Heatwave

The end of June on the ranch was brutal.  A nice big high pressure system parked itself over our state for about 3 weeks.  Bringing with it temperatures in the high high 90's to low 100's.  The heat indexes were soaring to the 110 ranges.  It was awful.  Especially for one pregnant girl that I know.

But I wasn't the only one dying from the heat*.  So were our chickens.  Literally.

Yup.  I'm sad to report that 3 of our 4 baby chickens that we raised up from infancy died during a week span.  It was tragic!  Of all the chickens to die - I would have much rather have had the old girls kick the bucket!  They are not very reliable and only lay maybe an egg every 4 to 5 days.  But the babies were regular little gals.  Each giving us an egg a day.  Beautiful olive green and tan eggs.

But, as most of this stuff goes, this was a really good learning experience for us.  Apparently, chickens regulate their body temperature through their feet.  Our theory went something like this:


-  Why are the old chickens surviving while the young chickens are dying?


-  Why are the old chickens constantly kicking their water bucket over?  Don't they know they need to leave that thing alone so they don't thirst to death?


-  Why is the older chickens' water pan constantly dry but the babies don't seem to be drinking as often?

Come to find out, the older chickens were smart enough to kick their water over so they could STAND in the cool water/mud all day.  Meanwhile, the baby chickens were standing on the hot, dry ground soaking up a ton of heat.  They were still drinking, don't get me wrong, but it wasn't enough to cool their body down.

So how did we stop the death and destruction and save that last remaining baby chick?  We put a few pans of water in the coop.  That's it.  Something for the birds to STAND in all day. 


Information we could have used 5 weeks ago!

For now, the plan is to wait until fall and replace the young girls with 6 month to 9 month old chickens.  Some that are regular layers and can immediately start to produce again for us.  I'd love to raise up some more chicks, but it takes 6 months for the eggs to start, plus, I'm going to be a tad busy come fall time.


*The loss coupled with the extreme heat was too much for me to handle, and I found myself needing an escape.  But that's another story.

Tractor Feet

JL decided a few months back (like the day after he bought it) that the tractor needed new tires.  Why?  Well, he claims that the old ones are worn and "unsafe."  Translation:  they look like ATV tires and not cool, tough tractor tires.  Uh huh.

So, after a bit of begging convincing from him, I agreed to the new tires.  He ordered them up, and quickly removed the old, unsightly ones.

Big Wy watching his Daddy work

The kids rolling the old tires down the drive to the van

And then back up the drive because hey, it's fun to roll a tire!

After too many weeks, the new tires finally arrived!  I must admit, they are super cool looking.  And I'm sure glad to know that JL is much safer driving around on the tractor now.  Whew.

100% Homegrown!

Our fig tree has been producing like crazy lately!  We were a little worried about it earlier in the season because the figs were falling off early and dying before they were ripe.  We figured it was a residual effect from last year's terrible drought and figured this growing season would be a bust.

But then, things changed!  And fast!  It was like figs were suddenly everywhere on the tree and we couldn't keep up with the production!  JL was bringing in bowls full to the top with beautiful figs!  I didn't know what to do with all of them, so JL researched a fig jam recipe and I got to work.

The result was magical!  Something between a plum and a strawberry jam.  Much sweeter than both. (In fact I ended up putting in half the sugar and it was still super sweet!)  And it is a beautiful apricot reddish color.  The kids gobble it up.  Well, what's left of it after JL and I are through, that is! ;-)

You start with about 5 cups of figs

Remove the stem and the end and then cut them in half.  I loved it because there is no peeling required!

Throw in some water, pectin, and a little lemon with the halves and begin it all boiling.

When the figs are soft, smash them up, add the sugar and let it boil hard for 5 minutes.

That's it!  The result is beautiful looking and fabulous tasting jam!

If you think it looks good, you should be here when it is cooking!  The aroma is  wonderful!

This baby has my domestic juices flowing.  This same week, I also made a homemade pot pie.  It was delicious!  The kids gobbled it up, JL gobbled it up, and I couldn't get enough!  I love a successful meal!

There is something super satisfying about taking something you have grown on YOUR land and turning it into something wonderful for people to enjoy.

The Baby's Room - Makeover

The piano room will double as the nursery for the next year or so.  Previously, the piano room has been doubling as a guest room.  That worked... ok, but it wasn't ideal.  The nursery, however, fits much better in the space.  I'm actually plesantly surprised with how much room I'm left with for the crib etc.  

We used the same beautiful pale blue that we did the master bath with.  Not because I happen to think Quatro is going to be a boy, but because I ultimately want this room to be blue.  I thought it would look beautiful with the wood wainscoting that is in the room.  And, it does.  I'm very pleased with the way it turned out.  Cute for the baby, but potential for elegant down the road.

BEFORE:

My sweet husband going to all angels to paint behind the piano.

AFTER:

Master Bath - Makeover

To keep with the retreat calm, the master bath also had to be done.  It's so ... white!  And it was sad to see it neglected when the bedroom was so fabulous!  

I decided instead of matching the walls to the gray we did in the master bedroom, that I would instead use the accent blue on the walls and then carry the gray and white through with the decorations in the bath.   Turned out so nice!  I still have a few things I want to do with this space, but overall it's wonderful!

BEFORE:

AFTER:

I have big plans for these hideous mirror lights.  This is the only part of the room that I still can't stand.  I plan to rip these babies down and replace them with sconces and beautiful single mirrors.  

Master Suite - Makeover

I'm totally nesting.  In the past 2 weeks, JL and I have redone 4 rooms in the house!  It's been fantastic! Some of the things I've been dreaming about for the past year have happened!

The front runner being our master bedroom.  What a great room!  I loved it when we first saw the house.  It has a magnificent wood beam running right down the center of the ceiling and there is space for days in there!

I went with a gray for the walls, accenting with the pale blue color that I love so much from my bedding and a white to brighten up the space.  This room is our retreat, so I also decorated using pictures from our cruise a few years ago.  I love to relax with the beach reminders all around me.  I think it turned out great!  So great, that I am in that room a TON more now!

BEFORE:

AFTER:

One of my new furniture pieces - a blue chest, which I LOVE!

One of my new favorite accessories.  I found this gray lantern and thought it would look nice on the blue chest.  I filled it with shells to keep with the beach theme.

My second new furniture piece - a blue settee

Fantastic addition!  It fills the space and ties in the blue color for this wall.  It is also really comfy to sit in and/or lounge with a book in!

Tah Dah!  

On to Greener Pastures

I have sold the goats.  Why?  Well, let me tell ya.  They were great to raise up and have as we started our ranch, but eventually - they just got too annoying!  They are terribly mischievous, they were getting to be downright rude to the pigs, they were tearing up our new corral, and they eat and eat and eat.  What do they eat?  My roses, mainly!  

So, off they went to 380 acres with 150 other goats.  There they can freely eat all the weeds/landscaping their little hearts can dream up.   Now, I talk tough, but I'll admit I was sad to see them go.  Not because I'm terribly fond of them, but more because they represented the start of our ranching life.  They were one of the first animal additions we got, and I must have been more attached to the little buggars than I cared to admit.  Still, I think we made the right choice.

Luke & Bert moments before they were carried off.

Luke showing me what he thinks of my plan.

Gosh, they are kinda cute.

Off to new adventures.

Coincidentally (but not related to this event at all) we got a new animal this same day.  You can read about that here.