Tuesday, June 12, 2012

A Little Farm Visit

The raising of chickens for fresh eggs seems like a good idea right up until I think about how much work that would actually be and I remember that I have friends who evidently don't mind the hard work.
I get my eggs from them...brown and white...always in a pattern in the carton.  Fun.

Today, my friend, Stevie, and I went to the farm to get our eggs and to see the rest of the animals.  The chickens live at the house, but the rest of the animals live on 'the farm' about a mile away.  Nice chickens.  Crazy roosters that crow at all times of the day...what?????....and about 100 peeps waiting to join the flock!

After thanking the chickens for our eggs, we went on to visit with the BIG animals.
Fending off another BIG horsey animal 
(Rosie...red horse in picture above) with my left hand.
This is Nellie.  See how brave I am?  
Kristen, am I ready to ride now?
And this sweet little guy, Jack.  You can his nose sticking into the horsey picture where I am trying to fend off Rosie....he's just a little guy in there with all the BIGS.
These three are off the the state fair later this summer.
The big one is waiting for his new owner to pick him up and the little one is waiting to grow up enough to go and live in the field.  Did you know that all lambie pies are born black?  I didn't know that.  They are hoping this little guy stays black.



And a sure sign of summer for me - daisy flowers!


It was a very nice visit and I am again impressed with how hard farmers work.  Thanks a farmer next time you get the chance!









16 comments:

haybales said...

Our "field trip" was fun! Thanks for the ride. I'm lovin this thing called RETIREMENT!

Tanna said...

Farm living IS hard work. And, you don't get the weekends off either! ;) Lucky you to have friends to visit and then go home. I love the photos of you and the horses, Donna!! You look like you were having a good time. Your friends have LOTS of animals. Love the little lamb.... wool... yarn... ah, you know how my mind works. LOL! Have a great day. blessings ~ tanna

Donna said...

Old farts rule! Well, retired old farts!

Donna said...

Tanna, they said they just throw this wool away...these are meat sheep...but, could you still use the wool? If so, I can get you some....LOTS of some.
Sometimes I used to think I wanted to be a farm girl, but now I know that isn't for me!
Let me know about the wool.

Rachel said...

Oh my word! I grew up around sheep farmers, have sheep in my back yard (the field behind my house), and I did not know they all are born black! Fascinating! I love learning something new.

Chickens are easy peasy. Seriously!!!! Wait to you meet my girls. You'll see.

Donna said...

A few chickens might be a fun thing, but....I have a source for eggs and I'm helping a girl with her college expenses....win win, right?

What about the sheep wool? Is it usable?

I love learning new things, too!

Rachel said...

Yes. Win win. You are missing out on the delights of a bunch of old biddies running and cackling about so someday you'll have to try having chickens. Just so you can experience why the saying came about, "A bunch of gossiping hens". :)

Sheep wool usable? Which sheep wool? From the sheep behind my house? If so, she sells the wool to some foreign country.

Donna said...

No, the sheep that I met yesterday....they just throw it away. I'll be happy to visit your chickens and WSW always makes it look like fun, but I am thinking not for me.

K said...

I love the way you had to pry me away from the manuscript work. I've about had it after a full day, but I'm very close to being finished with it, and that makes me happy. The last of the four books I wanted to do first - almost up there. I think you were VERY brave, though with a name like "Nellie," I can't feel that she is too fire-eating. *snicker* They feel nice, don't they? And after you know them, they smell nice, too. I love these images - the light is so mellow. Animals are a ton of work, and you can't just fly off on vacation and leave them. And you can't TAKE them. Rachel is crazy. You'd think the kids would be enough. But nothing is ever enough for her; she's the earth mama. I don't know where G is right now. I'm sure he told me where he was going, and I'm just as sure I don't remember what he said. I think that is probably not so good.

Now I'm going to go stretch and look for him. And maybe try to finish the camel knitting. Then comes the camel sewing, which I'm NOT looking forward to. But in the end, I'll be glad, right?

Donna said...

Well, maybe Nellie is just a nick name for Ne-el-za-bub or something scary like that. Or maybe she is the old softie, but there were all those BIG horses all around!
They do feel nice and I have always loved the smell of barns and big animals.
I am so impressed that you are almost finished with your massive work and you have learned so much along the way, right? And pretty soon, I can read the rest of your amazingness.
I hope you find G and I'm glad I pried you away for a few minutes...I miss you when you don't show up every once in awhile...I'm just selfish that way.
I have a day of sewing before me tomorrow....a wedding gift MUST be finished and delivered. I'll be happy to be done and be able to show you the pictures.
Maybe you should get some ice cream while you are looking for G, before you start herding the camels. And of course they will be worth it in the end! Of course.

Melissa Plank said...

What a fun visit, the animals are so adorable and friendly. Daisies are the best, happy summer!

Donna said...

To you, too, Melissa!

W-S Wanderings said...

They THROW IT AWAY????? Noooooo! Maybe you could get some, wash it, and use it for stuffing?

And it really IS fun, when you're the one running around taking the pictures. The ones who do the work are slightly less romantic about the whole deal. And the inside of the coop is not at all romantic. But all in all, they're truly not much work at all. And yes, I don't know where that idea that roosters crow only in the morning came from. People who don't have roosters, obviously. The morning is only when they START crowing. I love, love, love listening to our boy crowing away. Sounds so right.

And look at you loving the big horse! Now you'll be prepared for your Utah visit. (*So* envious!)

Donna said...

Oh, stuffing is a good idea! Now, how hard it it to clean the stuff? I do like the sound of roosters, too. Oddly enough they mostly remind me of foreign places because, I guess, I have heard them mostly when I have been on mission trips.
Come to Utah with me.

K said...

you made me laugh - Ne el za bub. It's entirely possible. And I need a laugh. I feel pretty worn out, and the sad things really hit me hard - like the fires. And my brother (yes, I have one, too - just as . . . anyway) called me Sunday after I'd posted something he evidently took umbrage about, shouted at me for about five minutes, grilling me about things neither of us know anything about but he seems to have decided he's an expert on - and when I finally put my foot down and said he was ruining the lovely spirit I'd had all day, he hung up on me and - get this - UNFRIENDED me on Facebook??????

But everything else is swell. Spent all day yesterday, as I was wishing I could finish putting the books up on line, editing my darling daughter-in-law's Honors thesis. But here's the deal about getting to the end of a massive work: when you begin to break out the other side, you don't know what to do with yourself. Certainly not housework.

Donna said...

Brothers...grrrr. And I know what you mean about coming to an end and floundering. I have been doing that a bit as well. I just told my little husband that I liked it better when he was in charge of what we were doing at La Ti Da, but now that the outside is almost finished it is my turn to be in charge and it is scaring the stuffing out of me!

I tried a little housework today and it just irritated me. Now everything I touch I try to decide if it goes to the new house or not...and what do I do with it if it isn't moving? And then I walk away and read.