Blind Hog and Acorn

Triple digit highs next week?  Not looking forward to it! Blind Hog and Acorn had a grand time with company- Dave, our former neighbor.  Had a fun-filled few days and even managed a trip to Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art. Acorn DID get the littlest kids dosed with dewormer- tapeworms have shown up again.  Only kids get them, not so much with adult goats. Will Blind Hog spend a few hours ne...

Drought continues however there have been some bright sorts the past week- goats got sold, goats got moved, and everyone seems hunky dory....  Well, except for the garden which is forlorn for lack of plantings this year. NEXT YEAR the garden will be lovely- Acorn promises.  Already planning to heavily compost then cover the raised beds, make it all extra good for next spring. Just watching the clo...

Blind Hog and Acorn have another feline in the pig barn/ chicken coop... A little blonde kitten that is probably male...  Maybe...  Sgt's Inky and Boots can show him the ropes. Selling goats during a low price slump, waiting for rain, and going on a diet of all things.  Talk about a variety of woes! Acorn does love a good breakfast though...  Arroz con pollo , beans, tortilla, fruit... Put th...

Midsommar already- Blind Hog and Acorn took a second bunch of goats to market this morning, filing in behind all the Amish who were having contract haulers bring in their sheep- 3,000 head consigned already. Is a bit toasty at the farm, but heat cannot be compared to Texas' heatwave- that is for sure! AC fun in Springfield...  What will the final bid be???

Acorn has a set of 15 goats for sale, buyer to come up tomorrow- maybe Monday.  Will allow the farm to keep more of the 50% Savanna doelings for the great "breed up" program... Got some rain, fields doing ok enough.  Geese have been given full use of the yard, not like they weren't doing it already... Acorn is going to drop a few pounds... Fun fun there... Blind Hog needs all the ca...

As work on the Springfield House comes to a close, Blind Hog and Acorn can focus their attention to the farm.   Two trips to different IKEAs, assorted trips moving furniture and soon the job will be "mostly" done... Geese are acting all cliquish- Alpha gander is bullying Bravo gander something awful, but geese will be geese. Goats are getting caught not only in the fence, but sinking in...

A week of silly things happening, from unknown tractor belts to out-of-towners getting gas at Costco to varmints in the barns. Rain evades the farm for the most part, but 0.47" did manage to fall to start off the month. Goats are weaned, milking is in full swing and the chest freezers got sorted through. Skyr is going into the freezers at the rate of 3 qts a day.  At this rate, Acorn may only...

Seed heads getting clipped of the fescue, fields are 2/3 done, if not a smidge more. Old Pi, our oldest cow, died and got toted with as much ceremony as the farmers could muster, up to the Upper 40 to be laid out on the glade. She was a very good cow who was not trouble at all.  Never sick, always had a good calf. Bucklings were taken to market, will see what they bring but prices have dropped a b...

If only the weather could last longer as it is...  Highs near 70F, lows nice and cool enough to sleep with the windows open and needing a bit of blanket.. Geese and goat kids are growing, garden is putting out asparagus.  Apple trees got a pruning so Blind Hog can ride the new mower under the branches and not lose his hat. Zero turn mower is certainly the way to go!  If only it could cut 8" t...

Blind Hog and Acorn started off the week by getting a really good deal on a battery powered riding mower, saving $2K off list price, only to find out that yes- it did have a serious problem and so they got it back to Tractor Supply within 24 hrs (almost) for a refund.  Seems it had a problem with the first owner who returned it and the problem did not duplicate itself for the store  manager. After...

What a fun week at the farm!   Goslings hatching, new porch furniture, a porky pig sighting, goat milking in the mornings and whatever did Blind Hog and Acorn find in the clothes dryer blower fan but a pair of blue racers!  BTW- Acorn did check to see if they were on the trail of mice but there was not one tell-tale dropping or sign of mouse nesting activities- what we had here was a pair of snake...

The incubator hatch was so-so... A few duds that were iffy when candled and alothough four goslings hatched, one did not make it.  Acorn thinks the egg was too warm and thus a "preemie" pipped too early.  Them another gosling developed spraddle leg from the incubator's "too slick" floor.  When the legs go out sideways, they tend to stay that way.  Bandaids to the rescue! E...

Eight or more pairs of purple martins back and of course, a freeze alert and a week of sub-70's in the days ahead... Blind Hog is still working on that big deadfall oak from the south woods that fell across the fenceline. Acorn is spinning around doing "goosey things..." Little honker hatched in the incubator, now a week old and strutting about on little flappy feets Ticks are alrea...

The final kidding of the season happened and wouldn't you know, TRIPLETS! Momma is a trained professional, and the three should do just fine. Lil' Honkers are growing and took their first bath today- one was acting just like an adult goose in the water- head down, water up over the back and flapping of wings. Sam caught a squirrel this morning and ate it for "first breakfast...&quot...

Art museum visit - check...  Redbuds blooming - check... Morels popping -  check... Martin gourds up -  check... 28°F mornings (?) -  check... Springtime in the Ozarks! Blind Hog and Acorn have been doing the usual chores, extra work on the Springfield house, and even took a day off to visit the art museum in Bentonville.  Acorn is more than ready to do that again soon, and not wait another 6-8 mo...

Alpha Goose sat on 9 eggs and 8 hatched.  The unhatched egg was a stink bomb, we see this.  Now to see if Bravo and Charlie gooses are ready to incubate their nests or were they just giving Acorn a cruel "April Fool's" prank when she found both on their nests ...  23 eggs in two incubators, Bravo and Charlie both have 5-7 eggs in their nests. Work continues on the city house- applia...

5.5+ inches of rain in 48 hours- THAT got the farm right soggy! Goose pens were flooded, needed trenching to divert the drainage but even better news?  The county road held! Blind Hog and Acorn had a productive week at the Springfield house, ready for appliances to be delivered.  They even took a couple days off to stay at the farm.  Well, ok- they HAD to stay due to the rains but it was a nice ch...

Another busy week at the Springfield house, but things are coming along. Blind Hog and Acorn came back to the farm at noon, ate lunch, took a nap and off to evening chores.  Tomorrow is a "stay at the farm day," so that is sweeeeeet. Goats are growing, geese continue to lay, extra goose eggs in an incubator. Farmers have about had it with "house renovation" work, but there is a...

Daffodils might be blooming, but Blind Hog and Acorn are hunkered in this morning, feeding wood to the woodstove.  Baked goods of many kinds being made, but not to have the farmers "baked" themselves- lol... Goats are doing well, Sam is enjoying the egg-bounty while it lasts.  Speaking of eggs, Acorn brought in the goose eggs from the two pair who have not yet decided to sit-fast upon th...

Farm chores have been thankfully under control- goats are doing well, geese are "a-laying..."  Plumbing work at the Springfield house has been an adventure , to say the least... Good news with that is everything will eventually be taken care of...  Eventually ... Cold snaps are in the future but moderate temperatures continue for now.  Snow next Saturday?  A definite possibility.  May ho...

Wellllllllll, Acorn is rather tickled that she has not had to get out of bed in the wee hours of the morning.  Blind Hog said he was also relieved, but we all know he falls back to sleep. Farm Visitors have broken up the day-to-day routines, is always nice to see friends. Not only do  the farmers get to have fun, but the house gets cleaned as well! The "city house" has had the electric w...

Been a busy week on the farm- in contrast to the past few when nothing much was going on.  Acorn has been a busy midwife- finding kids, assisting with towels and blow dryer to dry off kids before they freeze.  This morning's arrival in 14F temps was no different.  Mostly good outcomes with only one death, and a puzzler at that.  We will never know. Big decisions made on the Springfield house-...

Freeze, thaw, frost, mud. ..  And kidding resumes on top of everything. Twins born yesterday were very appreciative of the heat lamp last night- temps got down to 16F. Blind Hog and Acorn had a couple days to hunker in while it was raining with flood warnings posted.  Tax return papers to be organized, magazine articles to read, baking, cooking, all the usual farm chores...  Obviously, was NOT goo...

Blind Hog and Acorn just don't have enough to do ...  They began to look for a house in the Big City to buy, fix up, and rent as a modest investment back in November of last year, and the Badger will be the tenant.  Why pay rent to a stranger when rent can be paid to parents??  Win-win if you ask the Acorn... A house was found and while some places linger on the market, others go fast- this w...

Snowmageddon avoided, thanks to Cedar Gap splitting the snow as it approached from the Southwest.  SteelMeadow only received just under 4" whilst areas to the north and south had almost double! Blind Hog and Acorn have been doing the usual farm chores in winter, which means one or two major tasks during the day and catching up on TV series  for a couple hours at night. The green comet was spo...