Cattle Check!

We moved our cattle to our back pasture for the winter. If we had snow that completely covered the ground and froze we moved the cattle back up to our middle pasture and served them a dinner line of hay. That is the only time we feed hay. Otherwise they are on grass only.

We bred our females last summer with our bull Sir Frank.

Tim and I are out checking our first time heifer (Tiny), which is showing signs that she is getting close to calving.

We also noticed how much bigger Tiny is than her mom Miss Piggy.

Miss Piggy with her 2021 calf #13.

 He has grown so much and doesn't have horns.

Maple with her 2021 calf #11. Maple is a good sized Dexter cow. So with him standing next to her he is huge.

#11 does have horns.

It's a 50/50 because the Dexter females do and the South Poll Bull doesn't.

The cattle are very curious with the new little puppy Remi.

This is her first time riding in our truck and checking cattle with us.

The other dogs were used to doing this routine with us.

Remi was barking at them until they came up to the fence.

We will be working on her not barking at the cattle.

With Remi being so young we need to watch her with the electric fencing too.

This will be the way she will ride when she gets bigger.

She will be in training for years.

Miss Piggy, #13 and #11

They are all doing good. Another few weeks before we move them up to the front pasture.

Tiny (2020 calf),  #13 (2021 calf), Miss Piggy (Mom)

Thanks for coming along on this journey with us. 

We are learning new things all the time.

Learning is a lifelong process!!

Future Laying Hens have Arrived!!!

The baby chicks have arrived!!!!!!

I got the call from our Post office that our chicks are in the office.

I received an email that my chicks were shipped but it can take 2-3 days before they will arrive. So basically you don't know when they will come in. They arrived the next day.

Meet our future laying hens for 2022.

I took each one out and gave them water.

One by one I was counting them.

We got 17 Barred Rocks and 6 Easter Eggers.

We have ordered from Valley Farm Hatchery for the last couple of years. They have arrived alive, healthy and a taller box. We have been very pleased with them. 

It's like they are posing for me.

Later that night they were all laying down. It's so cold here I added a second heat light.

Easter Egger top

Barred Rock bottom

A couple of days later later. They are just running around getting used to their new living quarters. With them being in a stall inside the hen house they get use to hearing all the chickens and guineas.

I put a ground waterer in with them.

I also put in a nipple waterer. I caught this chick taking a drink.

I have had to fill it already so I know they are using it.

I like the nipple waterer because their water stays cleaner and it holds more for them.

New Puppy!!!

We got a new puppy!!!!

Let me just say raising a puppy is a lot of work.

This isn't easy. Raising chickens, meat birds, ducks, gardening and canning I got that. 

But a puppy is so much more.

I'm starting over. The potty-training, the no jumping, the no biting the humans, the late night cries, the I can't be gone long.

Oh boy let the adventures begin!!!!

Tim knows we need another dog.

He found this cutie and brought her home.

I think he was hoping she would travel all the way home in this seat.

It didn't last too long. This little cutie was warming her way into Tim's heart.

She was showing us how much she needed us as we were needing her.

The next thing you know she's on his lap.

Yep she softened his heart right on up.

I haven't even meet her and he was sending me pictures of her.

Let me just say this picture of her in her new bed is so adorable.

When Tim brought her home we needed to go get puppy supplies. I didn't really have anything.

Essentials like puppy food and toys were the top of my list of must haves. So we loaded back up and headed out to get our supplies to raising this puppy.

Now I needed to name her.

Meet Remi

She is a 6 week old German Shepherd.

Let me just say she's already spoiled.

Tons of toys, chew bones, and 2 kennels.

She's already finding the bones the other two dogs left behind.

The cats are curious about her.

She stays with me and lays at my feet for most of the day.

I had to soak her feed and warm it up before she would eat it.

She's hanging with me while I have my morning coffee.

Check out those sharp puppy teeth.

She reminds me of Scout showing her teeth.

She reminds me of Willow laying like this in the kitchen.

Small feedings throughout the day. I noticed she isn't a clean eater. 

I pray she out grows that.

Late night and early morning bathroom breaks.

Nothing like potty-training in the snow. I think rain is worse.

Cuddle time with Remi.

Eat, sleep, poop repeat

She's growing fast and learning a lot of new things.

Look at those eyes 💓

 

Springfield Trip

Tim and I got the opportunity to go visit with my family.

We don't get off of the farm often but it's nice when we do.

Spending time with family is important. 

We got into town and met them at Colton's Steakhouse.

The food was delicious and this was a long overdue visit.

(My parents Frank, Joyce, brother Jason, me Krystal, brother Frank Jr. and Tim)

After dinner we went back to my parents house.

We visited some more. Then Tim and I went back to our hotel room for the night.

(Jason, Krystal and Frank Jr.)

The next morning we got up and headed back over to my parents home.

They cooked us a yummy breakfast.

I got to meet their new puppy Gunter.

He is a very smart and active puppy. Loves to play with empty milk jugs. Funniest thing I ever seen from a puppy.

For lunch we went to a place called Flat Creek.

It was really good and I really liked the old décor they had.

This was out in front and of course I had to get a picture with him.

Yes I had to ask Tim to do this. Notice my parents didn't take one with the shark looking fish.

My mom Joyce and dad Frank

My brother Frank Jr.

I got a picture of just me and my mom.

💖

After lunch we went to Bass Pro.

Did a little shopping and making a wish list too.

Afterwards we stopped at a couple more shops before heading back to their home.

My dad had prepared a roast in the crockpot for dinner. It was so different not planning and preparing meals. It was definitely a nice break from my normal. Besides waking up not doing farm chores was already different too.

My parents definitely spoiled me over the weekend and I know our time is coming to the end when we need to start heading back home.

The next morning we headed back to my parents for breakfast and my other brother Jason was able to join us. It was nice getting a chance to see them as it has been years since we last seen each other.

I know we can't make up for lost time but I am sure glad we keep making plans to see each other more often.

After we ate a delicious lunch we headed for home.

It's not goodbye but until I see you again.

Thanks for the wonderful weekend mom and dad. Lets continue making memories.

Families are like branches on a tree.

We grow in different directions yet our 

roots remain as one.

As Tim and I were leaving we decided to stop and go to Fantastic Caverns.

It's a place where we both have been when we were younger but not together.

Inside the cave

The guy that drove the tram-jeep was really good at explaining everything down in the caves.

It's worth going if you have never been before.

Fantastic Caverns is America's Ride-Thru Cave! It was discovered in 1862 by an Ozarks farmer - or more precisely, by his dog, who crawled through a small entrance in a hillside. It wasn't until five years later that the first exploration took place: twelve women from Springfield, answering a newspaper ad seeking explorers, ventured into the cave. Their names remain on a cave wall today.

The cave is toured in Jeep-drawn trams.

Tim and I drove home in rain until about an hour from home. Then we hit snow.

It took us a little longer to get home. Glad we went and glad to be home.

HOME SWEET HOME!!