Leaves are falling, time to get ready for winter

Live in each season as it passes; breathe the air, drink the drink, taste the fruit, and resign yourself to the influence of the earth.” 
― Henry David Thoreau, Walden

The graceful tumbling leaves are reminiscent of time softly turning. The seasons are a great opportunity to be mindful. To pay attention to the now and all that is beautiful in each moment.  I love the fall but its sister winter makes farm life hard. I am trying to enjoy last of summer, while still preparing for freezing water buckets and sharp winds.  I don't want to waste one warm second worrying about the cold. Last year, I enjoyed the summer and fall too much,  I waited too long to prepare for cold.  My procrastination, culminated in spending long cold hours getting the barn winterized, aching over worked joints, only calmed by hot baths and aspirin. This year knock on wood, I am ahead of the frost. I'll get ready at a slower easier pace.

Mornings and evenings are getting chilly,  it seems summer went by in a blur. In mid august I noticed Andy my miniature horse,  was getting a thick coat. It was still in the 90's but his body started to prepare for the chill. Our chickens have started to go inside at 4:30 all summer they went in at 6. I see the fox on the hill earlier now, I guess they have seen her too.  I hate to sound like an old farmer but I guess I am an old farmer, It's going to be a cold winter. The last time Andy got furry this early, winter was brutal. He will be a bushy boy by November, people often mistake him for a donkey. I think he gets insulted.  Little pig has gained lots of weight.  I'm not sure if its because cold is coming, or because , she's, well a pig. Funny little girl takes food from anyone she can bully.
The roosters and Raj the peacock are looking fabulous with extra feathers. Raj is his most beautiful in December.

Getting ready for winter around here is a pain staking job. An old barn is beautiful but hard to keep warm. Gapping wood needs layers of plastic stapled inside the walls, heat lamps in every abode, carpet covering leaky windows.  It's lovely now, soft warm breezes and cool nights,  so easy to pretend winter isn't breathing down our necks. I am still wearing flip flops in an attempt to force summer to hang on a bit longer. We still have some trips to make to the shore. I need to feel warm sun on my face.

I have started to get ready to can. Putting up summer fruit and tomatoes makes colder months that much more pleasurable. There are Crisco jar candles started in case of emergency, batteries must be replenished in lanterns and flashlights. Heated buckets, animal blankets and dog sweaters to unpack,  stalls to outfit  with thick blankets of hay, wood to split, pigs to move to their winter quarters and tons of barn cleaning to do.

 Every year there is a power outage or two. Life is easier when your prepared. Actual books are stacked on the shelves ready for a time when my iPad can't be used for reading. All the hand sewing projects I havent finished , are waiting in a trunk for the first freeze.  This year winter won't surprise me. Fingers crossed, everyone here , will wait it out in cozy comfort.

I hope you are all enjoying this gorgeous season
Happy Autumn


Heres are some  links to make great thermal curtains,  Criso candles, a quick emergency oil and salt light,  a coffee maker out of a jar, light bulb lanterns and other
DIY winter survival items

Thermal curtains.    

http://sustainablog.org/2010/03/energy-saving-cheap-thermal-curtains/.      


Coffe maker
http://www.peacocksandpapertrees.com/2014/12/pretty-inexpensive-crisco-candles-less.html

Crisco candles

http://www.peacocksandpapertrees.com/2015/02/diy-coffee-maker-super-simple-great-for.html

Oil and Salt lantern
http://apartmentprepper.com/how-to-make-an-emergency-lamp-from-common-household-

Guest Post- Natural Weed Killer

I have been battling some very fast growing weeds since spring. I don't use chemical fertilizers or weed killers. They pose dangers to our animals and our local water supply. I have been doing the back breaking work ,of pulling them up ,since early spring.  Then I found this fantastic post over at  Don't Pin That  I just tried it today and guess what? It works! The nasty weeds at the end of my driveway perished. I was thrilled when I came out to find them shriveled this morning. I can't believe I have wasted so much time pulling weeds. Geeze , I could have been reading or kayaking.

I have a patch of weeds that I've been battling for years (in fact if anyone reading could identify them for me, let me know in the comments!) I even installed a weed cloth in the flower bed to try to combat them, but they've grown along the edge and out of the rocks of the bed where the sheet meets the sidewalk (though I wish at the time I knew about newspaper as a weed barrier, it would have saved a lot of hassle and money in the long run for me!) And to make sure these methods work on various other weeds, I also tested out on my embarrassingly bad curb strip, which is plagued with awful thorny weeds. 

So here are the contenders: Boiling water, vinegar/soap/epsom salt mix, and a commercial spray. 

I marked each section I was going to spray, and then I mixed up the solution - 2 cups vinegar, 1/4 epsom salt, and a bit of Dawn dish soap. All of these are on the list of "Cure Alls" that are common on sites like pinterest, so I was a bit skeptical. To make sure the water stays boiling, I poured it into a insulated carafe before bringing it outside.

Here are the weeds in their before state:

 

And 24 hours later: 

Boiling Water: 

As you can see, the boiling water had the most effect on the weeds. I made sure to pour it as close to the ground as I could. I've actually used this method before with GREAT success, and it's been my go to weed killer this summer. You do have to be careful when using it that you aren't killing the plants around it. I use a carafe with a small pour spout, so I have better control over where the water goes. 

I give it an A. It's both effective, easy to use, and about as cheap as you can get. What's not to love?

Vinegar/Epsom Salt/Soap Mix: 

Much to my surprise, the vinegar/epsom salt/soap mix actually did a pretty decent job! I made sure to soak the leaves as well as the base of the weeds, though the stems of the weeds are still green (compared to the dead stems from the boiling water). 

I would give this a B. I still prefer boiling water - it's easier to make, and I have no idea what this mixture is going to do to my soil, unlike boiling water (which really the only real risk is killing off the soil flora, something easily fixed by either leaving it alone or adding some fertilizer to it)

Chemical Spray: 

And the Ortho spray didn't do a single thing. I'm not even joking. I'm shocked. Utterly shocked. I followed instructions, I sprayed both the leaves and the soil. and they don't look even phased. I honestly have no idea why this didn't work even a bit, you'd expect after 24 hours that the leaves would at least start to curl like they do when they are sprayed with products like this. I give this a big F.

So there you have it.. set down the costly sprays and reach for an electric kettle. Test these out in your own yard or gardens and let me know how it works for you. And if you have any other natural weed killers you'd like me to test out, post them over on our facebook page or on twitter and let us know. 

Summertime and the living is easy

So far the summer is moving along beautifully here on the farm. This year is one of the calmest I can remember. Like most people, I love summer, lots of lemonade and a little reading on the porch . Animals are happy with the long lazy days. The best are farm days when I can work all day around here and enjoy everyone.  My kind of heaven,  the farm critters roaming around while I read or do chores. The goats love to come up on the porch and hang out with me. They are characters, goats are fun and easy.

I have been working on the to do list. ugh...it never seems to get finished , at least I have made lots of progress this year. I have only had to scrap a couple of projects, most projects turn out well but not all. You tube and DIY blogs have made a big difference.  To save my sanity , I instituted the policy " if you didn't help build it , you don't get an opinion." This keeps irritation levels low, when Mike , Dave or my neighbors decide to critique my work. I am after all not a carpenter not do I have a big budget to complete projects. As long as it's clean, keeps the animals safe but isn't an eye sore,
I'm good to go. I'm not against advice , if it's reasonable or you are willing to help build. My son is eternally frustrated with my projects, he is usually my ride to Home Depot. Dave, has lots of advice, I rarely listen. You know, it's hard to take your children's advice seriously, unless it's about computers then I listen.  On our last trip to Home Depot, he asked  "Mom are you rebuilding the house? What are you doing with all the wood?" I just laughed.

 Chickens got new nesting areas, made from some cast off dressers. They have stopped squabbling over nesting boxes. It's much quieter in the chicken house now. Everyone seems to have claimed a favorite. I'm getting a record number of eggs. My neighbors get peace and free fresh eggs.  A new fence and some pasture grass seed , have given Andy the miniature horse and goats more grazing area. Buddha and Gandhi (goats) were bored,  now they can cause trouble in a new place.   I love being able to open the back gates and just let everyone wander around. Since we live on a busy road it does cause a little slow down every now and again. People from other areas , aren't used to seeing animals roaming around the front yard. Several passersby have stopped to take photos. A couple from Brooklyn asked to take pictures of Andy with their reluctant toddler.  I'm not sure why anyone wants a picture of a crying child on a horse but Andy cooperated despite the noise.

Since it is safe , the chickens roam out front , they have cleared up the gnat problems. I hate gnats don't you? Sadly,  I didn't get the front yard garden finished in time to plant, there was just too much to do. I was really disappointed in myself. Looks like it will only grow pumpkins this year and then a slew of veggies next. It seemed like a perfectly feasible idea ,in February. I forgot all the work it takes to get the farm back into shape after a hard winter. The backyard and preschool playground look good finally. Now I just have to refinish the deck,  one area will actually be finished for now. I finally built an outdoor sink and potting bench from some old pieces of furniture.  It's working out well. I really needed it to wash hands and eggs. It will get a coat of paint once the torrential rain storms stop.

We have a couple of new residents a pig named Rapunzel and a cat named Oscar. Rapunzel had her ear chewed off by a sibling. She needed a new home and some understanding.  She's a tiny 7lb terror. I guess losing an ear makes you edgy. She likes my son Dave the best. When he visits she calms down.  Whenever I try and get her to do anything, she responds with ear piercing screams.  Time and patience will make a big difference. Good thing she is adorable. Oscar had issues at home but he seems to be working out well here. Hopefully he will only need a few weeks rehabilitation and training then he can return to his family. Rapunzel loves him which is good because they share a spare bedroom. Once Rapunzel is older she will move into the pig apartment Dave built , out back. Hopefully she will like Pablo and keep him company during the daytime For now she's inside with  daily outdoor rooting play time. Pigs are so easy to house train. House training is literally the only easy thing with a pig,  everything else takes work. Please don't run out and get one until you do your homework. They have lots of bad habits. I get calls several times a year about a pig that needs a new home.

I hope you are all having a wonderful summer. Thanks for reading my stuff,  I truly appreciate you.

Thunder Birds and Henry

A crisp morning turned into a hot humid afternoon. I just finished fixing hinges in the horse stall. The goats have been using their heads to butt open locked doors. Goats are always doing something to get into trouble. My phone rang, it was a driver named Bill . Bill informed me "I have your baby chicks ". After explaining" I don't drive" making it impossible for me to get to the post office in the next 10 minutes, before they closed,  Bill decided to bring them to me.  Bill is not supposed to deliver them to me. He was just a nice guy.  Right then, a storm came rushing in, sky turned vicious black, rain pelted the tin barn roof. I hustled to get all my critters and tools inside. I looked up to see a huge all white semi trailer truck blocking the busy road out front. It was too big to turn into the driveway and there is no shoulder. I ran out to greet it. Cars honking, as Bill handed me a tiny box. He explained he kept the box up front with him all the way from Iowa." They are too little to be in the back ." "They like the Beatles,Yesterday is their favorite it calms em down". I smiled looks like this flock, the Thunder birds,  is off to a good start. Thanks Bill.

Over the years I have learned that if chickens get plenty of socialization with humans early on they are better farm citizens. They listen, can be picked up easily and don't try to leave the yard. I have a system, hold each one repeating their name to them while rubbing their ears(chickens love to have their ears rubbed). They eventually will all know their own name and come to it. Days are spent outside in a protected pen with interesting things to climb on and small tubes to play in. I get them this time of year, once its warm, so they can be brooded in the barn with their future family. Fingers crossed this is going to be a wonderful flock providing lots of healthy nutritious eggs and entertainment. I love chickens.

The girls aren't the only new comers. They join two ducklings and a tiny Serama rooster called Henry. Harry and Rory my grandchildren's ducklings were named by Harrison and Rory .  There's a pattern here, my little horse is named Andy named by my nephew Andrew. I have assorted chickens bearing the names of some of my former students. Kids are funny.  

Henry is an amazing little guy weighing in at less than 1 lB. Henry was raised with four children in
a house. He likes people. He doesn't know how
to perch like a normal rooster and never crows. I
do take Henry on visits to Mikes house. He's an excellent guest and seems to enjoy the outing. Memorial Day was extra special because Henry came to the BBQ. I am tempted to treat henry like a parakeet. Keep him in a bird cage in the house. Good for me, bad for Henry. A chicken deserves to live like chicken, happily scratching the earth for bugs and hanging out with a flock. Henry comes when called and enjoys being held. He will even jump into my lap for a cuddle. I'm over the moon for him. 

Henry is getting used to being a chicken. He heads for the barn now as the day comes to a close. He was petrified of outside at first, he wouldn't even leave my side for a second. He sort of froze when ever I set him down. Now he runs all over. scratching away. He's gone after the Peacock on several occasions making me belly laugh . He put himself in charge of the new baby girls. He protects them against anyone coming close. Jumps at all intruders except me . It's created a few scuffles with Hercules my chihuahua who considers himself the guardian of all baby chicks.


All of the new babies chirping attracted a fox .We get lots of fox usually at night. I haven't lost a chicken to a fox in 2 years. They keep trying but better fencing coupled with diligent husbandry has kept them safe so far, fingers crossed. I call this one swiper after the fox in Dora the Explorer. We were introduced in broad daylight as she was locking her jaws onto a chicken named Oreo. Oreo flew over the fence into the horse pasture.  Luckily my shouts accompanied by chasing, while waving a rake , caused swiper, to lose her grip.  Oreo ran down the hill to safety.  A little blood stop and some antibiotics are helping Oreo recover from her near death experience.


Since swipers first visit she has been by many times. I decided to start  feeding her. I am employing, a successful strategy , suggested by a fox loving neighbor, several years ago. The fox in question,  was particularly brazen , killing an entire flock of guinea fowl one sunny afternoon.  They are opportunistic hunters, full tummy keeps them from snacking on my feathered kids while helping little kits survive.   Swiper must have kits to be out during the daylight. It's not her fault, I hold no malice for her. I am hoping to get a glance at her kits one day.

Now the search is on
for tiny Serama chicks for Henry's flock. The girls he's watching now will be 7 times his size when grown. He could easily be hurt or killed. chickens can be very aggressive with each other.  Henry needs a covered yard and can't be around the other roosters, he's just too small. So it looks like were going to have a tiny little flock soon. I'll take lots of pictures and post for my animal loving followers. I am so excited to see what a tiny Serama egg looks like. Thanks for reading , you are awesome, I appreciate my readers. I am hoping to get enough followers to help support some of the rescued farm animals,  I call family. Making way for more unwanted animals to join our little menagerie. 

Down Home Happy

Sitting at the fire ring, made of rocks from the hill , glass of wine in hand, music playing,  a pig , peacock, chickens running around , one goat sitting in the chair next to me and one at my side. I had this wonderful sense of peace and awe. A calm, old farmer rocking on the porch, end of a hard days work , satisfied calm. What a blessing this old house is to my soul. Michael literally hates every crooked wall and pine floor board. My son Dave gets frustrated," Mom seriously, just sell this place and buy something new ".  Michael and I have heated debates about tearing down the old barn . On one trip to Home Depot Michael showed me manufactured wood floors made to look old. He said "Wouldn't these be great at your house? 'Why? "I queried , "I already have the real thing. ""Yes", he agreed "but these are new" , to Michael, new is always better,  period. On the day I showed him the house his first comment was "well we will have to pull all this old plaster off the walls and put up drywall." I just laughed, how on earth have two people so different managed to stay happy together, for 20 years and counting?

Old houses hold a special place in some of our hearts.  There are those of us that see their weathered beauty, a beauty earned, hewn by hand.   I know a new barn , vinyl siding , plastic pipes would make my daily chores easier but I can't sacrifice the history of this old house and barn for convenience.  Her huge barn beams and weathered wood is something to behold. I love the square nails and large pieces of old iron fastening her together. She deserves respect an old matriarch still standing.  I love the sound of rain as it pings off the barns tin roof or the sun as it streams through the wavy glass windows. I see a tiny piece of yesterday,  a time before texts, terrorists and the NSA.  Children playing unfettered all day long, catching frogs and building forts.   I sometimes try to envision what life was like here a century ago. 

Were there fresh cookies, lemonade and checkers on the porch?  What was my little town like then? I know there was the Soldiers Orphan School around the corner . Maybe , it wasn't better , but it feels good to think about a simpler life as a chicken trots by.

Every week something else breaks , I still love the house. This is the house I dreamt of when I was a little girl ,moving from place to place. If I could show my 10 year old self this house and animals,  she would be ecstatic. It looks like a a place where chocolate chip cookies are always baking, Aunt Bee could show up with a pie at any moment.  It's not just wood, stone  and rock it's alive to me. A home, my home in every sense of the word. My grand children adore it here, all children love this place, nooks, crannies,tree swings, fairy gardens and fresh eggs. A place you can get muddy , catch a toad, find a peacock feather or hug a chicken. Children are allowed to squirt hoses at will . My grandson and I are planning to build a stick house on the side yard. I have no idea how to build a stick house but we have plenty of sticks. At four he has lots of ideas all based on lego buildings.  He calls the side yard "my secret yard".  My granddaughter wants a tree fort in the huge pine tree, I'm pretty sure her dad and Pop ( Michael) will need to help with the build out.   As for me there is a cobb oven and front yard veggie garden in the works. This tiny house might be old


and weathered but it is a great keeper of dreams a wonderful healing space. Do you have a house you love?  What makes it home to you? 

Cool DIY chicken toys...who knew chickens love to swing

I have been reading a lot lately about toys for chickens. Yes I am a little crazy when it comes to my feathered kids. I adore the chickens! They are smart curious beings that thrive when items of interest are added to the coop.  I added a climbing toy made of fallen branches and the girls love it. My peacock does too. Stimulation is especially important for chickens kept inside. My girls have a huge 2 story coop made in the barn and a nice large outside area they can access during the daytime. Still they occasionally fight out of boredom. Since I added the climbing branch all is peaceful in the featherdom.  I am thrilled so I decided to enrich the environment further. I found this great article with cool DIY chicken toys.

Hopefully I will be  building a few swings for the chickens and adding some the toys today.  I'll post pictures and results soon. I thought my fellow chicken lovers would enjoy this cool DIY article from my favorite chicken site. www.Backyardchickens.com

Chicken Toys - Why they are important and how you can provide them

By: Banriona

Posted 11/15/13 • Last updated 11/15/13 • 97,358 views • 50 comments

A chicken that is not provided with adequate enrichment and mental stimulation will be more inclined towards problem behaviors.  Feather pecking, bullying, egg eating and even cannibalism are almost always a result of chickens that are confined without proper enrichment.  The winter months that necessitate closer quarters and less foraging opportunities is when chicken toys become even more necessary.  This is where the expression “feeling cooped up” comes from after all. 

You’re probably already giving your chickens “toys” without realizing it.  Any activity that encourages natural chicken behaviors can be considered playing.  And any item that encourages that activity is a “toy”.       

Some enrichment activities you are probably already providing include: 

• Cleaning out the coop and run and other daily tasks such as egg collecting.  This changes their environment and chickens are intrigued by anything new.
• Inspecting the health of your flock and any other direct human contact.
• Providing table scraps, weeds, dirt clods, fodder, flats of sod etc.
• Letting them out to roam the run or free range.

As the winter months approach, and time and space  constraints increase we find ourselves looking for more.  What you provide need not be expensive or ornate, or even pretty. Most of the best toys are absolutely free.  Below is a list of toys that many people have found effective in keeping their chickens entertained and happy.

Top Toys for Adult birds:

Compost piles are excellent sources of enrichment and food.  Simply create your pile of compostable material and let the chickens work it at will.  The chickens will enjoy digging up the bugs and worms and will be warmed by the heat that is created from the decomposing material.  Keeping a compost heap or pile in the run also reduces the amount of foraging/digging they do elsewhere in their run which will help the vegetation grow and prevent a bare muddy run.  (The one pictured is a frame made from an old privacy fence that was falling down on our property filled with yard and kitchen waste.)

Hanging cabbage, squash, lettuce, kale, spinach etc. from a string or bungee cord is a popular toy with a nutritional boost.  If you can stick a skewer through it or tie a string around it then it is fair game to be hung either on the fence of the run, from the ceiling in the coop or anywhere else they might be able to play tetherball with it.

Interactive Treat dispensers.  Anything from an empty beverage bottle with holes drilled in it to cat and dog toys designed with treat dispensing holes in them.  If you can fill it with some form of treat and poke holes in it so that the chickens can kick it around and peck at it to make the food come out then you have yourself a toy.  There are some companies that sell chicken treat dispenser toys as well.  (Pictured is a reused plastic peanut butter jar with ¼” holes drilled in it and filled with wheat seed)

Dust Bathing Area.  Provide an area where they can dust bathe freely.  Any bucket, bin, old tire or any other device filled with dirt for them to bathe in is perfect.  It will encourage them to do their dust bathing in one approved location and limit the amount of holes they dig elsewhere for the purpose.  You can mix in some Diatomaceous earth or wood ash as well to help deter mites etc., but it isn’t necessary.  (Pictured is an old tire found on our property and filled with dirt.)

Climbing/Perching places.  The animal kingdom at large takes the term “top dog” pretty literally.  Any spot that allows the head of the flock to perch above everyone else will be prized.  Roosters especially prefer a spot where they can perch above the flock and crow their ownership of it to the rest of the world.  Even an old tree that fell down on your property (or you cut down) can be erected in the run for this purpose.  You could also build your run around an existing live tree for the purpose.  Live trees also provide protection from overhead predators as well as forage and shade.  (I found the sawhorse in the picture in the woods of our property.  A simple sawhorse can be built out of one or two 2x4’s inexpensively, or salvaged pallets.)

Toys for Chicks:  Non-food toys are best for chicks as their nutrition requirements depend mostly on their feed unless you are an experienced chicken nutritionist or a mama hen.

• Pet bird toys (parakeet shred a box &/or bird burrito) or any small kitten or baby toy such as fake mice, small balls, rattles, etc.  The more colorful the better since chickens see color better than humans do.
• Mirror (the unbreakable varieties for babies cribs or parakeets etc. are ideal.  Better safe than sorry.)  An old cd on a string would be an excellent substitute for this as well.  Not only will they enjoy their reflection, they will also enjoy the rainbows that will inevitably end up on the walls etc. of the brooder area.  An old cd hung in the run area not only provides entertainment but can aid in deterring hawks and other aerial predators.
• Bin filled with sand (doubles as grit for wee ones also) or dry dirt for dust bathing. 
• Tunnel made from an empty Oatmeal container.
• Make a chicken swing out of some rope and a large branch or a 2x4.  This is great for helping them build the muscles necessary to keep them on their roosts as well as gives them a place out of the litter to warm their feet.

Other great toy ideas that are inexpensive or free to buy or make:

               

• Old stump or branch full of bugs, grubs and other creepy crawlies.  This works for any piece of wood.  Just leave it in one place for a few days to a week or so and let the bugs seek refuge under it – then just flip it over and let the flock go to town.
• newspaper to shred
• Cricket tubes (or just let crickets loose in the coop when they will be confined for an extended period of time).  You can find these at most pet stores or tackle shops.
• Sunflower heads complete with seeds
• A post Halloween jack-o-lantern or any large squash or melon.  Just drop it on the ground from high enough that it splits and let them do the rest. 
• Suet cage or fruit basket stuffed with table scraps
• Old cd’s that are scratched beyond repair are great hung from a string along the fence of the run at or just above pecking height.  If you are REALLY adventurous you can blow up a balloon, smash the cd’s and then glue them on to the balloon in a mosaic pattern and hang in the run/coop to catch the light. 
• Boiled spaghetti is a special hit.  Dye the noodles different colors for added fun.
• DIY bird feeders.  Just do a Google search and you’ll come up with thousands of ideas.  Just use scratch grains or BOSS or whatever else you have on hand.  Molasses is a great tool for creating enough structure to hold it together enough for them to peck it to death.

Use your imagination and have fun.  If it encourages their natural behaviors of eating, scratching, pecking, bathing, flying, perching or flock socialization then it is a good toy.  They don’t have to be pretty and they don’t have to cost anything.  If they don’t like it you can always take it away and try again another time, or move on to the next item.  Enjoy your flock!