Month: December 2020

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Hard to believe

Really, it is. I can’t believe how quickly time passes. As I talk to people here and there I tell them we have been on our new farm for about a month now, but as I pondered this morning, I realized that I have now been telling folks that for about a month itself! Which does in fact mean, that we are actually just a few days away from TWO months here at Gentle Breeze Farm! Golly, how did that even happen? I suppose one day it will start to feel real. This will all start to feel like real life. We made such a ginormous change in such a small space of time, that to be honest, it still feels like we are just on some “farm-experience” vacation. At least to me. My husband still works the same job and still drives all over the same tri-state area, so maybe it doesn’t feel so different to him. But for me, moving on from on-site horse care to having my very own farm in a different state, is like starting a whole new life. Pretty mind-blowing. So it will be interesting to look back and see at what point, this all becomes ordinary. If it ever does. Who knows!?

I could also note that we embarked on this journey, at perhaps the most turbulent time of year possible. We moved at the very start of the holiday season during the part of the year when the coldest weather will be arriving. The days are short, store hours are weird and festivities are cropping up all over the place. What exactly is “normal” during the last three months of the year? So, since we have already breezed through two months, I’d say if we can simply make it through the next two (most likely colder) months, things should start settling in and smoothing out. Not that it has been that much of a struggle so far (well, aside from the house), but it has certainly been a whirlwind! And I would like to make sure I am enjoying each moment. The first signs of spring always bring such promise, and I am looking forward to seeing this place in full bloom. I just know it is going to be amazing. Plus there are a number of family and friends that we are so excited to have out, but let’s face it. Most people would much prefer to enjoy the outdoors when it is 70 degrees as opposed to 20. I don’t blame them.

So for the rest of this year, I will keep busting the ice off the tops of the waterers each morning and sometimes in the afternoon, and hopefully one day soon after the next two months have flown by, we will have guests with us picking fresh flowers and petting new calves, here on Gentle Breeze Farm.

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Cows, cows, cows!

Howdy folks! Well, anyone who has kept up with this blog for any period of time, has probably come across mention of our beautiful cows, one of which I also mentioned is expected to have a calf. Considering that we were expecting the calf’s arrival to be somewhere around two or three weeks ago, some of you may be wondering what gives. Seeing as how our lovely Charlotte was not showing any of the tell-tale signs of approaching calving, we decided to have a vet out. As much as I love a good surprise, I was ready to know what was going on and I was also starting to get a little worried. Maybe something had gone wrong or maybe we just had a really chunky cow.

I can tell you, we do have an official answer. Drum roll please……… Charlotte IS in fact pregnant and everything seems to be absolutely fine. The only thing is, the vet predicts she isn’t actually due until more like February or March. Sooooo, the folks who had her previously, were a little bit off on the time, but as long as everything seems okay, we can live with that. Truth be told, I am actually very relieved about how the calving date is falling. As time went on, I was worried that we might end up with a calf mid-January, in the bitter cold and during the one week we plan to be away from the farm. With February or March as the new arrival window, I feel confident that we will be home and the temperatures will hopefully be trending toward warmer, not colder. It was really interesting to see the vet checking her out, too. The only way to check the status of a cows pregnancy out on the farm, is apparently from the inside. That means a rope, a really long glove and a very patient vet, who actually knows what she is supposed to be feeling “in there”. I have a lot of respect for that vet. I mean, gloved hand aside, standing behind and animal that size while it swings its back end around in protest is a pretty courageous thing in my book.

Also, in our world of cows, Rosie is warming up to us nicely. That is a pretty big deal for us. When we first took over the care of these ladies, we came in knowing that Charlotte was bottle fed as a calf and super friendly, but Rosie on the other hand, was very stand-offish. She is much younger than Charlotte and presumably pretty unhandled. In the past month and a half, we have gone from her turning tail and running if we so much as looked at her, to her happily accepting pettings all over. We really looked forward to that moment, because she has super soft fluffy fur and we were dying to pet it. Don’t get me wrong, she is still pretty goofy, but I would say at this point, it is more a matter of her being young and playful than being fearful of us. She is a hoot to watch when she gets jazzed up. She runs and hops around and kicks up her hooves. She’s like a puppy. Only cow sized, so we do have to be a little more careful. Even as a young, small cow, she has a good deal of weight on me or my husband so we keep an eye on her especially when she is feeling frisky. But all in all, as this year draws to a close, that ranks pretty high on our list of accomplishments. So, instead of dwelling on the not as pleasant parts of this past year, I think here at Gentle Breeze Farm, we shall deem it the year of the cows. That seems happier to me. 🙂

Happy New Year everyone!

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The Great Wild Yonder

Well, the season is officially turning wet and muddy. No matter what you do, if you go outside this time of year, you are going to have to contend with mud, and that is even more true if you plan on stepping foot in a pasture. Which, well, you simply can’t avoid on a farm with any sort of livestock. So, I have officially broken out the Muck Boots. They are my go-to for the cold months. The tall shafts keep them on my feet even in the deep squishy stuff. And they are mostly rubber, so they clean off quite easily when I need them to. If you plan on trapesing around in the mud, I really don’t recommend short boots. Even if they are rubber. I have made that mistake, and let me tell you, it is no fun wrestling through each step to extricate your boot from the mire. Even less fun, is that moment when despite your best efforts, the boot stays behind and your poor stocking foot slips free and lands bootless. Really, quite unfortunate. So. TALL Muck Boots for me.

The muddy season also calls for some pasture consideration. We have a lot of space here, but horses and cows can cover an amazing amount of ground while grazing, and both are girthy beasts. When the ground gets sloppy, every step they take sinks deep into the soil and pretty well tears up anything beneath their hooves. Fortunately, when we moved here all of the pastures were in great shape and still had tons of grass, so that gave us a great starting point going into the winter months. The weather was unseasonably mild when we moved, and really continued to be that way up to now. So for the last month or so that we have been here, I kept the horses up on the front third of the property. That served them well, but as of this week, they had pretty well grazed it down and the precipitation has been moving in. So, to give those pastures a rest until spring, this week, I turned the horses out on to the back two-thirds of the property. There is still so much grass back there, that they are hardly touching the hay I leave in the shelter for them. With plenty of grass left to munch and protect the soil beneath, we should be able to maintain good pastures through the next couple months until spring begins to return.

The coolest part of turning the horses out on the great wild yonder though, is the realization that there is enough space out there, that I actually have to go FIND them. Sure, that probably sounds like a lot of work. And it is. But it is a really neat feeling to set out early in the morning to trek out and find the horses roaming free, in the beautiful landscape. We have a four-wheeler that would make it a lot easier and faster, I am sure. But right now, I am still enjoying the peaceful hike out and the quiet moment when I see those beautiful creatures rise into my field of vision. They just look so happy. And that is precisely what I want. I most likely won’t always go seek them out each morning, but right now as they explore the new expanse and the weather is in the process of shifting, I like to check in just to make sure they are adjusting well. Plus, all the new grass has made them forget about coming up to the gate in the morning for their breakfast, so the sight of me swiftly reminds them. They’ll eventually remember to come up on their own, but they just need some time to get back into a routine. Until then, I’ll just be going on my morning hunt for horses!

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My Day at the Dump

(Credit to Papa for the title)

I’m still here! It has been a busy week. Chaotic, even. Some days, it just seems like there is so much NOISE. No rest for the brain. But, I’m still here!

The house repairs continue. No, that’s not right. The house destruction continues. That’s more like it. Repairs will come (I think). But right now, we are still in the tearing things down, phase. We thought we were about to start building the hall bathroom back up, but then we found a point where the roof was leaking down into the wall. Soooo, instead of putting new floor in the bathroom, I tore out more drywall, and my husband had to refocus his attention on roof patching. And that is pretty much how it is going for most things.

We did manage to get one deck removed. Can’t take credit for that. We had some hired muscle in for the day. I can however, take credit for driving to and even into, a dump. You know I have developed some sort of strange enjoyment over burning down the old and gross around this place, but there was some question about exactly how safe it might be to burn the remnants of the deck. Being old treated lumber and all, so to the dump we had to go. I’m sure it’s nothing new to some folks, but this was my first experience with a dumping site and not something easily forgotten. First off, the smell is horrendous. Yeah, just really awful. Smells like rotting garbage, since you know, that’s what it is… And you all those cliche sci-fi movie scenes that depict some futuristic world covered by trash? Well, that is exactly what it looked like. Pretty weird. So, no need to visit one, now (I’m sure that’s on everyone’s list of places to see, right?). They did have a really impressive hydraulic lift system there for tractor trailers though. I mean, this thing was massive. It lifted the entire trailer straight up in the air, totally vertical. Of course my first thought was, “Gee, I wouldn’t want to be standing under that thing if it malfunctioned.” Which is entirely true. Crushed by garbage? Not how I want to end my day. But still, really impressive.

It did give me an up close and personal look at what happens to all the stuff that gets tossed out. Obviously, everything has to go somewhere. It can be easy to distance yourself from what that “somewhere” looks like, so it was a unique opportunity to see it up close. The waste management companies do a pretty impressive job at mashing around what is there and ultimately planting grass seed when the place is eventually closed down, but still it solidifies, that I would rather not buy what I don’t need, and burn what waste I safely can. One last thing. To actually drive into this place, the entire time you are driving over man-made hills of garbage, so the topography is, shall we say, interesting. The hills are pretty steep and as you drive up them, in the back of your mind you are half wondering if you are about to just drive off a sheer drop on the other side. Additionally, I had some concerns about my ability to actually drive my rear-wheel drive pick-up back out once the load had been deposited. But, turns out, it wasn’t really that extreme and we drove out just fine.

So there you have it. One more thing I never thought farm life would include. This adventure is just full of surprises and new life experiences. Some good and some not as good, but always interesting and seldom exactly what we expect! Who knows what I’ll be reporting next!

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That Good Kind of Tired

Well, it is about quarter after four in the afternoon. We have a little over an hour of daylight left on this Tuesday, and I am downright tired. It isn’t that worn out, done with none sense, get me out of here, kind of tired though. On the contrary, this has been what I consider to be, a fantastic day. It was one of those rare occasions when I actually got to just about everything I hoped to do today, and that is no small task. Much of the time my personal expectations are way higher than the level at which the rest of myself is functioning. But not today!

I enjoyed precious, quiet moments sipping coffee and saying my prayers before the sun ever peaked over the hill out front. Maybe that is what gave me the positive push I needed to get things rolling. As light was just starting to fill the sky, I coaxed flames from some seasoned wood and began burning the mass of old cabinets we ripped out of the bathroom and kitchen, that had been languishing on the front porch. It was time for them to go. By the way, that is one of the things that purchasing an old farm forces you to accept. There is going to be a good deal of random trash. Like, a lot. And while it may not seem classy at first, sometimes, you just have to burn it. Listen, I’m not out here burning tires. But when you are faced with how complicated it actually is to rid yourself of several tons of cabinets and old tables, etc, you begin to realize how so many folks resort to fabulous bonfires. It’s actually the most reasonable way for a 5′ 1″ woman, such as myself, to singlehandedly dispatch such a load. And, the benefit is two-fold. The same fire that conveniently reduced 150 square feet of rubble to a three foot ring of ash, also gave me a great place to warm up in between other farm chores! How great is that?

So as my cabinets burned merrily, and with the farm animals fed, I tacked up ole Smokey and we hit the trail. Was he a handful? A bit, but really not nearly as cantankerous as I know he can be. So hey, I’ll take it! Since he has been so eager to war with me over rushing home, I have taken him back to the basics just to get his mind back to where it should be. We do all the hard work here at home close to his pasture buddy and I take it easy on him out on the trail. Takes a little more time and effort, but that’s’ the job and I love it. A good session with Smokey always boosts my spirits.

Laundry churning, fresh barn footing and fire burning away. All in all, I might be beat, but I have had fantastic day. A farm is certainly a lot of work, and this placed laid it on thick, but at the end of the day when you see the signs of the work you have done and you feel the effects of having accomplished great things; that is the good kind of tired. The kind that leaves you feeling good about time well spent and lets you sleep good at night.

I’m sure I won’t have this much momentum every day, but I am thankful for it today and it gives me something to strive for; a feeling to chase. That good kind of tired is what it’s all about.

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Never a Dull Moment

Well, today was the day! Some very nice ladies came by and successfully captured almost every one of our outdoor felines. I had high hopes. I really did. But some part of me thought it would probably be too much to expect ALL of them to be captured in one go. And indeed, we had three “regulars” that managed to evade capture at first, but the ladies left a few traps and hauled the first load away. Within an hour or so, those last three were secured and ready to be picked up. I had been instructed not to feed the cats yesterday, in preparation for their rounding up. It was mighty hard, I’ll tell you. I have had those cats on a pretty regular feeding schedule and they were extremely disappointed in me yesterday. But I must admit, it was excellent advice. Squeaker down-right threw herself into the trap once she smelled the food inside. They hadn’t even finished setting it up! Corn Muffin (yes, that is actually what we are calling one of the cats) and Bob both went after the same bait and wound up captured together. Each one performed some seriously impressive acrobatics upon hearing the trap shut. Quite the show really.

They will all be gone for a couple of days getting checked by the vet and having some routine care administered, but come Wednesday, they’ll all be returned. And honestly, I am glad. I have become very accustomed to their company. As I go about my daily chores, there are always one or five cats trailing behind me, watching closely in case I happen to throw something edible their way. Going out and closing down the barnyard for the night, was decidedly lonely without them. It was necessary for them to go and I am incredibly grateful for the organization that is making their care possible, but I am glad it is only a temporary absence.

In other news, we had our first farm life mishap today! Wow, I made it sound like I am excited about it… Fortunately, all is well and it really wasn’t a huge deal, but truthfully, it could have been not great. I can only assume, I failed to get the latch all the way in place this morning. Although, if that is the case, I am very surprised it took as long as it did for anything to happen. Who knows; cows are very smart and Charlotte is known for head-butting the gate for attention. You have probably guessed what happened. Yes, around three o’clock I walked out the door with the intention of hopping in the truck and making my way to the grocery. Only, when I looked up toward the barn as I always do, I noticed a couple of cows milling around in FRONT of the barn. That is not where they are supposed to be. We had some fugitives on our hands! Rosie, the younger cow, clearly thought it was hilarious. She was tossing her head around and leaping left and right. Have you ever seen a cow leap? It’s something. Our whole property is in fact fenced, but with several people coming and going today, the driveway gate was open. I felt certain that if I didn’t act quickly, that would be precisely where they would go, because that’s just how things happen, isn’t it? So, off I went at a brisk walk. I didn’t want to run, for fear of spooking the cows, but I did want to arrive with some haste. I scurried by behind into the barn and scooped up something I knew they just couldn’t resist…. food. Yeah, just regular old cow feed that they get every morning, but they love it. Completely food motivated creatures. So, with scoop in hand, I placed myself in their field of vision and shook it around appealingly. In two seconds, I had two hefty bovines bounding after me and safely back through the pasture gate. And that was it. Crisis averted.

I felt pretty ashamed. How careless of me! But truth be told, these things will happen. I’m only human. I can try my hardest and establish the best routines to keep myself and all my creatures as safe as possible, but I’m going to have to allow for the occasional mishap. That’s all part of the learning process, right? I suppose I can’t have all the knowledge up front. But, in my commitment to improvement, the gate to the girls’ pasture will now be latched AND tied, for good measure.

So there you have it folks! Catching cats, and herding cattle! Just a typical day here on, Gentle Breeze Farm.

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Walking in a winter wonderland

As I started out on my first snowy adventure here at Gentle Breeze Farm, it occurred to me that I was in fact doing exactly that. Really, that is the perfect word to describe the scenery that stretched before me. Somehow, there was a charge in the air and the clear ringing of beautiful birdsongs, simultaneously set over an incredibly tangible stillness. A flock of robins passed overhead and off in the distance, a lone red-tail perched high in a barren tree. At my feet, the snow wasn’t quite heavy enough to completely cover the thick grass, so I couldn’t determine every visitor who passed through in the wee hours, but I did manage to pick up the trail of a coyote. I tracked its prints a good way, until I lost them in the woods where the roots and tree cover broke up the snow even more. A resident rabbit leaped from where it was hiding and made haste to find a new spot to hunker down. I am so thrilled we have them here.

Gentle Breeze is only an hour from where we used to live, so the seasons and weather are nothing new or surprising, but somehow in the new landscape and the new set up, it is like experiencing each one for the first time. This will be our fourth winter with the chickens. Snow is nothing new to them, and yet as the temperatures dip and the snow falls, I have already been out to check on them twice. It will actually be our first winter with outdoor ducks, though…. Last winter we had just one duck and she had been attacked in October, so she spent the whole winter inside our house. She had her own bedroom. Now do you think we needed a farm? HA! But, I am sure I will over-react, and I’m sure they will be just fine. They’ll be out there surviving precisely the way the Lord created them to. Well, almost. I will be installing Cozy Coop heaters.

There is always the debate over whether or not to put a heat source inside the chicken/duck housing, and really it comes down to being a personal decision. You just have to decide what you can live with. Outdoor animals do naturally grow in insulating feathers and fur to protect them in the cold. And they eat more to help keep themselves warm. I wouldn’t want to provide so much heat so as to hinder this natural response that their bodies have. Additionally, since heat sources have to be powered, a high source of heat could be a risk if the power goes out. Once the heat was cut, the temperatures would drop quite quickly which could shock the systems of the birds and risk their lives. Definitely no good. However, I am also the type of person who worries to the point that I will get up at 1 a.m. and trudge out in the cold and wet just to open the chicken hut and make sure they aren’t freezing to death. This is why I bit the bullet and wound up ordering the Cozy Coop heaters from Amazon. They put off a radiant heat, so basically, the girls can cuddle up to them if they need that extra warmth, but they don’t significantly heat the space surrounding them so no extreme temp changes no matter what happens. We have used them since the first winter with no hiccups, so I have become a fan. Easy for me to mount to a sidewall and keep out of the bedding, but they also come with stands if that is your preference. They have worked consistently for four years now and give me the peace of mind to stay inside through the snowy nights, so I find them pretty handy. But again, that’s just how we have decided to handle things here.

Similarly, with the horses, this is not my first winter. I had Smokey last winter as well, but up until now, he has always lived on someone else’s property. I always chose to keep him somewhere that I knew he would be able to be what he is; a horse. To me, that looks like being out 24/7. Of course, he always has access to shelter so he can choose to take it if he needs to, but it has been my experience that horses seem to thrive when given the choice to roam freely. I have chosen all that in the past for him, and he has survived and been perfectly healthy. But it changes things somehow, when you are making these decisions on your very own farm. I can’t quite pinpoint the reason. I suppose it may just take some time to acclimate to. But on the first few very cold and wet nights, I felt compelled to walk out into the pastures late at night and at about 5:30 the next morning, just to lay eyes on them and make sure my equine friends were still doing okay. They were.

Interestingly, the cows and the feral cats are the two I have no prior experience with and also present the easiest and most difficult scenarios, respectively. Time will tell, how things play out, but so far, the cows are the ones I worry about the least. They do a very good job of tucking themselves into the barn when they feel the need to. Perhaps, it is because they were here before I was, or perhaps it is something else I can’t quite explain, but I just feel like they know what they need. I give them their clean hay and fresh water and they pretty well seem to manage the rest. The cats on the other hand, go against everything I am used to. I have always had cats, and they have always been in the house, so it is very difficult for me to close the door on them outside in the cold. They are scheduled for trapping and treatment this coming Monday, so hopefully I will have some better options for them soon. If I know there is no risk of disease to our indoor felines, the laundry room may very well become the feral’s winter shelter until I can find some loving homes. Good grief. We shall see!

One way or another, cold weather is here and now we begin the challenge of learning what that looks like here on the farm!

Until next time!