The Tax Man Cometh..

This winter has seemed so long and cold. I know it hasn't been as bad for us as some others, but it isn't supposed to be this cold ,this long . It has zapped any motivation I might have for anything ,particularly being outside. On top of it all it is TAX season.

Farms are great for taxs as long as you continue to buy equipment and spend that money. We hit the end of depreciation in 2009 on most of our big equipment and in an effort to become debt free didn't buy more. We also had a good flock of chickens and made quite a bit more than usual (didn't feel like it). Well.... for what we owe the Guberment this year we could have bought that piece of equipment that my husbands want/needs out right. Now we will pay that money to the govt. and get nothing tangible in return.Hmmm....

Well "debt free" lasted a short few months. It is a good idea but not really practical as long as you are making money. I am not ready to give up making that money yet. So I guess it is back in debt we go. I knew we would have to pay a bit ,but dang I could have hired help for a year and not had to work. So for this year I am letting the husband buy his square baler, accumulator, and grapple.(Not to mention I ran out of hay this year and I just paid $5a bale for crap hay). He is a happy man!

On a happier note (for me) I am leaving for an all girls vacation to Cancun in a couple of days. I fully expect a hay baler to be at the barn when I get home.

LIVE and LEARN

The Sound of Silence

I haven't had much too say in the last week or so. Hibernation I guess. I had a week by myself and really enjoyed it. Didn't spend a penny and the car didn't leave the drive. It has been really cold wet weather here and it has zapped any motivation I might have had. I did have one nice ,dry, fairly warm day and the dogs and I went walking in the woods. I did learn if you are alone and walking in the woods at least take the cell phone. I lost my right leg down some sort of hole that looked like firm ground. Past my knee with my boot on, buried! My first thought was oh my gosh I hope nothing is alive down there to gnaw off my foot, the next thought was I am stuck! I couldn't get any leverage to pull my leg out. I finally found a tree I could reach an prised my foot out. Lesson learned! I could have been stuck there for several days before somone missed me (besides the dogs .)
I did get out one day and get some nice pictures of the farm in the snow. It was really cold and pretty slick so there are only a few.

The barn

arena

Pesky

My garden

table by the creek

dogs loved it

sunrise

"The Weather Outside is Frightful"

These photos are the 2009 year through the eye of my camera.I picked the ones that make me smile.

This is how I appear in the eye of our filly "Velvet".

The weather for January has been odd! We didn't get above freezing for more than a week and even had snow on the ground. Then we had a couple of sunny days in the 70's. Right now it is raining. Thought I would post my favorite photos for 2009

This looks to me like a scene out of the "Hobbit".

This is one of the Haflinger sisters "Fireball".

Blue Ridge Mnts.In the fall.

Doorway to the past

Wild Turkey

I always hear the song from "Andy Griffith" When I look at this one.

Sunset at the farm

Innocence

Secrets

Bounty

Life!

Did you ever notice just when things are going well something comes along to complicate things.

We just have to remind ourselves that is often only temporary. If it is not we will adjust our lives and go on in another direction.

.

No we don't keep goats in the house as a rule. This is "Pesky" Her mom died and "Pesky" had a severe eye infection.We had to put ointment in her eye 4 times a day.It was just easier to have her in the house. She thought she was a dog and should have all the same privleges. "Mindy" the JRT was not too happy about it.Pesky is now outside and doing fine.Her eye healed. She still thinks she is a dog though.

A New Year!!

2010! I can't believe it is a new year. The end of 2009 was busy,busy,hence the lack of posting.The market garden didn't do so well as a market garden. There were allot of people at the local market selling this year so it was hard to make any money. I guess everyone had the same idea. The garden did produce allot of food for friends and family. The funny part is you offer free produce and people want you to pick it,bag it and deliver it or they don't want it?? We will be back to the small home garden this year.


We started the new year DEBIT FREE!! Almost ,we still have a mortgage on the farm but all other debits are gone. I can't wait to feel the weight of money in my pocket.



We had snow this year. Not much, but it hasn't been above freezing in more than a week. I live in the south so I don't have to be cold. The animals are ready to have water without ice in it.


So how did everyone else do?? I am all ears..


Or maybe I am just nosey.

Molly

My ever present companions. I have few pictures of them. They are usually so close underfoot it is hard to get a picture.Or they are running so fast all you get is a blur.










Manney

Thunder Chickens

When we first bought the farm 6 years ago, my husband brought home 2 puppies.Were they cute! They are litter mates,brother and sister. We named them Molly and Manney. They are cattle dogs,Blue Heelers . I had little experience with large dogs, much less cattle dogs.All my dogs were small indoor dogs ,including Mindy a Jack Russell Terror/ier whom we still have. I got to work and did my research, which was not encouraging."Slow Maturing ,aggressive,energetic,hard to work with" YIKES! He had brought home the "Franken dogs".How could such sweet faces be so terrible? Then we found out the guy gave them away because they were inbred, that's another story.

The first year I came to know what was meant by "energetic and hard to work with". These dogs love to run. When we would go to the cow pasture for a walk they would chase each other and their faces would light up as they ran full speed (they have been clocked at 30mph) .Tongue flapping,drooling,tail flying ecstasy.Oh the joy, and then Manny would plow Molly under at full speed. They did listen when I called them to come, and took joy in going into their crate at night, anything to please me.The energy is why they are hard to work with.They loved to run straight at me.Getting plowed down by two 40 pound fur balls at 30mph is no fun.I had my feet knocked out from under me too many times. I kept waiting for them to grow out of the playful puppy stage.(here is where the slow to mature part comes in)They finally slowed down a bit at 4 years old.They did quit knocking me over when I started carrying a big stick for them to run into.I have yet to see them be aggressive towards a human, but kitty cats watch out!

I also found out they are very loyal ,loving dogs ,but not in the lick your face ,rub my belly,pandering sort of way. They have bonded with me, but they are not part of my family , I am a part of their pack. They like to be close at all times, touching me if possible,if not touching, they place themselves between me and the world. If I walk they are on my heels .If I am in the house they are outside the room I am in.I can look out a window and they are there.Go figure? They like their ears rubbed and will thank you by gnawing on you the same way they gnaw fleas.They don't mind to chase a stick but driving herds is what they love. They beg for the opportunity to put the horses up.They sneak and do it sometimes when they shouldn't.
The biggest problem is they think they should drive everything away from me. If you work with that its okay, but if you are trying to catch the horses ,you had better remember to put the dogs up.

They are 6 years old now and still love to run ,in small spurts, mostly they just lay near me. They are not protective ,but highly suspicious of strangers,and look protective. I wouldn't test it. Molly bit me one day trying to "help",( and I use that term loosely) ,me put a goats head back through the fence. They have jaws like vice grips. I wouldn't want one to bite me intending to do harm.They love all children. In fact that is the only time you will see them lick and wag their tails.
They are independent,burly, fierce looking dogs, until Tim yells at them, or worse yet it thunders.You know an hour before a storm gets here because they will hide up under me.They will knock you over to get behind me.Molly ,bless her soul, has even tried to jump her 60lb butt into my arms.That is why we call them "Thunder Chickens".