Tag Archives: virginia farm gal

Triplets!

She seemed quite rotund for her first time pregnancy, the little dwarf goat named, Cookie, that our daughter and her husband own.

There is such excitement in waiting for a new baby of any sort. Anticipation is such fun. Being a first timer for baby goats made our daughter pretty anxious as birthing time neared for Cookie.

She knew the signs to watch for and had her birthing stall all ready. She’s going to be a good midwife I thought to myself last week when I was there for a visit.

As we were preparing lunch , we heard an odd sound from outside.

“What was that?” Helen said. I did not know, when suddenly she exclaimed, ” It’s Cookie!”

She was right, for Cookie had birthed her baby in front of the grain barn.

Helen quickly got to work rubbing down the big baby with a towel.

She needed to be in her birthing stall away from all other livestock. So we pushed and pulled Cookie into her stall, where she gave birth to number 2 baby.

Husband Jon and I were running around doing birthing jobs, while Helen tended to momma and babies.

Number two was healthy and responding well, when suddenly Helen announced the third baby coming!

Helen did a fine job of the attending midwife to momma goat and her sweet newborn babies.

To me birth of any sort seems a grand miracle. You did a great job, Helen, and Cookie is one good momma!

Cookie and her three healthy babies.
Helen was a fine goat midwife!
The first born was the largest, and a male.
Cookie tending to her newborn babies.
Cookie needs some nourishment!
Hello world, I’m the third-born baby!
Aren’t my babies wonderful?
Cookie tending lovingly to her babies.
Welcome to the world cute baby goats!

It was great being a midwife assistant!

Oh, the joy and mystery of birth! Thank God.

Save Your Seeds?

Do you save flower seeds for next season? Several garden flowers and vegetables are easy to save their seeds.

Cosmos. These simple, fun flowers come up all over if given the chance.

Cosmos seeds are easy to save. They grow happily anywhere it seems. However, late in season mildew can be a problem on their leaves. Spray if you desire.

Leave a few flowers to dry on the stem.
Look at all those seeds from part of the seed head!

Coreopsis are just as easy.

It is important to allow the seed head to completely dry on its stem.
Seeds come right off when dried.
Simply dropping seed back in flower bed.

Truly, I have success with sprinkling the seed simply back in the bed. They will winter over and produce next season. I also put some in a marked envelope, save for next season or share with friends.

Lettuce gone to seed.
See the tiny lettuce seeds?

Allowing lettuce to go to seed will produce enough to share with others next season.

Note: Saving vegetable seeds works only with Heirloom plants. Hybrids are not dependable, only purebred seeds.

Dill is another easy one.
Beautiful flower head of dill.
Drying sunflower.

These big, full sunflowers heads dry on their stems. I will cut them, save some seed and leave the flower head in the garden for birds. It is fun watching the Goldfinches eat from them.

There is much joy in sharing too. Would you like some? Let me know. I would be happy to mail some for your garden!

Happy end-of-season to you!

A Small Herding Dog

Do you know any of the small herding dogs? There are several breeds, and we have one of them, Pembroke Corgis. Affectionally know to many older folk as “the Queens dogs.”

As well they should be. It was because of Queen Elizabeth II that the Corgi officially became a registered dog. Someone wisely decided the Queen should have registered dogs, after all she bred them all her life, and she was the Queen of England!

I must like herding dogs too (of mostly mixed breed) as I have had several over my lifetime. They are energetic, active dogs—most certainly not lap dogs.

For the first time we now have purebred ones, the Pembroke Corgi. HoneyPie is five years old, Buster is three.

HoneyPie

They came from breeders in south-west, Virginia. We waited a couple years before getting Buster because we still had our good, old mixed-breed herding dog, Dandy.

Taking a walk with our old dog, Dandy, teaching puppy HoneyPie.
Dandy took his job seriously of watching the farm...
…he taught HoneyPie well.

We purchased Buster two years later. Bill wanted a tri-colored, HoneyPie. I wanted a gold and white one, so we got Buster.

My pal, Buster.

I have always admired the herding dogs ability with livestock. Sheep trials are thrilling to watch the way those well-trained dogs and owners work sheep together.

It interested me to train our dogs to herd. With only articles off internet I worked at training mostly HoneyPie. We do not have sheep. We have chickens. The articles I studied said it helps to have the flock (in my case) know where they were to go. This was very helpful because at dusk chicken head to the henhouse.

She learned as well, I suppose, as any greenhorn could teach her. We have had fun. She will do right nice with the cattle as well.

Having a second dog made for more difficulty with training two dogs. Buster is exuberant, but not as well disciplined. That is my fault.

They are waiting for Bill to whistle for the horses to come in.

They enjoy bringing the horses in, though they would never win any herding competition.

They love bringing the horses in.
They will go get the minis after High Hope and Duke come in.

Really, they are far from being a good herding dog, but we have enjoyed learning and trying.

Have you ever gone to sheep dog trials?

We do enjoy this active, happy breed of dog, now for a swim HoneyPie & Buster!

Meet Napoleon

We have a new addition to our farm. His name is Napoleon. This name given to him by his previous owner.

We like the name. It seems to fit this little fella very well. Good thing he is not a fit travel companion, otherwise he would now be on the PCT (Pacific Coast Trail) with our son, Gordon, who likes him very much. I believe if he could have figured out how to take Napoleon he would have.

I can see him right now riding on Gordon’s shoulder! Since he was not able to join Gordon, Napoleon sent him good wishes for hiking.

Happy Trails to you, Gordon, from Napoleon.

He earned the name Napoleon, because, well, he is tiny! He is a Bantam rooster. His previous owner did not want another rooster. Neither did we, but she gave him to us anyway. Such is the way with daughters that think we need more chickens!

In spite of ourselves we like him. He is so little. When he crows he sounds like a wind-up toy! He is also quite friendly. The hens do not seem to have any opinion of him. He is still a baby and has a bit more growing to do.

He is much smaller than our hens.
Actually he is very pretty. Blue, and green feathers shine in the sun.
He is so little.

We get a kick at how his tail goes straight up. Like a sail. He is fun to watch.

Enjoying his baby food.
Bantams are miniature chickens.

He has settled nicely into life here at the farm. He will be here when Gordon returns from his hike.

Mornings on Horseback

Mornings on Horseback is the a great book written by David McCullough about our 26th President, Theodore Roosevelt. It is about his early life, and is a fine read.

This post is not about the book though. I am borrowing the title only, because I think about it while out riding my little mare, High Hope, on quiet, early mornings, and riding Duke, my senior Tennessee Walking horse in the early mornings on horseback.

My lovely, enthusiastic niece along with her most-capable husband came for a visit last month. She is an outstanding horsewoman. We went riding here around the farm and neighborhood.

She inspired me so much with her positive outlook and confidence in my riding at my age. Let’s just say I ain’t the horse I used to be. I decided to start riding High Hope three times a week, and Duke, our senior horse, two times a week around the farm and neighborhood.

Our mornings on horseback are early (we are back by 7:30ish), and ride about 30-35 minutes.

But boy, it is terrific! We are the only ones out that early, except busy bunnies running all around, the air is cool and delightful.

I smile the whole time. We have met our early morning neighbor on occasion on the road. He told me “You look so happy.”

I have no photos because the device is not invited to join us—just me and my horse. So I have a couple photos of my horses.

Duke is my senior. Though I do not know for sure, we guess him around 30 years old. He is a gentleman. Tennessee Walking horses were the horse of choice for early Virginia plantation owners. Their easy gates make for smooth riding while checking long fence lines.
High Hope has been with me since she was 1 month old. We are pals and have spent many, many hours together.
She is now 21 years old. She and I are old friends.
They get along very well together.

Well, it’s early this Tuesday morning. Time for my morning on horseback…

Happy Tuesday to you.

No to T-Bone, Hamburger or Sirloin

We are small-time farmers. We have heard it said ‘go big or go home.’ So what? We do not care what ‘they’ say. Our little farm is big enough for us. Sometimes it feels like a thousand acres.

It is big enough to handle three miniature beef steers, and four horses. Two of which are miniature the other two are full-size horses.

We always purchase three. One is kept for our freezer. The other two are sold to customers who are looking for well-raised, grass-fed, premium beef. Our customers tell us it is the best beef they have ever had. Five-star beef.

It is satisfying and comforting to know how well our little cows have lived before, as I say, “They have one bad day in their life.” It is hard when their time has come. We do that as gently as possible.

We have been thanked for raising these little steers in an environment that is healthy and caring to them.

What we do not do is name them those “funny”, thoughtless names such as, ‘Sirloin’, ‘T-bone’, or ‘Hamburger’. It is hard enough knowing their ultimate demise. We pick silly, fun names that help make this job of raising them a bit easier.

May I introduce you to some terrific steers we have had over the years?

This older photo is when we had four miniature horses. The three steers are in top center of photo. They are Kevin, Bob and Stewart (the three Minions).

We also have had Mario, Luigi and Bowzer.

We do not notice any difference in quality/taste of the beef between Angus or Hereford.
Larry, Mo and Curly on a cold, wintery morning feeding.
This photo of Mo won a blue ribbon in our county fair with his peaceful repose.

I grew up on a big farm in Virginia. I have always enjoyed cattle.

Hewey, Dewey, and Louie enjoying the lush pasture.

Miniature Herefords are our choice of steer to grow out, but we have grown out miniature Angus as well. This year we have one White Face steer. He is a cross between a Hereford and Angus.

Our first White face steer, Porthos.

Athos, Porthos, and Aramis are with us now.

Aramis patiently awaiting his hay.

Thank you for ‘meeting’ some of the great steers we have raised here on our farm. We take effort and pride in them, and raise them to the best of our ability.

We take this stewardship of these animals seriously.
Herefords are our favorite.
Happy steers.
They live very nicely with the horses. Horses rule over cows.

A horseshoe cow I had made for our porch.

A man told me once, “You call yourself a horsewoman, but you’re a cow-woman at heart.”

Sometimes I believe he may just be right.

Springtime—Beautiful?

It nearly feels traitorous to question the beauty of Spring. But before you go elsewhere, dear reader, allow me a moment to explain.

Spring is more of a love/hate season for me. The fluctuating temperatures are harder to manage. How to dress for today? Yesterday opened in the 30’s and closed on the 60’s! Sweater on, sweater off was the tempo of the day.

It has been said spring is like a teenager, one day it is grand, the next day, hold on! That seems a fair description to me. How about you?

Yet even harder for me with springtime is shedding. Yes, every animal on our farm is shedding their winter coats—oh my! In springtime our dogs, cats and horses go with me everywhere. For I am a constant ball of animal fur.

It could easily be said of a farm, spring is the ugliest time of year. Old hay needs cleaning up out of the fields, the much desired and wonderful spring rains produce a mucky mess in and around the barn and paddocks. Then it all freezes , not happy with that, it all turns to muck again. Tired old straw needs removing from stalls. Fresh wood chips needs laying all around.

Old hay needs removing out of paddock. Get it before the rains come (look at that sky).
Winter coats falling out!
All that is mine? says Duke.
Tired straw and old hay waiting to be cleaned out.
This is a small pile of winter coat from Snowbell.
That is because I wear most of it!
Dusty tack patiently waiting its turn to be cleaned and shined.
My supervisor, HoneyPie, has better farm view atop wood chip pile. Her frisbee is never far from her.
Freshening up with wood chips.
Check off one chore!

Truth is I do like spring. Birds and frogs chirping, early flowers happy faces, grass changing its grey winter coat to green are delightful joys of spring.

If though, you are coming to the farm, wear your muck boots and farm coat. That way you can ‘leave the animals’ in your mud room. Or better yet, wait until the winter coats have fled. Happy Spring!