Tuesday, February 10, 2009

The ice is gone...the heat wave is on!

"What are you looking at?.......yes......I'm beautiful...So?"
Pepper has become quite the D I V A! She is now posing quite beautifully for pictures! LOL What a crazy bird she has become! Not only does she follow me around the barn....she loves to sit on my shoulder....and inspect every little thing that goes on...it must meet her approval. Since she has began laying...her little crop just appeared one morning.....over night..how does THAT happen? My little girl is growing up! She is laying every other day....I reckon she feels too important to lay every day. Who knows what my little poultry is thinking! But this sure is a great picture isnt it?
The ice storm is passed...we got our electricity last Saturday...but still no phone service, and they told me yesterday they have no idea when we would get that back...so still no Internet. But at least we have warm water! That first shower was the best one I'd had in 37 years!!
We went from single digit temps to 66 degrees! Kentucky weather is the most crazy and unpredictable of anywhere! Last year in Feb a tornado ripped through our farm, and through town, tearing up a path of snapped telephone and power line poles, ripped the roof off the high school, and several homes in its path were obliterated..several farms and a dairy were all but demolished....things have just now been rebuilt....and this happens. We were lucky last Feb...the tornado touched down in the back corner of our farm, but didnt get very destructive until it hopped over and began its terrible path on a neighbors farm...and it continued for several miles through E-town. So we dodged the bullet, and again we have been spared from too much loss. No animals were harmed and all fared well with this ice storm.
So its over, today is 66 and rainy (sorry Amy I think we stole your rain!). There is no telling what summer will bring. The last two years we have suffered a very bad drought.....we are praying this year will be the break we need!
The first possible day for a calf to come has gone and passed (8th) and still no little ones. Cattle havent been checked today though so maybe in all the rain and wind we got last night there are some little ones huddled up to their mommas today! Cows always choose the worse weather to calve in.
Norm and I ran into a neighbor at the mill where we went to pick up some horse feed yesterday, he has goats....but he didnt know of anyone around that I could talk to about getting some dairy's...then his wife called and offered us the Kentucky goat registry....YEA I'm getting somewhere! So we'll go pick that up this week.
I didnt get the chance to ride this weekend, but the kids and I did clean the entire barn out! My arms hurt soooooo bad Sat night I wanted to saw them off! Calves are WAY messier than horses...in fact 3 days after the calf's stall was cleaned its just as mucky and nasty as before! I was too sore and tired to ride....but Leah and I groomed the boys....Jack is a muddy stinky mess....King is polished and handsome! Leah wanted to bathe him so badly......I told her the next rain we get will clean him off for us....I was right, his white is white again this morning!
Jack was pretty skittish...he hasnt been worked with since the ice storm, so for 2 weeks nothing has been done with him. Leah went over some more desensitizing all over....we took the boys out to the yard for a little field trip. Wanted to see how he acted out of his element. He was very jumpy and nervous, but king just munched on grass and Jack took the lead and calmed down. He was jumpy again when leah was rubbing him with the lead rope, placing it on his back and rear and legs...so i did that to King so Jack would see the rope wouldnt hurt him...after that no problem. It sure helps to have a more experienced horse to show the little guys how to act and what not to be afraid of! He did pull away from Leah when going back to the barn....she couldnt hold on the rope was burning her hands....for a moment he turned toward the drive and thought about taking off...but we kept walking with King to the barn, and little bit followed. Whew.....disaster averted. So since his little temper tantrum we had to keep him out and tied and led around. even though we were done.....we had to keep working with him. When Norm and I get a chance we are going to repeat the whole thing over....he wont pull from Norms grasp! LOL
Norm told me the thing I've been waiting a full year to hear!!! I can KEEP my big pet calf OLIVER for another year or two, until he gets too dangerous due to his size....I'm determined that WONT happen.
I'm going to use him to teach doug to show in 4-H.....he's the perfect guinea pig, he is so gentle it unreal. It will help Doug get over any fear he may have of a bigger calf since he will be around him as he grows. I'll need to first halter break him, teach to lead, and Leah and I have plans to ...get this.....and I'm serious...RIDING a cow! LOL Yes....thats what I said! She and I were reading in my nephews cattle mag and it had a full story on riding cattle, out west its done alot in parades. The article said they are easier to break than a horse.....LOL dont laugh yet...wait until we can or cant do it first!
Okay I'm gonna run...Norm is here, I've got a Dr apt at one.....so I'm gonna hop off and check my shops and bank account! Hope all is well with everyone and I hope to be by to visit with you guys!

12 comments:

  1. I'm glad all is well there. The ice storm was scary! You have a very pretty chicken.

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  2. Oh goodie Rae...something is working and hope that all is well in other parts of life too!
    Glad the pony did not bolt!
    We are getting snow AGAIN today..I went to the stable last night to ride..then my hands froze..so I told myself I'd groom...then my legs got cold too...I made feed packets, then split!

    See you soon!
    KK
    PS
    The MOON is the subject for Sunday Stills...we have no viible sky now..so may put one in from last Aug. horse camping.

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  3. Hi Rachel,
    I'm glad the ice storm is over now. I'm anxious to see pics of new calves. . .I'll keep checking back for birth announcements/stories/etc. :)

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  4. I love that hen - talk about a prima donna. Glad that things are looking up for you all - you sound to have had quite a winter. Good luck would come in handy for a week or two now.

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  5. I'm so glad you guys are getting back to normal. I bet that shower felt like heaven! Your Diva is so beautiful and so regal. I had one that used to sit on my lap all the time and acted like a dog following me around. She was priceless.

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  6. Thanks for the terrific update. It's so good to hear that you all survived the ice storm and so did all your critters, too. Yep thank goodness for the experienced horse. Good for you all continuing to work with Jack. I hope you get to ride soon.
    And I just can't wait until your able to upload pictures again. I want to see those cute calves.

    And I can't wait until your cow riding experiment works out. How fun! I've seen cowboys riding Texas Longhorn cattle in parades before. It was so cool!

    ~Lisa

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  7. Pepper is one cute little chickie! There's always one bird that just has to be "different". I've found that the "different" birds are usually Plymouth Rocks...at least in my flock.

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  8. I am glad to see that you all are coming out of this deep freeze, and that things are getting back on track, I just love pepper. I enjoy your reading your blog.
    Blessings,
    Sue

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  9. gosh what a photo - what a very photogenic hen! yes I bet you're all glad spring is on it's way now, it's been quite a winter for you hasn't it? I'm delighted to say that autumn is just about here - lovely cooler temperatures!

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  10. You're going to train a cow? and you've already got a trained chicken... when are you taking this show on the road? Glad the weather finally broke for you guys.

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  11. HELLO!!!!!! Hi there girl. Oh Pepper is sooo cute. Such a sweet little chicken. I'll post you Maggie May over and she can live at your place. She's been really naughty at the moment. Norm has softened at last over Oliver I see. He'll never leave and you'll be just like me having little animals that grow into big ones and never leave the farm. I've seen people riding cows too. They do that in Europe as well - not so unusual. Great to hear your little fella is coming along so well. Give him and horses a hug from me and a HUGE HUG To YOU!!!

    Lots of love and hugs
    Liz

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  12. I really do love finding farm blogs as good as this. What wonderful photography - I did a full year last year at www.aplaceintheauvergne.blogspot.com but now I see yours I am glad I stopped!!

    I come to you because you were recommended to me by Goings on at Mad Bush Farm in New Zealand and you can see a post about you at http://farmblogs.blogspot.com/2009/02/goings-on-at-mad-bush-farm_17.html

    Farm Blogs From Around the World is a place to to gather in one place the best farm blogs from around the world. Recommended farm blogs are asked to send a brief email (to info AT ianwalthew.com) about their farm/smallholding and their blog, and to include their own recommended farm blogs. I then make a posting. If it gets any more complicated that that, then....well, the idea is that it doesn't get much more complicated than that.

    I would very much appreciate it if you could please consider:

    a) sending me some text about your blog and activities (including acreage and crops/livestock/fibres etc. to help like minded souls find you.)

    b) writing to me with your (up to) Top 5 farm recommendations - not currently listed on my blog; particularly from countries not yet represented or under represented. I am particularly interested in blogs from the UK, New Zealand, South America, Asia and Africa at the moment. The proper name of the blog, the exact url, the location and one sentence on why you like it is perfect, but if pressed for time, just the links. U.S blogs are fine, but we have a lot and I am trying really hard to find good bloggers in different parts of the world, but if your list is all-American, no drama.

    c) send me permission to use up to 5 photos from your site for a one off usage so that with your text I can make a posting about you;

    d) add a link on your website, if that's possible, to www.farmblogs.blogspot.com; and if you can find a moment even make a posting about www.farmblogs.blogspot.com and how this blog is growing organically across the world from other farming bloggers. (Because you have been recommended in this way you are already on the blog roll for the U.S.A.)

    I know this is a drag but a lot of people are finding that my blog is driving traffic to them and are finding it a great source of quality blogs about farming/gardening/smallholding so I hope you can find a moment to drop me a line.

    I very much hope to hear from you, and thanks for taking the time to read and respond to this. When you do I'll get you up and running as soon as possible.

    With kind regards,

    Ian

    www.farmblogs.blogspot.com
    www.ianwalthew.com

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Thanks for visiting the farm! We love comments and hope to hear from you! ~ Rachel, Norm, Kiddos, and all our furry friends!