Blind Hog and Acorn

Acorn has been given the green light to move about, almost like normal.  Who knew bending over would bring such joy? Plans being made for the garden.  Watering system discussed...  Goats and geese doing just fine.  Travel this year may well be limited to 1-2 nights away- Acorn wants to christen her senior lifetime National Parks pass...  Someone's picture is NOT on the senior pass, just the a...

Blind Hog and Acorn muddled through another year on the farm.  2026 looks to be most interesting, like the farmers need anything more interesting...  Normal and dull sounds quite lovely, actually. New Year's Eve featured fresh ham, New Year's Day had the usual ingredients. Acorn is thinking about the garden, Blind Hog continues being "farmer in charge" while Acorn continues rec...

The weather is just CRAZY!  Farmers are not really complaining about the 30-40+ temps above the usual average for this time of year, but 82F going to 30F for highs?  That is just not fair. A very merry Christmas was held at the farm and what follows is Acorn's birthday a couple days later.  Feasting on herring and pumpkin  pie, and a wonderful Bundt cake, both made by Savi. Goats kids are doi...

Yay!  Kidding was an eleven-day affair... Now the farmers have a break until March . Acorn's recovery is going along great- moving well, taking precautions.  Weather has helped improve spirits for all concerned. 2025 quickly coming to a close, Christmas just around the corner.  Where did the year go?

House arrest about lifted, Acorn is now driving and free from being house bound... In the meantime, a few farm and workshop projects going...  Goats started kidding (all boys so far), shop tools being powered on. Bitter cold snap moving in tonight with single digit lows, but then 50's and even 60F next week?  Craaaaaazy!

Acorn is chafing at the bit to get out and about, Blind Hog has his hands full with multi-tasking. Knock wood- no goats born so far, Acorn is about to the point where she can stand and assist Blind Hog if needed. Things ARE progressing!

Weeks of preparation are paying off as Acorn is cruising quite well post-op with new total left hip.  Blind Hog is having all the fun being nurse to Acorn as well as wearing the "head farmer hat" and taking care of everything else. Slow and careful wins this race-  Acorn wants to be on the right track without any set backs.  Now if the goats can hold off kidding for another week or two? ...

Blind Hog and Acorn have been getting all the chores done, and even took a day off to go to KC to shop at REI and IKEA.  How else was Blind Hog going to get Acorn to sit down for 7 hrs except to drive?   Farm chores are pretty much caught up now, Blind Hog should have little to worry about, save for goats kidding on his watch.  Acorn figures she will be able to get up and about in three solid week...

Steelmeadow has joined the rest of modernity- ditching the cell phone wifi for Starlink.  Put it this way, the podcast uploaded faster than it took Acorn to type these two sentences... Goat doelings were picked up.  Blind Hog had an eye exam.  Acorn had pre-op appointment and in between all this, chores have been getting done.   Weather has been crazy warm, broke a record today for high temperatur...

Lots getting done- barns scraped and dirt floors limed, garden just about ready to say goodnight for the winter, and the Subaru got new tires and an oil change.  A 2 hr long oil change...  Acorn says never, ever again ... Blind Hog is moving old firewood so new firewood an cage, with the oldest to be used first. Soups, cakes, cookies, breads, casseroles, meats, etc all being whipped up and frozen...

Blind Hog and Acorn went to a guy not too far away who had a plethora of bamboo that he lets folks dig in the Fall,  FOR FREE!!!  Seven three-gallon nursery containers got loaded up with bamboo plants ranging from 12" to 48".  Acorn is quite pleased. House plants and the last of the squash ere brought in and not a minute too soon.  The next morning was a real freeze.  The last of the tom...

A week of wood splitting, cooking, and treating a goat with hind leg paralysis.  Acorn gave the goat 30% chance of recovery at first, and danged if the nanny did not pull through.  Is almost 80% better now and for a goat whose rear right leg was totally free of tone and only a little muscle strength in her left rear leg, she is now standing and walking about.  Treated for goat polio one day then m...

Blind Hog and Acorn attended not one but TWO No Kings protests.  It was amazing and so refreshing to see so many smiling, happy people.  First in the local small town with an attendance of 78, then to a much larger rally in Springfield. Downpours were taken in stride as the rain was most welcomed and it literally and figuratively did not dampen the mood. Farm chores for winter begun.  Acorn will b...

German Extra Hardy is the variety of garlic and this was the second harvest year for heads purchased in 2023.  Obviously the variety agrees with the Ozarks' soil. Blind Hog and Acorn been doin' the usual farm chores.  Firewood getting brought in and cut, put away.  Acorn surprised Blind Hog with a fire in the woodstove- a most peculiar day when it looked like the highs might be under 60F...

After ten months of planning, Blind Hog and Acorn had a great two weeks away.   Helsinki, Tallinn, Oslo and Aurland were awesome. Lots of museums, sites, friends made new and old.  Farm-sitters reported no issues and also had a relaxing time away from the city. Now it is time for fall chores:  goat breeding, garlic planting, bean shelling, wood stacking. Dorothy said "there's no place li...

Still no rain at the farm...  Talk about dusty dry...  Ugh...  A few odd nannies were taken to the sale barn this morning- leaves Acorn with four dairy girls and the rest of the herd is either 50%-75% Savanna, just as was planned.  Kidding will bring the 88% and it is all uphill from there... New dishwasher installed.  All should be good and fingers crossed will stay that way.  Blind Hog and Acorn...

It has been a hot week of home repairs and late nights....  Hot water heater, pantry sink faucet, kitchen faucet, dishwasher...  Some things were fixed, others had to be replaced...   Other than that, the house is getting a good deep cleaning, Blind hog has been doing "dozer work" with the Mahindra, and Sam got himself joyfully skunked.  He was so proud. Blind hog also had to clean out v...

Cider and applesauce makin days at the farm.  The fresh cider is just wonderful and the "with the peel" applesauce super easy to make. String lights are all up on the barns, timer/dimmers installed.  As Blind Hog says, "The circus has come to town..." Roses are planted, mulched and watered...  All good there.  Now if the farm could just get some rain...  Driest August on record...

Springfield House deep hole filled...  Baked goods being made...  Cuttings from roses started...   Sam, Blind Hog and Acorn all got vaccinations on Wednesday- lol...  Acorn later got a hip injection on Friday and was ecstatic on the relief. $26 from Sam's Club and the goats now have a dance hall...  50' barn and 48' of string lights.

The week started hot and ended hotter ... Bling Hog and Acorn ditched work for riding around in the air conditioned car, some shopping was done... Springfield house had another sewer clog, 17 days after the cleanout was put in due to a clog.  Acorn called a company that gave a good bid for sewer lateral replacement, and it was started the next day! Goat mineral has been reformulated now that the c...

Phew!  Goatlets weaned, getting fed supplemental kibble to plump them up and avoid the weaning slump so they can be sold. Then to find out a beehive was struck by lightning! Garden going bonkers... Two trees taken down, we managed the clean up.  Roof of house is now safe from overhanging limbs.  Powerlines still need attention. Would love a couple good slow, rainy days...

Garden is booming, but then so is the grass all around the raised beds.  Acorn's ultimate solution?  MAKE MORE RAISED BEDS! Blind Hog is finding he likes working with the new Kioti, or Lil' Monkey as Acorn calls it.  The "Kuboki..."  Little tractor has plenty of power, that's for sure! Springfield house will be needing sewer lateral line replacement...  Getting bids on tha...

Phew!  Acorn has been a schwetty puddle lately... Chores are sporadic- out for an hour then back in to recover.  Driving up to the post office is a lovely way to cool down, according to Acorn...  Driving ANYWHERE has been better than melting.  Blind Hog and Acorn took the kiddos to Crystal Bridges to see the KAWS exhibit.  Was a good way to spend a very hot day. Roses have been procured, marked do...

Hot weather is upon Steelmeadow.  The farmers are doing what work they can, early and later in the day. Golf cart "lids" working out as tractor sunshades.  The one on the Mahindra is about done. Looks pretty good. Beans, zucchini, cukes, tomatoes, berries, peppers, greens all coming in.  Eating is good!

Been a busy enough week...  Usual farm chores, some landscape work at the Springfield house... Miss Massey Has a new home- guy who lives about 2 miles away as the crow flies needed a tractor and voila!  Blind Hog and Acorn had just the ticket.  The farmers followed the buyer home  as he had to go the long way around due to the bridge construction, so he got a good 45+ minute test drive.  Miss Mass...