Blind Hog and Acorn

Six inches of the white stuff has covered SteelMeadow Farm.  Is very fluffy, with just a bit of ice on the ground underneath.  Doubt it will stick around long and actually the geese and goats would prefer it go ahead and melt on off. Blind Hog and Acorn had done all the necessary prep work and even had time to fix a fence where a tree had fallen.  Never put off tomorrow what you can get done today...

Blind Hog and Acorn about have chores done before the "winter event" arrives tonight.  Goat barns prepped, goosey hut covered and fluffed with clean pine shavings. Fingers crossed the ice stays to the north. Acorn found out who has the best prices for Rx eyeglasses (Costco).  Blind Hog is tossing some of his hard-earned firewood into the woodstove, keeping the house toasty.  He did finis...

Blind Hog and Acorn had a very quiet Christmas since the kiddos were doing their own visitations. Acorn cooked up a delicious rib roast with veggies underneath, baked up some Yorkshire puddings with all but leapt out of their pan.  Totally delicious. Farm chores chugging along.  Blind Hog got the drainage ditch behind the workshop cleared out- it had dammed up and was washing out the bottom turn o...

Kidding Round One has wrapped up, just one more to go but not for a couple more weeks.  #450 finally had her twins the other evening- luckily the baby monitor picked up the kids squealing as she birthed them in radio silence. Put hay out for the first time as temps dropped in to the mid-teens again.  All the livestock and poultry are doing very well. Christmas wreaths are indeed up at last,  straw...

Seven kids on the ground, but we lost one due to being squashed at 4 days old by its nanny.  Is not the first time, not will it be the last. Along with kidding going on, new solar lights installed on the goat sheds, outside the old goat barn, and up at the hay barn.  With a full charge they should do just fine.  So far the goats in the old barn appreciate the evening lighting. Due to the kidding,...

Busy enough week for Blind Hog and Acorn... Oil change, appointments, errands, trip to KC and coming home with a new gander to be the mate of Miss Priss.  Blind Hog said it made Acorn sound a bit like a matchmaker...  Goosey matchmaker... First kids of the late 2024/2025 season have been born- twin doelings.  Was all of 12F when they were born. They are bouncing around and doing just fine.  The ot...

Blind Hog and Acorn had a delicious feast with the kiddos at the Springfield House.  The farmers had their fill, ,visited a while, then made it back to the farm at dark to do chores. Speaking of chores- the Mahidra got a new battery which called for contortions and manipulations to get the old one out and the new one in.  Acorn also got a toilet running like new and a bit of toilet functionality w...

Chores getting done while the weather is nice.  Blind Hog set in a drainline to go under the drive to the hay barn.  Much needed little project there.  Acorn has been busy in the garden pulling out dead plants and mulching. Blind Hog also got his 4 week cardiac monitor applied- will see how that tracks him though now he thinks he may indeed have an "inner ear thing..."  Will find out but...

Indeed, Blind Hog has made it to 83...  Lots of chocolate cake was involved. Major chores completed on the farm- both goat barns all cleaned, powdered and hay laid on the floor.  Miss Massey's distributor woes now a distant bad memory- all is peachy with her!  Driveway repaired from the last flash flood.  South roof "rescrewing" completed. Now to get into the garden and a few more p...

In light of an upcoming birthday, Blind Hog has spent today pretty much watching soccer...  Premier League as well as cheering on Kansas City's Women's' team, who handily beat North Carolina to advance to the semi finals. Electrical work has been completed in the old goat barn- old light fixtures replaced, a section of wire too and a switch.  Has been a good 15+ years since that was...

Big chores getting done on the farm and just "mildly" interrupted when Blind Hog had "an episode" that is still undiagnosed...  Was it an especially brutal round of A-Fib that he usually walks around with, or an inner ear thing???  Hopefully he will find out, however the whole thing kinda knocked the wind out of his sails. Good news is that the south side of the roof is finally...

Tractor Joy turned to Tractor Woe, then back to Joy...  Acorn fixed the ignition/firing issue and the Massey Ferguson is running well.  Now if she can just figure out the house wifi...  Need to find a way to "bundle" clients and reduce the load on the router... Blind Hog has 4 cords of wood, ready to burn.   Still horribly dry, but also unusually warm.  Goats are in full breeding cycle....

Acorn went to a 3 day conference up at Lincoln University, based on helping mentors in small ruminants be better educators, and during that time ol' Frank Pinkerton died peacefully in his sleep.  He will be missed.  If we all can live as long and lively till 96 as he did! Meanwhile on the farm, things are moving along as they are wont to do.  Blind Hog got the new wheels on the finish mower a...

Truckload of black walnuts taken to the hulling station- Blind Hog received $86...  $12/100 lbs after hulling... Aurora once again visited the farm like it did in May- not quite so a dramatic show, but lovely nonetheless. Acorn baked hamburger buns and grilled burgers- going to a 2 day conference and Blind Hog will be left home alone.  Have to get him something to eat...

Ugh- second summer is upon the farm...  Temps in the 80's once again and drought..  Dry, dusty drought... Walnuts getting picked up from the yard- the bumper crop that keeps giving.  Prices are down to $12/100 lbs "after" the nuts have gone through the huller/dehusker machine.  Pffffff..... Goats are fine, garden winding down.  Acorn needs to plant the garlic but it is so danged war...

The farm only received 0.11" of rain from Helene- just a wee fraction of what our friends and family to the east received. Grading blade pivot has been repaired and is fancy shmancy- Miss Massey is running like a top again! Acorn has begun the arduous chore of picking up walnuts- barrels filling up in the yard. Tomorrow the goats will be sorted and put in with bucks.  Happiness there all arou...

Just one week back and chores are being completed- from replacing a yard hydrant, getting the 6' blade fixed, cleaning up in the garden and snipping a fingertip- Blind Hog and Acorn have been busy! The box blade Blind Hog bought himself for a Father's Day present continues to impress.  Drives look great.  Tons of black walnuts on the ground- they will soon need picking up.  Too bad the b...

Blind Hog and Acorn are back from the 10 day trip to Iceland- what an adventure it was! Waterfalls, basalt columns, crazy wind and weather, lovely people.  You can check out photos on the Blind Hog and Acorn website- just look under Menu for the Iceland trip.

Yup- September is almost here and time for the Blind Hog and Acorn to head out on an adventure...  This year?  ICELAND! Blind Hog is going along for the ride but Acorn is most excited...  Chores are gettig done, house cleaned, piddly stuffs done.  Packing was the easy part! There will probably NOT be a podcast next weekend but there will be one on the 14th.

Acorn got back from an unexpected trip to Texas, leaving Blind Hog to man the conn.  Seems like the farm did well under his watch and in Texas, ol' Frank is hanging in there- best as a 96 yr old can... Back on the farm for a week of preparations...  MOre about THAT later!

Acorn did it at last!  The Massey Ferguson tractor is running again!  The last trick was discovering the micro inline gas filter that was hidden in the 90-degree connection from fuel line to carburetor.  Voila! Farm finally got some rain after more than 3 weeks without- guess this means the grass will need mowing in a few days. Friend Judy gave us a finish mower but it needs work- another project...

Blind Hog and Acorn forgot to record the podcast yesterday, remembering once they got in bed for the night.  Pffff...  It happens. Busy week with garage door seal strip repairs, purchasing Savanna goat kids from friends, and visiting another friend at her yard sale.  ALL the socializing. .. Fingers crossed rain arrives tonight and tomorrow- things getting very crispy on the farm!

Acorn had to fly the coop last week when her Momma went to hospital.  Was scary for a bit, but the Queen Mum  is a fighter.  Expected full recovery! Acorn got back in time to watch a huge double-trunked walnut be removed from the yard of the Springfield house- tree trunks were separating and it was a matter of time for the two so fall.  Arborists said we did good getting it taken down before it fe...

Yup- the new and improved chicken yard is up, complete with chicken wire reinforcement and electric strings on the top.  Soon, a single run of electric will be run on the lower outside to further deter climbing varmints. The pounding of t-posts was a breeze and stringing the fence relatively easy.  You would think they had practice... Using physics, shrubberies were removed from the Springfield ho...

Phew!  Talk about sweat'n! Blind Hog and Acorn got a new project put to the top of the list- seems a vixen has been responsible, at least partially, in the decreasing number of laying hens.  A new chicken yard is to be erected and while they are at it, the gate posts at the top  the drive are being replaced.  One post was done today!  Yay! New pullets purchased, at least Acorn HOPES they are...