August is Gone

We've been busy. Between the regular work travel and farm projects, we have no idle time. Even on holiday weekends, we are working. Yesterday we offloaded a huge load of telephone poles and other very heavy lumber from our 16 ft trailer, so we can use the trailer to pick up more farm supplies tomorrow. Joe can make that little Kubota tractor do some pretty interesting maneuvers!

 

As the summer is winding down, we are picking grapes, making grape juice, grape jelly and jam and still will have more grapes! I think (hope) we will be finished picking this week. We have harvested about 150 lbs so far and have probably at least another 100 lbs to harvest.
On August 14 two of our rabbits delivered live babies -- one delivered 11 live and the other delivered 3 live and 1 dead. The mother with the 11 babies was clearly going to have trouble raising all of her young, so, on day two, we took the smallest of the runts and moved him to the other doe, rubbing the new baby in the other doe's fur which lined the nest. Morning of day three, all looked fine, doe 2 was nursing all 4 of of the babies in her nest. So, we took the next tiniest runt from doe 1 and added him to the doe 2 nest. Again, doe 2 never batted an eye... she now had 5 blind babies to care for. By the evening of day three we decided that there was still one runt in doe 1's nest that was not adequately competing for food... so we moved her in with doe 2.

Now, all babies were being fed and starting to get fat. Doe 1 was doing very well raising 8 of her original 11 and doe 2 was doing a fine job raising her 3, plus the 3 from doe 1. All was well in the baby bunny world.
On day 9, all babies started opening their eyes. It seems the little white babies from doe 1, which is a New Zealand, did not recognize they were different from their adopted brothers and mother....a black Rex, who we mated with a brown Dutch Lop Ear. All happily slept together, ate together and began to explore together.
On day 12, Joe was mowing and weed-whacking and managed to destroy a wild rabbit's nest. Only one baby was found alive, and he was SMALL. His mother did not come back to the area, and Joe decided we needed to try to nurture this youngster. Judging from his size, he was about the same age as our babies. So, we put him into doe 2's cage. Doe 2 was immediately protective of him. He was timid and did not interact with the other babies at first, but, by morning, I found him snuggled up with the others, all comfy in their nest.

Today is day 18. All of the 14 babies born on August 14 are getting BIG and chubby. They are all hopping around, starting to eat solid foods, though they are still nursing. The little wild baby knows he is different. He just doesn't care. I do not see him nursing, but he hangs out with "mama" while the other fatties sleep off their most recent meal. He eats the grasses and the hay and has started eating the pellets. Last night was the first time I saw him drinking from the water bottle. In comparison to the other babies, he is tiny. To me, he looks like a full grown rabbit, but a super miniature one... nothing really looks "baby" about him, except his size. At any rate, he thinks the other babies are great playmates, but they sleep a lot more than he does. I find it fascinating to watch their interactions.

The dogs and the goat have their own world to explore. Ever since the death of our milk goat we have had our other goat in the same yards as the dogs. They get along famously. I'm sure we will get another goat one day, but for now, Whitey seems to be doing very well with the dogs for her playmates.

Meanwhile, back in the chicken yard, the original 9 baby chicks are really looking more like adults now.... they are just over two months old. The 3 purchased baby chicks and the 3 hatched on August 12, are still babies. We are still not sure how many of the 15 in this new lot are roosters and how many are hens.

 

Right now, they are just another part of this entirely enjoyable adventure we call, "Cardinal Farms.

Another Busy Spring -- Oh, Hello Summer!

Despite the ridiculously long, cold, wet Winter, we eventually did encounter Spring.  And we were so happy to see her.  We had snow in April which is just not right.  Planting of vegetables had to be delayed, fruit trees suffered from hard freezes after they had already bloomed and were setting fruit, and the month just seemed as if it would NEVER bring some temperate weather.  Finally, as April came to a close, Spring finally found her season and claimed it.

We were eager to get outside and start working the farm.  But fate has her way of demanding we march to her rhythm rather than to the one we choose.  One of our projects slated for the Spring was a remodel of the front porch of the old farmhouse.  We have used the front porch for four years as a temporary greenhouse during the winter months.  This has been fine, but has required a lot of maintenance, as we've had to wrap the porch in plastic sheeting, inside and out, to hold in the warmth.  We decided to frame out and install sliding patio doors on all exterior walls of the porch.  This would allow us to have the doors open, with screens during the warm weather, and would allow us to close the porch up tight during the cold weather.

We secured bids, we awarded the bid, and then before the work could begin, Joe's mother passed away.  She would have been 88 in August.   We were happy that she and Joe's sister had been able to make a trip out here in 2012 to visit us here in Virginia while we were in the process of rehabbing the old farmhouse. RIP Olga.  We will miss your spunk and love of life!

Out to Dinner Their First Night in VA

Joe and his Sis Doing a Little Sightseeing

Ma and Sis, BBQ by the Pool

Joe's mother's passing meant that Joe had to return to California for several weeks to help his siblings begin the process of settling her affairs. I stayed behind, tending the farm, and overseeing the porch remodel.

Before Remodel

After Remodel, but Before Painting

We still need to paint the siding on the porch and build a small front deck, but the porch is very nice and much more functional now.

In June, while Joe was in California, a friend of ours, who we met on the eBay blogs in 2008, passed away from cancer.  She was only 47 and left behind her handsome, pre-teen son.  Sometimes life seems to defy logic.  Rest in Peace BunnyHoppinPhooPhoo (Tamara).  We will miss you, your wit, your art and your kindness.

RIP Tamara

Joe returned from California about a week ago.  In his absence, six of our hens went broody, and at the height of broodiness, there were 72 eggs being incubated by these hens.  Several black rat snakes later, we are down to four broody hens with a collective 47 eggs in their nests.  We hope to have some chicks actually hatch out over the next week or so.

Broody Hen

Eggs in Nest

Snake Retreating After Eating All the Eggs

Joe, Displaying One of the Snakes

Now, with the hens secured (hopefully) from further snake attacks, we are able to concentrate on all of the other farm chores that have been awaiting our attention.  We had four rabbits produce a total of 18 baby rabbits in April and May.

We sold our mother goat and her two kids, and bought another, seven year old goat for milking.  We get more than 1/2 gallon of milk a day from Pearl.  Our other goat, Whitey, keeps Pearl company and the two of them help continue the clearing of the brush from our woods.

Pearl is a Sweet Girl

Whitely, Enjoying a Snack of Hay

And, of course the dogs are having a blast, chasing every squirrel that dares flip its tail in their yard.  They root out the moles and bark at the snakes and the turtles.  They alert us to stray dogs, raccoons, deer, opossum, and whatever else calls our woods home.

 

Blue and Ruby... Fresh From a Mole Hunt

Miah, continues her patrol of the farm, the woods, the chicken coops, the goat yards.... pretty much anywhere there is action, we are likely to find Miah... usually taking a nap in all of the commotion.  I guess that's what a cat does when she reaches 15 1/2 years old.

Miah Snoozing in the Rabbit Barn

So, Spring has sprung and given way to summer.  I am looking forward to making more headway on our farmette, as we continue our adventure!

Yes, I'm Still Here

It has been more than four months since my last blog post.  I keep meaning to sit down and take the time to gather the photos and stories together. And then I end up finding myself knee-deep in some other project, and so the months go by.

2013 closed out well for us here at the farmhouse.  Though I'd been working out of my office in the rehabbed farmhouse since January 2013, by the end of the year we had finally reached a point in our rehabilitation of the old structure where we felt we could make the move from the garage apartment.  New Year's Eve and New Year's Day were spent moving our things into their new places in the old farmhouse.  Still lots of work to do, but we made the move.... nearly four years after we started our big rehab project.

Joe installs hooks in the bathroom

Joe installs antenna for old farmhouse

There were advantages to moving in full-time.  The kitchen is SO much nicer here than in the garage apartment.  I'm not complaining at all, but what a liberating feeling it was to be able to prepare a full meal, using MULTIPLE pots and pans!  The master bedroom is spectacular.  Waking to the early morning light coming through the stained glass window is such an awesome experience.  I just love that room.  My sewing machine... I am FINALLY able to reconnect with my old friend of many, many years.  I am slowly, but surely, making the window toppers that I prefer to curtains.  I even have my own little sewing room.... well, except when the lovely Miss Eloise is visiting....during those times it is "Eloise Room!"  She is such a delight.  But the best part about living full time in the old farmhouse is that Joe now only has to worry about keeping one woodstove going.  Of course, when we are working in the garage apartment, he cranks up that woodstove too, but, well, it's been a cold, wet winter and we have been hibernating as much as possible.

Panoramic of old farmhouse living room

Panoramic of old farmhouse living room looking toward stairs

Ready to enjoy some TV

Baking lots of bread

Joe enjoys breakfast in bed in the new bedroom

Though 2013 closed out well for us, 2013 brought some very sad news for one of our friends.  She discovered that the cancer she'd beaten a few years ago had circled back, and with a vengeance.  She is a young woman, with an 11 year old son.  To-date, the chemotherapy has been unsuccessful and, save a miracle, her prospects on this earth look grim.  I continue praying for that miracle.

2014 has been COLD so far.  This may have been the coldest, wettest winter I have experienced in Virginia.  I am so looking forward to spring, and yet, even as I write this, we are battening down the hatches for more wind, and wet stuff --- 3-4 inches of the white variety.  I would love to have one full week of no precipitation, and reasonable temperatures.  I'm ready to start planting seeds.

Snow on the service deck outside the bedroom

Chicken....determined to be outside,
 but not wanting to get her feet in the snow

During the past couple of months we've had the pleasure of hosting the lovely Miss Eloise in our home for several days at a time.  She loves all of the animals and awakens each morning with a huge smile on her face, eager to go, "feed the co-cos, goats, rabbits, dogs and cat" -- Co-cos are chickens.  She is quite the little farm helper.

Joe and the lovely Miss Eloise

The lovely Miss Eloise reads to her babies

They love to read!

The kitchen table has drawers..
which make perfect tables for toddlers.

She is at that stage where she is a complete sponge.  You need only tell her something once and she remembers it.  Every time we go to get the feed for the critters, she stands well back from the feed van, and reminds me that she is standing there so she will not get her head bumped with the back door of the van.  Once the van door is open she climbs in and starts filling up feed buckets.

A farmer girl at heart!

Let me show you my goats!

Here you go baby!

If she sits down, Miah comes to be petted

Helping Gaki fill the feed bowls

Petting Fluffy

Fluffy is "FOST!"

This most recent visit she learned to, "cross the bridges," all on her own, not holding Gaki's (me) or Joe's hand.  This is a big deal because these bridges are simply 2" X 8", and 2" X 10" boards that Joe has laid across the open trenches which are deep and wide and which, should the weather EVER decide to cut us a break, will finally be closed in.  The lovely Miss Eloise eventually got so confident in her ability to cross these bridges that she made a little game out of jumping off the bridge at the end.  This worked well until she was crossing the bridges while carrying a basket of eggs.  Though she did not break the eggs, I cautioned her that she should not jump off the bridge if she was carrying eggs.  From then on, when crossing the bridges, she made a conscious and verbal decision as to whether to jump or not to jump.  And, if she forgot to jump off the bridge when she was not carrying eggs, she would retrace her steps going back over the bridge, JUST so she could jump off the end!

Learning to cross bridges on her own

Still getting a helping finger from Joe

The day after this crossing,
she was crossing the bridge on her own

I think that before her next visit, we will need to set up a little puppet theater.  She is just enthralled with playing dolls with Joe, who practices his ventriloquist talents with her baby dolls.  She reacts so wonderfully when the baby doll cries that "she" wants this or that.  It is quite enjoyable to watch.

Until next time.... THINK SPRING!!!