Happy New Year!

Wishing everyone the best and brightest in 2012!


We had a non-eventful, quiet New Years weekend here at the farm. The better half was actually home and dear son also had the day off. Amazingly I was able to stay awake to bring in the New Year. New Years day we spent with my parents enjoying family and the farm.

The GP pups are rapidly growing and I have placed all in working homes. They will be guarding goat herds and flocks of sheep.

From the looks of the ewes, all that were meant to be bred, are. Their mid sections are rounding out and no one seems to be flagging. The wether rams are no longer chasing after anyone. Now to settle in for the winter and wait for spring.

We have had some very unseasonably warm temps lately. The weather is wonderful. Here we are in January with 60 degree sunny days. I try not to think about it, but it worries me. When winter weather does arrive, I fear it will be with a vengeance.

If by chance you might be interested in a chance to win some hand spun yarn or raw wool, visit our new fiber blog http://blessewefiberandyarn.blogspot.com/ We are having a New Year give away.

Wrapping Up 2011

One of my favorite sayings is our farm is a work in progress, always something to do and something always needing done. Each year we plan for improvement. Looking back 2011 brought very few changes to the farm, there were no great accomplishments or significant improvements. Finances were tight and we struggled along just like everyone else.

What Worked & What Didn't

The garden didn't produce as well as we had hoped due to the heavy rains in spring, then the extreme heat of summer and of course the poultry and peafowl were of no help. There were no bumper crops, though we did manage to can, freeze and dehydrate a decent supply of veggies for winter.

We retired Sarah Beth our 2 gallon a day Saanen milker due to old age. We replaced her with Barb our purebred LaMancha and Maybelle a LaMancha cross (Barb's granddaughter). The two girls together produce 2 gallons of milk a day. Maybelle was a bit of a drama queen when I broke her to milk. She is the first goat in all my years of being owned by goats I have found to be a biter. Instead of kicking and river dancing on the milk stand to avoid being milked she would bite me. Believe you me that came to an abrupt halt!

As hard as it was for me to part with them, we downsized the Angora herd. We kept our foundation girls and sold all that were 2 years old or younger. After careful consideration we decided to breed Jacob (white Angora buck) to the 4 foundation girls one last time before we sell him. This will give us another small group of kids to sell in spring as well as possibly keep another white color carrier doeling. We have decided to stop breeding all goats other than the dairy girls from here on out.

The sheep were a definite upside to the farm this year. We had a small but oh so beautiful lamb crop in 2011 and added a BFL wether, Sherlock, who we adore. Our fleece and fiber sold well at the craft/fiber events we attended during 2011. Vending at the fiber events, visiting with new and old fiber friends, seeing other people's creativity at work has inspired me to retreat into my craft room and get seriously busy again with our fiber biz.

Sherlock

If you want to follow our fiber biz...visit us at our new and separate fiber blog http://blessewefiberandyarn.blogspot.com/

There were no vacations or weekend trips away from the farm. Though my parents went on a once in a life time trip to Scotland to visit my brother who recently moved to Scotland to teach.

We had to say good bye to Indie our son's Great Dane. She developed bone cancer in her elderly years. RIP Indie we miss you.

Indie

Our guardian dogs are also aging. They will be 8 years old in 2012. Their life expectancy is about 10-12 years. We decided to keep a pup from last years litter as a replacement...just in case. Tootie is a handful as a pup. Though she shows promise and I am sure her mother and aunt will train her well.

Tootie

2012 New Years Resolutions

Every year I make them...

1 - What we can't grow on our farm we resolve to buy local products and to reduce “food miles” (the distance food travels from production to plate). Attending the local farmers market each week will not only reduce food miles, it will keep our purchases local. I read somewhere that if each household in your state would purchase $10.00 of local or farm products weekly it would generate $1.65 billion in your states economy. No more purchases from chain stores.

2 – Do More With Less.

I know that sounds like a broad statement, but for us it isn't. When we moved to the farm 13 years ago our goal was to be as self-sufficient as possible. Over the years we have stayed our course, though need to re-evaluate and improve in some areas.

We raise our own meat though we need to resolve to raise a larger variety.

We have our garden each year, home can and preserve what we grow, though here again, we need to consider gardening with a larger variety of produce.

We need to grow a more diverse flock of sheep. Our fiber animals are my passion, I love the Shetland breed of sheep, however we need to add one or two more versatile breeds for a variety of wool, plus meat and milk production.

We will never be totally self-sufficient, we like our electricity, computer, satellite TV and such far too much to go totally off grid, though I need to concentrate on cutting those expenses a bit more also.

We plan on spending a quiet New Years here at the farm. To bring the new year in right, we will be cooking up black-eyed peas, ham and cabbage. The peas are a symbol of luck, the ham a symbol of wealth, and the cabbage a symbol of money.
I am placing a coin out on the porch on New Years eve. I have heard if you retrieve the dime on New Year's day before the dew has dried, it means we should have no problem waking early throughout the rest of the year in order to get an early start on the farm work.
Hey, every little bit helps :-)

Wishing everyone a healthy, happy and prosperous New Year!

We Had Puppies

Hannah one of our GP guardian girls blessed, well, surprised us with a litter of 6 (2 males, 4 females)pups on Dec. 1st. Daddy is the neighbors GP.

They had just opened their eyes in these photos.

I am so happy to say that ALL pups have been placed in working homes.

Merry Christmas and Bring on The New Year

Don't you love this photo? I do, I snagged from a friend, Romney Ridge.

Now that I am back from my extended blogging hiatus, lets can get on with it.

Don't want you to think I have lost interest in sharing farm life, I haven't. I won't blame it on or say time flies (goes without saying and we all know that it does) as I did in the last blog.

I will admit I make more short and frequent visits to Facebook than blogland. It's the time factor I honestly believe there. It only takes a few minutes to scan my page to see what everyone's updated status is, then I am off the computer and running non stop. When I visit blogland I want to read what everyone has been up to, check out links that take me to other blogs or sites that are good reads and before you know it hours have passed.

Surprisingly I have found some very helpful groups and interesting online fiber friends on Facebook. Plus I can see what the family has been up to. Believe it or not, everyone but my elderly parents has a page there. Easy, peasy to message them all at one time, poke or check on them.

I hope that everyone is prepared and is finished with their holiday shopping. As normal, we have to make one more trip into the city for last minute items tomorrow. We will be leaving early after morning chores hoping to miss the crowds, then back home as quick as we can to have Christmas here at the farm.

Wishing each and everyone of you a very Merry Christmas!

We're Still Here

Really we are. Though you couldn't tell it by the date of the last blog eh?

I could bore you and ramble on about this, that and all the other that has happened around our little peace of heaven called the farm though I won't. It's just life happening and sometimes it gets in the way of and can stop my blogging all together.

Spring is just 6 days away. I will do my best to add more frequent updates, posts or add new information. I noticed I lost a few followers which I totally understand and can't blame them for dropping us off their lists. I do want to thank those of you who continue to stop by and read.

Doing the "happy can't wait for spring" dance here! You couldn't tell spring is so close at the moment. Yesterday's weather was rain, snow, sleet, repeat that process, plus freezing. Crazy that just 2 days prior it was almost 70 degrees.

Looking forward to planting the gardens, the piglets arriving, shearing, our yearly fiber events and so, so much more! Hopefully so much to share with you in the upcoming months.

We have finished kidding for 2011. Barb our La Mancha dairy goat kidded with 2 beautiful white doelings, we named Belle & Star. Barb is back on the milk stand and milking like a charm. This makes me so happy! Once again farm fresh dairy products for our table!

Star a few minutes after being cleaned.

For the Angoras, Bella Mia began by blessing us with a set of beautiful black twins. One of each, buck & doe. Little buck(soon to be wether) is Butch, doeling is Cassidy. Fairchild followed with a single jet black beautiful doeling we call Calamity Jane. Bonnie Lass ended 2011 kidding by adding 2 more adorable solid black doelings. We are calling those two girls Annie & Oakley.

Imagine you are seeing a trend in the names. This year our black Angora herd sire, The Sundance Kid, did his job and did it very well. We wanted color and color was what we got! Five solid black fiber babies, 4 does, 1 buck.

Bella Mia cleaning little Butch

Calamity Jane with her mom Fairchild.

Bonnie Lass and her twin girls soaking up the sun.

Scarlet, one of our hair sheep began 2011 lambing with a set of twins. One of each, ram & ewe lamb. The ram lamb is reserved, the ewe lamb we are keeping. We named her Miranda (the sheep are not included in the Women of the Wild West name theme).

The little ram lamb has the brown patch on face, Miranda the smaller of the two.

On baby watch with possibly 5 ewes to lamb within the next 4-6 weeks. Waiting to lamb and broad as barns are Pitty Pat & Eartha (hair sheep). Then the Shetlands-Whirlwind, Rummy and Lark. They are filling out, if not pregnant I suppose they are just looking large due to having full heavy fleeces. Will just have to wait and see.

We used both rams this year. Jackdaw with his awesome spots and Jasper with his beautiful black and silver fleece, hopefully they will give us patterns and spots. Looking forward to seeing what colors our lambs will bring.

The chickens began to lay about 2 weeks ago. YEAH! It was a long eggless winter. I dislike buying those pale, tasteless eggs from the grocery. I also dislike feeding the layers all winter long and they not produce. We are researching breeds that are good winter layers and will be adding a few to the flock this spring.

For the best farm news yet... I have found a spinner to spin our very own farm grown wool into yarn! Happy, happy, joy, joy! I had originally planned to invest in a new wheel and take spinning lessons. In our neck of the woods finding someone to instruct me in the proper ways of spinning is like looking for a needle in a hay stack. So finding someone to spin and not want my first born grandchild in exchange was amazing! I have been busy washing and carding fleeces to send to my dear spinner.

Family matters have brought about some surprise changes. My dear brother the PhD, accepted a senior faculty teaching position at the University of West of Scotland. Yep, he is moving to Scotland. A once in a lifetime opportunity and dream job. My parents are looking forward to and hope to go to Scotland to stay with him for an extended period of time. I hope they can, at 80 yrs. old this would be a dream come true for them also.

My niece accepted a promotion within her company, which required her to move to Nashville, TN in January. My nephew (her brother) just announced that his wife accepted a promotion with her company and they are moving them to...who would have guessed it...Nashville, TN. I am happy for the kids though will miss them.

I think I have hit the highlights, the other happenings are just everyday, run of the mill, it's probably happened to you too, kind of stuff.

Hope to add more fiber and sheep related items, possibly list the livestock we will have for sale in an attempt to keep more frequent updates coming to the blog.

Until then, hope everyone on your end is healthy & happy. And I hope you have a great rest of the day!

Happy 2011 To You

A little late in wishing everyone a Happy New Year, eh? Better 4 days late than never I say. I do sincerely hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas and Happy, Happy New Year. We did.

Life has been busy good here at the farm. We had lots of visits from family and friends. Spent the holidays with my parents, though mainly stayed home enjoying the peace, quiet and our animals.

I really enjoyed not having to travel this year, having small groups of family filter in and out over the month of December and the quiet little holidays at home. The only snags to our perfect holiday season was a trip to the emergency room on Christmas morning and a bruised buttock and tail bone 2 days after Christmas.

On Christmas morning Jim woke in severe pain. His arm and elbow extremely swollen and hot to the touch. He couldn't tolerate the pain so dear son took him to the ER while I stayed home preparing Christmas dinner for the family that was to spend Christmas day at the farm. Six (6) hours later, the guys were home. Only about an hour later than we had planned to have Christmas dinner. Turns out Jim had his first attack of bursitis. Hopefully he will not have another. Is this a signal we are getting old LOL

Dad was feeling well enough to play Santa for a few of the local organizations in December. My great niece went along as Santa's helper.

My youngest nephew from Texas came for a farm visit and helped me with the chores.

My brother came for a weekend. That's 3 generations of my guys in that photo.

We have a new addition to the family. My son's girlfriend. Hope she stays for a long time. I really like this one :-)

As for the bruised buttock and tail bone, well that is the reason I have not been on to wish you a Happy New Year before now. Rather hard to sit comfortably. We had a small bit of ice and snow at Christmas. Really nothing major. I have trudged through so much worse, many many times to do the daily chores. This year I suppose I am not so sure footed as I have been in the past. While pushing a wheel barrow of hay down a small incline to the sheep pen, I lost my footing and fell hard with my rear landing first, then my back, head hitting last. It hurt so bad it scared me. It took me a moment or two or three to gather my wits about me. Thankfully I could move and I didn't break anything.

You know what is really amazing is how things are connected...try to lift anything over 5 lbs. you feel it in your bruised tuckus. Bend over to pick something up off the floor you feel it in your bruised tuckus. You take those muscles for granted.

It's slow and steady for now. They say I should be 100% 3 or 4 days. So for now I am off to the sofa to surround those muscles in ice packs and maybe a nap. Til next time have a great rest of the day.

It's Christmas Time

Today is baking gingerbread, a coconut cake, sugar cookies and a pecan pie for Christmas dinner. Need to finish knitting and add the final touches on one last Christmas present. Later this afternoon will make one final trip to town before the winter weather they are predicting sets in. Looks like it will be a white Christmas this year.

From All of Us at Southard Farm

Wishing you and yours a very Merry Christmas!

Deer Hunting, Pears and Back to Business

This past weekend was the opening of deer season. Around here it's a big deal. For the guys that is, not me. The better half, his brother, brother in law, nephews and this year his great nephews all gathered at their old homeplace for the guys hunting weekend they call Southard's Deer Camp. They bring campers, tents and trucks to sleep in, gather and visit around a campfire, cook in cast iron over a fire pit and hunt. This is a family tradition that began before my time in the family and hopefully will carry on for many more years.

My contribution to "Deer Camp" is normally making sure all of Jim's camo and hunting gear is packed and ready to go. I pack his cooler of food and cook a few things up to send out to round out their meals; cornbread for their pot of beans, cakes or cookies, etc.

The last couple of years Jim hasn't had much luck. I actually think he goes out to spend the weekend with the guys more so than hunt. Which is fine by me as long as he is safe and enjoys time spent with his family. I hate to say this out loud - I actually prefer Jim not take to aim at Bambi or her mother. I tell him always look for a nice big buck. As they tell it, those nice big bucks are few and far between.

Normally one of the guys from the city will have a bit of luck and they don't eat venison. So Jim will bring that home to process. We have venison for the freezer even if he doesn't take one himself. This year seems no one saw anything.

But he did bring home my winter pears.

At the old homeplace there is a huge old pear tree. Each year they collect the pears and bring them to me since I am the only one in the family who home cans. There was a bumper crop this year, roughly 50 lbs. of pears. I'll be busy this week putting up pear butter (like apple butter just with pears) and spiced pears. I have been looking through my grandmothers recipes and vintage cook books for other pear recipes to try.

Just 6 Mohair and 3 Shetland fleeces remaining to wash and card. Have finished carding all brown fleeces for the blanket panels. The felted blanket is on the top of my "To Do" list for this winter. Plus the remaining carding. I am hoping to have all fleeces carded and ready before spring shearing. Just in time to do it all again eh :-)

Finally have the natural colored warp for the rigid heddle loom. Hope to work that in while house bound this winter also.

Hope all is well on your end of things. Til next time... have a great rest of the day!

The Human Shield - Rest In Peace CJ

The show of support and kindness to help protect and honor this fallen soldiers family amazed me! They called it the Human Shield.

300 stood at the funeral home.

A mile away stood over 300 more. Citizens of Weston, Missouri, members of the Patriot Guard, VFW, American Legion, active duty soldiers, friends and supporters from near and far stood the line, the corners and the streets. They arrived early and filled every parking space, road side, nook and cranny to block the Phelps protestors.
There was no room for the protestor’s bus to park. The protestors were only allowed a fifteen foot section of sidewalk. When the demonstration began the Patriot Riders revved up to full throttle to drown out the noise. A local business set up a stereo system and played Amazing Grace along with music by Lee Greenwood.

Another local business brought their huge flag and set it by the group. Supporters of the Sadell family would move the flag to block the view of the unwanted demonstrators as they moved.

“The American Flag does not fly because the wind moves past it. The American Flag flies from the last breath of each Soldier, Sailor, Airman & Marine who has died protecting it.”

The Phelps group of 7 only stayed about ten minutes - their mission was futile.

A few links if you are interested

http://www.newspressnow.com/news/2010/nov/04/flags-be-lowered-fallen-soldier/

http://www.fox4kc.com/news/wdaf-cjsadell-funeral-westboro-church-protest-110610,0,3649584.story
http://www.cnn.com/video/data/2.0/video/bestoftv/2010/11/07/exp.nr.blocking.funeral.protestors.cnn.html


We support Our Veterans!

Members of The American Legion and VFW

We support the Patriot Guard!

DEFINITION OF A VETERAN: A Veteran - whether active duty, retired, national guard or reserve - is someone who, at one point in their life, wrote a check made payable to "The United States of America", for an amount of "up to and including my life." Author Unknown

Photos courtesy of Rebecca Rooney and April Lipscomb.

America Has Lost Another Patriot

A family friend, US Army Master Sgt CJ Sadell of Weston, Mo, 34, died at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Md. He was wounded Oct. 5 at Arif Kala, Afghanistan, when insurgents attacked his unit using an improvised explosive device.
CJ was assigned to the Army’s 1st Squadron, 71st Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division in Fort Drum, N.Y. His unit had been deployed since spring.
CJ joined the U.S. Army in 1995 and was assigned to Fort Drum in March. His previous deployments include a four-month tour in Saudi Arabia in 1997, a six-month tour in Kosovo in 2001 and a one-year deployment in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2005 and 2006.
His awards and decorations include the Bronze Star, the Meritorious Service Medal, the Army Commendation Medal, the Kosovo Campaign Medal with Bronze Service Star, numerous other decorations, now the Purple Star.
He is survived by a wife, two children and his mother

It has been brought to our attention that the group from Topeka, KS who protests military funerals will be protesting at CJ's funeral. Thankfully the Patriot Riders, VFW and active duty soldiers at Ft. Leavenworth have been notified and will be there in full force to stand opposite of the Phelps group.

God bless you CJ. Rest in peace.

Then and Now - Goats & Sheep

Sundance Fiber Farm - The Sundance Kid

This is one of my favorite photos. As a bottle baby Sundance went everywhere I did. I love this little fella...

even now as a full grown blubbering buck. That's him standing on his back legs wanting in with the girls.

Fairlight Jackdaw

When we brought him home.

Still on the up close, touchable and loveable side.

After his first shearing in May.

Now in his full ram mode
Isn't he just beautiful!

Thank you for the photo Tammy

Last week Jackdaw's breeder Tammy came for a farm visit. We have been talking about her coming for a visit ever since we first bought the "Woolly Boys" aka Angus, Aberdeen, Kirby & Kelly.

From left to right - Aberdeen, Kirby, Kelly (black) and Angus

We have had the opportunity to see each other at different fiber events (Marshfield Fiber Fair, Fiber U, Celtic Fest) and when we picked up the different sheep we purchased from Fairlight Farm over the last couple of years. We were finally able to find a day when neither one of us were busy with all others things in life. Was a great afternoon talking all things fiber, sheep and such.

Back in April, on Earth Day to be exact, Scarlet lambed. She had twins, a ram lamb and a ewe lamb. We kept Eartha the ewe lamb. Eco her brother went to live with a wonderful family in Arkansas.

Little Eartha a few hours old.

Now at 7 months old

Last year Isabella kidded twin doelings. We kept Maybelle.

Maybelle a few hours old

Maybelle now

Til next time, have a great rest of the day.

Happy Halloween

Thought this was cute

New Shetlands

We were to pick up the sheep last weekend. It didn't happen. The better half didn't make it home.

The 5 new additions

However he did have a load bringing him by the house on Tuesday. Things worked out so we had just enough time to make the 4 hour round trip to pick up the sheep.

Whirlwind eating her Halloween treat.

Adrian the wether.

He is a little cuddle bug. One of my favorites. His fleece is very close to being almost white. I am so looking forward to shearing him in the spring.

Jim says we should starting calling the sheep up at night by yelling "YO Adrian" while playing the song "Gonna Fly Now" (you know the song Rocky/Sly Stallon ran the steps to).

Funny man eh?