Technical Difficulties….

      Lately life has been a bit of what can go wrong will go wrong!  We have moved and are somewhat settled in but somewhere in the mess I’ve lost the battery charger to the camera.  Yes, Again!  Plus Super D and Sassafras the in house techies have updated my computer.  To do this they removed all the important files including pictures to a safe place (other hard drive) and they have yet to find their way home.  Me not being the techie do not have access to them just yet. Well, really there is a bit more to that story too I’m just saving you the details as things went a bit wrong again.
      The plus to all this is that I have a like new computer with less glitches and am using a new program to write my blog that I hope will make it a bit easier to post.  We shall see as this means learning a new program but so far I like it.  So once again I put you on hold and promise to have photos as soon as I can. 
     Life really is an adventure!

BIG Changes!!!

  I'm sorry!  I promise I haven't forgotten about my blog.  Not sure who reads it but I do enjoy writing for it.  It has been a crazily busy month.  Super D made it back from Colorado and we have been trying to catch up and have had new opportunities.  The big one being..........

We moved.  Yes, you read that right.  We moved again!  But not too far.  We only moved about a city block away.  Next door out here.  We have one neighbor  between us and new place.   We moved to 4 acres with a mobile home on it. 
 
We now have running water, electric on demand, toilets, and showers.  Even a huge bathtub.  Several factors played into our decision but don't worry we haven't abandoned our dreams, they are just evolving with life. :) 

We somehow managed to move, throw a birthday party, and have company in a 5 day period!  I've hardly had a moment to call my own.  But as life is getting back to routine I will fill you all in! 

I have some pictures saved to show you but still need to download them. I wanted to check in though. I will update very soon with all the new news!   What are you all up to this fall??  Anyone have any good adventures?

The Lies We Believe....

     So how many times have you been clicking around a blog, Pinterest, Facebook or flipping a magazine while wishing you could live their lives?  I want what they have....

I think we've all done this. But remember pictures, even videos, are just snap shots of what really goes one.  Most of us are putting our best foot forward to share with our readers.  I have been known to move junk out of the way of a picture so you see what I want you to see and not the dirty dishes in the background. 
Today I thought I'd break the mold and show you the bad and ugly side too...

This was taken just on a random day.  Some days the trailer looks worse and some better.   Living in a small space means that surfaces get cluttered and messy quick.   After one meal the kitchen counter is overflowing.  The tight space can sometimes drive me nuts.  I have had to learn to live in the moment, and to look the other way when things can't get done right then. 
Thankfully a small space also means it doesn't take too long to clean up.  Staying on top of everything can be tough with four people using the space.  It seems the second I clear a space someone is putting something in it again. 
Living in small space does have some advantages. I enjoy being close to my family, I like that I can sit at the table, on the couch or even be in my bed and  know what everyone else is up too.  We like the open kitchen and living area and plan to include that when we build. 

I miss having a flush toilet and shower.  I am ready to have some of those conveniences back!  We may have some of them back soon....

I may not have a picture perfect home but it is home and I am thankful for what we have. 
A while ago I posted what I do daily.. Well, it's changed since then so I thought I'd update my day to day activities .
 
I get up between 7 and 8 most mornings.  By 9 I milk Sweet Pea (our family cow)  That is first thing.  She starts demanding attention the minute she realizes anyone is up an moving. 
Most days include collecting eggs, making butter (about every third day), schooling the girls, and cleaning up the trailer.  
Then each day I prepare the things I make weekly, like granola and yogurt.  I try to do those things on the days I don't work at the store. 
I still love this land.  I love looking out each morning and seeing the beauty and looking up each night and seeing the stars.  I love the feeling of what I do really mattering to our daily life.  If I don't milk the cow, we don't have milk. If I don't collect the cream I can't make butter. 

I know my life is different but It's mine. :)  Any questions?

Hunting again...

A couple weeks ago after all that rain we got we did get a day to go mushroom hunting again.  We checked out a new trail we had never been on.  It's part of the Devils Backbone Wilderness in the Mark Twain National Forest (Which we are pretty much surrounded by). 
We had a fun surprise at the trailhead....

We opened this box to check it out.  It had a paper to sign in on and told what trail we were taking and had two little mice to welcome us to the forest...

  I admit I jump a bit but they were pretty cute, This is Sugar Bug begging to pick one up. I tell you she is fearless!  They seemed right at home and let us borrow a pencil to sign in with.  They were still there when we left. 

On to the hike..

We found two of these cool stick bugs.  These ones were yellow and red but we have seen them to be green or brown too. Like this one we had on the trailer.

We did find some mushrooms too. I have no idea what the one above is but the one below is a puff ball.

  This was our haul for the day.  We've gotten better about not picking everything but just got samples of ones we didn't know what they were.  The girls did awesome coming home and working to identify them..  We did have some edibles and had a good lunch of ramen and wood ear.

 

We haven't had a chance to get out again but hopefully our weather will cool off again and we can hunt some more before the year is over. :) 

ITS A BOY!!!

  Introducing.......

Thor 

Born August 16th

Isn't he cute!  Even baby cows are precious.  This is Thor. Sassafras's name was picked from the drawing we had.  Sugar Bug was voting for Coco.  But I think Thor fits him well.  He is a bull.  He is growing fast and doing well.  Sweet Pea is a perfect mama and is a wonderful milker. 

 

 

 

Here he is a couple weeks old with Sugar bug chasing him.  He is quite the runner now and loves to chase other animals.  Mama is never too far away though.  Since we started milking her she has a new halter.

 

 

Sweet pea does great milking.  We milk her once a day usually in the morning and she has done well.  We plan to build a stanchion for her to stand in soon.  She does well while eating her grain but shuffles her feet a bit.  Thankfully she has never kicked hard.  Just moves enough that she has kicked over a few buckets of milk. If you have ever hand milked you know that sinking feeling when all your had work is spilled on the ground. She is an easy milker and the girls have helped some too. I laugh because they both cringe when Thor slobbers on them while milking. Right now we share and he usually nurses while we milk the other teats. 

 

 

For those who may have never seen a calf nurse.  :)  

 

We were so happy to have good milk we had to buy cereal for the occasion.

 Her milk is very good.  Sweet and mild.  It doesn't have the least sour taste to it.  I find it hard to describe fresh milk.   I don't think it has as strong a flavor as store bought.  It tastes lighter and sweeter.  At least ours does. The taste of milk varies a bit with the diet a cow is on. We've had milk before that smelled and tasted a bit oniony because mama was eating onions in the field.   We are enjoying our milk and will soon be making all sorts of dairy products. 

 

Well, cover more on milk later. :) 



The Jungle....

With all the rain we've received my garden has grown by leaps and bounds! It looks more like a jungle than a garden. :)

It is green!  At this point I think there is more grass and weeds then my plants but that's ok. I've managed to keep them from choking my plants out. 

My poor cherry tomato plant may not make a full recovery.   It was attacked by these guys...

This is the Tomato Hornworm.  Really it is a caterpillar and it feasts on tomato plants.  I pulled 6 off the cherry tomato plant and they did that damage pretty much over night.  Thankfully I haven't found many more but I have learned to keep an eye out for these guys.  They blend Very well.  The chickens will eat them but even they can't see them on the plant! 

My bush green bean plants have done well.  I have 3 rows and I've harvested a handful about every other day.  I think next year I will plant about twice as much so I can really can a good amount.  I haven't quite had enough to can this year.  We eat them too quickly. :)

Here's my Okra plants.  They have also done really well.  In fact I have many that are too big as they grew too fast for me to pick.  I did pick enough to pickle 4 jars so far.  That will be another post too :) 

I planted squash, zucchini, watermelon, cantaloupe, and cucumbers too.  But it started to rain while I was taking pictures. Go Figure. I hope to feature each veggie or fruit and share some ways we use them, store them, and save seeds as I learn.  

Sweet Pea was out watching me and so cute I had to take a few of her too.  She has enjoyed the rain and thinks that big puddle (half in the picture) is her personal pond.  The problem with this is that this is the end of our driveway so we have to make her move to get out, and she is a stubborn teenager at times.  :) 
No calf yet either.  Her due date was VERY wrong.  We are anxiously waiting to see her little one.

How's your garden growing this year??

When it rains it pours....

        This post has two meanings.  I started it to tell of hard times we've had with the death in the family, then losing all but 3 of our chickens, me getting sicker than I have ever been in my life, and Super D getting held up in Colorado longer than we wanted.  But really is has rained everyday for 2 weeks now and there is no end in sight.  Every time I look at the forecast it tell of thunderstorms. 

I have never seen so much rain in my life!  Here is Patrick Bridge where we often swim...

This has even gone down the water was up to where I am standing.  The river has even flooded some of our tall bridges.  It is incredible to see.  When this happens it changes the landscape of the river so when the water settles it will be a new place. 
 By the way, I am recovered from my sickness, we've ordered new chicks which should arrive this month, and Super D is progressing with all he had to accomplish in Colorado and will be home soon. 
In all we really have survived just fine, but I am tired.  Running this place with just me and the girls is a handful... plus my other job.  (at the local store)  It has kept us going but we really miss having Super D around.
 I feel as though we just got stuck this summer.  Instead of moving ahead we were only able to maintain what we have.  But we will pick it all back up soon and have some progress of getting things done around here. 
The plus of all this rain is that it is God's miracle grow!  My garden looks more like a jungle and everything is very green.  Quite the contrast to last years drought conditions.

Will do a Garden post next so you can all see how it's going.  Not as well as I had hoped but better than last year!  :)  Happy last days of summer!