Old House Update - Kitchen is done!!!

The kitchen is finally done. My DH has worked so hard on it. There is some final detailing to be done on the house, and then it will go on the market.  If you know someone who would be interested in this beautifully redone century house, let us know!

The eat-in kitchen has a large pantry.  Wish I had this at the new house. (grin) My DH did such a lovely job choosing the tile and all the kitchen pieces and parts and installing them.

There are all new stainless steel appliances.  We also installed new lighting.  I have always liked the fact that the window over the sink looks out over the back yard.  I like the built-in dishwasher also.

Here is the other side of the kitchen.  There is a really nice 5 burner stove and a built in microwave.

view from the kitchen into the formal dining room.

There is lots of cabinet and counter space with the new peninsula.  There is more new lighting here also.

This is the original door on our century home.  It is really pretty, and I think very cool to have.

We have redid the porch/entry way to the house. It looks so much better.

The back hall bathroom was given a make over. It still needs the new lighting installed.

The living room looks so nice, especially with the afternoon shadows.

The backyard is coming along nicely.  It is gradually greening up.  Almost all of the junk has been cleared out.  We are planning to move the little shed (formerly our chicken coop) out of there also and bring it to the farm.  We never seem to have enough chicken coops here.

The front yard no longer bears the imprints of our vegetable gardens.  The grass here looks nice.

Our old house.  So many memories, but I really don't miss it at all.  I love the farm!

Farm Update

It has been awhile since I updated what is going on here at the farm.

Things here are going well. The critters are all happy and healthy and the tomatoes are FINALLY ripening in the garden.

Our bourbon red turkeys are happily free ranging.  When they take their afternoon nap, the tom keeps a watchful eye out for predators.  They stick together and it is all for one and one for all. You always see them together.

 Here is what the field looks like. It is full of grazing sunflowers and many other plants.  It is really pretty and it is feeding our soil.

The chickens in the back are also totally free ranging.  They sleep in the chicken tractor and then run around the rest of the day.

Here is the alpha black jersey giant rooster.  He is a big boy and is still sweet.  The other rooster decided to take on the smallest turkey hen.  He huffed and puffed - out his feathers, and got in her face.  She puffed out her feathers, and just kind of looked at him, Like " What is your problem, son?" Then he really went into overdrive and puffed his feathers even more and started to chest bump her.  Within seconds the big toms came over and stood on either side of her, the other turkeys lined up behind them.  The rooster took a look at them and took off running.  The turkeys chased him around the chicken tractor and he kept running until he got out to the pig pen.  Now he takes his little harem out by the pig pen every morning and does what he can to avoid the turkeys.

This is the big feeder in the tractor.  We fill it up only occasionally as it stays full a long time.

The water supply is collected off the roof as it runs into the gutter and then down into the water barrel.  The tube then has the little nipple waterers for the chickens.  The kids like it as they have not needed to fill it up as we have had regular rain.

Our pullets are starting to lay.  They are still trying to figure out where to lay.  The nesting boxes have not been the most popular choice. They even lay them on the edge of the feeder.  Talented birds.  Not sure how they did that.

The chickens do most of their drinking from the pond.  The rooster supervises and protects them as they drink.

We have currently got all the roosters isolated.  They were bothering the hens and the result of that is that the hens lay less and the roosters are slow to gain weight.

Paul repurposed the rest of the old awning as a rooster shelter.  He put it on skids so it was easy to move.  on the inside there are some roosting poles and a hanging feeder.  We have an electric fence around them to keep them contained.

Here is what the back of the barn looks like.  There is a mobile hoop coop back there and a fence that gets moved to keep all the chickens contained.  The old hens still reside in the run-in coop.  They will be moving on to the freezer in a couple weeks.  They have stopped earning their keep.

The white broad breasted turkeys are now free ranging as well.  They are growing fast.  They stay close to the outbuildings and don't go near as far as the bourbon reds, but I am happy to see them eating bugs and grass.

I forgot to get a pig picture on here, but they are doing well.

The garden is coming along well.  Here you see the kale, some eggplants and ground cherries.

I really like my herb spiral.  The herbs are doing well.  They have established and are growing.  Almost all the herbs in here are perennials except for the cilantro, parsley, and dill, which are really good at self seeding.

Here are the sweet potato beds. and the boxes in the back have our white potatoes.  They seem to be doing OK, but the proof will be in the digging.

The tomatoes look fabulous and haven't started dying back at all.  They must not realize that it is September!!!  I didn't pick my first ripe tomato until the last week in August.  It is September now and the tomatoes are coming on like it is July.  We haven't had any problem with wilt or other disease for which  we are grateful.

Our cabbages have done terrible!  The bugs have destroyed them.  Such a bummer.  We have gobs of eggplants and basil.  We have been enjoying our pesto! Pesto and tomato are such a wonderful combination. Got to go and make a batch of Nanna's chili sauce.  Enjoy the rest of the summer!

Family Foto Shoot

Do any of your family ever get a hankering to have a family photo shoot?  To make memories and to make a permanent record of what your family is like at this moment in time?  Well, we do.  Michelle loves to take pictures and to create and record moments.  She loves Pinterest and gets many of her ideas there.  She worked very hard and selected outfits and props and did a gradual work up to try and get everybody on board.  First, she had to find a time when everybody was home and it was still daylight outside. Then she had to convince/bribe her siblings to get their cooperation. Finally all the stars came into alignment and the big moment arrived this afternoon.

Paul, went along with the dress code and had a pretty good attitude.  Michelle told him that a willingness to be photographed was on her list of qualifications for a husband.

The photo props were carried out and gotten ready.

Then we had to wait for our guest photographer to arrive.

Elizabeth waited in comfort.

The larger props, also known as chairs, came out on the ATV.

 Everybody had a coordinating outfit.

We were in danger of constant photo bombing from the dog and the chickens.

We did end up with some nice pictures.

Even the turkeys came along to photobomb us.  It was an animal conspiracy!

Michelle directed and instructed us on how to use our props and where to stand so as to make a visually attractive picture.

We tried the often attempted 'jumping' pictures, with humorous results.  We obviously have a leprachaun in our family.

It appears that Super Man might reside with us also.

There was much laughter and good natured rebellion as we went from one pose to the next.

We even tried the serious 'dust-bowl' era pose.  It was very difficult to maintain our serious expression as our photographer was laughing himself silly.

We tried lining up forwards...

...and looking backwards.

 Here is our nephew Daniel, who stopped by to visit.  He lives in North Dakota.  He was drafted to be our photographer and he did an excellent job.

Here are the girls.  The guys split the scene as soon as the group shots were done.

Here is our photo shoot director with her dog, Dallas.  Had to get his picture taken.  Of course he bathed in the pond, before posing.

These are the pouty twins. LOL.  The 'pot stirrers' who keep life interesting.

Michelle is encouraging her brothers to get growing!  She wants them to pass her up.  Thomas is getting very close.  By Christmas, I am sure he will have done it!

One last rest in the living room chair as it sits in the field.  Not sure how Michelle convinced the guys to haul it out there, but she did!

T-Bob and my DH figured out a comfortable way to get the leather chair back to the house.  Not a bad way to travel!