Sunday, April 29, 2012

Can someone just SIGH for me?

Oh what a busy few weeks. We have had company every weekend....and having so much fun. My niece and her friend came from Ohio for a few days. Poor Hanna, the friend....was initiated. She wanted to hold a baby duck...so I picked one out..and showed her how to hold it so it would stay calm. Well....this 17 yr old girl is NOT a farm girl for sure. She held the duckling close, and it took a poo down the INSIDE of her shirt. I was laughing so hard, tears rolling down my face as she gagged and pulled her shirt up, just as the poo ran down her stomach....I lost it!!!She was squealing and gagging, me and my niece were laughing too hard to help her. Finally my niece scraped the poo off of her friend who then ripped her shirt off, and ran screaming to the house. I laughed so hard I almost wet myself! It was an event full weekend to say the least!
This past weekend my brother and his little girl came out. We worked on the garden some, here he is readying the onion bed.
After my brother left, hubby and I worked some more in the other garden.
We were able to get 2 - 30 ft rows of green beans planted, and 24  tomato plants.
This next week I will get the peppers and potato's in...I hope. I also need to get the onions in soon. Hoping to plant at least 200 onions.
The rescue part of this farm was hopping! Friday, we had someone come and surrender a micro pig. He was about 7 months old and 15 pounds. Such a cutie!! Saturday, he was adopted. I love when the rescues come and go quickly. I was able to send 6 ducks to their forever home Friday as well. SO excited to have an empty pen, didn't last long..... Saturday, I had 2 ducks "gifted" to me by a family member.  She had bought them and didn't realize how messy they can be, and grew tired of them. "sigh" So, I now have a pair of Rouen Ducks.
Once they are settled in, they will be let out into their yard.
We had 12 turkey poults hatch out....I was able to sell 6 today. :) The others will stay here! 2 are white, hoping Royal Palm, and one is a Black Spanish. The other 3 are a chocolate mix.
This next week will be busy as planting season is upon us....in between rain storms...if it is not too muddy.

Friday, April 13, 2012

getting ready for planting...almost ready!!

So today, the hubby and his brother kept busy. They fixed the roof of the barn where the winds had torn the metal loose. Then hubby got the rototiller out, and tilled the big garden. I am so excited to be almost ready to plant!

While I was in town running errands, I stopped by a local nursery to see what they had...tomato plants! I bought a whole flat, (48 plants) for $15. Not a bad deal. My plans are to get a few pots, and pot about half of them to sell later. I should make my money back pretty easily. The rest will go in the garden...soon!
After the garden was finished...hubby had to go to my dads and fix his mower...so I decided to go build a turkey nest. I have 4 turkey hens...and 2 of them decided to set the current nest...however the other 2 are still laying...and dropping them in the yard. So, I built a nest box, for their yard and put the 2 eggs collected today in there. I hope they get the idea...
The girls were investigating it as I left...so here is hoping!
Tomorrow storms are moving in....then Sunday it will be nice again. Hopefully I will be able to get in the garden..and get the beans and onions planted. Maybe the tomato's too!

Monday, April 9, 2012

Busy busy....I LOVE spring!

Today was a busy day here at Heavens Door Acres. I was given several "critter cages" like one might use for rabbits, ferrets, guinea pigs  etc...and a few bird cages. There are 6 or 8 in total...and another load coming in soon. :) Once I get them all here, and cleaned up, I will be making a few fliers, and offering them "free" to the public for donations to our rescue. NO cash will be accepted..feed, bedding etc. Hoping to be able to get these critter cages moved out and donations moved in!
Today I took 2 wagon loads of them to the barn. I also was able to get my strawberries planted while hubby and his brother worked on the siding on the house that was messed up with the last storm. The house looks MUCH better. Tomorrow they guys will start on building the wood shed, for the firewood. They are using the wood crates we get for free to build it. I can't wait to have a place to keep the firewood dry!
Tomorrow morning the 2 hounds are going to the vet to be neutered. I can't believe they are 6 months old already! I feel bad for them having this done, but, they will be MUCH happier once it is over....and so will I! :)
I gathered some grass from the yard today, and planned to give it to the turkeys and ducks...my chickens had different plans for a 5 gallon bucket of grass clippings.
If I had known they would use 5 gallon buckets, I would NOT have gone through all the trouble to build neat little nest boxes.
We had a little guest the other day....a family called and said they had found him in their yard. They left him overnight to see if it would make it back to the nest. He didn't, and was ice cold when they brought him to me...
He is approximately 8 weeks old, a little grey squirrel. I was able to find a rehab center that had 7 others about his age..so I sent him on his way..to be rehabilitated with them. He will be released once he is able to make it on his own.
We also took in 4 baby ducks. Peking ducks! CUTE, but oh so messy. This brings our total of ducks to 16. *sigh* I can't wait to get the pond fenced, and get them out on the pond....soon...I hope. The goose will go out with them on the pond, as a protector and alarm! Mercy he is LOUD, and loves " his " ducks.