Laughing Chicken Farm

Goose Adventures

2012-02-27T21:06:00.005-05:00

My family is always full of surprises. Recently my aunt and uncle came for their first visit to our farm. I was so excited to show them all the things we've been doing. When they arrived, they had a big cage in the back of their pickup truck.

"We brought you something," my aunt said with a big smile. I looked in the back of the truck and saw four heads with long necks and big eyes. Four big geese looked back at me. They were just as surprised as I was.
Of course I thanked her, I mean, when do you ever get four big geese for a present? My next thought was, "Where am I going to put them?"
My aunt seemed to think they would be fine in the corral with the ducks for now. At least until they settled in. Then she said I could just let them roam around the farm and they would be happy. We found a container big enough for them to have a "pond". So far so good.
The next day we received a giant goose egg and I thought this was going to be a good relationship after all. Well, that's what I thought until on day three, big goose number one decided to spread his giant wings, glide over the electric netting away from the ducks, and settle on his own in the north end of the property. Geese two, three, and four soon followed. Well, maybe they know where they live now, I thought. My mom and Danielle, my daughter in law, were staying over, Bill was out of town, and I figured the geese could do their own thing. But then we had trouble. The four wild things did NOT want to stay on Laughing Chicken Farm property. In fact they were flying over fences like crazy and I could just barely see them in the neighbors field.
"Get in the truck!" I yelled and we three girls drove up the driveway. I parked and jumped out, running through blackberry bushes and cactus. I caught the first goose and handed her to my mom. I asked her to hold on tight and sit in the truck with her. Poor mom's shoes were full of cactus spines and sand spurs. Without complaining, she held the goose on her lap. Danielle and I could only catch one more goose. The more we ran after them, the farther away they flew. We all rode back to the house with the two geese in our arms. I rode on the tailgate while Danielle drove and the goose in Mom's arms pooped all over her lap while uttering deafening honks the whole way home.
Danielle took the pictures while I clipped the wing feathers on the two we'd caught so they would stay behind the fencing. We could hear the male calling while the females called back all through the night. I felt so helpless.
Thankfully, the next morning the male had made it back. I opened the fence, and he walked in. I was just glad he didn't get eaten during the night. After talking with my aunt, we decided it was best to find them a new home. A friend came and picked them up and off they went down the road again in the back of a pickup truck, necks stretched out and eyes wide with surprise.

A New Year!

2011-12-26T14:35:00.004-05:00

We've got one more week of 2011. The quiet space between the busyness of Christmas and next year's projects has me feeling restful and antsy at the same time. I find myself walking in circles, feeling less than motivated, not sure what could be the best use of my time. I guess I'm putting pressure on myself because I want this next year to have purpose. I want our farm to have purpose.

Not that we haven't had purpose already. God has blessed us beyond our imaginations in the last three years. We've learned so much about this land and cooperating with it and the animals. We've made so many wonderful relationships with our customers. I'm so grateful for all of these blessings. But this coming year is beckoning me to explore new ground and think bigger. For one thing, we sent our ewe lambs off to be bred with a friend's ram. As simple as this sounds, it will take us in a whole new direction. Fencing is now Bill's priority project. He's gone from "letting" me keep a few pet lambs to looking at sheep as a future product to sell. This is exciting, yet daunting because we've never raised sheep before.

Another direction I want to move the farm in is to include more art activities here on the land. Our first event will be an open studio/outdoor art day the third Thursday of January. I'm inviting anyone who would like to come out and do art, talk art, eat, take a walk, paint, photograph, whatever, for the day. Bring a lunch, meet the animals, draw or paint a picture. (I'll be happy to offer instruction, but only if you want me to.) We'll be open from 10am to sundown/feeding time.

These are just two ideas for 2012. I'm looking forward with a thankful heart at what God has done here on this 13 acres in Gilchrist County. I also know that direction and inspiration come from our Heavenly Father. You can bet I'll be spending more time seated at His feet in prayer as we approach the next year. I want to hear His Voice with all my heart.

Embracing my studio

2011-12-02T15:57:00.003-05:00

I've had a love-hate relationship with my RV studio. The eyesore we call "Bondo Bertha" sits 150ft from our house. It takes me quite a few steps to walk there. Usually when I get there, I've forgotten something or suddenly need to use the bathroom so I have to just turn around and head back to the house. It has LOTS of storage space, cabinets and cubbys. However, even though we had the electricity brought to it, only half the lights and appliances work off that system. The other things like the refrigerator, heater and overhead lights are on a separate system connected to a battery that died long ago. We've found other ways to deal with the broken things, but the lighting has really been a challenge. How do you create art when you can't see?

Recently we positioned our new shed closer to the house in hopes of making it into a sales area for chicken and a brighter studio space for me. The reality of it is that it is yet another project on an ever growing list of farm related, more urgent projects. So....yesterday morning, I realized I'll never paint if I wait on the perfect studio space. There are always excuses and reasons to delay squeezing out the paints. Why do I always put the creative time on hold? I feel so guilty when the housework awaits or the husband and son need clean clothes.

I sat down yesterday and pulled out the paints and finished this little chicken painting. I didn't get frustrated over the limited light, I just added another lamp. I took the phone with me and answered calls from the studio. It really felt good to finish something. Even something small. I didn't try to fix the world around me, I just used what I had available for the day. And it worked. Hopefully, I can keep this attitude. Hopefully I can turn my attention away from what isn't perfect and focus on what I can do with what I have.

So much of our farm runs that way. We've scrounged most of the building materials for all of our equipment. God blesses us time and again with witty ideas of what can be done with a pile of odd things. I'm sure in time I'll have that fancy studio in a more convenient place, but for now. I'm going to join hands with Bondo Bertha and see what we can create together.

Turkey Harvest

2011-11-21T06:50:00.002-05:00

Today we harvest the final turkeys for our Thanksgiving sales. After extensive emails, phone calls, and lists of lucky customers, we know who these next 35 turkeys belong too. We just have to get them ready. We've never done this many in one day. It should be an adventure.

This year has been another year of experimentation in the turkey operation. Will we sell them in the summer? Yes! How many can we raise? We maxed out at 150 for the season. Will we put people on a waiting list again? No! Besides our fresh turkey list of pickups, next year we have to come up with a better solution than a wait list. If anyone has any suggestions, I'm listening. Bill had it right when he said we should just offer them for sale first come, first serve. Next year, that's the way it has to go. The only problem is the freezer space it takes each week if they all don't sell. Where do we put the next batch? Maybe another freezer is in our future.

Another thing we learned this season is how hard it is to clean ducks. Again, I had to learn it the hard way. Poor Bill, I keep insisting we can do better with ducks and I order the next batch. Then comes butchering time. No matter how you slice it, it still takes hours to clean just a few. We could have done 50 chickens in the time it took to do 12 ducks. So... I guess I'll leave the ducks to the experts for now.

Something else that we are looking into that I'm really excited about is more sheep. Bill and I have been talking to other farmers about raising sheep for meat. I have been trying to convince Bill for a long time to let me have more lambies. I think I'm addicted. Now it looks like I'll get my wish. All we need is more fencing. Lots more fencing than we have. Hopefully the turkeys will help with the fence projects. I'm going to try to get the two sheep that I already have to be bred for spring. Oh, I can't wait to hold baby lambs!

Foggy Morning

2011-10-03T13:20:00.004-04:00

The weather has changed, hasn't it. I laid my cut off shorts out a few nights ago, but haven't had them on yet. The thermometer read 37 on Sunday morning at daylight! We put out two more thermometers beside it because we didn't believe it could be so cold. Out came the wool socks, jeans and sweatshirt. The sheep were skipping and bouncing this morning and playing chase with the dogs. Everyone is enjoying the crispness of the air and a renewed appetite. I'm thrilled because now I don't mind turning on the oven to bake some goodies, now I can make a batch of soap and...did someone say plant something in the garden?

Here at the farm, we're already planning for the holidays ahead. We sent out the email inviting reservations for turkeys and the response has been huge. The weight of the responsibility is intimidating. I'm praying for blessing and safety on each and every turkey out there so they can be a blessing in return.

The painting here was a quick oil study on panel I did last week when the fog filled the yard before the sun climbed over the tree line. I had to work quickly, because the light changed every minute, but sometimes that forces you to make better decisions in the painting process. There's our little tractor, a gift from a customer, awaiting a mower attachment Bill has his heart set on. Maybe by the spring he'll be able to mow down the weeds that make pulling the chicken tractors a challenge. (They have fertilized so well, of course the weeds are happy.)

Not the woman I thought I was.

2011-09-16T15:34:00.004-04:00

Okay, so I tried to be the hero. Bill was invited to last weeks Gator game. Of course he had to leave before feeding time, to which I said,"No problem". Then he told me there were visitors coming in an hour, to which I said,"No problem". I really wanted him to take advantage of the opportunity to be with with the guys. Then I realized that our son Micah had truck number two and I would be feeding everything on foot. No problem. I've got this.
Kissed hubby good-bye and started feeding baby chicks first. Our farm visitors came and I had a very willing, six-year-old helper for the evening. Everything was cruising along smoothly until it was time to carry the feed up to the hens. We used the wheel barrow to move three 30lb buckets of feed and laughed about how heavy they were. His six-year-old muscles did the watering, and I thought I was Wonder Woman and hoisted the buckets into the air and over the electric fence. No problem. At least that's what I thought.

The next morning Bill awoke with a smile on his face with visions of touchdowns in his mind, I awoke with a curve in my spine, a stitch in my side, and a hip that felt like it had been hit by a truck. Of course it was Sunday, so I lay on the couch until Monday to tuck my pretzel shaped body into the truck and go to the chiropractor.

He worked me over and said I may be a little stiff for the next day or two. Ha! Stiff didn't begin to describe what felt like a steel hand gripping my bones and twisting my muscles. And the next day happened to be butchering day. Quickly I called a friend with two teenagers familiar with chicken handling and asked them to come catch the batch that was ready. They did a wonderful job and in a half-hour had seventy six portly chickens waiting contentedly in cages by the processing area. The processing day went better than expected, and the next day of packaging was so much better with the help of our friend Theresa. Thank God for Micah. He's done so much extra work to help too.

Here we are on Friday, with another visit to the chiropractor behind me and things are looking up. I have been so humbled by the love and prayers sent my way by all our friends. I am truly blessed. Now I just have to remember that I'm NOT Wonder Woman, even if I want to be. (Even if Bill says so.)

Just found out that they published a pic of me on the cover of the Newberry/Jonesville Magazine today. If you look closely, you can see the silver bracelets Wonder Woman let me borrow for the picture.

Chicken Adventures

2011-09-05T13:00:00.002-04:00

The new coop is finally finished. (Thought you would enjoy a picture of the painting I did of it rather than a photo) The nest boxes are in, the perches are up and the door has a latch. Filling it with chickens has not been as easy as we thought. Not all birds go into coma-like states at night, thankfully chickens do. Maybe it's because they can't see well in the dark. Whatever the reason, it give us the advantage after the sun goes down.

Bill and I became chicken ninjas. We dressed in black, grabbed a flashlight and a carrying cage and headed where we knew they would roost. Some were in the old shelter, some were high up in the surrounding trees. Luckily, the moon was nowhere to be seen. Bill shined the light just enough to see body shapes, then I grabbed them one at a time from their perches. They screamed and squawked as I walked them over to the truck. Bill clipped wing feathers hoping that would be enough to keep them from getting over the electric netting.

The ones in the trees were a little trickier. Bill set the ladder under them, I weaved through the branches, reaching for two legs. Both the chicken and I would come down off the ladder with leaves, twigs and feathers flying. For two hours we stole the birds from their roosts and placed a total of 142 inside the new shelter. They squawked some more when we unloaded them and they had to figure out where the rest of the night would be spent and who would roost next to whom.

The next morning, we opened the door. It seemed that there hadn't been any fighting. The two groups of chickens that had fought like crazy were now drinking out of the same waterer. We even opened the door to the older hen's section and they were sharing nicely too. Wow. It looked like the plan worked!

Then, the clever little devils started taking a jump at the electric netting. They flapped and climbed at the same time and about 15 birds got out again. Now they were all the more wary and harder to catch. We've been catching who we can and clipping the other wing. I caught one yesterday that already had two wings clipped. There's little more I can clip that won't require an operation and stitches!

So...we are still hunting eggs in the grass, only the dogs are hunting them too and they've figured out all the good hiding places. Most of the time I find empty shells. The ones inside the new area are giving us about 7 dozen a day, and we can find all of them, so all is not lost. I'm thinking maybe the only way to deal with the rebellious is put on my ninja costume again and keep them in solitary confinement. Maybe they'll be reformed.

Egg Hunt

2011-08-09T16:02:00.009-04:00

Those clever chickens! They think they can hide the eggs from us. Well, they're right. We keep finding eggs EVERYWHERE--in the grass, under tarps, in between carrying cages, even under the front steps. No clue as to how old they are either. Bill had the idea of picking up all of the eggs we can find, and then when the hens lay again in the same spots, we will know they are fresh eggs. Great idea except when you pick up all the eggs from one nest, they make another nest somewhere else that you don't find until a week later.

Of course what we really need is to finish the conversion of the rabbit barn into the new deluxe chicken abode. Bill has worked furiously in the heat and the rain to get it done. All that remains is the door. Then we can lock them all up.(Ha Ha)

This new group of chickens has been a challenge from the beginning. We bought 200 chicks in the spring. Then sold some, traded some, added to them with ones we hatched on our own, and ended up with about 150. When it came time to move them out of the brooders, we put them in one of the movable coops we normally use for our broilers. Soon they were crowded and we had to separate them into two groups. One wise chicken farmer once said that when you separate, you can never again combine. Well, he was right. They were suddenly two separate flocks, each with their own pecking order. When it came time to move them into the brand new, shiny movable hotel with the new zappy electric netting around it, they immediately initiated war. The smaller ones ran/flew right though the holes of the electric netting leaving the larger bullies in complete ownership of food and water. The smaller ones took refuge in the trees at night and under the shed in the daytime. Of course we gave them their own set of food and water and hoped Lilly the white dog wonder would keep predators at bay. (We'll never know if there were losses, but we haven't seen any piles of feathers.)

Now, nearing their 5th month, they have surprised us again and begun to lay a earlier than expected. The larger flock has since learned the art of flying over the electric netting so less and less are actually in the space allotted. No, confinement has never been on the minds of these rebellious ones. Since they have begun to make eggs I sense a new attitude in the flock. They are bold, they are brash, they do whatever they want and no one will stop them! I've seen the way they look at me now when I have the feed bucket in hand. I'm just glad they're not more than three pounds.

However, with all this mixing and matching it seems there is less bullying going on. The roosters have begun to crow and grow beautiful tail feathers, the hens are rounding out into fuller, more mature looking specimens. We are hoping that we can put them together again into one flock. They have to go somewhere. They have been climbing into our trucks if we leave the windows down. The plan is to catch them at night, clip their wings, and let them all wake up together in the new house. I sure would like to prove that wise chicken farmer wrong. I guess we'll see what happens.

Turkey Independence Day

2011-07-05T17:08:00.004-04:00

When we lived in the city, the fourth of July was a night filled with enough booms and crackles and smoke to fill the neighborhood. Even though we lived only five miles from Clearwater Beach where the BIG fireworks go off, that didn't seem to stop everyone on our block from indulging their inner pyro and lighting off their own private display. When our kids were little, we just walked down a few driveways and watched the neighbors set off $100.00 worth. So it didn't bother us at all when our new neighbors in the country decided to have an impressive sky show of their own this year. We just turned up the volume on the tv and enjoyed our movie. However, if we had taken a peek outside we would have seen 42 out of 43 turkeys trample the electric netting, and take off into the night.
The thought did cross my mind during the movie that we should at least check on them. Bill casually said that there couldn't possibly be any danger of predators with all the noise and flashing lights going on. He was right. No coyote, fox, raccoon, bobcat, panther, or armadillo were anywhere near our place. At around 11pm our neighbors had finished and something prompted Bill to grab a flashlight. That's when I learned of the only one remaining turkey in the corral. We quickly passed out flashlights. Thankfully our son and daughter-in-law were with us so we had extra help. We scattered into the darkness criss-crossing our beams of light. Bill and Ben found the first 16 birds bedded down near the clothesline. My heart sank. I didn't think the flock would separate. I hoped we would recover more.
We scattered again and I headed toward the woods. There, in the thick grass and weeds were more birds. When they saw the light, they lifted their heads and started cooing. I quickly counted. Yes. All were there. Now, how does one pick up and move 42turkeys in the dark without scaring them, injuring them, or injuring ourselves? A third of them already weigh close to 20lbs and can kick and flap with more strength than you would expect.
Bill brought the pickup truck in slowly. We turned out all the flashlights except one. Danielle, our daughter-in-law held that one as we slowly moved through the flock. One at a time we loaded about ten into the bed of the truck. Micah, our youngest son climbed in, and he and I held our arms around the birds while Bill drove us back to the turkey net. It took about four trips to get them all back in. Then we realized that Lilly, our new puppy was missing too. She would have been with us "helping". Once again, the flashlight brigade scattered into the darkness calling her name. She had either hidden herself very well, or was missing from the property. I had seen Lilly's stubborn streak before, so I knew there would be no coaxing her out of hiding. I'd have to wait until morning. I went out at dawn the next day and was greeted by her smiling face. Thank God she was okay. She seemed unaffected by the previous nights escapades and started the day with her wagging tail like always. Bill and I breathed a prayer of thanks and a promise to ourselves to be prepared for next year.
Hope your 4th of July was spectacular!

Staying Coooooool

2011-06-03T15:24:00.005-04:00

Was last summer this hot? Laughing Chicken Farm has become panting chicken farm in the mid-afternoons. Thankfully, we do cool off at night to a nice, less than 60ish temp. But in the heat of the day I've seen our thermometer read over 100. That being said, we are doing our best to keep everyone comfortable and hydrated. Our well water comes from an underground spring pocket so when I refill the animal waterers in the afternoon, the chickens splash and dunk their heads in it. They love to lounge under the hanging waterer and lay on the damp ground.

Today we moved the first two batches of turkeys out to the TRV (Turkey Roosting Vehicle). One and two at a time, Bill and I carried them by hand across the pasture to the new corral. This all started around 11am when the sun is almost full strength. What were we thinking? Too many trips later, covered in sweat, turkey poo and feathers, we got all 30 into their new shady quarters. Of course they just gawked at us and stood in the sun, but slowly they made their way under the roof and into the shade. The first group of 15 has about a month to go before harvest day, but I think they are over ten pounds already.

Our flock of new layers are doing well, but not blending together as we had hoped. We brooded 25 of them separately two weeks apart, and they have decided to stay segregated. It's like rival gangs. The big girls take over the watering station and hang out by the feeders. They peck the little ones on the heads when they get close so I have to set up different watering and feed troughs. At night, the little girls sneak in and join the flock, but then run out as soon as daylight comes. We had them surrounded by the poultry net, but the little ones could fit through the holes, so now they all are running around free. At least they are getting lots of foraging area. They haven't found the garden yet, thankfully.

Speaking of the garden, I pulled up what I thought were sorry little failed carrots only to find that several had actually gotten big enough to bite. We've never grown carrots before. I haven't tasted them yet so I'm not sure if they were a success or not. The heat has withered and bolted many of the garden's first plantings. I'm thinking I'll save the seeds so I let the mustard, cilantro, and arugula go to flowers. The ducks are sharing the space too so they get to enjoy the plants when they are pulled up. I tossed them green bean plants today. They stay cool with lots of water to dunk in and shade to get under. Most of their quacking is morning and afternoon when the day cools off. These are Giant Pekins. Sure they're beautiful, but dumb as dirt. Chicken Little should have been a duck because they all run around and think the sky is falling! I've already started a small flock of Muscovys. Everyone I've talked to about it says they are much better to manage, and actually get bigger then the Giants. Plus they have the added bonus of hatching out their own babies. Can't wait for that one!

Of all the other animals here, I think Lilly has the best idea for cooling off. Every Tuesday and Wednesday after processing and packing the chickens Bill dumps the ice from the coolers on the ground. Lilly rolls in it, lays on it, eats it and throws it in the air. She makes it look so good, I sometimes want to join her. So I've included a picture of "Lilly on Ice" and hopefully it will make facing the heat easier for all of us.

The birds and the bees

2011-04-11T17:01:00.003-04:00

There's never a dull moment on the farm. After getting home from the Melrose paintout, I put my art supplies away, slammed the RV door, and walked a little bit away. Then I noticed a bunch of bees near the front corner. A few bees soon became many, then a swarm started! I called my beekeeping friends and they came over, but by that time, the swarm had entered the sagging framework of my poor dilapidated RV studio. My friends Margie and Sissy (two true farm girls) tried a few tricks with honey hoping to coax them out, but no. The bees had already decided this would make a great place for a hive. I, on the other hand, did not see it that way. Bees were making their way INSIDE the RV and bumping up against the windows. I wanted to cry. I had just been getting all the art juices flowing again at the paintout, only to come home to a studio I couldn't use.

A week has passed. Margie and Sissy came again yesterday with Sissy's husband Steve, and a big, white bee suit. Steve, an engineer by profession, got out a screwdriver and began to disassemble the front of the RV in hopes of getting to the hive without much damage to either the bees or my studio. I stood by (not too close) watching, hoping this would be the answer. The more Steve opened up, the more the RV crumbled. We all agreed the RV would not survive if he dug much deeper, and yes, the bees could be heard buzzing much deeper.

Margie, in her farm woman wisdom, said, "Well, you could always leave them in there and tear it apart in a year and at least you would have the honey."

I thought it over. Maybe. "How much honey could they make?"

Margie assured me it could be hundreds of pounds. The trade off sounded better. Bill also assured me that we could build a new studio. A new studio sounded good.

This morning, at breakfast, as we were drizzling honey on our grits, Bill and I contemplated the future of our honey house. We also realized that last year we didn't see many birds on our property. This year, after a whole winter of moving chickens on the pasture, we have wildflowers coming up all over, we see song birds flitting from tree to tree, and we have a buzzing hive of new residents who must have thought this was a fruitful place to set up a new home.

green!

2011-03-01T19:47:00.003-05:00

Oh, Boy can we see where the chickens have been all winter long! Our pasture is so much improved this year. We have grass coming up all over. You can see where the turkeys have grazed, fertilized and cleaned up the blackberries. Our next group of turkeys will be here by the end of the month. You can see where the movable egg-mobile has been too. See all the green behind it? The grass comes up the next morning after I move them!

Our next batch of layer chicks have arrived. We have Rhode Island Reds and Americanas with Barred Rocks still to come. We've ordered extra so if you are looking to pick up a few chickens for your yard, give us a call. In six months they'll be laying more brown and green eggs for the market.

I just had to show how big Lilly is getting. She and Johnny follow us on our daily chores feeding everyone and moving tractors. Anytime we have a chicken that needs a little extra care, we take it out and set it on the ground while we move the others. Lilly usually comes over and licks it's head and sits down beside it. I don't think the chickens like it, but she is very gentle and I'm hoping this is a sign of her future as a livestock guardian. We are still deciding whether or not to get her fixed or wait and breed her when she is two years old. How in the world will I keep all the neighborhood dogs away when she comes into heat? Will I regret it if I get her fixed and she turns out to be an excellent guardian? We already know she is a wonderful dog.

Latest edition

2011-01-26T19:05:00.002-05:00

Some of you have been following my art blog about the painting I was working on in exchange for a guardian puppy. Well Here she is! The painting turned out fantastic. Brooke, the owner/breeder was thrilled to see her favorite goat in oil paint. We took a drive to the panhandle and picked up our puppy, Lilly! She loves to greet all the visitors when they arrive. Make sure you come and meet her soon!

Turkey Pick up day

2010-12-01T13:32:00.002-05:00

We had a wonderful, busy day with friends coming to pick out their fresh dressed turkeys the Tuesday before Thanksgiving. The weather couldn't have been better either. I forgot and let the chickens out that morning, so they were part of the party too. A great big thank you to everyone who made the journey out to the farm. A big thank you to Sissy for help on the decorations,(never my strong suite) and to all my kids and soon-to-be-kids for helping spread mulch.

On another note, God has provided again. With this cold weather now upon us, we needed a windbreak on each tractor. As you can see we are stylishly color coordinated in blue. My mom and dad came with gifts from Clearwater and one of them was a giant pool cover someone had thrown out. It just happened to be the right size to make six strips to cover the backs of the tractors with one to spare. Oh, thank you Lord! Now I can sleep at night not worrying if my babies are cold. We can lift the edges up in the daytime if it is warm, and slide them down at night. Perfect! Another recycled item put to good use.

Turkeys

2010-11-16T20:26:00.001-05:00

It's sad to see them go. We've watched them grow from day old chicks to grown up gobblers. Bill built them a mobile roost he calls the TRV the turkey roosting vehicle. They've done wonders for our pasture and they are eating things like cactus and blackberry leaves. But, you know what happens to all good turkeys on Thanksgiving. We've enjoyed them so much this year, that we're already planning when the chicks can come again. We want to try some heritage breeds this spring. Maybe we'll even keep some breeding pairs.
On another melancholy note, we had to say goodbye to the sheep. It was with many tears. We simply don't have the fencing yet on our farm to protect the sheep or move them from pasture to pasture. Maybe the sales from the turkeys this year can help with that. We were able to sell the sheep back to our wonderful, understanding friends the Cox's. The money went to a freezer. Another one. How dull. Our house looks like an appliance store already. Bill was right. We needed it. I can see that now as the twenty pounders go into the new freezer and just about fill it to the top. But I still want to farm with my heart, not always my head. Most of the time my heart wants something warm, fuzzy and cuddly.

New Roof on the Egg Mobile and a New Ram

2010-09-23T21:12:00.004-04:00

Today Bill and I finished up the roof on the egg mobile. We had to take off the old tarp because it was tattered after less than a year. We've been using recycled billboards now and they are so much stronger than tarps. Would you believe they sent us one that was our laughing chicken green? Kansas City Power and Light uses the same green. Who knew? Thanks guys! The words that show under the roof are "Innovative" and "Dynamic". Just the kind of inspiration I need to see when we go collect the eggs. Soon our new flock should be laying. Our market regulars will be thrilled. They've been lining up for the few dozen we bring and I hate to disappoint people when we run out.

Our new ram arrived on Sunday afternoon. Lewis and Janice Cox brought him to us and I am so grateful because we don't own a livestock trailer. He was especially enamored with Pearl this morning. Here is a picture of him whispering sweet nothings to her. The two of them cuddled all day. So sweet. The lambs should come in February. Oh, to hold a new lamb in my arms. Is there anything better? Sigh.

Blueberry the troublemaker.

2010-09-13T21:25:00.003-04:00

Getting ready for church Sunday morning, checking on everyone before I go. "Baaa Baaaa BAAAAAA!" What is going on? Blueberry Muffin is tangled again in the electric netting and wearing it like a necktie. How do you catch a sheep without breaking a plastic net? As soon as I got close to her she started dragging it and raking it against the chainlink on the dog kennel. I caught hold of the net, worked my way to her and jumped on top of Blueberry. She yanked and kicked. I wrestled her to the ground and we both took a breather. We must be evenly matched wrestling partners. I eased her head and legs out of the netting and yes, she broke a bit of it, but not badly. As soon as she was free, we both stood up and shook the dust off. Some whole corn lured the three of them back into their night time kennel. I gave them a big flake of hay to chew on until we got back from church. The net could be untangled later. I was just glad to have found her before we left. She would have been baking in the sun with no way to get to the water or rolled tighter into the net. Thank you Lord for watching out for us!

One step forward, two steps back.

2010-09-01T17:29:00.003-04:00

Here we are on our 18th batch of chicks this year. That means we've had over 2000 chickens live out happy lives here. Whew! That's a lot of chickens! Recently we've had a frustrating development. The last 7 or 8 batches have had migets in them. It started out with one small one running around under the big guys. We thought it was cute and kept her as a pet for a while and let her run around with the laying hens. Then we saw three and four in the next batch we received. Now we're up to 17 t0 20 tiny sized chicks to a batch and it's not cute anymore. We've tracked the situation, called our hatchery, sent pictures, switched hatcheries and still this is happening. Here are pictures of the last batch of chicks the very same day they arrived in the mail. You can clearly see a difference in size. The other picture is of two 4 week old birds from the same batch. These small guys just don't grow. ....but they love to eat! We've switched hatcheries once again to find a different gene pool. It seems many hatcheries get their eggs from the same source in Arkansas. Ideal hatchery in Texas hatches out their own, so we'll see if the big stuff really does come from Texas.

It's been so frustrating because the summertime is when we usually get our bigger growth and this year it just hasn't been there. The birds are still healthy, but dress out much smaller. I've even given some away on freecycle when they were too small even for our Mini catagory. Such is the world of farming. We let the last batch of chickens grow for an extra week and they did get big enough for some Mediums and a few Larges. The next batch we dress out on Monday looks like it could be a mixed lot. We'll see.

On a happier note, The turkeys are growing like crazy! They love to eat grass and I even heard a gobble this morning. Our list of customers wanting one is growing too. It was a scary thing ordering the chicks without knowing if they would sell, but God is blessing it. They are so much fun to raise. I may see if I can sell them next summer too.

The Trap

2010-08-02T22:31:00.002-04:00

Okay. We're getting serious now. I lost my last duck yesterday and it's not funny. We think there are 12 chickens gone now. Haven't seen all the casualties, we've just seen the empty spaces in the egg cartons. A dozen eggs a day less adds up. This predator is costing us. So.....thanks to our friends John and Margie Knot, we now have the big trap set where the chickens used to be. We moved the egg mobile and as soon as we can inch it up towards the hot wire, we'll get an electric net around the flock.

The trap worked right away. Just like it was supposed to, but we forgot to tell the chickens that they are supposed to stay on the outside and whatever is eating them is supposed to go on the inside. Good thing we found her.

Just like Christmas!

2010-07-24T16:31:00.003-04:00

Oh boy have we been having fun with new toys here on the farm! First we got our new carport over our processing area. What a difference. We processed Monday with a cool breeze blowing through the shade. Ahhhhh. Then Bill made a bunch more carrying cages for getting the chickens from the tractor to the processing area. We'll be able to carry 80 to 100 birds. You can see them stacked on the right side of the carport.

Last, but not least (my favorite) we got our first three sheep. Janice and Lewis Cox from Oak Lane farm in Lake City have wonderful breeding stock. We ended up with a Katahdin, a Katahdin cross, and a Florida Native cross. They are all ewes and will be ready to breed next month. They're getting to know us and we're getting to know how to be shepherds. They even know my name. When they see me with the feed bucket they say, "Maaaaa."

I love having them and we'll be ready to harvest our first lambs next year.

The turkeys have arrived.

2010-07-14T16:50:00.002-04:00

Hurray for Thanksgiving! I love turkeys. They are the cutest! Even when they get big and funny looking their personalities make them a joy to raise. Today we received our first shipment. I've ordered 45 for the season, 15 at a time. They are raised with the broilers because the chickens teach them how to live. They have to watch the chickens eat to know where the food is. Yet they are constantly looking for something different to peck. Like my ring. If the market for turkeys is good enough, I'd love to raise them all season long.

The thief has been seen!

2010-07-08T14:14:00.004-04:00

Lately we had some sad events here. Something killed one duck, then three more ducks. Not just for food, mind you, but for fun and left the victims lay in the grass. Then, the same something came in broad daylight while we were at church and massacred four chickens. Feathers were everywhere. The casualties were heavy. I was angry and filled with a feeling of helplessness. So much for our "vigilant" guard dogs. Worthless.

Bill took a walk into the woods the next day and spotted a very large raccoon running away. He must have developed a taste for our chickens and was coming in for more. We moved the Egg Mobile and we are taking the dogs down into the woods at different times during the day. We may have scared him off, but I dare not get complacent. The electric netting is going up as quickly as we can get the grounding stakes in the ground. It's amazing how much impact losing four layers has made on our egg production. Four less eggs a day adds up to more than two dozen a week we won't be collecting. It makes me realize how valuable each creature is to the whole system. On a happier note, Our remaining two female ducks are doing fine after getting over the trauma and have begun to lay. I set them up in a new house in the garden, but the first opportunity they had they waddled back to the old cage and put themselves inside. I guess that's were they'll be staying for now.

Egg of a different color

2010-06-11T21:09:00.004-04:00

On the way to collecting todays eggs, Bill stepped over what he thought was a splat of chicken poop on the ground. On further examination, he found a treasure. We'd heard there had been Indians here, now we had proof : a beautiful arrowhead made of stone. To see it in the field and hold it in our hands gave me a feeling of belonging to a long history of people that used this piece of land. We are like pearls on a necklace, each holding its place. I'd love to know the reason this arrowhead landed right here, 100 ft away from the lakebed. A missed hunting shot, or a hit and a meal for his family? We'll never know, but I get to hold it in MY hand now, in this place of time. In 2010, chickens peck and squabble, and lay their daily eggs where a hunting party once hid in the palmettos.

On another note. Check out my daughter's new blog. She's got a knack for writing and an artists eye. I never know what to expect next. You'll find it at http://www.beautifuleverafters.blogspot.com/

Summer fruits!

2010-06-07T21:15:00.004-04:00

Hot days and loads of rain have coaxed the wild blackberries to hang heavy with beaded fruit. My ankles are scratched and my fingers smart with new barbs, but oh how sweet it is to fill a bucket with gleanings from the field. The best place we've found is in front of the studio. The mosquitoes buzz there too. Tonight I covered my legs with Skin So Soft, Catherine picked garden mint and rubbed it on her shins. We felt protected in our cloud of scent for only about 15 minutes but here is a picture of our bounty. Maybe more picking tomorrow.

That's not the only thing new at the farm. Eva, the pound puppy, joined us a week ago and is already having a great time with Jonny showing her the routine of being a farm dog. In true puppy fashion, she pulled a wet paintbrush across her body and across the carpet, waited to get into the house to pee, and ate a whole chicken foot out of the compost. She's a keeper!

Last but not least, my first try at a garden is yielding lots of zucchini! We've been stuffing and sauteing, and giving it away. It's still coming in. They grow stealthily, and creep to great sizes when you're not looking.

New batch of Egg Makers

2010-05-19T11:24:00.002-04:00

Today I picked up peeping box at the post office full of our next flock of laying hens. These Ohio girls are 50 americaunas that lay the green eggs, and 50 black australorps that lay brown eggs. We should start seeing some of those eggs in about 5months. Our other flock is really pumping the eggs out now. Those 68 hens are consistently giving us almost five dozen a day! They have free range of the farm and do a great job searching out bugs and goodies. They come running when we open the back door hoping for a kitchen handout! We also added 3 pairs of ducks that should be laying any day now too. Can't wait.

Lions, Tigers and Bears - Oh, my!

2010-04-02T22:28:00.002-04:00

Last week we noticed a spot in the fence that looked like a car ran into it. After a closer look, Bill noticed hair stuck in the wire. Deer hair. That deer hit the fence so hard it pulled off the post and broke the wires. We thought maybe it was being chased by coyotes. Our dog Johnny has been very clingy latey so we thought something may have scared him. Well.... this morning I was out before sunrise and heard a very strange noise coming from the woods. It was like a wild cat but it repeated about 5 times. We thought we had seen a panther before. Now I knew it could be back. Bill got on the computer and typed in panther sounds. Guess what matched the sounds I heard this morning...a panther in heat! Oh great. Well, now we are really thinking of getting dog number 2! We'll keep our eyes open for sure.

Our first Egg!

2010-03-24T00:30:00.002-04:00

Well, we got two today actually! A green one and a brown one. The hens found a bit of hay in the brooder and they started burrowing in it and making lots of clucking. Bill came home and found two eggs inside. Finally! Breakfast for tomorrow.

It's 12:30am. We just finished bagging and tagging and freezing 46 chickens and 6 ducks. Yesterday was processing day. Whew. My feet hurt. Still filling orders. I'm still not able to give everyone what they asked for but we are getting closer. This time we had one jumbo. The cold weather has kept them from gaining weight like they did last summer. Soon we'll be bringing eggs to the market.

The bunnies are doing great. I've got three litters and two more on the way. Here's a picture of the two week old Polyface line rabbits. Eyes just opened. Boy are they jumpy. She's got eight in there!

Off to bed. It's hard to make complete sentences....

New Egg Mobile

2010-02-23T10:44:00.002-05:00

Yes, we did it! Finally finished it. They LOVE it. They love being able to run around the yard now the most. The very first night they all went in and I just closed the door behind them. Wow. It worked. I just hope they stay out of my garden. I may have to fence it off now.

That's me moving ducks to a tractor in the rain yesterday. Ducks are waterproof. They don't get wet under their feathers. Which has brought us to another hard choice. We started processing ducks yesterday and found out that our equipment cannot separate the ducks from their feathers. We struggled for three hours until we finally decided that we can't offer dressed duck for sale. At least not right now. Until we find out another way to dress them, our career in duck is over. (It sounded like a good idea at the time.)

We also moved our next batch of chicks outside to a tractor. I love to watch them in the grass for the first time. They start right away to scratch and peck whatever looks good. They all gang up on one spot. It's so cute. Another order of 100 chicks is on its way to us tomorrow. Gotta get the brooder ready for them now.

Our family of customers is growing fast. God is so good. We are stepping up production as fast as we can to meet the need. Each week at the farmers markets we get more names on our waiting list.

On a sad note, I lost two litters of rabbits in the cold weather. But one litter survived and is doing great! It's my new NZW doe. She had three this first time. They are fat little butterballs. Today I am re-breeding the does that lost their litters. It will be warmer in 29-33 days when they are ready to kindle.
Gotta go for now!

Lots of new babies around here.

2010-02-08T19:27:00.003-05:00

Last week I received a new shipment of 100 broilers plus an added surprise. The hatchery had mistakenly attached my order to another order and it all came to us. 200 assorted bantams were supposed to fly to New Mexico, but they ended up in Florida instead! Oh Boy! I was ready for 100, but not 300!!!! Thank God we had built the 2nd brooder. I divided both brooders in half and bought more feeders and waterers and nestled everyone in. What a day! I've included pictures of our babies. Right now our nursery holds 40 ducks, 100 broilers and 100 bantams. (I was able to find homes for half the bantams.) Can't wait to see what they turn out to be.

Today was our processing day, but it didn't work out as expected either. We started and the birds just weren't up to the weight they needed to be. I think it's the cold weather. They've used so much energy keeping warm that it has slowed their growth. We've decided to give them another week. I guess that's part of working with live creatures. They do what they want despite our schedules.

Bill is standing in front of our latest project. Our Egg-mobile. We got some car wheels at the junk yard and Bill is making a wagon-like structure on top. It should hold about 100 birds. I want to paint it. Maybe it will be pink. ?? Pink is for girls. We'd be able to find them in the field for sure. I'll keep you posted.

I've also included a picture of my RV with it's pretty bonnet. This is what Bondo Bertha looks like with the billboard on top. Even with all the rain we've had, everything inside is dry. I've got a new tent stove from ebay that Bill is going to hook up for me so I can have heat. Bertha's off grid and will probably stay that way. I bought a new oil lamp too. It's starting to feel like a club house in there.

Studio Time

2010-01-20T19:46:00.002-05:00

Our 40ft RV sits off to the side of the property in a quiet setting. It's been packed with all my art stuff in bins and boxes just waiting for me to come over and play. Since we bought "Bondo Bertha" as we lovingly call her, there have been many issues concerning leaks. (Hence the name) But the solution came in a huge billboard I ordered online. Who knew? You can order used billboards and use them for cool stuff. My wonderful husband built a framework over the RV to support it. I'll have to post another picture tomorrow with the final results. Thank you Verizon!

So today, in a dry RV, I pulled open those boxes and sorted my treasures into all the wonderful drawers and shelves and it's beginning to feel like my own space. Soon I'll receive the camp stove I ordered on ebay to have heat inside. Who needs electricity? Can you hear my contented sigh?

Painting Day at the Farm

2010-01-15T13:42:00.002-05:00

Yeah!!!! I actually painted a picture yesterday. It felt so good. The chicks were contented with the warmth of the day so I didn't obsess over them like I have been. Sweet Bill went to the High Springs market without me and I got to stay home and do art. These are cows that live up the street. I love how curious the calves are while they are young and discovering the world around them. They are cautious and curious at the same time. They will look at you, then lift their tails and run away.

My studio space is still such a mess, but the day was gorgeous. The outdoors light has spoiled me to painting indoors anyway. In my next blog I'll have to show you what the RV looks like now as an art hideaway.

Brooder Building

2010-01-12T20:43:00.003-05:00

Can you say Cold?!!!! On the coldest day of the year, our first winter in the north country we worked outside all day building another brooder. In order to step up production, we decided to build brooder number two so we don't have to rush out little ones who are not ready to go onto the ground. Can you blame them in this weather? In order to keep our babies warm, we put up the art tent around brooder number one. This really worked and probably saved their little lives. The cold stayed out and three heat lamps kept it warm inside. Here's a picture of the outside of the craft hut and the inside with the brooder. The new brooder slid right in facing it. It's a tight squeeze, but it made it. Our new chicks come next week. The batch that is in brooder number one are two weeks old. I have to take a picture of the ducks. You won't believe how large they are! The other picture is of Micah while he works on a bird feeder. I'm not sure he can actually see the wood.

To Market, To Market

2010-01-02T20:40:00.003-05:00

Lots and lots of new friends at the markets! We've been going to High Springs Farmer's Market on Thursdays, and Alachua County Farmer's Market on Saturdays with our beautiful chickens wrapped and frozen. It's been a rewarding experience to hear people say, "We're so happy we found you!" or "You're the last piece of the puzzle I needed!" It makes it all worth while getting up on frosty mornings to move the chicken tractor. I'm so proud of what we've been presenting people, and so thankful. I know God has been partnering with us all the way.

Our layers are growing and starting to jump out of the tractor when we open the lid. Our next project is to build them a movable egg-mobile of their own. This week we received a new shipment of chicks and this time we added 15 ducks to the batch. White Pekins are supposed to grow just as fast as the cornish cross so in 8weeks we should have duck in the freezer too. Everyone has been excited about this new offering. If they work out, I'd like to keep them coming.

I've posted some pictures our son, Ben took. We've been enjoying all the kids home from college. Catherine, Ben, and Ben's girlfriend Danielle. They've been such a help. Everyone goes back this week and it will be just the three of us again in a quieter house. Ah well. Maybe I'll be painting again soon.

Developments

2009-11-21T09:24:00.003-05:00

I didn't realize it has been since September since my last blog. Lots of stuff to talk about now! We've improved the brooder design so I'm not afraid of it chopping off my head when I reach in now. It holds a hundred chicks at a time and has been filled three times since that first batch of fifty. Right now it houses a colorful collection of pullets that, come spring, will be laying an assortment of brown and green eggs. Thirty of them go to our friends Bill and Cathy Bare, otherwise known as Santa and Mrs. Clause. That means I keep 70 for us. Yikes. I'm not sure if I knew what I was getting myself into. They sure are cute. The black ones are Barred Rock (brown eggs), The red ones are a hybred Production Red (brown eggs), and the stiped ones are Americaunas (green eggs).

They were mailed out on a Tues. but by Friday morning I was getting conserned when they still hadn't arrived. I called the hatchery and they said they didn't know what had happened and that they would send another batch. We both were sorry. All I could think of was a box of starving, dying chicks somewhere in a forgotten warehouse. Then Friday afternoon the post office called and said,"Your babies are here."Not one of them had died! They were starving and thirsty, but no losses. Now, a week later, still no losses. They are all eating and running around like little scurrying rabbits.

Speaking of rabbits, I have a new buck. A New Zealand from the Blaha's in Brooksville. He's still young, but I bought him because I thought my buck was defective. Not to worry though. I've finally gotten them to breed thanks to some advice from the Homesteading Today forum. Thanks to all who helped. Wheat Germ oil on the food and extra daylight hours by light bulb made a difference in only four days. We should have baby bunnies in a month. Yeah!

Our First Harvest

2009-09-16T08:24:00.004-04:00

Saturday was processing day! Our chickens were 8weeks old and HUGE. Bill set up all the equipment during the week so we were ready. Everything we ordered came on time. We began at 8am and by 4pm, 50 chickens were in the freezer, plucked, tucked, wrapped and labeled. Whew. I don't think it will take us as long next time. Micah was such a help. He worked beside us and became a pro at cutting and wrapping in no time. We composted what little remained and sat down and ate the rest of Bill's birthday cake. God was so good to us with the weather. It sprinkled and was overcast the whole day. We got wet, but we were wet anyway.

The Francis family was our first customer. Hurray! We did it!

The New House

2009-09-08T08:32:00.005-04:00

It looks good from the front window of the RV. I've taken lots of pics of the progress. They started on Thurs. Everyone had their own way of mastering the sandy quagmire. I've got ruts in every direction to remember them by. But here it stands. Yesterday was Labor Day, but the interior guy and the siding guy surprised us by coming anyway. Today the plumber comes, maybe the ac people if we are lucky. I'm sooooo ready to move in. The port-a-let is getting, well, you know. I'm not going to say it. Living without refrigeration is also a trick.

The real trick is not dwelling on the mistakes we've made and reminding myself of God's blessings. (We lost 6 chickens the other day due to our inexperience, we had them put the electric pole on the wrong side of the house, and I'm wondering if we should have kept the sliding glass door after all. ) I could make a long list of things I'd like to do over, but I know that won't get me anywhere. I get to begin moving stuff over to the house today and I'm going to thank God every step of the way.

camping for real

2009-09-01T20:05:00.002-04:00

Okay, now I really feel like we are camping. No hot water! Yikes. Tonight we grilled hamburgers outside and ate them with our fingers. Bill is off to get ice for the cooler. We tried to get the RV to run the refrigerator and water heater off the propane tank, but it doesn't work. But walking back up the hill from the port-o-let, I saw the most gorgeous sunset. I ran to get the camera, but I was too late. It only lasted a second. It makes me relish the beauty all around us even if we don't have the comforts of a house.

Here is a picture of our chickens. My they have grown.

New home is on it's way!

2009-08-31T20:54:00.004-04:00

We should be receiving our new mobile home on Wednesday or Thursday. Today the trucks came with dirt for the pad. One made it up the hill, the other didn't. Here's a picture of the stuck truck. They had to wait for a friend to bring a chain to pull him out. Now it sits at the bottom of the hill until the tractor comes tomorrow. Last week I had the same thing happen to the truck that brought our port-a-let. It took two tractors to drag it out of the sand. Needless to say, our driveway doesn't look like a driveway anymore.

The part I'm really excited about is that the RV is going to be my art studio. Our wonderful neighbor Brian came with his big tractor and moved it like a breeze. He put it to the side right where I wanted it nestled into the trees. It's going to be so cozy. For now, though, we only have on extension cord coming through the window, one fan, and no toilet hook up. (Hence the port-a-let) It's a 500 ft walk to the toilet at the bottom of the hill. I was riding my bike down the driveway to get there faster, but now, alas, no driveway.

The third picture I just had to add. This is my laundry room. It's right beside Micah's room. (The tent) He's been sleeping there since we arrived three months ago. He's got electricity, a fan, alarm clock, and now he just set up his tv with video games. He says he wants to have a party in there after we get the house.

New batch of chickens in the tractor!

2009-08-13T16:29:00.004-04:00

If you ever wanted to see the happiest day in a chicken's life, it would be when they leave the woodshaving floor of the brooder and go out on the ground for the very first time. They aren't sure what it is they're standing on, they they start all their chicken movements--scratching, pecking, eating bugs and grass and weeds. This bunch was so excited that they didn't want to go to sleep when it was getting dark. I think they thought they were in chicken heaven.

Our new chicken/turkey tractor is taller than the model Joel Salatin uses. Because of our climate we made it 3 feet high to let the air flow better and the heat rise above the chickens heads. They look small inside now, but they're growing by the day. The turkeys are especially curious. Every time a chicken picks up something the turkeys try to grab it from their beaks. They take on the biggest of the bunch even though they are half their size. It's better than watching TV!

The Polyface experience

2009-07-16T19:13:00.005-04:00

We just came back from a weekend workshop at Polyface Farm in VA. What a trip! 14 hours to get there on Thurs., up at the crack of dawn, greeted by a breakfast cooked over a fire pit, and then into the business of chicken processing. I'll spare you the details, but I can say we learned so many more things than what we could have read in the book. It is always so good to see it with your own eyes. I was supposed to go with my childhood friend Dawn Waltonbaugh, but she had to cancel last minute and graciously offered Bill her place. What a blessing to have him there too to see it all. I want to take some before pictures of our land so we can compare them to what will become of our depleted, sandy Florida soil. I have high hopes.

The shed is almost finished. It needs a window put in and trim around the cracks, but it's already being put to use. We were slamming down nails as fast as we could to get the roof on before, you guessed it, another rain storm. Mom and Dad are coming up tomorrow with their camper. Yee haww.

Rain, Rain, Rain

2009-07-08T12:06:00.004-04:00

Boy, does it rain up here! It's either getting ready to rain, just letting up for a little while, or black as pitch and storming. Micah was out in his tent last night and his front door blew in. Still zipped, the rain didn't come in, but the wind beat against it hard. It beat against the RV just as hard and I was up at 3:30 am putting towels in the window. I need to get up on the roof with more bondo.

I took a picture of the shed we are building through the rainy window. As you can imagine, the weather has slowed the process. God did provide a big sheet of plastic just when we needed it. (Doesn't He always know what we need.) We went to Ace Hardware to buy a tarp and guess what was in the dumpster--loads of heavy duty plastic that came off of their roof. They said we could have as much as we needed. I went back again last night to get more. Who knows where else it will come in handy.

And, just in case you were wondering, yes that's my wet laundry hanging in the background.

waking up in the country

2009-07-01T08:31:00.002-04:00

This is our third day waking up in the RV. The wild turkeys are keeping just out of site behind the trees on Mom and Dad's land. Yesterday we heard them gobble in answer to the thunder and lightning that took our power out for an hour. We weren't sure how to get the sample of water to take to the Health Dept. without the pump running, but it came back on in time for me to wade through the downpour and hand it to them before noon.

Bill and I both agree that one of the biggest blessings God has given us is in the water the pump is bringing to the surface. Today we get the formal results, but in an area of notorious iron ladden, yellow drinking water, ours is as clear and cold as the bottom of Fanning Springs. Thank you Jesus!

Today I am waking up to more boxes to unpack so we can sit on the couch, and watching a bluebird play on the back of our pickup truck. Looks like clear skies today. Thank God the ac works.

Learning About Goats

2009-06-24T07:37:00.005-04:00

Today I'm going to visit a goat farm. Milking is at 8:30 am.

Mr. Rogers used to sing a song:"Everything goes together, because you're all one piece..." That's the way is seems this farm works. Before the chickens can walk the ground, the grass must be cut down. Since we don't actually have grass yet, (more like sticks and cactus), we would need a $3,000 range mower to do the job without breaking. I wanted to do sheep, but now goats are looking like the ticket. In order to get the goats to cut the grass, we need to put up a fence along the back perimeter. Before we can do the fence, we need to finish building the tool shed because now we can begin moving into the RV. Guess where all the tools are--you guessed it, the RV. I think I'll ask if goats can be tethered.

The Electric Man Comes Today

2009-06-23T11:24:00.005-04:00

I've been wanting to get this blog started. Our story has been full of surprises. Here is where we are now:
We put the house in Clearwater up on the market June 08. Lowered the price, lowered the price again, cried, lowered the price again. In November Bill and I looked at each other and wondered how we would be able to buy and build what we wanted if we had nothing left after the sale.

But God gave me a scripture. "Power belongeth unto God."(Ps. 62:11) We decided moving was the goal and we believed God was asking us to trust Him. We lowered the price again and it sold!
The closing finally came after many hurdles and after the holidays. Now we could look at land with serious purpose.

Ten beautiful acres waited for us in the heart of Gilchrist County, just 30 minutes outside of Gainesville. God again provided a title company that worked through a mess of incorrect legal descriptions. Waiting seemed to be my new life's work--waiting, packing, selling and giving things away.

God always has a purpose. During all this time I was able to be there for my mother during the death of my grandmother in February.

By the end of February, we were able to pack up and move near our new property. God again provided in a wonderful way. Friends of my good friend Vonabell Sherman, Rob and Tracy Francis graciously offered us a month to month rental of the little cabin on their land. (The top picture) They've taken such good care of us and it's been a safe place for Micah to be when I've been away at paintouts this spring. Again, God knew what we needed.

So that brings me to today. Today the electrician comes to hook the giant RV (Bondo Bertha as we like to call her) to the electric pole that was erected just yesterday by the nice people at Central Florida Electric. We've begun to build a 10 x 10 tool shed and it's supposed to rain on Thursday. It's about 100 degrees outside at 10am. each morning, so things are going a little slow, but the electricity will mean that we can run the well pump and don't have to carry water out there to flush to toilet. It also means we can run the ac in the RV while we finish painting. (I hope it works.)

During these last four months, we've learned a few things about buying RVs, felling trees, getting stuck in soft sand, and gopher tortoises. We thought we knew a lot about county things. Now we know how very green we are. Thank God for nice neighbors.

As our adventure continues, I'll fill you in on the details. We've only begun!