Riding Lesson On Echo 8/2/13

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Today's lesson on Echo.  More work on transitions.

A thanks to my daughter Michele who took all these with my iPhone camera.

Echo is a good boy and very gentle although he can be a little pushy because I don't think he pays attention to where his feet are and he's big!!!

He's part of the school horse gang here at Winfield Farm and Forge.

He wears a hackamore now; no bit.

I've had him since he was a colt.

He's 9 years old now.

Back to the little barn.  This weather may be cool for summer but it's wonderful for riding!!!!

Hope you all had a great day too!

Shirley

Monkey Muffins!

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OK, I HAVE to tell you about these little buns from heaven!!

I found this recipe on Pinterest and just decided to make them today.  Took me less than 5 minutes to get them in the oven.  So simple!

The recipe is at the end of the post.

I used Pillsbury grand biscuits in the tube.  I just had a short tube this time.

 Butter and cinnamon & sugar on the bottom and on the top.

 This is a can of sinfulness in itself!

 Out of the oven and pour the sweeten condensed milk over the hot muffins.

A lot of it!

 This is the point where I almost passed out, swooned, got the vapors or something!!

They are that wonderful!

They rival my mothers sticky buns made from scratch!!

You could probably put pecans on top of these before baking too.

If you love sweet, you've got to try them.

Something I Never Thought I'd Say!

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I'm raising meal worms!!!!

They arrived by mail today.  A box full of crawly little worms.

1000 of them!

I had my container ready like I read about on YouTube "University"

and opened the cardboard Priority Mail box.  Some had escaped from the bag inside and were crawling on the inside of the box.

I had my plastic container filled with an inch of oatmeal and dumped them all in.

I made sure I got every last one of them in there!!

Why am I doing this you ask??

It's because of the ridiculous cost of the freeze dried ones I've been buying for my chickens.

You see, the meal worms are like candy to chickens.  They will follow me anywhere for mealworms and they are an excellent source of protein for them.

Do they have to have them?

Of course not . . . . I just spoil my girls rotten!

This one jar of freeze dried worms costs $10.00!!!

And I was buying one or two a week!!

Not a smart way to go.

Now, don't freak out!

Here's my shipment of 1000 of them today.

It cost $18.00 including shipping and I will never have to buy them again.  

They multiply like crazy.

(One stage of heir evolution they turn into little darkling beetles!)

I'll deal with that in a week or so!

Any chicken people out there doing this???

I hope my sister will still come for visits!!!

Maybe I should put them in the basement instead of the craft room!!!

Shirley

Around the Homestead

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Martha has hopefully recovered from her broodiness.

It took 3 partial days and 3 nights in the "timeout" cage!

She's on the roost with her other sisters tonight.

My son came to help me with something today and brought his young Weimaraner, Sofie, to visit.

My chickens where out in the yard in their net fence enclosure.  At first Sofie was a little afraid of those big birds but she quickly got over that and started to point!

She then started to run around the outside of the fencing, chasing my girls and getting them all excited.

At some point, which I didn't see, little Lily, my white easter egger, flew over the top and went to hid in the woods.

I didn't notice she wasn't with the group till after my son and Sofie left.

I couldn't find her anywhere!!

I was so upset!  My first lost chickie!

It took her 2 hours to come wandering back.  When she saw me she came running.

She had had a great adventure!

All turned out well and she ran back in with her sisters.

Now I know, (and she knows!) she can fly out over of the fence!!!

Oh, Oh.

Shirley

Guess Who's Broody . . . .

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. . . . . AGAIN!!!!

Yes, it's Miss Martha!

She spent all afternoon yesterday on the nest hoarding two eggs and I took her off twice, but then she spent the night on the nest.  So this morning I booted her out and put up the cage again.  

She was in there all day until they went out into the yard and I let her go with the rest of them.  She acted completely normal.  It started raining so I let them back in their run and coop and pretty soon, there she is back on the nest!!!

I should make her spend the night out in the cage but I'll deal with it tomorrow.  If she doesn't break out of it, she may have to get her bottom dunked in cold water!

Darn hormones!!!!!

It would be interesting to know what their conversation is!!!!

Shirley

Bees . . . Where Are You!

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I have heard rumblings in the past few years about the diminishing bees and the problems that can become for gardening.  I, like many, didn't seem to have a problem with my little gardens and always seemed to have an abundance of bees around.  Pollinating here and pollinating there.

This year, even though, I only planted two zucchini plants, I usually have way too many zucchini for me and I have to fill my freezer with good ol' zucchini bread!

This year, I have gotten two measly squash off my plants!

I started watching my garden closer.  Was something coming and stealing just the zucchini??  No, I don't think so!  I have plenty of blossoms, but no zucchs.

The more I watched, the more I realized that I haven't seem very many bees this year at all!

Not like other years.

How sad.

I think this is all due to fertilizers and weed killers.

Last year I stopped any fertilizing and weed killing on the back half of my acre because of my chickens, but maybe next year I'll just due away with it all.

After all, this is the country.

Why do I need a perfect front yard?

I can always use chicken manure for fertilizer.  Heaven knows I have plenty of that!

My tomatoes, beans and peppers are growing good but it's the squash.  Some vegetables can self pollinate easier than others.  I think because of the big squash blossoms, maybe it's harder.

I may have to get out there with my little paint brush.  All I have to do is find out which is the male and the female blossom!

Here's my huge zucchini plants.  Blossoms are under there, but no squash!

Shirley

Slo-Mo Monk

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I'd write more blogs and FB posts about Monk but he doesn't do too much but sleep and eat. 

(And he does both of those a LOT!)

Monk is about 10 years old, which is getting up there for a dog this size.

His back legs give out on him at times and he gets really tired easily.  He was heart worm positive when I adopted him two years ago and went through the grueling heart worm treatment.  I'm not sure how much damage is left from the worms to his heart and lungs.

He's very happy here with me and is the most gentle and loving dog you'd ever want to have.

Here is what he does best.

  

Oh yes . . . and shed!!!

He is a good watch dog when he's awake.  He'll bark and let me know if someone is around, however, if anyone comes up to him he gives them a big warm welcome!  They definitely aren't guard dogs!!

You can bury more than half of the length of your finger in that fur!!

: ))

Shirley