Guests and New Residents

We have guests and new residents. They all have 4 legs but they make different sounds. A short update on the K-9 residents too.

The Guests

3 Guests are Goats
the neighbor goats

Our neighbors have 3 nanny goats and that kept escaping from their enclosure. We offered our pasture to them until their pen is fixed. Of course, we had an ulterior motive. We were hoping they would make a dent in the growing pasture grass. Unfortunately, those 3 goats just couldn’t keep up. So we had to mow it.

The new Residents

This property came with some livestock areas already in place; a barn, a paddock, the pasture, and a small area for pigs complete with a wallow.

One of our neighbors had a lead on some pigs at just the perfect time. He was getting some for himself and offered to pick up 2 for us while he was at it. He got himself 8! Four females and 4 males. On Tuesday our 2 pigs arrived. Aren’t they cute? They currently weigh about 30-35 pounds, are about 6 weeks old The pigs are Yorkshire Breed will remain pink, and will grow to about 300 pounds each. Not that we need 2 pigs, but they like to have company so 2 it is. The male is Iggy Piggy, and the female is Piggie Ann. They should be at about 300 pounds by late October. UMMMM can you say bacon!!!

Lets Eat
Giving them a taste of the good life

They’ve had a bit of difficulty adjusting to the good life and stayed in the barn for the first couple of days. The pigs eat grain mix along with some kitchen scraps…They seem to currently be a bit picky. That will change as they get a bit older. The chickens sacrificed a few leaves of romaine… They were coaxed out of the barn into their yard. In the yard, the pigs discovered the mud -it was hog heaven. The only thing they are not too pleased with is the hot wire along the fence. They are learning about it in spurts!

The Canine Residents

I have posted about the cats and chickens, I haven’t posted much about the dogs. Mostly there wasn’t much to tell. Patton has been growing like a weed. Not too long ago, Patton was a big floppy footed puppy. The next thing we knew, he was bigger than Goldie. In April he began limping. A visit to the vet, an x-ray, and some meds. Patton has stopped limping after a week on the medication. His diagnosis was incomplete. We are hoping it is just a strain, and not something much worse, which the vet hinted at. At just 9 months old he weighs in at a solid 90 pounds. Goldie is just a bit shy of 3 years old and only weighs 60 pounds. When the big dogs play rough in the house, we know it!

Patton pup 9 months
he likes to lay like this- a bit like a pretze.

This is one of Pattons favorite ways to lay on the floor.

Now the new residents have been revealed. Is that the end of the fun? Nope. We have another new resident arriving soon!!! Anyone care to leave a guess?

More Later- Beth

COVID-19 and the Stay Home Order

So how is this mess going for you? I have to say that it started out pretty strange, having to “stay at home”. We are enjoying the farm and can’t imagine being in town close to friends and neighbors and having to just stay home!!! It got a little rough… but got better when I made some changes and choices! At first, like so many others, I was at a loss for what to do. Not like I didn’t have anything to do, but the deadlines and commitments all faded away. That, along with the onset of angst about trying to have a normal life, creativity seemed to also have some difficulty.

Thankfully, I had a little job to take care of and the Stay Home Order made it much easier to tackle.

The fabrics

fabric choices
Chose these two fabrics

Of course, with retail closed due to the order to stay home, I had to shop online for the fabrics. Color and print do not show up nearly as well on the computer as in person. Not sure how you handle a fabric that is not true to color when ordering online…. but it sure is nerve-wracking to buy on faith!!!

Settled on a design.

Block Line Drawing
Friendship Star

Made a test block.

The Mock Up block
Checking the color value and placement of the block and the plan. (these are not the fabrics in the quilt)

I modified the block by adding a half square triangle in the corners. The modification makes a secondary pattern of a ribbon weaving between the blocks

Started cutting.

Preparing to sew the CR Quilt
Block Components cut

And then…

along the way… the taste test got in the way.

Ooops
Where did all those empty bags come from?

This is a joke Block … as in taste test getting out of hand… if it was Makers Mark bourbon instead of Crown Royal, it could have happened!!! (and maybe it did…)

Or was it just a joke?

How are we coping
Oops! We did it again!

This is a legit error. It hung on the wall for several days before I noticed it!!!

Top Done

Crown Royal Top Done
A completed top

But I made changes and easier to stay home and have a nearly perfect top.

How the choices were made

This is not my quilt design. I suggested that the owner of the bags look online for some quilts he liked. This is the one he chose. I suggested some options, but this one suited his aesthetic. The quilt is a throw size and is for a Man Cave as a sofa throw. It will look spectacular once it is all quilted. Next up, find a backing for it online, (wide because I just don’t want to seam fabric)! I may need that Makers Mark after all!!!

Tools I used

I put my money where my mouth is so to speak and the tools I used to create this quilt are items I carry in the I Have A Notion store. I used the Quilters Select Rulers for cutting, the Wool Pressing Mat, a Misting Spray Bottle, Clover pins, and the Titanium Needle (Top Stitch). Not make money, (although it would be a nice benefit), but really it is to help those that sew make the BEST CHOICE for their dollar. As we get back on our feet from the stay home order or actual quarantine, making better choices may become even more important in the next coming months.

How are you surviving this unprecidented time?

More Later… (we have new residents)- Beth

More Springtime

My favorite season is spring. All the new springtime growth, especially the spring flowers that have a very short lifespan. But there was just a little more… than vegetation this week.

Some Visitors

new critters both wild and domestic. There are no new domestic critters, but recently a pair of wild ducks checked out the pond for a week or so. I guess they decided that it was too busy here for them and haven’t been here for 5 days or so. DARN!

Spring Visitors Blue Wing Teal Ducks
New Visitors

Not so wet

In the last post, I showed one of the creeks running full with a springtime rain, and this is what it looks like when the run-off is low and it disappears into the limestone rocks. Nearly taken in the same place!

Spring Full Creek now empty
Dry Creek when the rains stop

Wildflowers

One afternoon I was thinking about some of the things I would miss about the yard in town. Each spring the wild grape hyacinths would pop up in the yard. There were only a few when we moved in and by the time we left the population had grown to about a hundred. Later in the day, I went out into the front yard here and to my surprise found a huge patch under the big oak tree! I have also noticed them in ditches and other yards when driving.

Spring Muscari patch
Muscari also known as Wild Grape Hyacinth

A Springtime Wildflower Meadow

Also, discovered that the little Spring Beauty wildflower from the last post not only grows in the forested parts, but there is a rather large meadow of them right outside the backyard fence!!! I have asked that it not be mowed for a while longer, so far the DH is complying, (however, I suspect its because he likes to eat!) The flower of the Spring Beauty is not much larger than a dime, so it takes lots of flowers to create a meadow!

Meadow of Spring Beauty wildflower
A whole Meadow of the Spring Beauty

A few springtime flowers from the yard

And lastly some domestic springtime blossoms. A double daffodil and a double ornamental cherry. There are a few clumps of this type of daffodil along the fringes of the treed areas of the yard. The daffs are done in both areas and the cherry tree now is mostly leafed out.

Quilty Gift

Lastly, I did have a bit of creative time. I assisted with the creation of a comfort quilt for a guild member. The Covid-19 issue hampered the creation a bit. “Simple Friendship Blocks” created by members of the guild, with encouraging messages and signatures. A good size throw quilt for on the go or napping. I was able to find the perfect springtime border fabric to make the block shine in Paducah.

Friendship Quilt with a Spring look
Comfort Quilt for a Guild Member

The quilt has been delivered just as the recipient received the good news from her physicians! I like to think it was all the prayers and good wishes that went into each of the blocks as they were being made, which helped create a positive outcome.

What is your favorite part of springtime?

More later- Beth