Well, Surprise!

We got a surprise donkey today. We had given up on Hilde having a baby. She wasn't getting big a fat like Buffy did, so we figured there was no baby on the way. Then, all of the sudden, she had a baby by her side. It must have been born last night or in the wee hours of the morning. We don't know if it's a boy or girl. Hilde is being more protective of her baby than Buffy was and she wouldn't let me near it. Either way, in keeping with the Bosom Buddies them, this baby has been dubbed Kip.

Fire!

We got the fireplace all cleaned out and working. Tom found some newfangled fireplace grate, called Grate Wall of Fire, on the internet and ordered it. He installed it tonight and it's working great. This picture doesn't do it justice, but I can't wait for Thanksgiving to have a house full of family and a cozy fire...if it isn't 80 degrees outside, which is entirely possibly here in Texas.

Pickled Kitten

Fireplace, Extra Large

When we bought the house, it had a pellet burning stove insert in the fireplace. We thought, "Why buy pellets to burn, when we have enough wood to last for years?" So we pulled the stove out and are awaiting a chimney sweep's services. The fireplace is unique, in that it has tunnels built into it that lead to vents in both sides and the back of the fireplace. Those tunnels have fans somewhere in them that we can turn on with a switch. We're hoping that the fireplace will help to heat the whole house so that we won't have to depend so much on the heater. Chimney Sweep arrives tomorrow so we shall soon be able to test our theory.

I Bought These Today

I know, they look like something out of The Cat in the Hat, but they looked warm. For some reason, I feel like I need extra warm things out here in the country.

Early Morning Fog

Oh My!

A storm is coming and it's supposed to get cold, so I moved the goats back into their regular pen where Tom and I had renewed their bedding, nice thick and cozy.

I had to move their water bucket and food dish before I moved them, so I first picked up their food dish and flung it over the fence to be cleaned. It landed upside down and I noticed that the rim on the bottom was stuffed with hay, as usual. I thought I had flung it hard enough so that the hay would fall out, but it stuck there like glue. I pulled out a tuft of hay and what lurked under there? What is it that was holding that hay in there? Ack! A big fat BLACK WIDOW SPIDER had made a web and stuck hay to it. And I had put my ungloved fingers in there!

I am so lucky that black widows are not aggressive. Otherwise, I surely would have been bit. That is so scary. I must remember to where gloves when I'm sticking my hands in dark scary places.

First Fall Harvest

I picked my first zucchini yesterday. They're little, so I probably picked them a bit too early, but Howard Garrett says they are very good and tender when picked small. The peas are making lots of peas, but I'm not sure when to pick them. I remember shelling purple hull peas when I was a kid, but these peas don't look like those. Should I wait until they are dry and purple? Will they even get dry and purple?

We also need to get the summer garden section ready for planting Hairy Vetch. To do that, I need to get the tomato vines out of there so Tom can mow and plow. But the tomatoes are still making like crazy. I think it's too cool for them because they aren't ripening well, but I still feel bad about cutting them down.

Trash

Why do people do this? This is the eighth old tire we've found out in the field.

Deep Dark Forest

Here are some pics of our little forest.

Kitten Pics

We finally took the plunge and brought my desktop to the farm and it works great! So far.

So, here are the kittens. That's Jasper with Pearlie. S/he just wants to rub up against Pearlie the way cats do, but it freaks Pearlie out. Then there's picture of Jasper's skunk stripe. Last one is Alice.

No Pics

I haven't been blogging much recently because my internet connection at the farm is so terrible. And I can't post pics because I've moved my camera out to the farm, but not my computer so I can't download (upload?) them.

I got my barn cats...kittens...last week. They're so cute; black and white. One looks kind of like a skunk. Meagan named them Alice and Jasper (with a nod to the Twilight series that she's reading). I took lots of pics, but alas...

Anyway, the kittens are supposed to be living in the barn, but I'm afraid that snakes will eat them since they're so little. I've been keeping them in the breezeway of the house. It's fairly animal proof and I can close it off to the rest of the house. I think Pearlie would die of frustration if the kittens had free access to the house. She seems to think they are toys. They look like her toys, feel like her toys, squeak like her toys, and play the same games that her toys play, but they move on their own and I don't allow her to bite them. She is a very confused dog. She'll probably be relieved when I move them into the barn in a week or so.

Henry has grown into the halter, so it's on him full time. He still resists being led, so that's something I'll have to work on. I tried encouraging him to walk along beside me by offering him a sugar cube, but he wouldn't have it. I even put it in his mouth and he spit it out. Maybe sugar is an acquired taste for baby equines. The grown-ups sure liked them. I also bought some apple flavored equine treats to bribe the donkeys with. I'm not sure that was a good idea. When they got a taste of those, I thought they were going to run me over trying to get more. I had to keep pushing them away so that I could lead (drag) Henry around.

Donkey Training

My neighbor told me that now is the time to start halter training Henry and she loaned me her training halter. I carried it out there with me for a couple of days to let him get used to just having it around. Then I put it on him and left it on for just a few minutes. He did resist a bit, but it was easier that I thought. I expected him to be far stronger than me and be able to pull away, but surprisingly, he wasn't and I was able to hold him still long enough to get the halter buckled.

Since the halter is made for a horse, it is too big for a baby donkey, so I didn't want to leave it on him for very long when I'm not around. Today I left it on for about four hours, but had to take it off before we left the farm.

My fall garden is starting to produce. I thought at first that hardly anything was going to grow because it took several veggies a long time to sprout. But things are looking good now. I've got several baby winter squashes and lots of Southern Pea pods. The bush beans, cucumbers and zucchini plants are getting pretty big. I had about decided that the carrots weren't going to come up at all, but I noticed today that there are a few tiny sprouts that look like carrot leaves. The corn still looks very pitiful. I doubt I'll be getting any fall corn.

Moving Slowly...or, Slowly Moving

We've been moving our belongings out to the farm bit by bit. The first major thing to go was the washer and dryer. When that was moved, it pretty much meant that we were living out there. Last weekend we got the beds, sofa, and a few other things moved. This weekend's goal is to get the dining room furniture moved.

Almost all of the baseboards are installed. I've been filling the nail holes, then I have to do some touchup and clear coat on them. After that, we can call it done.

Up there is a picture of my (much smaller than I'm used to) closet. I tore out all the original bars and shelves and put in a closet organizer to make the most use out of the small space.

Stubborn Henry

Henry is already showing a stubborn streak. He wants whatever it is that his mom is eating out of that bucket even though he doesn't know about eating food yet.

Something Completed...Maybe

After the skunk incident, I installed the new foyer light fixture. As usual, I had agonized over just the right light fixture for days. I'm schizophrenic when it comes to decorating, trying to find a way to blend all of the styles I like into one place...Spanish, contemporary, glam, shiny polished chrome and/or silver, and black or oil rubbed bronze. Ack. But I finally decided and I'm very happy with it. In the picture it looks gold but it's not. It's a dark brass with a patina and an "English Pewter" (according to the product description) finish. It has crystal flowers and buds hanging off of it and it looks beautiful up on my ceiling.

I intended to install it myself. I can do those kinds of things, ya know. So I turned the breaker off, took down the old fixture and installed the hanging bracket. Then I tried, really tried to find a way to hold the light fixture up there while I wired it, but there was just no way. So I finally had to call one of the workers to help me. He got it wired while I held the fixture jammed against his face. He probably still has a leaf print on his chin, but he was a good sport and properly admired the fixture after it was lit up. According to him, it looks "Christmasy". Hmmm, not exactly the look I was going for.

Le Pew!

Yesterday, Kerry, the carpenter reported that the barn reeked of skunk when he opened it up to get his lumber. I went to investigate and found it right away tucked in a corner behind an old wheel (Yes, unfortunately, we already have old wheels laying around, although this one was left behind by previous owner). Anyway, after observing the animal for a few moments and detecting no movement, I called Kerry (on the cell phone even though he was only a few yards away) to tell him I'd found the skunk and should I poke it to see if it was alive. He told me to wait for him, which I did as he came running down the path shouting, "Don't touch it, they carry rabies!" As if I didn't know that. Duh.

I happened to be carrying a long metal fence stake that I thought I might poke and run with, but Kerry was very cautious (and chivalrous...and dramatic). He directed me to stand outside while he picked up a long piece of lumber and threw it like a javelin. It hit the tire with a big thud and still the skunk didn't move, so we pronounced it dead. Kerry scooped it up with a shovel and buried it a few yards from the barn.

I felt a little sorry for it because it surely must have died a miserable death. I don't know how long it had been locked up in the steaming hot barn with no water and probably nothing to eat. Well, I don't know what skunks eat. I supposed if they eat mice or hay, it might have had plenty, but I don't think so. Having been sprayed by a skunk as a child, or so he said, Kerry had no pity.

Mom's Donkey Review

This is what Mom had to say about the donkey situation. I thought it was funny, so I thought I'd share.

"One of the mama donkeys had her baby yesterday morning so that was a delight to see it walking around and her protecting it very well. Normally the mother is very friendly with the other donkey she is also female and purported to be "with donkey " (for some reason "with child " doesn't seem correct and as we were taught in our very young days at home , you never said the word " pregnant " in our house ?? My how things have changed!! ) Anyway , now she will not let the little colt? (donkeyling? )get close to the other donkey and will even appear to fight her off if the little one goes near. ( "This is my donkey , and I'm the boss of it !")"

Henry

Ok, so little donkey's name is Henry. His mom is Buffy, the alter ego of Kip rather than Henry. But I like Henry better.

He's so much fun - so soft and fuzzy. Surprisingly, his mom lets me pet him to my heart's content. She still won't let Hilde near him and she gets pretty nasty about it, kicking and biting her, and making mean faces. I think she'll get over that in a few days. Tom feels sorry for Hilde. He thinks she wants a baby of her own.

AND, yay! The tape/bedding/texturing is FINISHED inside the house. Finally.

Peas are growing well, squash is coming along, corn...not so much. Some of it didn't come up at all and the corn that is up is not growing as fast as the spring corn did. I got broccoli, cauliflower, cucumber, carrots, and bush beans (can't remember) planted on Tuesday morning before the Gustav rains started. It rained the rest of Tuesday and most of Wednesday. Oh, and I went out to mow paths around and through the garden (pitiful, I know) and discovered that we have some new watermelons growing. I had completely forgotten about the watermelon vines. Luckily, Tom didn't take the tractor out there to mow because he would have squashed them since they are completely hidden in the grass.

I'm looking forward to tomorrow because I plan to take up all the paper off the floor and clean up the dust. My house will look like a home rather than a construction site.

Pin the Name on the Donkey

Baby has arrived! He was born some time on Sunday night, discovered on Labor Day. Isn't he cute! He's only a few hours old in these pics.

So, in keeping with the Bosom Buddies theme of Buffy and Hilde, I'm thinking we should name him either Kip or Henry. For those who watched Bosom Buddies way back when, you may remember that Buffy and Hilde were the alter egos of Kip and Henry. I'm leaning towards Henry. Meagan thinks we should name him Donkey Kong, but I can't imagine myself standing out in the field calling, "Donkey Kong!". "HenREEE!", I can imagine.