# 503 - Replenishing the Flock - Twenty Chicks!

Last weekend, I went to bed with a heavy heart after putting my only surviving chicken in the coop, for her to roost alone for the night since the rest of the flock was attacked and killed.

For the next few nights, I found it very difficult to sleep as I was constantly listening for the one surviving chicken to suffer an attack as the predator somehow would steal into her secured coop. I kept the .22 at the front door, just in case. But, so far we have made it through each night with "Survivor" still intact.

It is likely that a large predator with a hearty appetite found our chickens, perhaps the coyote that Sgt. Dave has seen running past our acreage made his way here for a feast.

But, we decided to not allow the predator(s) to win, so the day after I found the chickens...this past Monday, Sgt. Dave took me for a day out on the town with a trip to the feed store to buy chicks. He does sweet things like that, knowing I truly miss my chickens and am concerned about the one chicken being left alone.

No, these are not boxes full of fast food, but they are holding
twenty chicks ready to enjoy their new home.

Knowing the hard truths of raising chickens because of three years of experience with small flocks, we decided to go ahead and buy the largest flock to date for our farm. After all, we have acres of land and want to put it to good use.

I ended up with 20 chicks.

The funny thing is...we went to the feed store and made our first purchase, but we ended back there at the end of the day to get a second batch of two additional breeds.

With this flock, I will have five different kinds of chickens:

1. Rhode Island Reds
2. Barred Plymouth Rocks
3. Buff Orpingtons (same as I had before)
4. Black Australorps
5. Ideal 236 - also known as White Leghorns

If my long-time readers remember, the first batch of chicks we bought were kept in our master bathroom garden tub until they were big enough to move to the outdoor coop in the backyard of our suburban home located in the Greater Houston area.

My niece, Shaye, helping with the chickens that we kept in
our backyard.

They are sleeping in a special cage built by Sgt. Dave that is solid and with tight woven galvanized wire to prevent any predators from breaking in. The cage has a heat lamp shining upon it so the chicks will have warmth and the cage is inside my secure metal shed that I use as a laundry room.

Every day I am in that laundry shed multiple times and the dogs LOVE their "babies."

They sit against the cage with big grins.

The puppy, Gracie, is leaning that we protect the chickens and live peacefully with them.

A few chicks have the beginnings of feathers, so they should be growing fast. Over the next few weeks, we hope our lone, surviving chicken will become acclimated to the chicks so they can peacefully co-exist. Truthfully, I just want that surviving chicken to keep surviving. Her being the only large chicken puts her at a disadvantage.

But, she is laying one nice-sized egg per day. I can't believe we are only getting one egg per day! For three years, we have had an abundance of eggs being laid just a few steps from the front door. I cannot imagine having to BUY eggs from a grocery store. Yuk!

During our trip into town, we also stopped by Lowe's to get more supplies for an expanded chicken coop and to reinforce the one we now use.

No make-up and with laundry in background, but heck, it's a good moment.

Perhaps we bought too many. I don't know. If so, I will try to sell a few as full-grown laying hens in a few months. But, it will work out. I think I will be end up with a considerable amount of eggs. Having extra eggs won't be a problem. Our dogs love scrambled eggs and having too many might help us cut back on the cost of dog food!

Sgt. Dave might have to start taking some ultra-fresh eggs to people at work in downtown Houston

The Circle of Life just began, again, at point "A." And I am happy in spite of our recent farm-loss, even though I miss Beaker with a pang of anguish at her demise, but that is part of Farm Life Lessons that mirrors the ups and downs of reality.

# 502 - Sad - Predator Visit

Well, I recently wrote a post about the raccoon Sgt. Dave trapped. We soft hearted types let it go. But, we live on acreage adjoining the Big Thicket Preserve, so we have more than an abundance of wild-life out here.

I am sad today because I had five chickens and four of them have been killed by some predator. I cannot believe we had a near-wipe-out slaughter episode because we've lived here for over eight months in the country, with the chickens free-ranging, and they have survived. Only one made a complete disappearance, which took my number of chickens from six to five. And the locals said my chickens wouldn't survive the first week out here because of abundant wild-life.

However, today, I came back onto the property to drive up to a farm-horror-scene. Clearly, my chickens had been slaughtered. I immediately could tell that something VERY WRONG had happened. My heart has sunk to my feet.

I was by myself...well...and with my three dogs in the truck. After seeing the carnage upon driving up, I could not even park the right way. I just pulled further in and jumped out of the truck, then began running around to see what had happened, and if, by some miracle, any chickens needed help.

And you should have seen me, the closest weapon I had at that moment was a golf putting club and I had it ready to wield with fury.

But, it was too late.

Feathers were in huge piles, here and there, clearly signs of a struggle. One pile appears to be an area where the entire chicken was torn apart and dined upon for quite a while. My favorite chicken that I hand feed almost daily, Beaker, is gone and her dark feathers with soft downy feathers are left behind.

The worse part is that some of the feathers were gross with bits of raw gunk on them and the puppy, Gracie, began to eat the feathers...until she got into MAJOR trouble, then she stopped, immediately. That's the last thing I need, for the dogs to think the plucked feathers taste good.

My Aussie, Howdy, is extremely protective of the chickens and I always refer to the chickens as his "BABIES!" And he is in tune, highly, with their various sounds of clucking, from soft happy sounds that have Howdy relaxing with a doggie grin, to their screams of distress that has him jumping any hurdle and knocking down anything in his path to get to his babies.

Even if we are watching tv and a show comes on with chickens in the scene, he jumps up in a panic and won't let up until we allow him to go check out the real chickens.

So, Howdy was racing from one area to the next, jumping the creek, running and running as he searched for the chickens. He was COVERED in mud. He knows their smell. He always goes up behind the chickens to sniff, as if it is his mental "count" of the hens. But, he couldn't find them.

Liyla, our old dog, just stood in one of the big pile of feathers and kept sniffing and looking up, as if to say she knew things weren't right.

And I walked and walked around the land, truly ready to shoot the predator with a .22 rifle.

For over two hours, I walked. I didn't want to give up. I went back and got chicken feed in a cup and walked the same areas while shaking the container, which is a proven method to get my chickens to come running, while knowing I was probably going to come across pieces and bits of my chickens instead of finding them alive.

Regardless, I was going to bury any remains that I found. But, there wasn't enough left to bury.

However, imagine my shock as the one remaining chicken began to literally RUN toward me, as if she were going to fly into my arms. I was so happy to see her. She walked with me through acres of land, staying by my side. Actually, she ran out to me as soon as I got out of the truck and began to inspect the first piles of obvious violence.

She was by herself. None of the other chickens were running behind her, as is usual.

Tonight, it was sad to see that one chicken in the coop by herself because she'd normally be tucked among four other big feathered friends.

All of this has prompted us to know the chicken coop will need to be given priority and a re-design to accommodate the new batch of chicks we are about to adopt for the farm. I can promise you that I am going to sorely miss all the beautiful eggs we were able to pull out of the coop every day. The one chicken remaining will probably give us one egg per day. One golden egg per day.

However, I do believe that the chicken-killing-predator has learned that a feast is waiting at this location and it WILL be back. Whether it is raccoon, fox, rogue dogs or whatever...it will be eager to fill up again.

I'm not kidding, I'm ready to sit in sniper-position outside, waiting patiently with my rifle for a return attempt so I can knock off the killer. For those of you who are regular readers, you know I am patient and determined enough to do such a thing.

The first experience with letting the trapped raccoon be free has been a hard learned lesson of the wrong thing to do and the wrong method of doing it. I am glad to have blog buddies who spoke up loud and clear...trying to warn me. I had already made the first mistake; however, there's no telling what attacked the chickens. I have also heard a LOT of shooting around the property, which means a hunting crew with hunting dogs could have POSSIBLY come through our property by mistake. I would hope that a responsible hunter would have left us a note and reimbursed us for our loss, which is what I would do if my dog caused any kind of property damage for someone else.

And I know that we will be getting more wildlife and security cameras in place so that there will not be any more mysteries about these things. I never thought about putting one up to monitor the chicken coop, but that is next.

As for the raccoon we had trapped, I now am reconciling the fact that releasing a prowling predator is not a smart decision. On a farm, in the country, the wildlife must be battled so that the livestock can survive or we must drive a far distance to release the wildlife so it won't be able to easily find its way back to a farm feast.

For now, I am grateful for my blessings, but feeling really down about having my little flocked nearly wiped out, save for one little hen that somehow survived. I think I will rename her, "Survivor."

And I will start over.

# 501 - Raccoon Visit - Caught in the Trap

Man, I am far behind in my posts! I am trying to catch up, so I'll be hitting the posts heavy.

We had bought a trap set at the local Tractor Supply store and after setting it every night, we were pleased to soon discover a raccoon in the trap. Perhaps this raccoon was a small female, not yet grown, but very observant.

Truthfully, she was pretty darn cute with that mask-like appearance circling big brown eyes. But, she had to GO, and I was hoping she would run far away, but I doubt it. I don't want her hanging around here because she'll likely come back for my chickens

The little raccoon was rather docile, up until the part when Sgt. Dave's fingers got too close to the top of the cage. I have that moment on video. Otherwise, she kept an inquisitive expression.

Of course, our youngest daughter, Stefie, wants us to keep every creature we find. If we did, soon we would be opening our own wild life park. And our oldest daughter, Heather, is very involved with abused, neglected animals, but I think she knows this raccoon belongs in the country as a WILD creature!

To be honest, this raccoon's small size saved her life. Sgt. Dave said that her fur pelt did not have enough fur to cover his big head. I agreed.

The dogs were extremely curious, but we kept them at a distance...giving them enough room to get a look at her as she began the nasty hissing with arms reaching out of cage to scratch and attack. No, that's no so cute.

But, I am so fascinated by the unique appearance, intelligence and scavenger abilities of a raccoon. It's interesting that they usually stand at some body of water while eating so they can constantly wash their food as they eat it. I guess they are the OCD critter of the forest.

These Bandit-Masked Raccoons can get to about 23 pounds and they usually live 2-3 years in the wild. This little gal probably finds a lot of her food in the creek; she omnivorous and that means she's a mammal that will eat just about anything, including meat. But, most of her diet is likely to be frogs, insects, mice, and raccoons love to raid nests...yikes for my chickens!

As a side note...in watching the video, you see how fantastic it is for me to tackle a task with Sgt. Dave nearby...I try to video the raccoon and Sgt. Dave continuously puts himself in front of my camera action. Blah!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3MPVPOmUlh4&feature=sharenoembed&list=UUoaSSiZFXLv3-gLeGBvODvQ&index=1

I joked with Sgt. Dave that his bait of the raccoon traps with cat treats has probably taught this little raccoon gal a lesson on traps. I wouldn't be surprised if we woke up to find her in the trap again in the morning, her tummy full of cat treats.

What will be next? A skunk?

# 500 - Lost in the Forest

I can't believe this is my 500th blog post for Farm Life Lessons. In this journey, I've learned that living in either the city or the country can provide a beautiful life. The great part of my adventure is that I have been graced to experience both and know that I am happy with either way of life.

My house at this time, last year.

Very large home in the Greater Houston area. SOLD!

Got the RV for the temporary residence for the next year while
getting ready to build on the acreage.

This was the backyard in the city...a good sized backyard for the area.

This is now my "side" yard.

In spite of all the excitement I have written about, today I had a difficult moment in the forest of being left behind during a hike. With my terrible sense of direction, I was not in a good spot since I am surrounded by significant forest with difficult terrain, and I had NO IDEA if I were going to end up having to find my way back to residence-land on my own. During that time, it was a hard realization to face the fact that I did not have any water on me, nor a gun, and that was NOT a good feeling.

...It was a feeling I won't forget.

I had on warm clothes, had on leather gloves for climbing, carrying a walking stick made out of the same material as ski poles and a cell phone with a very low battery.

Up until that point, I had a wonderful hike. There were berries on trees that were beautiful. This week, I will be going to the local library because I just received my library card in the mail recently. I'll be checking out books on berries and books on trees.

My lesson today is that I will NEVER walk into the forest, unless I, personally, know exactly where I am, have a significant knife in my pocket, and I will NEVER again go on a hike without my own weapon, checked and with extra ammo on hand.

Live and learn.

That's my Farm Life Lesson, or I guess I should say, my Life in the Forest lesson for the day.

Howdy says, "Howdy!"

And here is a video of me being a bit turned around, but I took this video shortly before the "Get Lost" moment occurred. To be sure, this is an eternal lesson that I should never depend on another person while in the forest, and to never follow one person into the forest with the expectation that they will lead you out because that person might disappear.

http://youtu.be/7skyzy2wTbo

Good thing was, I didn't need a machete chopper in front of me in order for me to wind my way through the forest...turns out I am REALLY good at ducking and diving and weaving and winding and climbing out of ravines.

So, this was a great day because it taught me more about life. My level of wisdom was increased exponentially today, so it was a great day indeed!

# 499 - Trees, Trees and Pig-Preparation

Despite the cold weather...the miserable weather...the bone-achingly cold weather of last week that finally gave way to a few beautiful days, we worked to select trees for removal so that we can get the lawn tractor around the "yard" areas we would like to enjoy.

We have a 54-inch cutting deck, which is fairly wide, so we need clearance to get the mower around the main trees, so we're removing the dinky trees that stand in between the straight and tall trees.

Sgt. Dave's favorite tool is the machete. And he's good at wielding it with power. He'd be a good buddy to have around during a "Walking Dead" moment, even though he's never watched an episode.

Of course, on our three-hour hike this past week, I found another "perfect" spot for the cabin. It's one of the original spots I had loved with all my heart, but the construction there would mean a new septic tank, more electrical lines and additional water lines. However, I think it will be worth it.

We will also have to work on putting in another road to that side of the land to reach the house. But, the area is gorgeous, deep in the forest.

Another task is to find the area for the pigs that will join our farm this Spring. Sgt. Dave will soon be building their fencing, housing and prepare for their arrival. Now, my next task is to do research for available piglets in our area.

I'm terrified of pigs, but am ready to take the plunge. This is part of my great adventure to enjoy living in the country on rural property. Sgt. Dave has raised pigs, cows (steer), rabbits and is good at it. As for me, I've had a few dogs, and the past few years, chickens.

And I love to read this blog, which helps me prepare, somewhat, for raising pigs.
http://midlifefarmwife.blogspot.com/2011/09/proceded-with-caution-castration-ahead.html

However, as I did with the first eggs laid by my first chickens...my throat will probably close as I try to swallow the first bites of our own farm-raised pork. This is not going to be easy, but I have come to the point in life where I recognize the store-bought variety might have questionable quality issues that ignorance won't fix.

I'd rather have more control over my food intake, knowing the food being put on my table is of the highest quality possible and to know our animals are treated well is important. On the other hand, I am not excited about meeting all the piggies because I will fall in love with each one and will try to make them a pet.

One question I am trying to figure out is the distance the pigs need to be from the house. I know they stink, stink, stink...so I want to make sure we are not subjected to any wafting aromas.

So, that's what I've been doing as part of my activities, watching lots of YouTube videos about pigs.
In my research, so far, I've learned:

1) Light-skinned pigs are not always great for the South as they sunburn easier
2) In the South, it is more important for pigs to have wallow holes; mud acts as a sunscreen.
3) The breed is not as important as it is to select pigs raised locally.
4) In the South, shade is important for the pigs.
5) Fat is good, it equals good, tender meat. Pork that is too lean is not tender. Just like marbling is important to red meat, it is important with pork.

Raising pigs in general:
1) Require minimal space for housing.
2) Supplement feed with table scraps or veggie garden harvest.
3) Have manure that is excellent fertilizer for the garden.

If you have advice about pigs, feel free to post your comments! I read every comment and appreciate the feedback from my fellow city dwellers, from country folks and all in between.

In the meantime, we are enjoying the changes from city life to country living, especially with our unlimited parking space!

# 489 - A Hike through the Woods

Today it was cold, but we went on a three-hour hike. We needed some play time. We had 12 degree temperatures last night and had to contend with three acres of plumbing pipe. Unfortunately, the one that went to my shed, in spite of it all being wrapped, burst. It was wide open, flowing into the shed for hours before we knew something was wrong. So, it was a stressful morning.

However, that hike was something we both needed to do. It's been far too cold to be outdoors that much, but we are feeling cooped up, so we decided to hike to the far corners of the acreage.

I wore sweats, boots, and one of my husband's old winter jackets. At least there aren't any fashion do's or don'ts here in the country. If it fits, if its comfortable...it works.

I'm standing in a wider portion of the creek bed that
runs through our property.

Our hike took me to interesting places on our acreage that I didn't know existed, such as being able to walk the creek bed through our property. I discovered that part of the land that I thought belonged to our never-present neighbor is property that actually belongs to yours truly.

The lake at our property...it was a beautiful day.



David is looking for ducks. Yes, it's time to eat some food that
we hunt on our own.

We live on acreage full of wild game, and it's time to start eating food that is hunted or captured on our property. Yes, I'm a bit nervous about it, but I'm wanting to utilize the resources of our land to the fullest potential.

I love the lake --- we have land to build next to the lake, which would offer GORGEOUS views, but the access to that part of our acreage is rather challenging. But, I could picture the rewards of making this area our home-site.

It's a nice size private lake, but one can only use a trolling motor on the lake.

As for our hike, Sgt. Dave uses a machete as he walks in the lead, chopping and clearing the area so that I might be able to walk through the same area with more ease...less thorny vines and low branches to reach out and grab me!

And here you see the Magic-Stick-Machete which is aided by the magnet in his pocket.

The puppy that was recently found on our acreage at about 10 weeks of age is now strong and healthy. She loves her adopted family and we love her!

Today, on our hike, we let her be goofy and run all around us as we explored the land. Eventually, we all had to cross the creek at a certain area, we all crossed, but she hesitated crossing...she was scared. After some encouraging coaxing, she finally made the leap!

Then, later in the day, Gracie explored the rabbit trap and got herself into a traumatizing predicament. She was a bit too curious and ended up being the creature trapped inside the wire cage. She's been warned to stay away from these cages, but this time her curiosity got her in a jam. She whined and cried; we hope this experience reminds her that the rabbit traps are not much fun.

 

This past week, we pulled in our first harvest of broccoli. I had actually mourned the loss of my last vegetable garden, but now we are beginning to enjoy our garden in the country. We're about to expand it further, and I'm dying to get a small greenhouse so I can always sow my seeds in advance. I don't like buying starter plants. I've always sowed my seeds and planted my own small plants in the ground.

Today, I worked in the garden to clean it up. After taking that three hour hike, it was nice to do something calming, productive. And we are committed to making our garden wonderful so that we can eat as many home-grown foods as possible.

This Spring, we should be adding pigs to the farm that will put high-quality food on our table; we will grow more vegetables to incorporate into our meal planning and to provide food for canning; and we will be getting meat-chicks which will be designated as the birds that will provide us with chicken for the year instead of having to buy the grocery-store variety. I am hoping to get a few goats as well, especially a milk goat so that I can have goat milk, cheeses, lotions and such. As much as we can do to enjoy sustainability and to utilize this acreage in meaningful, productive ways...that is the goal.

We have a lake that provides fresh fish, and the traps will hopefully help to catch small wild game that we will eat and utilize their fur hides for various purposes. We might eat squirrel, but we will be hunting deer, rabbit, and other animals might be trapped in an effort to save other farm animals, specifically our chickens. The raccoons will be dispatched, but their pelts will make a nice hat that will be treasured.

Next...today was the day that Gracie received leash training. For the first time, we attached a leash to her collar and she did not like it.

She pulled. She threw a fit.

But, I held firm. Gracie must learn to walk on a leash without acting like a wild beast.

Sometimes, caring for a young puppy can be a challenge.

Howdy tried to help guide her and to keep her from yanking me around. Finally, Gracie submitted and began to walk more normal next to me. She's a great doggie. In fact, our hike and time outside wore her out so completely that I was able to cut her toenails without any resistance. None.

I love country life. There is no way that I'd want to go back to the city, so if circumstances ever require that of me...I will always be busy trying to work my way BACK to the country! However, the best plan is to stay here, be set free from the RV and into our cabin, then keep enjoying and exploring our little piece of Earth that is ours to enjoy for the time being.

Maybe we'll be able to leave our mark here by doing good things. Since the Boy Scout troop is coming next weekend for their survival training, to earn badges. I'm thankful we have enough rural land for them to work out the survival scenario so the boys can practice their survival and life-saving techniques.

It's great that our land is able to give to youth --- the troop is thinking about having a fishing expedition out here...to teach the boys how to cook, clean, prepare and cook fish. I think that's a great idea. Anything we can do to promote the love of nature, to expose a bit of farming and maybe ranching qualities along with self-sustainable concepts...I am eager to do my part to contribute.

I am blessed.

# 488 - Brighter Days are Ahead!

There has been some nasty weather around here lately. Rains. Freezing Temperatures. High winds. Thunderstorms. Terrifying lightening.

The storms that blew over Texas during the past couple of weeks have caught up with the acreage. In fact, having a creek and county drainage means I get to stand outside, with concern, as water levels continue to rise.

I also get to watch my plants go through the wringer. One day, I'll have my gardens back in place and won't have to worry about the potted plants being in a shed, out of the shed, or left out in the freezing weather as I can't handle the pots due to an injured right hand.

One thing is for sure...I'm a Texas gal; I don't like these 30-50 degree days, and I REALLY don't like nights that dip into the 20's.

As for the heavy rains, like most places, the acreage has areas that can become quite menacing as the waters get rough, similar to rapids. The water flow eventually dumps into a deep area that is over my head. Scary!

At least it flows off the acreage, but I don't want to see a doggie or other farm animal wash away, so we keep our distance during hard rains.

This past Sunday, I got stuck outside in about 50 degrees, no jacket, wearing flip flops, no car keys, no purse, no phone, and the private road to the residence was a big mud pie. Essentially, I was in a forest, alone.

The prospect of having to make my way through sinking mud in very cold temperatures for a couple of forested acres was not a good one. I would have ended up at a road that has very little traffic and the nearest open store was still another five miles away.

Seriously, it made me reconsider the decision I made to move out here. Life in the country means you need a solid system of trust so that you can be safe and reasonably protected from such situations and with dependable people living nearby upon whom you can call in a bad situation. I really felt rather abandoned and that's a RARE feeling for me to experience.

It's nice to have a private lifestyle, but not nice to have even ONE SECOND of being in a bad position in the midst of rural acreage.

Anyway, it made me even more thankful for my blessings and glad that God often has a plan for our lives that is bigger and better than we can imagine.

One thing that I've been grateful for during this Christmas season is that I am a free person. Our freedom is something to treasure. Even if we're not living in the most desirable conditions, one way or another, we can still take comfort in knowing we are free.

For me, 2014 will be a year that is different from any other year of my entire adult life. To tell the truth, this was a rough Christmas, but I am already looking forward to next Christmas...knowing it will be one of the best I've ever experienced because I am free, open-minded to change and new directions with God is my ONE TRUE ROCK.

My hope is that you had a beautiful Christmas, and if things are rough for you...I pray that you take it minute by minute while knowing brighter, beautiful days will be ahead. The storms will not last forever.

# 487 - Marking off Perimeter for Guest Cabin and Enjoying Visitors

This past week has been wonderful. Stefie and Brice, came to visit us in the country and they stayed several days. They've been working so hard at Texas State and are glad to be on Winter Break. Stefie made it through her first semester for her Master's Program and this coming semester is Brice's last semester, then he gets his Bachelor's degree in Criminal Justice. He just went through the ring ceremony to get his Texas State ring...we are very proud of him.

Brice and his dad, "Mr. Jay."
Such a wonderful day to share with your son!

Perhaps a trip to the country was a good down-time trip for them. It was great getting to spend such high quality time with both of them. We were a tad cramped in our RV, but we made it work.

 

The four of us spent one afternoon laying out, measuring and marking the site for the guest cabin which will be a small two-bedroom cabin that will be the next phase of living on our acreage. This cabin will be about 600 square feet, giving us plenty of room to stretch out and enjoy ourselves.

 

It was exciting to see this first step in the construction process take place. In the future, Stefie will bring her own kids for a visit, and they'll stay in this cabin. She will be able to tell her kids that she helped Pappy and Nana lay out the groundwork for the cabin they are enjoying.

 

 

We used bright pink Contractor's spray to mark the cabin's perimeter. Next, I will mark off the rooms, mark the position of the doors and windows, etc., so we can get a feel for the layout.

 

The next thing that Stefie and I did together was plant two long rows of Sweet Yellow Onion seeds. It was the first time for Stefie to plant such things, even though she grew up with edible gardens. I was glad we were able to do work in the garden together.

 

Meanwhile, Gracie and Howdy are becoming much more acquainted. Gracie is a sweet dog. She has already learned to sit for her treats. She feels much better and has a lot of spunk!



 

 

Gracie knows how to gain Howdy's affection --- with a mix of sugar and spice!

 

And for my long time readers and for those catching up, the photo below is of a Yorkie who is ALSO a rescue dog that found her way to our last home. She was in BAD shape. At the time, my youngest daughter, Stefanie, had been asking for a Yorkie. Then, one day, my husband was in the driveway detailing his truck and this little gal covered in filth and coated with oil on her white coat came out of nowhere to launch herself INSIDE the truck with Sgt. Dave. After the initial shock subsided, he scooped her up, saw she was in bad shape, and our family banded together to help her heal.

 

 

Belle needed SERIOUS love and attention to get past her extremely aggressive behavior and lack of trust. Her flea problem went beyond a couple of rogue scavengers...she was COVERED in scores of fleas, and had become weak and sick due to anemia. We took care of her - giving her a bath within thirty minutes of her claiming our family as her own. I remember her patience while being terrified, shaking so violently. Yet, she sweetly let us bathe her while we baby-talked to her and hand-picked hundreds of fleas off her underweight body. She seemed to know we were trying to help her.

 

I admit that Belle tried my patience beyond expression because she constantly wanted to attack our old gal, Liyla; however, Stefie played tag-team at a crucial time by taking Belle into her own home.  Brice and Stefie continued the process of rehabilitating this sweetheart. Now, she is a different dog. We love her; she is part of the family.

 

Our family is definitely a dog-loving bunch of people.

 

Brice is Stefie's boyfriend. He's been around for a long time, and I adore him. A mom is very blessed to love her daughter's boyfriends.

 

My oldest daughter, Heather, married an incredible man who I respect and adore.

 

My oldest daughter, Heather, and her
first baby, Coraline...on September 1st.
Henry is my son-in-law and as I told my
daughter, "Once you marry Henry, he
becomes family...the kind we fight
and die for...that means I will also might
take HIS side on issues."

 

Henry is a gem --- I can sit and watch him holding my grand-baby, his first child, and I know he has a heart of pure gold.

 

Then, I get to enjoy Brice. One thing is for sure, Brice knows I enjoy a good movie, so every time we get to spend time together, he tries to pick out a movie that I would not normally pick out on my own. EVERY TIME he picks a winner. If you don't know Tom Hardy, then I mourn for you --- Brice introduced me to the actor Tom Hardy, and my husband must accept that a part of my heart belongs to Tom.

 

 

Watch the Wutherford Heights that Tom Hardy is in --- stick with it --- it's incredible.

 

I need a piece of chocolate! Onward!

 

Brice has a mini-Aussie named "THOR!" Thor is awesome.

 

 

And Brice is brave enough to play hard-ball with Howdy. This kind of playing cannot be done by someone who is afraid of being hurt in the process. Howdy is obsessive and very serious with his games; his amazing athleticism makes him a powerful buddy.

 

 

Playing like this requires Brice be fast, strong, and ready for those powerful jaws to clamp down so HARD that you can hear them click from twenty feet away. I'm not kidding.



 

 

Then, we have Liyla...our old girl. Of course, Liyla is another dog we rescued about ten years ago. She is the best dog I've ever had, and I can't imagine life without her. She's sweet as can be, but she becomes a vicious bundle of power to protect her loved ones beyond anything I've ever seen. Every time my dad comes to the acreage, she sees him from a distance and goes into a low predatory run to CHARGE at the perceived threat while growling and barking.

 

Liyla playing with Gracie

 

Thankfully, she still recognizes my dad as she gets about 15 feet from him, which completely changes her demeanor. My dad LOVES that this dog has such strong protective instincts and that she runs TO the battle without fear. Liyla has always been this way. And she LOVES Stefie.

 L

Stefie and Liyla share a very special bond.

 

Liyla always seeks Stefie's affections and wants to be close to Stefie. This dog actually SMILES when she sees Stefie. There is a beautiful relationship between this daughter of mine and one of her dogs. Actually, in our family, we all love each other's dogs... as if they are a big part of the family.

 



 

So, this past week we enjoyed some great days on the acreage, especially with the dogs.

 

Sgt. Dave eagerly looks forward to the day when he can add more
farm and ranch equipment to his collection. A small tractor with
several attachments, such as a post-hole digger might be next.

 

Brice had fun being able to walk out the front door with a .22 rifle and go hunting in the family's own yard. Of course, he'd go off into the woods in search of game and would have fun being in guy-land.

 

Maybe that is the unofficial name of our acreage, "Guy-land."

 

In the below shot, you can see Brice whittling wood into a "Stabbing Walking Stick." He's using a machete. Yep, this is guy-land.

 

 

Later, Brice would be poking this whittled stick into the fire as he consumed nearly a dozen roasted marshmallows. Guy-Land.

 

 

It was in the 30's --- SO COLD, but we still had a ball!

 

Moving to the country has increased our freedoms and our level of peace. Additionally, there are always projects to be done and this is good for people with personalities like my own and like my husband's. If we aren't busy, there is likely to be trouble. Plus, we do share a love for the country and for nature...this is the place we were meant to be all along. 

 

 

And country life brings lots of laughs. In fact, in the picture below, Howdy expresses his own love for country life.

 

My favorite shot of the week!

 

 Sometimes, it's too good to be true!