On the Trail of the Beaver, Part 2…the Daily Farm Adventures {112}

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So on Monday I started to share how we spent all of last weekend scrounging through the woods on the tree farm looking for beavers. They’re damaging and flooding out young pine trees–which is the main product on the tree farm. {smile} But our adventure stopped just short of finding the new beaver hut… Well, here’s what we found–not just a den, but an entire new ecosystem! There are three different dams built to create a two-tier pond system.   Of course, Coal the Cattle Dog had to immediately jump … Continue Reading…

On the Trail of the Beaver, Part 1…the Daily Farm Adventures {111}

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You might think that tree farming is about the easiest farming there is. I did at first. I mean, you’re growing pine trees, and surely they don’t need much supervising…right? Wrong. For crying out loud, sometimes it feels like growing those trees takes more work than raising our human children! {smile} You have to cut, mow, burn, plant, pray for rain…mow, cut, thin, spray…and then the predators…rabbits, mice, rats, voles, disease…apparently everything that doesn’t eat meat loves to eat trees! And now beavers. I wrote before that we’ve found some beaver damage … Continue Reading…

Spring Break, Stitches, and Sunshine…the Daily Farm Adventures {110}

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We kicked off Spring Break with a trip to the ER. Speedracer had a playground accident at school and needed six stitches.   I was pretty traumatized by the whole thing. He was fine. {smile} Mr. Fix-It ended up picking him up from school and taking him to the doctor because I was in training for work when the call came through. I think everyone probably preferred it that way (except me) because my husband tends to be cool as a cucumber about these things while I tend to spend … Continue Reading…

Building, Rebuilding, and Getting Dirty…the Daily Farm Adventures {109}

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Thank goodness after a long round of antibiotics and other meds Mr. Fix-It and I are feeling better. Not great. Not quite back to normal. But definitely better. Because Spring is in full swing around here and there’s just no time to be laying around in bed! The Dodge has been in pieces in the garage for weeks now and that situation had to be corrected. First we had to take it apart to figure out what was broken. Then we had to find and order the parts–from Montana of … Continue Reading…

Being Sick in Spring…the Daily Farm Adventures {108}

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Mr. Fix-It and I had colds. Which we ignored. Because that’s what farmers and busy parents do when they’re sick–they ignore it. Turns out that was probably not the best course of action. After nearly 3 weeks of being “under the weather” we were both diagnosed with low-bar pneumonia. Ha! Serves us right, I guess. After a week of medicine, I think we’re both improving (and back to work) but still a little low in the energy category. That’s hard in Spring, on a farm, but we’re keeping things afloat. There’s … Continue Reading…

Cattle Dogs, Sink Holes, and Sunny Weather…the Daily Farm Adventures {107}

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A cattle dog is like velcro to their owner. This is Coal’s favorite place to end the day, laying with me while I read a book in bed… The problem comes when he spends the whole afternoon before that like this… Turns out he’s a big fan of swimming in sink holes. And drainage ditches. And storm ponds. A sheep troughs. And if I complain that’s he’s stinkin’, wet, and dirty, he likes to clean up by rolling in…dirt. With the best of intentions, I’m sure. So I try to … Continue Reading…

Garage Girls and Farm Trucks…the Daily Farm Adventures {106}

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My Dad fixed all our cars. He was capable and, honestly, we couldn’t afford a mechanic for everything. And I spent a lot of “garage” time with him, although he didn’t have a garage when I was growing up and we were actually spending time in the driveway–occasionally under a tarp. {smile} He taught me more then just how to check my oil, although I was never a natural mechanic like he and my husband are. But I know my way around a toolbox and, with direction, have been involved … Continue Reading…

More Lamb Pictures…the Daily Farm Adventures {105}

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We had another set of twins here at the farm last week. They came during some of the coldest weather of the winter so far…of course. {smile} But they’re doing just fine. Their momma is a steady, older, ewe that knows her business. It’s a little ram and a little ewe. (The first set were both rams.) The ewe was born noticeably smaller than the ram and seemed to have some problems right at first. Every time I opened the back door I could hear the little girl crying her … Continue Reading…

Lambs are Here! …the Daily Farm Adventures {104}

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Well, the crew came running back in from chores the other day to holler that WE HAVE LAMBS! You may remember that we’ve been on lamb watch for a week or two now because the ladies have had “the waddle.” The only thing cuter than the lambs themselves, was when the crew ran back inside to grab their tablets to take pictures and videos. We still only have this healthy set of twins on the ground, and 9 more ewes to deliver. But they’re doing very well and we’re happy … Continue Reading…

Sign of the Beaver…the Daily Farm Adventures {103}

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No, not the book by Elizabeth George Speare (although we like that too!). I’m talking about the real thing. Brown. Wet. Big flat tail. Makes ponds where there should be no pond. Beavers. He was here… And here… We’ve got beaver problems at the tree farm. We’re not immediately ones to campaign against the local wildlife. We try to have a live-and-let-live philosophy. We only target wildlife that is specifically damaging our resources. For example, we know there’s coyotes around here–but none have ever bothered our stock, so we don’t mind sharing … Continue Reading…

So, More Mud…the Daily Farm Adventures {102}

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We’ve been on a real streak of testing and trials lately. Our vehicles, our appliances, our furnace, our smoke detectors (I’m still traumatized by that one!)–even attacking wildlife! {smile} And one by one we’ve just put it back together and kept keeping-on. Mr. Fix-It has a temperament that really shines during crisis. He thrives on hands-on problem solving. He’s like the eye of a hurricane when these “big” things start happen and I start to lose my mind. I’m running around like a hamster in a wheel trying to make “an … Continue Reading…

There was this Girl Farmer…the Daily Farm Adventures {101}

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I was walking down the alley with the dogs yesterday evening and ran into this girl… She was tall, and slim, and wearing a well-worn pair of muck boots like she knew something about the business of mud. Her barn coat was a little rough around the edges and shrugged comfortably across her shoulders as she warmed her hands in her pockets. Her scarf was set just so, casual and deliberate, just so to warm and breath, and there was a rosiness to her cheeks that suggested she knew the winter evening … Continue Reading…

Hauling Water, and Cold Farm Kids…the Daily Farm Adventures {100}

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We had an interesting situation this last two weeks. Last Sunday we suddenly got snow while we were in church and everything’s been pretty much frozen or just barely above freezing since. This makes doing winter chores a little (sometimes a lot!) less fun. It’s the same work, but it’s colder. {smile} Your hands are stiff or your gloves are in the way…gate latches are frozen and have to be thawed or busted open…and you’re wearing 27 layers of bulky clothes every time you try to move! The really difficult … Continue Reading…

Working Sheep, Stuck Trucks, and Snow…the Daily Farm Adventures {99}

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It’s been a rough couple weeks since Christmas break ended. Speedracer has been battling dual ear infections, which means he can’t sleep, which means we can’t sleep…and we’ve just had a string of maintenance issues around here. Friday morning I started my Lee-Jackson-King 4-day weekend by waiting on the side of the road with Mr. Fix-It (who doesn’t get a 4-day weekend–or even have today off!). There was a prescribed burn at the tree farm on Thursday so Mr. Fix-It was back over there picking up the roadside caution signs … Continue Reading…

Digging Dogs, Biting Mice…the Daily Farm Adventures {98}

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I see the early side of 5:30am a lot during the week. It’s not my favorite time of day. And I firmly believe that if you have to get up while it’s still dark outside that coffee is mandatory. No one else around here–2- or 4-footed–feels the same. So when the Ladybug burst into the house from chores in tears the other day at 6:30 in the morning, my first thought was “Dear Lord, there’s not enough coffee in the world for this job,  but could I please get just. … Continue Reading…