hmmm.....

When you spend your birthday doing this:

All 78 bales got baled up safely, no rain, no wind and no major accidents:)

You'd better get a little time to yourself to start this:

Curacao cowl by Thea Coleman - Baby Cocktails.

It's almost too hot here to knit anything larger:)

And FINALLY, after months of on-and-off knitting, finish this:

Rusted Root

Yarn: Elle Cotton Fields

Size: Medium

Perfect for summer!

It also helps if the day your birthday falls in ends up being in the low 90's and the air conditioned tractor that your husband is using to bale hay only seats 2 people, and both kids think it is great fun to go round and round the field with him at a snail's pace.

This meant lots of ME time last Sunday in between when I quit spreading mulch in the flowerbeds due to the heat and helping Todd by driving the skidloader while he drove the tractor to pick up all. 78. bales. of. hay. Although he wouldn't let me load them onto the wagon - I wonder why????? And helping Jessie wash her steer.

So we ate dinner at 9:30 that night. No big......

Later,

Kris

Winter Chores

I really, really do not like winter. Especially the older I get......

Usually, Todd is home from work early enough that while I cook dinner, the kids and him go out and do the chores.

But last night, he was at fire practice. And the kids were at basketball practice (yes, only Jessie is on the team, but the coaches son is a friend of Tyler's so Tyler goes to practice to play with Braden and they keep each other occupied). So I had to do chores.

Hello chickens.

Only 6 eggs today......slackers.

Actually, I should be thankful there are only 6 eggs today

we have 5 dozen sitting in the fridge!

Hello David the bull.





Hello Piggies.

I cannot wait until you guys go to the meat locker the end of February.

Hello horses.






Hello cows





Hello steers.

Yes, Punx really, really needs a bath......when it warms up a little bit

I'll get out here more and get right on that.

Hello heifers.

Yes psycho heifer (the one in the very back),

I am leaving so you can eat in peace and quiet.

On a good day? I can do chores in 20 minutes usually. When all the water troughs are full. On a bad day? 1 hour to fill all 3 water troughs.



Last night was a good night.

We are so not normal....

While most people are eating dinner at 6:00 at night……

Todd is finangling everything so we can unload some speltz grain into the cube-it (the black plastic box) to make feed with this winter. (I had already made dinner at 5:00 and we had finished eating).

My job is to run the hydraulics on the tractor while Todd watches the auger – there’s no way I’m standing down there getting my hands in the way if something goes wrong. And then I had to park the tractor in the barn.

And of course, when we make it inside at 7:30 at night, Jessie had to provide some comic relief. I wonder how she bends herself into these positions?????


After untangling her, we collapsed in the family room to watch the Steelers cream the Broncos – 28 to 10. Made it worth it to stay up to watch the very end of the game:)

Weekend work

Well, I had to work on Saturday. I REALLY don't like working Saturdays, but it's only 4 saturdays a year AND it is a wonderful job, so I guess I really shouldn't complain.

But....we did get lots of work done yesterday.

Calves were tied up and moved around. Punxs was washed and dried (all that nice long hair is so hard to get clean once he gets it good and dirty, so Jessie and I are taking turns washing and drying him every. single. night).

Todd hauled lots of manure to the neighbors field.

I put all my patio furniture away for the year, except for my gazebo. Seemed strange to be putting it away when it was 70 degrees out, but I know the warm weather won't last.

The chicken coop was cleaned out and fresh straw put in the nest boxes. I put a timer in there a couple weeks ago to give them more light hoping they would start laying more eggs. We are averaging about 5 eggs a day off of 17 chickens. Hopefully they snap out of this funk soon. Anyone have any suggestions? They are about 15-18 months old now. I think they went through their molt a few months ago - they all had bald patches.....

We also brought home 3 pigs from PA when we brought Punxs home. We cleaned their pen and made it so they can go outside on their own now (without me having to let them out). In February or March, hopefully, they will be some good eating.

Now I'm off to do some blog reading. You all have been busy......

Kris

Success

Today was our trial date with a judge to hear our neighbor's complaint about why we should not have our cows, should not be able to do light agricultural activities, etc. on our property.

And a HUGE weight has been lifted. The judge said I have to look at this how a NORMAL MAN would look at it, not how your would look at it Mr. ___, and I believe that a NORMAL MAN would feel that they are NOT a commercial business and their cows ARE NOT obnoxious or offensive to residential use (emphasis added based on the Judge's tone of voice during that statement).

So we will not be having to sell cows, Jessie can keep her 4-H projects with no problems, and we can keep doing what we love to do. Which is work awfully darned hard most days.

I'll be the brunette doing a booty dance around the property line if you happen to be driving by:) So don't be alarmed!

And now I'm off to clean my house really, really good.....the kids left the basement door open yesterday and there was a RAT in the house this morning. I am embarassed to say I screamed like a girl when I saw it, and jumped up on the table. But Todd came to the rescue with his 22. Tyler's cat and the 2 barn cats were absolutely no help at all. They are entirely too well fed.....

I'll be back to visit you all later,

Kris

Life

I remembered to take some pictures last night!

My newly cleaned out flowerbed:

Yes there are trees growing that Todd needs to cut out. I'm planning on dividing/moving some of my daylillies, black eyed susans, purple coneflowers, coral bells and iris and putting in here. I do have in there a couple daylillies, an iris, a hosta, a miniature hollyhock and some coral bells which I'm intending to keep there. Of course, now that it is relatively empty, I need to get more mulch.

The daylillies are just starting to bloom:

The clematis is blooming:

Question for anyone? These clematis are behind some rhododendron's. So we have not been able to "train" them to go up the deck. As soon as Todd gets a free moment, he is pulling out the rhododendrons for me - they are looking really sickly and have for a number of years now. Can I cut the clematis off at ground level to hopefully train them better next year? I love this purple one - there are 3 of them back in behind the rhody's - a white one, a purple one and a burgendy one.

The bog filter on the pond is really kicking in and the pond is now crystal clear (almost). The downside is I found more baby fish in the pond over the weekend. I think we are up over 20 fish now - hopefully I can find friends and family that want some fish!!!

And this is what we worked on last night. Or rather, Todd, Tyler and a friend of ours worked on. I was told my job was to bring cold drinks and keep them coming.

I love it when my job is simple!

Have a great day

Kris

BALING HAY

Todd had to work late Monday night, so we had a friend of ours come and bale the hay up in great big round bales.

There is nothing better than a field of bales waiting to be moved to the barn.

I learned how to drive the skidloader on Sunday when I was mulching flowerbeds but…..I did not volunteer myself to move bales for him.

Right now, I like seeing them sit in the field. Maybe if he is working late still by Friday, I’ll move them for him. Maybe.

Then again, if I move them, will that give me one more job to do?

I’ll have to think on that one…..

Also, Thank you ladies for joining my PIF. I'll be in touch....

Kris

Moving along

We are finally getting things done around here...things that have been on the "to do" list for oh....8 or 9 years.

Saturday I had to work - board meeting and all - which took ALL DAY LONG. I left the house at 8:45, and got back about 4:15. In the meantime, Todd worked til noon and then did this:

He moved all this hay (172 bales) up into the newly finished loft by hand.

Then Sunday we started right in building this hayloft. All that is left is the floor to put in.

Last night Jessie had soccer practice - and it was COLD out there. So I thought that for dinner I would make hamburgers and cauliflower on the grill. Only problem - I don't know where the propane tank is for the grill. We last used it at Thanskgiving to deep fry the turkeys. So cook on the stove had to do for last night.

And this is as far as I got on my Bears in the Farmhouse quilt along! It would have gone better if I hadn't sewn the 1/2 square triangles on most of the rest of the blocks on backwards. So I've become friends with my seam ripper. Again.

Todd said just to leave them and finish it, no one will notice, but I would. At least all the little triangles are all sewn together, I just have to sew them to the RIGHT sides of each striped block.

Tonight we are finishing the hayloft, and working with Jessie's steer and heifer. And Tyler's heifer as he has said he'd like to show her too here in a month.......

Kris

Another week..

I have so wanted to get some sewing done this week - but it has not been meant to be!



Let's see.....Monday night Jessie had soccer. Tuesday night she had girl scouts AND tutoring, Wednesday night the kids had 4-H, which went on FOREVER due to they were electing officers. And there is 160 some kids in our 4-H club. Thursday night she had after school tutoring (our school received a grant for 8 weeks of after school tutoring in preparation for the Achievement Tests coming up in April and Jessie was 1 of the 100 kids choosen).



In between times, we've been working on the hayloft, which is FINALLY done! Now we just need to move the 170 some bales that we have left from last year up into it, then we can build another pen in the corner of the barn where we've been storing the hay and we should be good to go.



Tonight we have her 4-H beef advisor coming over to help her with her steers and her heifer, and we have to go pick up another grooming chute for the steers that we are buying off of someone whose kids are out of 4-H. And tomorrow I have to work from 10-3.

What's on everyone else's plate for the weekend????
Kris

Warm

It was warm yesterday. So warm (69 degrees), that this is how I dressed to do chores while Todd was at fire practice:

Yes, not very practical shoes for doing chores, but I don't have to go in the pens with any of the cows, and I can stay out of the way of the horses when they are coming in. In fact - if we try to "catch" them they run the ohter way - if we let them come in on their own, they walk right in.

Jessie bedded up the steers while I dumped their feed in and they ate.

Aly and Mittens (Aly is Jessie's and Mittens is Tylers) were waiting on me to feed them:

The cows were pigging out on hay - no babies yet - hopefully today there will be one:

And the chickens were just being themselves last night:

I tried to take a picture of the horses, but it was too dark.

I didn't get any sewing done last night - the late night the night before caught up with me, and I was asleep by 9 or so. Good thing the kids were in bed by 8:15!

And (and you all will LOVE this one!).....Todd took the baby quilt into the fire department. Well Earl (proud daddy) being excited and all promptly opened it and got so excited, he had to show the quilt to everyone, call his wife and make her bring the baby down to the department to see it....one of the other preggo mothers happened to have stopped by to drop her hubby off....and not knowing who made the quilt made the comment.....I really hope no one makes us a quilt for the baby......that's just too old fashioned for my taste....

Todd says we aren't under ANY CIRCUMSTANCES making their baby a quilt. I don't know....I think I'd like to make her one like Jacquie makes - they certainly aren't old fashioned!?!?!

Kris

Back to Work

After 2 weeks off, I never thought I would say this, but I was so ready to get back to work. But I think I need to get back to a routine.





The weekend was busy. Between cleaning the house, cleaning pens and stalls out, and working with Jessie's calves, I didn't have a whole lot of time to sew like I had wanted.




Jessie's calf (the red one in the picture) is doing better. Todd can lead him around. Yesterday she so badly wanted to start walking the calves - but it was too rainy and icy for us to want her out there walking them (we are trying to avoid any more broken bones). So she contented herself with bedding them up good and feeding them. (sorry for the bad picture - taken with my cell phone).



And I finished going through my sewing/computer room. I figured since I joined a challenge, I might as well get organized to figure out what I had that needed completing. To be honest, I think I was in denial saying to myself, oh, I don't have that much that isn't done. Wrong.

The List:

• 3 full size quilts to finish for my Mom (all are about 1/2 done - her Christmas present, Trail to Kansas and a picnic quilt - 2 of them just need quilting finished up)
• 3 bed size quilts for me (tops are mostly done- 2 are king sized - one I need to quilt it by hand);
• 5 lap quilts (tops are done);
• 9 table runners in various stages
• 4 baby quilts; and
• 3 quilts that were block of the month and I have the blocks done, but don't have them into quilt tops

So I guess I am not as organized as I would like to be. At this rate, I would have to finish a little more than 2 a month to have them all done by December. I may not be that motivated....

See ya,

Kris

Winter Chores

I thought it'd be interesting to document what I do round here in the winter. Which is basically in my book, get as many layers of clothes on that I can, get out, do the chores, and get back inside.

Todd and Tyler left for PA for the last weekend of deer season this morning. So chores were a little easier on me tonight - but not much.

2:30 - get home from work. Get the fire going, start pizza dough for dinner. Jessie is having 2 girlfriends over to spend the night. Both are great girls, but the 1 doesn't have much of a home life. Really, really nice and polite girl, but.....she was amazed the last time that she was over that people do try and have balanced meals, and dinner in our house is not frozen tv dinners every. single. night. In fact, Jessie probably doesn't know what a t.v. dinner is. From what other kids have said, you cannot get inside the house there is so much Junk/trash/clutter and they don't eat dinner at a table. They eat in the living room with the T.V. on. So I try to cook good meals when she is here, and the last few times she has even wanted to learn how to cook.

Get dressed to go outside. THis means heavy socks, sweatshirt, Columbia jacket, carhart bibs, insulated muck boots. I lost my gloves and haven't broken down and brought a new pair yet. The old ones would show up if I ever had a moment to clean out my closet.


3:00 - The chickens are laying 7 eggs a day most days. Go out, take them water. Collect eggs. Get out the 1/2 bale of shavings left, dump round for them, bring a bag of layer mash up to the chicken coop. Try to carry 50 lb. bag while also carrying a flake of hay in other hand (do you know how akward it is to bend down with a bag of grain on 1 shoulder to pick up a single flake of hay - might have been easier to carry a whole bale up there, but then Todd would know I was feeding the chickens his premium steer calf hay. Not a good idea). Give the chickens feed. Try and get a picture of my favorite rooster.





While I was in the barn getting the hay, I put hay in the horses stalls and fed the cat. We don't give our horses much grain. They are way to fat as it is. Here in another month, they may start getting a handful. We'll see how I feel about it and how they look condition wise. They do get 1 1/2 bales of timothy/alfalfa hay a day between 3 of them.

Outside dog #1

Outside dog #2

Start the water trough for the cows. Put hay in for the heifer calves. Run and get dog food for 2 outside dogs, feed them and break the ice in their water buckets.

Go back and turn off the water for the cows. Walk to barn #2 and check on the steers back there - Todd gave them hay and water this morning, so I should just have to do grain.


Back in the house by 3:25. Take off many layers of clothes. Put more wood on the woodburner - I want it cranking in here!





I'll go out about 5:00 - let the horses in, give the heifer calves and the steer calves 3 buckets of grain between them and I AM DONE FOR THE NIGHT.


The first round only took me 25 minutes. Of course, I spent about 5 minutes trying to get a picture of my favorite rooster:)



And now I have a couple hours to sew - and if the girls behave, I can sew most of the evening!

See ya,

Kris

Corn

Monday night Todd came home from work and picked a load of corn in the dark.

Tuesday night he came home and finished:

And we unloaded it into the corn crib using our hay elevator. Works for the most part.

Tyler had fun pushing the corn down. Gives me a start to see him climbing around in the wagon but....

The best part is, this should be enough to feed our animals for the next year (should easily last that long - last year we fed 11 full size head and 3 younger ones through the winter - this year we will be feeding 5 full size head and 5 younger ones).

Me - I'm just glad it's not me sitting out there on the tractor - it's 38 degrees right now.

Kris