" Battles At Swiftwater "

This is Madame Willow.............who has decided that she wants to raise some little Willows. She is one tuff chick! She won this battle! However I win the afternoon battle to gather eggs! All be it I have to have a pair of long arm leather gloves!! She hisses and growls like a rabid varmint but I manage to get my 7 eggs a day!!









She gets to keep these 4 marked eggs to set on......................

We have really been enjoying the free range antics of Oscar and his girls.........

Max however has won the battle of "who's " the farm boss! Head em up, move em out Max....

He watches them all day. He won't allow them to wander off in the woods or go into the front.

He keeps them out around the back and herds em up at roost time! The only thing he can't do it shut the door and lock it!

Spring has won the battle against Winter it seems............

Both the Forsythia and Bradford Pear are a mix of leaves and blooms......

The Amaryllis are popping up.............

I have one lone cluster of Daffodils..........I need to plant some more of these!

The Wisteria is popping out clusters to admire...........

They just don't last long enough to suit me............

The Tulip Tree has been a beauty this year............

Peach Tree blooms.............

The Empress Tree is just loaded with lavender bells...............

One Iris has bloomed so far...............

The Weigela is gorgeous................

I'm willing to bet the Joseph's Coat is gonna show out big time before I know it.........

We may even get May haw's this year from the looks of these blooms..........

I put the new Hummingbird feeder up Thursday evening and look who showed up Friday morning!

Everything thing around here is battling to win. I have been in the fight of my life against this wicked Respiratory Virus. It's been 12 days and I'm still fighting for breath and my head and chest are full of gunk! After 10 days of strong antibiotics with no real relief, I took matters into my own hands yesterday and reverted to a thousand year old proven method. A Neti Pot for Sinus cleansing! I don't know why I didn't go this route to start with as it used to be all I ever did for cold and sinus problems years ago. I got major relief last night and will continue it daily from here on out. I'm gonna win this battle !!!!!!!!!!!!

I also read an article in my MJ Farm magazine yesterday about taking 1 teaspoon of honey and 1/4 teaspoon of Cinnamon mixed to relieve any sinus or chest congestion problems so I am doing this too !!

At present I'm almost finished reading the 2nd book in Nancy Turner's Sarah Prine series, "Sarah's Quilt". It is a real good read though not as good as " These Is My Words " and written quite different. I'm hoping the 3rd one, "The Star Garden" is more like the first...........

Lately I'm also having the most vivid crazy dreams! I normally don't remember the details of my dreams but the last few nights I can remember every detail. A few nights ago I dreamed a friend had a baby boy. It was so real I can still see the little fellow plain as day! Since she is long past having babies, there is no way this would come true unless it's a grandson! HA!

Last night I helped save antiques from another friends Victorian home which was on fire!

Any of you know what dreams mean??????????

It's Sunny today and should get to 75 so I'm hoping to get out later and get some dirt under my nails working at cleaning out some beds................

Tomorrow I plan to spend the day visiting you guys whom I've neglected horribly!!

Have A Great Weekend Everyone !!!!!!!!!!!!!

" Frosty Mor'n "

Today being the last day of February, I'm really dreaming about Spring. Warm sunny days to dig in the dirt...........I ventured out this morning to find the farm covered in frost.......






I can't complain as some of you have been knee deep in snow for weeks now.........

However I am proud to say so long to February and the fury she has shown..........

This flower bed struggling to grow is frosted over..........

A thin sheet of ice covers the bird bath...........

This morning I let the chickens out for the first time!!

Let's hope Max will be able to get them back in by dusk.............

We had to buy more hay this week as winter has lasted longer than normal.....

It's frosty hay this morning......

The cattle are wondering why I'm out so early.............

Big Momma had a baby calf yesterday.............

I think the cattle are wishing for Spring and some tender grass to chew on...........

I've been suffering for the past few weeks with back problems that have now started to affect my shoulder and left arm. I lost the feeling in my left pinkie and my left hand tingles like it's asleep most of the time. I'm left handed so it's a real problem. I went to the doctor this week and I'm scheduled for a myelogram. In the meantime he wants me to stay off the keyboard as much as possible because that seems to make it really flare up. So I'm going to be scarce around the blog world for awhile. Just this little bit already has my back feeling like it has fingers crawling all over it. If any of you suffer with this also I'd appreciate advice. I'm too chicken to have surgery but it may be in my near future.

Have a great week everyone!

" Winter Confusion "

Yesterday it was sunny and 70 degrees.....of course I know Mother Nature was just teasing us into thinking Spring had arrived! I wasn't gonna let her confuse me but............

This morning I got out early and found I might not be the only one suffering confusion.

The sky seemed to be confused as to "weather " to storm or be sunny..........

I also found that the Forsythia might be suffering also......It's trying to bloom in February!

All this new growth in the Rose bed wasn't so confusing because I've been covering and uncovering it during the freezing cold nights and sunny days........

I'm determined to help Spring along...........

I'm clear headed about seeing the Roses bloom....SOON !!!!!!!!!!!!!

I think the Italian Parsley is confused too.........it had all froze out but look what I found this morning!

The Rosemary has remained green through it all! No confusion here............

Yesterday, Hubby goes to gather the eggs. He comes in and says to me; We got 6 and 1/2 eggs but one was busted so we have 5 and 1/2 eggs. Now I'm on the couch reading and I think to myself, one half egg? What is he talking about? Come look he says! Well blow me down! Isn't that the cutest little egg ? Talk about confused! Who laid that? Now we are not " chicken experts", so I call one. She says that sometimes when a hen molts, she will "lay out". The eggs will get tiny and have nothing in them. I haven't cracked this one but it's too heavy to have nothing in it...........

However Queen Vicki is moulting...........

See her bald spot??

That's Miss Trixie GoLay in front of her who was the first to lay. So I'm confused......

Shouldn't she be the first to moult??? HELP???

Now the whole chicken gang is confused because I never enter the pen without a treat.....

Sorry gang, I'll be back with a treat later............. :)

No confusion here.... the Peek Gang along with TC the cat are napping..........

L to R....TC, Patch, Sadie and Jake........

OOPS! This is Monkey Man, he used to be called Duke but when he was tiny he had the face of an Organ Grinder Monkey so we started calling him Monkey Man and it stuck. He is confused because he still hasn't figured out how to get up on the couch with the others........

The one thing I'm not confused about is......Today is Queen Vicki's namesake Vicki Lane's Birthday! Go Here and wish her a Happy Birthday!

HAVE A GREAT DAY EVERYONE !!!!!!!!!!!!!