Category Archives: On The Farm

Morning Chores

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With Mr. Farmer on a trip, I get to do the morning chores.  I don’t make it out quite as early as they’re use to being fed, so they are certainly glad to see me!

Champ is waiting by his bucket.  He is now the only horse, as Dozy is now with a young lady and will be her barrel racing horse.  She will enjoy that!DSC03583

This trio is always entertaining.  Chili, Will, and Bill all wait patiently each by their own bucket.

Chili, miniature donkey

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Will and Bill

Will, the white and black, is a fainting goat.  He doesn’t faint for very long, he comes to just as you are about to get his collar on, hang on, this could be a rodeo!

Will’s thoughts:  Would you PLEASE quite taking pictures and FEED US

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Even though there are 2 buckets for them, they like to eat out of one and head butt each other!

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I don’t have the large flock of hens that I use to have, it’s enough to keep us in eggs and less cleaning for me!

left to right:  Jacquie, Thelma and Louise, or Louise and Thelma, I can’t tell them apart!  Miss Kitty was already in the nesting box so I didn’t bother her.

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Mac, 8 week old rooster that a dear friend gave me.  He lived in town, NO roosters allowed!  I’m glad he is here, can’t wait till he starts crowing!

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Enjoy you day!  It’s beautiful on the prairie in Kansas, finally some sun!

 

Warm Weather = Cold Coffee

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I love coffee, just smelling it brings me comfort and makes me smile.  With the warmer weather I’ve been wanting some iced coffee.  Just putting ice in my regular brewed coffee doesn’t taste the same as cold brew coffee. I assembled all the parts for my Toddy Cold Brew system, first you insert the cork stopper, (that is after you try to whittle down a wine cork, because you can’t remember where you placed it)  into the bottom of the container, then insert the filter.  Now you are ready to add the water and coffee!!!  To 12 ounces of coffee add 7 cups of water.  It smells divine.  You get to smell this for 12 hours.  Just leave it sitting on the countertop.

Bubbles? Fermentation?  I love fermented drinks:)

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After 12 hours remove the cork stopper and place on top of the glass decanter and wait for it to filter.

Anticipation

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It’s READY!  The coffee concentrate will stay fresh for up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator.  I dispose of the grind in my flower bed (and for future reference the cork is in the small canister!).

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I put a bit of chocolate in my cup.  The add-ins are endless.  Sweetened condensed milk, french vanilla creamer, Kalua………….

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The Toddy Cold Brew System is made in Fort Collins, Colorado.  Here is a link to their website and there are lots of recipes too.

http://toddy.com

 

 

National Chili Day

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I didn’t even know that there was such a day as National Chili Day.   I received a tweet from one of the Kansas State Troopers that I follow.  He was sitting along Interstate 35 his tweet:

If someone could bring me some chili as I’m parked on I-135 near McPherson, KS looking for #Distracted Driver, that be great  #NationalChiliDay

Sorry to say I didn’t take him any chili, (which I hope I don’t regret when/if he would ever pull me over!) but I did make some for Mr. Farmer’s supper.  It’s a cool, north wind day and that will make for a wonderful supper.

I have a great chili recipe that uses ancho chilis and unsweetened cocoa.  Of course I had to make cinnamon rolls to go along with it.  Now that takes me back to school lunches when the lunch ladies made their own cinnamon rolls to serve with chili.

Happy National Chili Day

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Thanksgiving Ice Storm

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I had forecasted 90 days ago that there would be snow for Thanksgiving.    It is an old wives tale or something that I read in the Farmer’s Almanac that when you have your first fog you will have your first snow in 90 days (it didn’t say anything about an ice storm!).  That foggy morning, I grabbed the calendar and counted ahead 90 days.  Great, it was Thanksgiving Day.  The day that my loving family would be here for dinner.  Thankfully Thanksgiving Day was the best travel day of the Holiday.  We stayed home for most of the holiday weekend, eating leftovers, playing games, and enjoying being together.  Chris, Courtney, Caden and Camryn are now home safe and sound, our home is quiet, Wylie is resting….. I think I will join him!

We missed the ones who weren’t able to be here with us, I love you my family!!

 

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Monarchs – Just passing through

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Monarchs stopped by today on their way to over-winter in Mexico.  Each spring and summer there are 3 – 5 generations born.  Most of them live 5 weeks, with the exception of the last generation born at the end of summer.  They make the journey back to Mexico.  They will then return the following spring.  Over-wintering monarchs can live to be 8 months old.

The monarchs were feeding on the butterfly milkweed and vitex (Chaste tree).  We are also in the process of adding a larger area of plants focusing on plants that attract butterflies.

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New Rooster

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On my way back from Burns yesterday, I stopped at a shop in Marion, KS.  TC’s WhatNotShop (look them up on Facebook) is a unique shop located on Main Street that is stuffed full of so many interesting items.  A combination of new and used items.  They carry KU and KState items that you don’t see at the chain stores.  Lots of hand crafted items too.  I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to bring home a new rooster.  When I placed it by the chicken run, he scared all my chickens!!  I love Yard ART

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Farmer Creek

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It has been so HOT and with little rain there is no water running thru the creek, but the flowers are so pretty this summer.

Black-eyed Susan (rudbeckia)

 

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Spiderwort

They grow in the wild and are edible and nutritious.  I haven’t tried them (and probably not going to).

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Vitex (angus-castus) or Chaste Tree

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Joe-Pye Weed

All parts of this plant are edible.  Joe Pye is said to be named after a Native American, Jopi who used this plant to cure typhus in the 1800’s.

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Chicken Run

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The Hall’s  Japanese honeysuckle is in full bloom.  It’s an invasive medium-fast growing vine, but I have plenty of room for it and I absolutely love the smell.  The double knockout roses have so many blooms that occasionally a hen will pick one, but they really don’t bother them at all.  Whenever I plant anything the hens gather around in search of any worms that I dig up.  I put small river boulders around the base of each plant so they won’t scratch underneath the plant.  Other plants in the run are, Butterfly Bushes, Vitex (Chaste Tree, which is really not for this area zone 6-10, but I love them and it’s worth a try), Cotenester, Hollyhocks, Maple tree, Pampas grass, other various grasses, and of course numerous weed.

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