So, we may have figured out what the problem is with being able to upload pictures. We're going to have to go through and change all of the settings on the laptop again. Turns out our Windows defender or whatever it is causing problems. So, we plan on going through and changing the settings again and I will give it a try.
So, those baby ducks are getting huge!!! In fact they are close to having outgrown their current brooder situation. I was wanting to have their house and run up before that happened, but with all the rain we've been getting, and everything else that goes with it, we haven't been able to do that. So, we're going to have to move them into one of the grow out pens if we can't get it up in time.
I'm waiting on the post office to call me. I have chicks coming anytime now. We ordered our Chicks from Ideal Poultry. If all goes right, the 5 Rhode Island Red rooster chicks we ordered, will be rooster chicks. Last Spring we ordered 5 rooster chicks from a different company, one we don't normally order from. Well, those 5 rooster chicks we ordered all turned out to be pullets. I emailed the company, and they didn't offer to send me 5 rooster chicks, but a refund. I was like no, I can't accept a refund, because hens are worth more than roosters, and they've started laying. I've decided to not order from that other company again. When you have the chance to get rid of roosters, you really should take it. Anyways, I have my chick brooder set up, my brooder heater is ready, and I have water ready for them at room temperature so that their little systems don't get shocked.
Well, that's about it for the moment. If all goes well, I'll be able to post pictures here soon. (fingers crossed)
Thursday, April 27, 2017
Sunday, April 16, 2017
Happy Easter!!!!
Good Morning, and Happy Easter to you all!!!! I hope that you all have a really wonderful day today!!!!
So, yesterday, we made a trip into Tractor Supply, and my powers of resistance failed. I brought home 4 baby ducks, 4 fluffy yellow ducks. Since they are straight run, I was a little sad, because all I was able to get at TSC was 4, because well that was all they had left. So off to Rural King in Front Royal we went. I now have a full dozen baby ducks. I'm hoping for at least 4-5 girls. We're planning on keeping 1 boy. Hopefully next spring we will be able to incubate some duck eggs. That will be fun to try. Mostly though, we are interested in eggs right now. We are going to set them up with their own house, their own run, and a little swimming pool. Not a big one, because from everything I've read they aren't going to need a huge pool. Right now, I'm really amused with the way they move as a group, or as I've been calling it a glob of baby ducks.
I'm sorry I still don't have any pictures yet, but it would seem we have to go through and suddenly change every single setting on our computer. I'm not sure what changed, but we have to try that first. Once I'm able to upload pics, there will be plenty to share with you all!!!!
So, yesterday, we made a trip into Tractor Supply, and my powers of resistance failed. I brought home 4 baby ducks, 4 fluffy yellow ducks. Since they are straight run, I was a little sad, because all I was able to get at TSC was 4, because well that was all they had left. So off to Rural King in Front Royal we went. I now have a full dozen baby ducks. I'm hoping for at least 4-5 girls. We're planning on keeping 1 boy. Hopefully next spring we will be able to incubate some duck eggs. That will be fun to try. Mostly though, we are interested in eggs right now. We are going to set them up with their own house, their own run, and a little swimming pool. Not a big one, because from everything I've read they aren't going to need a huge pool. Right now, I'm really amused with the way they move as a group, or as I've been calling it a glob of baby ducks.
I'm sorry I still don't have any pictures yet, but it would seem we have to go through and suddenly change every single setting on our computer. I'm not sure what changed, but we have to try that first. Once I'm able to upload pics, there will be plenty to share with you all!!!!
Friday, April 14, 2017
I did not abandon
Hey there! For the last month, I've been trying to upload pictures to this blog, and would get mad, and just shut it down. Not completely sure what's going on, but I finally sent a note to Blogger to see what the problem is. I know not everyone is having this problem, but hopefully it's not just me.
So anyways, I've been doing quilting, working on cleaning out the chicken run, making the chicken house pretty, keeping the nest boxes cleaned out because chickens are nasty...oh and I set eggs this week.
I set my first batch on Tuesday night, in the new incubator that we got last year. Well, went out and got new batteries for the one humidistat because it wasn't working. Got the new batteries in, it came on, hooray!!!! Set it in my old incubator that we started out with, and it was working just fine. Came back 10 minutes later to check the temperature and humidity, and it was dead!!!! Well, thankfully I had thought to order 2 new ones because you never know. So they came in yesterday, got it in, and well the temp in that incubator was at 105...so I turned the heat back, and took out the plugs to let heat out...the temp was not coming down. So I took the lid off, thinking that maybe it had just been at that temp for too long. The temp came down fairly fast, put the lid back on, and the temp started climbing again, rapidly, and I'm turning the heat back and it's not working. So I called for Frank, who comes and looks at it, and informs me that the switch is gone, and that incubator will basically have to be rebuilt. He can order the parts and have them here fairly quickly, how much time did we have left before we had to get the eggs in...basically none. So...I apparently looked so sad and forlorn, that he told me to go and get a new incubator, since we had planned on getting a third one this year anyways. I had decided that I'd get the cheapest one I could find. Luck would have it when I got there, they were on sale, the really expensive ones were the same price as the ones that didn't even come with a turner!!!! So, I got a sports model that is really deep, and you can hatch Turkey eggs in!!!! The entire top is clear plastic so you can watch them hatch out better, and has a digital count down on it. Now eventually we do plan on having a cabinet incubator, but for now, this will work out perfectly. So as of right now, I have 82 eggs set, and they have 2 different hatch dates. Now, they all won't hatch, because it's just my one rooster, with a lot of hens. I'm going to candle the first incubator tonight, and I'm sure that I'll be taking close to half of the eggs out. (I'll let you all know)
Alright, that's it, going to try and figure out this picture problem, because it really is quite annoying!!!!
So anyways, I've been doing quilting, working on cleaning out the chicken run, making the chicken house pretty, keeping the nest boxes cleaned out because chickens are nasty...oh and I set eggs this week.
I set my first batch on Tuesday night, in the new incubator that we got last year. Well, went out and got new batteries for the one humidistat because it wasn't working. Got the new batteries in, it came on, hooray!!!! Set it in my old incubator that we started out with, and it was working just fine. Came back 10 minutes later to check the temperature and humidity, and it was dead!!!! Well, thankfully I had thought to order 2 new ones because you never know. So they came in yesterday, got it in, and well the temp in that incubator was at 105...so I turned the heat back, and took out the plugs to let heat out...the temp was not coming down. So I took the lid off, thinking that maybe it had just been at that temp for too long. The temp came down fairly fast, put the lid back on, and the temp started climbing again, rapidly, and I'm turning the heat back and it's not working. So I called for Frank, who comes and looks at it, and informs me that the switch is gone, and that incubator will basically have to be rebuilt. He can order the parts and have them here fairly quickly, how much time did we have left before we had to get the eggs in...basically none. So...I apparently looked so sad and forlorn, that he told me to go and get a new incubator, since we had planned on getting a third one this year anyways. I had decided that I'd get the cheapest one I could find. Luck would have it when I got there, they were on sale, the really expensive ones were the same price as the ones that didn't even come with a turner!!!! So, I got a sports model that is really deep, and you can hatch Turkey eggs in!!!! The entire top is clear plastic so you can watch them hatch out better, and has a digital count down on it. Now eventually we do plan on having a cabinet incubator, but for now, this will work out perfectly. So as of right now, I have 82 eggs set, and they have 2 different hatch dates. Now, they all won't hatch, because it's just my one rooster, with a lot of hens. I'm going to candle the first incubator tonight, and I'm sure that I'll be taking close to half of the eggs out. (I'll let you all know)
Alright, that's it, going to try and figure out this picture problem, because it really is quite annoying!!!!
Friday, March 10, 2017
Time flies
Hey everyone who may or may not still be reading my blog!!! Time really gets away from me as you all can tell. I'm going in so many directions at once, that it's hard to keep up with everything I love. And trust me, I love this blog!!!! You just can't tell here lately by the way I haven't been posting.
Frank has been working a lot extra at work, he's been teaching some classes, and then they have a bunch of overtime days. So, I've been trying to keep up with all the farm work, the book keeping, the house work, and my sewing. This is going to be a sort of catch up blog.
Last weekend was Frank's birthday. We didn't really do anything to celebrate. As we get older, we find that we like to spend a quiet night at home. So, we made a big pan of nachos with seasoned beef, lots of cheese, black olives, refried beans, salsa and some other stuff that we put in the oven and baked until everything was nice and hot and bubbly. Then, we put sour cream on top of it all. Once that was ready, we settled in to watch TV. We were going to watch a movie, but decided to watch a couple episodes of Lethal Weapon on Hulu. (We're still behind, by 5 episodes) (I was really afraid to watch it because the movies are classic, and was afraid they would really ruin it, but I was wrong, it was fantastic!!!! It really gives the characters more depth, and personality, and gives them so much more life. I love it) Then we added some grown up beverages, and it was just a nice relaxing evening.
My chickens are doing great, they took me by surprise last week. I walked into the hen house, and there were 4 eggs waiting for me...after not getting eggs for a couple of months, I was so happy!!! The next day there were more, and then I got 9 eggs by day 3, and by the end of the week, I was getting 3 dozen a day!!! I truly was not expecting that considering the number of older hens I have. When I went to Tractor Supply yesterday to pick up some feather fixer for some of my Easter Egger Hens that had been in a separate pen with 6 roosters, which are no longer in existence, I had to stop and ogle the chicks. Oh they are so cute, and loud!!! I almost caved and bought 6 Black Australorp chicks...I still have my original girls of that breed, and they are older, and barely laying these days. They are laying, but just a couple times a week. What I love about them goes beyond the fact that they are good layers. I love that they are big, and beautiful, and so laid back, and calm and friendly, and don't act like fools when you pick them up to check for eggs. Not like the White Leghorns which are fantastic layers, and don't eat much compared to what they lay. They aren't my favorite breed, they are a really high strung bird in my opinion. They tend to get my Easter Egg hens wound up, which cracks me up because they are generally a laid back breed.
My rabbits are doing well. I think I told you all about Betty having to come in the house. (My Chocolate Silver Fox) I thought she was doing well, and was going to possibly make a full recovery and be able to go back outside when it warmed up again. She was doing great, she was eating, and drinking, and cuddly. Then one day she just stopped eating, but was still drinking, the next day, she stopped drinking as well. I kept her close to me that day, and examined her, but my guess is, she had injuries to her back legs that we didn't realize, and we made the decision to very quickly, and very humanely put her out of her pain, because it was very obvious she was in pain. I can assure you all, she didn't feel a thing. We do not believe in allowing any animal to suffer, and will do everything in our power to keep them from suffering. Yes, I buried her, and yes I cried. I still get kind of teary eyed when I look at her son George who we kept. I'm planning on breeding him with Ethel this spring/summer since I know she has the chocolate gene, and plan on trying to get a new chocolate doe.
I have lots of sewing projects going on!!!! I'm working on some more dresses for my friends little girl, a dress for myself, some dresses for the dress a girl around the world project, some t-shirt quilts, and some other quilts that I've been working on for a long while. I have one pinned together, that's ready to be quilted. Frank is back on his regular work schedule starting Saturday, so I'm thinking I'll work on finishing something this weekend. Basically, I sew based on how my hip and back feel.
I'm still in love with the Subaru. I don't know what took me so long to decide that we needed one of those!!!! Since we've done all the work on the Neon, it's running like new!! Well, not quite like new, but it's running better than it has in years. It still has under 120 thousand miles on it, and with it being a Dodge, and is over that repair hump, Frank thinks we can make it to 300 thousand miles easily. I think I might be a little sad when the Neon does kick the bucket though, it's kind of part of the history of Frank and Brandi.
That's about it from here for now. Hopefully I can get back into posting things again, it's just a matter of things getting back to normal!!!!
Frank has been working a lot extra at work, he's been teaching some classes, and then they have a bunch of overtime days. So, I've been trying to keep up with all the farm work, the book keeping, the house work, and my sewing. This is going to be a sort of catch up blog.
Last weekend was Frank's birthday. We didn't really do anything to celebrate. As we get older, we find that we like to spend a quiet night at home. So, we made a big pan of nachos with seasoned beef, lots of cheese, black olives, refried beans, salsa and some other stuff that we put in the oven and baked until everything was nice and hot and bubbly. Then, we put sour cream on top of it all. Once that was ready, we settled in to watch TV. We were going to watch a movie, but decided to watch a couple episodes of Lethal Weapon on Hulu. (We're still behind, by 5 episodes) (I was really afraid to watch it because the movies are classic, and was afraid they would really ruin it, but I was wrong, it was fantastic!!!! It really gives the characters more depth, and personality, and gives them so much more life. I love it) Then we added some grown up beverages, and it was just a nice relaxing evening.
My chickens are doing great, they took me by surprise last week. I walked into the hen house, and there were 4 eggs waiting for me...after not getting eggs for a couple of months, I was so happy!!! The next day there were more, and then I got 9 eggs by day 3, and by the end of the week, I was getting 3 dozen a day!!! I truly was not expecting that considering the number of older hens I have. When I went to Tractor Supply yesterday to pick up some feather fixer for some of my Easter Egger Hens that had been in a separate pen with 6 roosters, which are no longer in existence, I had to stop and ogle the chicks. Oh they are so cute, and loud!!! I almost caved and bought 6 Black Australorp chicks...I still have my original girls of that breed, and they are older, and barely laying these days. They are laying, but just a couple times a week. What I love about them goes beyond the fact that they are good layers. I love that they are big, and beautiful, and so laid back, and calm and friendly, and don't act like fools when you pick them up to check for eggs. Not like the White Leghorns which are fantastic layers, and don't eat much compared to what they lay. They aren't my favorite breed, they are a really high strung bird in my opinion. They tend to get my Easter Egg hens wound up, which cracks me up because they are generally a laid back breed.
My rabbits are doing well. I think I told you all about Betty having to come in the house. (My Chocolate Silver Fox) I thought she was doing well, and was going to possibly make a full recovery and be able to go back outside when it warmed up again. She was doing great, she was eating, and drinking, and cuddly. Then one day she just stopped eating, but was still drinking, the next day, she stopped drinking as well. I kept her close to me that day, and examined her, but my guess is, she had injuries to her back legs that we didn't realize, and we made the decision to very quickly, and very humanely put her out of her pain, because it was very obvious she was in pain. I can assure you all, she didn't feel a thing. We do not believe in allowing any animal to suffer, and will do everything in our power to keep them from suffering. Yes, I buried her, and yes I cried. I still get kind of teary eyed when I look at her son George who we kept. I'm planning on breeding him with Ethel this spring/summer since I know she has the chocolate gene, and plan on trying to get a new chocolate doe.
I have lots of sewing projects going on!!!! I'm working on some more dresses for my friends little girl, a dress for myself, some dresses for the dress a girl around the world project, some t-shirt quilts, and some other quilts that I've been working on for a long while. I have one pinned together, that's ready to be quilted. Frank is back on his regular work schedule starting Saturday, so I'm thinking I'll work on finishing something this weekend. Basically, I sew based on how my hip and back feel.
I'm still in love with the Subaru. I don't know what took me so long to decide that we needed one of those!!!! Since we've done all the work on the Neon, it's running like new!! Well, not quite like new, but it's running better than it has in years. It still has under 120 thousand miles on it, and with it being a Dodge, and is over that repair hump, Frank thinks we can make it to 300 thousand miles easily. I think I might be a little sad when the Neon does kick the bucket though, it's kind of part of the history of Frank and Brandi.
That's about it from here for now. Hopefully I can get back into posting things again, it's just a matter of things getting back to normal!!!!
Saturday, February 4, 2017
Fudgy Mocha Brownies
These brownies are incredibly delicious!!!! I love baking from scratch, It's just one of those things that I find relaxing, and these were no disappointment!!!! I don't know how much you all will love this, but I know they were a hit here!!!!
Ingredients
1 and 1/4 cups unsifted flour devided
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup cold butter
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
1 egg
1 teaspoon instant coffee dissolved in 1 tablespoon hot water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon baking powder 3/4 cup chopped nuts
Directions
preheat oven to 350 F
In bowl, combine 1 cup flour and sugar, cut in butter until crumbly. Press mixture firmly in bottom of 13x9 inch baking pan. Bake 15 minutes.
Meanwhile in large bowl, mix all other ingredients including 1/4 cup of flower, but leave out the nuts. Mix well, and then add the nuts after everything has been mixed. Pour mixture over crust after it comes out of oven, and then bake for 20 minutes until center is set. Cool, and then cut into 36 brownies. Store in an air tight container at room temperature.
This is very very tasty, however, it could use a little more coffee in it. I'm thinking that maybe one more tablespoon will make all the difference.
Thursday, February 2, 2017
My DNA quilt
Right now, I'm working on some t-shirt quilts. I started ironing on the stabilizer this morning, and thought there was something wrong with it at first...absolutely nothing wrong with it. It would seem I forgot to turn my iron on. I think my brain is broken!!!! I have 2 of them I'm making, and will post pictures once they are done. Hopefully I don't get any injuries while working on these.
If you are interested in how I made my quilt, I just did 12 inch Churndash squares using scrap fabric, and I did 3 inch sashing between everything. The white fabric going around the inside was a 2 inch strip, and then I think I did a 5 or 8 inch strip around with the green fabric. It was a lot of fun to put together, it was a great escape, and I found myself in a happier place while working on this quilt, because I wasn't thinking about Facebook, or any of the protests going on. It was just me, my fabric, my rulers, my rotary cutter, my thread, and my machine, and Bryan Adams in the CD player.
I'm currently playing around learning how to use my quilt designing program, and have many hopes of designing a few things for here. Stay tuned, as soon as I find what I did with it, there will be a new crochet pattern coming your way!!!
Stay warm!!!
Brandi
Sunday, January 29, 2017
So Sorry
Hey everyone!!! I know I promised you guys recipes and some new crochet patterns this month, and I truly have a stack of recipes, and patterns I've written, and I swear I'm not coming up excuses for reasons why I didn't get them posted. Both Frank and I spent most of this month sick. We got whatever that nasty gunk is that's been going around. I had it twice as long as Frank did unfortunately. My congestion was so bad, that when I would lay down because I was feeling so bad I had to lay down before I fell down, everything would drain to one side of my body, and then when I sat up, I had to stay in the upright sitting position for a good 5 minutes before I could stand up. I still have a little bit of congestion that gets me at the end of the day, and my nose holes are sore still from all the nose blowing I had been doing.
In other news, I had to break down and buy a new sewing machine a couple of weeks ago, thank goodness for an Amazon Prime membership. I would have to say it's the best investment we have ever made. It's already paid for itself, between the movies, the free shipping and the discount prices. I was working on quilting a scrap quilt that I made to get to know my new sewing machine, and for the first time in my sewing career, I actually ran my finger under the sewing machine needle!!! It went all the way through, the tip of the needle came out a good 1/4 inch of the other side of my finger. I don't know how I didn't panic, and how I kept calm enough to raise the needle out of my finger. Frank grounded me from my sewing room for a few days, and I haven't been up to finish my quilt. (Although I've decided that my finger doesn't hurt much anymore, and I can type with it with no problem, so that means I'm healed up.)
Our Neon is almost over the repair hump according to Frank. It's in the shop right now, there is another sensor that is being replaced, and the final engine mount is being repaired, and whatever is wrong with the break line is being fixed. (All I can say about the break issue is, thank goodness that it went while I was sitting in the driveway, and not when I was halfway to the grocery store, or while Frank was on his way to work) After about 3 months of research and saving for a down payment, we got a new car. I think I know more about vehicles than I ever wanted to know. We knew we were going to want something with all wheel drive, but something that got good gas mileage. I was comparing cars against each other, and reading reviews, and stats, and learning about problems, and longevity, and the list goes on. My list started out with 56 different vehicles. Who knew that I would have that much of a choice, it ticked off so slowly, and it came down to 2 different vehicles of the same make. It came down between the Outback Subaru, and the Subaru Forester. The winning car was (Insert drumroll here) The 2017 Outback Subaru. We got it this past Thursday, and I'm not going to lie, I absolutely love it!!!! Considering children are not off the table for us, no matter how we become parents weather it's natural, scientific, or adoption, we still want to be parents, and I like knowing that I have a vehicle that will be a great family vehicle, with safety ratings that are completely awesome.
So!!! Now you have been caught up, and I promise you guys, I do have recipe's and patterns coming your way. Once I figure out my electric quilt program, for quilt designing, I'm hoping to have some quilt patterns to share with you all as well!!! So then, this little farm blog will have a little bit more of everything!!!!
In other news, I had to break down and buy a new sewing machine a couple of weeks ago, thank goodness for an Amazon Prime membership. I would have to say it's the best investment we have ever made. It's already paid for itself, between the movies, the free shipping and the discount prices. I was working on quilting a scrap quilt that I made to get to know my new sewing machine, and for the first time in my sewing career, I actually ran my finger under the sewing machine needle!!! It went all the way through, the tip of the needle came out a good 1/4 inch of the other side of my finger. I don't know how I didn't panic, and how I kept calm enough to raise the needle out of my finger. Frank grounded me from my sewing room for a few days, and I haven't been up to finish my quilt. (Although I've decided that my finger doesn't hurt much anymore, and I can type with it with no problem, so that means I'm healed up.)
Our Neon is almost over the repair hump according to Frank. It's in the shop right now, there is another sensor that is being replaced, and the final engine mount is being repaired, and whatever is wrong with the break line is being fixed. (All I can say about the break issue is, thank goodness that it went while I was sitting in the driveway, and not when I was halfway to the grocery store, or while Frank was on his way to work) After about 3 months of research and saving for a down payment, we got a new car. I think I know more about vehicles than I ever wanted to know. We knew we were going to want something with all wheel drive, but something that got good gas mileage. I was comparing cars against each other, and reading reviews, and stats, and learning about problems, and longevity, and the list goes on. My list started out with 56 different vehicles. Who knew that I would have that much of a choice, it ticked off so slowly, and it came down to 2 different vehicles of the same make. It came down between the Outback Subaru, and the Subaru Forester. The winning car was (Insert drumroll here) The 2017 Outback Subaru. We got it this past Thursday, and I'm not going to lie, I absolutely love it!!!! Considering children are not off the table for us, no matter how we become parents weather it's natural, scientific, or adoption, we still want to be parents, and I like knowing that I have a vehicle that will be a great family vehicle, with safety ratings that are completely awesome.
So!!! Now you have been caught up, and I promise you guys, I do have recipe's and patterns coming your way. Once I figure out my electric quilt program, for quilt designing, I'm hoping to have some quilt patterns to share with you all as well!!! So then, this little farm blog will have a little bit more of everything!!!!
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