Festus Crows

Finally our rooster Festus crows. At around 6:15 A.M. Monday I heard a sound from the animal area. I wondered what sick sound that could be. Again the sound rang out & I realized it was a crow. I waited & heard it once more. Finally Festus is crowing. I assume his crow will get better with practice. Will I regret this later in the days to come I thought. After 28 weeks I really gave up & decided he would just be a beautiful quiet rooster. That would not really be bad. I check the nesting boxes each day & as yet the hens have not layed an egg. Still waiting. Today there were no crows from Festus. Has he already forgotten how to crow?

Grace is our most friendliest chicken in the flock & she is Sam's fav. Ruth & Festus there behind her as Grace keeps her head buried in the feeder.

The chicken flock waits as I make their day run ready with fresh water & food.

The ducks ready to start their day roaming the homestead grounds.

The ducks take a swim in the large mud puddle as the chicken flock looks on.

Chestnut enjoys her carrot as Velveteen eats her cracked corn & rabbit pellets. They have both enjoyed chewing their bunny hutch. Can you see the damage they have done to the door? I provided them blocks of wood to chew on but they like the doors better. The hutch will have to get some repairs soon. Not something I had planned when having this wonderful bunny hutch built for them.

Benny the kitten visits the chicken house & some days curls up & takes a nap.

Grace always looks on as the bunnies get fed just waiting for a pellet to fall her way & when none dose she climbs into the bunny hutch toward the feeding dishes only to be shooed out. As you can see Benny is looking for food to.

Sam's little dog enjoying a walk in the fallen crisp leaves. He joins me each day to feed all the creatures. With excitement each day he greets all his furry & feathered friends.
This what feeding time is like each day at the homestead along with holding & strocking their soft feathers or fur to let them know they are special. Off I go to making a room into my bedroom. Lots of work sorting many boxes that have been stored in that room for so long & I am making a pumpkin to hang on the outhouse door. The three piece cabinet I have decided for sure to restore it for the kitchen food storage. Thanks for all your suggestions.

Blessings Til Next Time!
Lara

To Restore Or Not

Not sure what to do right now. To restore or not? I have been wanting a large cupboard to put all my canned veggies in & some baskets in to put packaged foods in. I took back the wood I purchased to make a cupboard & went looking for a cupboard. New or used either one would do. What I did find that I liked both new or used was not in my budget. I picked these pieces up at public sale & a yard sale some years ago. I did use two of them until I replaced them with another tall oak cupboard & the fireplace I built. They have been in a workshop for a long time. I am considering restoring them to use as the veggie cupboard. The sides of the bottom cabinet are badly damaged so I would have to come up with something to cover the sides. Not sure what could be used. I opened the bottom cabinet up in hopes of adding a shelf. I have not decided if I should remove the door from the tall cabinet & use baskets in those openings or keep the door. I love stain but not sure all pieces would match so maybe paint? I do have to remove it from the workshop weather I restore it or not. I would only have the cost of restoring it. Any suggestions?

Blessings Til Next Time!
Lara

Some Things Settled

I looked into renting a trailer with an addition added on to the living room but it had already been rented. I had hopes of selling the property that Pap & Gram gave me to finance the log house I call my dream home. I contacted the owners to ask if they would like to sell their property. I was worried I would be hung up on seeing that the property has no for sale sign in the yard. Well the lady did not think I was a nut case like I feared. We had a very nice friendly chat. Her husband & her bought the property 10 years ago & do not want to sell. As she said it is a very rare property. I was disappointed but accepted that it was not meant to be. Who knows maybe in a few years to come.

As I said in the title of this post some things settled. I & the boys will not be leaving the homestead for some months to come. Our things will not have to be put into the storage building I called to rent. There is a separate entryway on the one end of the house. My husband has that end of the house to do with as he pleases. We share the laundry area in the basement for now but I have hopes to put a washer & dryer in the kitchen where I had planned on putting a large cupboard for my canned veggies & soups. All the lumber for that cupboard was taken back & I was lucky enough to be refunded what I payed for it. I have been busy cleaning & putting my things back in to place. My furniture has been moved back into the living room & the dinning room is still cluttered with containers. I have not found the containers filled with much of my fall decorations so I purchased some little pumpkins & gourds to spruce the homestead up for fall. (my husband backed out of buying the furniture he was going to buy. He decided it would cost to much & he would not have the room for it. He bought him self a truck instead. As long as the house payment & utilities are paid I don't care anymore).

Laken got a job & is staying with friends. They plan to rent another place later & share the rent costs. She gets ready for work here & dose he laundry here. I have been letting her use my truck to go back & forth to work. The truck is back in time for Lucas to get to work. This will have to continue until Laken has saved enough money for a down payment on her own vehicle or can share a ride with a coworker. It makes it hard for me to make & keep my own appointments on her days off. It has not been easy but we are managing for now.

Sam has adjusted well to his first year in the JR SR High School. I was worried but he is doing well & is happy with school. I got good reports for both Lucas & Sam at the school open house. With Lucas working every night I was worried he would not be able to keep up but he is doing good. Good grades & saving his pay to buy a vehicle. I am not ready for the vehicle thing.

My creations were offered at the fall festival the past two weekends. I will soon be finding out how well my sales were from the shop keeper. My fingers are crossed for good news. I hope to be back to creating again soon to have Christmas creations to take to the shop after Thanksgiving.

I have been trying to keep up with your blogs as time allows. I have learned to use an i-pod. I have seen wonderful photos of your fall displays in & outside of your homes. Makes me want to get back into doing some fall decorating. This year it will have to be very simple. Just some pumpkins & gourds. My energy level is not up to digging for all my fall decorations at this time. I have been stressed out to much with all that has gone on & I have not been feeling my best. Attorney & doctor appointments have added to the stress. But I have high hopes with what has been settled on & the doctor has ordered me some medication & rest.

Blessings Til Next Time!
Lara