Honeysuckle Cave Farm

Cami and Bambi

2011-07-17T18:24:00.004-05:00

Cami with her kitten and Bambi, a fawn we are rehabilitating.

Penny

2011-07-05T08:13:00.003-05:00

Meet Penny! She is a five-year-old quarter horse that was given to us by a friend. She is very friendly and gentle, but a little green. I've been working with her, and she is very smart, and learns quickly, so I feel good about her future here on the farm.

Introducing a new horse into the herd is always exciting. Here is a video of their first encounter:

Big Tree Down

2011-05-26T19:45:00.005-05:00

Thankfully, this old maple fell away from the house! Now the whole tree must be removed before it does fall on the house. This has been an incredibly stormy and tornado filled spring. We have had record rainfall and flooding. Wind, please be calm for a few days.

Silver Laced Wyandots

2011-05-10T19:53:00.001-05:00

This is a Silver Laced Wyandot hen.

These are the SLW pullets I recently purchased.
Do you think some day they will look as beautiful?

Baby Foxes

2011-04-26T09:17:00.003-05:00

We took a family vacation to Florida the week before Easter, and when we arrived back on the farm, all our chickens were gone. Then we saw this bunch playing in the field adjacent to our back yard. They were so cute, we didn't mind feeding them our chickens.

No More Jack

2011-04-03T19:56:00.003-05:00

Our beautiful, sweet Great Pyrenees dog, Jack, was killed by a car on the edge of our yard. It has been over a month since it happened and we are still sad. Cami prays that Jack will go to heaven. She is the one who misses him the most. He was almost one year old.

Snowiest Winter Ever

2011-02-10T14:12:00.000-06:00

This has been officially (according to me) the most snow we have ever had in one winter here in KY. Not much going on here on the farm worth reporting, but here are some pics: I call this one "icicle ears".

Vote Here

2010-11-22T06:38:00.000-06:00

What should I name my new wildlife rehab clinic? I need your input. Keep in mind that I will handle mostly baby squirrels, but am licensed to take in all mammals. Not that I would take in ALL mammals, I'm just sayin'.

Nutkin's Nursery
The Squirrel's Nest
Honeysuckle Cave Rehabilitation Clinic

any other ideas?

It's Official

2010-11-18T21:17:00.000-06:00

The KY Dept. of Fish and Wildlife has informed me that I am fully authorized to rehabilitate squirrels (and other mammals). So bring me your orphaned babies... squirrel babies, that is.

More on the Fire...

2010-10-25T18:58:00.000-05:00

I no longer believe that this was a "controlled burn". I think the Army is just doing a cya on this one. Anyway, yesterday and today it has been RAINING. Thank you, Lord!

From the KY New Era:

A fire that apparently grew from Fort Campbell to an area of rural Trigg County this afternoon threatened to burn some homes in Roaring Spring.

Firefighters were working to prevent the fire from spreading from woods to houses along Compton Road, which is off Military Road at Roaring Spring,

At least five rural fire departments, including Roaring Spring and Herndon, along with Fort Campbell firefighters and the Kentucky Division of Forestry responded to the blaze.

Andrew Watts, a member of the Herndon Volunteer Fire Department, said he was working in an area along Kentucky 164 near Roaring Spring. He estimated the fire involved about 200 acres but added it was difficult to provided an exact size of the area burning.

"They will not be able to extinguish the fire, but they are trying to contain it so it will burn itself out," Watts told the New Era.

He said the fire involved mostly woods. South Road, Linton and Square Deal firefighters also were assisting in the effort.

Fire

2010-10-24T06:54:00.000-05:00

Fort Campbell military base is only a few miles from our place. This fire is too close for comfort. We have been seeing and smelling it for 3 days now. My question to FC: Why on earth were you doing a controlled burn when this area is under "no burn" drought conditions?! http://www.wkdzradio.com/ROARING-SPRING-FIELD-FIRE-THREATENS-HOUSES/8417843

Lazy Dog Video

2010-10-09T03:12:00.000-05:00

This is our 6 month-old Great Pyrenees puppy, Jack. I think he's figured out how things work around here. (I apologize for the blurry part in the middle of this video. It was technologically necessary.)

Bagel Tat

2010-08-02T07:18:00.000-05:00

I contacted the company, and I must say that they were very apologetic, and came to MY HOUSE to give us free bagels and take this one away.

Chick Surprise

2010-07-22T10:45:00.000-05:00

Our broody hen, whom Cami named "Grace" (because she's nice and will let you pet her), has hatched herself a brood of 10 chicks! We thought we lost her, as we couldn't find her or her nest. Sometimes when you think harm has befallen you, it is really God making an improvement in your life. That's the lesson I learned from the chick surprise.

Western Kentucky State Fair

2010-07-10T11:40:00.000-05:00

Honeysuckle Cave Farm grew first- place pears this year at the fair. And we took second place for the largest pepper. For those of you who appreciate my homemade doll clothes, you will be pleased to know they took first also. Our peaches did not place at all this year, and we didn't even try at flowers.

Puppy, Seal, or Polar Bear?

2010-07-02T05:14:00.000-05:00

Our new puppy, Jack, is soooo cute. He looks like a cross between a baby harp seal and a polar bear cub. Which of the following pics is Jack?

OK, I guess the carpeting gives it away...

Redneck Air Conditioning

2010-07-01T06:16:00.001-05:00

I miss Madonna

2010-06-29T20:51:00.000-05:00

OK, I know I'm behind the crowd here since I JUST NOW watched the Lady Gaga Alejandro video on youtube. (Since she is so popular and since I am the mother of teenagers, I felt it necessary to check it out.) Apparently she has picked up where Madonna left off. She sings, dances, and smuts just like Madonna with a homo/orgy twist. She oozes Madonna right down to the Catholic overtones. I mean, really, BOOB GUNS? I remember the good old days of the 1980's when Madonna shocked America with her metal pointy Viking bra. Lady Gaga makes Madonna look like a virgin. In short, Lady Gaga makes me gag.

What is this??

2010-06-28T12:35:00.000-05:00

We discovered this odd plant growing behind our shed. We can't figure out what it is. We've searched the web to no avail. If you have an idea, please share it here.

(The single non-woody stem has three flowers at the top that resemble black-eye-susan blooms with an extended center. Before you tell me this is a coneflower, look closely at the large leaves attached in a wrap-around fashion about a foot apart.)

New Puppy

2010-06-11T12:37:00.000-05:00

Isn't he adorable! We're calling him Jack. He is a 6 week-old Great Pyrenees male. We've had him for 2 days, and he has already won our hearts with his intelligence and gentle temperament.
This is Cam feeding the one and only duck.
After our broody hen failed to hatch her nest, we picked up a few chicks at a nearby farm for her. She did not like them even though we snuck them under her at night. So we will have to raise them ourselves. Well, at least one of the cats likes them.

With no tractor of our own, we had been looking for someone to cut our 10 acres of pasture. Not so much for hay (there's a little), but for weed control. So yesterday this Amish boy comes over with a team of two horses and a generator powered mower and does an excellent job.

Llamas for sale

2010-06-04T07:16:00.000-05:00

In an effort to raise some much-needed funds, we have decided to sell our two llamas. Charlie and Bunny are a male/female pair about 3 years old. They have not yet had a baby. Bunny (on the right) was bottle fed and is very friendly. She especially loves little children. Charlie is shy, but will eat from your hand.And no, they don't spit at people, but they will spit at each other if angry. We are asking $1200 for the pair, but will sell them separately if needed. Please comment on this blog if you are interested. They both make beautiful wool.

Avatar-- a critique

2010-05-22T23:19:00.000-05:00

I just watched this movie-- at home-- on my computer. I'm sure it was much better at the theatre-- in 3D. 'Cause without the full effect of the awesome special effects, this movie didn't have much to go on. The premise was interesting... using an avatar to infiltrate a native population... but that was just about the only original idea in the whole movie. Yeah, I know the creators of this earth spirit worshiping alien species probably thought people like me would ooh and ahh over the fictitious dinosaur-like creatures and plant life, and some of it was quite interesting. But there it stops. The plot was soooo predictable, the dialogue lacking, and the story elements stolen from other films! If you have seen Disney's Pocahontas, Star Wars Return of the Jedi, and Dinotopia, then you pretty much have already seen Avatar. If you are reading this and you are one of the people responsible for this movie, please don't make a sequel. That's already been done. -wink-

Kit's New Dress

2010-05-15T10:36:00.001-05:00

Ella Mae made a friend this Christmas. Her name is Kit. Here is her first custom-made dress. It is a medieval style gown with a separate top that snaps in the back.

Wordless Wednesday

2010-05-12T06:13:00.000-05:00

More Flooding

2010-05-05T07:26:00.000-05:00

Here's a peek at how high the water rose in our pond. The dock would have floated away had my quick-thinking husband not secured it with fencing posts. At least the fish are biting well...

Flooding

2010-05-03T06:18:00.000-05:00

We had record rainfall this weekend in western KY and TN. And all the rivers and creeks are overflowing. You see, our soil is mostly clay on top of rock, giving way to caves and sink holes underneath. There's not much absorbing power there. And once the ground is saturated, the water must go somewhere. Thankfully, our house is on high ground, but I pity all the people who have lost their homes, cars, and crops-- and some have even lost their lives. This video was taken of the flooding Little River about 200 yards from our property. As I am filming, I'm standing on the edge of the original bridge (which would have been demolished by the water by now). The "new" bridge is much higher and stronger. We had to drive into Clarksville yesterday evening, and just as we crossed into Tennessee we saw a full rainbow. God knew that we needed a reminder that there will never be a second worldwide flood. (Genesis 9:11-17)

A Farm Day

2010-04-24T17:00:00.000-05:00

This is supposed to be a "hobby" farm, but some days it just takes over. Like yesterday we awoke to a phone call from a neighbor saying that our animals had escaped from our field into his. It turned out to only be one animal, Bunny. But it took a good chunk of the morning to retrieve her, and then fix the spot in the fence that failed to restrain her. (Bunny is the gray llama on the right.)
Then, way behind schedule, I went to the barn to milk the goat, and found a visitor in our sycamore tree.

Of course everyone had to come and see, including Summer and Sunshine, our "twin" cats.

A little while later, we went to an Amish dairy farm nearby and purchased some Jersey/Holstein bull calves. We will bottle feed them twice a day until they are weaned, then they will become steers raised for their meat. The thing about bottle-fed calves is that they will mob you if they can and slobber all over you looking for food. Farm Days can be fun!

Doing it God's Way

2010-02-15T10:23:00.000-06:00

It really irks me whenever I see the title of something that claims to be "God's Way", like "Raising Kids God's Way" or "Managing Your Money God's Way" or "Sweeping the Floor God's Way", or whatever. This immediately implies that if the reader does not implement the methods contained within, they are doing contrary to God's will. If you have created a method based on Bible-harvested principles, then say so, and please share it with the world. But to say that your method is God's Way is presumptuous and egoistic. Because, in actuality, God's ways are shockingly different from our own. He draws straight lines with crooked sticks, creates beauty out of garbage, and slays his only true son in order that worms like us can be his adopted children. God's ways blow our minds.

Creations from an old sweater

2010-01-26T12:52:00.000-06:00

It was a beautiful cotton knit sweater, but it was big and bulky and I almost never wore it. So, inspired by an ad in the Pottery Barn catalog for a "sweater knit" pillow cover, I cut it apart and made one myself.

I was so happy with the result that I kept going. The sleeves of the sweater made perfect doll dresses. Here is Ella Mae modeling for me. I attached the straps to the front behind a faux leather button. They snap in place behind the shoulders in the back. Then I made another strap from the scraps of knit and sewed it onto a leather coin purse that happened to be just the right size for an 18 inch doll. I think she looks pretty chic, don't you?

A Strange Conversation

2010-01-02T22:11:00.000-06:00

It's really cold here and the wild critters are looking for sanctuary. I got up during the night to get a drink of water when a mouse ran across the kitchen floor. I gave a little scream. (I wasn't afraid of the mouse, just surprised by the mouse.) He was behind the stove by this time, so I went back to bed. My husband was slightly awake, and this was our conversation word for word (I'm not making this up)

Me: Did you hear that scream?
Him: Uh-huh
Me: It was a mouse.
Him: A mouse screamed?
Me: No, I screamed because there was a mouse in the kitchen.
Him: What was a mouse doing in the kitchen?
Me: Um... looking for snacks?
Both of us: ZZZZZZZZ.......

Why my kids will not get the flu shot

2009-11-14T07:52:00.000-06:00

Normally I reserve this blog for personal, cute, farm related subjects, but I feel compelled this morning to share some research I have been doing regarding the swine flu vaccine. I read in the paper this morning that out of the 22 million estimated cases of swine flu in the U.S., 4000 or so people have died. If you run the numbers on that, it means that a person would have a .o18% chance of dying were they to get the swine flu. Look closely at that number. It does NOT say 18% or 1.8%, but .018% Compare that to the figures for the regular seasonal flu that goes round every year at .094%. Again, that means that less than .1%, that's one-tenth of one percent, of people who get the flu will die from it. And the chance of dying from the "regular" flu is much higher than that of the "swine" type. Add to that the fact that most people who die from flu have an underlying condition that weakens their bodies ability to fight viral disease.
Now consider the vaccination itself. Its production was rushed, it has not been properly tested, and it contains ingredients that I would never willingly place into my body or that of my family. Check this link to a list of the ingredients in these shots and you will see such chemicals as mercury and formaldehyde.
www.preventdisease.com/news/09/103009_vaccine_sterility_immunotoxicity_neurotoxicity.shtml
So, as for me and my house, we will trust the Creator of our bodies and our immune systems.

My little helper

2009-11-01T13:54:00.000-06:00

Here are some cute pics of my cutest little helper. She helps me take care of the goats, kittens, and horses. Look at all the burrs in this mane!

Kitten rescue

2009-10-27T20:02:00.000-05:00

Speckles decided to hide her kittens in the giant pecan tree one night. That was a good way to keep the dog away from them, but they were exposed to the rain and we could hear them crying up there. So Ricky made a daring kitten rescue. He also composed this short video.

Surprise! It's a Girl!

2009-10-07T08:27:00.000-05:00

Yesterday my father came over to help us move a trailer, and he casually asked, "Where'd ya get the baby goat?"
"What baby goat!?"
Our goat had a baby!! We didn't even know she was pregnant. She must have been that way when we bought her at the auction 2 months ago. Anyway, her baby, Teenie, is the smallest and cutest goat we have ever seen. I'm sure you will agree. The little girls are so excited because they won't have to wait any longer to learn how to milk a goat. I'll let you know how that goes...
The video here is grainy because of the lack of strong light in the barn, but I think you will enjoy it anyway.

7 babies!

2009-09-29T13:35:00.000-05:00

Our only female cat just had 7 kittens! It was her first litter, so Speckles came to us when she was in labor, and we put her in a basket in the laundry room to give birth. Her first baby was breech, but she didn't need too much assistance. This was Sunday morning, and we left for church with only two kittens born. When we got back she had all 7 safely delivered. Speckles was so happy and proud of her brood. There are 4 yellow boys, 1 black boy, and two black and white girls. We already have 4 farm cats, so I told the little girls we could keep two kittens and find homes for the rest.

Grass Fed Beef For Sale

2009-09-23T19:53:00.000-05:00

We have grass fed, organic, hormone and antibiotic free 2 year-old jersey steers for sale. We're selling them by the side which we estimate will be about 130 pounds. Our price is $6/pound finished in vacuum packaging. This is for all the cuts: burger, steaks, roasts, short ribs etc. If it's 130 pounds x $6/pound, the total for the side of beef will be $780. Of course, the price will be higher if its more than 130 lbs, less if not that much. We're taking them to the butcher on Oct 7, so need to have the orders placed before then. The beef should be ready on about Oct. 18. Let us know if you are interested.
P.S. The picture is of our new babies. The 2 year-old steers are MUCH bigger.

Belated haircuts, pears, and Cecropia caterpillar

2009-09-19T11:46:00.000-05:00

The only fruit we got this year was from our pear tree. The ice storm in Jan. damaged our trees and we had to do some major pruning. But I do think they will recover and produce again next year.

These pics date back about 3 weeks, but I thought you might like to see them all the same. Rose donated 12 inches of her beautiful golden hair to Locks of Love. She enjoys the shorter hair. She looks so different that her Sunday School teacher didn't recognize her! Kate also had her hair cut short before she left for college.

We found this huge cecropia moth caterpillar in our yard. This was the largest caterpillar we have ever seen.

Trail of Tears Pow-wow

2009-09-14T12:42:00.000-05:00

This is a major event in our small town. My girls dressed the part and were Indians for a day. They had a great time.

My Trip to Oregon... part 2: The Setting

2009-08-30T21:18:00.000-05:00

I had never been to the Pacific Northwest before, so I was enthralled with the natural beauty of the place. Mapleton, Oregon is a very small town with very big scenery. Here are some pictures that I took in Mapleton. It's so easy to take a nice picture there. Then there is a video of my friend Daniel showing me Sweet Creek Falls, where we found a giant banana slug.

My Trip to Oregon... part 1: The Wedding

2009-08-30T10:26:00.000-05:00

Last weekend I flew to Oregon to witness the marriage of a dear friend-- my daughter's best friend. My daughter was a bridesmaid. This wedding was special for many reasons. Elisabeth, the bride, either made herself, or had a hand in making everything needed for the wedding. She made her dress, the invitations, the flowers, the cakes, the cake toppers, the decorations, the programs, etc. and everything was done in a Victorian country style. Her dress had a corset and a bustle! The bridesmaids each made their own dresses in various retro styles. The groomsmen wore suspenders and hats. The dancing at the wedding was English country. Have you ever seen a production of Pride and Prejudice? Well, that's the kind of dancing they had. Perhaps the most special element of this wedding was that the bride and groom shared their first kiss at the altar. Nowadays, that is very special.

Summer stuff

2009-08-18T20:20:00.000-05:00

I was organizing pictures today and realized that I neglected to post these three videos for your enjoyment, so here they are in no particular order:
finding a copperhead in the field;
the little girls swinging on a double-decker swing that they designed themselves;
and our pet squirrel, Twinkie, making a nest on the bookshelf. We have since released Twinkie at Grandpa's house. He still hangs around to get easy snacks that Grandpa leaves out for him. (too many cats at our house)

Bridesmaid's dress

2009-08-06T20:08:00.000-05:00

I finally finished my daughter's bridesmaid's dress. Her best friend is getting married on Aug. 22. My daughter and I are both flying out to a northwestern state for the wedding. We are both looking forward to it. Then my girl goes straight to college. What?! But then who will go shopping with me? With whom shall I discuss classical literature? Or who will tell me if my outfit looks dumb, or if I'm not parenting my little ones properly... wait a minute, maybe a little autonomy is not so bad :)
Ha ha! Look at this picture of the vintage crinoline slip we bought to go under the dress. It is so stiff it can stand by itself!

The Quilt Catastrophe

2009-07-23T21:06:00.000-05:00

Did you ever experience something so unbelievable that you couldn't believe it really happened? Today I experienced something that belonged in a novel or movie but not REAL life. It pains me to write about it, but I am in need of some kind of catharsis, so here it goes...

My father's very good friend made a special quilt for him. Technically it was a quilt, but more accurately a wonderful piece of art containing fabric, embroidery, beads, ornamental pins, etc. The design was an original, collaborated on by her and my father. It involved circular and linear shapes and beautiful dragonflies. This was not something you would ever put on a bed, but something you must hang on a wall in a prominent place to marvel at.
Anyway, in order to hang it, my father asked me to make a rod pocket for it. Having adequate sewing skill, I was happy to do it. So he left it here with me. First Mistake.
I already had a project underway-- a bridesmaid's dress for my daughter-- so I kept the quilt folded up and sitting next to my desk on a stool. Second Mistake.
This afternoon, I thought I'd better get started on the rod pocket, but when I looked for the quilt it was gone. With four kids and a husband in the house I was not at first alarmed but questioned everyone as to the quilt's whereabouts. You know the line, "I won't be angry with you, just tell me where you put it." No one seemed to know where it was. I looked EVERYWHERE. Thinking someone put it away with our blankets, I ransacked linen closets, checked beds, doll cribs, anywhere it could have been misplaced... nothing.
Then a horrible thought occurred to me. I went to my 14 year-old son and asked, "Honey, when you emptied all the trash cans this morning, did you do the one beside my desk?... You did? Well, did you see a big folded up blanket looking thing?"
He answered, "You mean that old carpet? Yeah, I think I threw it away."
I stammered, "B-B-But was it IN the trash can?!"
"Well, the trash can was tipped over, and the carpet was laying on top, so I thought you wanted to throw it away."
"My darling boy, what day of the week is it?"
"It's Thursday-- trash pick-up day."
I felt the blood retreat from my brain as I whispered OMG.
My son and I ran to the curb. The cans were empty. The quilt was on the way to the dump. The beautiful- one-of-a-kind- irreplaceable -work -of- art- quilt that meant a lot to my father.
I cried inconsolably for an hour.
I forgave my son.
My father forgave us both.
Unbelievable.

Shearing, Nala

2009-07-05T20:07:00.000-05:00

Well, here we go again. It's been like a month since I've blogged. I know I need to do better. We've had some deletions and additions to our farm this month. We have one squirrel left, Twinkie, who I'm having a hard time letting go. Yeah, he's probably ready, but I'm not.
After losing ANOTHER small flock of chickens, we found a new home for our dog, Flomar, and got a more farm-friendly breed. Her name is Nala, and so far she is wonderful.
Cami was out walking in the pasture when she came upon a little kitten. We have no idea where it came from, but of course I let her keep it. We call it Chloe.
We have acquired three dairy bull calves which we bottle feed twice a day. Also a young milk goat we got at an auction. She is a SPECIAL goat. She cannot be kept in any pen or enclosure, so we lock her in the garage at night and sweep the goat berries out every morning. During the day she hangs around the house and takes naps on the back porch like a dog. She plays with the little girls when they come outside and makes such a fuss if we tie her up. We plan to breed her in the fall and milk her in the spring.
We sheared our two llamas, which we were dreading to do, but it was not so bad this year. We discovered our 14 year-old son is a llama charmer. He single-handedly took care of our large breeding male.

May 2009

2009-06-01T17:16:00.000-05:00

No way! I can't believe it's been so long since I last blogged! Well, we had a lot going on last month, so here are some highlights:
--We graduated our first child from our Homeschool! She is planning to attend Covenant College in the fall-- right after she fulfills her duties as bridesmaid to her best friend who is getting married at the end of August!
--I had my 40th birthday. When asked what I wanted for my birthday, I only had two answers-- a milk goat, and squirrel babies.
--I got new squirrel babies! No lie! I had given my name to the local vet clinic in case anyone found some orphans, and voila! I now have a pair of cute baby boys about 7-8 weeks old. They were just barely opening their eyes when they came to me, so they are not as tame as Chippy was. I will probably release them back to the wild at 12 weeks old.
--Our huge old barn was damaged recently in some wind storms, so with the insurance money we received, we are putting on a new roof and patching holes and loft boards. We have about 100 square bales of hay in the loft, so I hope it doesn't rain much. Speaking of rain, we have had record rainfall this spring. The farmers are way behind.
--Our oldest is having all her wisdom teeth taken out by an oral surgeon on Monday. Our son, 14, is scheduled to have braces put on this summer, and I'm wondering how all this and college is going to be paid for. But God is the most excellent provider, and I'm not worrying.
--We put up the pop-up pool today. Now it finally feels like summer :)

The real reason guns are popular in the South

2009-05-07T18:31:00.001-05:00

Today was an eventful day. Flomar discovered a four-foot long copperhead snake sunning itself on the blacktop of our driveway. She barked and alerted us before someone came upon it and got hurt. I'm so thankful for that dog! I'm also thankful that we are a gun-owning family, and that my 14 year-old son can shoot just as well as his father, who happened to not be home at the time. (Sorry, no picture, I was too freaked-out to think of it at the time.)

birds, blooms, skinks, and dogs chewing gum

2009-04-30T18:14:00.000-05:00

Our dog, Flomar, found a piece of freshly discarded gum on the ground today and proceeded to chew it. I watched her chew and chew and chew-- she didn't eat it, just kept chewing it. She may still be chewing it now. I've never seen a dog do that before. Flomar caught a skink today also, and I got it away from her before she killed it. The tail was off, but the little girls made a nest for it in a small bucket and are planning to rehabilitate it.

The black locust trees are blooming and exuding an intoxicating scent. Our little road is lined with them.

Remember those cute little chicks? Here's one with Grandpa's dog. (He's a special dog, as you can see.)

And here are the chicks now, about half grown. We have three reds, two whites, and two barred rocks. We lost a few to a fox, so we have been making improvements to the portable cage.

llama wool

2009-04-20T07:21:00.000-05:00

Shearing time is fast approaching and I still have the last two years' worth of wool sitting here unsold. If you know anyone who spins, felts, or crafts with wool please direct them to this post. I have about 8 pounds of raw llama wool in gray, black, and white and I will sell it cheap!

Car Accident

2009-04-13T20:20:00.000-05:00

An older man passed out while driving around the curve in the main road in front of our house. His truck went into the ditch and hit a tree head-on, which probably saved his life and that of his wife, as there was a fairly steep ditch they could have rolled into. We called an ambulance for them, and helped a little. They weren't hurt seriously as far as we could tell. Anyway, it made quite a commotion on our little drive.

Baby Chicks

2009-03-29T17:09:00.000-05:00

There have not been chickens on this farm since our small flock was massacred about a year and a half ago. So we are finally starting over with 8 chicks from Tractor Supply. They are Rhode I. Reds, and probably all roosters, but we are hoping for a few hens. They are living temporarily in my laundry room in an old laundry basket.
We gave our old homemade portable coop a remodeling. We stripped off all the old plastic wire, tightened and repaired all the joints, repainted, rewired, and added a new door. This was a family affair, as you can see in the first picture. This coop is very light, and will be moved to a new patch of grass every day. We will put a nesting box in when the chickens are old enough to lay. I can't wait for those fresh eggs! Next-- fresh milk. Stay tuned...

Down time

2009-03-27T16:32:00.000-05:00

It's been a long week. I've got a bad cold that won't go away, and haven't done much school with the little ones. But this "down time" has given them a chance to do some neat things on their own. C brings books to my bed for me to read to her and we've had lots of nice snuggle time. Little R has been reading extra books to ME. And she came up with a book-making project all on her own. (She's eight years-old.) She wrote a story using the computer word processing program and then took pictures with my digital camera to illustrate it. Then we downloaded the pictures onto her writing and printed it all out on my color printer. She was very pleased with it. She's waiting for her big sister to get home from shopping so she can help her make a cover for the book. I know she wouldn't have been so enthusiastic about it if I had MADE her do it as an assignment, so maybe down time is part of God's plan, too. (wink)

Easter Dress

2009-03-21T19:18:00.000-05:00

For Easter, I made a dress for Ella Mae out of some left-over bridal satin. It is trimmed with white satin ribbon and pearls. The wrap is completely removable. Now C wants me to make the same dress in her size-- ouch!

Squirrel Memorial

2009-03-19T08:37:00.000-05:00

I was at Walmart looking for some play sand for the sandbox, when suddenly I saw it-- the perfect little birdbath for my garden. Perfect because of the little squirrel. I thought, what a great way to remember my special pet! This other pic is of C holding a snail she found. She loves all kinds of creatures and is not afraid of a little slime. Plus, here is another cute trampoline video...

Gone

2009-03-17T06:39:00.000-05:00

Grandpa has still not seen hide nor hair of Chippy. Either an owl got him, or he ran off into the big wide world to fulfill his destiny as a roving male. Meanwhile several nest-building birds have been eying Chippy's box.
I miss my widdie skwirl...
At least I have this beautiful weather to comfort me, and the knowledge that I did the right thing by letting him go. Thanks for all the encouragement.
Here's a funny video of Dad on the trampoline...

Freedom!

2009-03-16T08:13:00.000-05:00

Well, we did it. We let Chippy go free at Grandpa's house. We nailed Chippy's nest box in a tree, set out his food and water dishes on a convenient stump and walked away. He proceeded to scamper all around and up and down the tree, heady with the exciting smells and textures. We walked back to the house and watched from a window. Another squirrel came by! Chippy made a threatening movement toward it, and it fled. Oh well, not too bad for his first squirrel encounter. The little girls woke up this morning missing Chippy. They called Grandpa to see if Chippy was still OK, but I think Grandpa was still waking up. We'll call again later... Here is a pic and video from the blessed event.

Art Show

2009-03-14T11:46:00.001-05:00

Little R and C both had their artwork selected for the Youth Art Month show at the community college. Their art will be on display through the month. They received certificates at a ceremony at the college. R's picture is the fruit which she did in oil pastel at art class when she was 7 years-old. C's was done at home under the guidance of plain old Mom. C's picture is an ocean scene started with watercolor, then enhanced with oil pastel (those are sea anemones), then she actually glued coquina shells on to the paper. It's not bad for a 5 year-old.

Outside all day

2009-03-08T15:08:00.000-05:00

Yesterday was a glorious day--partly sunny and 74 degrees! I was awakened at 7am by an eager 8 year-old's cries of "Can we go now, Mom?!" I had promised the first horseback ride of the year this day. What made it even more special was that Daddy wanted to come along. So we geared up all three animals and had a lovely ride along the river and through storm-damaged trails. But the downed trees made it more exciting, as the horses sometimes chose to jump, rather than step over the larger tree trunks. Then we spent the rest of the day cleaning tack, dismantling and feeding the horses and cows the very last round hay bale, and doing some outdoor clean-up around the barn. We had some wind damage from the latest wind storm which tore off several sheets of metal roofing, plus lots of downed tree debris from the ice storm which needed burning. It was a lot of work, but we had a great time being outside.
We did not bring Chippy out with us this time because his release date is only one week away. March 15 we plan to set him free at Grandpa's house. (Too many cats here.)

Signs of Spring

2009-03-03T10:19:00.000-06:00

The last week of February brought several signs of spring to our little homestead. The crocus and daffodils began to bloom, the migratory birds are stopping by on their way north, and Charlotte (the spotted saddlebred horse) began her heavy spring shed. Today is March 3, and it is very cold (30's), but these signs of spring are quite promising.

New puppy!

2009-02-26T15:34:00.000-06:00

We took in a stray. He is a sweet little thing and a good playmate for Flomar. His fur is brighter than yellow--almost white. We are not sure of the breed, but when we take him to the vet next week they will be able to give me an idea of his breed and age. I want to name him Sunshine because of his brightly colored fur, but the kids are already calling him Ike. What do you think? I'm open to suggestions.

Birthday, turkeys, and squirrel

2009-02-24T08:21:00.000-06:00

Little R turned 8 on Saturday. She got a trampoline for her birthday. (God blessed us with a used one.) She had a party with several friends and had a great time. Here they are playing the yarn game. Each person has to say one sentence of a story and then toss the ball of yarn to someone else, who then tells the next sentence of the story. However, each person must hold onto the yarn before they toss it. We also played a game with balloons in which each person has a balloon tied to their ankle. Then everyone tries to pop the balloons without having their own balloon popped. Fun! It was rainy and a bit snowy that day, so the kids did not get to jump on the new trampoline, but they didn't seem to mind.

Just a couple videos to share. One is of a flock of wild turkeys we ran into about a quarter mile from our house. The other is of Chippy hiding a nut. Chippy has a nest box now. He doesn't quite get the idea of it yet, but when he decides to make it his home, we will be able to move it outside and set him free. I'm also waiting for the weather to be more consistently warm. But I'm quite sure Chippy will be set free in the month of March.

Perelandra

2009-02-17T19:43:00.000-06:00

I just finished reading C.S. Lewis's Space Trilogy, and my first question is: Why are these three books so obscure? Everyone knows about Narnia, but how many are familiar with the fairy tales he wrote for adults? Out of the Silent Planet, Perelandra, and That Hideous Strength are meant for adults because they are so deep--so very, very deep-- and must be read as much with one's spirit as with one's mind. Lewis was a genius. If I could talk to him I would say, "Thank you for putting me in mind of the heavens. I will never be quite the same."

Updates

2009-02-07T18:32:00.000-06:00

Re. Ice Storm: We continue to enjoy the luxury of electricity while thousands still do not, my father being one who has now gone 12 days in a cold and dark house. He did spend a few nights at our house when the temps were in the teens, but it is in the 50's and 60's now during the day, so he has been back home... waiting. He thinks there should be a prize for the very last person to have their power restored, along with a personal note of apology for being last. These little fantasies help him to cope.

Re. Chippy: Our squirrel continues to thrive in his captive environment. He discovered my potted plants recently. Did I tell you squirrels love to dig? His release is scheduled for March, or late Feb. depending on the weather. I fear it will be hard on all of us (except Dad) when we let him go.

Re. Fun: We went ice skating at the sportsplex yesterday and had a great time. The little ones had never skated on ice. (We go roller skating about once a year.) By the end of an hour and a half, even the 5 year-old was venturing out on her own.

Re. Ella Mae: Here is my latest doll clothes creation...

Power Again

2009-02-01T18:10:00.000-06:00

On our way home from church this morning our car nearly lost a wheel. My father came and rescued us about 5 miles from home. But when we finally arrived home hungry and tired, our power was on and the phone lines and internet were restored. Praise God! Tonight we will sleep warm and well. Please continue to pray for our surrounding KY counties that are facing many, many more days of this trial.

Ice Storm

2009-01-31T11:55:00.000-06:00

We are in a state of emergency here. Our county and several counties around us were hit so hard by the ice storm that some places have been evacuated. We have been without power since Tues. morning. That means no heat, no light, no hot water, no phones, no internet or cell phone service. We have been huddling around our fireplace to keep warm, as the temps have been hovering around 32 degrees until yesterday, when it got up to 42 or so. Today is Saturday, and cell phone service is working, the water advisory has been lifted, but still no power. I am writing this from a friend's house in Clarksville. We went to Hopkinsville on Thursday for food and supplies. The Walmart Supercenter was out of batteries, bread, etc. and could not run credit cards. There were very long lines at the gas stations that still had gasoline. Some were completely out, as people just north of us evacuated and headed south. We are OK. We are all well and we have food, a fireplace, a cell phone, and flashlights. We count our blessings as many, many, other people are trying to make do with less, or are waiting at a shelter.

Doll Clothes

2009-01-24T20:36:00.000-06:00

C got a new doll for Christmas. She named it Ella Mae. It only came with one outfit, so I have been busy sewing some clothes for her. Here are some of the outfits. (From bottom pic to top...)
The first is a blouse with cuffs that snap and a petticoat to wear under her dresses. The next is a red corduroy Christmas gown with hand-knitted trim and a knitted shawl that fastens with a hidden snap. To go with the dress, I made a hooded coat with matching trim, and I finished the look with purchased (online) ice skates. The blue outfit is jammies with white piping trim. (I knitted the kitten, too, isn't it cute?)

A beautiful day

2009-01-22T18:07:00.000-06:00

Today was a beautiful day. The temp was in the lower 50's and the sun was warm. We brought the horses up and I picked and trimmed their feet and treated them for thrush. We've had issues with thrush ever since the summer. We took Chippy out again today. He played in the trees and hid nuts. When it was time to go in, we had to get the ladder again and make him come down. This time he was very angry about it and growled at us and put his ears back. We did get him back safely in his cage, but I think it is time to let him go.

Reflections

2009-01-21T15:07:00.000-06:00

This is a really hard time of year for me. The farm seems so cold, so dead. The horses look miserable out in the weather. The cat's fur is tipped with icicles. The fields look so barren. I feel bored and lonely in my little cave. My body aches to run and play in the warm sun. Will Spring ever come? I must content myself in the knowledge that my Creator has purposed this season. He also promised Spring. I will be patient, and I will dream about babies... baby chicks to feed and keep warm, baby kittens to search for in the hay loft, baby goats with a mother to milk, baby calves to bottle feed, and my own babies frolicking in the pool, or riding the pony, or picking peas in the garden...

Moms and Dads are teachers too!

2009-01-16T16:01:00.000-06:00

Today I was reviewing a science chapter with my eighth grader who has been homeschooled since birth. The chapter was about basic biochemistry and metabolism which I find particularly interesting. My son listened to my lengthy explanations and then said, "Mom, you should be a teacher."

Pecans for Sale

2009-01-07T12:55:00.000-06:00

We've harvested over 250 pounds of pecans from the largest pecan tree in KY. I've washed and bagged them all as well. If you know anyone interested in buying fresh, organic, home grown pecans, please direct them to this blog. Our prices are $10/4.5 lb.bag, $4.50/1.5 lb. bag, (those are both in the shell), and $6/1 lb. shelled halves and pieces. We may end up at the farmer's market this spring. We have a LOT to sell.
Email your order to me at karinelson5@gmail.com Be sure to include your mailing address so I can figure your shipping. Prices do not include shipping, but I will only charge you the actual shipping cost to your address.

Chippy's taste of freedom

2008-12-30T18:39:00.000-06:00

We picked pecans again today. It was 60 degrees and sunny, so we decided to bring Chippy out to the tree with us. This was risky, we knew, but we did it anyway. We tied up the dog, and put the cats in a cage first. Chippy loved it. Daddy had to climb a ladder to get him out when we were done, though. Chippy didn't want to come down. Here is Chippy with C in a small tree, and the other pic is of the big pecan tree.

You won't miss the prom

2008-12-29T14:18:00.000-06:00

Your poor, homeschooled daughter will miss the prom. Every girl should have a chance to dress up formal and go to a dance their senior year.
Do you think so?
Well, God can even provide a formal dance for homeschooled teens. Mine attended one last week and was even escorted by a young man (to whom she was not related). She had a ball... pun intended. Here she is just before leaving for the dance.

Bedtime Snack

2008-12-28T18:30:00.000-06:00

We still have Chippy the squirrel. He is old enough to be released now, but he took a bad jump and injured his leg, so we will continue to look after him for now. Here is a video of him with C that I call "Bedtime Snack".

Indian Spring pt.2

2008-12-27T17:03:00.000-06:00

Today it was cloudy, windy, and 73 degrees! Dad took the kids out to fly a kite. Then we picked up bushels of pecans off our lawn. We have the largest pecan tree in KY in our yard and this year we had a bumper crop. Dad estimates we've harvested a hundred pounds so far. My squirrel will not go hungry this winter.

Gingerbread Houses

2008-12-24T08:47:00.000-06:00

We used graham crackers instead of gingerbread, and I let the little girls do it all by themselves. All I did was mix up some icing for mortar and snow. Cute, huh?

Indian Spring

2008-12-20T08:11:00.000-06:00

You've heard the term 'Indian Summer'; now I propose 'Indian Spring'. It's what we had yesterday when it was 68 degrees and sunny. It felt like Spring, only in a creepy, dead sort of way. There were few birds or insects out, and the plant life was not awakening. Chippy (our squirrel) seemed really excited to smell the outdoors when we opened all the windows in the house. What a nice break from the dark, cold winter we've been having. Thank you, God.

Low-budget Christmas Pageant

2008-12-15T08:31:00.001-06:00

Last night our church attempted a Christmas pageant. This is the first time we have done this, according to my memory, and I will just say that it was very cute and a lot of fun. Children way out-number adults at our church, so this show was all about the kids. The costumes were quite a hoot! You can see in the pics that the "wise men" wore cheesy beards and burger king crowns. The sheep were... well.... scarry? And our pastor, who was supposed to be King Herod...

Abraham Lincoln was a tyrant.

2008-12-12T20:59:00.000-06:00

What?! I responded when my 14 year-old made this suggestion. "Where did you get that idea?" Not from the Bob Jones history book you are studying this year?"
"No, from ____(a friend of his)" he replied.
"Well don't take ____ as an authority on that. Lincoln kept the Union together. Otherwise we would be living in the 'Divided States of America' And we would say our pledge like this:
I pledge allegiance to the flags of the Divided States of America and to the republics for which they stand, two nations, under God, divisible, with liberty and justice for some."

Covenant College

2008-12-06T14:34:00.000-06:00

Today we received an acceptance letter from Covenant College. We expected that Kate would be accepted, yet it was still exciting to formally receive the letter. Now the really challenging part-- how on Earth do we come up with the money? God owns "the cattle on a thousand hills"... If it is His will for her to attend there, He will make a way for her without a mountain of debt. We do not want her to be burdened for many, many years with student loan debt the way her father and I were. So we will apply, apply, apply, for aid and pray.

Pigs, Goats, and Angels

2008-12-03T16:38:00.000-06:00

This lady just drove up to our house to tell us that a large black pig, and a huge red goat are tearin' up her place, and did we know who they belonged to? She heard we had goats. Well, years ago we had some goats, but none now, and I draw the line at pigs. I'm looking to buy a milk goat, and as she was leaving I thought to ask her if it was the milking type, maybe we could catch it. I told Ricky to run out to her and ask her if it was a milk goat. He said, how would she know that? I said to ask her if it has an udder. He started laughing so hard at the thought of asking that, that she got away before he could catch her. Oh well, if you know of one for sale....

Here's the Christmas angel

An Evening of Family Fun

2008-11-30T19:32:00.000-06:00

Ahh...nothing puts me in the Christmas spirit like clean windows... You don't need to comment that I'm a neat freak-- I know. Anyway, after cleaning windows yesterday we decided to all go bowling and eat pizza out. Ricky was the high scorer with a 171. He had five strikes in a row! I mentioned that proffessional bowlers can make a lot of money, but he didn't seem interested in that career. Then we stopped and bought a Christmas tree-- a REAL one of course, and this evening we are decorating. Here's a new video of Chippy eating a piece of popcorn.

The Mighty Duck Hunters

2008-11-28T16:41:00.000-06:00

Father and son had a successful duck hunt this morning. Ricky shot his first duck, a bufflehead. He's not a hunting fanatic like his dad, but he very much enjoyed it today. I spent most of the day cleaning all the ceiling fans and lighting fixtures in the house. (boring- I know, but you won't find me attempting to shop today.) I'm trying to gear up for doing the windows tomorrow. All the windows in the old section of the house are so old that they don't open well, leak air, and are difficult to keep clean. I only attempt it once a year in the fall after the insects and spiders have finished their damage for a season and the dust from the planting of winter wheat has settled.

Squirrels are Not Pets

2008-11-23T10:03:00.000-06:00

I read the above statement as I was researching how to raise an orphaned squirrel, and I now believe it to be true. As Chippy grows quickly so do his wild instincts. He is still friendly, but now gets nervous easily and will be stressed if the kids play with him too much. He is not old enough to release into the wild yet, but he seems contented in his large cage with climbing logs. We still feed him milk three times a day, but he takes less, and eats more solid food. He has a beautiful bushy tail.

Big R is sick today with a cold. He's big enough to stay home by himself, but I elected to stay home from church to take care of him. Pretty soon he will be all grown up, so I need to take advantage of all the opportunities I have to mother him.

The Disappearing Dog

2008-11-21T05:59:00.000-06:00

Just a cute video...

Mishap

2008-11-18T19:08:00.000-06:00

Lizzie has inspired me to share this embarrassing story with you, so here it goes... One day last week as I attempted to flush the toilet, the handle fell off. I mean it not only wouldn't flush, the little lever was laying on the floor. Well, I thought about recruiting help from my husband who just happened to be in the house at the time, but then I have at least a rudimentary knowledge about the working of toilets, and being the liberated supermom that I am, I attempted to put it back on myself. Well, I got it on, but it wouldn't turn, so I lifted the lid off the tank to see what the problem was, and as I did so, the hose that brings the water into the tank sprang loose and sprayed me ALL OVER like an unmanned fire hose. I instinctively used the tank lid I was still holding as a shield, but that didn't make the water stop, of course. So I did what all liberated supermoms do when cornered-- yell desperately for help from their husbands!

He didn't think it was very funny. He was concerned about all the water on the floor. But a few days later, the almost exact thing happened to my son. He and I were able to laugh about it then. And yes, my very handy husband eventually fixed it. Thanks Honey.

Kids are Wonderful

2008-11-18T06:35:00.000-06:00

When I'm having a hard day, they never fail to lift my spirits. Take yesterday, for example. I was quite drained emotionally when we sat down for dinner (without Dad, again), then a montage of entertaining fragments ensued, refreshing my sense of humor and boosting my morale. Such as:
"Mom, when I'm eight, can I join an Indian tribe?"...
"I think I'm allergic to my bra."...
"The next person that says the word 'hate' has to do the dishes."... "Yeah, so don't say hate--oops!"

A walk by the lake

2008-11-09T21:08:00.000-06:00

We visited Grandpa's house yesterday and had a lovely walk by the lake. On the lot adjacent to Grandpa's they are building a large log cabin. The interesting thing about it is that they are reusing huge old beams from another old house and then putting chink between them. It looks like a real old-fashioned, Abraham Lincoln log cabin. The children had fun playing on the wooded shore.

We finally finished Chippy's big cage. He loves it. He can climb up the logs and forage around in the sticks, rocks, nuts and other debris we placed in there for him. He still takes formula three times a day, but has trouble holding still now. His wounded toe has healed nicely, and I don't think will be much of a handicap. God makes His creatures incredibly adaptable.

Tattle tales

2008-11-07T19:10:00.000-06:00

It was hard day. I just needed a little rest and a little less confrontation. Maybe I was feeling a little experimental, too. Anyway, it was late in the afternoon, and I was laying down for a short rest, when one of the little girls came in and asked me for a cookie. Normally, I would either say, "Yes, you may have just one." or "No, it's too close to dinner time." But this time I said, "Sure, have as many as you want."
"Really?!" said my little one.
"Yes!" I replied. She ran to get her sister and told her what I had said. Then came back and asked if sister could have cookies, too.
"Yes, have as many as you want." They just stood there, shocked. Then they did a strange thing. They went to their older brother and told him what I had said. He advised them that they must be mistaken, and they should double check. So they came and asked me again. I gave them the same response. Then they did an even stranger thing. The 7 year old went in the kitchen, made herself a plate of left-over chicken and carrots and ate it. Then she had three cookies. The 5 year old didn't have anything. A few minutes later, Daddy came in. The 5 year old immediately told on me! --"Daddy, Mom said we could have all the cookies we want! That's not right, is it?"
Well, apart from being told on, I was proud of their moral responses. They felt that eating the cookies was wrong even with permission from their authority figure. So they didn't do it. Then they went to another authority figure for affirmation. (I guess it's OK to be told on.)
Cookies today, life decisions tomorrow...

Lizzie and Kate

2008-11-05T18:35:00.000-06:00

Well, the sun still rose this morning. (And without Obama's help.) In fact, it was a perfectly beautiful day--high of 77 with pure sunshine and a gentle breeze. We spent most of the afternoon working on Chippy's cage. It is rather large--four feet high and 32 inches across. But we want him to have plenty of climbing room. He is beginning to play and bite on his monkey chow. Yes, I said monkey chow. It's what you're supposed to feed to squirrels so they don't get metabolic bone disease. Click the play button on the video below to see Chippy in action.

Last weekend Kate and I had a fun visit with Lizzie. She sure has changed. Here is Lizzie and Kate last year.

The pic below is Lizzie and Kate last weekend.
See what I mean? I think maybe she should cut back on theTwilight novels :)

Voting in Roaring Springs

2008-11-04T12:41:00.000-06:00

We voted first thing this morning. That was pretty much routine, except for the view across the street from the volunteer fire station where we vote. Here are a couple pics of what is left of the triple murder scene. For those of you who are reading this from a distance and have not read it in a paper: The killer of the children, and attempted killer of their mother, has been arrested and we hope will be soon tried and executed. A motive has not really been explained other than that he was their DirecTV guy. I have heard that it may have been more of a stalking situation. Tell me, how does an otherwise normal guy, suddenly, and somewhat randomly, attack a woman, try to kill her, and then stab her three children to death, including a 5 year old little boy? It is unnerving having that intensity of evil so close to one's haven of home. Kristy, we are praying for you. Justice will be done, and although you may not see it, there is still Love in the world.

Undeserved Grace

2008-10-30T19:46:00.000-05:00

C said the cutest thing at dinner today. Daddy had cooked some steaks and put one on each of our plates. C picked up the entire piece of steak on her fork and put it in her mouth. Daddy said, "Wait honey, and let Daddy cut that up for you. You shouldn't eat it that way, it's bad manners." To which C replied, "It's OK, I'm only sucking on it."

On a more serious note, little R said something profound. We were practicing our catechism and came to question 56: "How does God justify you?" The answer is: "God forgives all my sins and accepts me as righteous through Christ." I tried to explain that because Jesus took the punishment for our sin, God completely forgives us. And furthermore, when he looks at us he doesn't see us as sinners, all he sees is Jesus. So in effect, we are as clean and sinless as He is. Little R looked up at me with her sweet brown eyes and said so sincerely, "I don't deserve that." Exactly. None of us do. It's called Grace.

Accident!

2008-10-29T19:39:00.000-05:00

Poor Chippy has had an accident! Apparently he caught a toe somewhere on the cage and in the effort of freeing himself, he broke the toe right off! The bone is completely severed at the first joint near the tip and merely hanging by the skin. I think it will heal OK, and we placed him back in a cardboard box for now. We will have to be quite careful when making his large cage. I feel bad about it, but I just didn't realize...

Open eyes

2008-10-26T10:01:00.000-05:00

I have a bad cold and am staying home from church today. :( Church is the highlight of my week. My mother-in-law arrived on Friday for a visit. It is sooo nice having her here. Especially since I'm not feeling well, she has taken over the kitchen and children and given me plenty of rest. God bless her!

Chippy has opened his eyes! And he is becoming a chubby Chippy. He doesn't eat any solid food yet, but his upper incisors are coming in, so it should be soon. He still sleeps all day, but that should change soon also, and hopefully he will start to play. We can't wait for him to do more than just snuggle in our hands.

Demand-full day

2008-10-22T07:15:00.000-05:00

Yesterday was what I call a demand-full day. The needs of others began at 5:30 in the morning and did not end until 10 that evening when I crashed exhaustedly into bed. Between my husband, children, and father, I seemed to have nary a moment to myself to catch my breath. Thankfully, this does not occur every day. It was just one of those days when I must remind myself that this is my ministry, that I am doing His will by meeting the needs of the people around me, and I thank Him for giving me meaningful things to do and stretching my endurance. How boring and useless is a self-pleasing life of ease. Lord, make me more like Christ.

Murder in Roaring Springs Pt.2

2008-10-19T17:21:00.000-05:00

We in this small Roaring Springs community are relieved that the man responsible has been arrested, yet we are further horrified as each additional detail of the crime is brought to light. We are still uninformed as to the relationship that this man had to the family. We hope it was not a "random" act. But does that really matter? Would it make it any better to know that it was an estranged boyfriend or disgruntled employee? Not really. In my mind there is nothing that can make it better except to know that God is in control, and that His justice is perfect as is His love. Here is a news update: http://www.wkyt.com/home/headlines/31230924.html

Update on Chippy: We have had him now for 2 weeks and he continues to grow and develop. His eyes are still not open, but I can feel his upper incisors beginning to emerge. We have moved him to an extra birdcage we had in storage. He still has a little box and towel to nest in. He seems content there and is furry enough now that we have removed the heating pad. He begins to make small chattering sounds which entertains the children.

Murder in Roaring Springs

2008-10-16T08:04:00.000-05:00

Roaring Springs is just a few miles from our house. Here is a link to the news story, however incomplete. http://www.kentuckynewera.com/articles/2008/10/16/news/free/doc48f6e13d1b502173048350.txt It is being investigated as a murder/arson. The way I heard it is that a house burned completely down, and a suspect vehicle was being sought in the area. I sure hope they catch him. Thankfully, it's raining today, so my kids will stay inside and I won't worry.

P.S. You were wrong, Lizzie. The electric co. actually came yesterday and successfully removed the tree!

Bouncing for joy

2008-10-14T16:36:00.000-05:00

You can't watch this and not smile.

Riding a Camel

2008-10-12T17:02:00.000-05:00

This weekend the kids had a blast camping at LBL with a group from church. They also had the pleasure of spending an entire day with their dad without their "safety-conscious" mom around. Mom made up for it though, by stopping at the Cadiz Hamfest with the little girls and letting Rose have a ride on the camel. When Cami saw how big the camel was and heard him making a "growling" sound she decided not to have a ride.

Chippy, the baby squirrel is doing very well. He is gaining weight and eating more and looking more like a squirrel than an alien now. Any day now his eyes should open. When I feed him, I can feel his two little incisor teeth coming in. We'd better start working on some kind of cage. I fear he will soon outgrow the shoebox. (see posts below for some background on Chippy)

Celtic Crossroads

2008-10-08T21:53:00.000-05:00

Kate and I went to a wonderful concert last night at the Alhambra. It was a mix of singing, playing, and dancing by an Irish group called Celtic Crossroads. If you ever get a chance to see them, jump on it-- they are awesome.

Update on Chippy: He is still alive and doing fine. He is taking about 2 cc's of formula at each feeding, six times a day, so I stopped getting up in the night to feed him. We made a "nest" for him with a towel in a shoebox and placed the whole thing on a heating pad. See blog below to read more about Chippy.

Update on Bunny: She is still at my friend's llama farm, but the experts there believe that she may already be pregnant. See blog below for more about Bunny also.

A baby squirrel!

2008-10-06T18:30:00.000-05:00

Meet Chippy. Our cats killed his mom. Rose found him laying on the floor of the barn. We decided to try to save him. We warmed him and fed him a salt/sugar/water solution with an eyedropper. He swallowed it. I got up at 2am to feed him last night, telling myself that he is probably dead. He wasn't. I drove to the vet early this morning to buy some puppy milk replacer. That's what was recommended on the internet by people who have done this before. We never have. Chippy took his new formula every 4 hours today, which consisted of 2 parts water, 1 part puppy milk, and 1/2 part heavy whipping cream. I'll have to feed him at 2am again tonight. I feel like a new mom. The kids are absolutely thrilled. They have been praying that Chippy will live, and acknowledging that it was a miraculous find. I must admit that this is exciting for me, too. I plan to teach at least two of the children how to feed him so I won't have to do it every time. But the first day I wanted to make sure he was eating. Cami, 5 years old, thinks it is so cool that you have to stroke his bottom with a tissue to make him go potty. I explained that the momma squirrel would lick him instead. Gross, but true. If anyone out there has raised a squirrel before we would be appreciative of your advice.

Breeding Bunny

2008-10-05T18:25:00.000-05:00

We currently have two llamas at Honeysuckle Cave Farm, consisting of a female named Bunny, and a male named Charlie. We raised Bunny on a bottle after she was orphaned. Charlie came to us a year later. They are both about three years old, but have never bred. We were starting to think something was wrong with them, so today after church we brought Bunny over to a friend's llama farm to see if another male could be successful with her. Baby llamas are sooo adorable.