afford to feed such a a large flock. We will be purchasing several this week to breed here. gardens are doing great and I got another egg order yesterday from the polish restaraunt for 5 dozen eggs. The hens better start working overtime. I have to place an order next month for 60 more baby chicks to keep up with supply/demand. I never expected to have this many being sold so fast ,nor so many eggs either. The tyractor supply store has put my number and name on their registers for adult chicken sales and it is definately paying off. it may be a long time before the farm pays for itself entirely much less turns a profit, but who knows? i am happy working the land and tending my chickens and watching my children grow and develope a true love of what God has given us. It's not always enough to tell them,"don't litter" or "respect where your food comes from", sometimes you really need to show them. to give them an example to follow. No one can know if they will growup to want to farm or live a homestead life. They may leave the farm and never look back, but the lessons they are learning here will stay a lifetime deep inside where they cannot erase them. How to deal with grief without medication and how to be responsible for their own words/actions.How to do what MUST be done-even when you don't want too.Even when it hurts. Compassion, kindness, GRATITUDE. Appreciation for sore muscles and a hard days labor. For things as simple as rain and a well placed shade tree in summer.Those memories brought me back,put me here and I have found the joy and peacefullness nothing else in all theses years of adult hood could give me.Not drugs, not alcohol, not money. I hope it carries them home one day too, when they feel they have played their last hand and the world is against them and their faith wavers.I hope they close thier eyes,smell fresh baked bread and hear the roosters crowing,calling them home. I will be here waiting, arms outstretched- sweet tea and hoe cakes ready.

Downsizing

 We are cell phone free for the first time in12 years. I anticipated needing a sedative to get me through the transition, possibly a visit to a therapist too boot, but oddly enough I can't even tell you where my cell phone is right now. I have only missed it once and after I remembered how to stop and ask for directions I quickly forgot about it again. I know That Edd is missing his. He loved his phone, which is strange because he used it half as much as I did mine. But we just couldn't afford the cell bill and the car insurance so, the cell phones were shut off. This week we may have to lose the cable/internet for a few days until I can work this weekend and pay the bill.  This too, a year ago, would have sent me into a panic and given me an ulcer. Now, I am accepting it for what it is-neccessity,simpliciy. We are working towards self sufficiency on a level neither of us has attempted before. It is some trial and error-not everything works and sometimes it feels like a tota fail-but we pick each other up and forge onwards. Failure is not an option-THIS is it. This is the life we have chosen we must succeed. So far we have gone from 2 cars to 1, eliminated cells, downsized cable, reduced grocery expenses, and the farm is making some money. Not too bad. I am excited to see where we are a year from now.
                              Kieren saw a fox today, a huge one . It was crossing the road approximatley 3 blocks from our  property. As beautiful as it may have been (and a little startling too at dusk) it is a potential threat to the hens and meat birds so we will have to keep a vigilant watch for the next few days. Extended the henhouse today to relocate "Steven" our Buff Orpington Cock. Now he has a quaint bachelor pad and the "girls" have 15 more feet to  retire to in the evening. The guinneas made it onto the roof today and it was so exciting watching them get there. We have been worried about one of the young males ,he injured his wing earlier in the week, but he is fluttering and hopping just as high into the trees as his siblings are now.the wounded cornish witht he damaged foot doesn't seem to be mending satisfactorily. She will remain caged alone and fattened for culling.It is a shame she cannot be used to breed but she will do nicely as a meat bird.
                               I have found a few interesting recipes for shampoo,deodorant and toothpaste that I will be testing them this week. I will post them here with results.  It is late and I have an early morning tomorrow, so I bid you farewell for now. Goodnight all.
                              
                             

Chickens for sale!

                                   I made my first chicken sale yesterday, it was bittersweet but a small victory nonetheless. A local rancher called and ordered 7 heritage hens and a ,"big ole rooster-that crows".  I wanted to say no,but we definately needed the money for feed and gas. So, Edd & I loaded up the hens and Joey the rooster, and ff w rove to collect our money. He paid better than premium (we made over a $100 on the sale) and now Joey is king of his own barn with his very own stable of lovely ladies to service his every whim. No more jail house rape and ass whippings from Steven, Joey is now THE BOSS.
                                   The parents of one of Layla's friends owns a restaraunt downtown. She is very organic and picky about her produce and has recently asked us to supply her with eggs and veggies from our garden. She also wants us to deliver goat milk and cheese as well as baked goods regularly for them to use in the restaruant.I am so excited. It is nice to have the farm start bringing in some money-we are a long way from turning a profit, but it is starting to pay for it's maintenance and upkeep and that is a very good thing.
                                    We lucked out and found baby african geese for $3 each-so now we have 3 baby african geese added to our yard fowl collection. Goose is delicious and their eggs are huge-much larger than duck eggs even. Their eggs are favored by crafters for art work and can be profitable to sell if you find the right market. Besides that, my son Kieren has been dying to get some since we started talking about moving here so he is very very pleased. They are adorable and heavy bodied little birds. They are trying to honk, it' a sad little squonking sound combined with a chirping. Too cute. We also purchased 10 replacement chickens to keep egg production up for our egg sales. They are mutts-mixed polish/leghorn/aracuana they will not be able to be sold but will supplement egg production nicely.
                                        Kids are done with school for the year. We are planning to do refresher courses over the summer to keep everyone on track and I have sent out emails to P.A.L. (police athletic league) about cheerleading for Owyn and Kieren plans to spend all summer at the skatepark. Layla has no set plans other than sleeping in every day and taking drivers education. Our extra house guests will not be summering with us after all. It's oplicate daccording to Mom & Dad and they feel like the kids need some extra attention and family time s thy are staying home. I would agree that if they feel that way then that is the correct thing to do. We will miss them but I pray for their family that they reach a place where  they can be comfortable together.
                                           Edd is out of school Friday and seeking a second job to help support our little family. I am very proud of him. He has grown up so much over the last 3 yrs. I have been working pretty steadily over the last  2 weeks. It feels very good to be working regularly again. Yes, I do work on the farm and yes, it does require a great deal of my time and energy, but it feels good to be paying off some bills instead of having to borrow from my in-laws again. Gardens are beginng to produce regularly and I am looking forward to canning a fair amount for storing this year. Rabbits are getting "randy" so it shouldn't be too long before we get a litter or 2. Already have buyers for meat. Found some beautiful Saanens goats (dairy producers) being bottle fed. Going to try to put depostis down on a couple next week.
                                           It's not the life for everyone, but it's the life for us. We work hard, we are sore and tired and ofeten frustrated. But we are deeply in love, with each other, with our kids, with our lives-that we have chosen to live. It's not easy, it's work. It's rewarding.

Bantams




bantam frizzle "Roscoe"

                             Todays blog is about my Bantams. Bantams are a species of chicken all their own. They are miniature versions of standard sized chickens. Their eggs are tiny, falling into the egg classification of "pee wee" eggs. They are approximately the size of a quail egg and when cooking the rule is, "2 bantam eggs for 1 reg. large egg".  I love my bantams. They remind me of my Grandmother Velma. She always had Bantams as long as I can recall there was never a moment in my childhood that I don't remember seeing her cooing and coaxing one onto her hand and giving it "kisses".


bantam silkie rooster (& hen on rt-"Frida") "FEZ"



                            They were teensy, they were sweet natured and they were beautiful and exotic looking. I have been blessed to get  matched pairs in almost all the breeds we chose ,since they are sold unsexed it is a crap shoot what you are getting.  Currently we have a black Cocchin rooster named COSMO, he is fearless and clearly the alpha in the bunch. When their door is opened he hopped to the front and pushes out his little chest and cooes. like a dove, he cooes. he will be the first to jump on myhand and let me stroke his neck andhe will even relax enoughto go to sleep. His mate was killed in a freak brooder incident (noIi did NOT kill her) her brooder mates crushed her. We are looking for a female for him now. Next we have the red Frizzles, Roscoe and Tina. Their feathers more closely resemble permed hair and waves backward towards their heads giving them a frazzled frizzy appearance. They are so soft it is hard to believe they have feathers instead of fur. They are a bit more skeptical of humans and are reluctant to hop on a hand or arm for some affection. Then there are the Silkies,"Fez" & "Frida".They are the strangest lil birds I have ever seen. First of all they are identified as chicks by their extra toes. Yes, extra toes, and all black skin. Even their tiny wattles and microscopic combs are blue black in color. Second of all, they grow feathers that look like dandelion fluff all over their bodies and it literally feels silky soft. They are a bit more curious than the Frizzles and a less so than Cosmo. They hang back briefly while Cosmo gets the attention and then dash in for brief encounters of the human kind, to snatch a bit of banana from a fingertip or strawberry from a lip. They are soft and odd looking and irresistably cute.



                             Then there is Skull Fracture & his mate Teensy. Skull Fracture aptly named for a near life threatening injury he sustained as a fledling cockerel.The entire top portion of his head was scalped down to the skull by an older hen that got in the brooder. We nursed him tohealth and watched as the gaping hole in his head healed and regrew feathers. His personality is larger than he will ever grow to be. He is bold and cocky and never shies away fromt he door of his shelter. he pops up and flitters from his roost whenever approached and is eager to run face to face with even the older, much larger hens in they yard. His mate teensy is ladylike and demure,shy even. She waits on her roost until all the other Bantams  have approached and  returned, always the last one to hop onto my hand for a treat. Delicate in every feature and gentle natured she  beckons me to hold her each time I open the door.



                                I feel closer to my Beloved Grandmother each time I spend a few moments with them. I can feel her at my shoulder explaining the behaviour of each one and  how they should be handled. I hear her cooeing to them and make little chittering noises as she walked among them in their henhouse. Their tiny eggs precious to her, colored and speckled and so very teensy tiny. No one else could handle her Bantams , those were hers exclusively.Now I understand why. I am stingy with mine too. Allowing others to handle them briefly at best and then a sense of urgency or panic  forces me to scoop them up and put them back in the safety of their home. So theses are my special babies,good only for show or for pets for the eccentric chicken lover,never growing big enought o even make soup. They are a luxury, my only one and I am happy to turning into an Old Southern Woman.



Skull fracture's mate






































bantam rooster "skull fracture"





my bantam cocchin rooster "Cosmo"