Mama Duck

I bought a few Muscovy hens from a good friend of mine, this mama decided right away that she was in the nesting mood. She set to work and laid 13 eggs. She has been a very diligent mother and rarely leaves the nest and usually when she does it is to shoo away the other ducks. It has been about 22 days since she started so I suspect that we will have ducklings in a week or so. I am hoping that we will have some color variations, she is brown and white the males are black and white and one is grey and white. I know that this type of duck comes in a wide range of colors. I hope we can mix things up a bit and get some of that lovely brown in the chicks. I am so pleased with the ducks and the great job they do in the garden.

Surprise!!

We have a farmer friend that came to mow the pastures, he is a serious farmer...
he comes to the house after mowing for a hour or so....
ummm mam you have something growing down behind the pond and I don't know if I should now it or not....
I ask in my most farmish way..What is it?
He replies well I don't rightly know...
Well at this point I am puttin on my rubber boots to trek the field to see what is confusing this poor farmer so much. With a trail of animals behind me( all thinking that I have cookies) I walk to the lower pasture, behind the pond to gaze on a large patch of..... ( I guess the photo gives it away?) Butternut squash! WHAT?? Where the heck did that come from?? They were beautiful and not a squash bug anywhere. Now grow that same squash up closer to the house and we have a squash bug convention on our hands.
In the fall after the local orchards close I have been blessed to get truckloads of the pumpkins and winter squash that did not sell. I give the old squash and pumpkins to the sheep and cows as a treat throughout the winter. I guess that some squash seeds made it through the digestive track of someone and now I have a lovely squash patch! Who would of thought???

Gladys had a bouncing baby boy!!

Here he is in all his cuteness! Oh my what a sweet face. He (Sizzler)is doing great, he is a nice strong calf and seems to be growing before my eyes. Gladys is a old pro and is doing wonderful. I am glad to have milk again, (the store stuff is horrid!) we are planning on share milking this time. I love having cows!

Number 4 and his bunnies......

#4 has wanted bunnies for some time, I kept telling him he could have bunnies if he built a hutch( I really thought that would slow him down.. I was so wrong!!) so he did and now we have Hoppy and Pearl. They have been residents of the farm for six weeks or so. I am glad to say that #4 is doing a wonderful job taking care of them. I kinda thought that I would be the one that would have to take care of them but no he has kept up with them and loves it. It's fun to see a little boy growing in to a young man!

School has started...sniff

We have had a busy summer, at least I think so, it went by so fast. We cut down on the garden,took a milkin break, and bought a pool pass. All of that made for a wonderful summer. We have camped and floated down rivers in canoes. We have spent the summer playing. What a blessing to be able to step back and enjoy things for a bit. I have to say that when school started this year I was sad. I have really had a wonderful summer and it has been because I have a fun family. I have to admit that teenagers can really be cool..... minus the new driving heart attack...16 year olds should NOT be behind the wheel!! The kiddos are growing and I see my sweet girls growing in to lovely young women. Well at least I will have #6 around for a bit longer! Teenagers and baby kisses...motherhood is wonderful!