Homestead Busy


Life on the homestead just keeps going and keeping us busy
our doe, Snowflake is still eeking out some milk...
but, she is slowing down in her production


it's about time to give her a date with the buck, Phillip


Snowflake thinks it's fun giving ear nibbles while being milked


about a quart was what she gave this time


but, still good and sweet



now, Queenie, is another story
she is an ornery goat
and hates to be milked
she sits on her hind legs whenever someone reaches for her udders

after we tried to make her stand for it...
it's decided she is good for breeding and nothing else


the stinker


neither does she like to share her bucket of grain treat
if someone else comes around it...
Queenie will pick it up and move it away
yep, and we didn't teach her that

ah well, she keeps it fun for us



a wee update on the cottage over at yonder new homestead

we have decided the look of natural wood floors will be nice
it will just get a few coatings of varnish

this photo shows the den from the kitchen area
it is a 10 by 25 ft area
the atrium which connects this part to the bedroom and bath part...
will serve as our living room
the far left window is where the kitchen sink will go


the painting is still going on
and this photo below is the kitchen area with it's back door at the end

that will access the herb garden I will be putting at the back of the cottage
the vegetable gardens will be further back
the spring creek runs about 50 feet from the kitchen door


the photo below shows the back of the cottage with the kitchen door on the left
the concrete slab beside the door will be the laundry area

the covered part to the right is a "mudroom" of sorts
an outside sink beside the laundry will help us to clean up before stepping inside
it's always a good idea to have a clean up area when living on a homestead


For by grace are you saved through faith;
and that not of yourselves:
it is the gift of God:
not of works, lest any man should boast.
For we are His workmanship,
created in Christ Jesus unto good works,
which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.
Ephesians 2:8-10

May your day or night find grace in the Lord.

Safe and Secure


The other morning, I went to the coop and took down one of my hens from the roost
she had been sick for the last 3 days with something I could not figure out
she was a layer hen and we bought her at one of the agriculture stores in town
first time and last time I would do that
(I'll post on the whys of that another time)

these hens are not bred to last very long


I much prefer the local "mut" chickens that run around free
I have not had any local chicken get sick on me...
and they are hardy and smart


we keep chickens mainly for eggs...
and one of my local hens that we've had for a few years now...
still lays eggs


this little hen did not respond to medication...
but she wanted to be with her close-knit siblings...
so I let her sleep one more time in the coop with them


when I went into the coop to check on her the next morning...
she was trying to support herself on the roost with one wing on the post
I took her gently in my arms and cradled her
I wanted her to feel safe and secure, knowing she was dying
within two minutes, she peacefully and quietly passed away


she was buried down the hill below the cottage
and I got to thinking about how safe and secure the child of God is
in a world full of sorrows and wickedness...
how beautiful it is to know that I am safely cradled in the arms of my Saviour



The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed
and bring me safely into His heavenly kingdom.
To Him be the glory forever and ever.
Amen.
2 Timothy 4:18

Re-potting Future Food


Sometimes, I do believe there is more fun in container gardening...
and this past week I got busy with re-potting some seedlings that outgrew their pots


because we have dense soil here...
I usually add sand to the dirt that will be used for the re-potting
this will give the seedling roots looser soil for growing


and with the good composting the chickens have been doing in their coop...


there is wonderfully rich soil ready to give plenty nutrients to my young plants

I take the shovel and turn over the newer grass cuttings to get the soil underneath...
from older cuttings and chicken manure that turned into food for the last 3 months... 
and has been waiting for just this job of rejuvenating my seedlings


with the composted chicken coop manure, sand and dense volcanic soil...
my re-potted plants should be quite happy to grow into future food for the new farm


this little soursop seedling below (minus the weeds) should start smiling in it's new pot



two seedlings are sharing this pot below and need to be taken out carefully


once I have them out, the two soursop plants are divided and the weeds pulled out
and that is a pretty bushy weed that was taking over the soursop pot



sometimes, the ants like to make their homes in the soil of my potted plants...
and that usually happens if I put the pot directly on the ground
those ants can do some real damage to the plant roots that way

so, I put a few rocks on the ground...


then, put the pot on top of the rocks
I don't know why, but, it has worked quite well for me
the ants don't go live in my pots and that makes me smile

the plant below is a new ginger root growing for the new farm...
and it sure needed some nice loose soil to grow the rhizomes properly
this ginger will go into a much bigger pot once we get it moved to my new herb garden 



and I would say my newly re-potted soursop definitely look better already

of course, because soursop trees grow very large and tall...
these will be replanted into the ground in the next few months



in the back of the cottage...
I have a black barrel that catches rain water from the gutter above it
this is the water I use to wet my container plants with

the vine you see behind the barrel is a black pepper (aka peppercorn) vine
it is about 3 years old and was a lot bigger until I had to cut it back...
because it had gotten to the point where it was more like a jungle anymore

I am still waiting for it to fruit
we will take a few cuttings from it for the new farm


in the past, I would found a frog and a lizard in my water barrel...
and because I don't like for creatures to unnecessarily meet with drowning...
I put the screen on top and used clothespins to hold it down
so far, it does a good job with keeping out the little creatures



after I did my garden duties...
I had to take a peek at Ms. Ruthie Moo Moo
she is such a lovely, gentle cow who gives us milk I so enjoy...
it's a wonder we ever did without her before she came into our lives
the Lord has been gracious to bless us with her


and of course, she does love her treats
she's never passed up on one of her favorites, bananas
she highly deserves them

come on over, Ms. Moo Moo
I've brought bananas just for you


I planted, Apollos watered,
but God gave the growth.
So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything,
but only God who gives the growth.
1 Corinthians 3:6,7
Amen

May your day or night grow in God's grace.