I have found an alternative use for deer stands in the summer season. You’re welcome hunters.
Swarms on High
Buzz Buzz!
Happy Earth Day Year (what can I say, I’m a slow writer and this post hung out in my “Drafts” FOREVER and I never published I see!) We are celebrating with about 20,000 new members to Sourwood Hill. Our two packages of bees arrived Tuesday morning via USPS. I was completely fascinated by them all day, and even video conferenced them in for work.
Who Needs Google Earth (Definitely Me)
I can only equate google earth aerials updating to waiting for a holiday as a kid. Except, you knew when the holiday would come (except Memorial and Labor Days, those are always surprises). I have watched the aerial views pretty close since we started major renovation projects, just waiting for new updates so I can have a birds eye view of all the progress we have made. Except, Google Earth hasn’t updated since 2018, and there has been a lot of blood, sweat, and tears poured out on this land since then.
Continue reading “Who Needs Google Earth (Definitely Me)”Chicks, Who Knew!
Who knew there would EVER be such a boom on all things poultry these days! Hatcheries are back ordered for weeks or months and it seems everyone with space and allowable city regulations wants a flock!
Buff Orpington Hatch
This will be a short post. I’m tired and it’s been a long weekend. But, they are hatching! We have a flock of Buff Orpington chickens, and I specifically picked orpingtons because they are supposed to be quite broody in nature and friendly. Yet, at a year old, I have had exactly one hen go broody and it was in the fall so we shook her out of it.
Measuring progress in fence posts.
Spring may be my favorite time of year. Blooms, sprouts, and longer days! We are wrapping up a project that has been on the to do list pretty much since we moved in: redoing the fence along one of the roadsides that adjoins the main pasture.
On the bright side, google told us this stretch was 900+ feet, when in reality it is only 870 or so. When you’re setting fence posts every 10 ft, every little bit counts.
So, exactly what is included in redoing a fence line? Buckle up, it’s a long ride.
Continue reading “Measuring progress in fence posts.”Gotta Catch ‘Em All!
My husband tells me I cannot go around catching bees one by one and putting them in my hives until I have enough. He sounds wrong, but I guess I’ll believe him.
Fighting the Winter Doldrums
The first part of the year always seems to drag on and on. Perhaps it is all of the bouts of false springs, or the lack of significant holiday celebration between New Years and Easter. Either way, I always find it hard to get through January until garden season. I know better than to buy flowers too early at the garden store, but I need them!
This year, I have discovered a few tasks and new hobbies that are intended to be completed in late winter that have helped ease the winter blues!
Continue reading “Fighting the Winter Doldrums”30 Days In
We are around the 30 day mark on weaning our first calf, and yesterday, we had to round up everyone else for pregnancy checks (more on that later). Since we only have one holding pen, everyone was reunited in the same space for a while.
Spotty Cows
Well, on the one hand, cows with spots are adorable. Think Texas Longhorns or British Whites (which I DESPERATELY want!). However, spotty cows are a problem. A few weeks ago, we noticed that one of our cows had rubbed off a lot of hair from under her jaw and on her neck.
