Today it is kind of rainy. It's not really rainy but misty, cloudy, and windy. There is not a lot to do in this weather but be inside and find something useful to do. We had a good time with our friends yesterday. They came at about 11:00 a.m. and left at about 11:30 p.m. Not a lot of sleep time in between last night and this morning. I did get to sleep in until 9:20 p.m. this morning but I'm still tired. Maybe a nap before bed tonight would help.
I learned another song from a CD today. I don't know the name of it but the guitar flatpicking is pretty neat. The songs that I learn off from CDs are not exactly how the player played it (but it's pretty close). I have to make up my own parts for some of it when I can't follow along with what they are doing.
This morning we had two cats that fell into the used oil bucket by the semi. A BIG MESS! We had to bring them in and soap them up (which a cat does not like) and rinse them off and soap them up and rinse them off and over and over but we still didn't get all of it off. Right now they are a little greasy and where the white was it is now brown colored.
We have switched the milking chores from Jonathan to Andrew and I. I do it in the morning and then I hope Andrew will take his turn tonight. Jonathan's chores is taking care of the 50 baby chicks that we have and he will be taking care of fifty more after they come sometime this week. David's chores is feeding and watering the cats and dogs (that is pretty easy to do!).
I'll talk later,
Peter
Monday, May 29, 2006
Friday, May 26, 2006
An update from around here
Hello,
For the last few days it has been real nice out. About in the 75-80s. The gardens are shooting up and so are the weeds but we take care of that by tilling and weeding.
Today Steve came over and we got a bunch done. He used his hand roto-tiller and went in between the rows of the garden, Jonathan and I built the start of a chicken coop, Steve and I used a drag and leveled out the ridges in the garden spot beside the hoop house, we did a lot more watering in the North East field (I did two rows of beans that were about 15 feet long and in order to soak it I used half of a tank full of water, about 150 GALLONS), I did some obediance training with Samson, and picked up rocks out of around the house and out in the field for a couple of hours.
Our humming bird feeder has had activity recently. Tonight as we had popcorn on the patio with Steve we watched one fly in, take a sip, chirp a couple times, and then fly out. Bzzzzzzzzzzz. Earlier on we watched a bumble bee that looked about the same size as the humming bird. I like all the wildlife and birds that we have in the Turtle Mountains. One of my favorite things to do is watch and identify birds and try to see how many different types of ducks I can see on the way to town or on a trip somwhere. It's nice to see a bird and know exactly what type it is. My list of identified birds has grown to more than 100.
For the last few days it has been real nice out. About in the 75-80s. The gardens are shooting up and so are the weeds but we take care of that by tilling and weeding.
Today Steve came over and we got a bunch done. He used his hand roto-tiller and went in between the rows of the garden, Jonathan and I built the start of a chicken coop, Steve and I used a drag and leveled out the ridges in the garden spot beside the hoop house, we did a lot more watering in the North East field (I did two rows of beans that were about 15 feet long and in order to soak it I used half of a tank full of water, about 150 GALLONS), I did some obediance training with Samson, and picked up rocks out of around the house and out in the field for a couple of hours.
Our humming bird feeder has had activity recently. Tonight as we had popcorn on the patio with Steve we watched one fly in, take a sip, chirp a couple times, and then fly out. Bzzzzzzzzzzz. Earlier on we watched a bumble bee that looked about the same size as the humming bird. I like all the wildlife and birds that we have in the Turtle Mountains. One of my favorite things to do is watch and identify birds and try to see how many different types of ducks I can see on the way to town or on a trip somwhere. It's nice to see a bird and know exactly what type it is. My list of identified birds has grown to more than 100.
Ned (our billy goat) says hi!
Mamma and the kids.
As you see the kids like to play on the sheep's back and the sheep don't seem to mind.
This one is You-too. He is the spotty kid. :-) I didn't get a picture of our other goat that we are milking. Her name is Mustard Seed.
Time for bed, Goodnight
Peter
Thursday, May 18, 2006
Tons to write about!!!
We have been keeping busy watering our ~acre garden. It takes about two afternoons to complete it all even with a 425 gallon tank and a heavy duty pump with two garden hoses on it! You only have to water about twice a week if you soak it down really heavy but with the strawberries and carrots that are close to the surface they need to be watered a lot more frequently so that it is still moist at the level where the seed it. Most all the seeds are peeking out of the soil now so it won't be long until everything is six inches tall!
Yesterday we had Chris Scigliano come over and till up another patch of ground so that we can till from now until next planting season so the weeds are deleted from that area. Our little twin kids are doing just fine! Jumping around and playing with each other. It is fun to watch them play and jump onto a sheep's back that is standing up and nibble on some wool and jump off again.
Today we went and took apart the beaver dam that is holding up water over the road. The beaver has built it up pretty good so it is harder to take apart than the first time we did it.
We are going to be playing music at a graduation near Bismark in a few days so we have been practicing and have got dad on the big upright bass so now he can play seven songs. Tonight mom took a try at milking and I didn't hear the story as to if it was successful or unsuccessful.
Oh yes, yesterday a lady came over from Rugby to help us take a look at our bees with dad and found out that one of our two hives was empty from most of the bees except for a bunch of dead ones so we are thinking that it got sick. Or possibly the queen moved or the queen died and all the other bees flew somewhere else but we don't know and at least we still have another hive. There's a bunch more to say but it's getting later so,
Good bye.
Peter
Yesterday we had Chris Scigliano come over and till up another patch of ground so that we can till from now until next planting season so the weeds are deleted from that area. Our little twin kids are doing just fine! Jumping around and playing with each other. It is fun to watch them play and jump onto a sheep's back that is standing up and nibble on some wool and jump off again.
Today we went and took apart the beaver dam that is holding up water over the road. The beaver has built it up pretty good so it is harder to take apart than the first time we did it.
We are going to be playing music at a graduation near Bismark in a few days so we have been practicing and have got dad on the big upright bass so now he can play seven songs. Tonight mom took a try at milking and I didn't hear the story as to if it was successful or unsuccessful.
Oh yes, yesterday a lady came over from Rugby to help us take a look at our bees with dad and found out that one of our two hives was empty from most of the bees except for a bunch of dead ones so we are thinking that it got sick. Or possibly the queen moved or the queen died and all the other bees flew somewhere else but we don't know and at least we still have another hive. There's a bunch more to say but it's getting later so,
Good bye.
Peter
Wednesday, May 10, 2006
Planting
We are home! There has been a lot of things going on at our place since we left to Carlton MN.
We have (along with our three sheep) five goats, two of them are three or four day old kids, and Dad has been calling them "you" and "you too." They are real cute! You is mostly black on her back but You Too has the same design only with extra white spots on her back. One of the other goats, Ned (we didn't name him) is our Billy goat. He is the most friendly goat of them all! The other two are females and are Mustard Seed and I forgot the other one's name but we are milking Mustard Seed and the other one is the one that had kids so we are letting the kids take the milk from her for now.
Now for the planting part. We have planted: corn, beans, tomatoes, some peppers, lots of raspberries, onions, lots of potatoes, carrots, peas, red wheat as an experiment, white wheat as an experiment, oats as an experiment, and a bunch of trees scattered in the raspberry patch. Now that we have all that planted it takes about three or more hours to totally soak the plants as much as they need. Yesterday we watered using Steve's water tank and a gas pump on the bace of his pickup truck. Each tank full was about 350 gallons and we used at least five tank fulls. That is a lot!!! We will still be planting more this spring. Got to get going and ready to milk the goat.
Peter
We have (along with our three sheep) five goats, two of them are three or four day old kids, and Dad has been calling them "you" and "you too." They are real cute! You is mostly black on her back but You Too has the same design only with extra white spots on her back. One of the other goats, Ned (we didn't name him) is our Billy goat. He is the most friendly goat of them all! The other two are females and are Mustard Seed and I forgot the other one's name but we are milking Mustard Seed and the other one is the one that had kids so we are letting the kids take the milk from her for now.
Now for the planting part. We have planted: corn, beans, tomatoes, some peppers, lots of raspberries, onions, lots of potatoes, carrots, peas, red wheat as an experiment, white wheat as an experiment, oats as an experiment, and a bunch of trees scattered in the raspberry patch. Now that we have all that planted it takes about three or more hours to totally soak the plants as much as they need. Yesterday we watered using Steve's water tank and a gas pump on the bace of his pickup truck. Each tank full was about 350 gallons and we used at least five tank fulls. That is a lot!!! We will still be planting more this spring. Got to get going and ready to milk the goat.
Peter
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