Into the Sunset 04/06/2010
 
Picture

Nothing like riding a Babycakes...

[minus the mats of mud encrusted burrs in her mane and tail.
Please appreciate the voluminous flowing mane and tail. Thanks!]

Picture

Off into the sunset...

Picture

And this is where I'm gonna be most of the time from here on out.
I'll try to post as I can, but there's no computer over here.
I do have some gorgeous photos taken in our back woods,
I'm trying to get up soon.

Happy Trails! Happy Spring! : D



 
Visions of Green 03/31/2010
 
Picture
Picture
Picture

It's been rain, cold, windy, and more dreary rain...day after day...but I just happened onto these photos of the horses on our land from last summer.

Ahhhh....

I do admit that right now it's hard to imagine
that our world will be this green..
in not too much longer...
but it will! : D

Picture
 
Bonnet or Bonnet 03/27/2010
 
Picture

Who's this at my door?
A little girl in a bonnet...

Picture

...holding Bonnet!
well, sort of holding...

Picture

Bonnet!

Picture

And such a basket for eggs!

Picture



 
Rustc Fence 02/03/2010
 
Picture

Babycakes says, "Hay....Neigh! Check out my new fence! I'm actually staying in this one!" So far, so good. It's a bit rustic...but that's how we like it! Andrew made this fence with cedar posts...he managed to get into the ground before it froze! And the rails are made from saplings pulled from our woods. Eventually he'll get the second railing up all the way around, but for now with 2 strands of electric wire strung along the railing, it's all working very well.  Now we just need a little more snow on this frozen tundra!

Picture
 
Cluck It Out 01/27/2010
 
Picture


There are some recent updates on our Green Pioneer site that you might be interested in checking out. One of which is a video of my husband with 'Falco'...a Chicken Tale...er Tail...
see more

 
Out For a Hop 01/23/2010
 
Picture

Our bunnies are faring the winter weather quite well. Here's Gracie out for a walk...or a hop! We keep our 3 sister bunnies together in a large cage with mounds of earth and hay. They LOVE to dig and burrow...and this keeps them content and active and very warm. Not to mention all the wonderful compost they create! Nothing like the win-win with the bun-buns! : D

Picture
 
Made for Maine 01/03/2010
 
Picture

Our chickens are just TOO cool! Literally! You can't even imagine the kind of night we had last night...the WIND!!...and snow blowing from every direction. It was an honest to goodness blizzard for sure! And I worry about our animals out there, hunkered down...nestled together against the cold, wind, and storm.

However, not only did they survive the horrendous blizzard raging last night...with snow drifted all over their little coop and their cage completely filled to the brim with snow...they laid us two eggs this morning! And they were so cozy in their little house that their water wasn't even frozen this morning either. The bunnies survived just fine, too, burrowed under two layers of tarps and a big pile of hay. And Babycakes pony is over in my friend, Heather's barn (while we're finishing a fence for her).  Morgan, the kitty, our indoor cat in the winter, was curled up with the children upstairs...his usual spot. So everyone's accounted for! Ahhh...what a relief!

Picture

Now that's my idea of sweet...hearty...chickens...
made for Maine!! : D

Picture
 
Our Turkeys 11/24/2009
 
Picture

Now that we're almost to Thanksgiving, I thought it was about time to show you our Thanksgiving turkeys....

Picture
Picture

We ended up with 3 toms and 2 females. Our biggest tom weighed in today at 45 lbs. He's a BIG dude! It's hard to imagine that they were once such tiny little chicks...or poults!

Picture
Picture
Picture

We've really enjoyed raising these turkeys...they're very docile and friendly. The turkeys also herd very easily like geese or ducks when left to free-range. If you've seen the movie Food Inc. or read Joel Salatin's book, You Can Farm, you'll better understand the reasons and practicality of raising our own food this way. It's been a great learning experience...and lots of fun...for us.

Our turkeys have been given a good healthy, humane life and our children have gotten to help raise them. We'll be 'processing' them starting tomorrow...and as sad as it will be....we look forward to the blessing of feasting on food that we raised in our own backyard. We can appreciate giving thanks for this Thanksgiving so much more! : D

Picture
 
 
Picture

Blast from the past! See any similarities here?? That's me (1974) at 12...holding a docile looking rooster. The key word is 'looking'....appearances can be deceiving. Believe me! I'm holding this rooster only because this was not this rooster's normal tendency. Its true tendency was to attack us constantly...an obnoxious brute....putting it mildly. But we'd just tamed the beast...temporarily...and took advantage of its brief moment of 'docility'.....and 'brief' would be the operative word in this context. So putting it all into context, that's why my mom wrote, "Braving the Rooster!" at the bottom of the photo. I was quite brave...or crazy...whichever the case may be.

It was a day of jubilation in my small world when The Roosters finally met their demise at the chopping block. We had 2 of them....and the minute they eyed me coming out the front door...here they came...zoning in...one from each side as I warily made my way to the sidewalk...promptly forgetting why I had even decided to venture this far in the first place. Or why I had even come outside! And they were ruthless....jumping up in the air into my face...tallons 4 inches long flying all over the place! Look how BIG he is...and I promise he could jump 5x that high....no prob!

I had to chuckle when I stumbled across the infamous (now deceased) Chuck Klosterman over at Cold Antler Farm. Jenna's living out her saucy-homestead-style over in Vermont and her play by play renditions of  Chuck, her terrorist rooster of the hen house, brought on waves of empathy from me...as only those who have been thoroughly harassed by mean, ugly roosters can appreciate!  
 
Country Thrills 10/09/2009
 
Picture

Oh Happy, happy Fall day! It's this kinda thing that gives me thrills and chills! The children just brought in our very first egg laid by our chickens...that we raised from little bitty chicks! This is EGGs-citing...to say the least! And isn't it the loveliest hint of soft blue?



Picture
Picture

My day's even more happy now that I just received this darling book on my doorstep, too! I'm so in the mood for much needed inspiration and ideas for more of the COMFORTable country life. It's the perfect topping for this chilly overcast nestle-under-the-afghan kind of afternoon. Now please forgive me as I slip away to cuddle up with my mint tea and fuzzy slippers! Fall blessings abound! : D


Picture