Coming soon....

Finally ordered the turkeys yesterday afternoon from Cackle Hatchery.  I purchased from them last year and they were great to work with.  Ordered 9 Broad Breasted Whites and 15 Bourbon Reds.  In addition, thought I'd try the short commitment timeframe and raise 10 cornish chickens for meat.  Part of the order process is to let them know when you would like the birds sent.  Due to the current date, upcoming holiday, and impending announcing job, I selected June 6 or 8 on their shipping calendar, but noted if that's not possible "earlier is better than later."

Not 30 minutes after I got home, I received a phone call.  It was Cackle asking if I wanted them NOW!  As in they hatched today and can go in the mail this evening.  Chicks should be at the farm as early as tomorrow morning.  Guess I have some prep to do quickly!!

Also, coming soon?  FENCING!!  Received the final estimate from the companies I talked to about doing some fencing projects.  Specifically up to 3 different projects -- redoing the main pasture, adding a "front field" paddock and adding a new "west" paddock.  Nothing left but making the decision.  Well, not really... I have emailed the last company a couple questions.  Of 5 estimates, I'm down to possibly 3 I think would do the best job for the money.  Hoping to make a decision by the end of the weekend and get started ASAP.

So keep an eye out for updates including pictures coming soon!

Spring Update

It's definitely springtime.  VERY busy lately as is probably fairly typical for anyone on a farm.  Here's some details on what's been going on.

Fencing:  After the fiasco that was the cows coming home... them promptly running off, I'm looking into getting some significant fence work done.  Hopefully I'll have all the estimates in this week and whomever gets chosen to do the work (whatever amount of work that may be when all is said and done) can get started asap.

Horse Shows:  Had a lot of fun at the Stillwater Pony Club Hunter Show (DLSC) a couple weeks ago.  Exhausting day as they had a lot of participation which as anyone knows with hunter shows means the day goes on forever.  Raz was good, although we had some hinkey moments here and there.  My ankle was not 100% from twisting it following the cow escapade the weekend before, but we managed 1 warmup round and the 3 classes in the Baby Hunter (2') division.  6th (of 6) in the Under Saddle class where I thought we did a decent job overall.  6th (of 16) in the first Over Fences class which frankly surprised me that we placed.  And 7th of 7 in the 2nd after a major boggle at the 2nd fence caused me to lose my stirrup on the side with the bad ankle so I pulled her down to a walk to readjust.  It's ok. We had some REALLY nice fences and I was ok with our performance.

Unfortunately that will be our last show for a while.  Not only do I have a couple announcing jobs coming up that interfere with the DLSC schedule (Greater Dayton Horse Trials and IEA Horse Trials) as well as relatives visiting for the Memorial Day weekend, but there has been a medical issue pop up.  If you haven't heard about it, I'm surprised as the word is spreading pretty rapidly.  One of the horses at iTolt Training Center came up with a positive Coggins - the test for Equine Infectious Anemia (EIA).  Unfortunately, he also tested positive on a second blood draw and was humanely euthanized this past weekend.  EIA is very contagious and even though Sam was only a carrier and never sick, the policy of the state is very clear and Jen did what a responsible owner has to do in this situation.  This is the first positive in the state in 4 years, so it's not very common in this area.  Unfortunately it does result in the barn being quarantined for 60 days.  Thankfully, the blood draw on Monday for all the horses at the barn came back with all negatives.  They will all be retested at 30 and 60 days before the quarantine is lifted.  You can read the whole story, including timeline, valuable information about EIA, and the lovely story of who Sam was at iTolt's blog -- The Facts of our Positive Coggins Test  Jen and everyone at iTolt are extremely good friends and I'm thankful for each of them and wish them nothing but peace in such a heartbreaking situation.

So the pressure is off for a while, which will be nice.  The plan is to catch up on things at the farm, NOT go completely crazy the next few busy weekends, and then work on some equitation issues with my riding while enjoying the ponies at the farm (under quarantine obviously no one is allowed to leave the farm)... and then find some fun shows to go to later in the summer.

Speaking of horses... time to support my former pony and her fantastic owner!!  Suzie and Frankie are doing such remarkable things.  In an effort to help fund a trip to work with a great trainer this summer (Jan Bynny) prior to the Richland Park Horse Trials in August (and hopefully Fair Hill Horse Trials CCI*** in October), Suzie has created "Team Frankie" t-shirts.  They're available in Blue or White and have a list of 10 things Frankie thinks on the back.  I'm hoping to have one soon and will take pictures and post more about them.  They're $20 each available in Adult and Youth sizes.  Please contact me if you're interested.

Cows and other tidbits

The cows have arrived!!  On Saturday, April 28th, I borrowed a truck/trailer from Jen at iTolt Training Center and drove to Innisfree Farm and picked up 2 black angus calves.  One is roughly 6 months and the other slightly younger (and smaller).  They loaded beautifully into the trailer and I had no problems hauling them back to the farm.

That, unfortunately, is where the fun stopped.

Instead of fanagling them into the barn (they will be sharing the chicken room til the horses get used to them), I opted instead to put them in the front part of the pasture that I had taped off for them.  However, they had other ideas and within 2 minutes of them hitting the ground, they had run through 3 lines of my electric tape fencing and wiggled their way out of the 7 strand wire perimeter fence (that was not turned on as it had been grounding out). 

For the next 3.5 hours, and with the help of many friends, neighbors and strangers, we chased the 2 calves all around the property (and beyond).  I've now seen more of the fields and woods near the farm that I even though possible (even found a creek bed when the big guy was running through it).  In the end, the little guy was lassoed after 75 minutes loose by a good samaritan that happened to stop.  The big guy was tackled by my neighbor after 3.5 hours on the loose.  And while at the same time there were police and ambulance on my road, none of it had anything to do with the loose calves. 

They are now on a "barn time-out" until I can fix the fencing so it contains them.  I'm also using this time to get them used to me.

I'll post a better picture when I can, but this is the best one so far (the other had the flash on the eyes and made the little buggers look evil).

So meet Q (aka BBQ) and Mig (aka Filet Mignon)... latest residents of Serenity Valley Farm.  And with any luck, hopefully very content, quiet and cooperative (from here on out) residents.

All beef shares for this year are currently spoken for, but if you're interested, let me know and I'll put you on the wait list in case anyone backs out.

Along those same lines, I am still accepting deposits for turkeys.  I will be ordering the chicks this month and currently have 15 orders.  Remember I'm ordering both the Broad Breasted Whites that I did last year as well as the heritage breed Bourbon Reds.  A deposit guarantees* you a turkey although I will be ordering a few extra.

I still have an ABUNDANCE of eggs this spring!  $2 per dozen.  Willing to deliver or meet you somewhere if it's not too far away.

The garden is coming along.  Plenty of blossoms on the strawberries, the broccoli and cabbage look good and the gutter garden (seen below prior to planting) is seeing plenty of spinach and lettuce starting to pop up.  More will be planted on Sunday and I'll post more pictures later.

In other news, the first horse show of the season is upon us!  Catch me competing with iTolt's Chiraz at several DLSC Hunter Shows this summer... beginning tomorrow.  I am excited to not only show and hopefully qualify for year end awards, but to be able to help Jen school her many wonderful students as well.

Garden Update

No photographic evidence yet, but I looked at the new gutter garden and the spinach is starting to pop up!!  I'm really excited to see how this works.

Put down 12 bags of top soil the other day and planted 1 short row of snow peas and 3 broccoli plants.  Of course the cats seem to think I created a new litter box for them.  I swear, if it's not the cats getting into something, it's the chickens.  I may need to fence it off until the plants actually start taking root!  Hopefully I can get a bit more accomplished sooner than later as I have cauliflower and cabbage starts that are ready to plant, and I want to get more snow peas in the ground (one can never have too many snow peas).  I think that may do it until closer to the frost date.  I know you can buy tomatoes and peppers and whatnot now, but I'm really leary of planting them and then getting hammered with a late frost.  Plus I am putting in the top soil a little at a time anyway so it's not like it does me a whole lot of good to go out and buy a ton of plants right now.  Ah... but it IS tempting!! LOL

I think I've made a change to the pallet garden.  I would love to do it the way the instructions say -- using soil to fill in between plants and voila... water for a week or so laying down then you can stand up with no worries.  Unfortunately, I've started and then come to realize that for a regular size pallet... that's a LOT of plants!  So I'm backtracking.  Going to probably remove the plants I have... or at least fill the pallet with more soil and spread them out a bit.  Then I picked up a couple packets of wildflower seeds.  I have the time to let them grow so why not?

Overdue Update

Happy Spring!  Granted, there's been frost on the ground the last 2 days, but the tulips and lilacs have been blooming for a couple weeks and it IS the middle of April.  Another tell tale sign of spring?  The animals are shedding like fiends.  Thankfully the sign of "mud everywhere" hasn't struck yet, but the "I'd rather be outside doing yard projects than inside cleaning" certainly has.

A lot has been going on so here's a very quick run down:

• FINALLY!!  There are 2 boarder horses at SVF now: Map is a 6yo Arabian/Trakehner cross stallion and Teddy is a 6 year old Percheron/Morgan cross gelding.  Both came from iTolt Training Center and are doing wonderfully.  Of course they'd much rather be out on the grass ALL the time, but they're slowly getting more and more grass.  Shortly after they arrived, I was able to purchase mats for the cross tie area and we've used it a few times when I decide they need to be brushed.  Both have long manes and I end up telling them that while we like Bob Marley, no one at SVF is to LOOK like Bob Marley -- no dreds!  Seriously, it's a lot of fun to watch them from the kitchen window.
• BRING ON THE BEEF.  Last year's experiment with raising a beef steer went really well and I've signed up to raise 2 more this year.  They should be arriving in 2 weeks.  They'll be limited to sharing the chicken room and having a separate grazing area from the horses until everyone gets used to one another.  Several friends are joining in and "purchasing" shares in the steers.  I believe there is at least one 1/4 share left if anyone is interested -- cost is $250 with at least half payable up front and butchering fees are not included.  Should work out to roughly just over $3/pound overall.  Expected delivery date is January 2013.
• TALKING TURKEY.  Now taking orders on this year's crop of turkeys.  The plan is to raise both the Broad Breasted Whites like last year as well as some Bourbon Reds, a heritage breed that I've heard a lot of good things about.  The BBWs should end up larger than the Bourbon Reds as they are a larger bird (last year's purchase weights ranged from 11.5 pounds to 16 pounds).  They do not get as large as they would in their typical commercial environments, but I'd rather lose some possible pounds than have a bird that isn't able to get out and eat grass and chase bugs.  Bourbon Reds average 23 pounds for toms and 14 pounds for young hens, live weight.  Here's a link to a wonderful review and amateur taste test conducted last fall.  The Bourbon Reds and Midget Whites for this test were raised by an online friend of mine:  Lets Put Turkeys to the Test  Turkeys will be ordered next month, so if you want to guarantee yourself a wonderful turkey, whether a BBW or a Bourbon Red, contact me by May 1st.  $10 deposit is due up front (to help pay for the chicks).  BBWs will be sold at $3/pound dressed weight (same as last year).  Bourbon Reds will be $3.50/pound.
• SPRING MEANS GARDEN.  Finally getting the garden started.  Moving it closer to the house to make it more accessible and to be able to use the old area as a new paddock for the animals.  Currently only have lettuce and spinach planted, but hope to soon have peas and broccoli as well.  Trying a new technique this year -- the lettuce and spinach are being planted using rain gutters attached to a fence, like this:

The ends of the gutters are a double layer of landscape fabric... keeping the soil in but allowing any excess water to drain out.  Cheaper than gutter end caps and easier than drilling drain holes in the gutters.  With any luck it will work.

I think that's about it for now.  Have been dealing with mechanical issues all over -- 2 wheel bearings and new tires for the Explorer, scooter is in the shop now dealing with a "won't start" issue, just dropped off the weed eater for service and the push mower at the rental won't start.  Maybe I need to take a class in automotive repair?  Also have several projects coming up -- finishing the garden, getting water to the barn, fencing in the new paddock, etc.  One thing at a time though, right?  or at least no more than what will drive me crazy. 

In the meantime, heading to Equine Affaire on Saturday for the first time in a few years.  Looking forward to it and hope to run into some friends.

5 Things... Update

So I missed a day.  Life's been "weird" lately.  Please don't hold it against me. :)

1) Looks like the first horses will set foot at the farm sometime in the next week.  Still up in the air as to who exactly it will be (depends a little on who gets along with whom in turnout since they'll be out together).  So more updates as it happens.

2) As a result of #1, there will obviously need to be more work done in the barn.  More rock put down, possibly another stall built, and then there's the running of water to the barn.  The latter will need to be looked into asap, especially now that we're coming out of winter.  I may start by installing a hand pump on the outdoor well.

3) Looking at the garden possibilities for this year.  Going to downsize and kind of refocus (a running theme in life right now I think).  Found some wonderful ideas on Pinterest -- like growing greens in extra rain gutters that are just attached to a wall/fence.  Also a fun idea about growing plants from a pallet or using old tires that are painted BRIGHT colors as pots.  Too many fun ideas!

4)  Speaking of ideas, I've been putzing with a couple.  The first is to pour concrete in the "shed" off the attached garage, run electric so I can have lights, etc., have a couple windows installed and possibly the exterior door changed... and basically turn it into a nice room.  The idea is to make it into an exercise room.  I don't have enough $$ at the moment to refurbish the entire garage, but that one small room might be doable to start.

5) The other putzing idea is to pull out the hot tub and instead of putting it in the barn, put it on the back patio -- the idea of which also entails a patio makeover.  I guess the idea is more about the patio makeover and the hot tub is an extension of that.  Ideas abound on this one!  But a nice patio with plants, maybe a fountain, different flooring (I have never liked the brick that's there) to make it a lovely extension of the mudroom, which when clean is a really nice space, would be fun.  Plus I think I'm moving the garden closer to teh house so that could be incorporated a little.

So... I think this post is probably less "update" and more "hey ya'll... I have tons of projects in the queue.  If you're ever bored, come on out... even if it's just to keep me company while I work. "  :)

5 Things... or more

So the original intent of 5 Things was to keep me blogging every week about the farm and updates.  Obviously the holidays and first of the year had some kind of wrench to throw into those plans.  All is good though, as I thoroughly plan to keep up again.  So... in light of that... here are some current and semi-current 5 Things:

1) I've been enjoying the mild winter.  A little muddy here and there, but its nice to WANT to go outside occasionally.  It's also nice on the wallet when it comes to heating the house.  I'm a little concerned about the bug population this coming spring/summer.  That may be the trade-off for this week's temps being in the 50s and having rain instead of snow.  Still not sure I'd choose any differently however.

2) Stewie is gone.  He left last month.  In return I have a freezer full of 196 pounds of edible beef (including soup bones, but not including miscellaneous "other" organs and such).  My record keeping was only ok but by my calculations, I from fairly well with the price of the ground beef to amazing with the price of some of the steaks.  Am currently investigating picking up 2 or maybe even 3 calves this spring.  Would need buyers (hint hint).

3) Projects:  The project list is yet again rather large.  Some keep changing, some change their priority, some stay the same.  Still sorting out the list at the moment to see what to do next, but a couple weeks ago I painted the living room/dining room.  Instead of a yellow-ish tan color throughout, it is now Covered Wagon and Amaretto (a tan and a brick-ish color).  Actually ties in really well with the window treatments that were already there and I really like it overall a LOT better.

4) Back in November I enrolled in Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University being presented by Wright-Patt Credit Union.  Tomorrow is my last class (it's actually only a 12 week course, but due to holidays and what I assume are room scheduling conflicts, ours was really extended).  I've thoroughly enjoyed the class and while it means that many projects at the farm won't be done in the timeframe I'd like, they'll get done on the timeframe they need to be done and without throwing me into a financial tailspin... so that's even better.  If you come across a class in your area, I would recommend it.

5) There are no boarders at the farm (yet), but I wanted to share a couple horse pictures.  First is Suzie Harrison and Frankie.  The picture was taken on cross country during their recent competition at Intermediate level at an event in Georgia. 

I purchased Frankie at the Ohio Thoroughbred Breeders and Owners Mixed Fall Sale in October 2004 for $500.  Due to life happening over that next year, I sold her... to Suzie, who's been the best thing for Frankie and taken her so far.  This coming weekend they're running their first Advanced level horse trail at the same farm in Georgia.  I'm so proud of them.

The next pic is me... at this past weekend's Game Day at iTolt Training Center in Miamisburg.  I used to board there (both Char and Frankie) and still go and ride.  The pony in the picture is Copper.  Such a good boy to just stand there and let me be the fool.