Farting Dogs and New Vacuum Cleaners

I'd like to introduce to you the newest member of our family. Mademoiselle Eureka. She is lightweight and compact. A perfect fit to our family. Hopefully she'll have a long wonderful life with us.

Well thank goodness we cancelled the BBQ, it rained more yesterday than it did for hurricane Bill! I woke up this morning to find that part of the pasture fence had been smooshed by a large tree limb. Something else for hubby to fix today. The hurricane Danny was supposed to be worse today, but it's really nice out now. Except that it's flipping cold!!!! I think that God flicked the switch to cold the last few days. Yesterday, it was 50 degrees F..Brrrrr. Today it's not much warmer.

I was going to put the goats out today, the electric wire

is still ok, but Febe has a bad case of the scours since she got hold of the bag of dulse!!! So she's got to stay in and eat hay to get rid of the scours. I thought I had put the bag far enough out of reach, but I guess not. Dave went to check on them

last night in the pouring rain and saw that she had pulled the garbage bag full of dulse on the floor and they were just chomping away. I'm surprised her milk didn't taste like dulse this morning.

Last night we were trying to watch a movie, since the satellite dish wasn't coming in because of the rain and Roxie our dog was farting. Oh mylanta! She is stinky. I thought a skunk had snuck into the house! Whoa!

Well I have to get ready for church. I thought I'd include an afterthought of hubby burning his finger on our little picnic on Friday.

Have a Blessed Day

Lisa

Squattermelons

We have a mystery here on Spring Peeper farm. In the manure pile we have something growing. We are not sure what it is. Does anyone have any ideas? A couple of years ago we had a squattermelon in the garden. Some how a watermelon and a speghetti squash had cross pollinated. We thought we had planted them far enough apart, but I guess not. The outside looked like a watermelon, the inside looked like a speghetti squash but it smelled like a watermelon.

Yesterday Dave brought the tiny meat kings to the slaughter house. They looked more like cornish hens than roasters. We don't know what happened. We have a new batch of them and at 2 weeks old, they are almost as big as some of the other meat kings we kept. They were a sad, ragtag looking bunch.

We also went to Upper Clements Park. Its a kids park with rides and such. It was fun. Then we had a picnic for supper.

We had to cancel the chicken BBQ. It was for supper today. We were going to make it for lunch, because it only gave showers for the evening. But then they changed the forcast and it said the rain was going to start at noon. So we called everyone on the list to cancel. I'm glad we did, because it was raining at 9am this morning. I'm leaving the goats in the barn for today. Their pasture is surrounded by trees and when its windy I'm afraid it'll blow some of the trees on their heads. Some of the tree tops have already fallen.

So this time it's hurricane Danny that we are supposed to get. It's not supposed to be bad though. Watch, this one will be worse than the first one.

Well gotta go and make cabbage rolls for supper. It's only my second time and it takes me the whole day to make them.

Have a Blessed Day.

Lisa

Whale watching

I'm soooo tired. We went whale watching today with Elaine and Ron. They loved it, but I was soooo sick. I'm not seasick as a rule. Well, really I'm never seasick. But I have a middle ear problem that is starting to get worse as I age (eventually I will be deaf in that ear) and it's starting to cause dizziness and I think that might have been my problem. Here's a photo of a lighthouse on the way in from whale watching and Dave took a picture of a very nauseous me. I could barely move. Do you see the green around my gills?

It also wasn't the best whale watching we saw. We did see whales but they didn't jump or fluke (wave their tails). So we didn't get any good photos. On the way back I was feeling a bit better and J. and I saw a seal. He was cute.

We are planning a large chicken BBQ here Saturday.About 50+ people are invited and I guess there's a hurricane also invited. Well we didn't invite it, but it's inviting himself. Grrrr. So we have a case of chicken ordered at the store. What on earth are we supposed to do. We can't bring a case of chicken home and not use it! We don't have the fridge or freezer space! We can't keep it till the next weekend because Dave is doing a BBQ for the church next Saturday and then works the weekend after. Then it's getting too cold to make a BBQ like that. Oh, I'm so disgusted.

Well I'll keep you informed with our conundrum tomorrow.

Have a Blessed evening

Lisa

Beets and fish

Today I think that the mugginess has finally departed the area. It was hot today, but it wasn't a sticky heat. I picked all the beets in the garden and I had a whole 3 bottles!! Woohoo! My garden was so pathetic this year. It was sad, sad,sad. I just want Dave to till the whole darn thing and be gone with it! I've been throwing the weeds to the chickens. They just love it!

My sister in law, Elaine and her husband are down from Alberta for a weeks vacay. They came for supper tonight. We made BBQ porkchops, corn and sliced taters on the Barbie. It was good. The pork was ours and so was the cucumber. If the garden had produced the taters and the corn would have been ours also. Grrrr

After supper Dave and our son went fishing. Dave caught pickeral and J. caught a white bass. He was excited. We just watched from the sidelines.

The piggies are still thriving. They all go outside now. So cute to see them root around in the mud like their mum. Then when it's time to go in, she actually calls to them and they all run to her. So cute!

Dave finished J's tree fort. He was happy about that!

Have a Blessed evening.

Lisa

Another day.

It is with deep regret that I must inform you of the demise of my dearly departed vacuum cleaner. He passed away today at 10:42 a.m. of an undisclosed illness at the young age of 16 years old. He was brave right to the end. His sucking power will be greatly missed. :(

Ugh, now I have to find 100$ to replace mister vacuum. I knew his days were numbered, because he was losing his sucking power and some days he would give out these noises that I can't put into words. So just take my word for it.

Well we survived hurricane Bill. It was more like hurricane wimp. I've seen more wind at work with the guys. We had about 15 mm of rain and hardly any wind. I guess I should be grateful. It did break two branches off our poplar trees. The goats are happy about that!

I dewormed Febe for the second time today. You have to deworm them once then, again in 2 weeks. I dewormed Eve and Whisper for the first time today also. They are not fans of the dewormer. I can't imagine that it's all that good.

I picked our blueberry bush clean tonight after I got home from grocery shopping in town. (Town is 45 minutes away) We used to have half a dozen bushes laden with blueberries, but the heavy snows and old age took their toll on the bushes and now we have one left. We've planted more but it'll take years before we can reap anything from them. I noticed that my hibicus has flowered in the back yard.

The piglets are going outside now. It's so cute!! Momma has a watchful eye out for them, but they just run around. They are getting so big.

Well that's it for tonight. Hubby just got home from picking up his sister and her husband at the airport. They're home for a few weeks on vacation.

Have a Blessed Evening!
Lisa

Batten down the hatches!

I'm officially on vacation for a week! Woohoooo!!!! While I was at work today, hubby tied everything down that could be tied down. We are supposed to be getting lots and lots of wind and about 100-150 mm of rain in a 24 hour period. This should be interesting.

I've made some slow cooker granola so we'll have something to eat in case the power goes out. Really it's just an excuse to make it. It's so good!!! If any of you want the recipe I can post it.

Dave gave the piglets their second shot of iron today. Momma was not happy!! We are doing this farming as humanely as possible. We beleive that happy animals are healthy animals. We are in no way, shape or form vegetarians, but we don't think the animals destined for our plates needs to be mistreated and abused. So in saying this, we are not using farrowing crates with the pigs. The local pig farmer didn't think it could be done. He kept telling Dave that she was going to have the babies outside or she was going to kill them by stepping on them, yada yada yada. We only lost one and it was because of our stupidity. But in saying this, no farrowing crate does make things a bit trickier. Like needling 9 piglets with a 600 lb mama trying to eat you! So he had to lure Charlotte with Oreo sippers (her favourite snack) outside then close the door.

Needless to say there was alot of squealing going on in the barn and alot of barking going on outside the barn. (Pigs bark when ticked off!!)

But everything went well and they are all happy. Dave is a bit worried for Charlotte. He finds that she's not eating and drinking enough. But she likes her veggies and fruit and the pig farmer told us that she needed pig ration. She didn't like it. So when Dave gave her the usual veggies she gobbled it down. But I also think with all this heat she's just too hot to eat. The goats aren't eating like they used to and they don't weigh 600lbs and 9 babies running after them!!

Well it's time to sign off and hope we don't float away!

Have a Blessed evening

Lisa

Awaiting hurricane Bill

One more day and I'm on VACATION!!!!!! Wooohoooo!!!!! It's going to start on a wonderful note, a hurricane. Isn't it just grand!

Is there a reason why there is only 24 hours in a day? I'm wondering if its possible to add hours to the day, because I need more hours!!!!I have so much laundry to put away. That was my plan for tonight, but we only got home from practicing our special at 8:30p.m. Argh!

Hubby and I sing duets at church every once in awhile. Not only are we singing Sunday, but I'm also leading worship. Well that's if the hurricane doesn't sweep us away. We're singing "Step into the water" it might be an appropriate song with the hurricane.

My sister in law and her husband are coming next week from Alberta. We're going to go whale watching. The funnest (is that a word?) part of whale watching is watching the expression on our son's face. He's a whale and dolphin fanatic. We tried going whale watching when my penpal from Australia came down in July, but the boat cancelled on us. Grrrrr.

Well time for beddy bye.

Have a Blessed evening.

Lisa

Another hot day!

You know when you could avert a possible disaster yet nobody will listen to you? Well this happened to me last night. Let me tell you guys a little story. We have been battling bats in our attic for 17 years now. When we think we've licked them, they come back. So it was time to attack the problem one more time. Hubby had an idea where they were coming into the attic, so two weeks ago he asks me to bring a large can of Mono expanding foam and a long hose that would fit the nozzle, because the little one that comes with it isn't long enough to reach the cracks he needs to get to. So I bring the said Mono and hose but asks my darling hubby, "Do you really think that the hose will stay on? There's a lot of pressure in that can."

"oh yes!" says darling dear. "it'll work great!"

"Ok." I mean what do I know just a mere female.

So finally last night he gets his dad's super tall ladder and waits patiently till the said bats are out of our belfry. While this is all happening I'm in the house contently writing my blog. I don't hear anything, everything seems to be going well.

He walks into the house and I ask (not looking at him, intent on my blog) "so how did it go?"

"Uh, well, ok I guess. I did have a little mishap though."

I turned to look at him. There, standing in the living room is my husband splattered with mono expanding foam all over his arms, his face and his clothes!

"What the heck happened?"

" Well, the pressure in the can was a bit too much for the hose and instead of going through the hose, it kinda backsplashed in my face."

I'm thinking, "didn't I try to avoid this two weeks ago?" Today we were still picking foam off of his arms and face. There is some all over the siding of the house also. Ahh well. At least this morning when the bats tried to get back in the attic they found their entryway blocked!

I played hookie from work today. Well, not really. I asked for the afternoon off so we could all go to the Annapolis Valley exhibition. We had never been. It was great! I saw a miniature donkey that I sooooo want to bring home to my goats, unfortunately, or should I say fortunately, she was 1200$!!! That's about 1199$ more than I have to spend on a donkey. It was so hot and the animals were all roasting in their stalls. Many farmers had set up fans to cool them off. I had forgotten my hat and I realized that I was getting a sun stroke so we all went into a barn to get away from the sun. After all the rain we have had this summer, I never thought that I'd say that I was running away from the sun, but I was. We are supposed to get a category 4 hurricane this weekend. That'll be nice. I'm working. Ok,that's not nice of me to say. I take it back.

We also watched the miniature horse jumping. That was cute. Ohhhh, I need more money in my bank account and about 50 more acres of land.

Well gotta go to sleep.

Have a Blessed day.

Lisa

We're having a heat wave, a tropical heat wave!!!

Oh Mylanta! It is hot this week. The news said that we are officially in a heat wave. Really?! I would have never guessed it. It was still at 95 degrees at 6pm tonight and the heat had subsided a bit since noon. It's now bearable.

Yesterday I brought our son to the massage therapist (we believe in alternative medecine when possible, and massage therapy is preventative medecine to us). Then we came home and planned on going to the beach but the fog was so thick that you couldn't see two feet in front of you. We live inland so I either have to call someone at the shore to find out the weather there or drive there and find out for ourselves. That's the wonderful thing about Nova Scotia weather, it changes from one minute to the next and one kilometre to the next.

Dave made a digging pile for our son. He loves it with his trucks and excavators etc... I picked our yellow beans but I was too late. They were past their prime. So I can't process them. So I brought them to work and gave them to some co-workers who were very appreciative. My greenhouse is going nutso! The photo is of my cucumber plants and tomato plants and that tiny, little, green, round thing is a photo of one of 4 plums we have on our tree! Woohoo! In the manure pile we have something growing. I think its a squatter-melon ( a cross between a watermelon and a speghetti squash, something we have had before). At least something is doing well in the "garden".

The piglets are growing fast and they are so cute!!! They have now fattened up a bit, so now they are little round black balls of fur. Cute, cute cute!!!

Well it's time to go. I'm going to wilt my way to bed.

Have a Blessed day!

Lisa

Hot, Hot, Hot

Oh Mylanta! It was hot here yesterday. It was around 110 degrees and that wasn't counting in the humidex. So maybe that's why Febe is skimping on her milk.

We didn't go to church and I slept in till 9:30! Not good. Why is it that when you sleep in it gives you a headache? You'd think that if you sleep in that means your body needs it, so it shouldn't punish you for it! Argh!

We had a kiddie birthday party to go to in the afternoon but Dave had people coming to see the piglets, which are all doing very well. So Dave stayed home and we went to the party. While our son was at the party I scooted over to my aunt Marg's to pick some blueberries. BAD MOVE! Even though I had my sun hat I couldn't pick more than 4 quarts. It was so hot, not a breeze in sight and the mosquitoes were on the war path. Usually when it's that hot the only thing to contend with are horse flies, not mosquitoes! They must have been hungry.

When we got home I had company. A new goat person had come to see our little farm. He stayed until almost 8:30. We talked chickens and goats. He did like the piglets! The people that were coming to see the piglets originally came and they might get 2 instead of just one. If they do, that means, that all the piglets will be spoken for! That didn't take long to sell them all. They will only be ready to go in September.

Well that's it for now. I have to get our son ready his massage appointment.

Have a Blessed Day! And it's giving another scorcher for today.

Lisa

Aug 16, 09

Yesterday was a busy but fun day. My son and I did our chores then high-tailed it to the Annapolis farmer's market. I bought a strange little pepper plant and he bought a candy kabob. But other than that we just admired the sights, sounds and heat. I don't like buying veg from the market because they overprice everything. Blueberries there are 3-4$ a quart and you can buy them everywhere else for 2$. It's because it's a tourist trap and they know most people will pay that price. Myself, I'm cheap.

We then walked up the hill to Fort Anne so he could play on the hills. Ahhh, to have that energy. I stayed on top of the hills and watched him go up and down.

I had to stop at the store and get eggs for the Sunday school picnic. I was going to make devilled eggs. You probably ask why am I buying eggs when I have a dozen laying hens at home? Fresh eggs don't make good devilled eggs. The shell is hard to peel off.

We went to Johnson Christian Park for our Sunday school picnic and supper. It was good and our son swam in the lake all evening. It was dark by the time he got out! We had an outdoor service which was good also. Then we had a bonfire. We even had a little visitor, a mink. It came right up to my feet and I snapped a few pictures of it.

Well today it's going to be hot again. Our son has a birthday party to go to and I'm going to pick blueberries and my yellow beans.

Have a Blessed day!

School daze are almost here! Aug 14

I've just finished our putting our son's name on ALL his school supplies. Even down to the last pencil. Every coloured pencil, every eraser, everything. Ugh.

Today was a hot day. 100 degrees. Well that was at work. I think it was hotter at home. It usually is. I left the goats in the barn today. It's cooler in there.

I'm off the weekend!!! Yay!!! But I have so much to do that I'm overwhelmed. Tonight we had a bonfire to go to for the Sunday school picnic, but I was knackered. Tomorrow I have the Sunday school picnic, the tintamarre, I also want to go to Fort Anne, pick yellow beans, go to the farmer's market AND go to the bottle depot. Think I'll get it all in? I think not. Then Sunday we have a birthday party in the afternoon a family reunion all day, but it's 2 hours drive away, church and the closing of the Sunday school picnic. Phew! I'm tired just thinking about it.

Febe's milk supply has gone down alot and I'm not sure why. I thought maybe it was too hot outside so I left her inside today, but that didn't help. I'm down to barely a litre in the morning and the same at night. Not good.

It was a rough day at work today. I didn't realize how stupid some people can be. I knew there were a few screws loose out there, but my land! It took an hour to explain to a customer why he couldn't get his paint for free. I am not exaggerating. It seriously took an hour. I was so tired after that that I just wanted lay down and cry.

Well best not complain about my job, at least I have one.

Have a Blessed day!

Lisa

August 13, 2009

Today was another nice hot day. The piglets had all their wolf teeth cut and their shots given. It was Dave's first time doing it. Melvin the local pig farmer came and showed him how to do it. Very simple. Dave doesn't like giving them their shots. He's afraid of hurting them. Whatever happened to the great white hunter I once knew? I must have converted him!

Dave fixed the car air conditioner today and the brakes.

This weekend I have a family reunion, a Sunday school picnic and a birthday party to attend. All at the same time. What to do...what to do. I also want to can my yellow beans that need to be done in the worse way. So little time. Too bad I have to work for a living because some days I feel like I'm leading 2 lives. Oh! and it's also "the tintamarre". It's an Acadian thing. It's Saturday night on National Acadian day.

Our son is feeling a bit better about the piglet. He cried and sobbed all night last night. It was so pitiful to watch.

I've decided not to take piano lessons this fall. I just don't have the time. My heart isn't into it either.

Have a Blessed day!

Lisa

Aug 12, 2009 P.M.

Strange how everyday starts out with so much promise but can take such a nose dive by suppertime. All the piglets were doing so well today even the runt. But by suppertime we could tell that she wasn't doing well. Sometime was drastically wrong with her legs. She needed to be put down. This is easier said than done when you have an 8 year old tender-hearted animal lover on the premises. He was so distraught that it took all evening to calm him down. Our son wanted to have her put down because he knew she was suffering badly. But at the same time he didn't want her to die. Yet he didn't want to leave her the way she was because she was in pain. I think he was expecting divine intervention.

He was mad at Charlotte because she was ignoring her little one. He didn't understand that sometimes animals do that. Why? I don't know. Another one of God's little mysteries. That will be on my list of questions when I get to Heaven.

So now we are down to 9 little piggies.

Have a Blessed Day

Lisa

Chickies!

So far this morning it looks like it's going to be a beautiful day! Lets hope since I put clothes out on the line. The piglets are still all alive. We thought that maybe the runts wouldn't make it but it seems like they are thriving. They are half the size of the other ones.

We tried bottle feeding the runts but they weren't hungry, so I guess they must be eating.

We got our third set of meat kings. In this picture they are so cute, but they don't last like that for long. They get ugly pretty quickly. Hopefully this batch will do better than last batch. Most died and the rest never grew well. They are still in the barn. They really should be in the freezer by now.

Well that's it for this morning.

Have a Blessed day!

Lisa

This little piggie went to market

Today started with a bang! Charlotte went into labour at 4:30am. Dave was going to work. He went into the barn to check on her and she had started her labour. We ended up with 10 little piggies! 3 boys and 7 girls. They are so cute. Our son is all in a panic. He's afraid Charlotte will squash them. This is a possibility since we are not using a farrowing crate. We find them to inhumane. We are trying it like in the old days. Just give them lots of room to move and they'll be fine.

I cleaned the goat pen today. I'm sure that they just wait to come from outside to poop in the barn. That or they are just pooping machines! It was a very hot and muggy day. The weather man was wrong again. It was supposed to rain and thunder.

Have a Blessed Day!

Lisa

Grocery woes!

Today we woke up to rain. Who knew? It was giving rain all day so I didn't plan any outdoor chores, but it ended up only raining for an hour.

Our son started day camp for the week. It was his first time and he loved it! I'm so glad.

I wonder, when the experts say that it's cheaper to eat healthy, have they ever tried it? I doubt it! We went grocery shopping today. We go every 2 weeks and even though we buy no meat, chicken, pork, eggs or milk our bill was over 250$!!!!! Some days I wonder how are we ever going to survive? And by "we" I mean the middle class. We get no help from the government and our wages don't go up. But we just trudge along hoping to someday see the light at the end of the tunnel.

While at the grocery store I met up with my friend, Faye. She's having problems with blackberry plants. They have run rampant on their property. She asked if I wanted any. Dave and I thought for a moment as where to put the blackberry canes. We've figured out where we would put them, but now I'm trying to figure out where am I going to find the time to go get them and plant them! I'm going to put them in the far back of the property just in case they decide to go bonkers.

For supper we had our own homegrown chicken and yellow beans. It feels good the eat what you've raised yourself, without the interference of anyone else.

Mondays are my days off. Or as I call them "my unpaid work days". Because I think I work more on Mondays than I do any other day. Mondays are usually "clean sheet" day for our beds and "clean the goat pen day" Well I didn't have time for either one today, so it'll have to wait till tomorrow.

I tried my hand at home-made granola today in the slow cooker (who knew?). It's delicious! It saves burning it in the oven, like the last time I tried it a few years ago. I got the recipe from fellow "goat" people.

So far nothing from Charlotte. But Dave went to see her tonight and give her a rub, but she was grouchy. That is not usually her. She's a very docile and friendly pig. So she must be getting close. Our son is just beside himself. When he got home from day camp, he was so disappointed because she still hadn't given birth.

Well I have to go to bed. Soccer ran really late and I'm pooped. It's very tiring watching a bunch of 8-9 year olds run around on a soccer field!

Have a Blessed Day!

Lisa

My first blog.

This is my first attempt at blogging. Today was a hot and sunny day. Amazing since it hasn't stopped raining the entire summer. So we have to take advantage of the sun when we can. The day started with milking Febe, the goat. She gave me almost 2 litres of milk. I put all of the goats out to the pasture for the day. They actually didn't stop at the blueberry bushes this morning.

We are still waiting for Charlotte, our Registered Berkshire pig to have her piglets today. She was due today, but she could still go till Tuesday. I guess it's like a human, they can get over their due dates.

I milked Febe early tonight since we had to leave to see the local fireworks.

We are still wondering if the meat king chickens we got are not laying hens. They are just not growing. We are so not impressed. They should be in our freezer by now and not in the barn.

Well that's it for today.

Have a Blessed Day.