Goodbye Winter! Hello Spring!

Loving the beautiful weather here on the farm! Everything is blooming and the grass is so green! Although the thought of mowing season is a little LESS than appealing! I love the first few times, getting everything all clipped and neat. Then, as summer progresses, the bloom leaves the rose so to speak and mowing becomes a chore and trimming a real pain!!
But for now, YAY GRASS!! It is so much better than the snow, ice and mud! I really think that Spring is my favorite season. Well, minus the storms and tornadoes! Boo tornadoes!
Speaking of Spring, these are some of the blooms here on the farm, some smell so yummy! Some, while beautiful, actually smell kinda icky..Tricky little boogers, draw you in with their beauty, and them BAM! Stinkiness!

Pear blooms! They actually kinda stink..

Apple blossoms! Smell divine!

Texas Roses, so so I have been told. So pretty!

Narcissus? Not really sure, but so pretty, and smell so good!

Tiny little hyacinth, so purply!

Animals here are also enjoying the green grass and warmer temps. As usual spring brings all sorts of energy and friskiness. The calves are running around, the cows are hopefully all expecting new little bundles of joy this summer/fall. Taz, having done his job, is just hanging out waiting for his next assignment!

Ellie come lately saying "LET ME IN!!"

Flossie having breakfast!

T-Bone!

Cow kisses!

Busy Busy Busy, These little guys are really bringing in the pollen!

BUZZ!

Busy as well...Bees!

Sadly out of the three hives we started with last spring. only one made it through the winter. I am so bummed! I love the bees, even when they are stinkers and sting me! Losing two hives was not only sad, but very frustrating! I thought all was well, but it seems one starved during the winter, and the other is sort of a mystery. They had more than enough honey, but they were very weak and we found them in a small cluster in the center of the hive..dead or barely alive. There was only a handful of bees where a few weeks before was a busy hive. Robber bees had also moved in and decimated what was left. I did manage to thwart their efforts at taking all the honey, but still it was so upsetting. I have ordered two nucs to install this summer from a local Apiary, so wish me luck! I am determined not to give up!

Come on in little bees!

With Spring comes a overabundance of eggs! Lots and lots of eggs! I made a pound cake and an angel food cake to use up some of the excess. The family was divided on their opinions of the cakes. They either really liked it, or disliked it and used it as an opportunity to tease me unmercifully about how much they disliked the cakes, lol Darn family...But again! I will not be swayed, I WILL make more of these cakes! Naysayers beware, this farm will  again be graced with a the fluffy goodness of angel food, and the oh so heaviness of a well flavored pound cake! I will say though, the pound cakes should be many pound cakes, those things are massive!

Pound cake and cooling Angel Food cake!

TaDa!! The angel food cake freshly unpanned!

Now see, they do not look so bad, and they were pretty tasty! And no Pud'nin..you may not wash the car with the angel food cake..or use the pound cake as a jack stand..
Well. as uninformative as it is, I hope you enjoyed this post. Maybe with the end of winter there will be cool stuff to write about other than busting my booty on ice and snow! New cow babies on the way and gardens to plant! Leave a comment to let me know you were here and if you enjoyed the post!
Have a blessed day! Thanks for stopping by!

Meet Taz!

The Moo girls here on the Backwards Homestead are very happy these days! They are entertaining a handsome bull and they are all trying to catch his eye!. We were a bit nervous about having a bull here on the farm after the craziness that was MooGurgles! He kept us all wondering when he was going to break out and chase us across the farm! Buckets died, and fences suffered under his tyranny! He made beautiful babies, but he was ruthless!
But when we went to pick up Renee and SweetPea we talked to Sara and Earl about their bull Taz. He is beautiful, and seemed to be much calmer than our last experience. I was still nervous..But, we have several girls, who need a man..
So, what do we do? We borrowed them a man. Meet Taz!

Sara and Earl delivered him yesterday, and the girls were so excited. Especially Ellie, although I am not sure how it went since she was actually AI'd on Wednesday. but, then came in full bellowing, standing heat on Friday morning. So, we shall see! Either way, Flossie, and SweetPea are still open and he looks like he is just the bull to do the job! WooHoo! Let there be calves!

Taz and Ellie

 Here is is with Ellie, they  seemed to hit it off, even if they did have to engage in a bit of head butting at first!
Of course, as calm as he seems, we must remember, as we do with ALL livestock, to be very careful. Always respect the fact that they can change in an instant, and are very large! Luckily, Taz is very calm tempered, and has been a wonderful guest! We are really enjoying having him here on the Backwards Homestead.

Taz Keeping watch over the girls

He sure looks smug here in this picture! Even though he is usually with way more girls, he seemed really happy to be here!







Bae was a bit unsure about the new visitor, lol At first he was trying to run him off, but Taz was unfazed..He was like what'ev!

Bae says "WHAT?!?!"

" HELLO!!! We have ENOUGH cows!!"







 But since he actually likes the cows, it wasn't long before they were all grazing together. I guess he thought he had to check him out, and Taz wanted no part of the whole deal! He had a job to do!

Pigs...are unconcerned

Wilbur and Charlotte were not the least bit impressed. Wilbur was too busy trying to get through the fence to visit with Charlotte..She was busy laying by the fence to give him inspiration. Ugh..Pigs!
As an ending note, here is a video of Sweet Pea and Renee running to supper. Not the best, and ignore the constant clanging of the gate, lol I initially made the video to show Sweet Peas LONG moo that she belts out when you call her to supper!

So, there you go, that was my yesterday. Today...I have 10 dozen ears of corn I need to do, plus grapes to pick! So I better get busy! Leave a comment to let me know you were here if you like! :)
**Again, Shout out to Sara and Earl for loaning us their amazing bull! You guys are the best!**

Farm Living Is The Life For Me!

Spring has finally sprung here on the backwards Homestead! Goodness know we are SO ready to put all the winter garb away and have a little green instead of snowy white! Even the animals are Happy Happy Happy!

YIPEEE!

Sun!!

Miley says spring calls for belly rubs!

Brandy must be thinking about something serious!

Loving this warmer weather!

Kitty darts out the door every chance she gets to come out with me and lay in the grass, lol She absolutely loves the outdoors. I think I am the same way! Doing my inside chores is way more boring than being outside any day!  I mean, dishes....or go plant something?!?!  We all know what is going to win, right?

King Blu!

Blu thinks sun is just the bestest! This was before his spring trim, and he was looking pretty shaggy!

What is going ON over there!?

 Clara Belle is such a pretty girl! Her ears say something has her interest, and I bet she goes to check it out! I figure she is looking for Flossie! She has NOT been happy that her friend has been on maternity leave!

This water really hits the spot!

Baelfire is growing So much! Here he is taking his long peaceful drink after his breakfast. He REALLY savors his water, lol We are all making bets about the color that is hiding under all that baby fuzz! Any guesses?

Hey! Mom! Mom! What are you eating over there?

Here is ELMER! He is so cute! I love this picture, even if there is a poo pile in the back there, but you know, such is the farm life! This little guy, is a fireball! He is never still, and has an attitude way bigger than he needs! I mean, look! Can you see all that majesty and self confidence stuffed into one little calf body!

YUMMY!

Here chicky chicky! This is part of our clean up crew. They go behind all the messy eaters and cut down on the waste ratio, LOL!

Hey! Scoot OVER!!

Here is Charlotte and her latest crew! These guys are just adorable! They are also quite piggy! They are 8 weeks old and ready to be weaned and move on to a pig pen of their very own!
The trees and flowers are also blooming and it smells so nice! I LOVE the smell of an apple tree in full bloom! Amazing! Here is one of our trees that is loaded with blossoms. I sure how we do NOT have a late freeze! The last two years we have not had any apples as the blooms were killed by freezy weather!

Lets hope we have a great apple year!

Wisteria

My wisteria is starting to reach for the sky! These are one of my favorite flowers and I am hoping it will travel along this fence and cover it with beautiful cascades of flowers! This is the third year it has been here on the farm, so hopefully this will be a big growth year!

Yep! Spring is HERE!

Grape Hyacinths! They are the sure sign that spring has finally arrived! So pretty! And LOOK! The lilacs are blooming too! Oh me! I LOVE LOVE LOVE lilacs!

You see it? Up there, in the top of the bush! Blooms!

I swear I absolutely love my life here in the boonies. It is just the perfect place for me. I love the lifestyle, as frustrating as it can be to maintain. I cannot imagine my life being any different than what I have right now. We still have some hard decisions to make, and some serious changes will have to happen so we can return our farm to the contributing asset that it is meant to be! We have let things get away from us, and it is time to buckle down and make our original vision a reality! 

Sometimes life happens. Sometimes we have a moment where we lose sight of what is important. Emotionally things have been tough, and I have been tested. My faith, my strength and my courage have all taken a beating. Between the farm, the kids moving, and the decline of my Mom with Alzheimers, the year has been a rough one. But with all of that, I choose to try and look upward, and forward. Many many blessings have been given to me and my family as well! So many things that I look to God with sincere thanks!  I pray that I can look to the positive, and pull myself out of this funk! As they say, it is all in the perspective! 

With that said, I promise that big things are going to happen here on the Backwards Homestead! Just wait and see! 

Of course I will be putting it all on here so you guys can take the journey with us! So keep checking back, and leave a comment or two so I know you have stopped by!

What A Winter!

Hey! I haven't forgotten the blog! I know I have been slacking, and part of my 101 list is to blog consistently, and I am already failing! Boo! But, in my defense, things have been so crazy around here and with our oldest son Joshua moving to Virginia, 12 hours away, with two of the grandbabies I am having a hard time finding my emotional center. We do wish them well, but here on the Backwards Homestead we are feeling the loss to the core.
Also, I am afraid that there may be huge changes here on the backwards Homestead this summer.  Hard decisions are never fun, but things are getting to be more than we can handle. As much as I love all that this farm has to offer, letting go of some of the animals may be in the cards. I cannot keep on letting my passion make things harder on those who are in this with me. This last winter was exhausting both emotionally and financially. We are in this to live simpler and it has become a much different venture than our original plans. Do not get me wrong, I love every part of this farm. Every animal is loved and it will break my heart if it comes to that at some point. But numbers do not lie, and no matter what, it has to be fulfilling for everyone for this lifestyle to work!
On a positive note, we have had some awesome things happen in spite of a brutal winter. Flossie had her calf, and Charlotte also blessed us with six little oinkers! Although, getting to this point was rough, the weather was not kind, and milk fever reared its ugly head here on the homestead for the very first time. Many days we were unsure if we were going to make it to the end of winter with all the animal residents still here and healthy.
First off I will give a short update here, and later I will go more in detail later in separate posts.  Here we go!
Flossie had a little bull on February 3, 2015. He is quite the fireball! We named him Elmer, Awwww!

Such a good Mama!

Slurp Slurp!

Missed a spot!

Elmer now!

Here he is now, at a mere 7 weeks old. Yea, he's got a little something dangling for the nose area...darn straw!
Flossie had a very hard time after the birth. She had milk fever, (low calcium) and we thought we might lose her. We had to raise her up with a hip lift several times a day as she was just DONE. Even though she SHOULD get up, she was tired, felt bad, and was just a bit depressed. That lift, was awful. But she would have died if we had not forced her to stand. Sometimes we do what we have to do here on the farm, but Lord knows I cried many tears here in the barn over this cow. We prayed so hard, and thankfully the prayers were answered and Flossie did stand, and she is doing much better. yay!

Poor Mama!

Shout out to Mineral Wells Animal Clinic AGAIN for being the best as usual. Dr. Chad and Cody were awesome and went above and beyond. I am not sure what we would do if we did not have such a close relationship with everyone in the practice. They are always willing to answer questions, and do what it takes to make sure our animals get the best care possible.More on the exciting birth and Flossies struggle in another post. Stay tuned!
Ok, Charlotte. Where do I start?! She decided to have her babies the night of the worst snowstorm with subzero temps that we have had in years. Her pen is too far from the barn to even have a light for warmth. With a lot of hard work, and Gods grace, we managed to get her hut covered with anything and everything we could find to hold heat. We filled it with straw, and prayed for the best. She initially had 10 babies, then we counted 8, then 6...Then For days, we had no clue as the temps were still bitterly cold. THEN we had yet another snow storm. Finally, we get a peek and we still have SIX little wiggly piglets. Whew!!

Cuteness!

Charlottes little fortress, lol

Peeking out for some supper!

Aren't they tiny! I tell you, Charlotte is an amazing Mommy! Stuck in her hut, with her babies, and she was still so very careful not to squish them even in total darkness. Go Charlotte!

Out and about!

Charlotte!

So Cute!

Here is one of the last litter! WOW! So big!

Last but not least. Thanks and much love to my Pud'nin. He has never failed to be by my side through all our animal/personal drama. Letting me cry, kick, flail and flap like the emotional mess that I am. Without all his support, I would surely be wearing a straight jacket by now singing Ladybug Picnic at the top of my lungs...I love you Pud'nin! You are indeed a strong man..
 Well, that is a quick peek, a sort of overview. More later, I promise. I just need to get myself together and focus, focus focus! Feel free to leave a comment to let me know you stopped by! I love reading comments! Ok, Till next time, may you be blessed in all that you do. :)

Baby Watch!

I am so excited!! The time is here to start keeping a close eye on Flossie because she is in the last stretch of her pregnancy. I get so nervous at this point!! I love this darn cow so much and the thought of her having any issues, and God forbid...I just cannot say it.. Who  knew that I would have such warm fuzzy feelings over a cow.

I have most of my birth kit ready, but I do need to get it all together and in the barn. We have everything for her yummy molasses water after the birth. I have come CPK in case of milk fever. I have Mineral Wells Animal Clinic on speed dial! Who by the way, is an AWESOME group of people. I swear, they are so patient with me, because I am quite a question box once I get going! Just LOVE them!
We also have little piggies on the way! Charlotte is also in the family way, and I have NO idea when they little oinkers are due, Oh no! I know when I thought they were Boom Chicka Wow Wow..ing. But, that due date came and went, so it was obviously just for fun. Now I have to get busy making a piggy maternity ward. So much to do! So little time! There she is, at the farthest trough. Pigging out!

 Here are the last babies, rooting away, lol They have really grown and may get a chance to go out into the pasture soon. I haven't asked them what they think about that, so it may be a bust.

 So, keep an eye out, I will be posting about all sorts of new babies soon. We all know that EVERYONE loves baby pictures!

Making Butter!

Today was butter day! Well, it was actually Tuesday, but since I have to dry off Flossie in another month I have been trying to save as much milk as I can to at least make yummy butter! If you have never made butter, then maybe this post will be a little interesting! I know it never ceases to amaze me when the cream suddenly turns into yummy yellow butter!
First, you need one of these. Well, maybe not your very own, but at least what one can give you which is cream. For me, cream comes from Flossie.

For Flossie to make delicious milk with lots of cream she needs plenty of food, such as this green grass. She will munch and munch all day long.

Yet another tractor! Mmm green green grass!

 The grass is cut, dried and rolled for her and the rest of the animals to have during the winter when the pasture is all brown and dead! Flossie gets all the hay and grass she can eat and also mixed feed twice a day.

Pud'nins trusty tractor and a nice roll of hay!

All hooked up and my goodness, look at that baby bump!

Twice a day when she has her breakfast and her supper I clean her up till she is squeaky clean, disinfect her little milk faucets and hook the milker up so it can do it's job.

Flossie gave all three gallons one warm summer morning!

 The milk goes into the house, gets strained and put into jars where it will get chilled and the cream rises to the top. Then I scoop it off, and into a bowl it goes. Well, in this case it goes into a kitchen Aid mixer bowl.

Mix Mix Mix

Butter breaking, or forming, is the coolest thing. Watch the video very carefully and you will see exactly when it goes from being cream to butter!

THEN, after you actually have butter the fun is not over.  Now you have to pour off the buttermilk, which is great in pancakes and biscuits. Then take your butter and add cold water. Stir and mash the butter under the water, changing frequently. When you stir the butter, and the water stays clear, it is washed enough. 

Now you keep mashing, and the water will work its way out of the butter. Time to add a little salt, stir well, and then store in the refrigerator. Yummy!! 

This is the butter that I keep in my fridge. Not the prettiest picture as we well, use it in cooking and since I didn't have a new bowl I just snapped a picture of the one I am using! This stuff is delicious! Spread it on one of the fluffy homemade rolls and you will be hooked for life on fresh butter!

Fluffy, yeasty, toasty and yes, buttery rolls! Yummo!

 I didn't get any pictures of the washing and pressing as it is hard to take pictures of yourself, lol One day I will try to corral some of the kids to take a picture of that process as well. The main thing I was hoping to show was the moment your cream turns to butter, which I find so fascinating! Hopefully this was at least a tiny bit interesting and if you have any questions or comments please, really, leave a comment below!