Today was the day.... the butcher came and picked up ol' Hammie...He's off to make hamburgers now.  No more cow chasing...no more mooing "feed me"...now he's going to feed us.  I bet you're gonna taste good Hammie boy.

       We'll have to start looking for a new calf to raise up for next year.  But no playing chase with them.

    I'm gonna miss the moo....but I am relieved because he was becoming much too dangerous to have around, and I was afraid someone would get hurt....and getting out and running around at midnight was not a good thing either.

     Richie watched the whole process, but I was home sick (nothing too serious...just laryngitis, but a terrible thing for a first grade teacher who loves to talk), so I stayed inside.  I remember the process from when I was a kid growing up.  In fact it was the same butcher who came to get Hammie.

     They'll age the meat a little, and then cut it up for us.  We should get the meat back in a couple of weeks.   Can't wait to fire of the grill!            

     Seems I'm always looking forward to the weekend...and always have a list of fun things for us to accomplish...We went to the flee market this morning...Lynn had been telling us of all the cool finds she had been seeing there in the animal department...but this Saturday, they didn't have very many animals out there except for puppies...and puppies just were not on our list!   I did see on pair of chickens... they were quite interesting, the rooster had a huge comb and long tail feathers. His ear lobes were white, so I'm presuming they'd produce white eggs.  They were tucked under another vendor's table edge...I think they had purchased them earlier in the day. 

    We went on down the road and stopped at a yard sale... they had a tractor out back... but it was too new...and they wanted too much for it...so again we passed on buying anything (other than asking for some flower seed from a neat princess feather type plant), and went on to the feed store.  We needed chicken feed, goat feed, hammie feed, and I picked up some turnip seeds for the plant unit I'll be teaching my first graders soon.  I usually like to teach about plants in the spring...but it's scheduled for now this year...so we will be adapting with some fall plants. 

    Our fall plantings are sprouting up in the big garden... There were a few clouds gathering this evening, but it's been awful dry here again.  If it doesn't rain tomorrow, I think we may need to start watering if we want to have a crop.

    Richie picked up a new iron griddle skillet at the feed store...my mind traveled back in time when you would have picked up all kinds of things at the general mercantile as you made your seasonal trip to town for supplies. ... he's got it all seasoned up tonight so he can try it out on our omelets tomorrow...Man can he make some ...delicious...omelets. 

    We stopped by Lowe's and picked up some plumbing supplies to work on the watering system in our chicken yards.  We saw a couple of friends picking up their own project supplies too... then we headed home.

    First we (well  it was Richie, with my supervision about which chicken feed went where... ) unloaded the truck... Then, Richie ran the water pipe to my new chicken pen sections.  It is so nice to just turn on the spigot and I can water 5 areas at once...we put valves on them so I can turn off any I don't need.  I've ordered some automatic waterers, but even with our mild winters, I don't think we can use them during the colder months when it might freeze...even this system may need to be turned off at the turnoff valve during freeze warnings....but in otherwise mild weather, it will certainly be a time saver... Thanks my love!  I did help gopher a little bit...and of course offered my wifely supervision skills...

     I went in the garden with gloves and my clippers... and tried to tackle a few of the morning glory vines that have taken over... I didn't even put a dent in them...will have to try again tomorrow...

    The green beans I'd planted the last of August had their first bounty...I picked enough for Sunday dinner tomorrow.  They are all snapped and ready for the cooking pot... LaLa picked a couple for the bunnies... they just nibbled them right up.

     Lynn and Lala came for a visit...Lynn wanted some pecan seedlings... so she dug up a few to take home and plant.   Lala visited the turkeys, played with the rabbits, and checked out all the chickens.  We even went over to grandpa's house and saw his new baby goats, and then he had new kittens too.  I think La La would have liked to have taken the little yellow cat home...but she couldn't convince ma just yet... But we all know how her dad loves yellow cats...there is one there if they decide they want one.  We went and told the horses hello... and then called it an evening. 

    The day just flies when you are having fun....and chores don't even seem like chores... they're just living the good life! (at least says the supervisor...LOL)

I am in sooooo much trouble with Ginger and it is all Hammies fault.    A few weeks ago Ole Hammie the cow snuck up on Ginger   and tried to gore her with his horns so ginger says "Richie time to call the butcher"   Well I chimed in "sure thing love" and ole Hammie ran about his business.  Then last week Ginger was checking on the Chickens and she looked over and there was Hammie up the pathway into the raised bed garden.  Yep, he was out again!  So Ginger starts heading around the shop to make it into the house to tell me.  When she couldn't find me in the house she made her way back outside and then ran into me.  She told me Hammie was out, so I headed out round him up.  Well I chased him back down the path from the garden and then he spotted Ginger and started running over to her to give her a big cowlick.  Ginger ran and hid inside one of the chickenyards.  

 I finally got him to play chase with me and he ran after me into the corral and I locked him in.  It is tricky playing chase though cause Hammie is a large steer and when he runs up to you and jumps and twists in midair and kicks his hind legs and tries to shove you around with his head, he could easily knock you down.  Well again Ginger says "Richie, call the butcher" and again  "Sure thing love". 

Well today I dropped by the house to pick up a tool from the storage barn and when I pulled up the driveway the new baby goat was out munching on grass alongside the driveway so I do like I always do and pull up behind her and layed down on the horn.   That little goat took off running alongside the fence trying her best to find a way back inside the field.  When she reached the goat hut in she runs.  My helper and I jumped out of the truck and grabbed the goat and put her over the fence.  About that time Kevin notices that there is a big cow patty inside the goat hut and a section of the fence is all pushed down.  So I tell him Hammie is out and we pulled the truck around onto the parking pad and then headed around by the barn to find Hammie. 

  After looking in the corral and in Hammie's field we finally found him up in the raised bed garden munching on morning glories.   So Kevin and I try to go round him up.  Well he didn't want to go so we took turns pushing him and jumping on his back and he would take off running down the path till he was down by the chickenyards.  But he didn't want to go back in his corral. So he pushes us aside and heads over to the front side of the chickenhyards and toward the front yard.  I grab a scooper and scoop up some chicken scratch and head out to the front yard and Hammie has pushed Kevin up against the butterfly bush and isn't letting him out, so I show him the scoop of scratch corn and he gets him and good taste of it and that peaks his interest.  So he starts following me or should I say pushing me down the pathway next to the barn and Kevin goes ahead and opens the gate and in he goes and we got him all locked up.  After fixing the fence and noticing that Hammie has also been running through the flower beds up by the pool and over by the pond, we headed off to work. 

When I got home Ginger had already been there and she met me around by the garden and gave me a look and says "You know what you are supposed to do"  I innocently looked at her and said. "what"   and she says " I know Hammie has been out"  Oops busted! I forgot to clean up the cow patty in the goat hut.  Well I told her Hammie was penned up in the corral.  She wouldn't have to worry about ole Hammie. See I says and I climb into the corral with him and Hammie heads over to me and starts lowering his head down to try and shove me.  I push him away but he insists so I run for the fence and climb out of the corral.   I had been Hammie-nized.   Oh well tomorrow I will call the Butcher and set up a date.   Time for dinner Hammie......  ...fresh hamburger and steak...sure will be good!

      The air has been crisp, cool, and refreshing.  It was just right for a Saturday horse back ride.  So, we saddled up Zan and Jessie and headed out for a relaxing ride.  'Course before we could go, we had to brush Savannah and Fancy, they were not excited at all about being left behind.  When we ride in their pasture, they can follow along and enjoy the company as we ride.  We decided we hadn't ridden the back trails over by neighbors, and it was such a beautiful day to ride through the woodland trails so we took the guys out of the pasture to ride, and left those unhappy mares to graze.

    It was just a beautiful day, sunny, cool, invigorating.  The horses were responding well, so headed on to the trails.  We took the back trail along the back fence.  Zan was leading and responding well, even though he hadn't been ridden a lot lately.  Jessie too was responding well under Richie's direction.  A little ways up the trail we traded spots, and Jessie took the lead.  Zan and I thought it was a good ideas, since the spiders have been extra busy building all kinds of beautiful webs getting ready for the cooler wether to come, and that way Richie and Jessie could clear all the webs out of our paths.  Nothing but sheer joy as we rode.

    We made it down to the little stream in the woods that we have to cross.  It was Jessie's first time crossing the stream, and he just didn't want to cross over.   I told Richie to let me take Zan on across because he was acting a little antsy while we were waiting.  Zan crossed right over and I had hopped Jessie would follow us, seeing that it was okay with Zan, but still no luck.  Richie had to lead him across.  We'd try again on the way back home. 

    Well Zan and I cleared a couple of spider webs since we were again in the lead at this time.   We went on up and met one of our neighbors out doing Saturday chores (weed eating) .   We took a little time to chat and Zan took the time to have a couple of big shakes.  His whole body quivered as the muscles under his skinned shook.  I thought he was going to shake me right off his back.  I've never noticed him doing that before, so I'm not sure why he was doing it.  Since we had just gone through those spider webs, I thought, hummmm....maybe it's the spider web...or a spider crawling on him???

    We finished our chat and rode on.  Zan did the shaking thing a couple of more times.  We we got over by another neighbor's house, I stopped and got off and stretched my legs, and checked him over.  We didn't see anything out of the ordinary.  He was kind of sweaty, and I thought, maybe it's just the sweat running down his legs tickling.  He hasn't been ridden a lot lately, and even though it was a cooler day, he was really sweating a lot, more even than when I had ridden him last month when it was much hotter. 

    We went on up to our neighbor's arena and rode (walked) the barrel path and chatted a few minutes.  My neighbor even looked him over when he did another shiver there.  Still no reason that we can see.  So we continued our ride.   After that stop, Zan began to get a little more antsy, but we continued on.  There was another still stream we tried Jessie on, but he still wasn't keen on the water crossing today.  So, we'll add that to our list to work with him on.  Finally we were headed toward home.  We had just gone through our neighbor's gate near the water crossing on the return trip.  My wonderful Knight, Richie, the gentleman that he is, had opened the gate and let me pass through.  He was closing it and remounting.  Zan was getting impatient, I don't know if he was just tired, sweaty and wanted to go home, but anyway he was getting more and more antsy.  He also had spooked about 3-4 times today. 

    I turned him around and was waiting for Richie and Jessie to get closer, hoping that Jessie would see Zan cross the stream and follow him across.  Well, Zan got a little head strong.  He didn't want to wait even though I made him.  I could see Richie and Jessie coming around the little bend behind us, so I began to let Zan head back on the trail to cross the stream only about 10 feet away.  Zan wanted to trot right away, and I didn't want to trot over to the rock laden stream and jump it today....I just wanted a nice easy walk across the stream....Zan  balked and stomped his foot and I corrected him.  Then we started again. 

      The next thing I knew Zan spooked, and then was rearing up in the air.  My first thought was is there a snake?  I made the mistake of looking down as he was going up and up...and back... and I lost my sense of balance and direction...MY thoughts flashed...he's coming back and is going to roll with me on him...I don't want to be rolled on by my 1000 pound horse, I've got to get off and out of his way...WHAM!!! I hid the ground flat on my back...OUCH!....breath knocked out...adrenalin flowing...my mind is thinking....I've got to move before he rolls... Richie's already off his trusty steed and at my side telling me to stay still, it's okay the horses are out of the way.    I'm trying to catch my breath...trying to assess the situation....

       I think I am okay.  It hurts, I can feel the adrenalin rush,  I can still feel my body, I lay still...I'm a little scared.   Richie tells me to stay still and he secures the horses...indeed Zan has crossed the stream on his own, but is waiting on the other side.  I just knew he had ran for home. 

       Slowly Richie helps me up.  The adrenalin is still pumping.  I'm a little light headed.   I go and sit back down for a spell.  I don't want to get back on my horse.  I don't want to fall again.  I try to get Richie to take the horses and just let me sit there and come back for me.  But he wont' leave.  So we wait a few more minutes.  We are still a good piece from the house.  Finally, I feel I have my head and we walk toward the house.   I know I can use the adrenaline rush to get me home.  It's a long walk, but not too hard.  I am so happy when I see the barn ahead, I know I can make it.  Richie unsaddled the horses and took them back to the pasture...giving Zan a good lecture the whole way....and I took a rest on the front porch.   Relieved...I think I'm going to be okay, but the soreness is already settling into my back. 

     I went on in and took a shower, we fixed supper, and just rested.  Sunday morning...well, I missed church...I was putting ice packs on my sore back.   I think I'll be stove-up for a few days, but hopefully not too bad.  I'm aggravated at myself for coming off the horse.  I should have never looked at the ground...I forgot about my hold on the reins...I could have let up and he may have come down... I really don't like the option, that we could have leaped across the stream...If I had fallen there there were rocks to hit and it could have been worse.  I am just thankful that I am okay.

    So my nice fall ride....had a bit too much fall in it....but it's all a part of having horses...sometimes you're going to take a fall.  The older I get, I just worry more about breaking a bone.  I still don't know why Zan was so skiddish, spooky, or shaky...Maybe he just needs to be ridden more... and maybe we should only take shorter rides when we haven't been out riding for a while.

One of our little kids has been a bit wayward of late.  She has found a way to escape the goat pen and graze on the "other side".  First thing this morning Miss Betsy Ross was out again...only Richie had been working on our goat hut project yesterday evening...and well she couldn't run go jump back in the pen her usual way, so she tried to dive through the fence.   Hum....well all this was going on as I was on my way to school.  I couldn't leave her flailing in the fence...so I stopped the truck, got out, assessed that I was going to need some help...and of course...went for my knight in shining farm boots armed with his loving smile....he had glanced out the window to see why the truck was stopped and was already heading toward me to find out the problem... Little Betsy Ross had tangled her leg and body all into the fence...my heart leaped as I knew I didn't want her to end up with a broken leg...Silly little goat kid...I would have opened the gate for her....but no, let's not do it the easy way.

     With Richie there to lend a hand, I grabbed my wire cutters out of the truck and began to cut the fence as he held her to calm her...We needed to make one more cut, but she decided she was getting out of this fix and wiggled her way out "hollaring" as she sprang into the goat yard.  Then Richie quickly repaired the fence...(you know you are a goat farmer when you have wire cutters and wire splices ready in your truck at all times...)  I hopped back into the truck and headed on to school...hoping I would still arrive before the buses and be able to pull into my parking spot... Whew! just in time!...even with a minute to spare...Kids, kids, kids, in one fashion or another.

    Then I got to spend the day with a different kind of first grade kids...Luckily...we had no one get themselves caught in a fence all day...In fact they were all angels!  I had a wonderful day at school.  I so love teaching when they are so ready to learn.  We've been having to take the IOWA test of basic skills all week, and today...we were back to a normal day of school...if there is such a thing...lots of reading, writing, and arithmetic.....

    Speaking of kids...Clay seems to be enjoying himself in his Irish adventure abroad.  He's having a lot of fun mixing with the international crowd, making new friends, and trying to figure out their school schedule. ( Hey Clay...keep your head out of fences okay....I'm kind of far away with my wire cuters...LOL...MAMA!   ... and Carole that goes for you too!  I love you both! ) 

     Don't worry I still have my little goat Claybo to keep me entertained here at the farm....he gets out sometimes too...he may be heading over to the other pen with Betsy Ross too.  Carole the goat loves to get her head tangled int the fence too...She's been doing better since she got the head gear this summer, and the electric fence... (What does it mean when you name goats after your grown children?)

    Betsy Ross is a "hollaring" tonight for her mama...but, she got out again after this morning's adventure...so now we're trying her in the other pen...

 

       

 

     We always seem to find plenty to do around the farm on the weekend.  But this weekend seemed especially busy.  We had a call to come remove a wild bee colony in a hunter's camper over in Alabama this weekend.   So off we went...even with directions and the cell phone to double check...the next thing I knew...we were headed down an old red dirt (muddy) road through the woodlands of Salem.  The road was getting narrower and narrower, and there were more and more mud puddles to dodge...our cell phone battery was going dead...we needed to check directions...The phone rang...sure enough we could have stayed on the nice gravel road and made it to the camp site...but what's a little adventure...right?

    So, we managed to turn around with out backing over any trees or getting stuck in the mud, and minutes later we were looking at the entrance to the bee's borrowed hive...a small RV in the hunting camp.   They had selected the electrical outlet door on the back of the camper as their hive entrance.  We inspected the site and discussed the process to remove the bees and hive from the RV.   The hunter just wanted the bees gone...he had a can a RAID...or us... and then the honey comb and hive still had to be removed.  So, we donned our bee suits and began.  Richie had to cut into the shower of the RV to get the hive out of the wall.  All and all the bees were very mild.  He got a few stings on his honey laden gloves, but generally the bees were gentle to be having their home taken apart.

    I put on my bee suit and proceeded to take pictures and supervise...LOL... and Richie did all the work.   We learned a lot from the process.  It was so very interesting to see how the bees had made their own hive.  It oozed with honey.   Even with a careful search as the hive was removed, we could not locate the queen.  We don't have a bee vacuum so, we could not get the bees into the hive as we had hoped. We left it overnight to encourage them to go into the new hive with the parts we could salvage for the bees.  But there was only a small number of bees there the next day when we readied to bring it home.  We learned the generator and light we had brought with us were helpful...as well as to remember to bring extra gas for the generator as well.  

   We also  learned, we still have a lot to learn about saving a hive during removal.

check out the pictures on the bee page at www.patefarms.com    BEE PICTURES

         

    We  also finally planted our fall greens this weekend...mustard greens, four kinds of turnips, spinach, kale, and collards.  I hope they sprout up soon after the rain yesterday.    Uncle Dan, our neighbor killed a big rattler on Monday and hung it up on the fence, and sure enough ...just as old wise tales go...it rained Monday afternoon.  It was quite a big snake with 9-10 rattles on it.  Seems their cat called attention to it out their back door.  I sure hope I don't run into any like it!  It's the biggest one I've seen around the farm in a long time.

  

   The baby turkeys are enjoying their new pen too... I also took a picture of them... they're not really babies any more. 

I see a few Toms... But I think I'll be able to get a few hens too... I hope to keep some breeding pairs.  These are Blue Slates, and Royal Palms.

 

     I got home a little late today.  I was trying to get caught up at school so I can get out the door reasonably early tomorrow afternoon and still have everything ready for Monday.  So, I went out straight to my chores.  We had a major down pour while I was at school just 3 miles away, so I didn't want to go out in it to get home, but it hadn't rained yet here at the farm when I got home. 

    I went to feed the chickens and check on my turkeys.  We put them on the ground in a big pen last night.  They were just getting too big for the little chicky pen.  They were all walking around squawking...still not sure of their new surroundings.  Then I went on to feed everyone their favorite treat of seeds in their scratch feed.  I went over to toss the pea fowl some seeds when I noticed babae didn't come up with his mom... So I went in to inspect and look for him.  He was on the other side of a lily plant laying on his side. The life was gone, but it must have been recently. He wasn't even stiff yet. I kept hoping he'd show some sign of life again, but he was gone.  He seemed healthy, tummy was full, not too skinny.  I noticed him hanging his head a little yesterday, but the air was cooler and I thought he was just hunching down in the wind. 

 

      My little pea fowl is gone.  I'll have to wait another year and hope for a better hatch.  I enjoyed seeing him roost with his mom, right under her wing, standing on her foot.  He was right by her side always.  I just seem to have no luck with my little peafowl.  I hate to pump them full of meds all the time.  I try to keep them wormed.  They have a nice big pen with a great habitat. They are in a pen away from the chickens, that has not had chickens in it. They have shelter.  I spoil them with special foods.  I'll keep trying.  But it 's just frustrating....and I always get a little sad when I loose one.   Not as tough a farmer girl as I need to be I guess.

     Well I finished up the chores, fed the goats, Hammie, the cats...and the garden chickens.  The scuppernong vine is still producing sweet golden treats, so I indulged and picked a few and ate them while I watered the chickens.  An egg had busted and ants were all in the nest.  I got them all over me and ended up with a couple of bites...ouch!  I ended up dropping the feed scoop I had collected the eggs in...and the eggs...scrambled...and then the rain started falling.  I walked in the rain to the house eating scuppernogs all the way...

     I sat down at the kitchen table, and then I thought about my turkeys in the new pen. I remembered when I was growing up and we had turkeys they didn't know how to get out of the rain. So, I went back to check on my little turkeys.  They sometimes need a little help finding the shelter in a new pen to get out of the rain.  Sure enough... they were at the opposite end of the pen chirping...in the rain.  I began scooping them up and taking them to the shelter...at least I got a little exercise as I made several trips to get all ten of them gathered up.

    Then I noticed the hens we had transferred to the pens weren't roosting under the roost, but were out in the open rain.  So I went and gathered them up and tucked them under the roost...well all but one and she ran up to the old hen house. 

    I am so thankful Richie had had time to make me three new gates in the pens.   Last night when we put the turkeys in he had had to climb over the fence.  I teasingly said, well I guess you'll have to climb over everyday until we get the gates made...and well...the gates were made today.  Thanks my love! I would have been really wet trying to climb over the fence!  That would have been a site!

     The big garden was full of weeds and left over summer crops...so it was time to till it under and let the old vegetation decay and enrich the soil... We hope to find a good source of mulch to add to it during the winter months to help with the weed problem in the summer.   We also want to get a few greens planted for harvest later this fall and well...I can't get a big tiller in the raised bed garden right now... It's got a lot of elbow grease work to do yet...so I'm gonna plant those greens along a big wide row in the big garden.   Hopefully I have enough guineas penned up they wont eat every turnip green sprout as they appear from the earth.  Don't tell anyone, but it was fun driving the tractor...LOL...

http://picasaweb.google.com/patefarms/PateFarmPicsSept1008#

Here's the link to some other pictures... I just like putting them in here so you can see a slide show too...I haven't figured out how to embed the slide show in the blog, so for now...just follow the link if you'd like to see the pictures.  Oh...and can you find Miss Scarlet in a picture...somehow she always finds a spot to take a pose...

    The morning was cool and inviting...The roosters were crowing their morning revelry...Richie went out to grab the newspaper and took a minute to stop and sit on front porch swing.  The air was fresh, cool, and refreshing.  We already have all the window and doors open...and this was the perfect day for airing out the house.   We soon had breakfast...fresh farm egg omelets, coffee, and finished the paper at the kitchen table. 

    Then we did a few household chores...knowing that fall will lead to winter...and then the house will be closed up.  I love the spring, summer, and fall when we can keep the doors open and a wonderful breeze comes down the long hallway.  They really knew how to design and build houses 170 years ago!  Soon the house smelled fresh and we ventured into the yards for a little work. Well at least Richie got out there a little ahead of me...as I still had some laundry to finish up...

   I went back and forth admiring his progress and snitching muscadines...as I traded out the washer with bathroom rugs, and sheets, and clothes... Sneaking in a walk by the pond to spy the water lilies blooming..so I grabbed the camera and took a few shots.   Of course, then I wanted to take a picture of the other flowers I saw too.  The bees were really enjoying my princess feather flowers...but I don't think I ever got a close up of them buzzing there.  My eyes, and the camera, just couldn't focus... I figure you've just got to take a moment to enjoy it all now and then...

Here's the link to the photos if you'd like to see the side show of pictures...flowers, peafowl, Richie building chicken pen...Hammie, Snake the kitten...

http://picasaweb.google.com/patefarms/FlowersAndPeaFowl908#             

   The animals were fed.  Then Richie started back to work on our chicken yard project.  We've still got to get some gates made to the inner yards.  He'd barely gotten started when ominous clouds seemed to move steadily toward us.   Soon rains poured down.  We quickly gathered up the tools before the rains hit and went off to do some errands.

    "Ding." "Light comes on."  Truck is hungry again.  We know gas is cheaper across the river so we decided to cross over, fill up our gas guzzler, and grocery shop there.  Don't get me wrong.  Our gas guzzler is quite handy, and I sure wouldn't want to try to haul a load of feed with a little small car...it's just that's what it is...and seems more so as gas prices stay high. 

   The rain poured as we traveled toward our destination.  It had let up though when we got to the grocery.  So at least we didn't get wet going in.  We did our shopping...decided to treat ourselves to a Chinese Dinner, since we were already out...and our day had been pulled to a halt as far as working outside on our projects.  So maybe we should have gotten outside earlier instead of doing the house...but that's what we always seem to do and we never make it back in to do the house work... and once in a while, the house needs a good cleaning. 

   I enjoyed reading Clay's blog today.  Seems the place where he was staying had five hens and a rooster, and the proprietor said...I hope they won't bother you....I can just see Clay grinning as he told him...makes me think of home...well almost...my mom has 100 birds! not just five...LOL...

     The week has gone pretty fast...we are sliding into Friday tomorrow...and another weekend will be here to enjoy...I stopped by my mom's and dad's on the way home just to say hello and get the updates on family happenings...Everyone is doing well...and that's always good to know.  I was about to leave when I noticed colorful mushrooms in their front yard and side yard...so I grabbed the camera to add the shots to my mushroom photo collection.  I'll upload them and add them to the photo slide show on the web site home page when I finish this entry.  They were oranges and reds, and some browns.  Each one very different than the ones I had photographed here on the farm last weekend.

                

   I came on home and set to my feeding chores...chicks, guineas, peafowl, Hammy the steer, and the goats.  Tonight I didn't forget the kitty cats.  Last night they followed me all the way back to the back door mewing..."you forgot to feed us...mew.."  All the chicks were in their pens...no lettuce eaters today. 

      I picked up a little chick with a piece of string on his foot.  I knew it had to come off or it would cut off his circulation, so I went over and propped on the tractor bucket, grabbed my chicken yard scissors, and began to untangle his little toes from the string.  He was sitting so calmly I loosened my hold and just worked on the string with both hands...(reading glasses on to see)...when he leaped up and sprang out of my lap...Snake and Boots (the kittens)     were right there and jumped right in the chase...I'm calling...no,no little kitty cats...don't catch the little chickie...Every time I would get close...here came a kitty up to pounce.  But not one of us catch the chickie because he ran into the big cactus at the edge of the chicken yards.

    There was no catching the little critter in the cactus so I went on my way to finish the rounds of chores.  Later I circled back by the chicken yards...and...saw the little guy running back and forth trying to get back into his pen.  I chased him around a little more, with out kitty cat help, caught him, and took him back to my perch to finish untangling his little toes.  I kept a hold of him this time.  A gave him a stern lecture about how I could have been the kittens coming back to get him...instead of a friendly farmer lady who wanted to help him get the string off his foot... He was happy to get back in the pen with his mom and friends.  I've noticed I kept calling it a he...I sure hope it's not another rooster!!!!

     The goats were especially friendly at feeding time.  Indy goat let me pet her, Peaches let me pet her, and even Mr. Socks.  They had been acting a little shy of my touch lately.  I think the momma goats are saying...go eat...and they like the farmer lady with the bucket of food now that momma goats are saying nursing time is over.

    

     How many chickens do you suppose have farmers that plant lettuce plants just for them to enjoy and munch down to nubs?  Well...we've been working on the chicken yards and we hadn't patched their escape hatch...I thought..the lettuce will be okay since it's around on the other side of the house, and the chickens haven't been going around there much lately.  Besides, there is green stuff everywhere and plenty of things for them to enjoy as they free range the yard, pasture, and fields...

     I came in from school and looked at my two new freshly planted pots of lettuce.  Gone.  There were just little green stems poking up through the soil reminiscent of some plant long gone.  I knew it had to be the chickens...and then around the corner comes a hen, she hops up on the big pot, and pecks at the stems left behind and looked over at me as to say, "Pock...pock..." "Can we have some more?"  "I tried one of the broccoli plants too, but lettuce is just my favorite."Pcck...pock...thanks for planting it for us..."

    Needless to say...we got busy securing the chicken yard, before she came back to "settle "on the broccoli plants.  When dark came, we went out and grabbed every hen that had not gone back to the roost.  They were a little disappointed today and held back on their eggs being locked up in a new yard.  But the broccoli plants looked undamaged when I returned home this afternoon.

    So I guess I'm off to find some new lettuce plants to try again.  I do so like fresh lettuce.  I guess I can say I'm not the only one...my hens sure like it too.

    Why can't they like those awful morning glory vines that are taking over everywhere?  They look beautiful in the mornings when they bloom, but that beauty is only skin deep as they cover any plant near them.

 

      The weekend came...and it's gone.  You'd never know it had three days this Labor Day Weekend.  We decided to celebrate the day with a little labor.  We started working on our restructuring the chicken yard project... Ginger supervising...Richie Laboring...Ginger gophering    ...Richie Laboring...He's such a wonderful fellow!  I am truly amazed at his many talents.  He takes my ideas and makes them happen.  I love to see him work with putting the boards together to create things.  He makes it seem so easy. 

      First we sectioned off the big chicken yard into three new defined areas.  We are enlarging one pen, adding a new section, and reducing the area that was once the "Big" pen.   Soon we will have  a spot to separate our different breeds; the RI Reds, the Green Eggers, the Game chickens, The specialty birds like Mr. Top Hat and Sultan...The Dominique will remain in the garden pen...

      Next, Richie reinforced our muscadine vine arbor.  It finally grew this year and was pushing down on the netting on top, so now it's properly reinforced...We lightened it's load a little as we picked muscadines the whole time we were working...delicious.  I can't wait for the scuppernog vine at the other corner to take off for they are even sweeter and more delicious.  We had a small sampling this year.  Next year should bring forth plenty of fruit. 

     Then, Richie began to build the new chicken coop in the new section.  He has it all dried in and we ran out of lumber...All we need to do now is add the roost, the nesting boxes, and to expand our watering system....and the wire of course...

     Now I did sit and supervise some...but I also gopher-ed    a little, and I cleaned out two of the chicken coops already in place.  I was able to open the bottom of one up, so it could air out better.  We've found this designs suits our purposes better here in Georgia.  We make a top portion the birds can move up into to roost and get out of the elements.  but the bottom needs air to keep it dried out and for the droppings to escape...otherwise you get a terrible ammonia filled mess at the bottom of the roost.   The other two will need the saws-all and Richie's help to modify them(another things on his Honey do list), but I pulled the boards off the one I could do on my own and cleaned it out well. I also scooped out the droppings at the bottom of another one and took the compost to some of my flower beds to add to the soil.  You never want to put it right at your plants though...it is too hot and will burn them up.   It needs to age some.  But it will make things grow.

     The day just few by, just as the whole weekend did.  Soon it was time for us to feed all the critters and head into town for some grocery shopping for the week ahead as well.  We were going to stock up at Sam's on some of our favorite items...but they closed early for the holiday, so we went next door to the Super Walmart and did our shopping. Now we have salad for the week (I can't wait for my new lettuce plants to grow) and a few odds and ends to make our fresh egg omelets tasty! 

    Soon we were back at home, putting groceries away, mixing up the salad mix for the week, and preparing a bite of supper for our selves.  Somehow Richie managed to even go clean out my goldfish pond pump while I was putting things away...He is so thoughtful!....

    So now we are at day's end, checking messages...seeing if Clay has left a blog of his latest adventure...I corrected my link to his blog so now you can leave a comment on there if you wish..., blogging, saying prayers of thanksgiving for all our many blessings....to include whirl-wind weekends.  May God Bless you all...hope you have a productive and wonderful week filled with blessings!

      Seems farm living is a good life for us.  However, I seem to find plenty for my wonderful hubby to help me do...and so his "Honey Do" list seems to always be growing...A long weekend is just enough to remind us of all the little things we want to accomplish around the farm...and well...I'm just no good at doing on my own...so I bat my eyes, and smile, and ...hand him my list...I do at least try to hang out and give him a hand...I can be a good gopher...

      Hummm...let's see we need to  repair and modify all our chicken pens?....We've got to repair some broken wire, cross fence...and build a new roost and some more nests....there's some roofing that needs to be repaired due to summer storms...

       And then we've got to clear out the garden to plant the fall veggies... (Really, I am terrified of the morning glories that seem to grow a yard a day...I can't go into the garden alone...)   

      And of course there's that big tree that needs to be cut into firewood...

      and there are some roosters that need to make it into a chicken and dumpling pot...

     and then the momma guinea that's been sitting in the garden...well she's hatched and we've got to catch the little keets...or they'll never make it past a week...

    and my little turkeys are going to need a bigger place soon...

    and we need to give a couple of goats some shots...

     and we just went to the feed store...and of course...someone had to unload all those heavy sacks...

     and I need help cranking the week whacker...  and could you help me adjust the mower...

     The list just goes on and on... I do appreciate Richie so... Seems I always need help and always am coming up with more ideas for us to do...

     And then, someone has to play with crazy Hammie the Steer...  Cause I'm not going back in there with him alone...( I had to sneak pots past him today so I could plant my fall broccoli...

 

cause he just wants to play..

I'm trying to figure out how to put a little slide show right on the blog, but I can't seem to make it work...so here's a link to the slide show..

http://picasaweb.google.com/patefarms/PateFarmsHappenings2008

 

We've had a busy weekend...Lindi's been here and she got to see the new bunny rabbits.  Seems there are mushrooms everywhere from the rains.  Everything I read though seems to point toward that meaning you have good soil and decaying material to enrich the soil.  So we took some mushroom pictures...I still wonder if we really had a gnome convention here...of course they would have had to slip past Miss Scarlett and the guinea guard...

 

    The goats always run to greet us at the fence..."beah, beah...(How do spell goat talk..lol)...beah".   They want to know what's going on and if you have any tasty morsels for their tummies.  They usually continue with their conversations until someone gets their horns rubbed or they realize you're not going to feed them.  Then they mosey on out into the pasture to graze again, or over to a shady spot to rest. 

     Well, this week the goats have been bleating as I went around to feed them in the evenings.  We closed the back part of their grazing pasture off due to the big tree from last week's storm across the fence. Of course this was nothing but an engraved (or should I say wired)  invitation for the goats to get out of their fence and into the back part of the pasture.  If the fence was up, surely there was something greener and better on the other side.  So they squirmed under the loosely drawn wire to the other side.  The only problem was once they went to the other side, their plan to get back...didn't work.  So when feeding time came around they were on the other side of the fence beahing..."Please let us in to eat our dinner and get a cool drink of refreshing water."  So I leisurely went in and put their food in their feeders with out goats galloping all around me, or sticking their head into my bucket.  They usually follow me from pan to pan to see if I put something tastier in the next pan than the one before it.  They continued to bleah " Let us in pl-e-a-s-e".  Then I went over and lifted the fence, and they ran under and back into their safe haven for the evening. Seems they hadn't even bothered with the old pecan tree or nosed around the fence where it was broken, but had just wanted to be on the other side of the fence...just to see what was going on over there!

     I gave them a stern "school teacher" lecture about staying on their side of the fence and left them for the evening.  Richie fed them the next morning and I went off to school.  When evening came I again went around the barn to feed the goats...No goats, but more bleating on the other side of the fence..."bleah, bleah, please let us in for a tasty morsel and some cool refreshing water."  So I again enjoyed making them wait a little as I put the fed into their pans, and then lifted the fence to let them back in.  Another stern "yes, school teacher type" lecture...about staying on the right side of the fence...

     Well the third evening came.  Would the goats  be where they were supposed to be?  You guessed it.  They were on the other side of the fence once again.  Even though it was late, almost dark, and we too wanted to go in for supper, Richie whipped out the chain saw and began to trim the top of the tree away so he could repair the outer fence.  Just as darkness dropped it's cloak upon the earth we opened up the fence and left the full pasture open. 

     The question is...will the grass still be so inviting since they have easy access to it... will their curiosity be satiated now that they have full access to the whole pasture again...

     Sure enough it's no fun to run under the fence when you can walk through the open fence easily.  They were back at supper time ready to chase the bucket, and inspect each pan for delicious crumbles for their tummies.  The goats of course are always ready to chat and find out the happenings around the farm.

     They leave us with the question...Why does the grass seem greener on the other side of the fence?

    It's been another rainy day... The earth certainly needs the renewal of the rains and it brings restfulness and restlessness too... The farm is quiet as everyone has found a dry spot to wait out the rain...there's an occasional bleat from the goats, but the roosters haven't made a peep today.  We lost Mr. Frizzle Rooster...he was getting older, guess he got too wet.  Seems we loose a chicken now and then after major rain storms.  They get wet and cold and hypothermia sets in I suppose. It's worse in the winter months, but happens even in summer too.

     One hanging feeder got soaking wet... hum mm ... at todays feed prices.... that was probably about $9 worth of chicken feed ruined... perhaps we can put it in the guinea pen...they are so ravenous they'll eat anything these days...I just hate for it to spoil and go completely to waste.  It was such a blowing storm it blew in up under the shelter.   We may need to do some new adaptations there for future storms....and we still need to get a pig...they'd eat the sloppy old smelly wet chicken feed....

     We had tornado warnings during the day...we had to go into the halls at school.  I'm glad they passed us by and I haven't heard of any major damage except for a few trees down.  We even kept power, so that's good.  The rains are to continue into tomorrow.  Boy was it hard to be still and quiet too... we hadn't gotten to go to recess...oh the restlessness of rainy stormy days!

      Richie was trapped in the house for most of the day.  He began to get cabin fever and went to check on his newly dug pool he's building...yep, got an old fashioned mud hole in the back yard fer a swimming hole...right now...  It'll need a few day's drying out before progress can be made...all a part of the life of a pool builder... Hope the little boys that live there don't find that good rich red gooey mud to play in...

    I met Hammie in the barn, he mooed once he knew he had an audience... I told him I was still mad at him for butting me yesterday...but he got his scoops of food just the same...He cast those big brown eyes and looked over saying..."I just wanted to play"..."don't be mad"...   maybe not mad,  but hopefully smart enough not to go back in the pen with him!

    I fed the barn kitties...Snake and Boots have joined the gang now as they are growing up.  So they run for their evening vittles mewing "feed us".  They , along with Miss Scarlett, still follow along on all the evening chores. 

    The rain started again before I could feed the goats... they had to wait for a break in the rains when Richie came in... finally all the animals were fed and it's quiet once again this rainy evening.

    Fresh rain cleansed air...cool ...refreshing...bring in an evening of solitude and quiet.  Soaking in the joys of today, refreshing us to be ready for tomorrow. 

        Hope Clay is enjoying his trip already... He's flying around today... We haven't heard from him yet... Watch out world... here he comes...

    The saga of old Hammie is still not over...he ventured back into the garden and attacked papa's okra...There are just stalks left...no leaves, no pods, just stems.  Oh, Hammie, I like okra with my peas, but you are in so much trouble. 

    That was the last of the big garden left from summer so we (Richie with Hammie following him while bucking and kicking and wanting to play much too rough) took down the fence and let Hammie finish off ????anything that's left he has a taste for....seems he was going to take it on his own anyway.  

We'll let him graze for a week or so and then get ready to plant a few fall items...turnip greens, mustard greens,....

     Once again another summer storm had the electric fence shorted out.  Hammie we know already, got back into the big garden.  Then this morning after church several cars begin to pull up in the drive way...we had a passel of goats out along the highway eating in the right of way... so it was off to convince them they needed to get back into the pen away from the luscious green treats they had found.  We (Richie again) repaired the electric fence around the bottom where they have destroyed some of the welded wire (Lesson learned...NEVER BY WELDED WIRE FOR A GOAT PEN).  A huge pecan tree had fallen on the back corner of their pen during the rains yesterday or last night sometime and of course shorted out the wire there. Guess we're gonna have some pecan fire wood. 

     

   So what's the forecast...are there still any old timers out there?   We've had a rather cool and rain filled August...What does that predict for winter?  There have been several mild winters back to back.  Are we in store for a cold Georgia Winter? 

    We did a little goat trading today... We sold two little ones...Buster and Nan...they are headed to a patch of kudzu to munch... I know they'll be tickled pink for such a tasty treat...

      Then got two young does back from another farmer. We also got two new bunny rabbits...we didn't have any bunnies before...They are both girls...one has floppy ears, and one's ears go up straight.  We named them Lindi and Leah...So girls you have to come play with your name sakes soon.  They are so soft and cuddly!

     All and all we had a busy Sunday afternoon...and the weekend once again has flown by.  Clayton is taking off on his European trip...He flies out to Ireland tomorrow...So it's going to seem quieter once again with my little fledgling once again out of the nest...at least until his return in late December. It will be fun to keep up with his adventures as he sets out to see a little piece of the world.  I told him...remember where home is...to behave himself...and to know we all love him...and then just held back a tear as I knew it was what he needs to do ...It just seems as if they grow up too fast sometimes...but at the same time...that's what you want for your children is for them to grow up and do well on their own...

 

    Hammie the Moo...is eyeing my scuppernong vine...his long cow tongue is trying to reach and eat the bronze spheres of sheer delight...and he's taking leaves along with it... It's taken 3 years to get it this big and it's the first time we've had the delicious grapes... I sent Richie to put a board over the walk through in the fence so Hammie can't get so close...(He didn't want to get in trouble again with Mr. Moo eating up the scuppernog vine so he did it right away! (LOL)

   How can a sweet old moo all of a sudden seem to get into so much trouble?  That's what happens when you have a spoiled steer. Then he comes over to the fence and wants you to rub his head...just don't turn your back or he'll lick you too...Yikes! Silly Moo!

Okay,  This is how the real story goes and how ole' Hammie keeps getting me into trouble.   A few weeks ago when school was about to start, we took the horses back down to the back pasture so they could get to work mowing down all the grass that had grown up.   Well since the horses were gone off the fields up by the house I figured I would give the pasture tbat Hammie and the goats were in a break by moving that fat cow off of it.  Well I moved ole Hammie into the horse pasture and then after about three or four nights of meandering around munching on grass, Hammie decided he liked what was in the yellow (braided electric fence) area.   The rows of corn were covered in morning glories and coffee weeds and about all that was left were two nice long rows of peas and two rows of okra.  These few rows I had taken the tiller down between them and was keeping the weeds at bay and we were waiting for one more good mess of peas to put in the freezer for this winter.  Well as it goes I was walking out to feed up all the animals one morning and no Hammie over at the barn begging for his breakfast.  So I call out for him and I hear a moooooo!!!!!!....  echo out across the field and corral.  I look over that way and there stands that big fat cow inside the garden with a look that says "Hey let me outta here so I can get my breakfast."  I go over and unhook the section we use to go in and out and that fat cow makes a beeline for the barn to get his vittles. I looked around the garden and nothing seems amiss so I figured he must have stepped through the electric fence at night and just couldn't get back through.  No harm, no foul, until I told Ginger that evening over dinner what had transpired and then "That cow of yours better not eat my peas"  in a "Glenn Beck" style voice (which you know only if you are a fan).  I assured her that the peas were fine.  Until......... the next day when I went out guess where Hammie was standing.  Yep, got it right there in the garden with only his head sticking up amongst the morning glories and corn.  Well I call him out and look over nervously at the peas and with a sigh of relief (peas were fine) off I go with my chores.   Well over the next few days I kept chasing him out of the garden and didin't think anything of it.  Saturday comes and we were working around the farm and Ginger heads over to pick the peas and she comes back and says "Well that is one way to get out of picking peas"   You guessed it, I go over and look and Hammie had eaten both rows down to the ground.  Now every time Ginger walks past Hammie she tells him she is gonna be eating "Hammie and Peas"  all in one swoop.   Me, I sweet talked her and then took her out to eat mexican @ El Vacquero and that kept me out of the barn............ at least for a couple nights till I mess up the next thing...

      Do you like steak and peas?  Sounds like a good recipe for supper.  Well, Hammy (short for Hamburger)  the steer thought he'd like to get into my pea patch and help himself...so he was the steak...in the pea patch.  Guess, I'll have to wait for those peas for a while.  The funny part is he got into the patch again the next day and mooed..." I want some more!"  Too bad Old Hammy they are all gone now.  You'll be delicious though with the ones I got to pick and shell and put in the freezer.  Steak is not always good with peas...especially when he's standing munching in the pea patch.