I never have time to update.

AND... I am truly sorry about that. With homeschooling, animals, cooking, cleaning, and all the other things that go on in my life. This blog tends to get the back burner. I know I never made promised to blog every day, every month, or every six months... but I still feel guilty. 

Here are a couple pics from around October to make it up to y'all. 

Mrs. Brownie

Mr. Bill.

My side of the Mountain.

Welcome, Bill!

We've had tragedy here at the roost as coyotes have been reintroduced into our area. Brownie and Floppy were inside an electric fence, and we'd never had any issues with coyotes before, so we weren't locking them in the barn at night. Sadly, Floppy lost her life and Brownie has been alone most of the winter.

Since it is getting to be THAT time of year, we were graciously loaned Bill until he is needed elsewhere. He is a brute, but fortunately, like Brownie, he will lead like a dog. He was quite skittish at first, but has settled down some.

Isn't he gorgeous?! He doesn't smell as good as he looks, trust me on that one. 

After a week or so, he and Brownie have become good friends. Well, unless it is feed time.

And with any luck, Brownie will have some little ones trotting around late this fall.

I'm sharing this at From the Farm Blog Hop!

Family: Just a Normal Sunday

Yesterday was a great day with the family. Bailey and Dalton had a blast dressing Slinkie up as Woody from Toy Story. She is such a good dog, she will let them do anything to her, and she sleeps in the oddest ways.

Michael and I worked on the electric fence AGAIN. Then he weed-eated around it. It is FINALLY working right. Maybe Ill be able to keep some flowers now. One of the bushes {what was left that the goats didn't eat} in the yard has broke out in some beautiful buds and bloom.

Michael, the boys, and I; my uncle and his wife; as well as my niece, her hubby and baby rode on top of the mountain to look at view, take some pics, and check out the goats a friend has running loose up there. While there, Bailey came running to me and said.. "MOM! There is a drug-usin goat up here, we have to leave." I went to see what on earth he was talking about; the goat was chewing on a empty cigarrette pack. It is pretty hard to get something away from a goat when it doesn't want to let you have it. Just sayin.

It is such a beautiful place up there. We took a few family pics of Deidra, Sammy and Kylee.

and before Kylee was dressed in the adorable denim, she had on the shirt I bought her. Melted my heart.

After our trip, we came and changed the water in Crowbar's waterer and gave him {but I believe he is really gonna be a she} some fresh food.

Foghorn and the gang came out to see what all the commotion was about.

Foghorn is starting to crow and it is so comical.

Oh and like I mentioned before.. Peaches is THRILLED to be home! Can't ya tell?!

I am sharing this post at Homstead Revival's Barn Hop. Stop by and see the other submissions as well.

Cheap Way to Raise Chickens: FREE Roost!

Michael and I decided the chickens needed a roost inside the run, so we used an old broom handle and wired it to the t-posts. It was FREE, works great, and they seem to love it. Every time I look out the back door one or more of them are up on there. Foghorn just hangin' out on the roost.Today the gang finally emptied their food bucket. It has been exactly two weeks since we originally filled it up. The coop is working out great so far. The only issue we have had involved the water bucket, and truly it wasn't the buckets fault. The building is not level, so you had to sit the waterer in the same exact position at all times for it to work correctly. We tried to add a screw in the bottom and hang it from the rafters but the screw must not have been centered, and that didn't work either. Dad found an old waterer he used when he had chickens many years ago and gave it to us to try. It is working, but it too has to sit in that one exact spot. Looks like we are gonna have to level the building up or fix us up one that can hang with it centered properly. Dad also loaned us a feeder he used for his chicks. We put it in with Crowbar. I think he is doing a little better. Hopefully all his feathers will be back soon. Gertie and Blackie wanted to know what we were up to. and what the chicks were up to. They were just hanging out in a little huddle hiding from her. I shared this post at Homestead Revival's Barn Hop.

Cheap Way to Raise Chickens: New Home!

We put the chicks into their new home around 5pm this afternoon. Michael, Mom, Dad, the boys and I sat outside until 9:30pm making sure everything went smoothly for them. We had a nice time talking about Dad's adventures with chickens as a child. Dad seemed to approve of the run, so I think it is going to work out fine.

 If you look closely at the pics you can see little yellow things at the bottom of the run. Michael used tent stakes to hold the wire down.  It really worked out. There were only two weak spots when he finished. We used bricks to hold those down until we get a few more stakes tomorrow.  He used twelve today.

Foghorn checking out his new run.

Gertie came to see what all the commotion was about.

Then Blackie joined the fun.

The kids were so excited to see the chicks exploring. Bailey was pretending to throw a stick at the dogs for sniffing the chicks and D was screaming No!!! They are so comical. {He didn't really throw it}.

Gertie came down to my chair to say Hello.

Blackie and Slinkie aren't the best of friends. Slinkie gets along with the other goats, but I suppose her and Blackie are too much alike. They both try to rule the roost. They were about to go round-n-round. Sophie stepped in and showed Blackie that she couldn't mess with her best pal. One bark and Blackie took off like a streak.

I guess they decided they didn't like Sophie being so bossy, they left.

Sampson came out to check out the new chick house. See him hanging out under the chair? Surprisingly he didn't try to get in there. He has been pretty calm around the chicks, but I'd say if he could get his paws on them they'd be gone.

I glanced down the drive and I caught Bailey throwing dirt into the air. Boys will be boys I suppose. Of course, being the mean Mommy I am, I told him to stop and I made him wash his hair twice tonight. He wasn't happy with me, but I bet he wouldn't like grit on his pillow tonight either.

Ah.. the joys of being a Mom!

Michael purchased two packs of tent stakes that had six in a pack at Walmart for $2.88 a pack. So holding the wire down will cost us less than $10 once we purchase another pack.

Goats: They have names!

This isn't the best picture because they were pretty far away, but they were close enough together that I could get them all in one picture.

I finally decided that the nannies needed names. I am sure my brother had them named four years ago when we moved in, but honestly I don't remember what they were. They were just little 'uns back then. 

I let the boys name them.

Top left hand corner:  Gertie

Middle: Blackie

Bottom right hand corner: Scratch

Goats: Scratchin' my back

Meet our goats. They don't have names, or I'd introduce you. I really should have named them, like four years ago. I guess if I am gonna blog about them, I should name them.

The goats were here when we moved in. We moved into my brothers home because he married and moved in with his new wife. The goats belonged to him, there were seven of them at the time. A few have passed on, and he sold a few. We only have three roaming around now.  I couldn't get a decent shot of the black headed one.

They aren't very friendly, unless you are going to feed them. We've considered getting a couple babies so that we can raise them as pets rather than just weed-eaters. Before we do that, we need to figure out why the fence isn't working.  It was working fine last fall, but the winter done it in. Michael has patched and patched and patched, but still no luck getting it going. Looks like we will have to walk the entire pasture and see if there is something that has fallen on it up in the mountains or if it is just down.

We can't just leave the fence as is. These guys LOVE to eat my flowers, bushes, trees, and vines. So fixing the fence is the only option.

Do you have goats? Are they pets or are they weed-eaters? Any name suggestions for our three?