Alexandra finally got a horse!

"Class" our first horse on the farm.

Alexandra calls our newest heifer "Red Alert".

Cali and the new kitty Butterscotch.
Thanks Emily!

Happy 14th Birthday Blake!

Today is Blake's Birthday. ( Happy Birthday Son! ) He is 14! We are having family over for lunch - Homemade Lasagna made with homemade ricotta and mozzarella (the other cheeses were store bought) and salad from the garden.

Fiesty calf gave us a run for our money

We went to buy some Red Angus Heifers this morning and turns out one had a calf. We had to search the fellow's property for the calf. It was hidden on a hill under blackberry bushes. He took off like a dart around a pond across the field through an electric fence across the road into another pasture and in a brush area which we later found out was known to be the home of some copperhead snakes. What a workout. Ended up bringing only one cow home and gotta go back for 2 more cows and the calf.

After we got home we fertilized the gardens ate some lunch and napped then Darrin, Dalton and Blake did some fence work.

We have busy gardening (weeding) and putting up fence for some more cows.

Milk production down, baby chicks flying and yogurt making a success

We are wondering why we went from getting a gallon of milk from Lola Belle to about a glass today. Could baby calf (May Belle) be going through a growth spurt and drinking more?

Darrin is in a rush to finish the chicken coup because the baby chicks are starting to fly out of the big wooden box.

Yogurt making with the Yolife yogurt making was so easy yesterday I plan to make more as soon as milk production comes back up.






Now I am looking for cheese making supplies.

Grandma and Grandpa Jenkins visited this week from Lincoln, NE

Had a wonderful week with Darrin's parents visiting. Lloyd brought his overalls and didn't miss a milking session all week. They helped us break-in the new rockers on the front porch and learned to play a new dice game. We were thankful for the rain on Friday, used it as an excuse to play dice and cards all day.

Now time to get back to school, routine, etc.

Lola Belle is giving us about a gallon a day plus she is still nursing May Belle. I need to find cheese making equipment so when May Belle quits nursing I'll be able to use all the milk. Darrin received his milking machine this week and his thumbs are very thankful. Some days Lola is waiting at the barn for him, some days he just has to shake the feed pan and she comes but other days, like this morning, he has to walk out in the pasture and lead her in.

May Belle is a joy to watch prance about in the pasture. We have watched her race the neighbors dog up the fence line and one afternoon she appeared to be barrel racing around the trees.

We can almost watch the sweet green peas grow, they are coming up so fast. We have lots of other veggies breaking ground also.

The rose garden is beautiful....I still would like to find several other roses to plant.....seven sisters, Jacob's coat, and Pope John Paul II or another pretty white.

The chickens have been moved to the chicken coup. We replaced the 3 Sex links that died and once again have 26(A through Z)....20 Sex links, 3 Rhode Island Reds, and 3 Barred Plymouth Rocks.

We have added a kitten to the barn residency. He is the only male animal on the farm (with the exception of Darrin, Dalton and Blake.) He is misty gray with darker strips and his tummy is white. Alexandra has named him Mr. Whiskers. Choosing a name was a long process for her.....she decided to put all of our choices on paper and draw one out to choose a name but didn't like the results (she drew out Burt Reynolds.) She then went to the barn and called each name until the kitten responded and the winner was Mr.Whiskers.

Livin' the dream!

Our first post....and the two of us (Darrin and Melissa) draw a blank. Maybe we are just too tired tonight. This afternoon we planted two knockout rose trees (yes trees), a Henry Fonda (yellow) rose bush, a Queen Elizabeth (pink) rose bush and then mulched the rose garden. This was after went to 8 greenhouses/nurseries in 3 different counties looking for the roses we wanted (still looking for some.) Earlier this morning Darrin spread rock to widen the circle drive, moved dirt to rose garden, planted a magnolia, and 3 hydrangeas and mulched around them and the 24 herb plants that I put out before I went to get another load of mulch.



The Boys (Dalton and Blake) did the milking this morning for the first time by theirself and was so disappointed that Lola Belle kicked over the milk bucket just as they finished. We also managed to keep the 26 chickens alive for another day.






Alex entertained and tended to Jessie (the dog) and had her own gardening rake, hoe and shovel out to help with the mulching and planting. We still have some more planting to do in the vegtable gardens but we may wait until after Darrin's parent visit next week.





We sure are mighty tired some nights but we are livin' our dream and lovin' every ache!