Spring Lake Farm - Filling an Empty Nest

Come and see us at....

2011-08-22T18:06:00.002-04:00

....Buttermilk Acres blog.

Lots has happened since I last posted and I will bring you up-to-date in the coming weeks, but in the meantime please visit us at the following link to see where we are and what we are doing. Plus all the animals want to say "Hi".....

http://buttermilkacres.blogspot.com/2011/08/greetings-from-buttermilk-acres.html

When you are young...

2011-04-25T10:51:00.004-04:00

...playtime is always followed by naptime!

"Mama's telling their babies to come in for a nap."

Easter dinner and morning play-time...

2011-04-25T08:59:00.004-04:00

Livestock Guardian Dogs...

2011-04-21T08:56:00.005-04:00

...looks more like a chicken sandwich!

Alert and on guard, nothing's going to get by these guys....

Beatrice = bringer of joy...

2011-04-20T21:46:00.005-04:00

Enjoying the moments...

2011-04-20T15:37:00.002-04:00

Tuesday Surprise (x2)

2011-04-19T15:34:00.003-04:00

Looky, looky...!!!

"Belle"
(see Benjamin in the background)

"Beatrice"

What a great start to the week. Lots more pictures to follow in the coming days!

Live simply, love fully and Smile!

Monday Morning Surprise!

2011-04-18T13:47:00.002-04:00

Look what I found this morning...

My what long ears you have....

Annie's little buckling...

For a first freshener she's being a fabulous mother!

Happy Monday!

Does sunshine make things grow...???

2011-04-13T14:31:00.003-04:00

I think so!

Until tomorrow: Live simply, love fully and smile!

Things that warm my heart...

2011-04-03T23:17:00.012-04:00

...new family additions...

"Bertha and Boss"

"Yep, that's why they call me "The Boss".

...goats sunning...

(Abraham, Alma, Cher and Augy)

(Abraham and Alma)

(Bonnie)

...more farm additions in the near future... (?)
(Annie)

...everybody was soaking it up...
...two LGD's, hard at work...

...taking naps...

...growing...

...baby girl smiles...

...such a nosy boy...

(Augy)

...typical family photo...
...cute (albeit fuzzy) pictures......a good dose of baby goat love...

...life being so fun, it's exhausting...

Photos of Barbara Jean (Bertha's sister - pictured above) and baby goats photos thanks to my visit to BooneDocksWilcox. Stop by and say "hello"!

...life is good!

Until tomorrow: Live simply, love fully and smile!

Friends from GA...

2011-03-23T09:29:00.002-04:00

Henry and Jeannie came to see us in the mountains from Athens, GA. On Monday, we had an awesome day biking the top part of the Virginia Creeper Trail (17 miles from White Top, VA to Damascus, VA). The day was a little hazy with the sun trying to peak through but the temps were perfect.

Jeannie

Some history about the Creeper Trail

Beautiful vistas

HB and myself

(I am now officially a brunette)

Henry and Jeannie crossing one of the many bridges/trestles

Numerous waterfalls and shoals

A great day enjoyed with good friends!

The "Boss" man...

2011-03-16T21:59:00.004-04:00

Cuteness personified!

Navigating the barnyard...

"This guarding thing is exhausting!"

"Want to go for a walk?"

2011-03-07T16:54:00.007-05:00

...asks HB.

"Sure. Where?"

"Just across the street."

"I want to measure a tree."

"Hmmm.....OK, what tree and why are we measuring it?"

"Because it's a big tree."

"Oh! and bring the camera."

"How long will it take to get to the tree?"

"That depends on how fast you walk?"

Of course, with this statement I'm starting to get a little worried but here is a pictorial of our "tree-measuring stroll".

(We were accompanied by Maggie, Explorer Extraordinaire.)

Really?

"It's right up here."

"See, i told you it was a big tree!"

Tree-Hugger!

Maggie here...."I think Dad has lost it!"

Heading home.

Home in sight.

Stacked stone chimney of old home-place.

Cool, huh?

"Home Sweet Home!"

Chester - Snow Dog and Lover of...

2011-02-23T10:34:00.007-05:00

...Rabbits.

Huh???

Yep, it seems that Chester and Cali are becoming best of friends. This is what our evenings have recently been consisting of:

I brought Cali inside to spend some more time with her. For the first few days she stayed in her enclosure in the laundry room but with each day and more exposure to the dogs she is venturing out and about a lot more.

She has also formed an unlikely friendship with Chester.

The older dogs for the most part ignore her. And Maggie (whom Cali outweighs by 10 lbs or more) is feeling a little jealous that Chester has found another playmate. The fact that she get's HB's lap all to herself is a bonus though....

...while watching Chester and Cali play she found that she just couldn't keep her eyes open another minute.

On another note, HB and I worked on plowing the garden earlier this week. This plow was sitting out as garden art but HB's father suggested that we hook it up to the riding lawn mower and use it to plow the garden. Worked like a charm (sorta)! :)

Live simply, love fully and Smile!

I was in need of a smile...

2011-02-20T18:17:00.001-05:00

...I started my day with the feeling of a heavy heart.

This morning before work I visited a few of the blogs that I follow. Blog land is a such funny place, a place that is so real though many times it involves people or animals that you may never meet. Sometimes you rejoice and other times you mourn. Today I read about:

...a woman who lost her 12 year old son this week...(how could you not mourn and be heartbroken).

...and a beloved pet that passed...(how I empathize with this kind of loss).

...and this afternoon, I learned that a new friend (met through blogging) was feeling disappointed and sad regarding the future of a new baby goat.

The point is that these people, animals and pets are real. Through blogging, I have developed relationships that effect how I feel and how my heart reaches out to those hurting and rejoices with those that are happy.

So....I wanted to share something today that makes me smile and brings me great joy! Meet two of the MOST important women in my life: My Mother and Granddaughter!

These are two of the mainstays in my life (along with my two daughters and son, in case they are reading and get their feeling hurt that they weren't mentioned). My mother recently brought Sweet Pea up for a visit and what a time we had with her. At three she changes almost every day and both Papaw and I miss her terribly. Thanks, Mom!

A girl on a mission. (There is no audio on my camera but I think you can see by her body language that she RULES.)

Rejoice with me in the blessings of today and empathize with me in the sorrows of tomorrow.

And to my blogging friends, those that I've met; have yet to meet or may never see, please know that I care about you and appreciate being a part of the life you share through blogging!

Live simply, love fully and smile!!!!

Oh, Mister Moon...

2011-02-17T21:05:00.003-05:00

...moon. Bright and shiny moon Won't you please shine down on me!

Please tell me these things don't come in threes...

2011-02-09T12:38:00.004-05:00

We woke up this morning to find that Luxy had died. He had been dealing with some health issues which included a chronic eye infection and he had also recently started having seizures. I was very worried about him last week but the last 4-5 days he seemed to rebound with a better appetite and more energy. I went to sleep last night not worried a bit....

I have better pictures of him but can't seem to locate them after the move. These were both taken in the last 30 days.

Bye, buddy, we'll miss you!

Someone's coming....

2011-02-07T15:40:00.002-05:00

...for a visit!

Needless to say, Papaw and I are ecstatic!

The grave digger...

2011-02-02T13:02:00.002-05:00

...the goat feeder
...the fence builder
...the woodworker
...the singer/musician
...the best Papaw
...the dog walker
...the handsome/happy one
...the snow shoveler
...the coop builder
...the egg gatherer

...and so much more but mostly...

...the one I count on and couldn't live without!

Red dog, blue skies....

2011-01-30T13:17:00.002-05:00

A good life, a full life...

2011-01-29T07:45:00.003-05:00

...I guess that's what any of us hope for.

Babe passed away yesterday evening at the age of 15 1/2. She was born on our farm in Athens, GA and she was named by Mallory and Morgan after the "pig" movie. Until we moved her to the mountains of Tennessee in September of 2010 she had rarely left the farm with only the exception of a few vet visits. I wondered how the stress of our move to the mountains would affect her but in true form she embraced our new life. I worried about her possibly getting lost so we kept an eye out when we would let her out. She soon came up with her version of a small walk-a-bout and would be back at the door within about 10 minutes. And she LOVED the snow! Something about the snow brought out a "puppiness" in her. She would roll in it, romp and run in it or sometimes just rub her face in it.

She will be missed but I know she had a good life, a full life and one in which she was loved!

Huge flakes...

2011-01-26T11:15:00.003-05:00

...it's hard to capture on video but I've never seen bigger flakes of snow. It's truly beautiful!

Until tomorrow: Live simply, love fully and smile!

The Naked Lady...

2011-01-25T08:34:00.002-05:00

The Amaryllis is also known as the belladonna lily or naked lady. Our neighbors gave us this one for the Christmas season and it sure has brighten up these dreary days. If you have ever had trouble getting your bulbs to re-bloom the following year (as I have) take a look at the link below:

http://www.usna.usda.gov/Gardens/faqs/AmaryllisBloom.html

Hopefully this will brighten your day as it has mine for the last few weeks.

Until tomorrow: Live simply, love fully and smile.

Boys Breakfast Club

2011-01-24T08:30:00.003-05:00

Pictured are: Jim - the Barnevelder roosters (named by our 12 year old neighbor and since they all look identical they are all named Jim) and Rocky - the Barred Rock Rooster (with the exception of the Jim's, HB names all the boys...creative isn't he...)

Have you ever found yourself...

2011-01-23T08:40:00.004-05:00

...in a predicament that is both bad and good at the same time?

Maggie, Maggie, Maggie...

Until tomorrow: Live simply, love fully and smile!

Meet Chester....

2011-01-22T08:55:00.002-05:00

...the snow dog.

Out of all of our dogs I would have never picked Chester to be the one that loves snow. Most of the time he puts his head down and just plows through it. He looks like a giant "snow mole".

As you can see the goats were unimpressed with his enthusiasm.

Until tomorrow....Live simply, love fully and smile.

Snow and wind...

2011-01-21T08:16:00.005-05:00

I love the snow but the wind...it can be brutal!

This morning we have flurries, high gusty winds and a high today in the low-twenties. So I decided to post a picture from September (right after we moved).

This picture reminds me of the Sesame Street song:

One of these things is not like the others,
One of these things just doesn't belong,
Can you tell which thing is not like the others
By the time I finish my song?

Harland (our Bluetick) is center stage, with Abraham, Alma, Cher and Augy from right to left.

Ok, I need some help.....should it be "Augy" or "Auggie"???

I have to say I have so missed my blogger friends. It's nice to be back in touch.

Until tomorrow: Live simply, love fully and SMILE!

Meet Augustus...

2011-01-20T20:56:00.001-05:00

"Augy" is going to be a pack goat (at least in theory since he has yet to even start training on leash). Augy is a Saanen/Alpine mix and should end up being a pretty big boy. He is very sweet and LOVES his treats.

Adjustments for this Georgia girl.....

2011-01-19T08:04:00.004-05:00

Snow, snow and more snow....I'm loving it......and so is Sweet Pea.

This was filmed, inadvertently, by my daughter Morgan during the holidays and although the filming is a little lacking I love the sounds of squeals and laughter. Of course my favorite part is Sweet Pea saying "I wanna do it again"!

Weekend visitors....

2010-10-27T16:23:00.006-04:00

The girls came to see us this past weekend! Mallory and Morgan (biological daughters), Nina (not biological but ours just the same) and Sweet Pea (aka - Taylor Fayne our granddaughter. Morgan also brought her dog, Cooper (Monroe, Savannah and Tallulah's brother). This was the girls first trip up and the weather was spectacular!

Mallory, Nina and Morgan

View of the farm on the climb to the ridge.

HB's favorite tree.

View from the ridge.

Sea of gold.

Morgan and Cooper

More views.

Aunts Nina and Morgan and one tired little girl!

Valley view.

Update on animals coming soon. We are pleased that in three separate moving trips with the animals we only suffered one chicken casualty. We have since lost 3 more birds but with moving 60+ chickens I'm still happy with the result. The goats made the trip with no problems (including 2 new ones that I will introduce in the coming days).

That's all for now.

Live simply, love fully and smile!

Cha - cha - cha - changes.....

2010-10-25T12:13:00.005-04:00

Well, it's been way too long since I have posted......and do I have some major changes to share with you regarding Spring Lake Farm. Here is the bare bones break down:

July - Resigned from my job, effective 8/31/10.

August - Trip to the TN, NC and VA mountains to look for potential farms to lease. Found one on the Tennessee/North Carolina state line. Lease application submitted and approved.

September 15th - Moved Spring Lake Farm to the mountains of Tennessee!

We are located about 15 minutes northwest of Boone, NC in a small community named Trade, TN. Lots more details to come but here are some photos of our new home....

Old farm house....

Old tobacco barn (current home of goats and chickens)....

Corn crib with stables in the background (current home of chickens)...

Photos of the land...

Needless to say, we love it here! Lots of details to fill in and many more pictures to share. I have missed by blogger friends and am looking forward to catching up with everyone soon.

For now, from the hills of Tennessee....live simply and smile!

Sandy

Boone...

2010-06-30T17:05:00.003-04:00

...you will always have a very special place in my heart.

We love you and will miss you terribly!

"2004 - 2010"

We lost our precious boy to a tragic, freak accident yesterday.

I want to go to there...

2010-06-21T17:19:00.005-04:00

...actually I want to "move" to there.

I have often been asked, "do you prefer the mountains or the beach?"

And while I love visiting the beach and appreciated it's vast beauty, my soul yearns for the mountains! It's where I feel alive and where I seem to become the "real" me. It's hard to explain, but it feels.....spiritual.

So, after a recent family bike trip along the Virginia Creeper Trail, I have decided the following:

I want to live here...

...in something like this...

...and see this...

...or this, when I look out my kitchen window...

...and be able to play with Sweet Pea in one of these...

...of course, this wouldn't be too far away...

...and just a short drive down the road, you would see this...

...or this...

...and views like this...

...or this, are common place...

...BUT...

...this...

...will just have to come visit Mammy and Papaw....OFTEN!

Multi-purpose building...

2010-06-10T17:09:00.004-04:00

...do you have one of these???

It's part goat shed, chicken coop, egg laying station and now (thanks to HB) we have our very own "Spring Lake Broody Resort and Spa"!

(Please excuse us, while we are in the process of staining the exterior!)

Our first two "spa" guests!

Broody #1 sitting on 4 Welsummer eggs and 1 Black Australorp/BLRW cross egg.

Broody # 2 sitting on.......golf balls! ;)

(I plan to get some day old Java chicks to put under her in about 10 days, so for now we are just going to pretend......shhhhhhhh.)

Have you read...???

2010-06-01T17:38:00.005-04:00

...Georgia (the Coonhound) Goes to the Beach!

There was a lot of things to do and see.
I spent most of my time "people watching".

It was very hot.

And very bright.

And this thing really freaked me out, so I barked at it really loudly and everyone ran over to see what I had found. Mom, said that I was just acting silly!

We had movie nights but I was usually very tired and had a hard time staying awake.

My favorite time was when Mom took me for a walk at sunrise every morning. I met so many new friends! Most of them were allowed to run in the waves and chase the birds but Mom said that she didn't want to have to go find me and pick me up 10 miles up the beach so I had to stay on my leash.
Still it was the best time of the day!

If I was hungry, I would do my very best sphinx impression and someone would always come up and tell Mom what a good dog I was, pet me and give me a treat!

I will miss the beach!
I hope Mom brings me back some day.

THE END!!!!

Newbies....

2010-05-20T17:26:00.002-04:00

New Mama and babies...

New breed...(Java's)

New heights and new breed...(BC Maran)

New morning chore...

New "digs" for the Silkies...(they have been moved to the garden)

Meet our new little buck....

2010-05-11T11:46:00.003-04:00

...Abraham!

My! How time flies.....2 years.....whoosh...

2010-05-05T14:19:00.004-04:00

Perfect love sometimes does not come until the first grandchild. ~Welsh Proverb

RIP....Little Mama

2010-05-04T11:05:00.003-04:00

We will miss you!

Here's your sign...

2010-04-29T16:35:00.003-04:00

I made a sign for the farm...

It's not finished but I wanted to make sure that you could read it. So....I asked HB to hold it up in front of the lake.

Not what I had in mind....

Much better....(in front of the pretty flowers)....is it readable?

(I think so, but sometimes I see things that other people don't...more below)

I love the reflection.

(Can you see how much pollen we still have?)

Does this look like a deer and antlers to anyone but me?
(nobody at my work seemed to see it)

Well....it has "aggressively" grown all of 6 inches....

I was hoping it would have covered the arbor by now....

That's all for now.
I'll have an update soon about a new arrival on our small farm!

Live Simply and Smile!
Sandy

Lady Banks Rose

2010-04-26T17:41:00.003-04:00

Then and now...

2010-04-21T18:23:00.004-04:00

...just a mere 9 weeks ago...

and now...

He's a mix between a Barred Rock hen and an Ameraucana rooster (thus the pea comb). He has also started trying to breed his surrogate mother (the silkie). Has anyone seen this kind of behavior out of one so young before? Our Welsummer roo only started breeding with the hens about 2 months ago and he was well over 6 months at the time. The BLRW started between 4-5 months. I was so hoping for a pullet with the dark barring and the dark wash on the legs but with this behavior I think I'm out of luck. No crowing though, but spars with another young silkie roo regularly.....any thoughts?

Do you remember...???

2010-04-16T13:23:00.002-04:00

...playing outside all day and being so tired you could fall asleep anywhere?

OK, well I don't really remember that far back either, but here are a few photos to remind you.

Keep smiling and I hope you have an awesome weekend!

A picture says a thousand words...???

2010-04-06T15:42:00.015-04:00

...but what words is it saying???

We do not have a barn. We have the Girl Goat Hilton, the Boy Goat Hyatt, coops and pens of every size and shape BUT we did not have a place to milk the goats. So in an effort to build something that will keep everyone comfortable and dry during milking in the event of liquid precipitation, HB built this....

(see all that mess over to the side....yuck!)

Have you ever been looking at some of your own pictures and thought "I wonder what people think about this? Do we look like the Beverly Hillbilly's?" Well, in most cases that wouldn't be far from the truth. But seriously, sometimes I get use to seeing things stacked up or laying around and it's not until I see a picture that reality strikes.

...I'm not exactly sure what it is? A milking lean-to or milking shed? What would you call it? Any ideas for a name? Also, I think he should put a panel on the other side. He says we don't need it because the weather only come in from one side. What do you think? I need some help here...

(Most of the things he builds I really like but I'm not so sure about this one...it hasn't rained yet and when it does I'm sure I'll be glad we have something my hear.)

Black Eyed Susan Vine

I can't wait to see this cover the trellis. Now, if the deer just don't eat it...

Dirty faces

Streaking

"Ethel, don't look!"
(but it was too late)

And yep, she's going to hate me for this later... :)

Growing up

(Chaz and Annie)

Phlox and Wisteria

Keep smiling and stay safe!

Sandy

Springtime or "spring" time...???

2010-04-05T16:55:00.002-04:00

Sonny says "it's both"!

Where did March go...???

2010-03-26T16:31:00.004-04:00

Spring chickens....

New chicken house....

New garden gate....

Spring showers and rainbows...

Miss Staple Belly...

Update: Maybel's staples are gone and she is almost completely recovered. All tennis balls have been confiscated.

Kitchen help....

Every day's an Easter Egg hunt....

...and what's with everyone using the same nest box???

Daffodils...

A busy girl...

(...and one that is not suppose to be "on" the dining room table! Of course, cuteness prevailed.)

Naps...

Early spring has been filled with a lot of surprises and activities. Baby goats and chicks, baby rabbits on the way, flowers, dogs, grandchildren, eggs....things that make me smile.

Hope your days are also filled with smiles, hugs and lots of love.

Have a great weekend!

What's happening...???

2010-03-09T13:03:00.013-05:00

...check out what has been going on at Spring Lake Farm!

"Warning: Long pictorial post ahead"

Chaz:

Our new little buckling! Cher was very accommodating (proving me wrong after all the bad things I said about her) and she gave birth Saturday afternoon about 5:30pm. It was warm and the kiddos were over and all got to watch. It always amazing to me to watch a life being born! And since he is officially out of Sonny and Cher, of course, his name is.....Chaz. (If it had been a girl, the name would have been "Chastity" so it was covered both ways.) ;)

Sweet Pea, HB & Chaz:

The Hippie Chik and Her House:

"Mammy, I can see just fine...!"

"Can you see how dirty your hands are...???"

"That's my house...!"

"It's a great place to put your feet up..."

Rabbits:

We lost Charley the night of our big snow! It was really hard for me to come to grips with and I just couldn't blog about it. I've never had rabbits before and they are not like any other animal I've had. They seem fragile. Although I have totally loved having them. They are sweet, affectionate and inquisitive. So....while we will miss Charley, as he was a very special boy, I'm not ready to give up yet. I found a breeder on Craigs List and we took Blossom to be bred by her buck. I also came home with a young doe.....so meet Cauliflower (Cali for short)....she's two months old and just a beautiful girl. (I'll get some better pictures soon.)

Cauliflower "Cali"

Check out these "airplane" ears...

Squash "Blossom"

And for those things that make you say...hmmm......ever since we took Blossom to be bred she has developed an unnatural affection for the rooster.

Annie getting in on the conga line...

Has anyone seen anything like this????

Lil Miss Annie:

Other News:

Dogs - Took Maggie and Maybel in to be spayed two weeks ago. My cheap spay ($55.00) for Maybel turned into a three hour emergency surgery to remove the impacted shreds of a tennis ball. Lucky for us we had her scheduled for the spay but unlucky for my wallet! She's doing well but she thinks we are starving her as she can only eat small amounts of food (multiple times per day) until her stomach heals. Pictures of Ms Staple Belly to follow later.
Chickens - Mama Silkie has done a marvelous job of raising her one hatched chick (a Barred Rock mix) and her 5 surrogate chicks (Silkies). They will be 4 weeks old this weekend. The BR is about 3x the size of the Silkie chicks and will be closing in on Mama over the next several weeks.

Sorry about the ultra long post but wanted to share our recent news. Hope everyone is enjoying some spring-like weather and has lots of blessings in there life to smile about!

So much to share......so little time.....

2010-03-02T14:04:00.008-05:00

......but I just had to post a couple of pictures (with more to come later).

Look what we found last Friday morning!

HB was feeding one of the dogs and thought he heard something. Sure enough....she had just been born. I went out and toweled her dry, held her while she nursed and got a heat lamp set up for her in the stall.

Lil "Annie" Oakley

Her favorite place.

"I see you!"

My friend, Christy from Whistling Wind Farm came by for a visit and to help me give copper to the goats. (Thanks, Christy!)

Bonnie and Annie

What a precious girl!

Now if Cher will just hurry up.....

We've had a lot going on the past couple of weeks so I'll post an update and some more pictures soon.

Enough, already...

2010-02-19T16:47:00.017-05:00

...let's get rid of that old depressing post. It's time for......

What made you smile this week???

Here's what made me smile over the last week.

I know, I know......I'm always late but......snow, beautiful snow.
(Please remember that I live in Georgia and we just don't get to see it that often.)

...little small snow birds....

...and beautiful blue skies...

...also we hatched our first chicks on the farm. ("We" being a relative term.)

"Mama" being very diligent...

"MaMa" started out on eight eggs (let me preface by saying this is was my first broody and I know that I did several things wrong). She ended up hatching two of the eight, two more were viable but died in the shell and 4 were quitters or not fertile. One of the two that she hatched died, so....I bought five Silkie chicks from a friend that were a couple of days old and stuck them under her! We now have 6 healthy chicks and she is being a great Mom!

Maybel growing....and Georgia being the sweet Mom and letting Maybe sit on her.

Snuggling....

Self Portrait, by Sweet Pea....

Naptime...

"Sam" the garden serpent...

"Sam" with a snow cap.....

A man, a phone and his goat...

a big snow bird...

Leopold and his ladies...

And...

"No way, No how, are we walking out in that stuff!"

Have an awesome weekend and don't forget to "SMILE".

Sandy

Awwww...sad times...

2010-02-06T16:18:00.006-05:00

....we lost two girls last night to our mystery marauder! ;(

We are feeling rather guilty as we had plans last night with friends in Atlanta and we needed to leave about 6:00pm. HB went out to feed and put everyone to bed for the night but he said the chickens were still out and about and he decided to wait until we got home last night. We've done this a few times before with no tragic consequences. Not this time...one hen was gone completely and the other HB found "most" of. We lost one of the Black Sex Links (at least that's what I have decided to call her) and a Silver Laced Wyandotte (Christy - it was not one of your girls but one of the "probies" as HB refers to our latest additions).

RIP Girls! I'm sorry we didn't keep you safe.

Name that chicken (part 3)....???

2010-02-03T23:36:00.008-05:00

Ok, last unknown chicken pictures...

My two lovely black ladies. Black with green sheen, large but not huge (as in my Buff Orp's), friendly....

Any guesses???

Are they Black Australorps?

What makes me smile...???

2010-01-29T14:54:00.009-05:00

...hmmmmmm......let's see......

(a beautiful sunrise)

(a little broody hen)

(a grumpy morning rabbit - I interrupted his bath)

(another handsome boy - Leopold)

(a good morning beauty routine)

(taking naps - Are you beginning to see a pattern here regarding HB???)

(and tripods.....meet Snitster)

(and my gosh, who wouldn't smile at this face....)

These are some of the things in my life that made me smile this week.

Here's hoping your weekend holds lots of smiles and happy times.

Sandy

Name that chicken (part 2)...???

2010-01-27T20:28:00.006-05:00

These girls look very similar......

...except for the combs.

Check out this girls....

....and now this ones.

So what do you think???

BTW - The girls are doing better and better and we are up to about 8-9 eggs a day from this group.

Thanks for all the well wishes!

Name that chicken...???

2010-01-21T20:44:00.012-05:00

I was looking for 6-8 Ameraucana's........I ended up getting 21 hens!

I think they are older (than I was told), some are debeaked (all of the GLWs & 1 of the Black unknown's) and some were very underweight. I started out getting 2 eggs a day and now I am averaging about 5 eggs per day from the group. They are filling out and their combs continue to get more color in them each day. I think with a few more weeks of good, consistent feed and more daylight, I will give me some idea of what I ended up with. Does anyone have any suggestions for getting them back up to snuff? I would love any advice or input.

For the next couple of days I'm going to play "Name that Chicken" with you to see if we can figure out what my "unknowns" might be.

Here's the breakdown as I know it:

11 Ameraucanas
3 Gold laced Wyandottes
2 Silver laced Wyandottes

2 Solid Black Unknowns
2 Other Assorted Unknowns

....and this little red hen. She is tiny but her eggs are huge!

Does anyone have a guess as to what she is???

(My guess would be a Red Sexlink.)

I did get some of the prettiest Ameraucana's though.

Check out my pretties...

What makes me smile...???

2010-01-16T14:46:00.021-05:00

...a "helper" to feed the animals.

"Fashionista"!

...a farm gargoyle.

...my new "lovely ladies".

...a handsome boy!

...and a spoiled rotten puppy (and proof that someone else does the spoiling).

Plus, I'm feeling much better! Thank you so much for all the encouraging words and well wishes.

I have decided to do a "What makes me smile..." post each week because I think it's important to remember and emphasize the things in life that make me happy!

What makes you smile...???

Sandy

Is there a song about the 12 days of January...???

2010-01-12T19:47:00.004-05:00

...if not, there should be!

January 1st - HB locks his keys in the car after a gig on New Year's Eve = $95.00. Car won't start - needs new battery = $80.00

January 2nd - Sweet Pea's 2nd birthday. Stop by to pick up something for the party, park in front of store, leave car running with HB in the passenger seat.....Get ticket for parking in a fire lane and find HB asleep in passenger seat = $100.00

January 4th - Farm vet visit. Shots and worming, 14 dogs, 3 cats & 4 goats = $900.00 Purchased 21 hens & a 12 hole nest box = $200.00 (Yes, I am an emotional buyer. I was looking for 6-8 Ameraucana's ended up buying the whole flock of several breeds. I think most of them are older hens and some of them were debeaked -which I had never seen before - not pretty. Going to feed them really well, pamper them a little and see what the spring holds. Right now I'm only averaging 2 eggs per day out of the whole lot but I've noticed in the week + that I've had them they are looking fuller and their combs are getting redder by the day.)

January 7th - Lost Arwen - to what I think was a bad decision on my part. ;(

January 8, 9 & 10 - Sick with a bad cold and pretty much stayed in bed.

Hoping that the next twelve days of 2010 bring better luck and are quite a bit less expensive!

When we didn't have an empty nest...???

2010-01-08T17:13:00.004-05:00

...this is who shared our home.

The "kiddos".....

(HB - We done good!)

RIP "lil" Arwen

2010-01-07T06:57:00.003-05:00

We will miss you!

Does time really fly...???

2009-12-31T20:14:00.004-05:00

...it sure seems like it.

Last year I spent New Years Eve with Sweet Pea. It was her very first time seeing the ball drop and she....snored softly through the whole thing, This year I miss not being with her. But, we spent a lot of time together over the holidays and it is only fair that she see her other grandmother some.

Although I did make her repeat after me..."I like Mammy best!"...over and over and over...

;)

That to say:

Here's hoping that 2010 finds you safe, sound and loved by many!

Happy New Year!

from Maggie, me, Boone, Sweet Pea
and all the other peeps and critters
at
Spring Lake Farm

Hello...???

2009-12-28T10:47:00.003-05:00

...is anyone home???

Nope! And I'm loving it!

Just me and the critters enjoying the morning sun beaming through the windows and best of all.....the silence. I truly am enjoying the lull of this lazy morning after the hustle and bustle of the past few days.

Boys, please make sure that I'm not disturbed!

(They do everything I say so I'm in really good hands.)

2009-12-24T11:01:00.006-05:00

Merry Christmas.....

with hugs....

and kisses...

from our family to yours!

What happened...???

2009-12-18T17:51:00.004-05:00

How did this...

...precious, sweet, "I want my bottle" baby turn into this...

...dirty faced, bearded, stinky, blubbering, tongue-wagging thing?

And, why is it that I still love him so much?

(I bet if you don't have a goat, you have no idea.)

What do you think you are doing...???

2009-12-16T16:48:00.006-05:00

...Maggie! What are you doing?

"Uh-oh, I think I'm in trouble!"

"Hey, where's she going? Maybe I'm not in trouble..."

Are you suppose to be on my computer?

"Well, no.............but....."

"........I don't think "he" is suppose to be on the bed."

Uhhh........Good point!

I lost one today...

2009-12-15T20:53:00.001-05:00

RIP, Sweet girl...

;(

How was your weekend...???

2009-12-15T12:45:00.019-05:00

...here is ours in review.

A lot of naps...

(Georgia, Maggie & Isabelle)

Hanging out in front of the fire...

(Harland, Chester, Isabelle & Maybel)

Quality time with Dad...

(Maggie, Maybel, Georgia & HB)

More napping...

(Maybel & Maggie)

Gathering eggs...

Egg inspecting...

(Cher)

Some laying around...

Standing around...

Sitting around...

(Snitster)

More napping...

(Maggie, Isabelle, Snitster, Chester, Maybel)

More watching the fire...

(Maybel, Maggie & Chester)

A little getting into trouble...

...and some big blue eyes crying in the rain.

(Sweet Pea)

Where have all the flowers gone...???

2009-12-12T10:47:00.007-05:00

...here are some that are still blooming around my house.

I thought I would share some bright spots when things are so cold, grey and rainy!

"Garden Watchdog"

Is the weather outside frightful...???

2009-12-10T16:52:00.005-05:00

...because it's nice and cozy indoors.

Which came last...???

2009-12-09T17:36:00.010-05:00

Flock #3...Last and least! (I mean, least as far as #'s go.)

The Welsummers: We have a trio, one rooster and two pullets. We have not had too many losses on the farm but the Welsummers seemd to be the worst hit. We lost a rooster (HB's favorite) and a pullet to "something" (probably a coon). Another pullet was severely injured but a good friend took her and I am so happy to say she has made a full recovery. (You can see "Calendula" on Christy's Whistling Wind Farm blog.) We have since gotten a new rooster, "King Louis", and have two remaining pullets. I think the roosters are beautiful (although Louis is currently in his gawky teenage stage) and the pullets have been calm and somewhat friendly. Although one threatens to literally "fly the coop" everyday. The pullets are 30 and 28 weeks so I'm hoping for some dark brown eggs very soon. They currently live in the garden so we will need to move them in early spring. (...yet another project on HB's ever-growing "todo" list.)

King Louis around 10 weeks (currently he is 18 weeks and is leggy and gawky looking)

Group shot

The one who wants to escape...

...but usually thinks better of it in the end! (at least, so far)

Which came second...???

2009-12-08T16:00:00.010-05:00

Flock #2 consists of:

1 Blue Laced Red Wyandotte (BLRW) Rooster
3 BLRW pullets
2 Easter Egger pullets
1 Silkie pullet

General Characteristics: Ages range between 20 - 28 weeks. No one is laying yet but we are in "egg alert" mode.

BLRWs - So far, these are my favorites! They are quiet, gentle and very friendly. They like to be held and cuddled and will sometimes follow me around until I pick them up. Hopefully the two older ones will start laying soon. I am going to try and hatch a couple of clutches this next spring. We'll see how that goes....

Easter Eggers - They have been the least friendly of all my birds (at least until recently....so maybe they will start laying soon???). I can't wait until I get my first green, blue or pink eggs. I will probably order more EE or Americaunas this spring because I like the thought of having differently colored eggs.

Silkie - I was given the Silkie by a friend because she was the only one to hatch out of several eggs. She is very sweet. I'm hoping to use her as my surrogate mother as I hear they make good broodies.

BLRW Rooster

BLRW pullets

Easter Egger

Silkie

Mixed group

Which came first...???

2009-12-07T15:23:00.010-05:00

Flock #1 consists of:

1 Easter Egger Rooster
3 Buff Orpington's
5 Barred Rock's

General Characteristics: These are our very first birds. All were raised from chicks bought from a local breeder. The EE & BOs are approximately 36 weeks old and the BRs are around 32 weeks old.

The Barred Rocks - one pullet began laying at 20 weeks and it seemed as if the others started week by week after that. They are friendlier and more outgoing than the Buffs. I will definitely keep some of these in my flock long term.

The Buffs - Only began laying about 2 weeks ago (I think, at this point all three are now laying). Much longer to start laying but began with much larger eggs. Not as friendly as the BRs but they are calm, quiet birds. Will probably keep these in the flock also.

The EE rooster - We will eventually move him in with the EE pullets (part of Flock #2) but for now takes good care of the ladies and has not shown any signs of aggression.

"Morning Rush Hour"

Early eggs from the BRs

Are you a lover or...???

2009-11-30T19:19:00.005-05:00

...evidently, Maggie is a lover!

(with Georgia - the "MaMa" of our pack)

(with Sweet Pea - enjoying a ride in the car)

(with Maybelline, aka "Maybel", her BFF)

What should the caption be...???

2009-11-24T17:19:00.002-05:00

(As you can tell I've been playing on Picasa...)

Can I have some more...???

2009-11-13T15:27:00.004-05:00

...chicken crack (I mean, scratch)? Pleeaaasssee!

What makes you smile...???

2009-11-10T17:46:00.004-05:00

Wanna see something funny...???

2009-10-23T17:37:00.008-04:00

...I'm not sure if it's the straw in his mouth, the crazy look in his eyes, the 4" beard, the stinky urine covered face, the snorting, yammering or blubbering noises he makes or the Yoda ears....but these pictures made me laugh.

Have a great weekend!

How much...???

2009-10-23T17:29:00.003-04:00

Don't ask!

What's been going on...???

2009-10-19T13:17:00.010-04:00

...at Spring Lake Farm....

What's new....

..."Charley"

What's stinky...

..."Sonny"

What's gone...

...one big ole tree!

What's sad...

...RIP, little man.

What's happy...

...big beautiful eggs.

What has no head and only one leg...???

Have a Happy Monday!

;)

Are your tomatoes......???

2009-09-25T13:54:00.006-04:00

...hairy???

Well, mine are! (it's actually the tomato plant that's hairy)

See!

And I have a whole new batch of cherry tomatoes growing.

Oh I know we have someone saying "we've got a novice here".
and, well, they would be right!

The plants had thrived, the cherry tomatoes were plentiful,
I was happy (never having gardened before) but it was time,
they had run their course. So I never expected a revival,
a whole new second crop AND I never, never, expected hair!

Is this normal???

Who me...???

2009-09-22T16:37:00.004-04:00

Behind that sweet little face......

.....lies the culprit!

Meet Monroe. He is a gentle old soul. Sweet and fairly quiet.
(at least by coonhound standards)

His one vice, he loves to munch on electronics
(i.e. Blackberry, TV remote, cell phones etc...).
Of course, he will now be on his best behavior for
the next several months, just watching and waiting
for us to drop our guard, again.

How was your Sunday...???

2009-09-21T16:31:00.007-04:00

Mine, you ask?

Really, really good chicken! (1st egg, ever)

Very, very bad dog!

What'll ya have...???

2009-09-17T14:20:00.003-04:00

Breakfast at Spring Lake!

As for the title question, for those of you not from the south (particularly around Atlanta), The Varsity is touted as the "Worlds Largest Drive-In". Chili dogs, onion rings, frosted oranges....

The original Varsity was started Atlanta, GA but we've had one in Athens since 1932. And as you have probably surmised, as you make your way to the counter to place your order someone is already yelling......What'll ya have???

If you ever have a chance to visit, it's pure Americana.

What weighs less than 7 lbs but can add up to a whole heap of trouble...???

2009-09-16T15:12:00.004-04:00

....Maggie, Magpie, the Maggie Mooger, etc...

Maggie doesn't know that she is the smallest dog on the farm. Even though, she gets stepped on, a lot!

She has been the perfect pint-sized addition to our pack.

Isn't she lovely...???

2009-09-15T14:38:00.009-04:00

Isn't she pretty
Truly the angel's best
Boy, I'm so happy
We have been heaven blessed!!!!

"A grandchild fills a space in your heart that you never knew was empty."

What do a goat and three year old have in common...???

2009-09-14T15:02:00.004-04:00

EVERYTHING!

What's that?
Where ya goin?
Whatcha doin?
What's to eat?
Can I help?

and on and on and on and on.....

Meet Cher. She is my perpetual 3 year old. No one, and I repeat, no one can enter her world without being pestered (I mean, helped) to death.

Do you have any unfinished projects at home...???

2009-09-01T16:00:00.006-04:00

Finished.....

Unfinished.....

This is soon to be our completed "buck" pen, the new residence of our goats, Clyde and Sonny. The better halves of Bonnie and Cher.

Will you be my BFF...???

2009-08-26T18:28:00.003-04:00

Jag and Blossom.

Hey, aren't jaguars suppose to have tails...???

2009-08-24T13:31:00.001-04:00

Well, I began with the oldest and gentlest and now on to the youngest and most fearsome....

....meet Jag, our very own backyard jaguar.

Handsome, daring, brave, a chicken- chasing extraordinaire, rabbit pouncer, goat wrangler, ready to strike fear into anyone who would dare to trespass into his domain.

Just please don't mention the whole tail thing, as he can be very sensitive about it.

What is a "matriarch"....?

2009-08-21T15:17:00.000-04:00

......here on the farm, it's Babe.

She was born on this property a little over 14 years ago. And with the exception of a few off-site visits to the vet, Spring Lake is where she has stayed. She is a gentle old spirit and we treasure every day with her.

Dogs are not our whole life, but they make our lives whole. ~Roger Caras

2009-08-20T17:04:00.000-04:00

Okay, so what now...???

2009-08-19T17:56:00.000-04:00

Take the bull by the horns..., jump in with both feet..., bite the bullet..., take the plunge......

Doing something because it feels right, but without much thought or planning???

Yep, that's me! And that is how I created this blog.

That being said, this is the journal of a dream. Since I was a child, I have dreamed of living on a farm. Of course, as life progressed the landscape changed but the "farm" always remained.

Early on it was an Old McDonald farm; all animals welcome. Later it was more of a zoo; lions, tigers and bears (oh my!). Next was a horse farm, nothing but horses and ponies. At some point it became specific; a sheep farm in Australia (inspired by the Thornbirds mini-series and yes, I know, this dates me), a cattle farm in Montana (this would be my cowgirl phase, which lasted a while) and so on and so on.....I'm sure by now you get the picture.

As for the "Empty Nest" part, I found this quote from Agatha Christie that best addresses my mindset as an empty-nester:
"I have enjoyed greatly the second blooming that comes when you finish the life of the emotions and of personal relations and suddenly fine - at the age of fifty, say - that a whole new life has opened before you, filled with things you can think about, study or read about...It is as if a fresh sap of ideas and thoughts was rising in you."

So, let not your dreams be thwarted by narrow thoughts or preconceived notions.
(i.e. I really did not need 20 acres to have a proper farm.)

Please join me as I live, learn and chronicle my dream coming true with "Spring Lake Farm - Filling an Empty Nest"!

Next - an introduction to the regular cast of characters.