I can't believe it's been so long since I posted anything. Summer was gone in the blink of an eye, like it always seems to do.
  I'll try to do a catch-up post soon. If you were waiting on the strawberry barrel how-to, it was a total bust and killed all but 5 of the 20 or so plants I'd managed to save from the flood. Out of 100 plants and two years, I think we got one. That's one BERRY!
 Oh well, ya' live and ya' learn, and I've still got so very much to learn.


 Right now I want to turn thoughts to Christmas. Now don't groan and yell at me that  "IT'S TOO EARLY!"  I'm going to try and make it easier on you, or at least a whole lot cheaper and hopefully more enjoyable in the long run.

 My family has done semi-homemade Christmases for a few years now, and everyone seems to really enjoy it. Our only problem has been the kids. It's really hard to make crafts and what-not for kids that won't get you an awkward and grudging "Uh, thanks...." as they toss it forgotten into a pile of wrapping paper and move on quickly, looking for the next branded toy that was on their list.

 I am putting an end to it for our family. I'm sure I'm not alone when I say my kids, 6 and 2, just don't play with that stuff. For the fourth year in a row my daughter has asked for a very much coveted and popular branded toy, only to ignore it completely within a month.

 One year she had to have a computerized doll that did all sorts of creepy things, including recognizing it's name. She opened it, gave the appropriate excited reaction: then when we turned it on to program it's name, she was petrified of the fact it was talking to her. She never turned it on again and it went to GoodWill over a year later, completely unplayed with.

 Kids love crafts. Kids also love nature. Entirely too many people, kids and parents alike, have forgotten how to enjoy either one. One of the gifts my daughter got the most enjoyment out of wasn't a toy at all. It was a hummingbird feeder I rarely managed to remember to refill. She however, kept an eagle eye on it and reminded me. It was also pointed out every time we had a hummer visiting by any family member who was near the window. Every single time. The goldfinch feeder was a big hit too.  These gifts were probably similar in price to the Disney Princesses gifts she was so excited about receiving for Christmas last year, but ask her where those princesses are now.

  Though I have to say I personally get a lot of entertainment value out of the zsu zsu pets that were one of last years most requested items. Our goofy dog has claimed them all as her "puppies" and hoards them under our bed. If the kids try to play with them she snatches them up and carries them right back as if they were her unruly children. Though it loses the cuteness when one of them gets a drop of dog slobber on its circuitry and makes little squeally noises endlessly at 3:00 in the morning.
 It gets even more annoying when I throw the offending "puppy" outside so I can get some sleep, but instead have to listen to the dog whine incessantly as she stares out the french doors at her defenseless outcast baby.

 The kids and I are building a fairy house right now, and even my 2 year old can barely contain his excitement when we get out and work on this simple little popsicle stick structure that's hot glued together. Dad and the kids went on a nature walk to the creek and collected sticks, rocks, reeds and moss to decorate it with. It will sit in our garden in the spring, and a fairy will hopefully find it to her liking and move in for the summer. Or a toad. Whatever.

My point is, "Why are we wasting so much money on stuff the commercials have made them think they want?"  I've got a couple ideas for individual family members that I'll share to start you thinking. I'll toss a couple of my own creations and ideas from past years at you too, but I'm throwing down the gauntlet and challenging you all to make your Christmas a whole lot less commercial this year.

 My grandmother, Nana, has a doll shop where she makes, sells, and repairs dolls of all different sizes and types. That's great for my niece who is doll crazy. My daughter tries to like them, but she's just not that into dolls. Since my daughter is into crafts, I've asked her Nana to just get a small tote or plastic bin and start throwing bits and pieces left over from her shop into it. Maybe put a bag of googly eyes and some pipe cleaners in it along with material bits and lace or ric rac. Add a plastic bangle bracelet or old flip flops to customize that we already have, and she has endless hours of craft fun that she will actually use.

My mother's boyfriend is a tinker-er. He's always building or fixing something. Whenever you build something there is always pieces parts left over. I challenged them with taking all the little bits of 2x4's left over and dowel rods, and what not and spending an hour cutting them into various shapes like squares, rectangles and triangles. Sand the edges over the next few nights while you watch t.v. then paint with dollar store cans of spray paint in bright colors and you suddenly have a huge collection of almost free blocks that my son will go nuts over.....for hours on end!

 Those ideas were pretty specific and tailored to the person giving, but with a little thought anyone can make a meaningful gift from home. Some of the things I've made in the past have been eucalyptus swags, Christmas wreaths from stuff I bought on clearance the January before, and recipes in a jar. All went over very well. You don't have to be crafty either, just think outside the box.

 Did you happen on a bunch of sample size coffee packets on clearance? Make a coffee themed gift basket with a thrift store basket and a pretty mug. Melt some chocolate chips in the microwave and dip plastic spoons (or neat thrift store metal ones) in it and wrap with colored saran wrap and ribbon. Congratualtions, you now have a basket worthy of Starbucks for the price of just one of their fancy coffees. My Dad loved this one when I made it for him.

 Teens?
 What teen doesn't like popcorn? A quick internet search will yield tons of recipes for seasonings to shake on popcorn. Make a couple and put them into dollar or thrift store salt and pepper shakers (put saran wrap under the lid to keep fresh until used) and add a bag of kernels and classic stove top directions printed on fancy card stock, then throw it all in another thrift store basket and you've got a hit. I haven't used this one myself yet, but probably will this year since I found some cute striped old timey popcorn boxes on clearance. Toss in a $10 movie rental gift card and you've got a slumber party in the making. Add another $10 gift card to a pizza place that delivers and you're the "cool" relative.

 Got a chocolate lover or two on your list?
 You can dip all kinds of things in microwave melted chocolate and repackage in pretty cellophane and have a few gourmet treat baskets for chump change. These are great for gift exchanges. If you pay attention to detail and package them pretty, it will look like you went way over your alloted price that everyone agreed upon then way overshoots anyway. It's up to you on whether you share that you put together four more just like it for the in-laws and the kids teachers for under the $30 limit!

There are all kinds of ideas and instructables on this big ol' internet. Think of your intended recipient for a minute and the things they like, then put a few key words in a search engine and you should come up with a ton of ideas. .... "Golfer gift basket" gave me those....surely you can take some of their ideas of what to put in the basket and fill your own for the golfer in your life.

People love getting gifts that are personal and prove you were thinking of them. You can do that this year and save money in the process.

Best part...it's only October and you have plenty of time to start watching for sales on items that would be cute in personalized gift baskets or thinking of cool things you could make or put together. Oh wait.... you were busy growling at me about it being too soon.

Went out for a bucket of chicken....

Things out here in the country just aren't quite the same as in the city....

Take this afternoon for instance. I had to run out and and grab a bucket of chicken. Not because we needed lunch, rather because it started raining.....

Don't worry, we didn't eat them.
Yet....
It was just the easiest way to transport the whole kit and caboodle out into the sunshine. Which is infinitely cheaper than the heat lamp they were under inside the barn.

Laundry takes an entire day sometimes, but it is always a pleasant one...

Or as my electrician hubby calls it, our "two pole, four wire clothes dryer." I'm assured that that's funny around electricians. I have my doubts.

We have a salad bar we go to pretty regularly. It is both self-service and all-you-can-eat. It's pretty cheap to boot.

Patience, takes on a whole new meaning out here. I'm seriously craving fresh peaches, and I'm reasonably sure it's going to be a while....

Speaking of patience. We are still waiting on a part for our tiller to come in, so our salsa will be a little mild this year if it doesn't get here quick. There will also not be a lot of other things if it doesn't hurry, but our hot peppers need in like yesterday.

I got a fantastic deal on blueberry and thornless blackberry bushes this past spring, they were really healthy but were teeny tiny. So here they are hanging out and getting bigger in some of my ever popular repurposed gallon jugs.

Seriously, don't ever throw a clean jug out. You'd be surprised at all the uses for them (mini-greenhouses for seed starting here), but that's another post.

I'm working on a post to catch up with all the goings on around here, including our baby bunny catastrophe, and a how-to (and how-not-to!) on a really cool space saving way to grow a 25' row of strawberries in a space as small as (or even on) an apartment patio.

With all the goings on, I just haven't made the time.



So until next time, I'll leave you with a shot of super cuteness ......

Anyone for a giant dose of cuteness?

I always have been a bit of a procrastinator.

 Okay a LOT of a procrastinator.

So it's no surprise we didn't get our act together early enough to time all of our critter births when the 4-H kids were looking for projects. Add to that our young buck was apparently a late maturer when it came to his little swimmers if you get my drift, but alas, love did finally blossom around here....

  The first goat is due in a couple weeks and showing all signs of going early.

The chicks are here!

We had a 12+ hour power outage Saturday night, so the chicks and I got well acquainted while they slept overnight under my shirt. Oh the things I'll do for my critters!

Baby bunnies came last night for both mama's. Above is the proud papa. It will be a few days before I attempt photos since these are first time mom's and I don't want to disturb them.



Then this little surprise showed up all alone right before the big storm Saturday night.

 I am almost embarrassed to say how many times I went out during the storm to check on the little squeaker.

 I have an idea who is Mama is (Krypto the super duck) but she's not talking.

 Everyone who was sitting a nest still has full ones? Since no one is fessing up about the little stinker, the whole flock has taken to caring for him. If he sees me coming he either bee-lines under the nearest duck tail and hides in their shadow, or darts into the nearest nest and under the wing of whichever mama is in it. I'd heard Muscovies were practically self-sufficient from day one, but wow! He certainly is a pistol.

Ralph came off her nest to protect him from the paparazzi

Why muscovy ducks are my new favorite animal....

Obviously it's not their stellar good looks......

Nor a particularly sunny disposition.....

THIS is the reason I love those ugly mugs....

Or rather the lack of those nasty little buggers is.

 Despite my son never leaving the screens in, we have very few flies in the house this year. The barn yard has none. NONE! The house is less than 200 feet from the barn, the flies should be terrible. Spring being as wet as it was there is plenty of both fly and mosquito breeding ground. Neither have been a problem for us. Seriously, I don't think I'll ever be without a Muscovy again! They rock!

 Muscovy meat is lower in fat (and greasiness) than regular duck, and even lower fat than turkey. With the breast tasting like veal and the rest making good sausage. They are excellent mousers/ratters and are flying insect killing machines! All excellent qualities to have in a barnyard, particularly a smaller concentrated one like ours. They also aren't bad layers during the breeding season, often chucking out an egg a day. Duck eggs are great for baking. If you can find them. Free ranging ducks put the Easter bunny to shame when it comes to hiding eggs.

 Another nice quality of muscovies for a small farm is that they are super quiet. While the females will occasionally quack when alarmed, it's pretty rare. Mostly they just make a soft "chuff"-ing sound, and the males hiss. Neither of which would disturb even an urban neighbor with his windows open.

 They have personalities too. BIG ones.

Meet Krypto the super duck.

 Below is Elvis, who is currently sitting a new nest of mostly borrowed eggs after sitting a failed one for over two months (Muscovy eggs take 35 days to hatch-which is different than other ducks). She seriously wants to be a mom. Personally I think she wants some new recruits for her matchbox carjacking operation.

That's right.

She steals matchbox cars.

And sidewalk chalk.

I highly suspect the sidewalk chalk is so she can disguise the stolen cars until she can get them to her chop shop in the chicken house.


 Then there's Martha and Ralph.
 Both black barred hens with white heads, they are named after one of the kids favorite cartoons. They are inseparable. Until Ralph decided to set a nest they were rarely more than ten feet from each other. Since Ralph got the mothering bug, Martha helped by laying eggs in her nest too and she shares the warming duty every night. When I put the nightly corn in front of the nest, Martha leaves it for Ralph and goes to the community bowl for herself. They are adorable.

 There are a couple of others, one white hen (Daisy) and one blue (Peking), but they tend to avoid us.
 My favorite is definitely Stitch, the drake. Not only is he good to his girls, he treats the chicken hens as if they were his own ladies. And me. And the kids. He lets the girls eat first, he protects their nests when they are setting them. Last but not least, he has done what none of us mere humans could. He has tamed the beast.....

 Our roo was pretty aggressive. He'd been kicked at enough that he waited until your back was turned before he'd jump on you. The trick was to never turn your back on him. Not as easy as it sounds when you have work to do. 
 I didn't want to get rid of him because I loved his looks, and as far as protecting and warning his ladies of hawks and what-not he was wonderful. I witnessed him hanging off the tail feathers of a young red tail hawk who eventually left empty handed. I was also afraid we'd end up raising one who would turn out to be worse.

 Enter Stitch.

 Stitch will not allow the rooster to hang out anywhere near the duck hens, or us either if we are in the barnyard. That roo is petrified of him. Seeing as he's triple his weight and has claws strong enough to rip through to the bone, I suppose I would be too if I had any sense. The chicken hens have even learned to hang out with the duck hens when they want left alone. Us humans he just follows around waiting on us to feed them something.

 So to summarize, they eliminate pests and rodents like nobodies business. They are comical and entertaining to watch. They are cheap to feed. They reproduce like rabbits which means lots of rich eggs and great tasting meat. A duck just says "farm" to me and they come in many colors. They are quiet enough for even an urban homesteader and often make fair pets as long as you aren't looking for something cuddly. Muscovies enjoy, but do not have to have water either. A kiddy pool once in a while is more than enough to keep them happy.

 Their only drawbacks being that they can fly and those claws. A yearly wing flight feather trim keeps them from flying, but muscovies are serious homebodies and rarely leave home anyway. They will however roost on the barn or roof if allowed. The claws are used for roosting in trees in the wild, they aren't for really used for defense. Good gloves are a must for handling because they are freakishly strong and their claws are sharp even if they aren't intentionally trying to gut you. (and it will seem that way!)

Have I convinced you to run out and get yourself a Muscovy or six yet?

Finally getting down and dirty! Yay! Crop Reports

 We are finally getting to play in the dirt the last couple days, er, plant the garden I mean. Ohio rains have been insane this spring and the only playing in the dirt I've been able to do has been to dig drainage ditches to keep water out of the barn.


 Four kinds of taters' went in, most of which were from the grocery store and had begun to sprout. We decided to try OhioFarmGirl's way of planting them this year since she raves about how easy it is plus we have the same crappy soil that needs all the help it can get.

 One is an extremely yummy one called "Klondike Goldust" and I have high hopes for them even though not a one was showing any signs of sprouting yet. I'm keeping my fingers crossed though as they might just have been the best potato I've ever tasted.

 Every place I checked was out of Red Pontiac, or any other red variety for that matter, so I was tickled pink when I noticed a bag discounted to a buck at the grocery store because it had sprouted more eyes than the seed potatoes I bought. Sweet! I planted half a grocery store bag of russets too, plus a couple pounds of seed russets I had already bought.

 Last but not least was yet another try of Yukon gold, the baking potato that gets rave reviews but hates our soil so we've yet to actually taste it. I used an entire bag of muriate of potash for the tater' area and finished out the side with some discounted shallots, something else that so far hasn't grown well for us either and these are all getting in the ground pretty late in the game as they like the cooler weather.


 Dad put in the painted mountain corn that I am so excited about this year. Really neat story if you care to check it out. Though two packets didn't go nearly as far as I'd hoped, we are really hoping it lives up to it's reputation and that we like it as sweet corn too as it is chock full of those anthocyanin thingies being so vividly colored and is higher in protein than typical feed/flour corn.
Sweet peppers, dragon tongue beans and a row of herbs went in.
 Then the tiller broke.
Lovely.
 Most of our equipment has a habit of doing that right when we need it the most.  Oh well, I have faith in Dad. Even if small engine repair isn't his strong suit, determination to keep Mama happy is, so I know he's doing his darnedest.

I've finally joined the blogging craze

 Mostly I've started this as a place to keep track of our farm successes and failures and the thousands of ideas and projects I have swimming around in my head. I thoroughly enjoy reading a crazy amount of blogs by other people and am always thinking of how I can adopt or improve upon their ideas for my own uses here, and this will be a great way to keep track of them and share with you at the same time.
 We currently raise Delaware dual purpose meat/egg chickens, Nubian dual purpose dairy/meat goats, Muscovy meat ducks and recently added Flemish Giant / New Zealand cross meat rabbits.
 While we have yet to actually eat a home raised protein other than eggs and a limited amount of cheese, that should all change very soon.
  We have ducks setting nests, chicken eggs in an incubator since our hens have decided they don't have time for children. That's okay ladies, focus on your egg laying careers, I'll take of it!
 We have goats due in mid and late summer. They are timed for winter milk, which is often hard to come by, and the only time I have time for soap and cheese making with tending extensive gardens we plant and chasing after a toddler boy all summer long!
 The newest additions are the rabbits, two does and a buck, who are due in the next couple of weeks.

 We have goals of our tiny imitation of a farm to not only be practically self-sufficient as far as our own food supply and a large portion of the animals food as well, but to produce enough to make a dollar or two with selling the surplus. A lofty goal for two tiny acres I know, but others have proven that it can be done. I happen to love all the work that it entails anyway, so why not?