On The Farm This Week 4/20/12

The swan, across the road, is nesting.  This is the male, keeping guard so that no one disturbs her.

Horses:
Wrangler is losing all of his fur.  It looks a bit like rainrot, but I don't think it is - I think he just looses all of his shaggy fur in the spring?

Red used to get rainrot - this is how bad he would get:

Cows:

The calves are continuing to get big.  They are doing really well.

Goats:

Aryiana is bagging up - we should have a new baby before long.  She's so huge - I'm hoping for twins, but she usually only has one. 

Sheep:

sold the sheep this week.  :-(  I know it was the logical thing to do - we need to downsize and prioritize.  The sheep were not friendly, and needed sheared every year.  They did not provide any income, they were just pets.  The man who bought them transported them in the back of a van, which made me nervous..  but he wanted them as pets, so I think it was the best place for them.

Poultry:

We are drowning in eggs!  After not having ANY eggs for weeks, we now have a fridge full of them.  Omelets, fritatas, hard boiled eggs..  need to get some pickled eggs started this week.

We sold the peacocks too.  Not my breeding pair, Mr and Mrs Peabody stay, but the babies from last year are all sold, once we catch the one last loose one.

Garden:

A lot of work this week..  had topsoil delivered for the upper garden, filled in the 4x4 boxes in the back yard with some miracle grow to top them off.  A friend of mine gave me her extra strawberry plants - I got those planted, weeded the herb and back flower beds, edged the beds...  Next week I want to get some beans and brocolli in the ground, and maybe some other plants?

The iris are blooming

I'm trying two apps on my phone this year.  The first one is for planning my 4x4 raised beds:

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.dek.gardensquared&feature=search_result

The second is a paid app.  I almost never pay for apps.  But this one looked really promising, and it is cheap:

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.hutchinsonsoftware.gardenate&feature=search_result#?t=W251bGwsMSwyLDEsImNvbS5odXRjaGluc29uc29mdHdhcmUuZ2FyZGVuYXRlIl0.

I have not spent enough time with either app to know if I really love them yet or not.  It's been a busy week!  :-)

Misc:


We're having a skeet shoot here in a few weeks, there is SO much I want to get done/cleaned up around the farm before then!  Much like the house cleaning, I know i need a better plan for maintaining this year.  I think I need a rotation - on Tuesdays I work on one area, Thursdays another - maybe a front yard/back yard rotation?  And I MUST walk through the farm much more regularly.  I want to add walks out over the back fields, but daily I need to be in with the horses, chickens, goats..  and at least a walk through of the gardens, so I am more aware of what needs done, rather than avoiding it and living in denial.

Alfred The Alpaca

After a couple of months, Alfred was MISERABLE here.  He was obviously depressed. We found him a home with other alpacas, and he is very happy there - alpacas are a herd animal, and apparently goats are not always companions for them, Alfred was happiest with other alpacas.

Why did we get an alpaca?
     Because they are cute, and we knew someone who was selling one.  Yep, there are probably better reasons.  But That's all I've got.  :-)  He is intact, so if I can find some reasonably priced girls, we can have alpaca babies.  Which would be awesome.  (I just sold sheep because I didn't want to sheer them...  but we can pet Alfred.  We couldn't pet the sheep.  I'll learn to shear)

What do Alpaca's eat?
     Yep, I bought an alpaca without even knowing that.  So far I can tell you that he loves the grass.  He wasn't interested in the goats grain.  He hasn't touched the hay.   Good Website - http://www.alpacas.com/QnA/Care.aspx (Thanks Google!)

What's the Difference between a llama & an Alpaca?
    Again, I turn to google for help, and find: http://www.owning-alpaca.com/alpaca-and-llama.html
I did pretty much know this - we have had a llama here on the farm in the past.  What I did not realize is that alpacas are a herd animal.  right now I have Alfred in with the sheep, and I can move him with the horses for company..  but I do want to get him some girlfriends.  Basically, llamas are larger, and can be used for pulling carts, or keeping coyotes out of the pasture.  Alpacas are for fleece, and not much else.  Alpacas are smaller than llamas, and their fur is much softer, and a better texture, than llamas.

Misc:
Alpacas rarely challenge fences. Dan likes that.
They are a herd animal.  Alfred will need friends.  :-)
They need sheared.
They eat mostly grasses.
They do not require a lot of space.
They do need to be wormed.

I have to get a video of Alfred walking.  His gait is funny - it's fun to watch!  (I think it's a normal alpaca gait - just different than say, the horses, or the goats)


Cool new blog added to my reader - Alpaca Farm Girl
http://www.alpacafarmgirl.com/ 

Another great website:
http://www.owning-alpaca.com/index.html 

Favorite Thing Friday - 8oclock Hazelnut

http://www.sippycupchronicles.com/search/label/Favorite%20Thing%20Friday

My absolute favorite coffee.  Whole bean, I grind it fresh each morning..  YUM~!

This week I couldn't find any in our local stores - this can be hard to find sometimes - so I bought a bottle of hazelnut sugar free syrup.  Blech!  Now, I should have known this would not be the same thing. Really I should.  I logically know that sugar free syrups are still sweeteners.  But I wasn't thinking sweetener - I was thinking hazelnut.  I drink my coffee black, no sugar, no cream.  Sugar free hazelnut syrup made my coffee sweet.  Hazelnut beans do not make my coffee sweet.

Clarifying Shampoo for bathing suits?

 

Today's Tip - from the women at the Y - wash bathing suits out in clarifying shampoo (be sure to use it on your hair too!) after swimming in chlorine. It will keep the suit from fading.


Apparently there are different kinds of clarifying shampoos, but the women there recommend the 99 cent bottle of Suave!  Which we already keep on hand here..  even with a culligan water system, we have problems with hard water.  Our hairdresser recommended at clarifying shampoo at least once a week - and it really helps keep my hair from turning orange.

More on clariflying shampoo use:
http://www.buzzle.com/articles/clarifying-shampoo-to-remove-hair-dye.html

More tips for avoiding green hair if you spend a lot of time swimming in chlorine:
http://www.mamapedia.com/article/help-my-daughter-tick-s-hair-is-green-from-chlorine

Prepping For The Week-end

I love facebook.  Most of the time.  Did you ever notice on Fridays, how many post "TGIF" or some status about how glad they are that it is the week-end?


That is not me.


Don't get me wrong, I love the week-end!  But where so many of my friends view the week-end as a rest from their work week, I view it as the most chaotic, busy, messy, three days of my week.  Yes, three days.  Because my husband works 3rd shift Friday night, his week-end is more of a Saturday night through Monday.  But I have teenagers who, along with their friends, observe the more traditional Friday through Sunday week-end.  And I'm so thankful that I am able to stay home and accommodate that mix of schedules. Don't get me wrong, I am very, very thankful. I'm often also a bit tired.  :-)

This week-end adds in the time change, which is just... oh lets face it, it is miserable.  We lose an hour on Sunday?  But I am WAY overbooked for Sunday, I need an extra hour, not one less!


So how can I eliminate the stress and enjoy the week-end?  I plan.  I prepare.  I treat our week-ends like we are going away on a vacation.  I plan meals, I plan outfits, I clean & pack the car, I make snacks, I go over the budget I post itineraries...  today (Friday) is all about getting ready for the trip - and our week-ends sure can be a trip!  

This is what my list looks like (except in Evernote it is a checklist..  not sure where my check boxes went when I copied it here)

Planning For The Week-end

Things that need done EVERY Friday - 

quick clean the house top to bottom

work ahead in F, A, T

work ahead in BSF hmwrk

read ahead in b90days

check kids school work, make sure they are completely on track and caught up for the week

go over the week-ends schedule

go over the week-ends menu

go over the week-end budget

make sure camera battery is charged

check the weather forecast for the week-end - how does it change/effect our plans?

On the Go This Week-end:

Men's Breakfast

Latte Ladies 

Work Day at the church

Prom dress shopping

SS, Church, Youth Group

Coffee Connection (our turn)

Youth Group Snack (our turn)

Nursery duty (yep, all 3 things just happened to fall on the same Sunday this time around!)

GAB mtg

J.s family over to feed calves

Choir practice

PSSA's (remember, my week-end encompasses Monday)

Biking Bike Path

For Men's Breakfast:

Remind Dan to invite B.

Are boys staying for work day (does M. have a ride home?)

Budget:

For Latte Ladies:

What time is S. meeting me here?

Put together my recipes & print copies

pick up flowers to thank P?

Have M. look at menu online before we go, for faster ordering

Budget:

Prom Dress Shopping:

Are we taking 2 cars?  Where all are we going?

google options

Budget:

SS, Church, YG:

Do I know my memory verse (our SS teacher has been challenging us - very cool)

Pick out my outfit, make sure it is ironed, hung all together

Check the kids outfits

For Coffee Connection:

I know I can count on cookies from Mrs. F.

make mint meltaways

make lemon cookies

make mini pb eggs

buy danish

make labels

GAB Mtg-

add brochure to my bag for church

mark areas with questions

get sand cup recipe from T.

Youth Group Snack:

ask kids - what to make? 

Family Over to Feed Calves

confirm time, tour dairy barn during milking?

footwear

Choir:

check website, what are we singing this week?

listen to cd with Meg, practice!

PSSA's - 

What to take?  Calculator?  Snacks?  Water bottle?

check weather - bike path during test?

check historical society hours

check local find a grave requests, print

gym? Discuss w/ Dan

Planning the Week-end Menu

Then based on this, I adjust our menu for the week-end.  Fridays are traditionally pizza night here.  Often I will make calzones or Stromboli instead of pizza - but something "in the pizza family".  Sundays are traditional Sunday dinners.  Ham.  Turkey.  Roast.  Pork chops and stuffing.  With a lasagna in the rotation...   Sides are instant (I know, I know, but it is Sunday, week-ends are super busy, and Idaho makes a good instant potato) mashed potatoes, a vegetable, a salad, and applesauce or fruit salad.  When we have lasagna, we skip the mashed potatoes.  :-)  

Sunday after church we always have hotdogs & popcorn and sometimes ice cream.  The traditions - Friday night pizza, Sunday dinner, Sunday night hot dogs - keep my menu planning simple.

The next step in menu planning for the week-end is to see who will actually be here.  In addition to the schedule above, I now need to look at the kids work schedules, and remember that our oldest has sound team this month.  (That means he has to be at church an hour early - his brothers like to go along with him, and they go to Dunkin Donuts on the way to church, no need for me to make them breakfast)  I always make enough food on Sundays for an army, so we can invite extras at a moments notice..  but I know that this week our regular Sunday teenage guest is grounded and probably won't be here. 

Friday Night:

Calzones, Salad, applesauce

Saturday: 

Breakfast - No cooking - Boys at Men's breakfast, girls at Not Just a Bean for latte ladies

Lunch - No cooking - no one home/full from a big breakfast

Supper - early, the boys will be "starving".  Steaks on the grill, baked potatoes, salad

Sunday - 

Breakfast - No cooking - leave a little early and stop by DD ourselves (love their egg white & veggie on flatbread!)

Lunch - Pork chops and stuffing (layered in the crockpot)

Supper  - hot dogs in sauerkraut (put them in the crockpot before we leave for youth group) popcorn

Monday - 

Breakfast - smoothies, sausage, eggs,

Lunch - grilled chicken, salad, potato salad

Dinner - leftovers

Now that I see the menu - back to the to do list to add the following:

Have boys sweep deck, get patio cushions from garage (maybe eat out side this week-end?)

Check with D., do we have enough gas for the grill?

make potato salad on Friday while baking

marinate the meats for the grill on Friday while baking

get sauerkraut out to thaw for Sunday night

make up a large bowl of salad

make stuffing ahead (use up the rolls the kids left the bag open on so they got stale...) for Sunday

It all sounds a bit nuts, doesn't it?  My week-end certainly will not look like the photo above.  BUT, if I get all of that list done today, it will be a great week-end.  I get to go out to my favorite coffee shop with a group of women that I love, and after I sit and talk with them over coffee and the best bagels around, THEN I get to go with my best friend, her daughter and my daughter, prom dress shopping (father daughter banquet dress shopping for my daughter - but she'll be wearing a "prom style" dress).  After that steaks on the grill, hopefully supper on the deck, here at home with my husband and kids.  We might even saddle up the horses and watch the sunset from horseback?

Then Sunday we get to attend  a church that we not only love, but that is truly a family for us.  I love our turns at the coffee connection - because I get to talk to everyone as they come through for coffee and cookies.  The GAB mtg will be quick, and I'm really excited about the ladies conference we are planning!  Then a normal rowdy Sunday dinner where I hear all about what my kids are up to, usually followed by a hand or two of Phase 10, or Skipbo.  After that "city" friends coming over to see the farm and bottle feed the calves.  That is going to be so much fun - I love to see young kids visit the farm!  Choir practice, youth group, and home to watch the Amazing Race before bed Sunday night.  A family tradition, we eat hot dogs in the living room, while watching tv.  :-)

Monday we'll have time to do our regular Monday chores, have lunch togther, and then go for a 15 mile bike ride while our youngest takes his PSSA's.  Most likely that will just be me and Dan, on my favorite bike path - and this is my idea of a perfect date.  

It's busy, no doubt about it, but it is relaxing too - once I get past all of the prep work.