Wonderland Farm

What I've Learned Since 2008

2011-06-22T21:10:00.001-05:00

I have learned a lot in the past 2 1/2 - 3 years of homesteading. I still have a lot of learning to do, but I thought I would share what I have learned thus far that might be useful to other beginner homesteaders!

About Livestock:

My favorite livestock on the homestead are definitely - and probably obviously - goats. I will never be without them if I have any say at all in the matter. God forbid something awful happen that would rid me of these wonderful creatures. They provide delicious milk, which can also be made into anything you could make with cow milk (including butter!) while not overwhelming small acreages with too-large animals, and they're just plain fun!

Goat Pros: These little critters pack a lot of personality and usefulness into small packages. They are a perfect source of milk for people who want a smaller animal than a cow that also has a lot of personality and are just plain fun to have around. (Don't get me wrong, I aspire to own cows one day in the distant future, but I still love my goats and they will probably always be my favorite.) They can also function as very useful weed eaters and provide fertilizer.

Goat Cons: Goats can require more maintenance, depending on where you live and how your pasture situation is set up. Some people can successfully feed does, even in milk, browse and alfalfa pellets with light sunflower seeds on the side in the Summer, and then add grass hay in the winter. However, my pastures aren't to that point yet. I'm working toward it, but it takes time. If you have a pasture that is currently lacking like mine, you will need to feed grass hay nearly year round as well as pellets and grain. Also, goats will need loose minerals and baking soda free-choice, as well as hoof trimming, de-worming, and - in most areas - copper and selenium supplementation. Some goats are easy keepers and seem to get fat on air, while others take a bit more TLC. I would suggest breeding for hardy qualities.

To Sum it Up: Goats are generally low-maintenance once you get the hang of it, but they can also be more expensive if you don't have adequate browse. The learning curve is steep, and it is easy to get too many too fast and become overwhelmed. However, if you're willing to do quarterly hoof trimming (sometimes more often, sometimes less), and supplement minerals and hay if you don't have browse, they are definitely worth having around. Breed for hardiness to encourage animals that don't need care above and beyond the norm.

Everyone should have chickens. These are extremely easy to care for and house, provide fresh meat and eggs, and are fun to watch as they go about their chicken business. They also come in seemingly endless breeds and mixes, so you can find one that suits your tastes and needs or do what I do and have a mixed flock for the variety.

Chicken Pros: These birds are easy to house and super inexpensive to keep. They are at their most expensive when they are chicks and need to be specially taken care of and cannot forage for themselves yet. They do very well when free ranging and only need light supplementation (again, this depends on your situation and how much space you have for them). I like to give mine table and garden scraps. (I do not give them meat scraps.) They lay tasty eggs with or without a rooster, and their eggs are healthier for you if they have access to grass. Sometimes hens will even become broody and hatch their eggs for you, if you have a rooster to fertilize them. They can also be put in a "tractor" and moved around the areas you need fertilized for your garden (or you can collect the fertilizer the old fashioned way, with a scoop).

Chicken Cons: Chickens are very vulnerable to predators. You either must keep them completely enclosed or expect some losses. Some livestock guardians can be used with chickens, but some cannot.

To Sum it Up: Everyone should own chickens. Regardless of whether you live in a rural area where they can have room to run or on an one acre lot where they must be cooped, they are a real asset. Beware of stray dogs, hawks, and other natural predators.

You should only have horses if you really love them. Horses can be useful and fun, but they are also very expensive. If you aren't really a horse person and you don't have a real use for them, forgo horses.

Horse Pros: Horses can be like big puppy dogs. They can also keep large areas mowed for you. If you really want to actually make them useful, you can ride them, use them to cultivate your garden areas, use their manure for your garden, or even use them for transportation or rounding up cattle if you live in areas and situations where that is applicable.

Horse Cons: Horse are very, very expensive. Unless you truly use them as livestock or really have a bond with them and love to ride, they will never truly give back anything even close to what you spend on them. They eat a lot and you have to have a really superb pasture system to even try to get away with pasture feeding them in the spring and summer. They are prone to colic (some more than others), and their hoof care must be done by farriers.

To Sum it Up: I am not trying to badmouth horses. However, I could personally do without them and sometimes they seem like more trouble than they are worth. If my circumstances were different, where I could ride them more often, put them to use, or actually have enough pasture to keep them healthy without my family having to buy untold amounts of feed and hay constantly, then I might feel differently and not find myself frustrated with them so often. Don't get me wrong, I do love them, but I wish that I had a better situation for them and myself. If you don't have really great pastures, a real use for them, or a real horse spirit, then skip them or the upkeep for them will leave you frustrated.

Honorary "Livestock" Mention: Dogs. Dogs are called man's best friend for a reason. I would personally never be without a dog.

Dog Pros: Dogs come in different breeds, all of which have different purposes they were bred for. With this in mind, lets make a quick list of useful skills dogs can have: Livestock or personal protection (guarding), intruder alert (watch dogs), retrieving, hunting (large game, small game, rodents), herding, special needs care (seeing eye dogs, for example), and simple companionship. Dogs are very smart and can be trained to do tons of things. Different breeds excel in different areas, but mutts can be useful, too. I personally have dogs for companionship, intruder alert, and guarding.

Dog Cons: Feeding dogs is pretty expensive, since there is no way to even supplement their feed (they can't graze, for example, and table scraps are generally bad for them in excess). Due in part to overpopulation and poor breeding, some individual specimens can be prone to behavior problems or health problems, and they may not live up to the standards of their breed if they were not actually bred to the standards of their breed. It is great to rescue dogs since so many are put to sleep due to overpopulation, but sometimes, depending on the purpose they are for, that can pose a risk. For example, I personally wouldn't trust a rescue dog with my livestock. Sometimes it is important to know the history of the dog's genetics. However, for pretty much anything that didn't involve my livestock, I would rescue.

To Sum it Up: Dogs make great companions and can really help out around your home. They can even help keep you safe. Watch out for puppy mills or problem dogs, and rescue if at all possible.

Miscellaneous Livestock Tips:

Don't expect to be able to purchase your animals and jump right into the perfect situation, with wonderful pastures, beautiful fences, and all your goals met immediately. There will be set backs. I wasn't able to start milking my goats until this Spring, and I'm still only milking two. Things are still not exactly as I would like them. It takes time to really get things into the flow that you want them to be.
Don't get too many of anything at once. It is so easy to get overwhelmed.
Know what you want and work towards that. Don't settle for less than what will get you headed in the direction that you want to be going. Be willing to recognize when an animal you may not have wanted to sell really does need to go because they no longer suite your needs. I know it can be hard, but eventually you will find that you can't afford to keep everything.

Tips About Homesteading in General:

Mulch, mulch, mulch! You will lose that beautiful garden to weeds if you don't!
Raised beds are more expensive upfront, but so much easier in the long run.
Do something productive every day that you can. I know it's hard when you have school or work to worry about, much less a social life of any sort, but just find something you can do on any day that you are able. No one wants to spend 100% of their time doing the same thing, and that is totally acceptable, but it will make things easier in the long run if you clean, plant, harvest, build, repair, etc a little at a time rather than saving it all for a designated Saturday.
Sunday is your day of rest. Whether you are religious or not, this is a good rule to live by. I know I just said to do something everyday, but Sunday is an exception. Only do you what you either a) must or b) really enjoy on Sunday. Let your mind and body rest. Read a good book, watch a movie, or just do whatever makes you happy and helps you relax. I am very guilty of not observing a rest day, and boy I certainly feel it for the rest of the week when I don't.
Be. Patient. I know it's hard not to rushrushrush and pushpushpush for things to be *just so* right now!, but it will never happen that quickly. Good things come to those who wait.
Don't worry about what other people think. Yes, it will hurt when you feel ostracized or looked down on by the people who you care about and who choose to be more modern than you want to be, and yes, they will not understand and they will say things that hurt you. Just move past it. Be at peace with your life. Know why you live the way you do, accept that not everyone (or maybe even not anyone you know in person) will be100% understanding or supportive, and move on. This one is very important if you are at all like me and seek the approval of others and have a hard time not taking things too personally.
Plant not only what you eat, but also what grows well for you. Blackberries and blueberries are great berry plants for this area. I have more or less neglected my blackberries for as long as I've had them, and they still love me. I finally mulched them this year. That's as much care as they've gotten. Don't try to grow water-loving plants in the desert, or a late season crop if you're first frost is in August. Fighting nature's natural tendencies will just make more work for you.
Do it if you love it. This should be a rule you live by. If you hate something...why do it? Some people love horses. They breed them and their lives are richer for it. I am not that person, and therefore I don't intend to breed horses. Many, many people swear by rabbits as a homestead staple. I bred them once and found that I honestly just didn't enjoy it and don't intend to do it again, despite the fact that many sources say no homestead is complete without rabbits. Don't do something just because you think you should, because it's in vogue, or because you think it will make you more money. Obviously you won't love every single part of everything you do, but you should enjoy the things you do in general. This is true of everything in life, not just homesteading. Don't become a lawyer or a doctor because they can make a lot of money. In the end, you should wake up most mornings looking forward to what you have to do, whatever it is.

-Rach in Wonderland

Exult in Tribulation: The Year so Far

2011-05-30T23:30:00.000-05:00

Hi there. I know I said in my last entry that I wouldn't focus on negativity, but I have decided to recap some of the more...dramatic...events my year has held so far. Unfortunately, most of the dramatic events have been dramatically awful. In any case, I don't intend for this entry to be a "downer." I simply want to go through and explain a few of the things that have happened this year, and then move on to my goals for the rest of the year and even on into next year. I'll start with the bad news first, then move onto the good.
Let me make it clear, before I begin, that I choose to take trials in stride to the best of my ability. As Hank Hill from "King of the Hill" would suggest, I take my feelings and shove them into my stomach. Actually, I let myself grieve for a brief stint and then I attempt to just move on with life. I know that there are those who would find that calloused, but it isn't; it's just the way I deal with things. Don't let my matter-of-fact account of heartbreak fool you into thinking that my heart does not indeed break when I suffer losses, because it most certainly does. I am not heartless and unfeeling. I just recognize that there is no sense moping or giving up, and that there is always a silver lining - always. "All things work out for the good of those who love God." Sometimes that verse is hard to apply to life, but we must face the fact that bad things happen in a fallen world, but if nothing else they allow us to learn from mistakes, build up a tougher skin for life's future heartaches, and empathize with others. That's not to say that I by any means feel bad for ten minutes and move on. I obviously feel bad for longer periods of time. It's just that life goes on. I can't lay in bed and cry 24/7 because life threw some lemons into my eyeballs.
Anywho, onto my recap. The past five months have not been easy ones. I will try to list things briefly and just give an overview rather than a step-by-step novel. First, at the beginning of the year, my mother was hospitalized for pneumonia. She is all better now, but that was clearly stressful. Following that, my bottle-baby, Marli-roo, died. It is my belief that she was suffocated or crushed, though we did not have a necropsy done. Following that, my friend and I stopped at a wreck and had to witness a man burning to death inside of a car. It wasn't anyone I knew, but I still had a massive panic attack. I have never seen another person literally being killed before my eyes...I wouldn't wish to ever witness something like that again. Thankfully, it wasn't graphic; the flames were so big that we couldn't see much inside the vehicle. Anywho, moving right along...after that, all but two of my hens and my one rooster were killed by my neighbor's dogs. Said neighbor was notified of the issues, but did not do anything to rectify the situation or keep her dogs on her property. We should have been more forceful, because some time later, after the remaining chickens were made more secure, the dogs caught our little Pomeranian dog, Bree, and killed her. I am honestly glad that I was asleep when it happened, but I do regret that my parents had to see it and take her to the vet, where she passed. Bree did absolutely nothing to deserve that, and honestly, I'm still very angry. Following that, my doe Rumor went into labor on my best friend's birthday. What should have been exciting and happy ended up being scary and sad. I had to bring her into the vet for an emergency c-section, and we lost both of the babies. I'm glad Rumor herself was able to be saved, but still...I will probably have that poor little boy that almost made it stuck in my mind for a while yet. I was holding him and rubbing him to help him wake up from the drugs, but he was only taking intermittent gasps of air and he eventually died in my lap. I guess the trauma and the drugs were too much for the tiny thing. That was my fault...if I had recognized the problem sooner and brought her in sooner, he and his sister might have lived. I can't undo that, though, but at least I have learned. After all of that, my baby girl, Lucky the Pomeranian, has a tumor in her mammary tissue. I've had her since she was just a little bitty thing, and have actually known her since she was born. I got her when I was 13 or 14, I'd have to look at her papers to be sure. In any case, this tumor has to be dealt with and it's making me sick with worry. Hopefully it will be benign and surgery will go well, especially given her age. I am taking her in to another vet this week for a second opinion and surgery.
That all brings me to today, or tomorrow, rather. Tomorrow, Rumor will go to her new home along with Pumpkin. I never wanted to sell Rumor. She and Ariel were the second two does I added to my herd after Brownie and Sandy. I didn't even have a true "herd" before I added them, actually. Rumor is just the sweetest, most docile little thing and I wanted to keep her around forever... but, after her c-section, I realized that she would be better off in a pet home than living in my herd as a pet. I have two reasons for that. First of all, my herd has always ostracized her and it's only gotten worse as the herd has grown. They are really downright mean to her, and she's so docile that she can hardly stand up for herself. Secondly, the vet was unable to do even a partial hysterectomy on her during the c-section, which means that as long as I have bucks on my property there is a chance of her getting accidentally bred without me noticing in time to terminate the pregnancy, and that could honestly kill her. So, I decided she would be better off in a pet home with a smaller group, no bucks, and no future plans to breed. Luckily I have found just such a home with a very nice lady who will be keeping Rumor and Pumpkin just as pets and lives very near here. Unfortunately, it breaks my heart to see her go. This year is the first in which I have lost goats to death and the first in which I've had to make such a hard decision about letting a favorite go. I am going to miss her sweet, sweet personality terribly.
At times, this year has stressed me to the point that I have contemplated quitting the whole "having animals" thing all together. It doesn't surprise me at all that many people give up on owning goats after their third year. Here it is my third year of owning them, and they have seemingly kicked me in my hindquarters. The learning curve of goats is perhaps the steepest of all animals. I can't tell you how many hours I have spent reading books, magazines, websites, and forums about goats, plus the hands on experience and talking to other seasoned breeders, and yet some days I feel like I don't know much more than I knew starting out. There is always so much to learn with these things! There have definitely been several times I have had to remind myself why I am doing this at all. However, I feel like the trade off is worth it. To know goats is to love them, truly. There is no species on this planet quite like goats and I can't honestly imagine my life without them. The importance of preserving heritage breeds is also still at the back of my mind, and the importance of providing myself and my family with healthy dairy products from a humane source devoid of growth hormones and unnecessary antibiotics is always at the forefront of my thoughts as well. Regardless, I truly love my goats and I think it's probably pretty plain that I wouldn't still own them if I didn't. There is a saying that says, "There are two types of people: Those that can leave the farm and those that can't. If you can leave, you should." That is so true, especially of goats.
Well, now that I have likely sucked the joy right out of you, on to the good news! I have added two lovely does this year. One is Abby, whom I have already told you about, and the other is Tira. Tira is a Minimancha, which is a cross between a LaMancha and a Nigerian Dwarf, and the sweetest thing you will ever meet. Her milk stand manners are to die for, and she is just a joy to be around. I am very excited about delving into the world of MiniManchas. What first truly drove me to them was the issue of Rumor's tiny pelvis. I thought, "Y'know, I bet the MiniManchas have a lower chance of having that problem, since they are crossed with a standard breed." However, after researching the breed, I am truly falling in love with the little "ear-less wonders." (They actually have ears, they are just very small.) Nigerian Dwarves in the mix shrink down the large size of the LaManchas into a more manageable mid-size animal and also add a higher butterfat content to the milk and possible year round breeding. LaManchas add the adorable t-niny ears, a very sweet and docile personality, and higher production yields. Whereas Nigerians produce, on average, between one and two quarts a day, a MiniMancha's average yield should be between 1/2-one gallon of milk a day ideally. LaManchas are also the only dairy breed developed in America. I am currently in the process of re-evaluating my herd toward dairy production, and the addition of the Minis will certainly help that. I also think it will be exciting to be a part of the development of a newish breed.
I am, thankfully, done with kidding for the year (I do not need any more stress this year!). I have plans in my head of which direction I would like my herd to go in next year, but for now, I am done adding animals either through purchase or birth. I intend to conquer my Summer class (which I regret adding more and more each day the closer it gets...but I have sound reasoning for it), and then take the month of July to actually relax and enjoy Summer. My Spring and early Summer has been so hectic that I've just felt an almost constant sense of being overwhelmed and anxious. It will be nice to sit back, relax, and enjoy some homemade ice cream and cajeta (both made of goat milk, of course!) in July before fall classes swoop in to make me crazy again. That is not to mention the sewing, preserving, gardening, and soap making I intend to be doing, of course. =) I also hope to save enough money to afford to buy the used parts and assemble myself a milk machine prior to October, when I have a trip to Alabama planned.
Well, I will leave you all with a Bible verse that I stumbled upon by "chance" (or perhaps divine intervention) while reading my Bible one night that has really stayed close to my heart ever since.

"Not only so, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been proud within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us." Romans 5:3-5

Also, before I go, I would like to share a picture of Marli and a picture of Bree in memoriam. They will be sorely missed....

Marli-Roo

Bree.

(I know that's a silly picture, but that was just her personality.)

-Rachel in Wonderland

Wonderful Herbs

2011-05-03T18:16:00.001-05:00

   There are any number of negative things that I could post about today. For instance, I could talk about how thoroughly disappointed I am that Rumor had to have an emergency c-section and both babies were lost. I could talk about how the area surrounding mine is flooding, or how many people are likely to lose their belongings due to flooding here and in other areas around the Mississippi River....but, I won't. Not any more than I already have, at least. Why? Because there is still so much to look forward to, and so much good in life! Yes, bad things happen and this has been a particularly rough year already, but that's okay. Every cloud has a silver lining, and "all things work out for the good of those who love God."
   So, instead of complaining, I'm going to talk about my garden and how well it is doing! My tomatoes and peppers have all made it through the storm. My onions, cucumbers, and carrots are sprouting. My potatoes, eggplants, and squash are in the ground and doing well. I planted more onion sets today. My herbs are absolutely flourishing. I love their low-maintenance attributes, and I also love their flavorful, aromatic, and - in some cases - medicinal qualities. This year gardening has been more enjoyable than it has ever been for me before. Mountain Rose Herbs is having a giveaway, and part of the requirements to enter was to blog about your most powerful experience in the garden or in the wild....but how can I choose just one? I have had so many wonderful, even moving, experiences in nature and in my garden. Just breathing in the essence of being outdoors is enough to calm the senses and make you feel at one with nature and closer to the Creator than you could ever feel trapped inside of a stuffy, artificially lit building. I encourage anyone reading to go out and start a garden, if you haven't already got one. Try planting herbs! They're so easy and so rewarding, and many of them have another added bonus - attracting pollinators. For example, the larvae of a certain butterfly feed off of dill, and bees and butterflies love bee balm (never would've guessed, would you? Hehe.). Oh, another good one to try is stevia - if you enjoy sweet tea but don't enjoy calories, grow stevia and use it to sweeten your tea. It is a very sweet, very strong, natural sweetener! No calories, no chemicals! Herbs are amazing things. Mountain Rose Herb's website is a great place to go learn about them, too.
   Also, check out this cool giveaway, and the information about Rootstalk! If you live in that neck of the woods, it would be an awesome thing to attend! Mountain Rose Herb Rootstalk Giveaway
   -Rach in Wonderland

April Showers Bring May Flowers...And Abigails!

2011-04-28T13:06:00.000-05:00

   It has quite literally "come up a flood" in my area this month. In fact, it's been storming like crazy all over this general area. The levee in Poplar Bluff, Mississippi has failed, there are several roads closed in my county in Tennessee due to flooding, and Arkansas and Alabama have been hammered by tornadoes and severe storms. We've had our share of severe weather in West Tennessee, too. Shelby county got it worse than us, however. My grandmother's area has trees down - even on houses - in almost every yard. We did get a large tree on our fence in the back pasture - thank goodness that it wasn't in the goats' area, or they all would have hopped ship!
   All the bad news of storms aside, however, there is good news to be had. I picked up a new doe earlier this month. Her name is McCord Clan Farms Abigail; Abby for short. She is a lovely calico doe, and is very flashy in coloring. I have also been milking her, and she has been very well behaved! She is a darling sweet thing. She was nursing a single prior to coming here, and I can only milk once a day, so her production isn't as much as it could be. I did get 3/4 of a cup today, so it is rising! It was at 1/2 of a cup previously. If she could pick up and give me one cup a day, considering the circumstances and how often I can milk, I would be exceedingly happy. I keep trying to think of how I could milk twice a day, but I just don't know how I can do that along with school. Not without milking in the dark, at least, and I have no milk room and no electricity in the barn, that is not an option. She behaves really well for having never been before! She's put up with my learning curve quite well. At first, I thought I would never get the hang of it, but it eventually clicked. I'd like to pick up more speed, but milking uses new muscles and such; just like beginning a new work out, I have to allow time for the muscles in my hands to strengthen. With time and experience, hopefully I can get my time down under 30 minutes. I am very pleased with the taste of her milk, and I am pleased by the fact that I can make butter simply by shaking her whole milk in a jar until the butter clumps form! How simple! Not to mention the fact that I can now provide wholesome milk for my parents and I, which is what I've wanted and been working toward since the beginning. I didn't expect it to take this long, but at least I have reached my goal! It has certainly lit a fire underneath me, and now I can't wait to be able to milk more does.
   I am also planning on adding a MiniMancha doe sometime in the near future, and branching out into that cross breed (LaManchas X Nigerians) as well as keeping my Nigerians. My mother and I both like LaManchas (I prefer Nigerians above all, but LaManchas are a close second for me), but, with only five acres and having to share that space with horses as well, there simply isn't room here for a herd of full size LaManchas. That's the beauty of MiniManchas; they, on average, produce a bit more and are a bit bigger than Nigerians, but they are still in a smaller package than a full sized LaMancha. I'll keep you posted on my progress in that direction.
   My garden is also coming on nicely, or at least what I have started of it. I have three raised beds containing herbs, carrots, tomatoes, peppers, onions, and strawberries and a container with cucumbers that are just starting to sprout. My "old" already established strawberries are blooming (and admittedly a little out of hand!), as well as my blackberries. I have my seed potatoes cut and the ground prepared; they will be planted tomorrow after their cuts have healed completely. It is a little late for potatoes, but weather has not permitted me to get them in the ground before now. I'm hopeful that they will still do well enough. This year I am experimenting with many different gardening practices: Raised beds, lasagna gardening, container veggies, and succession planting. I'm excited and hopeful to see how they work out!
   Until next time!
   Rachel in Wonderland

And the good news is...

2010-11-10T00:18:00.002-06:00

   We found the perfect replacement for my mom's van.
   I will admit that it is sometimes super easy to forget that God is taking care of you. I was feeling very dejected Friday after having failed at my first attempt at milking, going with Mom to clean out TaWanda (who I will still miss for a while. I get attached to inanimate objects, because I am weird.), test driving the only vehicle close to our price range (which was still over it a bit and would have "stretched us" as Mom puts it) that we did not like but were figuring we would have to settle for, and looking for something else to no avail. Everything was either out of our price range, or had a bazillion miles, was a bazillion years old, and/or didn't meet our needs. But then we went to a tiny little place known as Cousin's Auto Sales. It literally had maybe 10 vehicles on the lot, but amongst those ten was our perfect replacement. Our new van is a blue 2007 Chevrolet Uplander that has less miles, more room, and more features than TaWanda (a 2004 Caravan) did. He was and is in great condition, has plenty room, and isn't so different from TaWanda that we feel out of place like we did in the other vehicle. It was a leased car, so it received regular maintenance. The best part is that the price was below the price we were shooting for and mostly just figured we would be stuck with for something decent. Actually, he was advertising it as above our price range, but told us immediately the lesser amount. We didn't even have to ask. As soon as we test drove the new (to us) van, I told Mom, "This is the one." She wanted to wait until Dad could look at it to commit, but I could tell she wanted it, too. So after Dad got out of training at his new job, he went straight to the van and test drove it. He also approved immediately. His name is pending, by the way, but we definitely think he is indeed a male. All along this process I kept thinking, "Getting a new car is supposed to be exciting, but this just feels crappy." It finally got exciting when we found the blue van.

   God takes care of His children.

-Rachel in Wonderland

P.S. - Just as a side note, I will never understand the urge people seem to have to buy brand new vehicles every four years. Why? They depreciate an incredible amount, for one. With regular maintenance, a vehicle can last for years and years. My 1997 Ford Ranger has 260,000+ miles on it, and still runs like a charm almost all of the time. Why do people want to make bad investments, and have a car note to pay every month? Why not get something you can pay off on the spot or at least shortly thereafter, and then drive it until it is literally no longer safe to drive or isn't meeting your needs? This idea that we need a brand spankin' new car every few years is just a great way to waste money.

I don't really ever want to sell my Ranger, Bloog. I do want a car one day, so that I can park more easily and carry more than one person comfortably, but for me to get around by myself to places with reasonably sized parking lots, Bloog is great. Plus, I was there when my dad bought it when I was just a kid, and it is the first vehicle I drove in by myself when I got my license. Bloog is a good truck. I think he can stick around.

Bad News

2010-11-06T19:44:00.000-05:00

Thankfully, this isn't awful news, but it's just one of those things that makes life a little bit more difficult than you want it to be.

We received news on Friday that our van, which my mother and I hit a deer in about a week ago, had to be totaled. That means, in a nutshell, that the cost of repairs will be more than 75% of what TaWanda was worth (we name our vehicles). To me, the damage didn't seem that bad, but I am not a mechanic so I don't how these things work or how much they cost. Aside from being bummed that we don't get to have good old TaWanda back, this means that my parents now have to hunt for a new vehicle. The timing is pretty bad for this, because we will only be able to buy a vehicle that costs what the check we will get from the insurance costs. We drove around looking today, and we could only find vehicles that were $6,900 and up + taxes, and all but one of those had 100,000+ miles.

Poor TaWanda, I wish we could have just kept her! And so close to the holidays. Isn't that how it always goes? Well, if you happen to know of anyone who is selling a SUV or a minivan for $6,000 or less, please let me know so I can forward the information to my parents! A car or truck would not do, because we need seating for both us and my grandparents ideally, though we could make do with a SUV that seated four. We also carry my goats and things around in the van, and gas mileage would be too awful in a truck that would be big enough.

Until then, we will be up the road without a van! Hah!

-Rachel in Wonderland

Sorry for the Delay...

2010-11-05T00:06:00.000-05:00

I know I said that a blog would be posted as soon as babies were born. Well, as it stands now...I lied. It has been a little less than two weeks since the first babies "hit the ground," so to speak, but I have just been so busy! I'm terribly sorry for the delay. So, here is the belated birth story of eight (yes, eight! That doubles my adult count, in case you were wondering!) adorable, bouncy, colorful little Nigerian babies. Oh, there is nothing in the world like it!

The first doe to kid was Sandy, who gave birth to triplets early last Monday morning with no warning. Her milk did take a few hours to come in, and she was a bit slow to cotton on to being a good mother, but instinct finally kicked in. It isn't unusual for a first time mother to not really "get" what's going on. Sandy gave us two doe kids and one little buckling. One of the does will be available at weaning, and the boy will be available as a whether. Overall, Sandy's was the most stressful of the three births; not for anything during the birth, which I actually missed, but for how long it took for things to get going post-birth. It all worked out in the end, though.

The second doe to kid was Brownie, who had twin boys. Her birth went smoothly, just as it did last year (and just as I expected). I missed the kids actually being born, but I know it took less than an hour because that is how long I left her for when I came back to find the twins. Brownie is a great mother, as always. Both of her boys will be available, as whethers or bucks. They are a bit less friendly than the other kids, because of Brownie's protective and shy nature. I am working with them, though, so they shouldn't be too skittish. The third

The third and final doe to kid was Clara, and she also gave birth to triplets. This time I got two boys and one girl. Her girl is being retained, as is one of her boys. The reason I am keeping a male from her, though I had not originally intended to, is because he is being bottle fed and I have gotten too attached. He was the runt and he just would not nurse his mom, despite all of our efforts. He is doing well on the bottle, though. I would like to sell her other male intact, because he looks very nice so far (though you obviously can't tell too much at this age), but also because of the great genetics behind him. I would be willing to sell him as a whether, though. He should be friendly. The available boy is the first pictured. Sorry this goofy thing turns my pictures sideways; I don't know how to fix it.

Well, there is your promised baby-blog! I just want to add a little bit more, just to get it out I suppose, because it doesn't have any real reason. I am apprehensive about selling the ones that I have to sell. This will be the first time I sell any, as last year the first - and at that time, only - baby born was kept. I want, so so much, for them to all go to wonderful homes where they are treated excellently and nothing bad ever happens to them. Now, I feel that God will help me find them the right homes, with folks that will treat them humanely, but the fact of the matter is that there is no guarantee. No matter how careful I am, or how much I pray, some may end up in a less than desirable home, or something tragic - albeit accidental - might happen (that could just as easily happen to them here, and trust me, I lose sleep over that possibility, too. Literally.). My main reason for raising my own farm animals is to have a humane source of food. I want to know that what I and my family are eating is not only better for us, but that it comes from animals who were well treated and loved. And, oh, do I love these guys! However, in order to have a supply of milk, babies have to be born, and those babies have to be sold, because I can't keep them all and they aren't meant to be eaten (as opposed to chickens, for example, which I could keep a completely closed flock of if I desired and never have to sell any at all). I totally want to be able to help other people achieve their goals of homesteading or having a small farm, just like people have helped me by selling me their animals and giving me support, but it is just stressing me right now. I know it will get easier after I sell the first ones, and I am thankful that God has blessed me with a compassionate heart, but sometimes compassion can make life a bit harder. I want to have faith that every goat I place will be loved and treated humanely, but in the end I can't be guaranteed that. I'm also afraid that it will be hard on me to see them go when the time comes, after caring for them for three months at minimum. Right now, I am trying to let go of the worry that I will place them in horrible homes by accident. I am also trying to remember that purebred goats are a somewhat costly investment, and anyone who invests a good chunk of money is more likely to care for what they purchased (which is why you should never give animals away "free to a good home!"). Also, I am hoping that like-minded people will be the ones drawn to Nigies, who are, in my opinion, the perfect goat breed for a small homestead.

I really feel that what I am doing is right, and I know that God will honor that. It's just a matter of me being able to let my anxiety go. Lets face it, I am an anxious person in general, so that is not an easy task for me. Feel free to pray that I master my anxiety. ;) I, personally, shall be praying for that as well as discernment.

Ah! I almost forgot. I will be able to start milking my does next week! I am very excited about that. The first thing I plan to make is Cajeta. Mmm. After that, I will make Mozzarella, then Cream cheese and Cottage cheese, which will lead me into the hard cheeses such as Cheddar, which shall be followed by Brie - a white mold-developed cheese that is very delicate, hard to make, and takes 3 months to age. I think I'm getting ahead of myself. ;)

God bless!

-Rachel in Wonderland

Fall Break!

2010-10-15T14:50:00.000-05:00

   I'm sure all the college students out there feel the same way as I do about Fall Break - it's wonderful! It's not as good as Christmas Break, but it's nice to have a few days off to clear your mind. One of my seven week courses just ended (though I am afraid I must admit that I underestimated the final exam, and probably did not do so great. Ah, well.), but my other seven week course begins Wednesday. In any case, I'm enjoying having a bit of time off.
   Yesterday I did have a bit of unpleasant excitement. As I was turning into my driveway (from the left), I had to come to a complete stop because another car was coming. (My turn signal was on, just in case you were wondering, and we checked - they are working.) I just happened to look in my rear view mirror to see a man in a HUGE Dodge pickup (I drive a Ford Ranger - very small), who was obviously not going to be able to stop. The truck was weaving back and forth and I could tell he had had to slam on his brakes. I immediately floored it to move forward out of the way, but the guy still had to take the ditch. It's a good thing his truck was so big, because if he was in a car it would have hurt him. He actually went behind and around my mailbox, and the ditch there is pretty steep - it's a flat shoulder kind of place. I pulled into a drive a little past my house to turn around, and waited to be sure he could get his truck out and wasn't hurt. He pulled out and actually drove to where I was to apologize, which surprised me, but was a very nice thing to do. He said he and his truck were fine. It was a really frightening experience, and is the closest I have ever come to being in a wreck. It's a miracle that I looked in the mirror. I always do when I know someone is behind me, but when I had last seen him he was pretty far off. He wasn't tailgating or anything, I guess he was just going to fast and didn't see me. I know if I hadn't of seen him that I would have been hit, especially judging by his tire marks in the ditch. It's only by the grace of God that I'm not in the hospital right now!
   Unfortunately, there was more unpleasant excitement. The night before last, I realized that Trouble either had pneumonia or a bad cold. He had coughed a bit earlier while eating, and I thought something had just gone down the wrong way, but when I checked on Clara (his pen is near hers), he was coughing again and I knew something was wrong. I grabbed him up and took him inside (he is only 4 months old, so is still somewhat of baby - I wouldn't have brought him inside if he were an adult). He was quite snotty, and coughing every so often, but the he had no temperature and the snot was clear, and all his bodily functions were - and are - normal. This is the third day, and he has two shots of antibiotics, Probios to counteract the toll the antibiotics can have on his tummy, and Immunity Support Tincture every few hours (this particular tincture was purchased from Molly's Herbals, but I intend to make my own next time using the ImLife herbal tincture mix from www.bulkherbstore.com. LOVE that website, you should check it out.) His nose is remarkably clearer, he is coughing and snorting a lot less, and he is acting more perky than he was. I really think the herb tincture has done more for him than the antibiotics. The tincture contains, among other things, Echinacea Root, which is one of the best immunity supporting herbs. Now, I am not saying that, if this is to ever happen again, I would skip the antibiotic. I would not change the way I have done things. If it were myself getting sick, or different symptoms in the goat, I would have put off the antibiotic until it was clear it was absolutely needed. However, pneumonia is a very serious illness in goats, and everything I have ever read and all the advice I have ever gotten is to hit it hard and hit it fast, and to not play around with it. I did not want to take any chances considering that Trouble is still young, so his immunity isn't as strong as an older animals, the seriousness of pneumonia in goats, and the fact that his coughs sounded so bad and raspy. If it had just been a snotty nose with no cough, and he hadn't been acting "off" as he was, things might have been different. In any case, I'm pleased to see how well he is doing, and am positive that the herbs have a lot to do with it. He will get one last antibiotic shot tonight, and I will worm him tomorrow and again 10 days later just to be on the safe side (especially since a cough can indicate lung worms, though I do not think that was the cause). I am waiting to worm until after the antibiotic round is done to try and take it a bit easier on his rumen. He will be going back outdoors tonight after his last shot, and I will be cutting the Immunity support down to 3 times daily for a few days, and take him off of it from there, assuming he keeps showing improvement. If he starts seeming ill again, I am taking him to the vet.

As for Clara, I am still waiting on her babies. Her ligaments are pretty much gone as far as I can tell, and her bag is getting fuller by the day it seems, but she just keeps me waiting. I swear, she knows what I want is bound and determined to deprive me as long as possible! Evil, calculating thing she is! ;) I am sincerely hoping she'll go while I'm on Fall break, though...preferably on the weekend while my mom, the nurse, will be here. Yes, I am a chicken, and the idea of having to assist a labor with no one around to help scares the bajeebers out of me. Hopefully the delivery will be smooth and she won't need help, though. I've got her on Red Raspberry leaf, so that should help. It tones the uterus. I know I will be keeping a doe from her, so I hope she gives me a nice one! I only plan to breed Clara one more time after this. She is only 7 years old, and does can normally be bred safely until around 10, depending on the individual doe. Of course, they can breed until they die, but that doesn't mean they should. I do not feel that it is humane to breed them until they die, and if you do that you might just bring their death on quicker. Anyways, Clara has become such a sweet pet, and the fact that she has a history of really large litters makes me worry so much. I would rather have a couple of daughters from her to continue her line, and have her around for company, than continue to breed her until she's 10 and something bad happen.
Oh, I have some good news from Nature! We bought some beautiful purple annuals to go on our porch for Fall decorations, and honey bees have been flocking to them! I'm so happy to see the sweet little buzzers flying around, because a lot of the wild honey bees have been disappearing. We depend on these little guys to pollinate for us, and make the miracle that is honey. (Did you know that honey has antibacterial properties, is a great natural sweetener, can help with allergies, is good for your skin...well, it's just a great food. Check this out - http://www.bulkherbstore.com/articles/honey?s=honey , and use Google to find even more articles about its benefits.) So, needless to say, I was very happy to see some honey bees flying around in the wild. These guys are docile, and they won't sting you unless you give them just cause. I was inches from them while taking pictures, and they didn't bother me at all. So, if you see some honey bees or find a nest, please don't kill them! They're very important, and there are bee keepers who can safely remove them if they are swarming or nesting somewhere that they shouldn't be, without harming them. This time next year we should have a hive of our own in our backyard, but we still need the wild ones to stick around. ( http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/honey-bees-dying-scientists-suspect-pesticides-disease-worry/story?id=10191391 , http://environment.about.com/od/biodiversityconservation/a/honeybees.htm ,

http://news.discovery.com/animals/honey-bees-disappearing-still-a-problem.html )

Enjoy your Fall Break, if you get one!

-Rach in Wonderland

New Chicks

2010-10-10T16:03:00.000-05:00

Hello, everyone! I'm sorry that it has been so long since I have blogged. School has been keeping me pretty busy, but I can't really complain. I've still got more free time than a lot of students. Anyways, I just wanted to drop by and share some news! One of my Rhode Island Red hens went broody a little bit ago, and we allowed her to set her eggs. She in turn rewarded us with seven healthy little chicks the last week of September. They are adorable little things.

Everything is going great, and I can only think of two negative things; 1. I am still impatiently awaiting Clara';s kidding. She is absolutely huge. I really thought she would have gone by now, but her udder is still not "tight" and she shows no signs of labor yet. It's driving me nuts! 2. It needs to rain! It is unbelievably dry here. The ground is just nothing but dust, the grass is dying, and the dryness is not helping the horses hooves, which seem to start chipping again as soon as the farrier leaves. I can't remember it ever being so dry this time of year. Our weather seems to favor extremes of late.

Yesterday I had planned to be in Ethridge, Tennessee for the second day, but the other person who was supposed to go became ill, so we had to postpone the trip. Instead, my mother, Sarah, and I went to Ada's Unusual Country Store, Heritage Days at Ames Plantation, and Backermann's Bakery and Cheese Shoppe (my favorite - and only, really - local-ish Mennonite store). At the festival, my flip flop broke, so I had to walk around barefoot. It was a little embarrassing at first, but I got over it. =) Perhaps the homemade Mennonite Ice Cream helped, hehe.

Well, I hope your Octobers are filled with delight!

-Rach in Wonderland

Save the Cheese!!!

2010-09-27T13:34:00.000-05:00

    I am reposting this text from a forum (homesteadingtoday.com), but I want to add my own two cents to it first.
    This is all about a family dairy in Missouri that sells raw milk and is getting the run around for no darn good reason. I won't go into that personally, because I am going to post links that far better explain that situation than I could (read the links!). I just want to say how awful it is that this is happening the Morningland Dairy. Emily Dickson, a member of the family that owns Morningland, is a wonderful person. I know her through the forum, and she has given me and several others helpful advice for their goats more times than I can count. She is extremely knowledgable and takes good care of her animals. Not to mention the fact that, in 30 years of business, their raw milk cheeses have never made anyone sick, they've always been 100% legal, and the cheese is DELICIOUS. Yes, I have had it, and it was the BEST! Their dairy is making wonderful, healthy food items and is being basically attacked because of it. It seems that the government always wants to hurt the little guy, but lets Mr. Big Britches KILL CHILDREN with contaminated and unsafe food before they even recall it (watch Food Inc if you don't believe me. A child died from eating contaminated meat that wasn't recalled until 16 days after the death of the child! It's so ridiculous...but I must digress, before I start ranting.) The major food industry is in the pocket of the government, and so the little guy who does his/her best to make wholesome, safe food is prosecuted because Uncle Sam thinks it's his right to tell us what we should and should not eat. I 100% believe that the only reasons this is happening to Morningland is because they offer raw (and therefore more healthy) milk products, and they are one of the little guys. My heart hurts for them and the nine families that are supported by this dairy.
    Anyways, if you can't donate to them to help, please keep them in your prayers, write the people "in charge," do whatever you can to support Emily, Morningland, and the others like them.

Links:

About the Situation: http://www.newswithviews.com/Hannes/doreen107.htm

Morningland's Website - http://morninglanddairy.webs.com/apps/blog/

About Raw Milk - http://www.rawmilk.org/default.php

http://realmilk.com/

Now, what I am reposting - Lets have a Cheese Party!

"Sponsor A Cheese, Save A Dairy!

I'll assume most of us are aware of the assault against Morningland Dairy that began back in August, and has resulted in anti-raw milk pencil pushers (and toadies of corporate dairy concerns) demanding that the dairy destroy all their cheese in stock (SIX MONTHS WORTH OF PRODUCT!) -- despite the fact that all FDA testing done at the dairy proved that there is absolutely NO contamination of their healthy food.

So... I had an idea. Here's what I am going to do, and if you'd like to do the same, I certainly encourage you to join the Un-Cheese Party!

Here's the low down:
If Morningland can't sell the cheese because the Missouri Milk Board and the FDA are against wholesome food, they may well lose their business which has been in operation for THIRTY YEARS. (And through all those years they are able to boast that NO ONE has EVER been made ill by their cheese!)

I'm not going to let that happen if I can help it.

I'm going to "sponsor" a few pounds of that embargoed cheese. I invite anyone else who is interested to join me in our

CYBER-SPACE UN-CHEESE PARTY!

There are 50,000 pounds of cheese slated for destruction. This is not counting the cheese destroyed due to the recall.

Here's how to SPONSOR A CHEESE:

The average price per pound is $5.

You can paypal a donation to

morningland@centurytel.net

Or, you can send your sponsorship checks or money orders directly to the dairy. Just let them know what the money is for, and a note of encouragement would certainly be appreciated.
Morningland Dairy
6248 County Road 2980
Mountain View, MO
65548

Now, folks, this is a PARTY, so INVITE YOUR FRIENDS, your neighbors, your mere acquaintances to join us!

Plaster the message on other boards you frequent, put it on your Facebook Status, make a YouTube video and hey! maybe it'll go viral!

We have to stand together as raw milk consumers and producers, or we WILL see the day where we can't even grow food for our own consumption!

(see the thread, "Another threat against raw milk" for sample letters to write to your politicians to make an even bigger impact.)

Let's get Morningland back on its feet -

SAVE THE CHEESE!!!"

Thank you, Pony from Homesteadingtoday.com, for thinking of this AWESOME idea! Please guys, pray for this family at the very least! Repost! Link to this! Write! Donate! Do something, please!!

- Rach in Wonderland...at least until even just owning your own dairy animals is made illegal!

C'mon, Clara!

2010-09-21T22:14:00.000-05:00

   I cleaned out the kidding stall and moved Clara into it today. I have been putting that off as long as possible - I hate having to lock them away for kidding, away from their "friends," the guardians, the outdoors. Therefore, I put it off until I felt it was no longer safe to do so. Her udder is filling out a little more each day (it's not really FULL and tight yet), her ligaments are loosening but not gone (at least, as far as I can tell), and it looks like she's swallowed several basketballs and a small child. I'm keeping a really close eye on her - I do NOT want to miss her kidding. I do wish she would hurry up, though! On the one hand, I realize that it is still very hot out during the day, but on the other hand...well, I just want to be able to stop worrying about it! Haha. The temperatures are supposed to start being more comfortable next week, so maybe she'll kid then. That would be ideal, but you know how goats are - they never want to do what you want them to. ;)
   I really do feel for her being moved to the stall, though. I know a lot of people allow their goats to give birth in the pasture, but I don't feel like that is the safest option here. Maybe one day, when I have a separate pen strictly for new mothers and their kids like I plan to, that might be an option - or I would at least give them the option of kidding outside if they wanted. It's out of the question right now, though. I don't want any does kidding in a pen with other does who aren't also late in the family way, because they might be more inclined to butt the newborn kids. I also don't want her kidding near Lakota. I think that Mellow would be fine, but Lakota is still a puppy and might try to play with a kid - that would not end well, as I'm sure you can guess. In the end, I feel that it's best to have control over the kidding environment by putting the does in the stall(s) in the barn. It definitely lessens the risks. Clara was displeased, though, which I expected. She didn't want to leave the fence, and she didn't like being in the stall. She isn't completely alone, though - Rumor and Trouble are next door. They don't have access to the same areas, but they can see and touch each other through a gate. I would never want her to be completely alone (or any of them, for that matter). I am going to have to switch around that arrangement soon, though, now that I know Rumor is not pregnant (via blood test). I also need to get electric fencing around the buck pen so I can keep the whether inside of it...oy. It seems like sometimes, no matter how much I get done, there is still so much left to do! I can't wait until my list of outdoor improvements/changes come down to nothing more than normal, everyday chores. That might be a while though....
   I really hope Clara kids soon! I'm itching for some babies - it has been way too long since I've had any! I'm also itching to put my milking stand to it's intended use! I can't wait for that sweet, rich milk! And the cheese and yogurt I intend to make from it....mmmm, yummy! I finally bought my Maggidan's Milker (http://maggidans.com/milker.htm) today. It is/was actually a birthday present that I just hadn't got around to ordering yet. I still plan to learn to hand milk, which I have never done before, but I knew that with classes, possibly small teats (I expect that more out of my first fresheners than Clara), beginner milking does, and a beginner milking human that I would need some help making things go faster. Also, the milker will allow me to keep the milk clean and away from kicking hooves! None of my girls have been milked extensively (I believe Clara has been milked some, but not a lot), and I don't want to loose that precious milk to a kicky doe. I still haven't figured out how I am going to work my milking schedule. I have one very early "night" class that would require me to milk around 3:00pm just to give myself enough time, and the other night class would require me to milk around 4:00pm for enough time...Of course, you are supposed to milk on a steady schedule for the best production, which would mean milking at 3:00am and 3:00pm every day! Now, aside from the obvious reasons that wouldn't work, I have no electricity in my barn, so I have to milk during the daylight hours. What I think is going to happen is that I will have to milk only once a day, around 7:30 in the morning. I am disappointed that I will only be able to milk once a day, because that will cut down on the production, but it is better than the alternatives. I hope I can work my schedule out better next semester for milking.
   Well, I have rambled on enough! I hope everyone is having a great week!
-Rach in Wonderland

Just Another Manic Monday

2010-09-20T15:17:00.002-05:00

Alright, my Mondays aren't really manic. I don't particularly like Mondays, simply because they are the start of the school week, and the end of the weekend. Poor Monday really can't help where it was placed in the week - but that doesn't make us like it any more. Regardless of what day it is, I am not looking forward to my classes this week. That's not why I am writing, though!

I am actually writing because I have finally uploaded the pictures of my chicken's new digs, which I actually finished on Friday. I am pretty proud of our little A-farm chicken house. It is holding 11 youngsters (I forget their exact age - I would have to look it up) with room to spare. I feel that it could comfortably hold a couple of Midget White turkeys (yes - I have been getting ideas) if moved frequently - which it will be regardless of what is in it, or a flock of maybe 4-6 standard hens or a few more bantams. You can see in the picture that is has large triangular sections. You can see two clearly in the picture, and it has four altogether. Hopefully that can give you some sort of an idea of it's size. It's current little mixed flock will be residing within it until they are at least 1/2-3/4 the size of my Rhode Island Reds, at which point they will be integrated into that flock. Unfortunately, the prettiest colored Easter Eggers turned out to be a roo, or at least was acting like one toward the Australorp. I'm going to have to give the roosters a space of their own. I want to have hatching eggs this Spring, and I want them to be purebred - since I have Buff Orps, RIR, and EE, this means that I will have to have a rooster of each breed. That, of course, means that I will have to have the roosters separate until I want hatching eggs. That reminds me - one of my RIR hens went broody two weeks ago! That means that - with any luck - I should have a clutch of RIR chicks hatching out around this Saturday, which will be the three week mark.

I am already anxiously awaiting next Spring, when I will be starting to sell eggs. I will be having regular eggs for $2.00/doz. Actually, to be more accurate, I plan on charging $2.50 for the first time buyer, and then $2.00 for repeat purchases if they bring back the egg carton. The extra .50 cents is to cover the costs of the egg carton if it is not brought back. It is actually illegal to re-use another brand's egg carton, so that is a necessary expense. I'm really hoping to get up a client base that I can get to know, and who will bring back the cartons. I feel like there is a big enough market for farm-fresh, cage-free, healthy, all-natural eggs for me to be able to sell enough to cover the expenses of the chickens. My laying hens are fed a completely hormone and antibiotic free diet, and a vegetarian layer crumble [I don't prevent them from eating all the bugs they want, of course. ;) ] Their eggs are definitely healthy, flavorful, and worth at least $2.00.
I also really hope to start a booth at the local farmer's market next Spring to sell my eggs and soaps, as well as a few crafts. I would also really like to get a certified kitchen to sell my jams and jellies at the market. 2010 held great things for Wonderland (like chickens!), and I just know that 2011 is going to be even better! I'm actually hoping to expand into honey bees next Spring also, as well as meat chickens and turkeys. Maybe I am just ambitious, but I really hope that it will work out that way! The meat chickens are a definite must, and I would probably choose turkeys over bees, but I really hope to have all three! I just love delicious, fresh honey, and I think honey bees are adorable. Not to mention the anti-bacterial and anti-allergy properties of honey, or the fact that it is a natural sweetener! I would love to have enough honey to offer some to the local public (local honey is the best for allergies), as well as to eat myself, and use in my soaps and on my face (it is very good for the skin).

   Anyways, you can see in the picture to the left that the chicks are very happy to finally be out of the "brooder" and on the grass! The ones to the left are all rolling around on the ground taking dust-baths. I'm very glad they no longer need the heat lamp, especially considering the night that the storm caused the heat lamp bulb to burst (it got wet), which in turn cut one of the Buff's back above the tail, which unfortunately led to pecking. The affected Buff is actually the one standing near the feeder in the picture. You can see where he/she is missing some feathers still where it was cut and then pecked. Vaseline stopped the pecking and helped it heal, but it is still taking awhile for the feathers to grow back. I'll be glad when it's completely better!
   I hope that you all like the layout of the pictures in this blog. I have previously had all the pictures in a straight line at the end of the blog, but I thought that this might make it more interesting!
   I hope you all are having a great Manic Monday!
- Rach in Wonderland

Hopeful Master Gardener-To-Be!

2010-09-16T22:27:00.000-05:00

I was reading a small local newspaper today - which very rarely happens, and was only occurring this time because of an anthropology assignment - when I stumbled upon a small ad in the bottom left hand corner of one page. This ad began with "NEW CLASSES" and went on to explain that the University of Tennessee is offering a Master Gardener class this Spring in my area. I tore the ad out of the paper, showed it to my parents, and then gave it an honored spot on the 'fridge - rough edges and all. I have to turn in an application to by October 1, 2010, and if I am accepted, I will be a Master Gardener after a 15 week course starting in January! I am excited about this, because I love to learn. There are so many things that I eventually want to learn or have some sort of formal training in, or have a degree for, or be certified for...well, you get the idea! I just love to learn as much as I can. I believe that knowledge is very important; after all, knowledge is power! In any case, I also think that the knowledge I will glean from this course will be helpful to my homesteading. As soon as I know if I'm accepted to the course, I'll let you know! (Here I've been talking about it like I'm already in, when I haven't even sent in an application! =p)
Oh, I would also like to add that, after further research, becoming a Master Gardener might open up a lot of doors for me, either to help others or even just to participate in fun things. Check it out for yourself! - http://mastergardener.tennessee.edu/index_whatis_mastergardener.html

-Rach in Wonderland

Multiple Blogs? Nah.

2010-09-15T18:25:00.000-05:00

I have noticed a trend among some fellow bloggers. It seems that a lot of them have multiple blogs. For example, someone might have a blog dedicated to life in general, a blog for their farm, a blog for their quilting hobby, and a blog about their opinions. I thought briefly about doing that myself, especially since my current blog is named "Wonderland Farm," which some might say molds my blog to fit one topic. After a bit of thought, I don't find that to be the case. This blog is about my farm, yes, but it is also about my life. My farm is a huge part of my life, so it gets blogged about a lot. However, I see no reason why I can't spice up my blog a bit by posting pictures from a fair, or talking about a hobby, or any other part of my life. This is my blog, after all. I also would want any readers that I might have to feel like they had to seek out every other blog I had and follow them in order to get a good picture of what my life is really like. I also think that no one wants to read a blog that is just about say, goats. Yes, goat antics are interesting, but lets be honest - sometimes there really is nothing new to say about my goats, my chickens, or even the farm itself. That would get so old for someone to read. I imagine it would go something like this; "Ariel bit my shirt again! Oh, the hens layed an egg! The chicks eat a lot." See? Not very interesting - at least not to anyone who isn't me. No, I would rather blog about interesting updates on the farm, mixed in with the rest of my life. Yes, homesteading is a huge priority to me, but so are things like school, family, God, hobbies, and just life in general. If you narrow down your entire life to make it only about one segment of it, your life - and your blog! - will get boring pretty fast.
I hope that y'all don't mind this blog being about more than my homestead. If you do, well, that's too bad! What can I say, this is my one blog, and it is about my one life - all the various parts of it. =)

Chicks No More!

2010-09-14T16:08:00.000-05:00

   I realized that I haven't updated about the chicks lately. Well, they're hardly chicks anymore! They have grown so much - it's amazing. The Easter Eggers are just beautiful. There is one that is a blue color with red on the wings, and Speckles is now speckled almost all over. The others are very pretty, also. The Buffs in particular are feathering out nicely, and are so rich in color and soft looking. We did lose one of the Black Australorps, unfortunately. I won't go into detail here, but he/she had to be put down. It was the first time I've had to make the decision that it would be best to put down an animal. It wasn't easy, but I am confident that we did the right thing. Death is something that has to be dealt with when you homestead.
   The other eleven chicks are thriving! They quickly outgrew their box in the bathroom, and have now outgrown their above-ground hutch, their fan, and their heat lamp. We are in the process of building them a portable ground coop. It is an A-frame structure designed to be moved every week or two in order to give them fresh grass and bugs. All that is left for it is to attach wire, tin, and a door. Once they outgrow it, they will be moved to the adult layer's pen. The A-frame will be used later on as a brooder for meat birds. Once the construction is complete and the chicks are moved, I will post pictures!
   In the mean time, enjoy a few pictures from the Tennessee State Fair! Would you believe we spent four hours there?

-Rach in Wonderland

Picture Time!

2010-09-10T15:11:00.000-05:00

The bowl obviously doesn't fit, but hey, I was making do with what I had.

Hello, September!

2010-09-09T14:51:00.001-05:00

   As some of you may know, I celebrated my birthday September 3rd. My birthday is a welcome day for me, not just because it's my birthday, but because it also signals the end of Summer. How fitting for me, the lover of all things Autumn, to be born at the beginning of my favorite season! The air has held a slight chill during the evenings and mornings, and even on a few rainy days lately. The skies have been overcast more often. The temperature and humidity have markedly dropped. The first leaves have also started to turn, as well as soybeans and cotton. It's glorious!
   Another thing that my birthday comes along with the beginning of is school. Children - both home schooled as I was and the public and private school attenders - are once again turning their minds to their studies. "In fourteen hundred-ninety two, Columbus sailed the ocean blue." College kids like myself have also begun the semester. My classes keep me fairly busy, even though one was canceled too late for me to find a replacement for it (Summer classes are in my future...oh, great!). I live in fear this time of year that some emergency on my "farm" will make me miss one of my once-a-week night classes. It's not as big of a problem for the classes that meet more often and longer, but if I missed one of the seven week classes, I could fail if my professor was unforgiving. Here's hoping none of the goats choose one of those nights to kid! Yikes! I should probably rethink seven week courses the next time I have does due to kid, but I do love only have seven - albeit very long - classes.
   In other news, no one has kidded yet. Clara has been developing an udder for a while now, so I am thinking that she will be going first. Pictures will be posted within 24 hours of any births! I can't wait. I also received a metal milking stand for my birthday - pictures will be posted soon. IT is so helpful with things like trimming hooves! Yesterday my mother and I shucked, blanched, creamed, and froze 5 and 1/2 dozen ears of corn straight from Wisconsin. The ears were beautiful and delicious, and not a single one was skippy! I hope we have an opportunity to buy some Wisconsin corn next year. The South may be known for farming, but I have to admit that the North has us beat as far as Sweet Corn goes. There is one more bit of exciting news. I also received a new buckling for my birthday! I was planning on bringing home an adult, but I fell in love with "Trouble's" dam, and Trouble himself. Introducing Chinook Winds Wild America (name pending).

The pictures below are of my birthday dinner and the corn. On my birthday, my grandparents, parents, Sarah, and I had Indian food for the first time. It was SO delicious! Afterwards, we had ice cream cake at my grandmother's.

-Rach in Wonderland

Boat for Sale

2010-08-14T02:54:00.001-05:00

My dad has decided to sell his fishing boat and motor. It ran great the last time we took it for a spin, but Dad is going to get the motor in a barrel of water just to be sure it's still working prior to sale. He just doesn't use it enough to warrant keeping it - he hasn't used it at all this Summer. I don't know much about it, but email me at themuffinwoman@aol.com and I can give you his number and you can contact him to ask questions. I will try to get better pictures soon!

John Boat, Trailer, and Motor - $1,200.

- Rach in Wonderland

Is it Fall yet?

2010-08-12T18:30:00.001-05:00

   I am so sick of summer. I know that sounds horribly pessimistic, but it's true. Granted, when the winter months start getting old, and classes start back and get into full swing, I will probably miss these almost-care free summer days. But I just don't think I take any more of this sweltering heat, and this humidity that you could cut with a butter knife! It's no doubt that summer has it's perks - no freezing water, no college classes, gardens grow, fruit is in season. However, it has a down side for nearly every upside. Standing still sweat pours off my face, animals - like my currently-indoor-but-is-supposed-to-be-outdoor bunny - are at danger of heat stroke, people are at danger of heat stroke, water must be changed more frequently. Not to mention the fact that, with heat indexes up to 120, it's almost impossible to get anything done outside without fearing for your well being. I have a list of outdoor chores that just keeps getting longer, but every time I try to start on them the heat sucks all of the energy right out of me. The heat wouldn't be so bad, really, if it weren't so darn humid. Either way, though, I've got weeds to chop (which, let's face it, won't be), goat blood to draw (tried this once, but couldn't get the hair shaved, which prevented us from being able to see the vein. I'm investing in some battery powered clippers and we're giving it another go this weekend.), shots to give (CD&T), fences to improve, a coop to improve, barns to clean out, and wood to burn. Oh, how I do not want to burn that wood right now - in fact, it will probably be piled up there for a good while. I'll just call it an emergency heat source. Yeah, that's it...emergency heat source. That's a perfectly logical explanation for a pile of scrap barn wood!
   Honestly, though, I don't feel like doing much of anything outdoors right now. This is the hottest summer that I can remember. Last year was extremely wet, and we only had a few weeks of hellish temperatures. I griped about the rain and it's undoing of our garden last year, but I think I'd like it back now. I am sincerely hoping that neither Clara nor Rumor kid this month. They *could* kid any time between the 14th of this month and November, but my personal guess is September. I don't think I will intentionally breed does who even could be due in this weather again, though. You live and learn, and then get Luvs. Ah, wait, that's only if you have human kids...
   The good news, though, is that fall is on the horizon! I noticed today that some of the corn crops are already turning. It excited me more than a little. The first sign of fall is here! Soon the leaves will turn, and grass will die, and that beautiful autumn smell will be swirling outside with leaves...I can almost feel the crispness now. Autumn is my favorite time of year, and always has been. I love different things about all the seasons (though I can't remember what it was I liked about summer right now...), but there is just something special about fall. One of my favorite sensations is walking outside on a cool October day, seeing the earth painted in reds, oranges, yellows, and browns, and smelling that smell that only comes on autumn winds. Oh, and the pumpkins! Pumpkins, Indian Corn, corn mazes, candy corn, piles of leaves, apples pies! Halloween, Thanksgiving! I cannot wait!
   Oops, I'm getting away from myself. I had another reason for posting, other than just to complain about summer and pine after fall! While at Tractor Supply last Friday, Mom and I picked up some chicks. Don't worry, I mean the little fuzz ball kind with wings! We got two White Leghorn sexed chicks (pullets), five Easter Eggers, two Black Australorps, and three Buff Orpingtons. I am hoping that we will have more pullets than cockerels out of the straight-run bunch, especially from the Orpingtons and Easter Eggers. However, any extra roos won't be that big of a deal; they will be sold or sent to freezer camp. I'm actually hoping for maybe one rooster to send to freezer camp. I'm anxious to try homegrown chicken, and to get the daunting task of our first home butcher out of the way. Everyone I have talked to who raises their own meat have said that the first time is the hardest, but after that you realize that it's better tasting, better for you, and that the animal had a better life than the chickens/whatever in the store.
   Anyways, I only have a couple decent chick pictures. They moved around so much while I was trying to take them that I'm surprised I even got one! I keep meaning to take more now that they're a lot less fuzzy and more feathery, but I haven't gotten around to it. I'll stick the decent pictures I have at the bottom.
   As for the adult chickens, well, they're spoiled. Yes, I have already managed to spoil my feathered egg laying friends. Every time I come to the barn, they walk up to their fence and watch me, waiting to see if I have more watermelon, cantaloupe, bananas, or what have you. It's really kind of adorable. They also have given us two eggs yesterday and the day before! They hadn't been laying so well because of the heat, despite adequate shade and fresh water. I can't say that I blame them. I still hope they will have layed two more when I go out tonight! There were none as of my mid-day check. Dad ate the first homegrown egg last night, which I attempted to fry for him. It ended up half fried and half scrambled, but he said the taste was far better than any store bought eggs! He said it must be all the bugs they eat. ;) I could tell how much darker the yolk was, too. I haven't had a chance to taste one for myself yet.
   Well, that's enough rambling. "See" you later!

-Rach in Wonderland

A Picture is Worth 1,000 Words.

2010-08-05T17:30:00.000-05:00

The girls out grazing.

Rhode Island Red hen, though I can't tell which one. They're all doing well.

Clara Bow's rear view. I'm betting there's babies in there!

Look how green the grass is!

The okra is coming up very well.

I sure hope those are baby bumps, Brownie!

Lakota has GROWN.

Ariel wanted attention.

So did Rumor. Look at those sweet faces!

-Rach in Wonderland

We now have chickens!

2010-08-01T18:59:00.000-05:00

   I am extremely pleased to tell you all that Wonderland now has chickens! I feel like a "real" homesteader now. Obviously I haven't quite reached that point yet, but I'm getting closer every day. I'm not sure what exactly officially makes me a complete homesteader - maybe when at least 50% of my and my families food is homegrown? - but there's no doubt that having the chickens has brought me one step closer. We even got our first egg yesterday!
   Anyways, enough about me. I want to tell you about the chickens! We now have four standard Rhode Island Red hens and one rooster. We did have five hens, but - unfortunately - we lost one to heat stroke. We almost lost another, but thank goodness I was able to save her by bringing her inside and giving her water with a syringe. She was so weak she couldn't stand when I brought her inside, despite being sopping wet from Mom trying to cool her with the hose. I inadvertently named her "Miss Chicken" because that's what I kept calling her, due to her lack of a name. It was hard losing the one, especially so soon after we got them, but saving Miss Chick helped to ease that a bit. We've already put blood, sweat, and tears into the chickens - literally. That's how homesteading (or owning animals at all) can be sometimes, though. I read a quote yesterday that I think really applies to homesteading, particularly with livestock - "Only people who are capable of loving strongly can also suffer great sorrow, but this same necessity of loving serves to counteract their grief and heals them." - Leo Tolstoy. In any case, I have learned that chickens are very susceptible to heat. I was very relieved when I found online that death from heat is a common problem, and sometimes no matter what precautions you have in place, they will still die. I now know what to watch for, and how to help prevent heat stroke in my birds.
   Rhode Island Reds, or RIRs, are a very popular brown egg laying breed. They weren't actually the breed I was looking for originally, but I'm very pleased with these calm, beautiful birds. Watching them hunt for bugs is a real hoot, and even the rooster is gentle. He has yet to threaten to use his spurs. I'll admit I was a bit afraid of him at first, but he's proven himself to be a fine roo. The breed was developed in Rhode Island, as the name implies. McMurray hatchery has this to say about the breed -

"This is one of the most famous and all time popular breeds of truly American chickens. Developed in the early part of this century in the state of the same name, they have maintained their reputation as a dual purpose fowl through the years. Outstanding for production qualities, they have led the contests for brown egg layers time after time. No other heavy breed lays more or better eggs than the Rhode Island Reds."

     I do still hope to add Light Brahmas and Silver Spangled Hamburgs next year, but for now I'm content with my RIRs. I am going to add a few more hens, however, to keep my hen-to-roo ration at a decent number. I don't want my rooster overworking my girls, and causing them to lose feathers and such. They may be more RIRs, or I might end up just finding some mixed breed hens, or maybe Easter Eggers if can find any. I think a few EEs would be fun to have around, for those funky eggs. =]
   I'm feeding them Purina's Layena Sun Fresh laying crumbles. I trust Purina brand and use it for almost everything, and I also like the fact that this mix is "natural" and contains no animal proteins. Obviously chickens are omnivores and eat bugs, but I do not trust a feed that contains animal fats and proteins for livestock such as cows, goats, chickens, horses, etc. I do not want my animals to be fed brain matter or animals of the same species as them. It's my personal belief that eating brain is wrong, morally and health wise. I feel that eating something's brain is eating it's "essence" so to speak. Living beings personalities come from the brain, and while I know that once something is dead it is no longer inside of it's brain, I still feel it is disrespectful and wrong to eat somethings brain. That is like eating the being rather than just it's body, if that makes sense. I also believe that eating brain matter can lead to diseases such as mad cow. (Read this interesting article - http://www.mad-cow.org/~tom/victim23.html ) I also feel that cannibalism is wrong, even though in the wild animals are sometimes cannibalistic. This isn't the wild, and they don't have to be cannibalistic to survive, so I will not allow them to be cannibalistic by choice.
   Okay, I have obviously been going down bunny trails. Sorry about that. Long story short, I am extremely excited and happy to finally have chickens. I just love them. One of these days I hope to have enough chickens to be able to sell eggs and maybe even chicks.
   My camera has finally been returned to me repaired, so I can finally give you some decent pictures!

Miss Chicken. I can tell my hens - Miss Chick, Chloe, Petunia, and Rose - apart by their combs.

They really loved the watermelon. =)

The first egg!

There will be more pictures soon.

-Rach in Wonderland

"Get Home" Bags

2010-07-11T21:43:00.001-05:00

Hello again! Well, as the title implies, I just fixed up my parents some "Get Home" bags. What are these, you ask? Well, it's actually a pretty simple concept. "Get Home" bags are simply bags filled with supplies to get someone home from their workplace (or anywhere any distance away from their home) in case of an emergency, particularly one in which people could not safely use their vehicles or needed to get away from cities and into the woods (riots, namely). I packed away enough food for 2-3 days for my mother, but it could really last longer if she rationed it. My dad, who sometimes drives pretty far away for his job, has enough for 3-4 days, or more if he rations. I packed my mom a tool (one of those plier/pocket knife hybrids) and a pair of scissors, while my dad got a pocket knife. They both got a light blanket, which will be upgraded when winter rolls around. I tried to balance their kits based on how self-reliant they could be in the woods (Dad wins that one), how far they had to go, and how dangerous their area might be (Mom works in Memphis...yikes). I still need to add several things - like water, first aid kits, and compasses - but overall I think the "Get Home" bags could indeed get them home in case of an emergency or natural disaster. I didn't make myself one, because I travel much less and don't usually go very far when I do. That being said, though, my purse is kind of it's own kit, minus the food. ;) Now, my parents think I go overboard with "this prep stuff," and they're probably right...but...I would rather be safe than sorry. I still have a long way to go in my prepping, but at least I've made a bit of progress. One never knows what will happen, after all.

I live too near people to sleep easy in the case of a disaster. Don't get me wrong, I like people and I don't mind having a neighbor or two. I would just rather be somewhere where my nearest neighbors were a mile or so away, or at least somewhere that I really knew my neighbors. That is not the case here. Now, if you think about, what is one of the greatest dangers when a disaster occurs? People, particularly in cities and crowds. People panic, and that sometimes causes them to act violently towards others. They don't have preparations for emergencies, they've lost loved ones, and they may not even know what's going on; I can't really blame them for panicking (of course, there is no excuse for violence or riots, but they happen). I can only imagine how bad the riots in and near Memphis would be if there any kind of natural or unnatural disaster occurred and caused power outages or massive damage. I probably don't even need to mention the added strain of the current economic situation.

Riots occur for various reasons, but they can cause so much damage so quickly. Also, as people found out after Katrina, when hundreds of people are hungry and even the stores don't have enough food set back for an emergency, things can get ugly and stores can be emptied. It is in times like those when your personal safety and your access to the things you need just to survive become very threatened, very quickly. I don't want to be caught with my pants down, so to speak. I want to be ready, whether the situation be a black out, a flood (which my area did recently suffer from - thank goodness I like on a hill! But oh, those poor people who lost everything!), an ice storm/blizzard, a tornado, an earthquake, or something man made; I want to be able to protect and have supplies for my family, my friends if they could get here, and my animals.

In any case, here are some links you might want to peruse -

Katrina Food Riots

Post-Katrina Looting

New York City Blackout of 1977

Emergency Essentials

Survival Forum at Homesteading Today

Be Prepared

P.S. My blackberry and blueberry jams are now available! 12oz jars are $4.00. There is plenty of peach still available, but blackberry is already running low. The jam is going like hotcakes, so be sure to place your orders now. =)

Be safe, everyone!

-Rach in Wonderland

Fresh Jam!

2010-07-06T21:56:00.003-05:00

   Today I made some super-delicious Peach Jam from fresh peaches that I bought from a local farm at our farmer's market. Have I ever mentioned that I love farmer's markets? I certainly do.
   Well, as I said, these peaches made some wonderful jam. It's not only tasty, it's pretty as well. It also made a lot more than I was expecting. I was hoping to have a little bit of surplus to sell, but I turned out having two dozen half-pint jars (four batches)! I even had to go to the store to pick up more pectin; I wasn't prepared for more than two batches. I'm certainly not complaining, though. Jam making is one of my favorite kitchen activities. I love the process, I love the end result, and I even love the "Pop! Pop! Pop!" of lids sealing. Not to mention the fact that nothing in this world tastes better than warm jam fresh out of the pot! Mmm. Plus, now I'll have enough jam to last well until the next peach season. Well, that is if I don't sell all of it. Don't get me wrong, I'll sell any to anyone who wants it until I'm fresh out, but I don't have a developed "client base" of sorts yet, so I don't expect it all to sell.
   Well, enough yammering. I managed to get a half-decent picture from my cell phone, so I can share it with you. If any of you are interested in this jam, it's $3.00 a jar. I am, as always, open to bartering. If you don't live within pleasant driving distance, I would be happy to find out shipping costs for you.
   Oh, and before I forget! I'm making blackberry and blueberry jams tomorrow! I'm not sure how much I will get, but I should have some excess available. The berries are coming from mine and my grandmother's bushes. I should also have fig preserves in just a little while, from my grandmother's trees. Well, enough of trying to be a salesman. Here is the picture!

Doesn't that look good?

-Rach in Wonderland

Corn Sweet Corn

2010-07-03T20:25:00.003-05:00

Yesterday (Friday), I spent the day with my grandmother, aka Mamoo, and helped her put up her sweet corn in the freezer. My little "baby" cousins (who are actually my cousin's children, but who knows what that technically makes them to me) Kaylee and Lexi were there, also. I learned a couple of things - 1) Four year olds don't understand words like slack, basically, and cooperate. 2) Worms really, really love sweet corn. I wish I had my camera already, because I would have loved a picture of those gooey, creepy little crawlers. Blech. There was one in probably 99% of the cobs (of which there were about 100). There were big worms, little worms, and in between worms...and they all damaged the tips of the corn. Still, despite the worms, I enjoyed spending time with my grandmother and putting away the corn. It's fun work, to me, and I like helping my grandmother. It did have me wondering, though, how "city folk" spend time with their grandparents. Do they just hang out? Do they eat? Do they cook? Do they sew? Do they paint and make things? Do they have small gardens in their tiny backyards? It just makes me wonder. My fondest memories of my grandmothers almost always involve us doing something, like sewing, crocheting, gardening, cooking, painting, or putting away food from their gardens. My grandmothers are the ones who taught me to do some of my favorite things. Mamoo taught me more about outdoor farming, and Granny taught me more about domestic and creative things, including putting away fruits and vegetables (both of them garden) and making soap. I was blessed to have the grandmothers I have.

Anywho, I thought I would walk you guys through the process of putting up sweet corn, in case you're interested in it but don't know how.

Step 1: Pick the corn, obviously. =) You can tell it's ready when the silk coming out of the top is brown.

Step 2: Shuck the corn. This part is where you may encounter worms. You've got to get all of the husks and the silks (those annoying stringy thing within the husk that people often compare children's hair to) off of the cobs. A vegetable brush is great for ridding the ears of silk.This is also the time for worm removal; yuck, I know. Save the husks for your compost pile!

Step 3: Wash the corn, and remove damaged parts. You will likely find ears that have been damaged by worms. Cut off all of the yucky, damaged part (usually the tip, but sometimes the worms go in the side. If they have gone in the side and damaged too much, just discard the ear). Be sure that the corn is nice and clean. Now is also a great time to remove any resilient silks.

Step 4: Alright, it's time to cook your corn! Put the ears into boiling water (don't overfill your pot - you will most likely have to cook several batches) and allow them to boil for 7-10 minutes, depending on the size of the ears. Remove the corn from the water, and spray the ears with cold water in your sink to cool them off until you can handle them without burning yourself.

Step 5: Okay, this step is optional. If you want corn off the cob, you can now slice the kernels off. If you want corn on the cob, leave them as they are. If you want to cream your corn, which is what we did, then you will need one of these. Of course, it doesn't have to be stainless steel - we used a wooden one (picture below). These instruments are really neat. You just rub the corn down the tool, which should be over a bowl, and it cuts the kernels off and creams them. Just rub every side of the cob, and then - if you want - use a butter knife to scrape a bit more milk out of the corn. Be careful not to cream or cut your fingers or hands!

Step 6: Once you've got all of the cobs creamed (or prepared in whatever way you chose), it's time to put the corn away. We put our into zip lock freezer bags, but any kind of freezer container with a good seal will work. Be sure to label it with the date included, and to press out as much air as possible. The less air inside the bags, the longer the corn will last and resist freezer burn. Stick the corn in the freezer, and voila! You've saved your sweet corn to be enjoyed in whatever season you want.

(Of course, you could also can your corn, but that would be a much more time consuming and detailed process.)

Mmm..delicious!

-Rach in Wonderland

Introducing Lakota and Other News

2010-06-28T03:45:00.000-05:00

Hello there! I have a bit of exciting news to share with you all today! Wonderland has a new edition; an adorable Great Pyrenees puppy named Lakota. Lakota is eight weeks old and looks like a giant marshmallow, but he'll grow up to be a big guardian for my goats. He is currently undergoing training from Mellow, which - considering his age - mostly involves watching her while she does her job and getting used to everything here. He came from a farm that raises Boer goats (which are huge compared to my miniatures), so he is already used to having caprine companions. I'm definitely excited to have him here, because I know he will grow up to be a great guardian for my bucks. He settled in very quickly, and I have faith in his instincts and his mentor (Mellow). Speaking of his mentor, Mellow accepted him right away. I wasn't very worried about that, though. Mellow is extremely smart, so she was able to understand that Lakota belonged inside the fence. I have no doubts that had he been an invader, he would not have been welcomed so kindly. Luckily for all involved, Great Pyrs like Mellow are very intelligent, and she knew that I approved of him and that he wasn't a threat to "her" goats. Thank goodness for the guardian breeds! Goodness knows I would lose a lot of sleep if I didn't have Mellow. I bet I'll sleep like a baby when Lakota is old enough to move into the buck pen. =]

As for my other news, well, it isn't as exciting as a new puppy. My blackberry bushes have started to produce this year, and we got our first ripe ones in yesterday. My bushes are still pretty young, so the berries are a little smaller than I like and they're not producing as much a more mature plant, but they gave us enough for my mother, my friend, Sarah, and I to each have a bowl. They needed a bit of sugar, but they were still delicious. I think knowing that they're 100% mine and have never had pesticides on them makes them a bit sweeter. There is something special about food that you have produced on your own. Speaking of home-grown food, we took some of our peas from last year's garden out of the freezer for supper tonight. They were delicious! I can't wait until our garden starts producing this year. Actually, I can't wait until we get it all in. Things have been slow going this year, but at least they're going!

My buck, Beetlejuice, was put back in his own pen yesterday. Neither him nor my whether are too pleased about the situation, and I can't say that I blame them. They were living it up with ladies for company, but now they've got to be roommates for a while. I think they'll get acclimated soon enough, though. They're probably sharing stories about how silly girls are right now, and probably thinking of a way to talk me into breaking off more gum tree limbs for them to munch. Hopefully I'll have four does kidding this fall between August and November. I tried very hard to be able to have exact dates, but no one would cooperate with me. I'm hopefully going to be sending off pregnancy tests to Biotracking later this month. It's just a matter of dad having the time to help draw the goats blood, since that's definitely not something I'm comfortable with doing on my own yet. I may end up having to pay the vet to do it, but I hope not since it's $90 just to get her to make a house call. If you think you'd like to buy a kid this fall, head on over to my website (http://www.wonderland-farm.webs.com) and contact me. I can let you know as soon as I confirm pregnancies, and also as soon as they kid.

Well, it's time for pictures! These are a bit better, thanks to Sarah coming over and using her digital camera.

This is the family of geese that lives at our neighbor's pond. They waddled over to eat in our yard.

Mellow, checking out Lakota. He looks a little bit pitiful, because I had just given him a bath and doctored the scrape on his nose.

Checking out a stick.

Checking out Brownie, who was also checking out Lakota!

Mellow and Lakota get along wonderfully. Mellow is such a good dog.

Beetlejuice is such a ham.

This is the first bass I caught, with a cricket on a cane pole! He broke the line just as I got him to shore. He weighed about 3lbs, but we put him back anyway.

This is my dad, holding the second bass I caught. This one weighed around five pounds, and was caught on an actual bass setup. We put him back, too. I was pretty excited that I caught such big fish, though, since the largest fish I've ever caught previously have been brim! (This is at my grandfather's pond, btw.)

Thanks for reading!

-Rach in Wonderland

Picture Blog!

2010-06-19T22:54:00.000-05:00

These are all picture that were taken on a film camera and scanned onto the computer, so they're not the greatest. They're pretty cute, though!

Beauty, looking a little insane...

Beetlejuice

Beetlejuice, walking away. At least you can see his color.

Brownie.

Sandy, using Clara as a footstool. Hehe.

Clara.

Most of the herd munching.

Sandy.

Mellow, morphing into a wolf...hahaha. I promise she's not crazy.

That's all, Folks!

So It Goes

2010-06-18T17:51:00.000-05:00

Well, my summer has taken yet another turn. I was let go from my job, because the owner couldn't afford to keep me. I understand completely, and I harbor no ill-will towards my boss or anyone there. My only regret is that now my original summer plans were kind of screwed up. As you know from a blog a little while back, I had planned on having a huge garden and focusing on my hobby farm. Unfortunately, I do no have my garden in the ground yet, because the month that I was at work I was insanely busy and then insanely tired after work. After I was let go, it rained SO MUCH that I couldn't get anything else in the ground. As of right now, all that's planted are tomatoes and peppers. That's going to hold me back, though!

Despite my set backs, I still intend to have my garden. Thanks to the long growing season of West Tennessee, there are still a lot of plants that I can get in the ground. The crops may be late, but I can deal with that. I also want to make some more soap and start getting serious about selling it, and I'm also thinking about a way to start selling baked goods. I know that I can successfully do it, it's just a matter of getting started. All in all, I want to start focusing more on what I've always wanted to do - working for myself. I want to dive head first into my hobby farm. I've had a few set backs, and the economy certainly doesn't make things easier, but I'm not ready to give up. As they say in the the movie Meet the Robinsons, "I'm going to keep moving forward." (That's a good movie, btw, if you're in need of something to watch!) One other thing I want to focus on more now is my creative writing. For a while now I've mostly written poetry, but I've missed my prose terribly. I'm diving back into that, too. My biggest dream for life is to publish a novel.

As for updates about the farm, well, there aren't many, but that isn't really a bad thing! Beetlejuice is still being housed with the girls. I do wish they would be more public with their relations so that I would know the deed was done, but apparently they're shy. He has been with Clara and Rumor since March, and with the Sandy and Brownie for over a month, though, so I've few doubts that we'll have kids born here this fall. Besides, if anyone doesn't take, they will just be re-bred for Spring kiddings. I'm praying it's a doe year! I could really use the extra money (does sell for much more than bucks and whethers), and I also plan to keep a doe or two. I know I will be keeping a doe out of Clara if I'm blessed with one from her. Everyone is doing well, thankfully, and I'm praying that they continue to do well throughout their kiddings. I just keep telling God that I'm not ready for a hard delivery! I don't have the experience to handle it yet. I hope He listens and takes pity on me. =)

Well, I hope you all are enjoying your summer!

-Rach in Wonderland

P.S. - I'm sorry for the poor picture quality. They're from my cell phone, because my camera is still out of commission.

They love to be let out into this thicket to munch the weeds.

I put Krystal in the round pen so she wouldn't bother the goats, so instead, Beetlejuice bothered her.

Just a Short Update

2010-05-26T12:31:00.000-05:00

Okay, I know I should be flogged for taking so long to write a new blog, but I've been super busy. In fact, I don't even have time for a full fledged blog. I'm just going to update about a couple of things that have been going on lately.

First off, I now have a job! I'm working for a local orchard in their restaurant/store. It's a pretty awesome place and the people I work with are fantastic. My only complaints are that my feet are really having trouble adjusting to the long hours of standing on concrete. I'm hoping that losing weight and simply getting used to it will help with that, but in the mean time I'm practically living off of Aleve and Advil. I know that's unhealthy, but at least I'm down to one soda a week...;] My only other complaint is actually not even a "real" complaint. I just feel like I have no time anymore, haha. I feel like I went straight from school to work and had no summer break. In truth, however, it's not that I don't have time, I just haven't adjusted to the situation yet. I'm slowly learning to budget my time a bit better, and I'm finding that it is possible to have a life when you're working full time. [Plus, more hours means more money, meright?]

The only other important bit of news is that I have decided to purchase Beetlejuice, so Wonderland is now a full-fledged goat operation, complete with it's very own buck! Okay, it's not really full-fledged - I still only have seven goats. I just have a complete set now. =]

One more thing before I'm off - I made four A+'s and one A this semester! I'm pretty excited. Okay, now I have to go buy goat feed, run some errands, and switch some of the goats around to different fences.

This picture is from a recent trip to Middleton, TN to visit the farm we buy our raw milk from. It was lots of fun! [I just bought a new computer, so I can't give you a picture of goats today. Sorry!]

Green Tea and Other Things

2010-04-11T20:01:00.001-05:00

Hiya, everyone! I hope that you're all enjoying the Spring weather as much as I am. It's been lovely outside.

Unfortunately, with that lovely weather comes bugs. Pesky, blood sucking bugs. I am, of course, talking about worms, ticks, lice, flies, and mosquitoes. Personally, I think that prevention is best when it comes to these parasites. I believe I mentioned giving the goats the old Spring-sprucing (trimming hooves and worming, in particular), but today I also gave the horses and goats some parasite powder that will take care of lice, mites, certain flies, and mosquitoes, and I also wormed Mellow (our LGD). Hopefully I can keep one step ahead of those yucky Summer bugs.

Spring also brings green things, though! I gave the goats a tree limb with some fresh green leaves on it. They attacked that limb like little piranhas! I'm pretty glad I'm not a tree limb...I've been on the receiving end of goat molars once, and trust me, once is enough! Hah! (Remember that if your affectionate goats get a little over-zealous with the loving, and decide to munch on your fingers!)

In non-goat-related news, I've decided to start trying some healthy teas, such as Green Tea, Red Tea, and herbal teas. So far I've tried the green tea and the red tea. Surprisingly, I love it! It took me a while to acclimate to the green tea, which tasted like grass at first, but after drinking it for three days, it grew on me. Now I can't get enough of the stuff. I like the red tea on my first try, but that might be because I tried the Passion Fruit and Pomegranate flavor. I'm mostly sticking to the green stuff, though. If you haven't heard of the wonderful benefits of green tea, you should "Google it." I first tried it after reading an article about it benefits for weight loss - it suppresses appetite (it really works!), and is supposed to increase metabolism and boost energy. I've since read that it is also chock-full of antioxidants. Now, if I could just learn to enjoy classic Southern Sweet Tea...

Other than that, I don't suppose that I have much news. Summer break is almost here, though. I can hardly wait for that. Well, until I blog again!

-Rach in Wonderland

Here's a picture for the road - the first Brim of the season! We put this little guy back, though. He was too small to be anyone's lunch. =]

Just a Few Pictures.

2010-03-28T21:46:00.000-05:00

Hello, all. there isn't any news to report; things are trucking along as usual. However, I do have a few new pictures that I would like to share! Enjoy!

Clara Bow loves me, but is a little bit shy of the paparazzi.

This is Sadie May. She was my birthday present one year.

I don't understand why we call these weeds.

They're so pretty!

I think these are lovely, too.

Beetlejuice looks like a grumpy old man. "What are these whippersnappers doin' on my lawn?! Can't a man eat his dinner in peace?!"

This last one is of myself. I just wanted to show off my new hair cut! My hair was to the middle of my back. I felt soo bald when I got it chopped off!

My Goats have to Share

2010-03-23T22:44:00.001-05:00

   With horses that is. It's more of an inconvenience to me than them. I'll try to explain.
   My goats don't actually share their personal space with the horses, but in order to get to the goat pens, you have to either climb through the horse fence, go through the gate, or go through the horse barn. In a way, that's great to help keep people out. The barn, gate, and goat pens all have locks. Also, the barn is situated to where one door is inside the fence, and one is outside. However, the outside door is locked from the inside, so you have to go through the fence/locked gate to get inside the locked barn. So, that protects our hay, feed, tiller, etc.
   So, the situation is great for keeping people out. Plus, the horses are between any dogs or coyotes that might want to attack the goats. Sure, horses aren't traditionally livestock guardians, but mine have been know to run off dogs. Of course, all of that is good. However, it causes some problems for me, too. I think it'll be easiest to outline them by walking through my routine.
   First, I go into the horse pen. I unlock the doe pen first, because it's hard to unlock it when I come back with my hands full. Then I walk to the barn, which lately means practically wading through mud. The horses keep the area right in front of the barn very muddy whenever it rains. I feed the horses first, since they will try to steal the goat's feed if I don't. One is still in the way, though, since we only have one stall for them. Luckily, I have gentle horses, or I would be in trouble. Right now, I have two does and the buck I'm borrowing in the kidding stall, so I feed them next. I have to walk beside/behind one of the horses butts to do this - like I said, I'm really lucky my horses are nice! Then I take feed/hay/etc to the doe pen. Then I lock everything back up and climb back through the fence.
   Overall, the inconvenience of mud and horses being in the way aren't that bad, and I wouldn't really change much, because of the extra security it gives me. Today, though, I was reminded of how lucky I am that my horses are gentle and don't kick (knock on wood). Rumor escaped from the breeding pen and tried to make a break for it back to the doe pen. I caught her and "I led" her back to her pen (which almost resulted in a Rachel-goat-mud-pie. You realize just how slippery mud is when you're being led through it by a goat!) When I got back to the stall, I completely forgot about the horse until Rumor and I were both in perfect kicking range for my quarter horse, Sam. I was stooped down to hold Rumor, so if he had kicked, It would have most likely hit me right in the face.
   Thank goodness for kind horses!

-Rachel in Wonderland

Selling my Zebra Finches

2010-03-20T17:57:00.000-05:00

I need to re-home my zebra finches. I bought them in February, and it seems as though my mom is allergic to them. I payed $15 each for the birds and $15 for the cage, so I'm selling all that and the food and millet that I have left for $20.00. I want them to go to a pet home, not for reptile food. I live outside of Memphis, Tennessee and can possibly meet people up to an hour or two away. I can't ship them, though. This is a male and female pair. Oh, as always I am open to barter, so let me know if you have something you want to trade!

-Rachel in Wonderland

Dreams and Aspirations

2010-03-19T23:11:00.003-05:00

   I have to say, I feel like this is the year. I have felt a stirring since February that has just told me that this is going to be a good year. I'm hoping that this will be the year I'll finally be able to turn my passions into profit. Last year I was able to do a bit of that with my soap. This year, I want to expand upon that. Let me tell you my aspirations for this year.
   My one (almost) certainty is that I'll have does kidding in August or September. That means that I'll have kids to sell, and home raised raw milk for drinking, cheese and butter, or possibly making goats milk soap. This is probably what I'm most excited for. I think that I will primarily make cheese and soap with my goat milk, and continue to buy raw cow milk. Nigerian milk is perfect for cheese and butter because it has such a high butterfat content, and cow milk is the generally preferred taste for my family. Right now, I can't afford enough raw milk to make our own cheese, so we're still getting pasteurized cheese. Yuck!! I can't wait to be able to have 100% raw dairy products for myself and my family. Yum yum yum!
   Also, I just ordered our tomato plants for this year! I'm very excited. I ordered about 40 plants from the Tomato Baby Company (http://www.tomatobabycompany.com). I also ordered a few sweet peppers and bell peppers, and plan on getting some jalapeños later. I'm hoping to have enough tomatoes this year to sell them, either in a road side stand or at a small farmer's market, or maybe just from my front yard. Goodness knows that we can't eat all of the tomatoes from 40 plants! My plan for any left overs that don't get eaten or sold is to can them. I would actually like to put back enough canned tomatoes to last for the year - then we would have home grown tomatoes for spaghetti, Rotel, lasagna, and whatever else we might make!
   I'm really hoping - maybe foolishly, but maybe it will work out - to finally have a chicken coop and some chickens. What would that mean for Wonderland? Well, first of all, it would mean not buying any more eggs that come from caged, grain-fed, chickens that lead poor lives and produce nutritionally sub-par eggs. It would also mean having eggs to sell to the public! That would put a little bit of money in my pocket, and give more people the option of eating eggs from well cared for chickens that have access to all the yummy buggy and grassy goodies they can desire. It would also open up the possibilities of selling fertile hatching eggs or chicks, depending on what kind of chickens I buy, and how many. It would also open the door for supplying my family's chicken meat needs- that would most likely not be obtainable in the first year, though.
   The last thing I'm hoping to achieve this year is related to my tomato goals. I also want to have other vegetables and melons to sell to people. I'm planning on having a booming garden this year! I just hope the weather cooperates with me this year, rather than turning our garden into a gigantic mud hole again, like it did last year.
   So, those are my semi-short term goals. I do, of course, have more long term goals. Those will happen in steps; I want to start out with what I've listed here. The second step will be adding Muscovy or heritage ducks and heritage turkeys. The next step is very, very long term, and involves me graduating from college, buying more land, and expanding Wonderland in ways that it cannot expand while I live on only five acres. I also have non-farm related goals; those involve writing and a bakery, but you don't need to know about those. ;)

   Okay, that book-length blog aside, I would like to remind everyone that I still have homemade Oatmeal Complexion Soap and Old Fashioned Lye Soap for sale, for $4.00 and $1.50, respectively. I also am selling some gently used women's clothing- if you're interested in that, you can follow this link for more info - http://www.homesteadingtoday.com/showthread.php?t=345901
That link will take you to a listing I posted on my favorite forum advertising the clothing, but you can email me about them. You don't have to contact me through the forum.
   If you'd like to contact me about the soap, the clothes, or just because, you can email me at themuffinwoman@aol.com
   Have a Happy Spring, everyone!

-Rachel in Wonderland

The Girls have a Visitor

2010-03-15T20:56:00.000-05:00

A male visitor, at that! Sherri Jones from Chinook Winds Farm has let me borrow her buck, CHW CJS Beetlejuice. I am breeding Clara Bow and Rumor to him as soon as they come in season, which will hopefully be soon, since they are being housed right next to the buck. I do hate separating them from the other goats and Mellow the LGD, though, especially after seeing two coyotes in the back pasture yesterday. I believe that our fencing and barn are secure enough to keep them out, though, and hopefully the horses would run them off if they got close to the barn, anyways. I'll be including pictures at the bottom, as always. I'm sorry that they're such low quality- my camera is out of commission, so I had to use my cell phone. Also, please ignore the dirty floor. I put fresh shavings down right after I took these pictures.

This is Beetlejuice. I'm hoping he'll make Clara's kids within the height limit for NDGA (Clara is over height), and give both of the girl's kids color. This is his impressive pedigree-

S: CHW BW Capt. Jack Sparrow, 1x GCH Jr

GS: MCH Twin Creeks BH Baywatch ++*S

GD: CHW AR Once In A Blue Moon, 2x GCH Dry Doe, 1x RsCH Jr

D: Piddlin Acres Piroette, 1x RsCH Dry Doe

GS: MCH Green Gate King Midas +S

GD: Goodwood KW Will 'O The Whisp

Falling Down on the Job

2010-02-26T01:03:00.001-06:00

Hello blog world! I am ashamed to admit that I have fallen down on my job of keeping you updated with the interesting (or perhaps, not so interesting) goings-on of Wonderland. To be completely honest, college finally caught up to me and caused me to fall off of the face of the earth for a while. You have my deepest apologies, I assure you.

Honestly speaking, though, there really is not much to report. Rumor ended up not being pregnant as we had thought and hoped, our breeding plans for Spring babies fell through (getting my own buck is definitely high on my list of priorities. However, without money from selling babies, I cannot afford to build a buck pen. Oh, the conundrum.), and my dear duckies flew the coop. Yes, the pun was intended. (Honestly though, they were there one day and gone the next with no sign of foul play.)

So, right now I am focusing on keeping my goatie girls safe and healthy until Spring comes, when I am hoping and praying I will be able to work out a breeding time and be able to plan for fall babies. I feel confident in their safety, thanks to my wonderful LGD, Mellow. I can't imagine being without a livestock guardian dog. She is constantly on alert and doing her best to protect her goats. Any time a stray dog comes through the yard, Mellow is walking the fence, staying in between the threat and the goats. Today when I went down, all the goats were lazing in the sun (which I'm sure they're glad to have), and there was Mellow conked out right in the middle of them. (Of course, as soon as she heard me, she was up at alert.) Seeing them all resting together so peacefully is such a comfort and joy to my heart. It's like everything is right in the world, if only for a moment.

In other news, we got some pretty dramatic snows for our area this winter. It seemed like the bottom fell out of the snow machine; I loved it. The goats, on the other hand, were not so enamored. In fact, the poor things could barely walk on the stuff once it froze over to a more ice-like substance. They also look so scraggly now, with their winter coats all grown out. In the summer they were so sleek and lovely; now they look like hobo goats. (Yes, that's right world, I have hobo goats.) I am ready for Spring to come, for a change. Normally I hold on to my beloved winter as long as possible, but something about having so much snow has made me ready for Spring. Don't get me wrong, I love the snow, but I'm ready for sunshine, buttercups, and flip-flop weather. I'm also crossing my fingers and hoping to make it to a show or two this year. I'll keep everyone updated on that (pinky swear!)

Here are some pictures for the road:

Our snow storms usually end up consisting of snow and ice.

I don't know why they would occasionally get in their "summer house" in the snow! Crazies!

Now, that's more like it. We all know that house is warmer. (Rumor and Clara must be behind the wall.)

Brownie and Sandy were wondering what the wet white stuff was.

Of course, doing farm chores in the snow is not without its risks. I got tangled in the fence, and my friend (who came over to sled) took a picture.

God Bless! May Spring come to you all soon!

I am Being Stalked by Lady Bugs

2009-10-29T15:22:00.000-05:00

Is it just me, or do the lady bugs seem to be out and about in abundance right now? They're all over the porch, everywhere outside, in and on my truck- simply EVERYWHERE. I think they're stalking me. No, really, they're evil and bent on Rachel-destruction. Silly things. They sure are cute, though.

Aside from that, there is really nothing too hugely exciting to report. We recently got our new hay supply, which was just in time as our old stack was dwindling quickly. Oh, how I hate loading hay. Or touching it for that matter. My sinuses haven't been right since. I do wish I wasn't allergic to hay, it makes some necessary chores very unpleasant. Other. things I hate about homesteading include giving goats their copper boluses, and trying to take proper care of everything when it just wont stop raining. A couple of my girls are due to have copper soon - their hair is starting to curl, a tell-tale sign - so if it ever stops raining, I'll be doing that and drawing blood for their CAE test, too (the kit from Biotracking came yesterday). But really, I don't know if it will ever stop raining long enough for me to get it all done. They need copper, their hooves trimmed, their blood drawn...and meanwhile, all I can do is build an ark and wait out the rain. Also, the constant rain ruins the mineral and baking soda I try to have out for them. When it dries up they wolf down their minerals like there's no tomorrow, poor things. The rain makes it nothing but worthless mush, so I imagine they haven't been getting much of it lately.

In other news, I made some adorable pumpkins for my project in Art class. I think they are just spiffy! I chose the theme "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown!" for mine. Oh, how I do love crafts and arts. The one with the face is The Great Pumpkin himself!

I also have made some Old Fashioned Lye soap. Old fashioned lye soap is unscented, white, and good for your skin. Many people use it as a folk remedy for acne and eczema. My great grandmother used it for her hair and skin. It can also be used on laundry, and is good to get out grease and stains (ask me how I know!)

This soap sets up very hard and lasts a long time. I've seen some lye soap that was brownish, soft, and greasy, which is caused by not stirring enough. This lye soap is not like that at all, but is instead firm and pure white, and will also float in water.

This bar size is medium-small and round. The last picture shows it sitting next to a chili can for a size reference, and to see the plastic container it comes in.

This is a "secret recipe," but is made with animal fats. This is not a vegetarian or vegan soap.

This soap is $1.50 per bar, and shipping is $4.95 if it needs to be shipped. (You can purchase more than one, and they ship for the same price. Email me at themuffinwoman@aol.com if you would like to purchase any! I am also open to equal trades, so let me know what you have that I might be interested in!

Well, that's all for now! Have a Happy and Safe Halloween! -Rachel in Wonderland

Unbelievable

2009-10-21T14:00:00.001-05:00

http://www.myfoxdc.com/dpp/news/local/101909_man_caught_making_coffee_naked_faces_charges

Am I the only one who thought that America was supposed to be a free country? Or that it was okay to be nude in your own home, when no one is there to see you? Am I the only one under the apparently mistaken belief that trespassing and peeping in someone elses home was wrong and a crime? It would seem that the police of Fairfax County, Virgina do not agree with the above statements.

Watch out everyone, it looks like we'll all have to start showering in our clothes now! And for goodness sake, don't change clothes! (Please note the sarcasm.)

But seriously, I feel very sorry for the poor man. He had every right to make his coffee, with or without clothes, in his own home. The trespassing peeping Tom (Tammy?) is the real criminal here, as are the police that went along with the insanity. It's things like this that make me want to put an iron fence with electric barbed wire on the top around my entire property, to keep meddling people out.

What is the world coming to?

-Rachel in Wonderland

Fall is in the air!

2009-10-16T18:59:00.000-05:00

I don't know about your neck of the woods, but here at Wonderland fall is certainly in the air! Oh, how I love this season. There is something so romantic and delicious about this time of year. The air is cool and crisp, the fall colors are in full bloom, scarecrows and pumpkins abound, and - if I may have a "girly" moment - I love fall clothes. Scarves and jackets in deep autumn colors are such a delight.

Of course, along with fall come the fall chores. First on my list of chores today was making lye soap with my grandmother and aunt. Of course, that's not really a "fall" chore per-say, but it was a lot of fun and good bonding time. My second chore was to see Where the Wild Things Are with friends! Okay, okay, that is also not a chore. But the making the cookies for my friends certainly was! But baking is another one of those enjoyable chores. I'll give you the recipes for the cookies at the end of the blog. Kind of like the toy in the bottom of the cereal box, don't you agree?

As for serious chores, there are several of those, too. Today I mucked out the goat house and refilled it with old hay for them. Oh, and as far as that goes, I have a story to share. We just got them new hay, which they do not seem to like at all. I can't really blame them, as it's the first cut, so it's a little stalky, but it was free from family. Well, I gave them their new hay and then mucked out their house. Meanwhile, my dad brought me a bale of the old hay for me to use as bedding. As soon as he set it over the fence, what do they do? They jump on the old, dusty hay like it's candy, while the new hay sat barely touched. Imps, every one of them! But I do love them so.

There are still more chores to be done in this beautiful autumn weather. The kidding stall must be cleaned out for Rumor's kidding in November, I will be getting CAE tests run, and electric fence needs to go down around the goat pen; our LGD Mellow has learned to climb! We also have to build a permanent hay rack and a rain cover for their food, minerals, and baking soda. But, truthfully, I can't imagine a better time of year to be outdoors doing some good old fashioned work!

One last thing. This is just an interesting tidbit of information. Clara, who was not friendly at her previous home, has become one of the biggest attention hogs in the herd! She loves having her head scratched, and shares Ariel's opinion that fingers are indeed food! She really has turned into such a sweetheart. Of course, I love all my goats, but it's definitely a plus when they warm up to you. I am extremely glad Clara came to live with me. I contribute her turn-around to my small herd size. While I would like to have a larger herd one day, having a small one definitely has it's advantages, one of them being that each goat gets more one-on-one attention.

Alrighty, as for those cookie recipes, you can find them here:

These are "Forgotten Kiss" cookies, and are wonderful. I used mini-chocolate chips rather than the mini-M&M's shown. Also, if you can't eat cookie dough with raw eggs in it, this recipe has no eggs, so you can eat all the dough you want! (Though I admit, I eat any all cookie doughs...hehe.)

http://cravingcomfort.blogspot.com/2008/12/forgotten-kiss-cookies.html

This recipe made the BEST oatmeal raisin cookies I have ever had! The only adjustment I made here was that I used a whole cup of raisins, and omitted the nuts (I hate nuts!). Also, I had to flatten them, as they did not spread on their own.

http://www.cookiemadness.net/?p=1047

Also, I make very simple peanut butter cookies that are scrumptious. Simply combine 1 egg, 1 cup sugar, and 1 cup peanut butter. Make them whatever size you want, and squish their tops down with a fork, then bake them at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes. ALWAYS start out with 8 minutes, they're very prone to getting too crunchy if left in too long. I love this recipe because it's so easy, easy to remember, and can be expanded or downsized with minimal math.

Now that you're done reading, go do your chores, enjoy the fall, and reward yourself with some cookies!! As for me, tonight in Wonderland I'm relaxing with some hot cocoa, some rented movies, a comfy blanket, and my PJ's!

Stay warm!

-Rachel in Wonderland

Goats, Music, and More 2009

2009-10-10T19:27:00.000-05:00

This Friday, my family and I packed up (okay, we brought rain jackets and our purses) and headed to Lewisburg, Tennessee at the early-but-not-so-bright hour of 4:00am. Luckily, I came prepared with a blanket and pillow, hogged the back seat, sprawled out, and slept most of the way there and back.

In case you're wondering why we left at such an early hour, it was for a pretty good reason. Lewisburg was having their Goats, Music, and More Festival, and the Nigerian Dwarf goat show was at 9:00am! ( http://www.goatsmusicandmore.com)

I have been looking forward to the festival ever since the people we bought our LGD, Mellow, from, and was even more delighted to find they were having a Nigie show. It was a double show, with two judges judging, and therefore a double chance at the competitors winning first. Though I had thought about bring Ariel to show, I had decided against it because I had not yet attended a NDGA show. I immediately regretted it when I realized how simple it would have been! But, there is always next year, and you can be sure I'll be entering one or more of my goats at the next show I go to. It looked like a lot of fun!

I also learned quite a bit from observing the show. The judges gave very good explanations as to why they chose the goats they chose. Though I still didn't understand quite everything they said, I got a much better understanding of overall good qualities. Even things I already understood fairly well, such as body capacity and udder attachment, became even clearer when I was able to compare winning goats to the ones who got lower placements. After the first couple of classes, I started to "bet" on which goat would do well, and I was pretty accurate.

We watched all of the doe shows, and a few of the buck shows, but then sitting on the hard bleachers got a little too much to bare, so we walked around and looked at the booths. There was of course fair food to be indulged in, and some really neat booths to look at. Overall it was a very well done festival, and the coming storms held off until after we left. I would recommend the festival to anyone, goat fanatic or not. It was just good old fashioned family fun.

We also got to see some of our "goat friends" that I have purchased my goats from, and watch them show. They were Mark from Sawdust Trail Acres (http://www.sawdusttrrail.com) and Sherri and Aaron from Chinook Winds Farm ( http://www.chinookwindsfarm.bizland.com). They both did very well, so congratulations to them! Several first and second place goats, and at least one Reserve Champion each (my memory is failing as to what else they got.) Congratulations to them!

If you ever get a chance to visit the Goats, Music, and More Festival, I highly recommend it. See you there next year!

Beauty says, "Goodbye!"

October 07, 2009

2009-10-07T20:51:00.000-05:00

Today I just want to link you to some friends of mine's blog. They are in need of prayer, so please go check it out! http://www.hilladoption.blogspot.com/

For a more positive note, I'll just post a few cute pictures, like I promised.

The goats chowing down on their hay. (It is normally in a bag, however it has developed mold due to the wet weather.)

This is our lone bun, Seven. Isn't his color weird?!

This is just for fun. :)

First Blogspot Blog

2009-09-29T14:38:00.000-05:00

This one is short and sweet, just to say Hi! I decided to switch my blog over to blogspot so that I could "follow" other people.

I do have some photos and updates to post later, but today is a busy busy day for me, so that will probably come tomorrow.

I'll see you again soon!

-Rachel in Wonderland

Archive of old blogs posted on webs.

2009-09-29T13:45:00.000-05:00

Why You Need a LGD

Posted by Rachel Payne at 03:08 PM on August 12, 2009

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I've been doing more and more research, and have become completely convinced that anyone with livestock needs a livestock guardian dog to protect them, especially if they are a smaller livestock species (goats, sheep, poultry, etc).

This is why you need an LGD, not a llama or a donkey:

1) I have now heard two accounts of donkeys injuring the livestock they were supposed to be guarding, from people I talk to on the various homesteading/livestock/farming forums I frequent. Both cases consisted of the donkey (both male, onewas gelded, one was intact) grabbing the sheep they were guarding by the neck and literally throwing them. Thankfully, both sheep lived. One donkey also turned on the human trying to save the sheep (that was the intact one.) Also, one of the people I have bought goats from has mini-donkeys, also, and one of his goat kids had been stomped and injured by one of his donkeys. I don't know the outcome of that (I hope it was good.) So, I will never own a donkey and allow it to live with smaller livestock. However, if you still choose to have a donkey as a LSG, at least get a female, and goodness forbid you use an intact male.

2) Llamas are very finicky, and from all the research I've done indicates that a llama that will do a good job guarding is rare. The other person I bought my goats from tried llamas as guardians, and they ended up being no good. They couldn't care less about a fox getting the chickens. If it wasn't bothering them, then they didn't care. If you still want a llama, at least get a proven one.

I would not really recommend either, because - aside from the above mentioned reasons - they also would not be of any help against a large predator, or a group of predators.

These are the reasons you need an Livestock Guardian:

1) Human threat. I read stories all the time about goatsor other livestock being stolen. I have also read about barns being set on fire by arsonist. Goats are often stolen for religious rituals. Other livestock and goats are stolen to sell for money, or for meat. It's something I don't understand, because goats are not worth near as much money without their papers. But maybe they forage the papers. Who knows. But, animals get stolen. A thief is something I will never beable to understand or respect. I hate a thief. You are not entitled to what I have worked and payed for. But, I'll get off my soapbox. Don't think that "well, it wouldn't happen here!" or that "well, there's no telling what obscure places she's read about them being stolen in," because not only have I read of this happening, I know someone it has happened to, right here in good ole Tipton county. A close family friend runs a petting zoo, and he had two goats and a sheep in a fence in his yard, and they were all stolen. So yes, it does happen here.

2) Threat from Predators. Don't think that because you live in a populated area, that you don't have to worry about predators. Bears are not the only animals that can injure or kill livestock. I'll make a sub-list of predators you need to worry about.

Predators in Western Tennessee:

Dogs. Stray dogs, wild dogs, and your neighbors dogs are all a danger to your livestock. Before I had my Nigerians I had a little pet whether that was just a scrub goat. He was attacked twice by our own dogs. They got out of their fence once, and he got in theirs once. Luckily, the dog attacking him was old and not a skilled huntress, so he lived to tell the tale. (His legs still bare scars, however. He has since moved to a new home.) We've also had stray dogs break into rabbit hutches and kill them. I know people who have had stray dogs kill their cats. Dogs are a threat to livestock, particularly small ones or babies of any kind.

Foxes, raccoons, opossums, etc. These mostly pose a threat to poultry, though I would not put it past a fox to take out a baby Nigerian Dwarf or Pygmy goat, or one of the small breeds of sheep's lambs, if they could get to it. The miniature breeds of goats and sheep have very small babies that a fox could probably kill. And yes, foxes do live here. Two types, in fact. The Gray Fox, which is native, and the Red Fox which was imported for hunting. I saw a gray fox in my backyard just the other day.

Bobcats. These are medium sized (anywhere from 10-40lbs) cats with, you guessed it, a bobbed tail. In the wild, these cats prey upon rabbits, small rodent-like animals, birds, and deer. Though I have not seen a bobcat in a more populate area, like I have other predators,that doesn't mean that they don't come to them, or that they aren't a threat.

Predatory birds. (Owls and Hawks, Eagles in some areas.) These are a threat to poultry.

Coyotes. Probably most people have seen coyotes. I saw one just the other day. Coyotes are roughly the size of a German Shepard. They also can carry many diseases. They live pretty much everywhere,including urban or populated areas. I personally don't want to see a coyote carry off one of my small goats. Coyotes also hunt in packs sometimes, though not always. If more than one Coyote is after your livestock, then a single LGD may not be able to completely protect them. Most people suggest that LGDs work in pairs, for this reason.

This one is debatable about whether or not they live in West Tennessee. Personally, I believe that the Cougar, or Mountain Lion is present in West Tennessee- including Shelby/Tipton county. Now whether or not they live here, I don't know. They could just roam through. because their territories are huge. But, there have been sightings of them here, including some by my own extended family.Mountain Lions prey upon deer, and we all know there are abundant deer here. Mountain Lions are not only dangerous to your livestock, but they also prey upon pets, and there have been people killed by Mountain Lions in areas where there are many of them. If it were up to me, I would rather come across a Bear than a Mountain Lion. So, whether or not you believe that they are here in West TN, they still deserve aspot on this list.

Predators not native to West Tennessee:

Bears; Grizzly, Black Bear, and Alaskan Brown Bear (this species is considered the same as the Grizzly, but is given a different Scientific name and is recognized as a different species. Don't ask me why, but they are.) There are eight species of bears in the world, but those are the three in North America. Black Bears inhabit Eastern Tennessee, and there have been supposed sightings of them down here in West TN. Recently a Shelby County Bus Driver has claimed to see a black bear and two cubs in Shelby County. Now, whether it was there or not,no one knows. It wouldn't surprise me at all if they migrated down here, but there's simply not enough evidence to definitively agree or disagree with them being down here. In any case, bears are very large predators, and pose a threat to even large livestock, and occasionally have killed people.

Wolves. Wolves are the largest canine animal, weighing from55-130lbs and standing 26- 32 inches at the shoulders. Wolves are another species that hunt in packs, meaning that a single LGD wouldn't stand a chance against them. The most common cause of death for wolves is conflict between them and people over people's livestock. Go figure,right? But perhaps if people had their own packs of LGDs, no wolf deaths would have to result. Just for some fun trivia, there are three kinds of wolves- Gray Wolves, Red Wolves, and Mexican Wolves.

I would also like to remind you all that any mammal can carry rabies. The TN Department of Health website says; "There were 129 cases of rabies in Tennessee in 2008, including 67 skunks, 28 raccoons,18 bats, 8 foxes, 3 dogs, 2 cats, and 1 horse."

So, that's my spiel, and I hope that if you have livestock of any kind,you will seriously consider getting a Livestock Guardian Dog. How many you need depends on your own personal situation. To learn more about LGD's, go here: http://www.lgd.org/index.htm

To learn more about the predators I mentioned, visit these sites:

http://www.tennessee.gov/twra/

http://www.tennessee.gov/twra/coyote.html

https://www.uu.edu/forms/cougars/sightings.cfm

http://www.state.tn.us/twra/bobcat.html

http://www.dfg.ca.gov/keepmewild/lion.html

http://wildlife.state.co.us/WildlifeSpecies/Profiles/Mammals/MountainLion.htm

http://www.centerforwildlifeinformation.org/BeBearAware/Bears_of_North_America/bears_of_north_america.html

http://www.greatbear.org/bearspecies.htm

http://www.defenders.org/programs_and_policy/wildlife_conservation/imperiled_species/wolves/wolf_facts/index.php

http://www.state.tn.us/twra/grayfox.html

http://www.state.tn.us/twra/redfox.html

Rabies info:

http://www.tennessee.gov/twra/rabies.html

http://health.state.tn.us/FactSheets/rabies.htm

Clara Comes to Wonderland

Posted by Rachel Payne at 12:21 AM on August 09, 2009

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This is going to be short and sweet, as it is mostly going to be pictures. Today we picked up Clara, our wonderful new addition here at Wonderland. I'm done adding on for a while, but I am extremely excited about the does I am woking with now. I am so excited. To read more about Clara, visit the "does" page. The girls settled their "who's boss" disputes pretty quickly. There was even less of the typical displays of goaty dominance than I expected. Perhaps because Clara outweighs them all? Hmmm...

Picture time!

Pictures of a Peaceful Evening

Posted by Rachel Payne at 05:14 PM on August 06, 2009

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Feeding time is my favorite time of day. I wait until late evening to feed, once the heat of the day has passed. (I don't like them eating in the hottest part of the day.) Everyday I go through my feeding routine: I get their grain and feed them (part goat pellet and part alfalfa pellet), and while they're eating I check their condition. It is the easiest time to check them all, because even Sandy, who is the most skittish, is standing still close enough for me to get a good look at her. I pet the ones that will let me, which is all of them but Brownie and Sandy. Then I fill their baking soda and minerals back up and refill their water. I also feed them hay, and of course feed Mellow her food at the same time. Then I just stand or sit and watch them. It is so relaxing and also so much fun to watch goats go about their business. There is really no way to accurately describe goat behavior, you just have to watch them. And once you do watch them, you will certainly fall in love with these adorable little creatures we call goats. There is nothing quite so sweet as having a skittish goat (Brownie) take grain from your hand for the first time, or a sweet little doe you haven't had very long (Ariel) rear up on you to ask "where's my food?", or even the friendliest goat of the bunch (Rumor) come up for a head scratch. I simply can't imagine a life without goats!

Bakersville Heritage Days

Posted by Rachel Payne at 11:59 AM on August 05, 2009

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If you have never visited Bakersville Heirloom Seeds and Historic Village you are missing out. They have a wonderful selection of heirloom seeds (not hybrids, and no genetic altering), as well as an Apothcary, Mercantile, Restaraunt, Black Smith, Opry Barn, and several breeds of poultry on display. On the first Sunday of every month they have their Heritage Days festivals, which we went to this past weekend. Vendors come and make displays and sell their goods. I bought a beautiful picture of a Barred Owl, Apple Jack and Cinnomon scented homemade soap, dried raspberry leaves for my goats (it's good for pregnancy and birthing), and the seeds for our winter garden; carrots, onions, cabbage, lettuce, turnips, and celery. After having been to Bakersville, which is in Mansfield, Missouri, I can honestly say that the area is one of my favorite places. It's very rural, the people are much more pleasant than the vast majority of the ones near Memphis, and the land is beautiful. If you want to learn more about Bakersville, go to their website at http://www.rareseeds.com

Everyday Blessings

Posted by Rachel Payne at 05:53 PM on July 29, 2009

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I hope everyone's summer is going as splendidly as mine. The goats are doing wonderfully, as is Mellow (who is getting along better with the goats, I might add), the ducks, and the rest of our random assortment of critters floating around here in Wonderland. Everyday here is truly a blessing, but somedays hold more blessings than others. The day after we brought Rumor and Ariel home, we found a little play house for them to use as a rain shelter for a cheap 40 bucks. A more permanent, winter-appropiate house for them will be made soon, but this meets their needs during the summer months, abnormally wet though they have been. We also happened to drive by a house with two wooden spools in the yard, the kind goats like to play on. We stopped, and he told us that whenever he has extra, we could have one for free. Though we have not yet seen more than the two in his yard, which were his human kids play things, I'm hoping we will soon drive by to see extra spools and be able to bring home a new plaything for the goats. Until then, they can content themselves by jumping on my chair that I sit on when just relaxing with the, and stripping the leaves off of the small trees.

The biggest blessing, however, is the selling of my old car last week. I had a '92 Pontiac Firebird Convertible. It was a pretty great car, but for me - what with my goats and my aspirations to turn Wonderland into a full-fledged homestead - it was impractical. So instead, I sold it to a nice man who had left a note in our mailbox asking us to contact him if we ever sold it. Thank goodness he was still interested! And I got my full asking price, which I was afraid would be impossible in this economy. (It was a fair price, of course, but I was prepared to have to go lower if I really wanted to sell.) God is good!

-Rachel in Wonderland

Rumor and Ariel arrive!

Posted by Rachel Payne at 02:38 PM on July 20, 2009

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On Saturday we went to pick up my two new girls, CHW CJS Heart of the Ocean, aka Ariel, and CHW DH Something to Talk About, aka Rumor, from Sherri and Aaron Jones of Chinook Winds Farm (http://www.chinookwindsfarm.bizland.com). I couldn't be more pleased with them. They are both gorgeous girls, and can be seen on the Does page. We also got our larger fenced area done, where they have tons of browse to munch on. The introductions went pretty well, just some minor displays of dominance. All of that will end when they establish their herd heirarchy. I have a feeling Brownie will be the alpha doe. Also, before we moved Brownie, Sandy, and Beauty to the new fence we wormed them, clipped their hoofs, and brushed them. Here are some pictures of them enjoying and exploring their new habitat-

Mellow is Home!

Posted by Rachel Payne at 10:20 PM on July 11, 2009

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Today has been a long, long day but definitely a rewarding one. We drove four hours one way to pick up Mellow, my new Livestock Guardian Dog. Mellow is an unregistered Great Pyrenees female, and comes from Clear Creek Farm (http://www.motesclearcreekfarms.com) in Middle Tennessee near Lawrenceburg. Pat and Ken Motes were extremely nice, offered advice for us on how to train her, get her to bond with the goats, and etc. I am so glad they allowed me to purchase Mellow. This is the first LGD for me, my family, and my goats so this will be a learning expierence.

Mellow has been with Boer goats up until now, so I'm hoping she'll do well with my Nigerians. I have to say, after being used to the Nigies Boer goats looked HUGE! It's been a while since I've been around a standard goat breed, so it was interesting seeing how much larger a Boer is than a Nigie. Even the young ones were bigger than my little dwarf goats!

For tonight Mellow is in a pen next to the goats. We didn't get home until late, and I didn't want to introduce them without me being able to watch for a while. None of my Nigies have been with an LGD, so I'm hoping they will take to her well.

This is Mellow, pre-bath. I will try to get better pictures tomorrow.

Also, an exciting update about those goats I hinted at last blog. We're going to see them tomorrow! They have some awesome pedigrees, and from their pictures, they look like some great goats. So tomorrow after I check them out, if all goes well (and I'm sure it will) I'll be putting down a deposit on new does.

Well, I'm off to eat a late supper and go to bed. Tomorrow will be yet another busy day. God bless!

The Beauty of a Gas Auger

Posted by Rachel Payne at 03:52 PM on July 07, 2009

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Whew, it's been a good while since I've blogged, but I *promise* I'm going to start keeping up with the blogs. Life has been good but certainly busy lately. Brownie kidded with a beautiful solid black buckling, who is now wethered. He is terribly cute and I named him "Black Beauty" because he reminded me of Black Beauty the horse, from the classic novel. I was hoping for a doe, and for multiples, but that's life for you. Since Beauty is the first kid born here, I decided to keep him. Later on, when I get a buck, he will be his companion. For the time being I am focusing on does and using outside bucks to keep my genetic options open. I will begin looking for a buck sometime in the spring/summer of next year, but for next year's kidding I'm hoping to have more than one sire.

Sandy did not kid, so either she did not come in season and get bred while with the buck, or she simply didn't take. I'm going to try again with her next year, to the same buck- Chinook Winds Deep Blue Sea. He has some awesome genes in him, being a Bay Watch son, and I really am hoping for a doe from him next year to have that awesome pedigree in my bloodlines. Tons of great goats in that pedigree. Huge thanks to Mark Newbill from Sawdust Trail Acres (http://www.sawdusttrail.com) for letting me use his buck.

In other news, we're in the process of building a larger fence - with more yummy weeds - for the Nigies. The pen they're in now will revert to a kidding pen rather than a permanent housing area. I will post pictures when we get it complete. But for the time being, I just want to comment on how awesome a gas auger is. It's got to be at least 10x easier to use than a traditional post hole digger. A friend let us borrow it, and it was such a time saver.

Mom and Dad working the auger.

One more bit of news: Our first LGD, a female Great Pyrenees, is coming to live with us this Saturday! We'll be taking an eight hour trip (four hours one way) to pick her up from Clear Creek Farms (http://www.motesclearcreekfarms.com). I am extemely thankful to be able to end my search for an LGD with "Mellow." Of course, there will be pics of her this Saturday. Also, I'm working on adding a couple new does to the herd...I'm talking to their breeder right now. More info on that will come soon.

Hope everyone has as awesome of a week as I am sure I will have!

May 18, 2009

Posted by Rachel Payne at 01:16 PM on May 18, 2009

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First order of news is that our ducklings came last week- five female Buffs. So far, all of them are healthy and perky and doing well!

The second - and admitably most exciting - news is that Brownie kidded yesterday! She had a single buckling who is coal black with a white star on his head. Mom and baby are both happy and healthy. Go see the "Kids" page for pictures.

Ducks are coming and thoughts on Swine Flu

Posted by Rachel Payne at 05:40 PM on April 30, 2009

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Ducklings are coming!

The next month is going to be extremely busy here in Wonderland!

First on the agenda is ducklings! Sometime the week of May 10 we will be getting 5 female Buff ducks. Buffs are listed as an American Livestock Breeds Conservancy high priority duck breed with a status of "threatened." (I am trying to make any and all livestock I own heritage breeds or breeds needing conservation, rather than commercially bred breeds.) According to the ALBC (http://www.albc-usa.org) the Buff is a medium weight duck weighing between six and eight pounds, and can lay up to 150-220 eggs per year. It is also a very beautiful bird with buff colored plumage. I may invest in a drake sometime in the future, and try my hand at raising them. As is evident by my other blogs and pages on my site, I am all about conservation.

Also, sometime in May is when Sandy and Brownie are due to kid. I'm crossing my fingers for an easy and uneventful delivery!

Now for the gloomier subject. I'm sure everyone has been reading and watching news about the Swine Flu. Now, I'm not a health expert or anything near it, but I do want to share some tips I have gathered from reading news article about Swine Flu.

First off, wash your hands! Germs are spread by you touching something with a germ on it, and then touching yourself.
Second, try not to touch your eyes, nose, or mouth. These are gateways into the body for germs.
Third, avoid sick people. Anyone showing symptoms of the flu should be avoided if possible.
Fourth, use a tissue when you sneeze or cough, and throw it away after using. Then wash your hands.
Finally, if you start getting symptoms, stay away from other people, don't go to work or school, and see your doctor.

Facts about Swine Flu:

It is transferred from person to person, particularly by coughing and sneezing.
It cannot be contracted from eating pork. (However, always cook your meats thoroughly and avoid contaminating cooked foods with raw meat.)
Symptoms are fever, cough, sneezing, aches, chills, and fatigue. Vomiting and diarrhea are also possible symptoms.

Here are the websites I gather this info from. They also contain additional information, so please check them out! Better safe than sorry!

Hobby Farms: http://www.hobbyfarms.com/farm-industry-news/2009/04/28/swine-flu-pig-owners.aspx
CDC: http://www.cdc.gov/swineflu/swineflu_you.htm
TN Department of Health: http://health.state.tn.us/swineflu.htm

Spring Tidings to All =]