Well guys I have managed to put u0p 16 pints of candied carrots and 8 more pints of green beans. My mother took a few of each, my daughter took a few more. Now how am I to get enough if everyone keeps taking it. I am going to make some orange marmalade this evening. The recipes calls for 8 cups water 8 cups sugar, and 4 large navel oranges along with 2 lemons. Sounds good. I will let you know. Jeff helped me pick another 23 quarts of black raspberries. Jean better get here soon or we will be canning for a life time. On a sadder note Ginger got loose and one Muscovy and one mallard female are dead. It also looks like goober has fallen ill. The other dear that is blind is doing really well but little goober in fading fast. I don't look for him to make it past today.

Jeff and the kids took 11 dogs and 4 cats to the rabies clinic. It took 3 trips and 4 people to get everyone done. We really need less dogs. My daughter Trisha is supposed to take 2 dogs and a cat with her some day. I hope its soon.

My Turkey we haven't given him a name yet. Any ideas out there? I went to the docs and my scald is doing well. Trisha came home for a day and I let her feed the chickens and left an egg on purpose so she could find it. It's the little things that make you smile. She loved it. She took Sam and Joey home with her for a week. Then Jeff called and while he was out Ginger got loose and killed one of my mallards and I can't find one of the muscovies, or one eyed Willie yet. The guenia are no were to be found at this time either. Jeff was really upset. He gets so attached to them all.

These are my 3 piggies. They have grow alot in 3 months. I am going tohave a lot of meat in another 5 months probably 250 each. They are noisy when you go to feed them. I like sneaking up on them early in the morning before they are awake. They all sleep hugging each other. Yesdterday they had the tub we use to feed them drug down into the pen. Joey fished it out. We feed them scraps and pig pellets and some soup like stuff Jeff found. They love the corn. I believe its the favorite. We named them Baccon, sausage and pork chop.

He is getting bigger

Our little goober is geting bigger.

Why he likes sleeping in the bathroom is beond me.

Ouch that hurt

Well I haven't posted in a few days. I got home from work on Wednesday and my husband and his brother were ripping out the old kitchen floor. They had stuff every where. I was making dinner and tripped over the dog and dipped my boob into a scalding pan of water. Yes I said boob the skinned peeled back and I have second and third degree burns. it hurt really, really bad. I know some of you think I was a cussing but truly it hurt so bad nothing came to mind except maybe passing out. But, I back and on the mend. I was able to still feed my chickens and can 21 quarts of green beans to boot.

So here we are my scalded boob and my husband 's face they dropped a 2 by 4 with a nail that cut his eye brow, cheeck, nose and lip. The next day I tripped feeding the ducks and bruised my leg.

So here's the story Jeff threw scalding water on me in an arguement...I beat him up and as I was leaving he tripped my making me fall. Sound believable? That's my story and I am sticking to it.

I talked with my friend Gloria this morning and she said a pan of water I better be careful it woyld only take a tablespoon of water for her to do that.....I laugh so hard I could barely talk.

My butt is dragging today. Sam and Joey helped me snap some green beans and can them last night. We finally finished around 11pm. We have 7 quarts of beautiful looking beans. I have been searching the internet hoping to find me some new canning recipies. There really arent many finished meals like chili, stews and a few soups. Canning just meat helps in the main course of a meal is already cooked I guess you cant have everything. Goober is getting big quick. I will take another picture as soon as I can. He runs all over the yard now. You just dont see yourself playing tag with a deer.

Flowers in bloom

I planted these astilbile last year and they are blooming beautifully. A great prenienal flower to plant.

This is a huge rock in the middle of my flower bed I painted Jeff's favorite quote on it. "Faults are Thick where Love is Thin". I love adding to my gardens. Went to Wal-Mart this morning and got a few jelly jars. I was surprised to see the berries ripening already. Must be all the rain were having this year. Jean will be here in two weeks. The canning will be on. I have learned alot from her. She has out lived 3 husbands , 2 children several cancers including breast cancer she is 86 and still kicking. Mean as a rattle snake. She never gives up.

Does anyone have any idea what the name of this bush is? I bought it in Hinton at the nursery. I usually leave all the tags on plants even though I know most of them. Of course the one I find very interesting doesnt have a tag. It is doing well and is supposed to come back every year. Well the weekend was busy enough. Jeff's son Jason was ill and we had to go to CAMC to get him. He decided to stay with us and rest a few days. Jeff poured the concrete step to the house yippiee, no more breaking my neck to get out the door. I was busy pulling weeds from my blackberries so I can see the snakes easier when I pick the berries. I picked bunches of strawberries for the guineas they loved them. I found plenty of worms and weeds for my chickens. I even managed to just sit and watch my chickens for a few minutes. Jeff left the door to our bedroom open last night so I could hear my rooster crow and wake me up. He knows it makes me smile to hear him. By the way I named him one eyed Willie. Can you guess why?

My daughter Sam feeding the baby deer. We decided to name him goober. He is eating alot more now and geting better on his feet. My cucumber plants and tomatoes plants are doing crazy good. I am reading the canning book everyday wishing and hoping. I want to go to the farmer's market and just buy something to can. It is hard to wait for your own grden to ripen. I have picked out a really nice chili recipe I found on the internet. If it is truly wonderful when we make it I will post it. We are going to can that. I lovecoming home and popping a few jars heating it up and dinner is done.

Went home last night and a baby deer needs feed. So now along with everything else we are feeding a baby deer to set free. I did a search and need to buy milk replacement at the feed store. My Aunt Debbie has raised about 15 of them over the years. Every 2 hours is tough. Thank goodness we all pitch in for the responsiblity. So jeff and I head to town and fins a turtle upside down in the road it is hurt but not dead. We take it home, clean it up, give it some water and this morning what do I find????? Yes a turtle egg. Could we feed anything else ? I will upload a picture of the deer tomorrow. Iam working in the Princeton WV office today. It is a short day thank heavens for that. I just finished both magazine ads and am heading to the feed store for that milk. Hopefully I can spend some time with my chickens today.

I saw this quilt pattern in a magazine and decided I really liked it and made me one. Of course my daughter Samantha came in and said " oh mom I really love this one it is the most beautiful one you have ever made". Well need less to say she ownes it now.

My First 6 Rhode Island Reds with 2 White ducks and 2 mallards. This is where it all began.

Jeff and I went to the Poultry Auction in Alderson, WV on Saturday. I took a small pet carrier you know to buy me a chicken or two that lay eggs right now. All mine are to small just yet. Of course they had the cutest banies there and bought a few of them. Well then they had 2 guineas had to have that, then needed a few cages to get these items home, so bought 3 of them. Well each cage could hold like 5 items. Which meant we needed a male mallard to go with the females at home, of course you had to buy them all which meant another 2 females. Then Jeff remembered his turkey some dog killed and we ended up with 2 turkeys. Then this great pen came up you know I had to have it. Well now I am broke but I loved going to the Auction. We meant some nice people, had a day out and spent the next day working to death figuring out housing for the new babies. I put the large pen right in the middle of my flower gardens so I have a few chickens I can play with close by. I walk the walk with my ducks and it drives the guineas crazy when they come by.

My friend Debbie and her daughter Rachel visited us last week. They hadn't seen the place since we started the whole raise your own food thing. It rained everyday but we still managed to put in a new walk way and plant some roses along with some snowball bushes. The girls loved the chickens so much they decided to take a few home to Shennandoah Junction WV. So far only 2 attaks on the chickens by her dog Scout. Debbie has beaufiful gardens. I will post about the Poulty Auction we went to in Alderson this weekend later. Here is the first flower bed and walkway she did for me.