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.

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!

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.

Time flies!

Where does time go!?? Seems like it was only a few days ago I was on here, now it has been almost 2 weeks. So much going on. We got the small "spring garden" turned, and planted. Peas and beets...still room for onions. Hoping to get at least 100 sets in this weekend.
The weather has been NUTS! Today, we were at 77 degrees...nice, then a front came through with severe thunderstorms, and in less than 2 hours, the temp dropped to 61 degrees. 16 degrees!!
We had a batch of baby ducks hatch.....Peking and Swedish.

 I made a deal with a young man to trade ducks for Buff Orpington chicks. Chicks are so much easier to care for, not as messy. I will be filling another bator next week, more ducks...but I will be adding Runner Ducks this time. :) My other bator has chicken eggs from my barnyard mix, and a few bantams. They will be due to hatch next Tuesday. Then I will clean it up, and get ready for Turkeys! Yep, my turkeys are starting to lay. After I get all the hatching done for spring...I am hoping to get our meat birds...25 at least.
I have decided to find a home for Freedom...the mini Donkey. He is just too mean...and I can't put any other animal in the pasture with him. He has stomped Fred, the pygmy buck so many times....I am scared he will kill him. So, Sadly, Freedom will have to go.
The 2 hounds are growing like weeds! Magnum, the black and tan is very sweet and docile...while Gunner, the red..is outgoing, and mischievous.
Soon it will be time to shear the sheep. This is a big job, but the wool is so worth it!
Spring is finally here.

..Ahhhhhh, no more breaking ice in troughs...no more frozen fingers...no more trudging through snow.

Crazy weather again!

So Friday, as predicted, we had terrible weather here in Southern Indiana. So many lives lost to the tornado's, complete towns wiped out. We were so very lucky here. I stood at the window, frozen in fear, as a large tornado was barreling down towards us.We literally had a one minute warning...if that! And, if not for my son calling me, to warn me, I would have never known. We were not under a "warning" just a watch. He heard on his radio about the warning in my little town, they said to take cover. So my son called me to make sure I knew.  The tornado stayed up off the ground as it passed over me....but came down just about a mile behind our place. It hit a small town, hard! 4 people lost their lives. So tragic! Today we have to drive through this little town, we are headed to Ohio to visit with my Father in-law. I dread going through there. It was such a quaint little farmers town....now mostly gone.
So last night, as I was in the barn with the animals....thanking God for sparing us once again...I hear the soft meow of a kitten. I look around trying to find it...not in the hay...not in the manger...where is he!?? Then I look up...there in the rafters..is my little mouser...doing his job.

Mice in the rafters, or just a great vantage point?  I know if I was a mouse, and saw those eyes, I would be scared! At least I know this kitten is doing his job....he later left me  a present on the porch, evidence he is a "hard working kitten" YUK!

Here we go again!

Mother Nature is toying with us again. Wednesday, severe Thunderstorms....Thursday, BEAUTIFUL, sunny and warm....Friday, today, severe thunderstorms again, Hail, high wind warnings, possible tornado's. Sunday.....SNOW   REALLY!??? I think mother nature needs Prozac....or herbal tea's or SOMETHING!
Looks like today will be an inside day, with a book.

Leap day?? Ok, WHO is leaping!??

So, yesterday was "leap day" It started out pretty crappy weather wise....storms, tornado's, winds..YIKES! By 1 pm, it was clearing up, and I was able to open the barn....SUNSHINE!! LOTS OF IT! Whoot!!
At 3pm, I went out to do an animal welfare check..just because. I stepped out to see Freddie, just laying on the compost pile. At first I was thinking...ok, he is staying warm...laying in the sun, on warm compost...then, once I called to him, he didn't get up. Not normal...I called several times..he wouldn't even look at me. So, I grab my boots, and head out....once I got to him, I see he has a bloody lip...he had a hard time standing up, and was favoring his left front leg.  See, he is in with Freedom...the mini donkey. Both boys..Freedom is gelded, Fred is intact. Fred seems to think... " I have my man parts, so I am THE BOSS" He really does bully the donkey at the hay feeder. Poor Freedom has to stand back until Fred has his fill. I am thinking Freedom finally got tired of Fred's attitude, and " took care of business" I get into the pasture, and Fred will not let me touch the leg. Being that I had no help to call on, I decided to help him to the shelter, and let him heal for the day. He did eat hay...just very slowly. This morning I looked out, he was up and walking..I didn't notice a limp from where I was standing..I am headed out in a few to do a full check. Poor Freddie...the bully has finally found his match!
Today's weather is supposed to be another beautiful day....the birds are singing, the sun is shining...I will be working in the coops and barn most of the day. I need to get a few things cleaned up and ready for another round of severe thunderstorms, with tornado's possible, on Friday. Welcome spring....In like a lion...out like a lamb?? Lets hope so!!