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

For The Love Of February

All I can say at this point is "Wow, what a ride it has been this month". Snow and more snow that has no chance of leaving while waiting on yet another storm. We just got over a really bad wind event and I tell you I am not afraid to admit that it was quite spooky the other night.

When you live where we do and the wind reaches 60 mph on a mountain ridge in a old house that needs lots of love you get to thinking about the things you NEED to do when the spring rolls back around. I can say one thing about the snow pack we have; it most likely saved my roof from the wind storms by holding it down. I had went through the day getting things as prepared as possible. I covered the windows with sheets and blankets to help with the insulating factor. It was due to have -10 wind chills and I just didn't want to chance a mishap with a limb etc coming through the window.

The older I get the more paranoid I get. It used to be things like weather didn't bother me but it demands respect. Just before this storm came along I had had a problem with my blood pressure and a medicine that I was put on did not agree with me at all. I was in real bad shape and IF something had happened I would have been useless. The only thing I knew to do was get the animals fed and bedded as well as I could and IF the SHTF I was going to just get the family out and try to find a motel until either I recovered or the weather calmed to a dull roar. Anyway, I did what I could do and boy did I have several very close heart to heart talks with God. All through the day and night of the worst part of the wind I was listening for any cracks or crashes that needed close attention. It wasn't a pleasant affair by no means. By yesterday morning my nerves had more than a workout. Thanks to God, it all turned out ok. I spent some time yesterday morning giving thanks where thanks were due. I finally felt well enough to go and cut some more firewood. Mind you I wasn't tearing out the bone on that job but I took my time and got quite a bit more cut up. I also spent some time working on the goat pen that the new billy has investigated fully and found every weak spot that there is. All in all this month is turning into a list making month on things I HAVE to do this upcoming spring and summer. Just saying those two words help quite a lot.

Any Improvement Is A Plus

Slowly the snow and ice are still melting. Hard to believe just how long this stuff has hung around even in temperatures above 40 degrees. Now the problem is the mud which is almost as impassable as the snow is on this mountain. I need either a track loader or even better Bigfoot would be much more fun with ten foot tires.

I am really glad the days are getting longer even if it is a minute a day. A minute is a minute. I am looking forward to this spring and summer as to get some vegetables going and hope to put some more goats on the place. I know we have some unsettled time ahead of us but it has been years since we have had a winter like this. I guess you could say we were due one. The truth is, it was a harsh reminder of where I have been slacking and a true eye opener. If anything I certainly gained in that respect.

I hope things are going well for everyone out there and wish you all the best from the Ridge.