Critter central

We have so many critters here I thought I would post a few pictures so you can share in the fun too.  

Today the cattle were "released" into the pasture just behind the barn for the first time this year.  They loved the green grass after months of eating dried bales.  

The ducks and geese enjoy whenever we refresh their water in the kiddie pool.  Such silly birds!  

We add 18 chickens as I mentioned before and they are growing quickly.  Bertha is the largest one and she will  follow me where ever I go.  

We have successfully hatched 3 ducklings in the last week,with at least one more on the way.  The goslings are not forming correctly in the eggs, unfortunately, so we have had very little success with them.  

The dogs are living the good life with 

 of the spring smells.  

Summer break is less than 2 weeks away and I don't know who is more excited, the boys or me.  

Sending love and kisses from the farm. 

oxoxo

A Good Day

Today is Monday which means I woke before the sun to get my farm chores done prior to
leaving for school. Travis and Arliss are finishing their last few weeks of school and then summer will officially begin.
Sweet hubby started the tomato seeds a few weeks ago and the tender shoots have come through the dirt.
I finished teaching and then picked up chick #18 from a student who was unable to continue caring for it.
As I drove in, Travis met me and asked me to drive him to the high school to cheer on his fellow track team members in their final events. His final meet was last week and I knew he'd want to be there, so off we went.
When I returned, chick #18 was adjusting to his coop mates and I washed the dishes. The yard beckoned and while the dishes dried I went to cut the grass and let the ducks & geese out to forage.
Now I sit on the porch relaxing, watching the sunset and realizing it has been a good day.
Many blessings to you and yours. May your week be filled with "good days" too.
With love from the farm,
oxoxo

April and May events

home sweet home

Illinois has experienced a wild winter.  Much of the time was spent with either warmer than usual weather, frigid, windy days and then finally snow.  Now that April is over and May has begun, it would seem that the seasons have started to remember what they are supposed to do.

The rains in April, which brought record-breaking flooding in my area, also rejuvenated the grass and now the yards and hay fields are so lush and green it would make the Land of Oz jealous.

The 5th grade class at my school hatched 20 chicken and I brought them home last week to raise here on the farm.  The chickens were hatched from brown eggs so I have been researching the various breeds that lay brown eggs.  I believe the chickens are either Plymouth Rock or Rhode Island Red, but they could be Australorp or Barnevelder for all I know.  I have checked the color of the skin and the color of the ears which are both reddish-pink.  I will have to wait and find out.

In the meantime, while the chickens are growing and learning their roles on the farm,  the ducks and geese are doing their part as well.  We have more eggs than I can ever eat in a year!  Our incubator is still working, but we have been having trouble with the final week or so in the eggs' development and unfortunately we have lost 5 goslings that were fully developed but didn't finish.

I walked around the property this morning taking pictures of the trees and plants as they prepare to show their blooms and blossoms.

The cows and calves are longing for the green grass on the other side of the fence.  I have made some fast friends with the cows by feeding them handfuls of grass while they wait for freedom in the pastures.

Sending love and rain-kissed smiles from the farm.
xooxox

pear blossoms

macintosh apple blossoms

cherry blossoms

wolf river apple blossoms 

chokeberry bush

raspberry patch

virginia bluebells

peonies from my great-grandmother

lilacs -- brought from OK to CO to IL by my mother-in-law

duck eggs and goose eggs ready for consumption

Family fun

This weekend my folks came out to pick up my dad's Farmall 230 tractor. Since the word "tractor" makes the ears of every grandchild perk up, my brother brought his kids too.

The day was full of laughter, silliness, tractor rides and a lot of wind. Saturday had winds between 20-40 mph here on the farm. Thankfully, it was warm wind, even if it seemed like a scene out of the first 20 minutes of Wizard of Oz.

I have included pictures of the kids, dogs, and tractors. Travis picked up Rover and Rufus and put them on the round bales. Rover wasn't too sure, Rufus liked the opportunity to romp on a new level-literally.

Nothing makes us happier than time together. Hours spent laughing, with siblings teasing, 6 year olds telling jokes, tractor rides and tuckered-out children who fall asleep on the ride home.

Enjoy the pictures.
Sending love and wind-blown kisses from the farm,
oxoxox

Spring??

My neck-of-the-woods is in the middle of the biggest snow storm of the season and yet, the animals know spring is coming. We have two cows that arrived this week with their day-old calves. At least one of the cows has been here before. I recognized Duchess by the large white smear across her black forehead. Her calf is all black and so small. It's hard to remember how big he will get by October.

three goose eggs 

The ducks and geese are continuing to lay eggs and we have now begun incubating them. So far we have 4 duck eggs and 9 goose eggs in the incubator. By the end of spring break we should have some little fuzzy babies.

The wild birds has been appreciative of my suet feeder and bird feeder this winter. I took the feeder down and put it on the front porch next to my rocking chair because of the wind. Every morning I find little bird footprints in the snow where they have hopped in search of breakfast.

I am looking forward to summer when I will have time to dig in my gardens and pick wild berries and mulberries too. My job situation has changed for the better and I am teaching now so I will have June, July and August to play here on the farm.

Travis starts high school in the fall and will be taking Intro. to Agricultural Industry and hopes to take a welding course too. Arliss will be finishing his last year in junior high. Where did the time go?
Life here on the farm is quiet, restful, and such a huge blessing. I hope you are able to take time--no, make time-- to find a place to rest and reflect on all the blessings you have been given. You too, have many things to be thankful for.

Sending love and many blessings from the farm,
oxox

eggs in the incubator

incubating eggs the old fashioned way

they are all gathered around their watering hole which is quickly filling with snow and slush

I love red barns, especially in the snow

a quiet place for reflection

February-brrrr

Our month has been full of cold, snow, wind and the like. Just what our winter should be in the Midwest. The ducks and geese are well, staying inside the coop most days with the door open for fresh air. We are still getting a few eggs, not three like we had been for so long, but an average of 1 or 2 each day. We did officially get out first goose egg. I was so excited! I have included a picture below of a store-bought chicken egg next to our home-laid duck and goose eggs for comparison.

I have included pictures of life here on the farm. It's hard to believe that in a month or so we will have calves and cows again. Eventually the lilac bushes will bloom and the sweet smell of spring will be in the air. Until then, I'll be bundled up in my jackets, sweatshirts, multiple-layered socks and doubled-up socks.

Sending love and Blessings to you and yours with wintry kisses from the farm.
oxoxo

Freeze and thaw

This winter our weather has been unusual, as I have previously posted. A couple weeks ago we hit 55-60 degrees. I have spent some of my time feeling frustrated, as we have yet to have more than an inch or two of snow.
The weekend we had such mild temperatures I decided Travis, Arliss, and I would clean out the coop completely and let the ducks and geese take advantage of the grass that was available.

The geese and ducks found puddles and splashed and played. Eating, flapping and stretching their wings while the boys and I hauled straw and hay chaff from the barn floor to the coop. Since we knew the cold would eventually return we took bales of straw and put them up against the coop for extra insulation.

The kiddie pool we had used to water the ducks and geese was emptied, cleaned and filled for the birds to finally clean and preen themselves. I also was able to clean and refill their water bucket in their pen. It is made of a more durable plastic/rubber that can withstand the expansion that comes with ice.
Finally, when the work was finished the birds went back into their coop; clean, well-fed, and ready for the next wave of cold weather. Which, being in Chicago, came that very night.