Get ready for a cuteness overload! I just realized that I haven't posted in a month, but when you see all the newbies on the farm, you'll understand why I've been just a bit busy.....
Petruccio is the spotted buckling and Ekaterina is his sidekick. These are the only two goat offspring that we are keeping this year.
We are now milking 4 goats, morning and night. Each kid drinks a pop bottle (20 ounces) morning and night, we keep about a gallon for the two households here on the farm. The cats have an all-you-can-drink-milk-bar down at the barn and we're STILL pouring some down the drain! I know it's a waste, but one can only drink so much coffee with milk in it....
This little gal is a tri-color Mini Lop rabbit. Do you see the heart on her shoulder?
Chicks came in the mail this week. Their pen was ready with shavings and heat lamps, chickie starter feed and water. They are now about 6 or 7 days old and already starting to grow wing feathers!
The yellow ones are Buff Orpingtons, the rest are a mixture of Americauna and Wyandotte.
Can you say.....omelets?
We actually have a flock of about 18 or 19 adult hens at present, but they will be replaced with these younger birds once these start to lay in about 6 months.
English Lops love attention and this sweetie is no exception. This means.....pet me first!
On to the babies! Here's a baby Mini Lop looking like maybe he needs to grow into his ears!
Baby English Lops - a huge litter of......well, just two. Their mama is slacking and should have had a bigger litter. These two will not be lacking for nourishment since mama only has two to feed instead of 9 or 10!
Zzzzzzzzzz.....
Do you notice what baby rabbits like to do best?
Nap!
Sweet!
This guy is a bit older and not too sure he likes being held. He is a young French Lop named Mack.
Besides spending a lot of time outside taking care of baby animals, I try to squeak in some sewing and crafting. (I try NOT to squeak in any time for housework.....)
I just finished this pair of wool owls for my Ebay store.
This little quilt topper for my daughter......
Found this rustic old Humpty Dumpty at a thrift shop. My older daughter was HORRIFIED that I picked it up and even more disgusted when I bought it! I figure it's a true primitive, probably from the 40's or 50's and I'll eventually list it in my Ebay store, too.
She didn't mind that I bought this basket of kitty cats. I may actually keep them for awhile.
When I came in with them, I announced to my husband that I had brought a whole basket of kittens home. I'll leave his reaction to your imagination :-)
The weather has cooled back down and is much more seasonal for April. It's alternating with frosty mornings and rainy/sunny/cloudy/hailing days with rather cool temperatures. Much more normal than the balmy days we'd had previously.
The flowers are blooming all around....snapdragons....
.....bluebells.
I took my turn home with my mom this morning while my husband and daughters went off to Easter services at our local community church celebrating the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, our Lord! My older daughter is playing the piano for church today, my younger daughter singing with a small choir.
I'm making Easter dinner this afternoon. Chicken Fried Steak, Mashed Potatoes & Gravy, Grilled Asparagus, Candied Yams.....(doesn't it look impressive if you capitalize???) Anyhow, that's a peek at the farm right now. May your day be filled with family & blessings and may your hearts be filled with the peace that passes understanding through the love of Jesus who died on the cross for me and YOU!
Ahhh, life on the farm! Not as laid back as people imagine. Always something to do.
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful and fulfilling life.
I can hear the noise about the basket full of kittens remark!
I have missed you, Hilly. To be sure, spring has sprung in abundance on your farmland. When I was much younger and nursing my babies, there were organizations that would take frozen goat milk to give to babies that could not tolerate the regular bottle milk and were not, for various reasons, being nursed by a mother. Maybe you could see if anything like that is in your state? If I could, I would drop by your mountain and take the excess for my soap making. Lots of people around there may like to have frozen goat milk for their soap making.
ReplyDeleteWe used to sell milk, but our state has made it illegal to sell raw milk. Even when it was legal, it wasn't always convenient as we live too far out for people to want to come pick it up.
DeleteI suppose I should add soap-making to my list of 'things-to-do-before-I-die'. That list is LONG!
Always a pleasure to read your posts!
ReplyDeleteWhat happens to the older chickens that are replaced? Maybe I don't want to know.
We send them off to the local poultry auction.
DeleteI am an English lop and I also need petting first!
ReplyDeleteAs for the Humpty you picked up from a thrift store you should sell the image rights to Disney so that they can make an animated horror feature film about him..."Hilltop Humpty" with the tagline "Don't have nightmares!"
We just bought a lot of your primitives for our Antique Store (Country Road Antiques) and I thought that you just might be a blogger also. Wow I love your site and can tell that we will be getting lots more from you down the road. I wish we were closer but I live in Tennessee just a few miles from the Blue Ridge Parkway. It would be fun to share recipes and canning info.
ReplyDeleteSusan
Hi Susan! Glad to have you stop by! Swapping recipes and canning tricks sounds like fun - drop in here at my blog and comment all you like!
ReplyDeleteThanks will give you the below recipe if you are a chocolate lover this one is for you!
DeleteScotch Chocolate Cake: (Susan’s Grandmother Carlton’s Recipe)
Preheat oven to 325… Grease a 9 x 13 cake pan set aside:
In a sauce Pan:
7 Heaping Tablespoons Cocoa
1 Cup water
½ Cup Crisco
1 Stick Butter
Pinch of Salt
Bring to a light boil and melt all ingredients. Stir constantly. When melted set aside. (this may look like it separates some and not smooth.
In a Mixing Bowl:
2 Cups of Sugar
2 Cups of Plain Flour
Mix well then add the mixture from saucepan above
To this add:
2 Eggs
½ Cup Buttermilk with 1 teaspoon soda in buttermilk. The soda will bubble so leave some room for it to expand.
½ teaspoon Almond Extract
1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
Mix well and pour into the greased 9 x 13 greased cake pan. Let bake around 25 minutes. A knife should pull out clean with just a few crumbs, but cake should be moist. Do not overbake or cake will be dry.
While cake is baking make icing:
7 Tablespoons cocoa
6 Tablespoons can milk
1 Stick of Butter
Heat till melted but not boiling can add a few drops of can milk if too thick.
Pour over:
1 Box Confectionary Sugar
½ Cup flaked Coconut
½ cup Walnuts (English or Black)
1 teaspoon Vanilla
½ teaspoon Almond
½ teaspoon Black Walnut Flavoring (optional but very good)
Mix well and….
Ice Cake while cake is still hot in pan right out of oven.
This cake is so very very rich and moist all you need is a cold cup of milk or COFFEE!