Welcome to the Friday Farm Fix, where I share a random sampling of what's been happening around the farm during the past week (mostly on Fridays). Just joining us? You'll find all the Friday Farm Fix posts here and here.
Not much to report this week, except to say that you all are the best. Thank you so much for your outpouring of kind words, encouraging thoughts, and heartfelt prayers after last week's Friday Farm Fix. Your e-mails and comments brought tears to my eyes. I can't begin to tell you how much your support means to us. Thank you.
We had a half inch of rain last Saturday, which was better than nothing. It's like Mother Nature keeps teasing us with just enough rain so that the fields don't completely die and we don't completely give up hope.
If it cools down and starts to rain on a regular basis, there's still a chance we might be able to cut at least a little hay in September (we have no hay for winter right now). But we need a lot more rain than we've been getting for the grass in the hayfield to green up and grow enough.
Yesterday I realized it had been nearly two weeks (!) since I'd seen the donkeys (I'm still spending a lot of time in bed), so this afternoon I tagged along with Joe on his daily treat run out to Donkeyland. Actually we drove and the dogs ran. Evie, who always loves to snuggle, seemed especially glad to see me. (Snuggling donkeys isn't in Joe's job description.)
On the way back to the house I said something about how depressing it is seeing the fields so burned up, and Joe said they actually look better than they did. Today, for the first time in I don't know how long, it was only in the 80s, with the humidity down and a nice big breeze. We turned off the a/c upstairs and opened all the windows. The temperature is headed right back up—it is August after all—but this little taste of relief felt heavenly.
Next summer I bet we'll be looking through these photos saying, "Wow, remember when there was nothing for the sheep and donkeys to eat last year? Look how tall and lush the grass in the fields is now." And then we'll stroll through the farmyard and admire the overflowing barn full of hay.
Hope.
14 more farm photos below. Hover over each image for a description. . .
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Want a bigger farm fix?
Friday Farm Fix #18
Friday Farm Fix #19
Friday Farm Fix #20
Friday Farm Fix #21
© FarmgirlFare.com, where the good news is that after months of feeling like it's August, it actually is August. I'm even thinking about planting an autumn garden.
Friday Farm Fix #19
Friday Farm Fix #20
Friday Farm Fix #21
© FarmgirlFare.com, where the good news is that after months of feeling like it's August, it actually is August. I'm even thinking about planting an autumn garden.
What lovely pictures. As a fellow California girl I hold good wishes for you. I made your oatmeal bread today....with yoghurt, coconut milk and crumbs from the bottom of the shredded wheat. Your instructions are so wonderful and adaptable it encourages creativity. Thank you so much for that. The bread is very beautiful and tasty. Keep well. I hope, with you, for abundant rain.
ReplyDeleteHi Pat,
DeleteI'm so glad you enjoyed the Oatmeal Toasting Bread Recipe. Thanks for the feedback - your version sounds great!
Half an inch this past week gives about an inch so far this summer.... not good at all. Hopefully some of the moist air from the 'hurricane, in the Gulf will make it up there. Does that happen?
ReplyDeleteI will be awaiting the recipe for the Lemon Rosemary Zucchini Bread. The picture itself looks good enough to eat. Thanks for something yummy to look forward to.
Susan - Your pictures brighten my day! Sending positive thoughts your way for you feeling better and the land flourishing once again. Your bread looks yummy! Sharon from Maine
ReplyDeleteI am so sorry to hear about your medical worries, crossing fingers and sending good vibes, dear lady. All my love and here's hoping the heat, humidity, and lack of rain moves on, both here in NH and on your farm - a few days of 100 degree weather is one thing, but a MONTH?
ReplyDeleteI think we are west of you and our water table is so low we sunk the well another 60 feet. I hate the crunch walk I take to feed my animals. Hope you are feeling better
ReplyDeleteLove the "but she started it" :) Raising animals and raising kids... So many similarities :) I'm still doing the rain dance for you. Now I'll be doing it while making the oatmeal bread the first commenter talked about, sounds fantastic. Feel better soon!
ReplyDeleteHello once again from muggy and steamy New York City, where even the rain is hot, and the winds turn into tornadoes. As always, thinking of you folks and praying for your swift recovery, Susan, from whatever it is that ails you. Wish I could say I planned to make that Lemon Rosemary bread, but after my mom poisoned me when I was 9 with a rosemary chicken recipe that called for 4 teaspoons of it, which she misread as 4 tablespoons (but she made me eat it anyway), I can't stand the stuff. But the oatmeal bread, now that is a distinct possibility - when and if it ever gets cooler here! The best to you, Joe and the beasties -
ReplyDeleteI love the black kitty hanging in the garden, just surveying the kingdom.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the donkey fix! :)
ReplyDeleteIt sure is brown there, I hope ya'll get some more of that lovely rain and can cut SOME hay this year. Keep us posted on how you are feeling. {{HUGS}}
Thanks so much for bringing us all the pictures despite your circumstances, they always give me a lift even though brown is not anyone's favorite color right now. The zucchini bread sounds good and am looking forward to the recipe. I attended Heritage Village and Wheat Festival today and came home with a Saskatoon Pie (saskatoons are a berry grown here on prairies bushes and make wonderful pies. The early natives used them in making pemmican. I also managed to get a loaf of outdoor kiln baked rye bread and omigosh both are just wonderful.
ReplyDeletePlease get better soon and may the rains come early for you.
I love this Farm Fix idea....you have a beautiful place! I hope you get to feeling better & can get that garden planted for Fall.
ReplyDeleteI sure would like a slice of that bread with my coffee this morning!
Hello dear girl, Hoping indeed! Next summer will be great. And already, a cooler day and a kiss of rain. More will come and you will feel better. Susan, you encouraged me to start raising my own chickens. I'm a California girl too, who headed for the country in Connecticut. I did not stop in Missouri ;), probably mostly because my Hunky Farmguy was from Connecticut :)! Question for you: You mentioned a while back having one of your roosters for dinner and I wonder if you guys butchered him yourself. I'm raising eggs, and loving it, and am trying to work up courage to cull roos. You are my mentor (no pressure hoho) so I just wonder how you guys did it. Feel better girl! Glad you got to enjoy the long ears!!!
ReplyDeleteHey Cary,
DeleteYeah, that's the only problem with raising chicks - so many of them turn out to be roosters. :) Even when we bought 'all pullets' from a hatchery years ago, we still ended up with 9 roosters out of 27 chicks. I think the sexing guy must have been on a break when they packed out order, lol.
We were going to butcher the 9 grown roosters from our first batch of spring chicks, but with everything else going on, plus the heat, it just didn't happen. We're also not set up for it with a plucker (or whatever they're called), so we usually just skin them. We also wanted to try using a 'killing cone' that holds them upside down (which makes them go into a sort of trance) but it was like $30+ for a little piece of sheet metal! I even went looking at Lowe's and the big farm store for a really big plastic funnel to use instead, but couldn't find anything that would work. ;)
So instead we hauled the roosters a few at a time up to the one store in town and offered them for sale cheap (just a dollar each - to make sure they would sell quickly) at the makeshift flea market out front.
It turned out the owner of the store was buying them all. He even called the other day to ask if we have more, they tasted so good. We'll bring three more up there tomorrow. At least now we know that they'll be tasty when we're in the same cock-a-doodle-doo situation next year. :)
Mr. Midnight looks just like my Marauder and seems to act like him too. Marauder can usually be found with his feet and belly skyward.
ReplyDeleteHi Kristin,
DeleteI've heard from so many readers who have Mr. Midnight lookalikes - I love it. Marauder - what a great name for a cat! :)
Hi Everybody,
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for all your comments!
Rain dancing here in Holland!
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