Garden, Goat, and Rabbit Update.............and Maybe a Confession or Two.......

So I've been a bit MIA recently. My current favorite song is Biscuits by Kacey Musgraves.  My favorite line in the song is "Own your own crazy" which I totally try to do.  So in that spirit here is where I've been.....

Just taking a blog/internet break.  I can get a bit obsessive about reading and commenting, and checking to see if anybody has commented and when it starts to get a little out of hand for me, I have to make myself take a break!  

I'm a weirdo about certain things and I totally "own" my crazy on it.  I feel if I follow that I have to comment because I don't want people's feelings to get hurt, and I feel as if people are reading me and they don't comment that they don't like me, or don't like what I said, or think I'm a total idiot or whatever, and usually I can keep that all in perspective, but not always, so when it starts to spiral out of control, I have to take a break and get my crazy train back in the depot............SO...................that's what I've been doing.  I may be back, and I may not, but anywho, here's what's going on around this joint.....

The garden is growing like gangbusters!

Summer squash, corn, and cherry tomatoes...

We ate this summer squash last night, sauteed in butter with onions and mushrooms...

Sweet onions, green beans, and tomatoes...

Winter squash.....

This is Ollie's old pen, and it's patiently waiting on the piglets, that we should be picking up in a couple weeks.  In the meantime, the grass is growing and they will be lost in there for awhile...

The goats are growing and doing well.  Erika is so gorgeous and I couldn't be happier with her.  She's twice the goat that Merida is if I'm honest......and Fancy has gone to live at Jennifer's house.

Star continues to improve and hopefully I'll do a more detailed post about that journey soon.....

We've got two pens of grow outs, and they are doing quite well.

They are Eden's litter with Presley, and Elvie's litter with Spartan.  This is our first full Silver Fox litter and the growth rate of them is quite pleasing!  One of the does weighed 3.8# at 7 1/2 weeks!  They are a little over 8 weeks old now, and will be getting butchered soon.  We don't have any breedings planned for the next month or so, due to the heat.

The quail are doing well, the chickens are laying great, and all is well around here!  Staying busy, staying safe, and trying to stay sane!  

Until next time!

God Bless,

We've Got Water!

The Man and I were recently talking about how we don't have a source of water on our land.  We are on city water and I can't stand it, as it smells of chlorine so badly it almost burns my nose!  I'm really surprised our animals will even drink it, although they do so without complaint.  However, lest you should think I'm a whiny baby, I'm very thankful to have city water (right now) because we don't have to worry about power outages or running out of water.  Here's another however, however, I don't like feeling as if city water is our only option, should we ever need to go another route.

Ok, so that leads us to this blog post!  The Man came in from working on his new quail pens and said..........Hey!  We've got Water!

Our land is split into two sections.  The bulk of our property is on one side of a dead end road and that is where our house, the goats, chickens, rabbits and pigs when we have them, live.  Right across the dead end road is the remainder of our property....

This used to be quite full of junk when we first bought the place.  We've been working on stuff over on the part of our land that our house sits on, and working with building outbuildings and fencing and such and haven't done too much with this side of our property.......

But inside this cinder block enclosure.......

Is this!!  That's a well my friends......

And we wanted to know how deep it was, so we can start planning on putting in a "pitcher pump", or hand pump......

So how do you measure the depth of a well?  It's terribly difficult and complicated....go get some paper and pen so you can write down how to do it.......

Ha!  Just kidding, it's easy peasy!  

Get a long ball of yarn and about 5 nuts....or washers....or a heavy rock even and tie to the end of the yarn.....

Then drop the weighted end down your well, slowly and being careful not to drop the whole shebang down there!

Keep feeding your weighted line down the well.  Once you reach the water, you'll know it because your weight will stop swaying side to side and will pretty much just go straight down...and once you hit bottom you'll know, although it's a bit trickier about that.  You have to feed it down slowly, and just "feel" when it's on the bottom and not going down any farther.  This isn't an exact science, but will give you a ball park figure on how deep your well is.....

Then we went back to the main yard to measure.  We used a 100' tape and first measure how much of the yarn was wet.....about 16 feet.  That means we've got 16' of water in our well.  

Then we measured how much total string we used......

It's a loooooong way, as you can see.......

We had 90' of dry yarn, plus our 16' of wet yarn for a total well depth of approximately 106'

What does that mean for us?  Well we'll have to figure out the best type of non-electric pump for this depth of well and then begin plans for getting it installed.  Then we'll test the water with a home test kit and hopefully have good drinkable water in the event of an emergency!

I've got hopes that it will be good water as it's the highest point around, there are no septic systems close to it, and it isn't around any farm ground for pesticide run-off.  Of course that doesn't mean much nowadays because that stuff can seep into just about anything!  :)  However, it's a start!

But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.  John 4:14

Till next time.....I remain yours in Christ,

Spring Dreamin'........and the Conclusion of Pig Week........

Even though this is what I saw out my bedroom window this morning.........

And my back door.............

I can't stop myself from Spring Dreamin'............it'll be here soon ya know!

Soon we'll be doin' this.........

And this.............

Soon we'll be seeing this...........

And this................

Soon the girls will be doin' this..........

And then I'll have a mess of these to play with..........

As well as these to play with........

Giving me lots of this to play with........

Soon I'll be heading to the post office to pick up these.........

And then in about 5 months, I'll have these again...........

Ok, ok, that's enough dreamin' of spring!  It can't get here fast enough!  We've got some plans for the upper garden, and if my blueberry bushes are still alive I'm gonna move them.  I may order a cherry tree and a couple apple trees to join the peach trees, but I may wait another year on those.  My chicks will be here the beginning of May, and the gal I'm buying ducks from just sent me an email, the eggs are going in the incubator today!  Star is due to kid mid May and Tulip 3 weeks later!  I'm ready baby! 

I also have to once again praise God in His infinite Wisdom in keeping us here on our place.........what were we thinking to entertain ideas of selling??

K.......on to the conclusion of Pig Week here at Goodwife Farm.  I know I've been singing the praises of the Old Spot hog and I'm still in love with them.  How could you not love this face?

That said........pigs can be dangerous critters.  As my hero Mama Harper said once......."Tell 'em I went to spit and the hogs ate me!"  She said that for a reason, and lets just say if you ever have the need to murder your neighbor, feeding the body to the hogs is a good way to dispose of the evidence! 

Pigs can and do kill people every year, but so do stud horses, rogue goats, rams, dogs, heck even a goose or rooster can mess you up if you aren't careful, just ask me, I know!  My point is, as with all large animals, you must show them respect, as well as let them know at all times you are in charge.  Dominance is the word of the day when dealing with any livestock.  Does that mean bullying or mean-ness?  Of course not, it just means that you, as Head Boss Goat 'round your place must keep everybody else in check and in their place!  Don't send your 5 year old out to feed the hogs (or anybody else with the exception of possibly the chickens, but remember that rogue rooster) 'cuz you're just too darned tired to do it!

On that note, I'll leave you with one last picture of my very happy pig........and say Ah Dew for now!

God Bless...................

Scenes from My Day.........

A big part of today was devoted to making another Barbie outfit...........the hardest one yet!

Then I did this.........

It felt sooooo good to be out in the balmy wind, in my t-shirt!  Of course I was in mud boots and had to set my laundry basket on that little blue stool to keep it outta the mud, but don't rain on my parade!

Next I went to visit these two.......

My formerly clean little piggies were out doin' what piggies do!

Ed Earl and Luanne are currently working with a realtor.  They are ready to upgrade their home site and are quite interested in this little piece of land.....

If all goes well we will be beginning construction this weekend!

Then I stopped by and had a chat with these dear folks.  Tommy was trying to woo me with his lovely beard blowing in the wind.  He knows I'm a total sucker for facial hair on a man, and it's my secret desire for The Man to one day grow a ZZ Top style beard.  For now I just have to enjoy looking at Tommy's..... 

The girls don't much care for hanging out with Tommy, so they came to see me, but as soon as he came over flaunting his beard, they retreated......

You can see Tulip's air of disdain in the set of her ears, as if to say she wouldn't lower herself to commune with a disreputable chap such as he......of course a month and a half ago, when she was in heat she was bleating a different tune, but that's neither here nor there..... 

Star.........well I'm really not sure what she is thinking........ 

Then it was time to head back to the house, so Ellie-girl said goodbye......

And off we went!

I hope it's sunny and warm where you are, if not in actual temps at least in your heart!!

God Bless............

Some More Winter Scenes..........

We woke up Friday morning to about an inch of snow and it continued to come down all day. 

Please bear with me as I had lots of fun playing with these.  Sometimes my artistic side gets a bit out of hand!

Go take some pictures!  Be fearless, be brave, be obnoxious with your camera!!  We only get to go 'round once ya know! 

God Bless........................................