{these are the days i savor....}

sunday afternoons, fall and hay bales.

it doesn't get any better for these two as they spend

HOURS and HOURS out there.  it's the first place they

want to go when we pull in from school and the place i have

to call them in from at night.  simple joys.

{sad day on the farm}

Hay season is typically not without casualties.   Unfortunately, the fields are quiet and

undisturbed for months leading up to cutting.  Thus, a safe place for deer, turkey and

other animals to have, hide and raise their babies.   This year, two turkeys were killed

{on their nests} and right in front of our house, a turkey had made a nest near a

tree.  We can literally see it from our front door.  But, because she was spooked

so bad, we determined last night that she fled and abandoned; which is pretty common.

We feel terrible, but, it's one of the ugly sides to living on a farm.  Not all days

are filled with sweet baby calves, chicks and a peaceful setting. 

{my day}

just so i can remember my crazy, busy days.

someday, i know i'm going to want them back.

so, this one is just for me, myself & i.  

*up, shower {should have washed the hair,

did not wash the hair.  ponytail.}

*order sent in.  pesky internet gave me fits.

*kids & scott up - ready to leave.

*scott to ot for an hour.

*kids & i to mc'ds for breakfast and reading

*picked scott up.

*md for me

*dropped scott off at farm.

*home. lunch cooked for hayfield. ha!

*put out a few email fires.

*lunch to hayfield.  boys dropped off at farm.

*home, packaged up orders/invoiced.

*put out more email fires.

*back to FS to make two deliveries.

*to store for 3 bags of ice, water and soda for hayfield.

*to farmhouse to drop 2 bags of ice into freezer, other drop to hayfield.

*collected boys.

*to mansfield to purchase supper for hayfield.

*delivered supper to 3 different spot on farm.

*allowed evan 10 minutes to "try " and play with kittens. 

*home.

*tended to chickens.

*mowed until dark.

*boys ready for night.

*zombied-out on couch for about 30 minutes.

*presently editing.

today was not the best day to log my day.

but, it was reality.

i'm ready for some summer fun!

{oh, did i mention....}

in the midst of the crazy schedule i am trying to contain.....

we are smack dab in the middle of hay season.

And, although that is actually one of my very favorite times of the year. 

{my in-laws would shoot me if they knew i said that because as i

sit here and type....they are out "there."}

but, i LOVE the smell of the cut grass. 

{another year of horrible production}

i love the fact that the boys love it out there.

even if only by the light of the tractors late into the night. 

but, because you can't plan on when "exactly" you start cutting....

and, because i am literally sleeping about 3-4 hours a night in an attempt

to get edits, sessions, weddings and orders complete....

here is my lunch contribution today....

pitiful.

nonnie would cringe.

nope, i didn't slave in the kitchen all day to prepare a lunch feast for the crew.

i threw a pack of hot dogs on my roaster and off i went. 

but, when you're famished.  it's all good i suppose.

this evening after delivering pictures,

i'll be swinging by sam's again.

sandwiches are on the horizon for supper.

a farm wife travesty, i know.

{these shoes are made for walking....}

but, absolutely, under NO circumstance,

in the middle of an active hayfield at night.

That's all I'm saying. 

{happenings}

Nothing major which tends to be a GREAT thing around here.

We like boring.  Busy, but with no catastrophes of late. 

Well, I say that and then below happened. 

The hard part of life on the farm.  I took Molly for a quick walk down our lane and saw the cow below in labor.   Hard labor.  So, I went out to the field to watch her for a bit and the other cows and calves kept pestering her so she took off for the woods.  Unfortunately,  the baby suffocated as the bag was not totally off its face.  Always so, so sad. :(   And, even though they are animals........it is heartbreaking to watch them when they lose their baby - they are in agony. 

This is how it should be.......



The chicks are doing well.  They are all getting their feathers.  Well, all except Small Fry.  I'm not sure about that chick.  It is the tiniest thing I have ever seen.  I keep preparing E because I'm not sure it's going to make it.  He/She acts fine, but so, so tiny.  I can't imagine the eggs she will have.  Pebbles.

Saying goodnight.

Oh, and we're up to 15 with 9 more to go. I just can't get a hold of the breed that is left on my list.  Maybe tomorrow.......................and, we broke ground on the big coop today.   

SOMEDAY, when the boys read this........I so hope they realize how much

 effort has been put into their little chickens.    I don't want them being attacked. ;)

And, my clothes line is up thanks to my brothers.   

I'm actually getting to cross some things off my long list.  Nothing of real significance though.

Like taxes.

or, bills. 

{spring building projects}

It's not even spring, and I'm thinking we're already behind. 

*new shed to stick all of my props in for easy access.

*chicken coop - I've decided to go ahead and bite the bullet.

*dock on the pond.

*get a new tiller {other one was beyond repair} and get to planting!

*finish the barn restoration before it gets blown away.

 it's just a skeleton at this point.
*clothes-line

*new fence in front of house, barb-wire is coming down

*fence {prop} installed {very small scale}

i'm tired already.   

{life on the farm}

Before a probable winter storm. {you never know around here!}

The fireplace is roaring again.  We let it die out since it was

 a mere 70 degrees two days ago.   Wood is loaded on the backporch.

Cattle, horse and mules fed a lot of extra hay and feed this afternoon.

Praying three cows do not deliver tonight.

 To 'get up'  the above three cows tomorrow {hopefully before it hits} 

whether they do or do not deliver tonight. 

Extra hay to dog houses.

Sacks of feed loaded and ready to go.

Evan is in heaven.  

Strange I know.  He loves all of the prep. 

{order}

I'm ALMOST afraid to say it.  However, I think that ever-so-slowly, but surely a 'little' order is being reestablished around the house.  I can breath a tad easier.  I can barely function when I have to let so many things slide.  And, believe me, it's  been an avalanche around here since, oh, about September.   I could maybe even trace it back to August.  As soon as our feet were planted back here after wiggling our toes in the sunny sands while on vacation.....they were running way past go. 

The fall photography season.  I survived.

Well, although I tease that this is my hibernation season, I may not be out shooting several evenings a week, but, orders still come in, new inquires on a daily basis pretty much, packets to mail out, orders to deliver and mail,  clients to meet and a list of things {for friends and family} that had been pushed on the back burner due to all of the above.  But, I'm whittling it away. And, I am doing a project {2 actually} for the law firm that will end this week. {hopefully!} And, desperately trying to get this house back to some semblance of order.   A very tedious task I must say. 

This morning was my VERY FIRST Monday in which I woke up to everything looking clean and tidy on the surface at least.  It's not perfect by any means, but, what a great start to the week!!   Now it's the dig in and dig in deep type cleaning, purging and organizing that needs to be done.  Maybe by the time spring arrives, the cleaning will be 'finito'!    And, I can just play. ;)  

I have a little system going, I load up the car and drop things off at storage and on MD appt days load it up and swing by Goodwill.  I get sickened at just how much junk we accumulate.  Well, I accumulate.  Scott is pretty much innocent on that count.  His accumulation is in big tools in the garage and moving objects out in the yard and/or pasture.  

I think I may go back to the Fly Lady system.  I was really impressed while I was doing it.  The big problem with it........I stopped. ha!  

And, I'll have to take some before and after pictures.  BUT, we have an outside project going on that I am over-the-moon excited about.   HG:  this will not apply to things I am usually excited about.  However, my father-in-law and a man showed up today to begin a barn restoration.  NOT the barn raising here by the house. But, we have an old barn that was ripped to shreds several years ago by major winds/storms.  So, it has continued to deteriorate and crumble.  It makes me so sad.  So, about a month ago I asked Scott to try and figure out how much it would cost to repair it as the structure itself is pretty much intact.  It's a go!  So, the man will be replacing the torn off tin.  Repairing the lean-to; possibly building a second on on the other side.  Cleaning it out so we can actually use it.  AND, the very best part.

It will be painted RED.  

So happy!

{our little coop}

Has been ordered.

We will add on a secured run.

Chicks have been selected. So stinkin' cute!

But, I don't think I will order them until March.

I really don't think I want them in the garage

until they are able to be outside.

I'll save the garage for our calves that are

born during ice storms.

Nice.

It's either there or in our living room in front of

the fireplace.

{dreaming of spring}

I'm thinking the balmy upper-forty degree weather has sparked the fever of spring.

Although the chicken below really freaks me out. It looks mean?? I am really wanting to give chickens another whirl. I definitely learned from my last run. {pardon the pun}

But, I am researching different breeds and am totally going for the very

non-aggressive, docile, friendly demeanors. All girls. I hope they get that right.

I have Scott working on Chicken Coop plans.

Of course, I want the fancy chickens. But, I am happy, happy about organic eggs without having to pay near $4 a dozen for them. And, thanks to Ang's ongoing chicken saga - I have a great go-to source. However, my chicken coop will be a tent in comparison to her Chicken Castle. :)

And, I'm filling my online shopping cart with fun seeds.

I remember the hard work all too well. But, the outcome, more than worth it!

{pumpkin patch}

Our little pumpkin patch is planted. Depending on how it does - it may be bigger next year. Hopefully this one will produce enough that we can share the wealth!!

The end. Because I really don't want to think about fall yet. I just got to really enjoy my first day of summer today. And I won't even talk about the Christmas decor they are shelving at Hobby Lobby.

Nope.

Going to fully enjoy summer and water the pumpkins.

{wedding}

I have a few pictures of my brother's wedding up on the AMC blog for those of you who had asked. :)

{one more thing....}

yeah, right? i forgot to mention in my bullet-point update about the doorbell ringing at 10:03 pm last night. never a good thing. especially as you walk to the door you see flashlights. and, then uniforms. not a good thing at all.

well, in what could have been a very bad thing, turned out okay, not great, but it could have been much worse. a large cargo truck flipped off the highway. the man was safe thankfully, our fence was not. and, when you have cows in that field. a really bad thing. so, fence fixing for my poor father-in-law at midnight. no fun!