Welcome new life and goodbye to a old friend

I think spring has finally arrived! It was a long hard winter Uncle Ken said it was the hardest in the twenty six years he has lived here in Bainbridge. We had our water freeze up a couple of times and even lost it at one point for seven days, and the wind was brutal which it seemed to have howled everyday. It was so cold that I lost all my honey bees this winter, but with all this the worst thing was we lost one of my dogs. Doc the misfit Beagle, which I did not think at the time I got him would amount to anything other than a floor thumper. He had become a great rabbit running hound, I would listen to him run every morning and evening almost like clock work. Tari and I would watch come up the lane toward the house just at after dawn and he would hit the brush. Kenny Ray had saved him from falling thru the ice on the pond only to caught I believe by a pack of Coyote,s as he never returned from trips to the brush as I searched for days and could find no trace, Tari and I still watch the lane in the mornings, we miss him very much.
                                                          But with spring we are surrounded by new life, as the land comes alive from it,s long slumber. Almost everyday the woods become greener and something else begins to bloom. A Buff Orrpinton hen has become broody this past week and is sitting on her clutch of eggs. All the hens are laying and we get right at two dozen eggs a day. Our California rabbits had there litter about ten days ago and they now are haired over and eye's open. Kenny Ray and I picked up our newest farm member yesterday 'Pork chop' the pig. She is a wonderful addition here she is four months old and weighs about 80 pounds and I am planning on having her bred possibly next December or January. I have purchased two additional pigs for May delivery and one is for the freezer and one for sale. I sat out at the hog lot this afternoon with Belle the wonder Lab,as she said hello to Pork Chop and tried to play tag with her like she doe's Skippy the rooster, but Pork chop paid no attention to her and she moved to the pond for a swim. As I sat there watching the pig root around in the mud I thought back to my childhood, of my Grandpa Patton and how he walked down the lane
with slop bucket in hand toward his pigs. He would be whistling or singing" Ruby don't take your love to town" and it brought a smile to my face. The spring was my dad's favorite time of year as he said you are surrounded by new life, while I still prefer October spring is a close second.

Kenny Ray saves Doc from the pond

                                   We had an interesting evening here tonight. I had gathered the eggs and was on my way out to the mailbox. Kenny Ray had jumped on the four-wheeler to go out to the poop coupe and put the chickens up for the night. When Tari came running out of the house and yelled “Kenny they need you out at the pond now!” I asked what’s wrong she said I do not know but Rob just called and said they need you now! She started running and I jumped in the car. When I got there, I saw my beagle Doc in the middle of the pond; he had fallen thru the ice. And there was my son in his underwear and was in the pond busting ice and going to my dog. Kenny Ray reached him and swam back to the dock and handed Doc out. Rob then helped Kenny Ray out of the pond, both Doc and Kenny Ray both shivering badly. We calmed Tari down and she drove Kenny Ray and Doc to the house. She put both Doc and Kenny Ray in the shower. I came in and took Doc out of the shower and began to dry him off, but he went back to Kenny Ray and snuggled up to him. This is strange because Doc has always kept his distance from him. I finally managed to get Kenny Ray and Doc dried off, and sat them down by the fire to warm up.                                                                                                                                                       As I am writing this tonight I think back a about ten or so years ago. Kenny Ray and I came upon a car accident with a lady trapped in her car and a man and a dog trapped in another car. I managed to pull the man and dog out but could not get the lady out. As I was trying the fire department showed up and took over. My young son looked up and asked me Dad how did you stay so calm and know what to do? Dad I was scared. I told him son I was to but you have to forget that and do what has to be done; when the time comes and you are older you will be fine and able to do what has to be done. And it washed over me here at my desk tonight I was not needed tonight as my wonderful son Kenny Ray was there to do what was needed. A very proud moment and a sad one for me.

Kenny Ray and Doc by the stove

California rabbits

 

Wild Thing

Kenny Ray and I picked up our California rabbit breeding stock yesterday, with help of my cousin Lester. Lester at one time was second in nation showing fuzzy holland rabbits, so he looked the bunnies over to make sure they were healthy as well as showing us how to handle them. two doe's that we named
Wild Thing and Jessica and a buck named Thumper. They are three months old and will be ready to breed in about three months. The bunnies are the first residents in the Poop Coupe which you may see the pics by going to brewerandsonshomegrownpoultry.blogspot.com the Coupe is just about complete, we just need to finish the water collection system. We welcome them home to the farm.

Brewer and sons homegrown poultry

Please visit our other blog brewerandsonshomegrownpoulrty.blogspot.com or just click the photo on the right buy homegrown food.

Wild bees, rabbit's and chickens

Bee tree

Guineas, chickens and coyote's

We have some new guest here on the farm, two guineas which were given to us from a friend of my nephew's , Joe had spent a weekend here on the farm last summer and loved the farm. I have always wanted guinea's as my grandpa Robert Patton had some when I was kid and they take me back. It was kind of weird though , as I received these two birds I lost two laying hens this morning to coyote's, right out of the driveway. I heard the holler and I went to them and even seen one coyote trying to catch another and I ran him off. I spent the better part of two hours tracking the scoundrels and when I caught up to them I squeezed off one shot and missed by about an inch the small tree next to the coyote's head took the round. I will spend the next few evenings reducing the coyote population here around the farm.
On other news, has of yesterday I have thirty two truck loads of firewood now cut, just about ready for winter. The state of Ohio bee inspector was here two weeks ago and went thru my bee's I only had two Varroe mites in his samples that he took which was very good. They are restoring their honey supplies for winter and look like they are in good shape, we will continue to monitor their progress.
We are now sold out of our honey for the year. What is now a flock of just ten Buff Orpington hens are due to start laying this week we are excited about finding the first egg.
All of our frying chickens have been spoke for and we will have more available October sixteen and the week of the November six.
  Our garden is just about done we took our last load of tomatoes to the Bainbridge produce auction last week a one hundred and forty pounds. While our garden did very well we will no longer sell at auction as we are to small of a operation and can not and will not sacrifice quality for production sake. Tari, Kenny Ray and I are now looking at attending one or two farm markets for next year or possibly a CSA if their is enough interest. We will be offering vegetables, honey, maple syrup and pastured chicken's ,eggs as well as turkey's
On this week's agenda we will be cutting more firewood, mowing around the farm and cleaning off one of the gardens as well as root cellar work, digging potatoes and chicken coop work.
  If you are interested in joining a CSA or eggs or chickens or just stooping by the farm to visit, to picnic by the pond or just a tour of the place and listen to my stories or offer an opinion shoot me and email brewerandsonsfarm@yahoo.com.

God help a blind farmer see

How many know what the above picture is, this was a common scene when I was a child. Beans strung and hanging on the porch to dry, for a mountain delight Shuckey beans. I love them cooked with ham and cornbread and a slice of two candy bar onion{ see Appalachian American story two candy bar onion} with a cold glass of milk. It has been a very busy spring and early summer here on the mountain farm, Tari and I extracted the honey yesterday from two hives about seventy five pounds it will be bottled in the morning, it put both of to bed early last night even to tired to fix supper. Beans and tomatoes are ready to start canning this week which is about right as they are calling for ninety degree days this week, we will be starting that between cutting firewood in the mornings , and finishing the nest boxes in the chicken coop for the hens should start laying in the next couple of weeks. Kenny Ray will start picking blackberries tomorrow they are big as nickel this year and are plentiful. We had a storm here last Tuesday and the wind blew my sweet corn down and the heavy rain beat it down even further, I though it was a lost cause but Kenny Ray and I spent Wednesday evening trying to stand it back up, and as of today it looks great, sweet corn will bless the table by the end of the week. We had our last fire the first week of May and Uncle Ken, Kenny Ray and I have been cutting wood in are spare time  ever since trying to get ready for winter.  Kenny Ray and I have also cleared some ground around the house for more garden and pasture for the chickens , the whole farm has been carved out of the wilderness a little at a time from Uncle Ken ,Dad and I to Kenny Ray and I now. Kenny Ray got a case of poison Ivy after clearing around the driveway area for the farm sign. Next week we have chickens to slaughter as the broilers will be seven weeks old Kenny Ray has done a fine job taking care of them, hopefully he will be able to help with the process of cleaning them. I have had some doubts over the last couple of weeks about life here on the farm but every time I get down God and my family bring me back. Last week when the corn was blown down for the second time this spring I was down on myself and Kenny Ray asked me, Dad do you know the story of Job from the bible and I said no , he then begin to tell about Job and how he lost is wealth his children and his wife but his faith in God remained after all his problems. I got out my bible and read Job and my sweet corn was no problem at all. I then also remembered the sermon from church that pas Sunday Luke 16: 10 He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much , and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much. I have to learn to take care of what I already have before I can take on more I have always thought if had more pasture or more garden space the farm would produce better , what I have learned is I most meet the problems that I think I have without losing faith and thank God everyday for the weeds the corn that blew down and is now standing once gain the blight on my tomatoes for all of these he has taken away except for the weeds I am still battleing them, as I have attempted to be faithful in the least of things and being rewarded with a bountiful harvest.