Excitement, that is.
I have so many presents coming via FedEx that I had to tell. Yesterday I ordered $700 worth of tractor parts for the loader tractor. I am about 1/2 way through rebuilding the engine and needed all the internal parts. Right now the empty shell is sitting in the shed awaiting the delivery. It shouldn't take me more than a couple of really good day's work to get her back together. I love getting engine parts and putting together an engine myself. It feels good to know what's in there. This is my first old tractor engine and I am shocked at how much easier it is than the air-cooled car engines I am used to. Along the way I found out that the parts that were in there were pretty rare. Too bad they are well used up!
I also got an email that the 10 Empress trees shipped out yesterday. This weekend will be tree planting time! There are several that need to be cut down to make way, so things will be fun!
We will also HAVE to mow this weekend. We've had in the neighborhood of six inches of rain the last 48 hours and the grass is going nuts. There is water setting everywhere around here. I planned on hauling in dirt to fill in lots of low spots but that will have to wait several days. Everyone around here knows just how effective those wheat truck tires are in the mud. I don't need another log chain incident anytime soon. Yesterday a crayfish walked across the road in front of me as I was coming home. That's a sure sign that we've had plenty of rain lately!
Anyone bored to death this weekend can grab your shovel and your gloves - ya'll can help plant trees!
TJR
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
Sunday, March 18, 2012
Spring
Spring has sprung! All around the farm things are breaking out of their winter shell and making a break for the sky. There are parts of the farm that are on their third mowing already. The grass is growing so quickly that the rain that is suppose to last much of the week may cause us to need a baler to get it under control! The fertilizer that I put on the yard has kicked in.
Out in the hen house one of the layers has decided that spring is the perfect time to get broody. Every day for the last five or so she has done nothing but sit on eggs all day long. There are always two under her, although I take them every day as we sure don’t need any additional chicks around here! She gets kind of testy when I reach under her each day and steal those eggs - she usually “bites” a dozen times. I wear gloves so it isn’t painful, but I sure wish that she would get over that. It would be nice to have one of them that is sort of “pet-ish”. I cleaned out the hen house the other day and had to pick her up and take her outside. She didn’t seem to mind me picking her up, so maybe she’s getting used to me being around. She looks a little pissed in this picture I took of her today. She just knows that I am about to steal her goods again.
I also took a picture of the dwarf peach trees. I have never seen peach trees so full of blooms, and they are the most startling magenta color. I sure hope that it doesn’t freeze again, as we could have a huge crop of peaches to enjoy. I’ve got my fingers crossed. I am not a big fan of dwarf trees. I wish that they were big enough to provide lots of peaches and some wonderful shade, but I will take what I can get. Of the tons of fruit trees that I ordered about a month ago there are NO dwarf trees there. Fruit trees usually aren’t big anyway, but I want them to be as big as possible.
I also sowed lettuce this week. It seems pretty early, but when the temps are in the 80’s I just think it’s time. I guess time will tell. I have never tried lettuce before so I have no idea if it is too early, but there’s a first time for everything. I tilled the garden several times this week working in lots of manure and making it ready for everything that goes in it. I may have to drastically increase the size of it or reduce the amount of plants I plan on putting in there. I fell victim to the “one of everything” illness this year.
This week I finished the new chicken coop and moved the babies out there from the office in the machine shed. Today I put up the temporary fence outside. I haven’t let them out yet as I don’t have the wire on the top but they don’t seem to mind. The coop that I built in the corner of the lean-to is quite large, so they have plenty of space to roam and practice their flying. Today I got a large feeder and waterer that should last through butchering time. Immediately the babies took turns trying to fly to the top and sit. Since the feeder is a hanging style it doesn’t have a top - I can see some baby sitting in there all day waiting to be rescued. Probably the one who broke loose in the bathroom! Needless to say, I had to put a board across the top. That’s provided a seating area for lots of them at one time. Here’s their new digs.
Finally, I took a picture of the “infinity yard”. With the wheat field to the east so nice and lush it seems that our yard goes on and on for acres. Each time I needed a break this week I sat in a chair and looked out that direction and watched the grass and wheat waving in the breeze. You could almost see them both growing.
There are so many things I could tell you about this week but I am exhausted! We worked outside from sun up to sun down each day tearing out bushes, moving things, and getting flower beds ready for their spring makeover. It’s only 8:45 and I can see myself sneaking off to bed in less than an hour. So much for night owl.
TJR
Out in the hen house one of the layers has decided that spring is the perfect time to get broody. Every day for the last five or so she has done nothing but sit on eggs all day long. There are always two under her, although I take them every day as we sure don’t need any additional chicks around here! She gets kind of testy when I reach under her each day and steal those eggs - she usually “bites” a dozen times. I wear gloves so it isn’t painful, but I sure wish that she would get over that. It would be nice to have one of them that is sort of “pet-ish”. I cleaned out the hen house the other day and had to pick her up and take her outside. She didn’t seem to mind me picking her up, so maybe she’s getting used to me being around. She looks a little pissed in this picture I took of her today. She just knows that I am about to steal her goods again.
I also took a picture of the dwarf peach trees. I have never seen peach trees so full of blooms, and they are the most startling magenta color. I sure hope that it doesn’t freeze again, as we could have a huge crop of peaches to enjoy. I’ve got my fingers crossed. I am not a big fan of dwarf trees. I wish that they were big enough to provide lots of peaches and some wonderful shade, but I will take what I can get. Of the tons of fruit trees that I ordered about a month ago there are NO dwarf trees there. Fruit trees usually aren’t big anyway, but I want them to be as big as possible.
I also sowed lettuce this week. It seems pretty early, but when the temps are in the 80’s I just think it’s time. I guess time will tell. I have never tried lettuce before so I have no idea if it is too early, but there’s a first time for everything. I tilled the garden several times this week working in lots of manure and making it ready for everything that goes in it. I may have to drastically increase the size of it or reduce the amount of plants I plan on putting in there. I fell victim to the “one of everything” illness this year.
This week I finished the new chicken coop and moved the babies out there from the office in the machine shed. Today I put up the temporary fence outside. I haven’t let them out yet as I don’t have the wire on the top but they don’t seem to mind. The coop that I built in the corner of the lean-to is quite large, so they have plenty of space to roam and practice their flying. Today I got a large feeder and waterer that should last through butchering time. Immediately the babies took turns trying to fly to the top and sit. Since the feeder is a hanging style it doesn’t have a top - I can see some baby sitting in there all day waiting to be rescued. Probably the one who broke loose in the bathroom! Needless to say, I had to put a board across the top. That’s provided a seating area for lots of them at one time. Here’s their new digs.
Finally, I took a picture of the “infinity yard”. With the wheat field to the east so nice and lush it seems that our yard goes on and on for acres. Each time I needed a break this week I sat in a chair and looked out that direction and watched the grass and wheat waving in the breeze. You could almost see them both growing.
There are so many things I could tell you about this week but I am exhausted! We worked outside from sun up to sun down each day tearing out bushes, moving things, and getting flower beds ready for their spring makeover. It’s only 8:45 and I can see myself sneaking off to bed in less than an hour. So much for night owl.
TJR
Sunday, March 11, 2012
Things these days...
It has been a busy weekend on the farm. I have this coming week off and I sure hope that it is as productive as the weekend has been.
On Friday I drove downtown and took the head from one of the tractors to be rebuilt. I am going through the engine on the big tractor so that it will be done in time for summer use. It was time - it ran just fine, but when you used it hard one of the rods was knocking. I have no problem tackling a rebuild, but I don’t really want to buy the special tools to do the head. Those are something that I might never use again. That might be the first time I opted NOT to buy a set of tools, cause I firmly believe that the person with the most tools wins. Maybe there should be a show about tool hoarders. My tools aren’t in a mess though, so maybe that just makes me a collector. That sounds way better anyway. I collect fine tools for a variety of uses. Gosh, I sound accomplished now.
So when I was on my way home I got a message from Other that we had a chick escapee. The box that I had them in had sides that were a foot tall and they had begun flying - someone made it over the side! She was standing in the middle of the bathroom floor wondering how it was that she was going to get back in. That must have been a surprising moment. These 30 chicks in a large box talking all day about what it must be like on the other side of that wall. They probably designated the best flier to try to get over and then report back. The other chicks probably secretly laughed at her thinking that she was such a dumb birdie and she would never make it. Maybe they had a vote and picked her because she had the most annoying personality and they wanted her gone. You know she was probably the one that is in everyone’s business and thinks she knows it all. Imagine their disgust when Other picked her up and plopped her back in the box. They probably had to listen to her go on for hours about how wonderful it was on the other side. She probably made it sound like one of the seven cities of gold. Chickens are so dumb.
Because of their new ability to fly I decided that it was time to send the chicks out of the house. There is an office in the machine shed about the size of a bedroom that is heated and air conditioned. I worked for about an hour putting a sheet of plywood across one corner to give them a triangle shaped abode. The cute little babies got moved out there and are doing just fine. It was time to have the bathtub downstairs back. Bathtubs in the country are a perfect place to put a box of chicks, but they sure aren’t making a permanent home there!
Saturday the yard got mowed and fertilizer put on. It was perfect timing as there has been a slow rain all day today. Yesterday I needed to go get the fertilizer and got in the pickup to go to town. I don’t drive it much - maybe only once a week since I started driving Other‘s old car to work every day. Lo and behold, the check engine light was on. It never ceases to amaze me that a vehicle that is a few years old with 60 thousand miles can have so many issues. If I didn’t like it so much that piece of junk would have been traded in yesterday. This will be the first repair that I have had to pay for, but that makes it one too many.
I sort of sound like one of those old people that goes off on tangents when I say “They just don’t make things like I used to!” It’s true. That’s why I have all of these old pieces of machinery around here - the tractors are over 50 years old and start every time ready for anything. The grain truck that’s 55 years old is the same way. Today I replaced one of the original U joints on it. Not bad for that many years. In 45 minutes I had the drive shaft out, the joint replaced, and was backing the truck out of the shed. When I am sitting in the waiting room at the dealership tomorrow I can guarantee that I will be there longer than 45 minutes. All of the wires, doo dads, and fancy options make for more of a worry and less of a reliable vehicle. I’ll promise you that in 55 years no one will be getting in that pickup and pulling it out of a shed. By then it will have been a tuna can seven times over. It’s just about to make its first trip as a tuna can.
There’s something to be said for the things that have been around and earned their keep. All of the machinery is a perfect example. Those things don’t owe me a dime and keep working in the way they were intended. They were made by proud people whose legacy is remembered every time they are used. I think that is why this old house is so neat. All of the things that it has lived through make each day just another piece of cake. When a friend was here last night we got out some of the newspapers that we have found in the house from 1939. We’ve got a stack of papers in perfect condition about three inches high. There are all kinds of cool articles about “the war” and the sale adds for appliances for $50. Although I haven’t been up there, the Ropers have said there are newspapers in the attic dating back to 1909. I guess now is the time to go up there since it isn’t so hot. There’s just that fear that I will pop my head up there and the boogey man will be waiting for me. I need to throw a cat there or something to clear everything out for me. Maybe they can just get the papers while they are at it. It’s about time Maxine earned her keep anyway.
In the next few days I am going to be converting part of a lean-to into a chicken house for these broilers-to-be. I will take pictures as I go and post those with an entry so that you can see the progress. I’m going to try to do something that can be used whenever we are doing meat birds, but also have something that can be opened up and used if we have calves or who knows what else. We have many building that I could use, but I want something that is close to the house so I don’t have coyotes and other vermin getting in and eating my dinner before it is ready.
I’ve realized that I also haven’t posted any pictures of the farm. Now is about the time to do it - things are greening up and the birds are chirping. I have some time this week, so I think I will bring you along as we work to bring the farm into springtime mode.
Here’s hoping that you are feeling spring as well. It’s the most exciting time to be outside enjoying things coming alive. Spring to you!
TJR
On Friday I drove downtown and took the head from one of the tractors to be rebuilt. I am going through the engine on the big tractor so that it will be done in time for summer use. It was time - it ran just fine, but when you used it hard one of the rods was knocking. I have no problem tackling a rebuild, but I don’t really want to buy the special tools to do the head. Those are something that I might never use again. That might be the first time I opted NOT to buy a set of tools, cause I firmly believe that the person with the most tools wins. Maybe there should be a show about tool hoarders. My tools aren’t in a mess though, so maybe that just makes me a collector. That sounds way better anyway. I collect fine tools for a variety of uses. Gosh, I sound accomplished now.
So when I was on my way home I got a message from Other that we had a chick escapee. The box that I had them in had sides that were a foot tall and they had begun flying - someone made it over the side! She was standing in the middle of the bathroom floor wondering how it was that she was going to get back in. That must have been a surprising moment. These 30 chicks in a large box talking all day about what it must be like on the other side of that wall. They probably designated the best flier to try to get over and then report back. The other chicks probably secretly laughed at her thinking that she was such a dumb birdie and she would never make it. Maybe they had a vote and picked her because she had the most annoying personality and they wanted her gone. You know she was probably the one that is in everyone’s business and thinks she knows it all. Imagine their disgust when Other picked her up and plopped her back in the box. They probably had to listen to her go on for hours about how wonderful it was on the other side. She probably made it sound like one of the seven cities of gold. Chickens are so dumb.
Because of their new ability to fly I decided that it was time to send the chicks out of the house. There is an office in the machine shed about the size of a bedroom that is heated and air conditioned. I worked for about an hour putting a sheet of plywood across one corner to give them a triangle shaped abode. The cute little babies got moved out there and are doing just fine. It was time to have the bathtub downstairs back. Bathtubs in the country are a perfect place to put a box of chicks, but they sure aren’t making a permanent home there!
Saturday the yard got mowed and fertilizer put on. It was perfect timing as there has been a slow rain all day today. Yesterday I needed to go get the fertilizer and got in the pickup to go to town. I don’t drive it much - maybe only once a week since I started driving Other‘s old car to work every day. Lo and behold, the check engine light was on. It never ceases to amaze me that a vehicle that is a few years old with 60 thousand miles can have so many issues. If I didn’t like it so much that piece of junk would have been traded in yesterday. This will be the first repair that I have had to pay for, but that makes it one too many.
I sort of sound like one of those old people that goes off on tangents when I say “They just don’t make things like I used to!” It’s true. That’s why I have all of these old pieces of machinery around here - the tractors are over 50 years old and start every time ready for anything. The grain truck that’s 55 years old is the same way. Today I replaced one of the original U joints on it. Not bad for that many years. In 45 minutes I had the drive shaft out, the joint replaced, and was backing the truck out of the shed. When I am sitting in the waiting room at the dealership tomorrow I can guarantee that I will be there longer than 45 minutes. All of the wires, doo dads, and fancy options make for more of a worry and less of a reliable vehicle. I’ll promise you that in 55 years no one will be getting in that pickup and pulling it out of a shed. By then it will have been a tuna can seven times over. It’s just about to make its first trip as a tuna can.
There’s something to be said for the things that have been around and earned their keep. All of the machinery is a perfect example. Those things don’t owe me a dime and keep working in the way they were intended. They were made by proud people whose legacy is remembered every time they are used. I think that is why this old house is so neat. All of the things that it has lived through make each day just another piece of cake. When a friend was here last night we got out some of the newspapers that we have found in the house from 1939. We’ve got a stack of papers in perfect condition about three inches high. There are all kinds of cool articles about “the war” and the sale adds for appliances for $50. Although I haven’t been up there, the Ropers have said there are newspapers in the attic dating back to 1909. I guess now is the time to go up there since it isn’t so hot. There’s just that fear that I will pop my head up there and the boogey man will be waiting for me. I need to throw a cat there or something to clear everything out for me. Maybe they can just get the papers while they are at it. It’s about time Maxine earned her keep anyway.
In the next few days I am going to be converting part of a lean-to into a chicken house for these broilers-to-be. I will take pictures as I go and post those with an entry so that you can see the progress. I’m going to try to do something that can be used whenever we are doing meat birds, but also have something that can be opened up and used if we have calves or who knows what else. We have many building that I could use, but I want something that is close to the house so I don’t have coyotes and other vermin getting in and eating my dinner before it is ready.
I’ve realized that I also haven’t posted any pictures of the farm. Now is about the time to do it - things are greening up and the birds are chirping. I have some time this week, so I think I will bring you along as we work to bring the farm into springtime mode.
Here’s hoping that you are feeling spring as well. It’s the most exciting time to be outside enjoying things coming alive. Spring to you!
TJR
Sunday, March 4, 2012
Quilting Bee
Barn quilts have made quite a resurgence in Franklin county. Within a few miles of the farm there are several different quilts up that really got me to thinking about the history of them and whether I needed to be putting one up.
The history of the barn quilt comes from the Mennonite settlers to the area. They don’t just exist here - they are something that is found in many places across the U.S. I’m sure a couple hundred years ago they could be found in most every county/state, but now they are only in places where folks are interested in the heritage of the area.
The story goes that way back when settlers were building barns paint was much too expensive to be a reasonable purchase for strapped farmers. Most barns were left plain wood. With the use of old-growth wood the deterioration of the barn wasn’t the issue that it would be today. Many farmers and their wives wanted some way to dress up their barns, so they began buying enough paint to spiffy up just one part. Many of the quilt squares were chosen because of their significance or the fact that they were part of a fabric quilt that held special meaning for the family.
With the advent of cheaper paint in the late 1800 and turn of the century most of the barns were painted entirely. Many farmers also painted barns with advertisements for area businesses. The early form of bill boarding, really.
A hundred years later folks are honoring their ancestors or their property by putting these quilt blocks back up. They are always an 8x8 panel mounted where they can be seen from the road. Sometimes they are on other things like houses, milk houses, or even on posts in the yard. Within Franklin county there is a registry for quilt barns and many other communities even have driving maps for an art tour of sorts. To be on the Franklin County registry you have to pay a (large!) fee which gives you the option of designing the square and having others paint it.
I have decided that a quilt square would be a perfect addition to Lone Cedar Farm (a name I am trying out for this place). I’m not sure where it would be mounted or what the square would look like, but it just seems like something that would be kind of neat. I’m sure I will need to think about that one for a while. Maybe I could do some pondering while I am planting those 20 trees I ordered.
Here are some pictures that I took in the area:
On a completely different note, the house has the nice hum of chirping chicks now. I have a large box with 30 chicks in the downstairs bathroom. I had forgotten just how much I like having chicks around. I promise to post pictures soon - things have just been crazy. With them being nearly a week old now I am hoping that I am nearly done cleaning chicken butts - that’s not a part that I love so much. No one has told you about that? Oh yes, you have to make sure their butts are clean! They can actually get so much buildup that they are not able to poop and end up dying (affectionately called pasty butt). It’s hard to believe that these chickens can poop that much, but it is a constant process (usually twice a day for about 4-5 chicks at a time). After they age just a bit it is no longer an issue. Boy, I hope we are close. Let’s just say that it is way easier to change a baby’s diaper than get crusted bird poop out of a chick’s downy butt feathers. Thank goodness those birds will taste good!
Here’s hoping that the upcoming week goes fast. I have a week off coming the next week and I have lots to do around here. Those 30 babies are going to outgrow their box very quickly and need a place to go!
TJR
The history of the barn quilt comes from the Mennonite settlers to the area. They don’t just exist here - they are something that is found in many places across the U.S. I’m sure a couple hundred years ago they could be found in most every county/state, but now they are only in places where folks are interested in the heritage of the area.
The story goes that way back when settlers were building barns paint was much too expensive to be a reasonable purchase for strapped farmers. Most barns were left plain wood. With the use of old-growth wood the deterioration of the barn wasn’t the issue that it would be today. Many farmers and their wives wanted some way to dress up their barns, so they began buying enough paint to spiffy up just one part. Many of the quilt squares were chosen because of their significance or the fact that they were part of a fabric quilt that held special meaning for the family.
With the advent of cheaper paint in the late 1800 and turn of the century most of the barns were painted entirely. Many farmers also painted barns with advertisements for area businesses. The early form of bill boarding, really.
A hundred years later folks are honoring their ancestors or their property by putting these quilt blocks back up. They are always an 8x8 panel mounted where they can be seen from the road. Sometimes they are on other things like houses, milk houses, or even on posts in the yard. Within Franklin county there is a registry for quilt barns and many other communities even have driving maps for an art tour of sorts. To be on the Franklin County registry you have to pay a (large!) fee which gives you the option of designing the square and having others paint it.
I have decided that a quilt square would be a perfect addition to Lone Cedar Farm (a name I am trying out for this place). I’m not sure where it would be mounted or what the square would look like, but it just seems like something that would be kind of neat. I’m sure I will need to think about that one for a while. Maybe I could do some pondering while I am planting those 20 trees I ordered.
Here are some pictures that I took in the area:
On a completely different note, the house has the nice hum of chirping chicks now. I have a large box with 30 chicks in the downstairs bathroom. I had forgotten just how much I like having chicks around. I promise to post pictures soon - things have just been crazy. With them being nearly a week old now I am hoping that I am nearly done cleaning chicken butts - that’s not a part that I love so much. No one has told you about that? Oh yes, you have to make sure their butts are clean! They can actually get so much buildup that they are not able to poop and end up dying (affectionately called pasty butt). It’s hard to believe that these chickens can poop that much, but it is a constant process (usually twice a day for about 4-5 chicks at a time). After they age just a bit it is no longer an issue. Boy, I hope we are close. Let’s just say that it is way easier to change a baby’s diaper than get crusted bird poop out of a chick’s downy butt feathers. Thank goodness those birds will taste good!
Here’s hoping that the upcoming week goes fast. I have a week off coming the next week and I have lots to do around here. Those 30 babies are going to outgrow their box very quickly and need a place to go!
TJR
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