Full Moon Friday ... a birth and death - it's not always pretty and Little House on the Prairie

It's Friday and a full moon. You know something is bound to happen. 

Around 1:45 Peppy, our Nubian - Alpine goat gave birth to two beautiful blue-eyed kids... a boy and a girl. She took off to the horse trailer. I guess she didn't want to be disturbed.  Her labor was short and smooth.  Our goats are known to give birth right on time. I went back to see when she mated and realized she was due today or tomorrow.  She did a great job. 

Someone is very proud and she should be. 

As I walked back to the house I heard a horrible screaming.  Ugh.  The grey rooster had had it with the white rooster.  The grey rooster has been bullying the white rooster his whole life.  Well, tonight he got the white one pinned.  He was brutal. The whole thing was like a horror show. He pecked his eyes out and then pecked him until his head was almost off.  I was a baby. I cried and ran in the house. 

Dude when out and butcher him since he was still barely alive. 

He said the destructiveness was a blessing for us... another meal and he thanked the rooster and God. 

It is what homesteading is about.  You see it all from birth to death and we recycle where we can.

On to the lighter side of homesteading. 

We did try our "canned" zucchini bread and it was magnificent. I will do this again. 

If you need a quick project that girls will love, try this pattern. It has no sewing!

They each made one.

I did get three hats knitted for my mom's donation kit for newborns.

 Sleep well. 

peace

June 1st - eggs, knitting, sprouting seeds, and goats

 Day 7 of 100 Day Challenge to get healthy... eating and walking 10k a day or 30 minutes of exercise.  Homesteading you work a lot but most of my work is stationary... planting seeds, weeding, watering, hoeing.  I hit 10,000 steps so far today but the day's not over. 

Dude worked in the greenhouse and I am ordered birds.   We have a 3 turkeys coming, some guineas and a few geese. They arrive in a day or so...

Eggs were wash and tried to make labels for our eggs with safe instructions and dates and such.

Mom needed baby hats to donate with the onesies she is making so I got stuff together for that.

My list for today.  I needed to consolidate some of this.  Grandson has a karate showcase so I will knit then too.

I used to sprout seeds a lot ... in the 80's... giggle. I wanted to give it a try again. 

The first day is just soaking in water.  The next 3-5 days I will just rinse twice a day.  We'll see how it turns out. These are for us but I want to try and sprout fodder for the animals later.

Traded some veggies, bags of lettuce,  eggs and such for use of a trailer. 

Bathrooms, litter box and laundry were done. 

I happy glitch put on the day... my grandson had a karate class I wanted to see. (grin... that's my son on the right...xo)

So I knitted and...

watched.  I love this kid. 

Then home to hoe around the grapes and raspberries. Watered the newly planted stuff as well. 

Called to ordered Wilbur's (lamb ram) blankets.  He gets sheared on Monday.

Me: I have a CVM Rommedale ram. 

Blanket Dude: You needed to get him another lamb. 

Me: I know but it is hard to get another CVM so he is bunking with a goat. 

Blanket Dude(laughing): ohno, goats are crazy!

Me: Can we help it that sheep are dumb?

We got a good laugh. It was fun speaking to him. He said way back when he met one of the guys that started the CVM herds in California. I can't wait to meet. Great stories, great advice for me since I am just starting out. 

Then out to check on Peppy.  She may have her kid tonight or tomorrow.  I got the basket ready with towels, blankets, water and such. Wilbur and Felonious came to help. 

Peppy about to pop.

Poor Wilbur is panting hard with this big coat. 

Felonious just wanted a selfie...so... what the heck!

I didn't get to the sewing. That's where I will start tomorrow.  The hats will get done tonight. 

May God bring you joy, no matter the situation. 

peace

Quilt retreat and greenhouse update.

I left the homestead early Friday morning and ended at the base of Pikes Peak for a quilting retreat. It was bliss sewing for three days.  No cooking, cleaning or anything... just sewing! It was great. 

This was my view from my sewing machine. 

Anywhooo... it was great to be home this afternoon on the homestead.  Even though the porch isn't done I took seat and breathed in all that is good of home. 

Then headed to the greenhouse to cut lettuce and spinach.  Dude tilled the ground around the greenhouse. We have been working with it since we moved here 5 yrs ago.  It was all rock hard when we got here. 

The greenhouse is looking great! I headed to the salad section and got to work.

Lettuce picked and overflowing. 

Peas are reaching for the sky. 

Flowers.

Peas... for our stir fry tomorrow. 

Here are some pictures from the retreat. As you can see the crafting was diverse! 

Someone knitted doll socks. 

Another beaded.

Lots of quilting .

Embroidering

Knitting. 

A prairie dress for the upcoming 4th of July.

These butterflies are all hand-sewn and hand quilted. 

An autograph quilt table top. 

This is one of my table runners. I made three. 

Good friends.  You could hear so much laughter all weekend! 

Yep, someone finished some socks. 

Row by row from 2016 pattern. 

Wool and beading.

Pirate love. 

Hawaiian quilt with octopi and sea horses.

I finished hand sewing my penny rug. 

I am finishing a quilt top and will post this week. 

All in all it was great fun and I would do it again. 

Back to work on the homefront. 

Dinner was simple, salad from the garden with hard boiled eggs from the hens. Then went to the canning shelves and got beans, tomatoes, onions, garlic, left over green chili in the fridge, chili powder, salt, pepper and a dash of sugar with little bit of cheese. Topped with dried parsley and chili and pickled jalapeno, made a vegetarian chili. 

peace