Tag Archives: farmlife

Your Favorite Season?

Four seasons comprise a year where we live here in Virginia. Right now about four weeks remain for this winter season. This cannot go by fast enough for my husband. Winter wins hands down for his least favorite season. Summer is his favorite.

It seems most folk I talk to say Spring is their favorite. I have heard it said that the season one is born in is the favorite. Have you heard that before? It does not hold true for me.

I was born in summer, but I cannot say it is my favorite. When asked, my general response is, “The season we are in right now is my favorite”. Because of my enjoyment of photography, there is something lovely and unique in each season. Though I find it much easier to add layers of clothing when it is cold. I mean there is only so much to be taken off when hot.

Fuzzy winter-coat horses are cozy and warm too. The best hand warmer around is between a horses elbow and belly, or under a full winter mane and neck. Duke looks like a fuzzy black bear in his winter coat. High Hope is not as fuzzy. The minis, Snowbell and Raggedy, look like two little fur balls rolling around like a tumbleweed.

When the wind blows their coats shimmer and wave like tall grasses on the prairie. Steam blowing from their noses makes them snort and blow more. I think it makes them feel big and strong!

Blue and white are my favorite colors, so I suppose if I had to choose a season, it would be winter.

My favorite colors, blue and white, match the winter season.
Brand new winter day dawning.
Morning has broken.
Duke, our ‘fuzzy bear’.
Raggedy looks like a rolling fur ball.
A winter visitor!
I suppose if I had to choose, winter would be my favorite.

What is your favorite season?

Boo-Boo the Friendly Cat

The element of surprise has never been wasted with Boo-Boo. As a kitten she would hide behind every corner in the house then suddenly leap out at the unsuspecting passerby. It was hilarious how it even sounded as if she said BOO! before taking a mad dash into hiding. She is still this fun and playful at nearly 9 years old.

Adopted as a little kitten from a farming friend who found her high in a tree, we brought her home with great joy. She filled the hole left by our older cat that had recently died. It seems she has always appreciated her upgraded status from farm life to house cat. She goes to the barn only if we humans and dogs are out there with her. She never hunts for mice or birds. She much prefers feather pillows, and quilts on the beds to cat beds.

She is a ‘dog-walk’ cat. Everyday she walks with Buster, HoneyPie and me. Recently she joined us for an entire 40-minute walk! Often she walks on the fence around our property, “talking” the whole while!

The dogs hop around and wiggle when I brush them. Boo-Boo? Stands nicely and purrs! Good thing she has long, thick fur, a feather weighs more than she does.

HoneyPie and Buster would chase her but she has learned “no running means no chasing”. If they get too pushy, she’ll swat them. Seniority goes a long way.

She is a fun addition to this family of animals that call our place home. Allow me to introduce her.

Boo-Boo our “dog-walk” cat.
She walks the fence rows around our farm.
Her thick coat makes her look big!
Quilts and feather pillows are her favorite.

Stretch time.
Is it walk time?
Balancing act!
A quiet moment on her ‘dog-walk’.

An ‘Ole Grey Day

I can still hear Mom say how much she liked “an ‘ole grey day.’ The adage ‘apples fall from apple trees’ rings true in this regard. I enjoy an ole grey day as much as Mom did.

The past two days have been quite wintery, snowy and rainy. Sitting by the fire is as good as it gets on days like these.

The day itself calls for stillness and quietness. Do not make loud noises in my house on an ‘ole grey day, unless life or limb is not important to you. Just ask my husband of forty-plus something years. Even Jeffy, our parakeet is quiet.

As we walked through the dark woods I noticed even the birds were quiet. All we heard were the crackling of leaves underfoot, and the dogs as they ran past us hot on the scent of who-knows-what.

Another type of day I like happens everyday, and that is twilight. Just when lights of houses and barns and cities start to shine and herald in the coming of nightfall. That lovely transition of daylight into evening-tide.

Mom used to also say there were advantages to old age. She has been gone a decade now, and now I am one of the older folk. So having the time to really enjoy an ‘ole grey day, as well as the evening light are surely an advantage to old age.

Do you agree, all you dear older readers?

I would like to share, through my photos, what I am trying to convey in words. They will probably tell a better story.

An ‘ole grey day, taking through window. Duke and High Hope seem oblivious.
Grey or snowy, it is still cozy. Can you see Raggedy and Snowbell? They are in front.
Walking up the hill in our field—to nowhere?
Outside lights on grey days are warm.
Even the birds are quiet in the woods. The crunching of footsteps and…
…the dogs running make the only sounds.
A fire makes every wintery day better.
By the fire is the best place to be on a day like today.
Evening lights on snow are a delight.
My favorite place is downright inviting at twilight.
The soft glow from the tin lantern warms the snowy sidewalk.

How About You?

I grew up on a big farm, we now live on a small one. Just the same, animals have been a part of my entire life. They have taught me more than I may ever realize.

I am also a photographer. Though that title seems not to fit me, as I don’t really consider myself a photographer. Yet, I’ve taken photos since I got my first Kodak camera at eleven years old. Many moons have passed since then.

I am also unashamedly a Christian. These three loves of my life have lived together in harmony and beautifully. Hardly a day goes by where these three passions do not meet.

May I prove my point to you and share a few photographs of my love of animals and farm life and beliefs?

May you find your peace, joy and passion in this New Year…I have a thought, ask God. He loves to answer the seekers of life. God bless you.

How about you? Where do you find meaning and direction and purpose in this earthly, ephemeral life?

Boo-boo.
A glorious morning.
Where does your hope lie?
Do you keep a garden?
All my sons/grandchildren love fishing.
Where do you find your rest?
All creatures great and small…
The Lord causes rain to fall on the earth.
Ain’t it so?
The Golden Rule.

My Husbands Birthday

My husband had his birthday not too long ago. Would you like to see what I bought myself? Battery powered power tools! I figured it was a great gift for him. Tools for me! Less work for him, right?

That’s I told him when he and I hauled them out to the car. I was real nice too. I let him be the first one to try them out. Actually, the only one he wanted to try out was the tiny chain saw. Imagine that. He had no interest in trying the dust buster, or the hedge clippers, only the little chain saw. Can’t say I blame him. It really is great fun! It trims branches up to 4″ in diameter.

They really are perfect for farm or garden women. Many little jobs can be done by me now without having to wait for my husband to get around to them.

I am thinking these are some of the best gifts I ever bought him!

The dustbuster cleans up those annoying little messes.
These little hedge clippers are perfect size and weight for me!
The most fun of all—this tiny chain saw!
I even let him be the first to try out the little chainsaw!

Faith, Love and Hope

Faith, love and hope go a long way in this world. Even in the life of a little chicken named Sally Lind.

Chickens and horses get along well together around the barn. Chickens follow the horses around while grazing. They eat the bugs the horses stir up. They help compost the manure in the way they scratch through it looking for worms. It is a good set-up for the most part.

Horses move incredibly fast and sometimes even too fast for a busy chicken. High Hope came tearing into the paddock last week at feeding time, and Sally Lind was busy scratching around. She got stomped by High Hope.

I was in the barn and heard her squawk. She quickly limped into a corner of a stall and sat down. She was hurt.

I gently picked her up. No blood, her wings looked and felt fine. Nothing seemed too wrong, she just limped. I put her in the coop.

I called a good friend and long time chicken owner for instruction on culling her. But held onto hope, faith and love. She would eat when I set her in front of food and water. I kept her quiet and away from all activity and other animals.

About five days later I was prepared to ask my husband to cull her out the flock when I noticed a tiny improvement in her limp.

She steadily improved and now nearly two weeks later, she is fine and out with all of us! Such joy!

Yes, faith, love and hope go a long way in this world. Even with little chickens!

Lesson learned? Clear the paddock of all chickens before calling the horses in!

High Hope loves running like mad to the barn at feeding time. Duke will too, just not as often.
Duke is coming in nice and quiet, but that does not always happen.
Even the miniatures accidentally can stomp and hurt chickens. Raggedy wants his dinner!
Sally Linds first day out of the infirmary.
She is enjoying being out with everyone again.
Our grandson giving her sun-seeds.
She is doing very well. We are grateful.

He Waters the Earth

Our prayers were answered as the kiosk outside our local nursery had posted: Pray for Rain.

We have had the most gentle, lovely rain fall for the past three days. It truly is heavenly, and an answer to prayer. Glory!

I heard we are 8″ short of rainfall. It has felt like a desert here where we live. But not anymore. It has rained. Flowers have opened up, the earth smells good, the horses hooves will soften. We gardeners and farmers are grateful.

I like Benjamin Franklins quote: “When the well is dry, we know the worth of water.”

Though our well did not go dry, our daughter & son-in-laws well went murky. They came to farm to give their well a rest.

All is well now because He waters the Earth. Amen.

Write 28 Day Challenge—#19 Lottery

Lottery, as defined, is an affair of chance. Boy, that is so! Especially in the spring chick department of our local farm stores. We farm folk love spring time. The stores are filled with fluffy, chirpy chicks.

Rural living has many perks. One of the most fun happens in early spring when local farm stores are full of brand-new baby chicks. Fluffy chicks of all colors and breeds chirp happily under warming lights attached to large stock water tanks. Stores have an extra warmth to them because of the lights along with sweet sounds of baby chicks scurrying in the fresh-smelling pine bedding. All the hope of new and fresh fill the store with chicks in springtime.

The lottery is in purchasing them. They are hard to tell the sexes apart when so young. So a buyer could be surprised to really have a rooster rather than a hen. It takes a bit of time for distinctions between the two to show. There are several methods used to sex the chicks. They are not all reliable, so there is a lottery to it. We have not been surprised with a rooster yet.

A rooster is yet another lottery. Not having ever owned one, I cannot say one way or another. I have heard so many stories about them both good and bad, it is hard to know. It seems folks sure like them, or not.

I recall, when purchasing our horse, Duke, the farm had chickens and baby chicks all over the place. In one box stall on the floor was a nest with at least ten eggs in it. I had never seen that before! I asked the lady, she said the horses do not hurt the nest, and the eggs will hatch. There were so many baby chicks running around that proved her right. Talk about another lottery!

Now that I think about it, I guess a lot of life is an affair of chance, aka, lottery. We make plans, work toward objectives, look ahead, yet sometimes life does not turn out the way we think. Sometimes we get a rooster. So I expect should I get one this spring, because we are getting more chicks, we will take it in stride. There are some very beautiful roosters in this world.

We have not yet gotten a rooster.

Write 28 Day Challenge—#9 Skulk

Skulk about. That is how the uninvited animals at our farm roam about. They skulk. This means they hide or get out of the way in a sneaky manner. Those that skulk and lurk around our farm are not real popular critters with us. For they are hunting our animals that provide a living or protection or company for us. They eat and contaminate our animals food. They carry disease that can transmit to our animals, and they hunt them.

They are, mice, rats, snakes, weasels, raccoons, foxes and coyotes. They skulk around our property for easy food. Our chickens have it worse because they are everyone’s lunch and are free-range. Chickens have completely vanished, have been found dismembered or completely torn to pieces. One thing a farmer, or gardener knows, it is a violent world we live in. I appreciate Joel Salatin’s (American farmer, lecturer, author) remark. “It is a violent world we live in. If you don’t believe me, get naked and go sleep one night out in your garden!”

Because these animals skulk around, we rarely see them. Also, they often hunt early morning or early evening. We have two dogs on our farm. Two dogs are a pack. Though I would not have much hope should the two dogs be charged and attacked by a big pack of hungry coyotes. We hear them yapping at night. It is neither a pleasant or welcome sound. In fact, it is unnerving. They have already killed two of our cats. Skulking around in broad daylight, they are getting far too bold.

A few years back my niece’s job was exercising horses out in the quiet mountain country of Colorado. She packed a pistol because a huge coyote would often follow her around the trails, watching and staring. He never made any advances toward she or the horse. It would have met its demise if it had.

When we see them skulking around we run them off. Except for rats and mice, they are killed. Raccoons, skunks, and foxes spread rabies. We work hard to keep our livestock well. They are part of our livelihood. If threatened, we will do what needs to de done to protect our animals and us.