I was just looking back at the spring pictures from 2009 and thinking that I should update my pictures on the blog to 2010 pics... we have 10 new kids in the goat yard already...and I will probably update that one soon...  

      However... I may just have to leave the spring pictures up as the winter pics around here are cold, wet, and gloomy... Boy have we got a lot of work to do before we can get the gardens back planted and the flowers starting to bloom again...

    I guess winter makes you enjoy spring all the more....It's  time to sit back and plan the spring garden... I can taste spring peas and potatoes already... and smell the sweet jasmine blooming as it drifts across the air to the open windows and doors... Oh how I relish spring! and summer too... fresh tomatoes and squash and the hot hot days of sunshine....dreaming here...

     Hopefully we will have some birds left.  I believe we've had a fox visiting snitching birds here and there.  We've turned the big peafowl loose to fly high into the pecan branches to roost at night trying to save them. 

    A deer was hit infront of our driveway Thursday afternoon sometime.  It looked hardly damaged as it lay beside the road.  I mentioned it to Richie as I came home from work that afternoon, fearful that our beloved Miss Scarlett would get into it...and the road trying to get to it.  She usually doesn't bother such until it's good and ripe and she can roll in it...ewwww.... I know... the things farm dogs relish.  Well, the next morning as I went off to work I noticed the deer had been torn in half and there was blood all over the yard across from us.... the deer had been half eaten in the night.  I am thinking.... it was coyotes.  I called Richie as soon as I got to work so he could check it out.  I sure don't want those coyotes crossing the road and coming after the new little kidlings in the goat yard.  We will have to keep our eyes peeled for any signs that they are moving to hunt and scavenge at Pate Farms!

     Scarlett did spot the torn deer before we could get it up... and drug it across the busy road... luckily, not being harmed.  Richie then swiped her prize and threw it on the burn pile...with a good scolding about staying out of the road way and up on the farm where she is supposed to be... Dead yucky deer being tempting is no excuse!!....

    The peafowl are trying to dry out this afternoon on the back porch (or porch soon to be...they are on the scafolding) ...Rain, rain.... hopefully will make the fruits and veggies grow in the seasons to come... right now though ... all I see is mud, mud, mud....

    and that's the news of this day...so far... until later....

You would think that we would have more time to post on the blog with it being such a wet and muddy winter.   Not to mention cold!   But we have not been diligent at our duties.   Well we have been trying to stay warm and dry here at the farm.  Been battling with the coyotes and foxes.   We are losing about a chicken a week is what we are guessing by the feathers scattered around.  We also lost most of the peahens.   I think that was a fox cause the hole in the fence was quite small.  But to protect the rest of the peafowl we opened the pens and let them take roost in the trees.  They have taken quite well to walking around the farm and have their favorite spots on the porches and in the side yard.   We have had 7 or 8 baby goats born over the last couple weeks. We definitely need to thin the herd down.   We are way past the numbers we were going to keep.   Well all keep warm and we will do better to keep up the blog

     Merry Christmas to all from Pate Farms!   We've had a wonderful year and many many blessings.  The rain has gotten us a bit down lately due to all the mud it's created, but we know that too will help renew the earth for springtime planting.   A sneaky little fox has been raiding the poultry yards... so we turned the peafowl out to free range a bit...and so they'd have the ability to fly high up in the pecan trees for a night time roost.   Hopefully they wont wander too far as they make their daily rounds visiting the neighbors. 

    The kittens have turned into young cats...and seem to visit the back door waiting for treats from Richie... pancakes are a favorite to all including the porch rooster who comes to crow and welcome the day on the back stoop each morning.

    We've had fun celebrating with family and friends through out the holidays. 

    Merry Christmas everyone... and we look forward to a happy new year in 2010.

    It's the day after Thanksgiving... and we are so thankful to spend some time with family.  The goats are still escaping... The piggies can't wait for some dinner left overs... Scarlett is lazing fat in the sun... belly full from Thanksgiving tidbits...

    The baby goats are sneaking out of the pen and running around the yard...Not quite sure why...maybe they are nibbling on the extra green here and there or maybe it's just fun seeing what's on the other side of the fence...

     The turkeys are relieved they made it through the day... (except the one...who was quite tasty)...

     The horsey's are running free in papa's pasture... The sun warming their backs and the wind in their manes....

      Enjoying the many blessings all around us...

The aroma of bacon from breakfast still lingers in the kitchen... sipping a second cup of coffee...and about to catch up on the news of the world... There is nothing like the peacefulness of home.

    Boy this year is going by so fast... I've been a bit lazy about blogging lately.  So what's happening around the farm.  Well the new batch of baby goats got their bells yesterday.  They've been running and jumping and jingling. 

    The turks, keep an eye on all things about the farm... nothing gets past the three amigos... Rio...the Rio Grande, Duke the royal palm, and Grey beard the blue slate.... Quite a group they are strutting about the place...   Lieutenant... the up and coming peacock keeps watch on his own rounds nearby...

     Gardens have all gone to weeds... I may never catch up... Still digging some monster sweet potatoes though...yum!  But haven't gotten this year's garlic crop in... maybe soon?

     We have lots of repairs to do on all the fences and chicken coops... seems there's always something to do...

     And we are remodeling the kitchen... which is taking most of our time... making us a nice warm relaxing den area there...since we spend all our time in the kitchen...and well this old house gets cold in the winter...and we'll only have to warm up that one room.  We've got most of the pantry expansion done...just a few more touch ups...and it sure is nice to spread out all of our cooking and canning junk... I've filled it up already!  Richie got the sheet rock hung... course now we have to finish it... and finish up our design of how we are rearranging the cooking area... so it is coming along and we are excited about it.

    We BBQed our first goat yesterday.  It was quite tasty!  If you've never eaten goat, it just tastes like BBQ...somewhere in between beef and pork...leaning closer to pork... we also cooked some deer my nephew had shot... it was all good fun with family and friends.

    Oh...and the chickens...are just now turning in their eggs lately??? Told them their free ranging was coming to an end until they turned in a few eggs...

     That's most of the farm news here in late October...

I just love Saturday mornings...what if everyday was Saturday?....but then would I appreciate it as much.  It's been noisy here this morning.  Wild Bill is tied up since he's been bullying the nanny goats...to market to market he must go soon... and the guineas were squawking this morning...some new hatchlings (keets) have arrived and for once the mothers are being a little protective...'course that stirred up the peafowl... Lots of sounds here at the farm this morning!  Roosters crowing too....now if I could just get them to lay eggs!!!

      Two more baby goats born yesterday... Joy had twins, doelings, Autumn and Fall (Lindi named them)...and yes, we are rolling into fall this week.  Pictures soon...All seems to be well in the goat yard with our little bottle baby Dot. She taken to escaping the goat compound and following farmer Richie around for the farm chores..."Me and my shadow, my shadow and me..." I heard him singing yesterday as I rolled in from work and had stopped to see the babies before I reached my parking spot...he was already feeding everyone...and there she was galloping along behind him...

       Gotta run go get some feed.... Feed store here I come!

      It's a quiet morning...just soft "maaing" from the goat yard, and a few clucks out side the back door...fall is just around the corner and the temperature is not too hot this morning....the air is still and quiet.   The kittens are lazing around and I'm sipping on my cup of coffee enjoying the company of my sweet love beside me...

     Little Red has delivered two healthy twins...Oreo and Dottie...Oreo is a little buckling and Dottie the cutest little doeling ever!   They are awfully sweet too.  Little red is doing well...although we gave her a stomach ache...I gave her a little extra corn and then Richie did too...Hopefully we didn't do too much damage.

    Love these peaceful mornings.

      ...still no baby goats...still waiting...for kids!

    I was feeling discouraged because I didn't have a baby goat to bring for g week in kindergarten...we'd had the little red hen, and a little piggy come to school...but I really wanted to bring a new baby goat today....I was pouting...no farm animal visit this week....then today during show and tell...the kids told me...."but you brought the gold fish for our fish tank....and gold fish starts with /g/!  The fish came from your pond...So you did bring a farm show and tell!"....what do you know!!! Kids are great aren't they!              

    Waiting for little goats to arrive... 3 big momma goats...no little baby goats...and it's g week...guess we'll have the three billy goats gruff story without babies tomorrow....

    Waiting for little goats....

    Still waiting....

     It's a lovely Saturday here in Georgia today.  Pleasant weather after scattered showers all week and humidity that you could cut with a knife.  Really pleasant day!  We started off with a delicious breakfast of fresh blueberry pancakes...leisurely read the paper...and then got ready for our trip to the feed store.  Honey...remember we've got to take the bees out of the back of the truck...

      Last night we went and picked up a swarm that had settled into a screech owl box.  The people didn't want them there and they were an easy removal.  We had left them in the back of the truck til morning...and morning was here...so Richie went and put them in a safe place until we could get back and set them up in their new hive here....after all I've left a lot of things in the back of the truck when I've gone on my rounds to the feed store...but I didn't think it would go over well to say...just move that box of bees up to the front and toss those bags of feed right on in here....

     Honey...(guess I was being a bit bossy this morning)...did we shut the back door?...so Richie goes to check the door before we load up on our rounds...humperrrrrpt......humperrrrrrrrrrrt....he turned around and there were four horses coming around the corner from the garden...making their horses sounds...Hey what are you horses doing out????  Seems every time it rains lately Fancy finds a way to breach the electric fence...guess the corn patch was just a little too compelling this morning to respect the yellow wire....They trotted dutifully ...with just a little kicking up of heels backs around to the barn.  Richie locked them in the corral and added...one ...more... thing to his honey do list... and we then walked by the chicken yards back to the truck...hey wait a minute...why are there a 100 birds following us around the house....Yes...we are going to go get you some seeds...back in a little while...Hey honey..maybe we better run so we can escape out of here.....finally we loaded into the truck and headed to the feed store...

     They had put fall plants out front...guess it's time to get the little garden back into shape and plant a few fall greens...so of course I had to go ahead and pick up some seeds...turnips, collards, mustard, and some spinach... (Add to list...clean out morning glories over taking small garden...and plant greens in there this year)....

     We put in our order for feed...chatted a bit...handed over all our money...and went to load up....couldn't resist telling the guys who load the feed about the bees I had in the truck earlier....they were glad I hadn't forgotten and tried to get feed with bees...

    Whew...now we can head home...ding, ding, ding...goes the farm truck...I want petro...now...ding, ding, ding...that is if you want to go home...so we made one more stop...to feed the truck...

    Home again, home again,,, jiggity jig....Next it's time to unload the feed......hummmm...better toss those chickies some seeds or they'll never let us get the feeders filled... So my sweetie unloaded all my critter's feed...and I meandered about filling water buckets and tossing seed here and there for the poultry...

    Beautiful day...