Our rabbits are doing well in the barn colony. We have replaced a couple of bucks over the last couple of years to keep our genetics fresh. They truly are meat mutts. We have had Dutch, New Zealand, Chinchilla, and Silver Fox blood in there. They are healthy and breeding like...well...rabbits. For anyone who doesn't know we keep our rabbits in a colony. When the babies are weaned by their mothers and eating well on their own we put them up in cages to grow out. If we need to keep a replacement doe, then my daughter will pick her favorite girl and she will stay on the floor with the adults. My youngest daughter, Little Britches, is the rabbit whisperer. The moms will actually take her to their nest to show off their babies and they do not get upset when she handles them. She starts handling them before their eyes even open and so when she walks into the colony they all run to see her and get their daily scratches. She has been able to keep one as a pet in the house ever since she was little. Rabbits actually live quite a few years as domestic pets as long as they are taken good care of. Little Britches had to learn all about rabbit care before she was able to choose her first pet rabbit. His name was Fuzzy Bunny and she was about 6. I chose him for her because he was so friendly as a baby and just determined to love someone. He was the best pet rabbit and the two of them adored each other. She taught him how to sit still so that she could groom him and he taught her the proper way to pet and address a rabbit. Lagomorphs are definitely a bit particular about how they are handled. She learned quickly. When he died of old age a couple of years ago, she chose another rabbit....Peter. Where Fuzzy Bunny was sweet and loving to everyone in the family, Peter is the opposite. He loves Little Britches and only Little Britches. He charges and growls at everyone else. The dogs are even afraid of him. He is about 12 pounds of the devil incarnate. Those are not ears I assure you....they are horns. However, he worships and adores Little Britches. He even sleeps on her bed at night to guard her. And since rabbits are nocturnal it is the only way she can get any sleep. If she locks him up at night she rattles the cage so hard that the whole house can hear him. He learned how to use a litter box for her, he guards her, she can do anything to him and hold him in any such way (including upside down). The only thing he does not like is to go outside on his leash (yes he is leash trained). He has decided the outside is not a good place to be. Inside is much nicer and he is convinced that there are things outside that will eat him and he doesn't like that. In the house he is large and in charge, outside...his instincts tell him that there are much larger critters than him. However, he loves her and she loves him and wants him to get some fresh air and exercise. So off they go for a walk around the house in the grass while she monitors every plant he is near so that he cannot chew on the wrong one or so that he doesn't each too much of a good thing (like the clover patches). Peter is always thrilled to get back in the house at the end of his journey. Little Britches loves her bunnies and she says that her house will have a whole bedroom dedicated to pet rabbits. It will be a romper room for bunnies and her husband will just have to deal with it. If it is a room full of "Peters" then I feel terribly sorry for the rest of the household. As for the bunnies in the colony, she knows their fate but loves on them while she can. They never get names, but she knows each mom and which babies belong to which mom. I think they live a good life and that is always my goal for my livestock....that they have a good life full of love and kindness before they become dinner. I think that is why I have always had a hard time selling any of them, because I don't trust anyone else to be kind and loving to them and I don't ever want them to suffer or be afraid. I guess it is the least I can do because they sacrifice so much for us. I suppose even Peter deserves our love and kindness. Have a blessed day all!
A blog about homesteading, homekeeping, and simple living in the middle years of our life.
Thursday, July 20, 2023
Saturday, July 15, 2023
Goat Update
Surprise! I actually made it back today. Today's update concerns our small goat herd. We lost our old buck last year to old age. It was time honestly because we really need some fresh genetics in our herd. He was a good boy, very gentle and loving. He is desperately missed. He did leave us with a full crop of babies this spring. We recently sold all but 2 of them, Bambi and Thumper. Both girls and both pretty skittish, but they are beautiful young does. Then we have Tickle and her first baby Pickle. Tickle is Lily's first baby. Lily was actually terrified of Tickle and ran away every time Tickle tried to get close to her. We wound up bottle feeding Tickle, so she is super friendly. In fact if you don't scratch her head when you are out there with the goats, she will follow you around butting you gently in the behind. Thumper is Lilly's second baby and by this time she was ready to try this mama gig. She actually turned into a really nice mama. She is also a really nice milker. Honestly, I can milk her anywhere as long as I have a pan of food. I don't even have to tie her up. Then there is Speckles, our old girl. If I am remembering correctly she is going on 8 years old. I don't expect to get many more babies from her. She is a great mama, a good milker and a strong producer. She has strong Kastdemur lines and it shows in her milk. So we are currently looking for a new buck. It's not a frantic look even though breeding season is coming up quickly. I am giving the girls some rest as we softly look. I need different genetics and so far everything I have seen is Kastdemur. I need something else. We are trying to keep our herd small, but it is so hard. Just like Bambi and Thumper....I never really expected to keep them. However, as I watched them growing the better they looked and I convinced myself that they would produce some really nice offspring and Speckles was getting old. You know....the old goats are like potato chips deal...All in all, the herd is doing well and they have really helped to improve our property. Even though I may retire from milking in the future, I will never get rid of all of my goats. They are really great for improving property and keeping fence lines clean. TaTa for now. More tomorrow!. Can't let this writing streak end so soon!
Friday, July 14, 2023
Once Again it has been Awhile
Yes, once again it has been awhile. I always have the best of intentions, but life this past year was a bit "more" than I planned. Or ever thought it would be. I thought I was leaving the restaurant business last July. However, I was asked to stay and for some reason I just could not say no. Shortly after my mother was diagnosed with cancer. It was in her bones, spread all over her body and no one could determine where it originated from. After a whirlwind month of appointments, testing, radiation to shrink a tumor for pain relief; Mom was sent home with the diagnosis of there is nothing more that we can do but try to manage the pain. Mom went downhill pretty quickly. In July, we were going out to lunch after doctor's appointments. In August we were doing the same but Mom was tired a little more. In September, it was becoming harder to manage mom's pain and even though we went to lunch a couple of times the pain became too much and our trips ended. By October the pain was really hard, but she did not want us to call in hospice. Toward the middle of October she stopped eating and just drank a few sips of an ensure. We called in hospice the last week of October and Mom passed away the first week of November. My mother's health had been horrible for years and there had been many times that I had called my sister from the hospital and told her to come home. Mom always made a recovery....until she didn't. It was expected, anticipated, prepared for....but it still hit me like a freight train that my mama was gone. The person I had coffee with each week and went out to lunch with at least once a month if she felt like it. The person I called in the event anything good or bad happened in my life. It has been a tough year even though I know Mom's suffering is over. She missed the birth of her first great grandchild by just 2 months. It was a hard day. I also lost my Godmother in August, just as things were ramping up with Mom. Work became much more busy than I bargained for and then I was hit with another blow. My Goddaughter passed away. She was young. Now, I am in another transition period. I am leaving the restaurant and coming back home. I will go back to writing and working on my artwork. Our little homestead is still going strong and we are getting ready to search for a new buck for our little herd. The rabbits are breeding like rabbits and we currently have 2 chickens. We have had a difficult time with chickens here on this homestead, but I think that might be another post. My oldest had a baby in January, she is now 25. My youngest is getting ready to finish high school soon and thinks she wants to be a marine biologist. I am a Nana and my husband is a Grandaddy. Yes, time for another chapter in our life and I guess back to blogging about our goings on and our thoughts. I guess it is time for the Journey of Willow Pond to actually become a real documented journey. So, my goal this week is to write daily and let's see if we can catch up on this journey. Blessings to all, Kat
Tuesday, December 7, 2021
It's Been Awhile
Wow, 3 years!! It has been 3 years since I have posted anything here. Time to rev it up and get going again. So let me shake the dust off my keyboard, crack my knuckles, and see what my brain can come up with. It has been a very busy 3 years. Little britches has been riding horses, schooling, and playing volleyball. As if that isn't enough to keep a mom busy and a dad broke, I started what was supposed to be a part-time job. A very part-time job to help pay for all of these extras and extra projects to improve our little farm turned into a much bigger part-time job. At one time in my life, I was a restaurant manager. I went to a local restaurant just to be a relief cook on Saturdays. Earning a little extra money would help with some of the extra projects we wanted to do around here. Somehow, I am still not really sure how, I once again became the restaurant manager. I am still part-time, but a little more involved than just Saturdays. We have done quite a bit here on our little farm. Too much to list in one post, so I will work on that separately. I simply can't believe we have been here 5 years. The time has gone quickly. I feel like it is time to shift back to writing and crafts. I have some ideas that I am itching to get started on and it looks like my part-time job is going to become more part-time in the near future. Time for a shift in focus. Welcome everybody to Willow Pond. I hope you enjoy the journey as much as we are.
Monday, November 13, 2017
The Power of the 5-minute tidy
Friday, November 10, 2017
Our Goals for Willow Pond
Retirement- We will be here when we retire and most likely this will be the last house/farm that we will buy. We like our way of life and will probably continue doing this to some degree or another for a very long time, health permitting. With that being said we are looking at our design ideas from a retirement aging in place perspective. Making things built well, in a permanent type manner so to speak, with a design that will be easy on aging bodies. Hence the raised garden beds in an enclosure. I think it will make gardening well into our golden years much more possible and also much more enjoyable.
Livestock areas more easily managed- Of course since we are working with something already here it won't be exactly what I would like to have in my minds eye. But we are doing a great job of making what we have into what we want to have. It is taking time and money but will be worth it in the long run. Some of this goes along with our long term gold years/retirement plan of having things easier to deal with on aging bodies. Our livestock area is set up to easily move animals with minimal effort (the simple opening of a gate). It is also set up so that there is a place for everything and things can be kept where they are needed most.
Manageable Landscaping- I love a beautiful yard and I love cottage type gardens. But I also love to do many things...not just one. So our thoughts are to continue the previous owners idea of having a beautiful landscaping that needs minimal input from us. We have things blooming throughout the year here already and those things need very little from us. Average care needed is about an hour a week. I could do more and probably will do more as I love gardening and do want to add some more. We also want to cut down on the grass that we mow. We have already cut that down by adding another paddock. But the gardening that I am planning for beauty is also being planned for ease of care. Perennials are definitely the way to go.
House-- We spent 16 years in a house that we hated because we loved the property and it was in a location that was good for us at the time. When we looked for property this time, the house took a bigger priority on the list, which is why we settled for 6.5 acres when we were searching for 10-15 acres. I love my little cottage. It is beautiful. It isn't falling apart and won't be the money pit that the other was. It has been updated and cared for over the years unlike our previously vacant and neglected hulk of outdated everything. The rooms are big and open and it is charming for us. We love our little cottage and it is easily maintained and I imagine will continue to be so as we age.
Economics- Our biggest goal was to be able to go into retirement with no house payment. We have no illusions that our retirement will be smaller than we would like it to be. We started saving young, but life's hardships hit us badly and we not only had to stop for a number of years but wound up living on what had been paid. We would have starved otherwise and are thankful that the money was there to see us through. However, we are a bit more behind than we would like. So we wanted something that was reasonable enough to be paid off in 15 years. This house will be paid off before we retire and that will be a huge boon to being able to live off our retirement.
Health- We are no longer interested in experimenting. We know what we eat, we know the ins and outs of processing different animals and what we use the most of. So the food that we either grow or raise will be what will be most beneficial for us both in time and use. I will make very little cheese, because I eat very little dairy anymore. My youngest daughter doesn't like cheese at all. So my husband is the only one who eats cheese. Also for that matter will mean keeping fewer goats. Fewer goats is always easier, I don't care what anyone says.
Lifestyle- My youngest daughters interest is in horses. She is looking to do some heavy competing and maybe one day make a career as a trainer/coach/barn owner/competitor. So our focus is beginning to shift to be more on horses again. We are looking at paddock setups for our little place. It will also serve the other animals well also as a rotational system. However, we are leaving enough room for a jumping area and a full size dressage arena. Right now her training bill is high and will only get higher unless we can bring that training home. This is huge for us. As a homeschooling mom my goal is not only to teach my child in the traditional subjects, but also to give them the extra training/schooling that might be a career path for them. This daughter is severely dyslexic. She has thought about it and said that maybe college isn't the right path for her and she might be right. So maybe she has another path that is uniquely hers and being homeschooled she has the opportunity to explore that path early. We are giving her that opportunity. And of course I am delighted since riding was a big part of my life and probably would have been my career choice had my family supported me in any way.
So that so far is our list of goals and aspirations for this place. We are excited about this journey that we have entered into with more confidence thanks to the ups and down of our journey at Whisper Wind Farm. Blessings to all, Kat
Monday, November 6, 2017
Trying New Things with Hugulkultur
Friday, November 3, 2017
Lasagna Gardening
Thursday, November 2, 2017
Our Raised Bed Garden
Sunday, October 29, 2017
Book Challenge #2
My next adventure in reading is the complete Adventures of Sherlock Holmes. I have read a few of these (Hound of the Baskervilles), but have not read in its entirety. I must say it is a bit drier than I expected so far. Anyone else out there in blogger land adding to their mental library?
Blessings to all, Kat
Saturday, October 28, 2017
Photo Friday 11/3/2017
This is the front of our cottage |
Front of the barn. Complete mess because of all the projects going on. |
Back of the barn, where the livestock stalls are at. |
This is the fence that needs to be moved so that stall 1 in enclosed in the dry lot area. |
Beginning of the garden area |
Another view of the garden area |
Fence line hayrack that we built. Can be utilized from both sides of the fence. Lattice work enables slowfeeding and less waste. |
Wood Floor in stall 1 built from crossties and gravel dust |
Our Willow and our Pond. |
Have a happy weekend!