Here Is Some Explaination

I have been asked a few times about what I have and how I do things. I think I will try to explain just the bare bone facts about our place.

At present what I am working with is a 7 acre parcel of history (to me) because this land has been in the name of my family since the 1700s. At one time the family name owned all of the area that I can see from the top of this mountain.

Where I am the whole hillside was worked by horse and manpower and I still to this day find broken singletrees and hand tools that were once held by either ancestors or workers of this place.

I can say that when I do find these "treasures" it takes me back to those days only in my mind. It had to be hard. It had to be sustainable. So I figured why cant I do that now.

Thus, Here I am. Been here for 41 years and hope to be here until I croak. Virginia law is lax on burial stuff so I elect to have my worthless carcass thrown in a hole here and maybe something can grow on top. The important part, soul, is gone the split second you die so hey, Why not? My perfect idea.

I was raised here. Somewhere there were pictures of me crawling through the wall studs in this house. Somewhere there is a picture of me holding a yellow cat at the base of a International Tractor. Somewhere there is a picture of my Dad pulling stumps off this place with that tractor. Somewhere there is a picture of my Mom when I had to be a toddler smiling off the front porch (which is gone since she fell down the stairs when I was maybe 8 and the scar is huge where she busted her elbow up going under the house to get some potatoes for supper.

Wonder why this place means so much to me?? I remember raising pigs as a child. I didnt my Dad did. I remember the old horse Nelly that was a worker and a rider. I remember laying down in between her front and rear legs and we lay together. Just taking in what a horse and a kid think about. I remember Daisy the milk cow. I remember Dads broken hand when he thought a punch to the face would solve her attitude. The dip in the wood is still visible where she swung her head and hit the house after Dad punched her. Attitude didnt get solved but Dads anger did. hehehe I remember the hogs we raised here. Dont remember no names but remember the first piglet litter. Cute as a button but we knew what they were for. I remember being scared to death because I was playing above the hog pen when I was a child and the steel barrell I was rolling made a bad turn down hill and squashed a piglet dead. That hurt me. Mom didnt know what to say but Dad was understanding and instructive. Never happened again. I remember selling the pigs that was raised that year. An older feller I have no idea who it was came up with a two tone chevy truck with cattle racks on and bought them. I remember loading them. I remember also Dad getting a call from the feller later and Dad repeated the conversation. "Them is the clamingist (climbing) hogs I ever saw" The pigs he bought climbed over the cattle racks somewhere.

What do you think is this worth reading? Let me know on your comment. Thanks for the followers that I have.

Yesterdays Results

It was an odd weather day for sure. It stayed damp old and windy most of the morning and then it began to sprinkle. A little later the sprinkle turned to sleet. The sun came out and then it snowed and a cool surprise was lightning. Had about everything yesterday. On the way back up with the hay for evening feeding I guess it was "kind of" neat in the snow. Soon my nostalgic feeling turned to remembrance of last winter. (not good)

I was able to get all the bedding squared away. Everybody should have felt a bit warmer this morning. I know the hogs are doing much better because I built a platform from a pallet and plywood over that for a much better sleeping arrangement. I threw what waste hay the goats had left and several bags of leaves in there and once they ate what they wanted to I topped it off with hay again. Went out early this morning and they were both curled up in there sleeping like warm pigs. In the course of the night they had taken what was left of the hay and leaves and made a perfect nest to curl up in. I am going to put some more in there as hogs love to burrow down in hay or whatever they have to conserve their heat. The warmer you can keep them the more feed goes to bringing on weight than being burnt up for staying warm.

It is 28 degrees this morning and of course a very heavy frost. Joey got up at 6:30 so he could get ready to go do some deer hunting. At least the wind aint blowing. I hope he does get one. He sure has been practicing with that bow. I for one could never get into bow hunting. It takes lots and lots of time to get all of that figured out.

A Few Pictures

Wilma and Wilbur




Lucifer





Lucy




Buddy





Bucky





Ethel and Blessing




Dumpling





Hope





Ethel....... THE BOSS

Can You Believe Its November?

Sitting here this morning having some coffee I realized........ DANG... Its November!!! DUH? You Think? I was sitting here coming up with a plan about putting deeper bedding in for the goats and the hogs and checking my windscreens at the chickens so they dont get blown off the mountain. The news came on and then I heard High 40s today and Low 30s with a chance of............SNOW........... in the west side of the mountains on the Blue Ridge part of the Appalachians. I dont think it will get here but hey it was a wake up call.

So the plan is to get out the blower and rake to gather as much leaves and pine needles as possible for bedding. I have already done this once but hey its free natural bedding. You cant beat it. Everytime I put in in for the critters they have a great time going through and eating little morsels that agree with their taste for the day. Its a total win win situation. I also chop up some leaves etc and pile them in with the compost for the spring. Its great stuff provided to us so we might as well make great use for it. Dont you think??


After I am done with that today, I need to do something with my buckets of fencing tools and other things from around my stove so I can build the first fire of the season. What you dont have buckets with bucket buddies on them stuffed with various tools around your woodstove?? Well us hillbillies do. I know where my particular tools are at that way. Well not really. My kids like to "borrow" one or two and somehow they never make it back.

I started a big pot of beans this morning also. I figure they will be good after spending time in the coolness today. I plan on making some cornbread also this evening to finish it off. The older beans get the better they are in my opinion.

April and May

These two months are incredibly busy. As you can tell I haven't even looked at this blog since March. I am bad at this for sure.

Things are going well overall. I have added four more goats and have been working on my gardens and fields so far. I am still trying to get everything planted and it isn't working out so well. Everytime I turn around something is breaking down but what can you expect? Thats life in the real world. :)

I have my onions lettuce peas tomatoes peppers and some beans out. Its slow but coming along nicely. I have a ton more seed to plant though. I was hoping to get finished this weekend but mechanical problems and rain have another idea.

Things are definatly moving along at the CSA. Lots and Lots of planting going on in May of course. The hog had 5 little ones and the cows are now out in the new pasture I got fenced off. So things are really getting there.

I am going to do my best to get pictures on here as soon as possible. I still need the technical help of the kids to do things like that.

March- ing On

I am very glad to see February gone. It has been a rough winter so far but I still look at it as a learning experience. We have had 42 inches of snow this winter. It was only beaten by a snowstorm in 1960 which was 60+ inches.

"In like a lamb, out like a lion" or vice versa. That is the old saying that supposedly tells the outcome of March weather. We will see. March came in like a lamb. It was 40 deg. and sunny. The wind was stil blowing and that made it chilly at times but wasn't a big deal. This morning after taking the goats out for the day it began some flurries. No big deal again according to the weatherman. The system is supposed to stay farther south this time and we are to get a dusting. Problem is.... its still dusting. The temperature has dropped since this morning and is right at freezing. The roads are still kinda warm so it is melting fast there but still may get slick tonight. Of course I got to see the two patches of bare ground again yesterday but now they are once again white. Lovely just lovely. hehe

I was able to finish getting the medicines for the goats yesterday. I also got alot more of the stuff for fencing too. I am hoping to get started on that before too long. I went on and got all the emergency type meds that a goat can need. The truth is as tough as some folks think a goat is when they get sick they go down fast. I do mean in no time at some times. If you don't have on hand what is needed you are not going to have a fighting chance with the sick one sometimes. I am really enjoying the two I have and can't wait to add more but I am going to wait for the weather to at least get somewhat steady.

Oh well. I guess that is all I have to say for now. February was so bad there was nothing to write about except snow, wind, snow and more wind. I get sick of hearing my ownself in my head complaining. I am very ready to see some green grass and I am wondering if any of the flower bulbs have pushed up under the snow? We still and this is no exaggeration, have a foot of snow still in several places around. Me and Joey walked up on top of the mountain to check for his next trail camera spot and I couldn't believe some of the drifts still there. It was packed hard too. I really hope we will be able to do more this month. Then maybe I will have something good to say for a change. I hope you all stay well. God Bless. :)

I erased a whole post.

I can't (yes I can) believe I just erased a whole post. One of these days I will learn to be better at this computer stuff. :P I will repost it later. I have to get back to work. lol ~ Terry