Wednesday's Wonderful Blog Neighbor

 Because I think I have the most awesome blog neighbors I wanted to share some with you. Each Wednesday I will post one of my blog neighbors and hope you will drop by their blog for a visit. You don't have to follow them or even leave a comment (though that would be nice). Just stop by and check them out. Who knows you might like them so much they become your neighbor too!

Today's neighbor is:Ruffled Feathers and Spilled Milk    
I absolutely love reading her blog! Doesn't matter what kind of day she is having,what has gone wrong, broken, run away, etc she always finds the humor in it. She and her family have a homestead with the usual goats, chickens etc but she makes that life sound fun even with Stinky goat season. Which by the way you need to scroll down and read her Stinky goat post. It had me laughing so hard, not only because it was so funny but it was happening here too. The only difference, I was complaining instead of finding the humor in it. So please, please, please, head over and visit this lovely, crazy funny lady.

Getting Ready for Sandy

Finished weeding flower beds, mowing and weedeating for the last time until spring for a customer. Fall is finally arriving here in the south. I wanted to post a picture of a opossum that came inside when I left the back door open. It was pretty upset with me cornering and catching it in a net to take outside. I accidentally deleted the picture when I cleaned the memory card for Amber's service. But I guess you know you are a homesteader when you have to remove a opossum from your livingroom.

Right now it looks like Sandy will be skirting past us with only a inch or so of rain and 30mph winds. I am looking forward to the rain and wind and the cold weather that is coming right after her. We need the rain and the wind will hopefully take all the leaves off the trees so I can get the raking done in one chore instead of raking every few days till Christmas. And of course I am going to love the cold weather. Its only going to get down in the 30's but at least it will be cold enough to have a fire in the stove and the kettle simmering for tea. Prayers going up that it won't cause damage to my northeastern neighbors.  Pot of stew simmering in crockpot, pinto beans and cornbread all ready for a nice supper. Goats,rabbits,chickens, dogs, and other animals all have dry,fresh, bedding and they seem ready for our crazy weekend weather. Stay warm and safe everyone and don't forget to count those blessings!

No Blog Neighbor Post Today

Today I was taking photos of graveside services for my friend Debra's daughter. A very hard thing to do through tears but was an honor to do something for her and her family. Am sharing the photos here. You will have to pause the music on my sidebar before playing. Please tell your family and friends that you love them as you never know if we will get another chance.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BG62ws37XzY

A Prayer Request

 Update: Sweet Amber didn't make it. Please keep praying for her family. They truly want and need prayer, love, thoughts, and friends right now.

I am asking each of you to please keep this young 22 yr old lady and her family in your thoughts and prayers. She is bleeding from the brain from a tumor that is pressing on the brain stem. She isn't breathing on her own so they cannot do surgery. Doctors have given her a 5% chance of making it. Amber made it through a tour of Iraq with prayers and I am hoping prayers can make that 5% chance work for her. Two days ago she was sitting and talking with her mom when her right side went numb and her vision got blurry. A few hours later she had draining tube in her brain and no longer breathing on her own. Amber is a sweet girl with the most crazy sense of humor. She is always laughing and smiling. Her twin sister Ember, along with their parents, Aunt Pebbles, and the rest of the family are having a very rough time. Please put Amber Bolton and her family on your prayer lists, your church prayer lists, and throughout the day say a prayer for Amber and for her family. Those of you that have been around my blog for awhile remember Ms. Fran. This is Ms. Fran's great granddaughter. Also my neighbor Vickie whopassed away a few months ago granddaughter, so you can see how much this family has already gone through. Please, please say those prayers and keep those healing thoughts going.

Wednesday's Wonderful Blog Neighobr

 Because I think I have the most awesome blog neighbors I wanted to share some with you. Each Wednesday I will post one of my blog neighbors and hope you will drop by their blog for a visit. You don't have to follow them or even leave a comment (though that would be nice). Just stop by and check them out. Who knows you might like them so much they become your neighbor too!

Today's blog neighbor is not only a new neighbor but a lovely, special, lady. She and her husband came to the US to run a dairy farm. But life seems to throw lots of punches. Leontien has cancer.  When you read her blog posts she is always upbeat and counting her blessings while sharing this battle with us. Her blog friends are asking us to post Leaves  for Leontien and link the photo post to her blog. So would you please post Leaves for Leontien? Please check her blog and read what a amazing lady Leontien is. If you pray please say one for her.

You can go here to read more about Leontein and the other blog neighbors that have joined in Leaves for
Leontein

Beautiful Fall Friday

 

Just had to hang the monster eyeballs for a little Halloween fun

The sun is shinning and its suppose to be around 70F today. I have plans to get the rest of the fall decorations put up and get the guest room ready for grandson Harvey. He will be coming tomorrow to spend a week with Pop Pop and Grandma.

I am finally able to walk with just a small limp and little pain to my knee so have lots of outside chores to catch up later today. We had 2 hens show up with baby chicks. One has 8 and the other has 3 so had to clean and get the brooder houses ready for them. We hadn't planned on chicks this fall. The baby ducks are still getting out of their pen and stressing momma duck so I plan on fixing that problem.

Lots of things on the to do list but if it all doesn't get done today I am sure Harvey will love giving grandma a hand.

My dear sweet German friend Gerda made this wreath for my door. I just love the wreath and her! She had her own florist shop for 30 years and is one talented lady.

So its time to get myself out the door and busy. Have a very blessed fall day and don't forget.....

Wednesday's Wonderful Blog Neighbor (a day late)

 Because I think I have the most awesome blog neighbors I wanted to share some with you. Each Wednesday I will post one of my blog neighbors and hope you will drop by their blog for a visit. You don't have to follow them or even leave a comment (though that would be nice). Just stop by and check them out. Who knows you might like them so much they become your neighbor too! I am a day late posting this week. Please forgive me. I fell trying to get fall (fall- really lived up to its word LOL) decorations out and bruised my leg and twisted my knee. Thanks to my sweet neighbor I have a knee brace that makes walking without feeling like I am going to throw up from pain very much better. So back to regular scheduled posting after this day late post.
 Going Country 

is a blog that will have you laughing one day, and feeling like you have been there, done that, on other days. She is a mom to a toddler and a baby which keep her days very busy and also gives her lots of wonderful post material. Kristin is a newbie to country life but boy has she caught on quickly. When I am not laughing at some of the things her toddler has been up to I am oooing and awwwing over baby pics. Please stop by Kristin's blog and give her a read. Check out some of her older posts and see what a wonderful blessed life she has. 

Doesn't Matter

That in a few days the temps will be back up to 80F. Yesterday, last night, and today has chilly weather in the 40's and low 50's. Rain, wind, and low temps makes me feel like winter is actually going to show up this year. A small fire in the wood stove last night along with a pot of veggie/beef soup simmering on the stove made for a perfect evening. I even had a cup of hot apple cider and for breakfast this morning I had a nice cup of hot chocolate. A little taste of fall weather is just what I needed to get motivated. I have green beans in the fall garden needing picking along with a lot of bell peppers. I want to get out the fall decorations to decorate inside and out. I just love decorating for fall almost as much as Christmas. The girls and families will be here Thanksgiving weekend so I have that extra push to get things done. Grandson Harvey will be coming down Saturday to spend the week. I see lots of cookie baking in our future. He is such fun to have around. Today I have baby lima's in the crockpot with cabbage and smoked sausage simmering on the stove for tonight's supper. Cool weather brings the urge to cook and bake and that is something I love to do. Robby the stinky goat has settled down for the moment. He is actually staying put in his pen with Harley. The girls are happy and milk production has went back up. Got to enjoy the milk while we can before its time to dry them off to rest for kidding season. Ducklings are running around everywhere. Momma Duck doesn't like them sneaking through the fence out of her reach. There is one that is always into something, not where he is suppose to be, ignoring his momma calling him, or just being stubborn. I get more laughs out of him. When I hear Momma Duck making lots of noise I always know it involves this little fellow in some way. We are going to sell the babies when they are older but this one I think will be a keeper. Rabbits are bred to hopefully have bunnies ready to sell at Christmas. This is something we always do for Tractor Supply and have had good success with. Things around the homestead seem to have gotten into a nice routine with the arrival of cool temps. Lets hope winter makes an even more relaxing routine. Have a blessed day!

R.I.P. John Henry

John Henry was one of our very first roosters at Hidden Haven. He lived to be almost 7 yrs old. I had thought he was even older but was mistaken. John Henry was a wonderful protector of his hens and always so gentle and caring with them.
Always letting them know when it was time to climb the ladder to roost.

 He even took their chicks under his wings. I didn't take any photos of him the past few months as he was getting so tired he couldn't get on the roost at night and would rest on the ground. I would help him stand each morning as his legs were stiff. We thought about putting him down but his eyes were so clear and his mind seemed so alert. We did move him to the green house with 3 hens and for the past 3 months he was very content. He would eat and then sit and watch his hens. If something alerted him he would call and they would run next to him and stand really still. He let us pick him up, hold him, and talk to him. He actually watched as you talked and seemed to understand every word. I know chickens come and chickens go and they aren't really important to most people. They never had a John Henry. He had and will always have a special place in my heart. I have cried over losing goats, dogs, rabbits, and now I am shedding tears for a dear old friend that was always the first one to crow to start my days. For my dear old friend who greeted me each time I opened his pen by strutting tall and proud to show me he was taking care of his hens. For the dear friend that would look so deep into my eyes each time I helped him stand as if to say thank you. For the dear old friend that helped our hens provide us with chicks including his special son John Henry Jr. who is now trying to fill in and do as good a job with his hens. John Henry you may just be a rooster to many, but to me you will always be John Henry, my special feathered friend. You did an awesome job here on the homestead and will always be part of us. Goodbye my friend. Rest in peace.

Love Hungered Goat!

I love my goats but I am almost to the point of murdering my buck Robby.He has taken rut season to a whole new and weird level! We let him breed Buttons and Mammy but made sure to move Lil Vicki to a different pen with her mom Olivia. Breeding 2 goats wasn't enough for him. Oh no, he has to go and try to breed Mary the sheep so we moved her. We also moved him a dozen times but he climbs the fence, jumps, the fence, rams the gate, whatever it takes to get back to the main goat pen. Tinker, the guardian dog is in season and believe it or not Robby is trying to mount her!!! We moved Robby to another pen and Tinker to a different pen and there was Robby trying to mount Bella, the Pyrenees and she isn't even in season. We move Bella out of his pen and what do I find him doing ???? Peeing on his face and trying to entice one of the hens to be his girlfriend. When I go into the pens to feed or water he rears up on his hind legs while I am around his girls. Even though he isn't in the pen with them he doesn't want me near them either. And Lord help me when I go into his pen. He wants to rub his stinky self all over me so I smell like a stinky goat all day. He also tries to block the gate to keep me from leaving. Snorts at me and then starts rubbing his head on my leg making more stink on my clothes. I have never in all the years we have had goats had such a "horny" buck! I so want to get rid of him but he is William's pet and he wants to keep him. Robby is a loving, sweet goat when he isn't in rut. This is his season to make love and you would think he had swallowed a bottle of Viagra. Something tells me its going to be a looong fall or goat hunting season will be opening soon.

Eleven Blessed Duckies

 Friday the ducks wouldn't go inside their house where their nests were. They stood on the side quacking away. Little Jonathan was the first to spot the snake having his evening meal off duck eggs. My SIL Joseph and I got the snake out of the nest. We usually don't kill snakes around here but Joseph killed this one so it wouldn't come back to the nest. It had a belly full of egg and a couple of empty shells lay next to him.

 I didn't think Freda wouldn't go back on her nest and the eggs would get cold. Next morning to my surprise there were 11 baby ducks climbing all over their mommy's back. Hopefully Daisy will hatch her eggs later this month. She hasn't started sitting on her eggs fulltime yet.  The 11 are everywhere and its taking mom and dad both keeping up and scolding them. 3 have the Afro hair like their mom. They are adorable and I find myself just standing in front of the pen watching them. Have a couple of grands already wanting to take some home when they come for Thanksgiving. These duckies are blessed to be here and not in a snakes belly.