Garden time!

We finally got the garden in! Yay! Well, actually three gardens. I swear that I better get something out of all this work, or I am just going to move to town and live in an apartment! Not really, but sheesh, all that work is hard to do when the year goes to heck in a handbag and you barely have anything to harvest!
Pud'nin always makes sure that everything is ready when I need it and I sure am thankful! There is NO way I could even have a small garden without him and his trusty tractor! Thank you Pud'nin!

 Now, I will say, a communication snafu created a bit of a mess! I had Pud'nin move an old bale of hay by the garden to use as mulch last year. HE thought I meant I wanted it spread ON the garden and tilled in...So, off he went and it tangled all in the tiller. We had to spend a while getting it all pulled out and things running smoothly again! Well, live and learn! So, always tell your Pud'nin EXACTLY what you want..hehe!

This is the smallest of the three gardens. I have some lettuce, tomatoes, squash, kale, peppers, peanuts, onions, and two kinds of beans planted here. Basically the same things as in the bigger ones but in smaller amounts.

 This is the big garden that Pud'nin made me last year because the one we had used for so many years was just so cloddy and filled with clay! It is MUCH better! I did plant the potatoes, cucumbers, and popcorn here, along with the usual. I am super excited to see how the popcorn does. I have never grown it before!

 Here is the cloddy beast of a garden! This year it is totally planted in corn. Well, except for two rows of Cream Peas.  So, basically 4250 feet of Ambrosia sweet corn! It is just nothing but clods, it is awful and I get so aggravated whenever I have to plant here..

We have also been working on cleaning a few frames for another bee hive. It is a hand crampy job! But in the end it is nice to see that you can actually take something that looks like this...

 And make it look like THIS! Much better. Now only what seems like a billion left to clean!

Well, that is a small look into what has been going on at the Backwards Homestead these days! Coming soon, Strawberry Jam and then Blackberry cobbler! Yummy! Leave a comment so I know you stopped by! Till next time!

Busy Day In The Barn!

Today was quite the busy day! We have had our barn for quite a while and only managed to get one stall wall partially finished. Boo! We were going with concrete, but have decided to keep Flossies milk stall concrete, but the rest of the barn stalls will be wood.
We started as soon as we got done feeding this morning. Let me tell you,  Pud'nin was a  force to be reckoned with today! He was a man on a mission! Did I mention that it was like 20 degrees today?
First we started by taking down the old panels. That was kind of bittersweet as we had put them up when Ciskgo was sick and needed to be inside. We are so blessed that he has healed and is now such a peppy pants! But now the panels had to go to make way for nice sturdy stalls!

Pud'nin working hard! Yea, that IS his happy face! :)

Panels down, now ready for some real stalls!

Then we had to dig some holes. Sounds easy, right? In theory, it would be a breeze, but in reality it was terrible! The ground in the barn is harder than heck! I mean the posthole auger just sit there smoking. Literally! Spinning, spinning, going nowhere. Pud'nin was determined, so he gave the tractor more gas! It was screaming!!Still nothing...
We finally had to resort to an unsafe practice that I will not document and finally had two lovely round holes!

Gorgeous I tell you!

The cool thing about this is I actually got to operate the tractor! Yea, the lift, the gas, and the PTO! I was pretty nervous, but I managed to get it done with Pud'nin patiently explaining the steps. He was probably so sweet and patient because he knew he would shortly be behind that tractor, with me in the seat!
Then it was time to set the posts. We had two awesome helpers today and they were perfect! Not only were they big helpers, they also found a whole nest of eggs that some hen had hidden in the hay!

Pretty Little Farm Girl!

Steady! Of course, Payton and his silly face!

WooHoo!

Then add in some boards, and you have a stall! All we have left is the gate. I am so excited! Now we only have four more to go! This is actually on my 101 list so look at me go! We are going have that list knocked out in record time.

TaDa!!

Joshua giving it the once over!

Since Flossie is possibly due to calve in a few weeks, we could not have waited another minute. She is getting rounder and rounder by the day. She has not bagged up yet, but that can happen in a flash. I do feel so much better knowing that she will have a warm safe place to bring her little one into this world.

Look at that belly!

I really like the look of wooden barn stalls. They remind me of my grandfathers barn where he used to let us use the hand corn sheller. I loved watching all the yellow kernels falling down into the wooden box and then he would let us take a scoop to Midnight the pony. Those were some of the best times of my childhood. Helping on the farm and learning how to properly care for the animals has stuck with me. I really think that early exposure to the simple lifestyle is the reason that I love it so much now!
Well, there you have it, our day in a nutshell. Let me know what you think!

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!

Looking a lot Like Fall

Fall on the farm is almost as busy as summer. We have to get all the animals settled and make sure they will have what they need for the cooler temperatures. Not to mention getting things squared away for the people here on the Backwards Homestead! As busy as it can be I will say, Fall is one of my favorite times of the year. The temperatures are much milder and the colors of all the leaves are just amazing!

Fall Sunset

This Fall we have two expectant mamas. Flossie is due in January/February and ClaraBelle is due anywhere from October to, well, we aren't too sure, lol Both girls are getting all round and although Flossie is not due for a while she looks massive!

Little herd of girlies!

Flossie having breakfast

ClaraBelle getting a little nibble of hay

We did manage to get the roof on the side shed off the barn, but still have to get the end boxed in for the expectant girls so they can stay warm and dry when the weather gets nasty. When you have animals it seems the winter preparation is never completely finished. There is always something that needs attention. Like hay, which Pud'nin has been baling like crazy!

Trusty Tractor

Square baler and yet another trusty tractor

The little piggies are growing like crazy. We only have two left that we will be saving for ourselves. The rest have gone on to their new homes and from what I hear they are getting fat and sassy. Charlotte is enjoying the smaller crowd and in November will go back in with Wilbur for a little couples time, lol

Wilbur

Charlotte and babies

Baby piggies having breakfast

Hard to believe that before we know it snow will be blowing and we will be looking for the coveralls. I know that it is coming, and I sure am hoping that it will not be as icy as last year! But no matter what the weather, we will be out and about making sure the Backwards Homestead is running smoothly!

Summer Update!

I swear the summer is just flying by this year! So many things have happened that I want to tell everyone about, but I stay so busy that I barely have time to sit down for even a few minutes. Summer here on the Backwards homestead, especially July, is filled with winter preparations. Most of the garden comes in and has to be canned/frozen or dehydrated for yummy nutritious meals when it is cold and icky outside.
I thought I might make a post about a few of the things that have been going on around here, then when I have a second I will go into more detail about a few of them. Especially the special event that happened in July!
We first had a fireworks show and it was awesome! Some of the kiddos had went and picked up some fireworks and let me tell you, they were beautiful! We used to go to the different ones that are given around town, but these days it is a bit hard with all we have going on around here! But I personally enjoy these little moment much more than a crowded place where you have to deal with so many people, lol! I caught a few shots, but keep in mind that this is with a cell phone, so the quality is not so fabulous!

Kapow!

Pop!

Boom!

Josh with his circle of sparkler fire!

The biggest event, and my FAVORITE is that our youngest was married to his sweetie on July 5th. The wedding was amazing, and of course I cried like a girl!. The guys were just so handsome and the girls were just beautiful, it was one of those things that makes your heart swell with pride almost to the point of bursting. Weddings are always very special, but to watch one of your children give their heart to the one that love is especially heartwarming. Here are a few pictures of the happy event. Keep your eyes open because when more pictures get done I will be going into more detail about the wedding!

The happy couple

Smooches!

Unity sand, AWWW!

As you can see, it was quite the event and the kiddos are now settled into married life and doing quite well. I could not be any happier! Don't forget, keep checking and soon I will have a wedding post with more pictures!
The main think that is keeping me busy this summer is preparing for winter! Yea, who knew that it takes all summer to be ready for winter. Here on the backwards Homestead we preserve alot of the food we will be eating during the winter. So, that takes alot of time and let me tell you, it has been a bumper year for some crops. I have made so many pickles that I am beginning to perpetually smell like vinegar! We love homemade pickles of every type, so I have probably done close to a hundred jars of yummy crispy pickles. Add in relishes, blackberries, jellies, green beans and all the other stuff and I have more than 200 jars filled so far.

Yummy salty sour pickles!

This was a busy day!

Pretty boiling blackberry jelly

Future blackberry cobblers

Dill relish

We also put up 30 dozen ears of sweet corn that yielded 74 quart bags of cut off corn and 3 huge bags of corn on the cob for the freezer. This week we will be pulling out many of the things that are done producing and replanting the ones that have time to give us another go this summer. Yummy!
Then, add in the moment when my pud'nin tried to give me even more gray hair. He bought a storage building, which all in all is great! But, it was quite hard to get it up off the ground, and on a trailer. Yea, they just put stuff on trailers, and tear off down the highway no matter how large the item may be! That's just how they roll! These little projects are not for the faint of heart. The building is 12'6" wide, and the same long. Think of that in relation to the lanes on a highway!
So, I am standing outside and I hear a vehicle in the distance. I know that sound. It is the sound of a certain wrecker pulling a heavy load up a large hill. So  I wait. In a few minutes I see Mater pop over the hill and sitting on a trailer is a huge shed, tied on with a wide strap. Off the road pud'nin barrels, shed teetering, trailer creaking, my nerves fraying! Up the yard he comes, through the only opening to the driveway. The building is just swaying back and forth! At one point the truck is being pulled backwards by the weight of the building, heading straight for his trusty tractor, tires sliding in the gravel, no control whatsoever. Teetering, cracking, creaking, sliding!

Just a little to the left!

 Let me tell you, it was a mess! But, anytime you get these brothers together on anything, you can guarantee that you are going to need a nerve pill! They will attempt just about anything and no matter how precarious it gets, how many times something it hanging by a thread, they just plod along like it is totally normal. Sheesh!!

As you can see, it has been quite a busy summer so far! Yesterday we also welcomed some new piggies to the farm and I will update with a piggy post soon! They are the cutest little things! But for today, it is off to the barn, then to the garden to pick the last of the beans and pull up the lettuce. Feel free to leave a comment and let me know what you think of the update, lol 

Ellie's Big Day!

Eleanor is getting to be such a big girl! It seems like yesterday that I was waiting for Flossie to go into labor and wondering if I would have a little bull or a little heifer. But then she was here, and we have been so thrilled with her and how she has grown.

Baby Eleanor and a proud Flossie

Now she is half as big as her mama and full of her own unique personality! She is stubborn, independent and she can drain a huge udder in no time flat. But she is also so smart, she can walk on a lead and stand to be groomed already. One of these days she will follow in her Moms hoof steps and be a great milker! But for now, she is still learning the ropes.

Ellie taking a break, lol Her halter is NEVER on!

Pud'nin walking Eleanor

As she grew, her pen began to be smaller and smaller. Not only that, a cows gotta have grass! We would let her out on a lead twice a day to munch the sweet clover, but she yearned to go with her Mama out into the big pasture. She wanted to meet the "others". She would moo to Porter and Clarabelle over her fence, and they would come lay with her by the back of her pen. The only real thing keeping her from the great big pasture was Twister. Yea, Twister the turd horse!

Twister!

Well, we waited, and soon it was summer and Lee and Cayce had plans to go to Wranglers for the weekend. We figured that since horses cant count, that we would use that time to let the little one out in the pasture to get to know her herd mates. That way she could get over her jitters, they could run and jostle without drawing attention to themselves and getting chased by Twister.
It worked like a charm! We let Ellie out with her Mama that first morning and she was so excited! She sniffed all the new things that were there for the sniffing. She ran and bucked, kicking her hooves way up in the air, softly making little happy Moos! Never before had Ellie been able to stretch her muscles and run full out as far and fast as she wanted. It was bliss, she was in heaven!
But, lets think of Flossie for a minute, this had been her sanctuary out in the pasture, the place where she could stay, head down, munching grass without a care in the world. Then we let her little wild child out into her peaceful place! She was not as happy as she could have been, she was trying her best to keep Ellie under control, all the while Ellie just went about her business, ignoring the plaintive moos of her Mama! Ellie would run in one direction, Flossie would follow, telling her to slow down, to look where she was going! Ellie charged ahead, oblivious to her moms warnings. Flossie shot us a look that clearly said 'Thanks, Thanks SO much!"

Mom and girlie!

Soon all her shenanigans got the attention of Porter and ClaraBelle. So over they came to see what was happening, and to see what could be running and jumping! Not to mention, why was Flossie mooing and running after that streak of kicking brown!?
With a few false starts, a little mounting action (cows, geez!), and lots of playing tag they were finally out grazing side by side. Our little herd of four.