Mama robin and her babies have moved on.

And that made me very, very sad, because that means it’s almost time for the boys in the barn to leave us.

There are currently five steers in our barn. The black and white-faced steer, a.k.a. DQ, is the boy’s show steer. Two others will be auctioned off at the fair as carcasses, and the remaining two will fill our family’s freezers.

Nothing better than a nice bale of hay for breakfast.

Our 4-Her has been working with his three almost every day, and I have to say that they (the boy and the steers) look good.

Here is what DQ looked like back in December and the official weights for the 4-H projects. 

Here are what the boys looked like yesterday:

They’re all turned this way (and quite content) because there’s an industrial-sized fan blowing on their butts.

Though some people may not be happy about how this story will end (including me), I can promise you that while we have our animals, we take the best care of them that we can.

My big baby, 110.

Most farmers will tell you exactly the same thing.

Miniature horse at the Sierra Rose Greenhouse.

Watch this fantastic clip of expert butcher Tom Mylan as he breaks down a pig to find the choice cuts.

The Disappearing Pig – YouTube.

The vintage wooden buckets that protected my tomato plants from frost a few nights ago.

Here the guys are discussing what’s not working right on the field finisher:

Here is the tractor sitting idle while Farmer D tried to find replacements for some broken bolts:

And here’s dirty Farmer D after dealing with whatever today’s breakdown was:

Thank goodness the corn in the garden is looking good:

(And Farmer D’s amazing humble wife planted the garden all by herself.)

Reblogged from free penny press:

• 
• 
• 

In the United States tomorrow we will be celebrating Mother’s Day. A holiday to honor and revere women who are Mother’s. Being a Mother is not always one who gives birth to a child. To me a Mother can be any or all of the following:

-A woman that births, adopts, or helps  raise a foster child -A woman who raises food for her family/community…

Read more… 124 more words

In the six years that I've been a farm wife and stepmother, I've heard the phrase "but you're not even blood" too many times. Blood has nothing to do with being a mother.

Farmer D was pretty happy when I pulled this baby out of a gift basket I won at the Jr. Fair Board breakfast.

and Farmer D instantly turned into the biggest sap in the world.

The next generation for our family farm?

I’m sure he’ll be out tomorrow looking for an infant seat for the tractor.

An adult and nymph tick (and not my finger, thank goodness).

Though I’m glad we had a mild winter here in NE Ohio, but as a result, I’ve heard that the ticks are supposed to be bad this summer.

If you’re not into covering yourself with chemical tick repellent, there are natural ways to help keep ticks from ticking you off.

• Wear the right clothing. A tinfoil suit isn’t the best wardrobe choice if you plan to be in an area where ticks dwell – wear a hat, pants, and a long-sleeved shirt, if possible. Remember that it’s easier to see ticks on light-colored clothing.
• Take a shower as soon as you come in the house and check your entire body for ticks. Throw your clothes in the washer as well, just in case there are ticks on them.
• Do another tick check before bed. You can get lyme disease if a tick feeds on you for more than 36 hours, so check yourself regularly after you’ve been in wooded areas, around the bottoms of shrubs, or in tall grass. Look for dark dots, especially in body creases and on your scalp.
• If you find a tick, carefully remove it.  Use fine-tipped tweezers to grasp the tick as close to the skin’s surface as possible. Pull upward with steady, even pressure. (Don’t twist or jerk the tick; this can cause the mouth-parts to break off and remain in the skin.) After removing the tick, thoroughly clean the bite area and your hands with rubbing alcohol or soap and water.
• Keep your yard in shape.  Ticks are less likely to be found in cut, maintained grass, so mow your yard regularly.
• Spray your clothes, not your skin. If you do use a chemical tick repellent, spray your clothing instead of your bare skin.
• If you develop a rash or sore spot after you’ve removed a tick, see your doctor. Early signs of Lyme disease include a round rash and soreness near the tick bite, and can include chills, fever, joint pain, fatigue, and swollen lymph nodes.