Daffodil Days

Thank you Leah for the nice gift of sunshine.   She purchased daffodil's from the American Cancer Society, and shared with me!

I'll be planting these outside when the frost is no longer a danger.  In memory of family members we've lost to cancer and to honor those fighting cancer.

Spring Mud!

Now that spring time has brought us MUD, we complain again!  Dah! Can't we ever be pleased with the weather?  We're all happy that it is starting to warm up and the snow is melting.

This is what we have left of snow.  Just remains of the hugh piles of snow.  Last night all the standing water finally soaked into the ground.  Here is what our yard looks like now where we drive in.   

I drove on the grassey area, and now I sure have made a mess!

This is usually where we park, and I had moved to the grassy area so I wouldn't have to step in mud!  The water soaked into the ground now, due the the rain helping to take the frost out of the ground.  Not all frost is gone, but the standing water sure left our yard. 

Now we need some sunshine to dry things up more, so we can level this area off and bring in more gravel!

Now to wash my car, and clean the inside.  The only trouble is, I'm sure we're not done with winter and snow yet.  March and April can still bring a lot of snow!

Have a great Sunday everyone!

Proof that Spring is Coming!

Babies everywhere!  Here are some pictures of our piggy babies!    The farrowing barn is heated, but the heat lamps help so the babies have a nice warm spot to lay and keep extra warm.   When the little ones are between 4 and 5 weeks old, they are weaned from the moms and put in different pens.  At that time, they'll be eating little pellets and drinking on their own.  The sows will then be moved to another barn.

These little piggies are two weeks old and are so soft and cute. 

This little piggy is about three weeks old.  A face any mother could love!

This group is a little younger.  Look at the ears on this little one!  Usually on the red hogs (the breed is Durocs), their ears fold down.  I'm sure his ears don't stick out now! 

We got two new kittys from the goat farm.  We need mousers in the barn, and they had way too many cats/kittens, so gave us two.  The day we got them, we put them in one of the barns together.  They must have been a little scared of the snorting of the pigs, and got out of the barn.  The little grey kitty came up by the house and the dark one, ran up into the hay mow to hide. 

Hooch is protecting kitty, now named Sophie, so that Odda doesn't hurt her.  Well, you can see the kitty isn't too happy, and just seconds after I got that picture, the kitty took off for that tree.

Poor Sophie was up there where we couldn't reach her, so Steve had to get out his extension ladder to get her down.

Now both kittens are in the barn again, and are staying there.  They are killing the mice and getting fed cat food too. 

Visited friends of ours that have sheep and lambing is done.  These little lambs are really cute.  I had forgotten that lambs are born with long tails.  At birth, a rubber band is put around the tail, and in about 2 weeks, the tail then falls off.  No bleeding, no hurt.

They also have donkeys!  When the sheep are put out in pasture land away from the farm buildings, the donkeys are out there with them, to protect the sheep from coyotes.  Guess they can kick up a coyote pretty good.  They got their donkeys from out west, when there was a round up of wild horses and donkeys.   We have other friends that have bought horses from those round ups.  They call it adopting, but you do pay something for them.

Oh maybe we need a couple of donkeys at our farm as well!  I'm getting terrible.  I like all farm animals!  Especially when they're babies! 

Friday Family Fotos!

 My fathers family came from Estonia in 1912 when  my father was 3 years old.  I don't know what kind of work my grandfather did when he lived in Estonia, but here he learned the dry cleaning business in New York before moving to Minnesota.  He opened up a dry cleaning business in Park Rapids MN, named Vaegemast Cleaners. Dad and uncle John both learned the business, with my dad staying here and my uncle later moving to Greeley Colorado to opened his own dry cleaning business.  Both dad and uncle John served in WWII, so there was a time when both were gone.

This would be my grand father in his early years of business.  Notice the big steam press in back.  On the table up front, notice the large flat iron.  You can't see the sewing machine, but it was directly across from the cutting table to the left edge of the picture.  Both grandparents had passed away before my sister and I were born, so we never knew them.

My father sitting on the desk, other fellow is unknown.  The  photo below is after some remodeling of this same area.  Notice that there is now linoleum on the floor, and better lighting.  Uncle John behind the desk and my dad to the edge.  As a small child I remember the front part of the cleaners like this picture below.  Up front on the left side that can't be seen was a huge ceiling to floor mirror.  Wish I had a picture of that, as it was said to have been the mirror out of the first saloon in our town.  It later was moved to our house and took up a good space of one wall.  You can see better detail of the pictures if you click on them to enlarge them.  The ceiling was the tin or metal that was used back then. 

My grandfather and father were tailors, and did fitting of suit clothes for men.  I have the their treadle sewing machine that they did tayloring with.  It is on the original table, with cigarette burns in the wood, and all.  They were smokers, and I remember my dad would leave a cigarette on the edge so the ashes would fall off.  I think more burned there than he actually smoked.  Old Lucky Strikes!  Yuk!    The sewing machine needs to have a new leather belt installed on it to get it working again.  This is the machine that I learned to sew on.   Mom and I did some reupholstry work years ago, when she was still alive, so I think I haven't used this machine since the mid 70's.   I remember that I loved using the knee lever to raise and lower the presser foot.  This sits waiting for someone to use it - one of these days I should get it going again.

This was the store front shortly before demolition of the building.  The main street of our town has really changed since I was young.  There is only one business that I know of that has the same owners.  That would be the little gift shop that was next to the dry cleaners.  Bishops clothing store is no longer there - that building now houses realators.  The cleaners building was not in good shape, so after that was sold in the late 60's or very early 70's, it was torn down and rebuilt.  It now houses a womans clothing store - the expensive kind, that I don't go in! 

Shoot Me Challenge! 9 of 52

Isn't this little KID just the cutest! 

This one is cute too - and oh so soft.  They weren't heavy at all.  Just like little puppies!  They are so tame, Trish must hold them a lot!

Kids!

Aren't these two "kids" just the cutest!  And of course their mommy!  I've already forgotten their names, as there are so many. 

The past two days, we have driven over to our neighbors 2 miles away to get goat milk for some of our baby pigs.  We've had the grand tour of their goat barn, watching them feed and milk the goats.  Now is lower production of milk, as the mommas will be giving birth soon.  These two babies are less than 2 weeks old, and yesterday they were frolicking outside in the sun and climbing on the other goats, jumping off  and were just so much fun to watch, but yesterday I had not thought to bring my camera.  Today we went back for more milk, as the little piggies just were so hungry and drank all of yesterdays milk - just really made pigs of themselves!  Steve had milk replacer on order, but it still hasn't gotten here, so we thought of Trish and Mitch with their goats milk. 

I think they're all so cute and such expressions.  So inquisitive!

Their goats are not all the same breed.  Trish says the LaMancha (ears very small) goats are the best milkers, and they also have Nubians with floppy ears and Saanens with ears that stand up.  Some of their goats are crossbreds.  Trish and Mitch homeschool their two boys, so while we were there, and Steve talking to the parents, I was learning from the boys!  They know their stuff!    The two babies that were born, were bred too early, as most of their kids are going to be born late March or April. Then I know I'm going to go back to see more babies, and get more pictures.

What do you think of this "Billy"?  He is one big buck!  The new babies coming will be from his breeding.  

They have this one milker, and drink the goats milk after straining it.   If you're lactose intolerant, goats milk would work for you.  I remember as a kid we drank goats milk. Trish sells milk when all the Does are milking, and they make the most wonderful goat soap.  Extra milk is frozen,  and that is what we got today. 

Such personalities!  I think I'd ask to have some goats, but just don't think Steve would let me have any!  I'll just have to go visit Trish and her goats instead.

Check out this giveaway!

Jessica from Country Whispers is having a give away in honor of her birthday and 300th blog!   WoW !!!    The winner will be announced on her birthday March 13th.  Be sure to visit her blog and sign up!  Just click on Country Whispers in my first sentence, and it'll take you there.   Have a great day.