Avis Acres

4H fair

2010-07-25T16:25:00.000-04:00

We had a very exciting 4h fair week.

Thursday was check-in, which went surprisingly smoothly. Luckily the heat broke a little bit so we got everyone comfortable settled in.

Saturday was the rabbit show bright and early. we are very lucky that Whitley County runs an ARBA sanctioned show. Our judges were Caleb Thomas and Eric Stewart. The first breed up was Netherlands and the 1st group was Self. Nicholas took 2 REWs. Our Sr. buck [LLS Avalanche] placed 1 of 1 and our Jr. Buck [AA Whiteout] placed 1 of 1, BOV, and BOG. This was Whiteout's first time on the table and he got his 1st leg. The Shaded group was next. Rebecca took a Sr. Siamese Smoke Pearl buck[AA Sparky] and a Jr. Siamese Smoke Pearl doe[AA Pebbles]. Pebbles was disqualified for a white toe nail. Bummer that we didn't notice that before! Sparky won 1 of 1, and BOG. The Tan Pattern group followed. we had traded a rabbit for a goat with a friend. She showed a Smoke Pearl Marten Sr. Buck [AA Juniper] who won BOG also. When it was time for breed to be judged there were 3 Avis Acres rabbits on the table. Caleb Thomas choose Sparky for BOB! That is Sparkys 4th BOB!

Silver Fox were the next breed to be judged. There were 7 Silver Fox at our county fair! Nicholas had a Jr. Buck [AA 90]. Rebecca had a 6/8 doe [AA Nadia] and a 6/8 buck [AA Baryshnikov]. Rebecca won BOB with Nadia and Nicholas won BOS with his Jr. Buck. I guess we better get that little guy a name!

Immediately following Silver Fox were the Hollands. We didn't have a SSB thanks to Dare Devil being in the middle of a nasty molt- poor guy is almost naked! Rebecca had two SSD, [AA Milky Way and GBF Honolaura]. Honolaura was just coming off a litter and got 3rd and Milky Way got 2nd (she was also molting). We had two SJD [AA Mack and AA Venus]. Mack was shown by Rebecca was 2nd while Venus was shown by Nicholas was 6th. Two BSB were both shown by Nicholas. Twin Barns Fritz was 2nd and Mossy Possum Zoom Zoom was 6th (another rabbit open in coat). Nicholas showed a BJB [AA Mickey] for another 1st. We had two BJD, (AA Aurora) shown by Nicholas for a 3rd and [AA Minnie] shown by Rebecca was 1st. We didn't have anybody on the breed table because we got beat for variety by older animals. The BOV solid was a doe we had sold because we couldn't get her bred. Lucy always did have it on the show table and she still does, she made a 10 year 4Her very happy this year.

Sunday was the beef show. Rebecca showed her junior beef steer because she really enjoys the larger animals, but we can't compete with those grain fed show steers. She enjoyed showing him, though, and he walked very well for her.

Monday was the goat show. Note to self- when kids are showing in white outfits always have a backup ready! The one day Rebecca had a bloody nose and she was in white. Chris saved the day by racing home and getting her clean clothes. First in the ring was our 2 year old milking doe, she placed 2nd with Rebecca. Our youngest doe was 2nd out of three for Rebecca. Our yearling dry does finished 2nd for Nicholas and 4th for Rebecca. they both went back in the ring with Tango and Fandango for the Mother/Daughter-dry class and finished 4th. We were very pleased with that finish. There were too many pairs in the ring to count, and the winner is supposed to show the greatest improvement for mother to daughter. That just left the wethers. Nicholas finished 6th with his 50# and Rebecca finished 2nd with her 53#. The judge did mention that he really liked Rebecca's wether and if she had walked him a little more he could have won the class.

Both kids competed in Junior showmanship. Neither won, but the judge made a point to let everyone in the audience know that Nicholas was the most improved junior showman in his class. I had noticed that he got better each time he was in the ring, but it was really nice for the judge to recognize him, too.

Now we have less than 2 weeks until the State Fair rabbit show and Rabbit Ambassador competition.

2 week countdown to 4H Fair!

2010-07-02T21:27:00.000-04:00

Goats hooves are trimmed, they get their shaves this weekend. All 6 of them!
Steer has been bumped up to twice daily walking,washing and brushing.
Rabbits are on the conditioning program to try and get them through their molts faster and prevent the others from starting!
Hopefully pictures soon! between the animals and the weeds in the garden their hasn't been much time for photography!

BIG NEWS!! Non GMO feed!

2010-06-14T13:09:00.000-04:00

Where has the time gone? I can't believe it is the middle of June already! Our big news if that we found a feed producer in Honeyville, IN that is making non-GMO feed. We have switched our hogs and poultry to non-GMO feed and are very excited about that change.

We have finished a batch of 25 meat chickens and have 50 more coming this week. Our new pullets have been integrated with the flock but are not exactly comfortable yet. They are still trying to hide from the 'older' girls. If all goes well our egg production this fall should be fantastic! Non-GMO, free range fresh brown eggs and non-GMO pastured chicken. Wow. How far we have come in a year!

We have 2 'hatchings' of Bourbon Red turkeys already outside and growing well. they should be ready for thanksgiving, which seems like a long way off but will be here before we know it!

We quit collecting the duck eggs because there were just laying too many. Now they have built there own nests and are setting. One built her nest under the rabbits! I had to add an extra pan to the stack of cages so she would quit getting 'soiled' from the rabbits above! I wonder how many ducklings we will have waddling around soon? Do you think they will do a better job than our incubator does?

The pigs are really gaining. They are also so much fun. Chris and Nicholas were putting the hay tarp on last week and the pigs were helping! Three of the pigs grabbed on to a corner of the tarp and started pulling while Chris and Nicholas were on the other corner! You should have heard those two laughing and calling to the pigs to 'pull'. Priceless.

The heifers and steers are very happy with all this rain, they have plenty of grass to eat all day long. We also still give them hay to keep things balanced, but they sure enjoy that green grass. Right now the goats are in the same pasture as the cows. They keep their distance from each other but are doing fine. The goats like to eat the hay from the top of the bale! They jump right up on those round bales and munch away.

That just leaves the rabbits. Rebecca counted yesterday and we have an even 100 rabbits. Sure seem likes more at watering and feeding time! They are all doing well, considering the heat. We have had lots of babies and they are growing like crazy. Only one show this month and then nothing until the Whitley County Fair and State Fair followed quickly by the IN State RBA Convention.

The gardens are growing with all the rain we have had. We had 5" last Friday alone. Lots of standing water around here. Our garden beds are on a hill with grass inbetween so we didn't have anything wash away except for the driveway!

Thanks for checking in!

OSRBA mini convention

2010-05-04T20:15:00.001-04:00

Baseball season has begun!

2010-05-04T20:09:00.000-04:00

Happy goats- 10 days old

2010-04-08T20:50:00.000-04:00

Spring 'Break'?

2010-04-08T20:20:00.000-04:00

Not much of a break here- I'll let the photos tell the tale.

Twins!!

2010-03-28T19:40:00.000-04:00

The solid black is a buckling and the doeling is 'properly' marked. We had been keeping an eye on Tango for days. Her udder just kept getting bigger. Today when we were doing chores she really seemed to be panting. We had dinner and Rebecca put together her 'birthing kit'. When the kids went to check on her after dinner she had two little ones all cleaned up and on their feet! We didn't have to do a thing. I'm sure we will have more adorable pictures to come. They are both headed in the right direction, as you can see by the last photos- headed for the food!

March News

2010-03-22T11:52:00.000-04:00

Well, March came in like a lamb! Isn't that backwards? Our weather has been gorgeous. It sure makes it easier to get stuff done outside when the sun is shining!

Our second hatch was a little better, but not much. We got 6 chicks this time. Something happens after they start to develop but before they hatch. Chris is researching all possible problems. Incubator too hot or too cool? Humidity too high or low?

We are waiting for our Oberhasli doe, Tango, to deliver her first. She is due any day now. She is in her own private pen and looks very uncomfortable physically but I think she likes her new area.

This past two weekends were busy. Two days of rabbit shows the 13th and 14th in Columbia City, with a Holland Specialty each day. The 20th in Nappanee with a Silver Fox Specialty. We did much better than I would have ever expected. We took Best of Breed youth Holland on the 13th and Best Opposite youth Holland on the 14th with the same junior doe! Our little Milky Way really impressed the judges. One of them even called her "stunning"! I guess we'll try that breeding again! Rebecca got lots of firsts with her Netherlands and Best Opposite on the 13th.. The Silver Fox actually had competition both weekends and held their own. We also got a breeding to a buck who is unrelated to our line so we have some diversity!

As soon as I can get pictures off Rebecca's camera I will post them!

Chris is now officially the Market Master for the Columbia City Farmers Market. You will be able to find him downtown most Saturday mornings mid May to mid October.

We are also working with the Health Dept to be able to sell our meat at the Farmer's Market and by the cut from our freezer.

That's all our news for right now. Thanks for checking in!

Chicks!

2010-03-12T11:57:00.000-05:00

The chicks in the incubator are starting to 'pip' today! They pip a little whole in the large end of the egg, then they peck around the large end of the egg until they can push out. 4 have pipped so it already looks like a better hatch rate than last time.
The turkeys started laying this week so hopefully those will go in next!

Not much better

2010-03-01T08:17:00.000-05:00

February has been no better, kindling wise. One dead litter born in our new inside maternity ward and the rest are all misses. So we breed again and try for March.
Only 2 chicks out of our first incubater full, so it is filled and 'cooking' again. We candled them last night and removed any that weren't growing. The ones we took out were all the same size and color, so probably from the same hen- looks like she isn't getting along with the roosters!
Our Oberhasli doe, Tango, is looking bigger and her udder is starting to fill. Hopefully a baby goat at the end of March, although Rebecca is convinved it will be any day now!
Rabbit show season gets into full swing this month-March 6 a youth workshop and show in Lafayette, March 13/14 Noble County/Whitley County both in Columbia City, and March 20 in Nappanee. We have several Silver Fox juniors and some Holland Lops to sell. Hopefully we can find new homes for them so someone else can feed them!

February kindling

2010-02-20T16:28:00.001-05:00

What you might be able to see in the pictures is the nest box in the cage, the tags on the front are to keep track of who was bred to whom and when. We are tired of losing babies, lost 2 more this am. So I broke down and cleaned a used 8 stack we had purchased, found a tarp and moved the expectant Mommas into the basement. I can't stand the mess, the smell and having animals in the house, but I hate losing prospective Hollands even more. They are so darned hard to get bred in the first place and then to lose babies is just heartbreaking. Emme delivered last night, a day earlier than I expected and had 2 little kit-cicles. I think it bothered Chris more than it did me! He is the one who said we really didn't have a choice anymore, they have to come inside. I couldn't even talk him into the garage, he said "Basement, just do it". What a guy. We'll let you know if anyone is successful- 3 due this week and 3 more next week.

Could this mean spring is on it's way?!?

2010-02-17T19:01:00.000-05:00

I doubt it, but we have a couple of chicks, anyway! Chris set 40+ eggs, but only 2 have hatched, so far. The others aren't even pipped, so we are worried they may not hatch. But he has 40 more ready to go. These will be mixed breed chicks for egg-layers. Since we put all the chickens together for the winter there have been all sorts of 'couples'!

Sparky is a Grand Champion!

2010-02-08T19:06:00.000-05:00

Here is Rebecca's Netherland Dwarf. He is a Siamese Smoke Pearl senior buck named Sparky. She had one leg on him from an earlier show and this weekend at Huntington, which was a double show, he won Best of Breed in both youth shows! Three wins that have enough comptetion to earn legs = Grand Champion. She also won Best Opposite Sex to Sparky with her Smoke Pearl Marten senior doe named Taco. Rebecca has bred all the Netherland's she showed. She was very excited to do so well at her first show of the year.

Avis Acres had the only Silver Fox in the youth shows, so we swept BOB and BOS in each.

Our Hollands are getting better, we earned lots of seconds and thirds, but no big wins.

It was a long day, we got up before 6am and didn't get home until after 10pm. It was so worth it to see all our rabbit friends again. Noble County and Whitley county shows are next month in Columbia City. Hope to see more of you there, weather permitting!

We did learn a valuable lesson regarding our new "rabbit-mobile"- it has a great alternator! Nicholas ran the battery down watching movies, so we had to beg jumper cables and a jump at the end of the day. The battery re-charged before we got to the restaurant for dinner so we were able to eat without leaving it running!

A word from Rebecca

I was very excited to win so much at the show considering it was my first generation of Netherlands. I took four rabbits and each at least got one leg. My mother was a bit flustered that my first year of breeding Netherlands I have won so much and she has been breeding Holland for a few years and has only had one BOB and one BOS. I am very grateful to have started off so well.
So long,
Rebecca

Our "Nursery"

2010-01-29T22:54:00.000-05:00

Here are our three January litters. After our December losses and lessons learned with the cold the nest boxes are coming in this month. We take them out to their Mommas to nurse in the morning and then keep them warm the rest of the day. We need to clean the boxes and give them fresh straw this weekend so we'll post some baby pics soon.

January litters

2010-01-25T09:25:00.000-05:00

Several litters born last week. After losing so many in December due to the cold I decided we were bringing nestboxes in this time. So every night we bring the boxes in the house to stay warm and take them back out in the morning so Mommas can nurse their babies. It did warm up so we can leave them out more during the day, but we are still bringing them in every night.

Cybil's 3 Hollands born on Jan 18 are doing great. looks like a broken black and two REWs.

Sasha, a Silver Fox had 8 on Tues Jan 19 in the morning.

Blue Belle is a spas Holland- she is always flying around her cage so I was concerned about breeding her in the first place. She delivered 3 Tues night, but 2 were peanuts. Peanuts are a result of breeding two true dwarf rabbits - the kits get a double dwarf gene and rarely live for more than a few days. The good thing is that now I know Blue Belle and Dare Devil are both true dwarfs!

Sylvia, Silver Fox, had 3 live kits Wed morning, and several more dead ones throughout the day, I think we found 9 total. By the end of the day there were only 2 still with us.

Wednesday night I was trying to decide what to do, I knew Blue Belle was not taking care of hers like I wanted and I was worried that the two peanuts wouldn't be enough mass to keep the other kit warm. I decided that Thursday we would need to do some fostering, but I was too late. All three of Blue Belles were gone Thurs am. We also decided to foster some of Sasha's 8 to Sylvia to even their loads out. Anybody have a good way to mark black kits whewn you foster them?!? Usually we mark the ears, but their ears are black and nothing shoews up! We colored a front foot, hope we can still find it!

Emme, Onawa, Google, and Lucy all missed- so they are re-bred now. Diana just weaned a litter and Blue Belle lost hers, so I will re-breed both of them next week. So hopefully more babies in February! I like to have at least 2 does due the same day so you have back-up in case something happens. So far it is working very well, as long as I decide quickly enough what to do! So many lessons to learn.

Cybil ( x Zoom) is the first to deliver!

2010-01-18T20:36:00.000-05:00

Three kits born sometime between 6 and 8pm. A broken black, and two surprises. She has thrown a REW before so we will have to see when the fur comes in. Why is it my only doe with a nasty personality is my most consistent producer?!? I really do not like her, keep saying I'm going to get rid of her, then she gives me babies! After my cold weather lessons last month I am not taking any chances and brought the nestbox inside. I hope I don't make her mad and that she will nurse them when I bring them back to her.

Hopefully more updates tomorrow!

Time for new homes

2010-01-17T13:20:00.007-05:00

Check out my sister's blog to hear how the grey kitten got a new home!

We also placed a ND buck in a 4H home and a sable point Holland doe in a pet home. It makes it all worth it so see the looks of joy on these kids face when they pick their new friend.

Babies due this week so hopefully I'll have some new pics soon.

Cold Weather Lessons... we've learned the hard way

2010-01-07T19:32:00.001-05:00

1. Newborn rabbits really are wet and will not survive in 9 degree temps no matter how soon you find them.
2. Metal chicken waterers are not a good idea, even on a heater- the chickens combs freeze to the metal above!
3. Breaking the ice out of water dishes is really painful on your wrists at about #36 ( we have 65 to break daily).
4. Cats will use the barn floor for a litter box when it is cold and snowy.
5. Cows look really funny eating hay when they are covered with snow that does not melt on their backs
6. Metal chicken feeders are not a good idea either- they go from the water straight to feed and freeze again!
7. There are never enough dry hats and gloves for 4 people
8. The tire on the tractor will go flat when you have 6" of snow to plow before your wife gets home from work
9. It is not possible to plow snow with a flat tire on the tractor
10. Life on a farm with animals is very educational in every season!

Christmas 2009

2009-12-26T18:27:00.000-05:00

Wow, time sure flies!

2009-12-19T21:27:00.000-05:00

We were busy getting areas prepped for animals for winter, it took a lot more time than we anticipated. we had our first real snowfall today, and everything seems to be working pretty well. We had severe cold two weeks ago and lots several litters of bunnies, but all the adults were ok. We re-bred today so hopefully we won't have another cold snap like that when these are due! Here is a picture of the rabbitry in process- now it has plexiglass around the bottom of the cages and straw bales in between the roof of the barn and the roof of the cages. I was really pleased to day when no snow was in the rabbitry!

The chickens are now snug in the barn with lots of roosts. We combined chickens from 5 separate places into one, so far we only lost one rooster and they seem to be adjusting.

The kittens are really growing! They are so cute, climbing on everything they can find and playing.

Chris and an experienced cow-man friend got the heifers loaded up today and delivered to another friend who has a bull. Hopefully the girls will be bred soon and deliver calves in the fall. Tomorrow we are off to Noblesville for the day, Beckett is being baptized. Monday we are driving to Wolcott to visit with a Silver Fox breeder and decide the fate of our 12 Silver Fox juniors. We'll let you know what we decide!

All the stars aligned and we have photos!

2009-12-05T19:00:00.000-05:00

8 week old Holland Lop littermates ( the gemstone litter)

PEARL

JASPER

ONYX

JEWEL

4 week old Holland littermates

and 2 litters of 8 week old Silver Fox!

We have another Holland litter and a Netherland litter in nestboxes. We have 2 Silver Fox, 3 Hollands, and 2 Netherlands due this week. We gave them nestboxes today and some of them went right to work getting those nests ready. They are so much fun to watch.

Typical disaster

2009-11-29T10:45:00.000-05:00

This is what happened when Chris tried to move a chicken house from one area to another for the winter. Oops! (It is laying on it's back, in case you can't tell)

...and here is why it happened! A broken bead on the front right tire of the Kubota. I few tries later the tire is fixed, but the chicken house is still in the driveway! Another project for today. More photos later of all the animals in their new homes for the winter. We have to get them all close to thawable (?) water.

Avis Acres little ones

2009-11-29T10:38:00.000-05:00

One of the great things about Avis Acres is that we always have little ones of some sort or another! These kittens are so adorable right now. They get out of their box and follow you around the barn They play with any little thing they can find for 3 1/2 minutes and then they climb back in their box and collapse!

These Hollands are from our most recent litter. First time mom so I wasn't sure, but Emme is wonderful. She gave us 3 sable points and a tort, so what more could I ask for?!?

Avis Acres Thanksgiving

2009-11-29T10:25:00.000-05:00

All from Avis Acres- green beans in the casserole, sweet potatos, and a Bourbon Red turkey!

Camera? Anyone have a camera?!?

2009-11-09T11:30:00.003-05:00

Can you believe 4 adult women meet to enjoy a weekend together and noone brings a camera?!?

Yes, I know, amazing. We had a great time, just no pictures except for a few cell phone pics that were taken. We had very little trouble navigating until the GPS and the map disagreed and we didn't know who to listen to! We met in Louisville and stayed at a very nice Embassy Suite. We had a cocktail hour in the evening and a great cooked to order breakfast in the morning. Saturday night we had dinner at Ramsi's Cafe on the World on Bardstown Road. The restaurant is located in a very interesting area of town, lots to see just in the people walking around! It had a wonderful variety of ethnic food that was really good. There was also some dinner time entertainment. I'm sure my sister will post something on her blog as well, but her 7 month old son Beckett thought the pair of belly dancers who danced for us were amazing!

We stayed up until 2 in the morning talking, while Beckett slept in the bedroom. Probably not the best choice since he likes to start his day before 8am! I'm a little tired at work today but it was definitely worth it. Thanks everyone!

Casey's back!!

2009-11-03T18:45:00.004-05:00

Casey the steer is home in neat white packages. So far we have been very pleased. The flavor is great and it is so nice to have a freezer full of lean and clean (chemical free) protein. The turkeys are scheduled to be butchered just before Thanksgiving. Fresh turkey, anyone?

Football is finished so Nicholas goes directly to basketball. He is so active in his own way at home, I'm glad he enjoys structured sports programs, as well.

Trunk or Treat

2009-11-03T18:22:00.004-05:00

Sorry, guess I got a little overwhelmed and forgot to blog! Where does all that laundry come from? Someone needs to educate my children that sweatshirts can be worn more than once before being washed- I am having no luck.

Here are the kids in their Halloween costumes that they dug out of their closets. We had plans to help with a party Saturday night so we took the kids to a couple of area churches that do Trunk or Treat in their parking lots earlier in the week. It was fun to see so many friends and neighbors.

Today victory is mine!! I learned H1N1 vaccine was at our doctors office so the kids are now vaccinated! Hooray!!

Friday, finally

2009-10-23T12:58:00.004-04:00

This has been an exceptionally long week. First, Rebecca's friend Katie's brother passed away. Rebecca asked if she could go to the funeral on Wednesday. Wow, that was a tough question to hear, but how could we say no? I was working, so Chris picked Rebecca and Nicholas both up from school early and went to the funeral. They got home just a few minutes before I did, and it was pretty obvious it had been rough for them. Rebecca was glad to be there for Katie and I'm glad we were able to help.

Thursday our county health department was having an H1N1 clinic for 1-6pm. Chris picked the kids up early from school, again, and was in line by 1230. Of course the line was 3/4 of the way around the block by then! We heard that people had been in line since 1030am! Obviously they didn't have that many doses and at 107pm they sent away the majority of the line. It is so frustrating to know what your kids need and not be able to get it for them. The flu has been rampant in our schools. Dozens of kids are being sent home each day with fevers and hundreds are absent. We just learned that several of the kids that show rabbits with Rebecca and Nicholas have been diagnosed with it as well, so no show for us this weekend. we are just going to try to stay low and keep healthy!

So I am glad it is Friday and I am off for the weekend. Hooray!

Our first Best of Breed!

2009-10-19T20:39:00.005-04:00

Chris took the kids and rabbits to the NCIN RBA show in Nappanee on Saturday. Rebecca won her first Best of Breed in the youth show with Dare Devil! She was on cloud 9. We hadn't had Dare Devil out for a while. He tends to be jumpy and misbehaves on the table. He also had a hole in his ear thanks to a neighboring rabbit. We were going through rabbits before the show and decided to give him another try. We are sure glad we pulled him out! Here is a post-show photo.

Chris always come home from the rabbit show with something new. I was hoping we would just get away with a new hat this time.

But no such luck. Here is our new Holland buck Zoom. It really was a deal you couldn't pass up. A rabbit friend asked Rebecca if she would like to have him. He is a tiny buck and should help bring down the size on a lot of our larger does. He is also a really nice broken sable point or smoke pearl- the jury is still out on that one! All our friend wants is a bunny from him in return. We love having bunnies so that should not be a problem.

On a sad note, Rebecca's best friend Katie lost her brother to a freak hunting accident yesterday. They are both too young to have to learn about death, I'm really glad they have each other.

A Great Day ( and the Boilers win!)

2009-10-17T20:35:00.002-04:00

Rebecca won her first Best of Breed at an open show!! Our solid senior Holland buck Dare Devil won in the NCINRBA youth show at Nappanee, IN . He hasn't been shown much because a neighboring rabbit got ahold of his ear and punctured a hole in it. His ear has a scar but no hole so we decided to pull him out and see how he would do. Doesn't it figure? I spend a whole lot of time and money agonizing over the decision to improve my herd, and then a buck I have had for 2 years and not touched comes out and wins?!?

I missed all the fun because I had to work. And work I did! KCH is busting at the seams we have so many patients. I think H1N1 is finally here. I saw masks headed to the nurses and employees got vaccinations last week. next move is to restrict visitors to those over 18, I heard.

My alma mater Purdue Boilermakers finally turned things around today and stomped on Ohio State. Go Boilers!!

Our first ad!

2009-10-14T15:06:00.004-04:00

Check http://talkofthetownwc.com out! About half way down the page on the far right side -our first ad! This was a surprise for us from the website owner who is a friend of ours. We are very excited and hope it generates some business.

Casey is now in the freezer. We have had some steaks and some ground beef. It is very lean and tasty. Now I just need to get my kids to stop naming everything we eat Casey! "Is this Casey Chili?" "Are these Casey Hamburgers?" They think it's cute, but I'm not so sure. They sure don't feel that way when I try to get them to eat chicken or rabbit!

Still keeping busy around here. Trying to get ready for winter which sure feels like it will be here soon with these lower temps and all the rain we are getting.

We managed to get all of us vaccinated for the seasonal flu, finally. I can get the H1N1 at the hospital, now I just have to figure out how to get it for Chris and the kids.

The weekend before last our good friends suddenly had two tickets to the PU football game they couldn't use. Thankfully they thought of us, again! Rebecca and I already had plans to go to a rabbit show. Chris took Nicholas to his first "real" football game and to see the fraternity where he lived. It was a long day, but I think they really enjoyed themselves. Unfortunately, Purdue gave away another football game, but it is always exciting just to be in the stadium.

Last weekend we had dinner at a friends house and played cards. Nicholas ran off to box with her son. Rebecca played cards and probably heard more "adult" conversation than she should have, but we had a lot of fun.

We lost a small Silver Fox and a little Holland this week. they are at that 2 week mark where their eyes are open and they are starting to get out of the box and explore. I don't know if they got their little feet caught in the wire floor or if they just couldn't get back in the box and got too cold. There is always something, it is so aggravating.

I'm working this weekend, but Chris and the kids may be off to another rabbit show. There is a Silver Fox Specialty with this one, so one more opportunity for Sterling. We have some really cute Netherland Dwarfs that are ready to sell and some more Hollands.

Beef!

2009-10-05T20:33:00.003-04:00

Chris took our first steer to the butcher this week. He crossed the scales at 865. Chris called processor today and the hanging weight is 452. Chris was really pleased at the better than 50% hanging weight. We should be able to have fresh steak by the end of the week! Turkeys are next on the list if anyone is interested.

2009-10-01T21:34:00.002-04:00

Nicholas loves watermelon- especially if we grow it ourselves! Thanks, Daddy!

Rebecca's new haircut and her new favorite friend Sophie

Introducing...

2009-09-27T21:31:00.006-04:00

our new additions

GBF's Emmet- our new young (7 months) herdsire

GBF's Nova Scotia- a young junior(12 weeks) doe soon to be on the showtables

GBF's HonoLaura - another young junior(12 weeks) doe for the tables

We are also the proud owners of White River's Onawa, a proven senior doe (almost 2 years old), but she was not feeling pretty today. Her photo shoot will be rescheduled. Thank you to my friend Gina for all her help and guidance in getting our new breeding program off the ground. She had a lot to look at and we had fun picking these out!

Also, Chris' Silver Fox doe Sasha delivered 9 healthy kits today. Sylvia's little ones should be here anytime now, she was picking up everything in site to make a nest with. A couple of the Hollands due this week started nesting today, but it will be a few days for them.

Happy, Happy Day

2009-09-26T15:11:00.002-04:00

Thursday was a very Happy Day! The hospital has a clinical recognition program and payout was on Thursday. This is the first year I was eligible to participate and I really had no idea what to expect. Let's just repeat, it was a Happy Day! I am so excited. Now I can go to South Bend tomorrow and pick up the Holland buck I have been waiting for. Maybe a couple of new does, too! So no later than Monday I promise a rabbit photo shoot.

Gotta Love it!

2009-09-20T11:35:00.002-04:00

Even though the Boilers lost the game, we had an awesome time! It is so interesting to go to campus with someone different. We went to the post game band concert at the fountain in front of Hovde Hall- I never knew there was such a thing! How have I missed that all these years? Oh, I remember, we always have to go back to KDR for a beer and brotherhood! Not yesterday, my friends! Girls can go to band concerts and eat chicken sandwiches and not even have to smell a beer!! It is a great concert, if you've never seen it you really should. Those band members have a lot of fun with all their hard work.

The rabbit show was evidently an experience. They did sell one rabbit, but they also bought one, so I guess that's a wash. The Silver Fox didn't do as well as they did last weekend, but Rebecca's Netherland Dwarf did better than last week and took Best Of Variety. The Hollands faired a little better than last weekend, Lucy got second in her class. Chris not only survived the rabbit show without me but managed it without any meltdowns or tempertantrums! He did admit he was a little bored without me to entertain him.

Go Boilermakers!

2009-09-18T18:46:00.002-04:00

I had a surprise invitation from a girlfriend who has one extra ticket for the game tomorrow. Hooray! Chris and the kids are headed to their first rabbit show without me and I am going to the PU football game. It will be an adventure for everyone.

Two Busy Weekends continued...

2009-09-14T21:09:00.006-04:00

ISRBA Convention at the State Fairgrouds
The kids were showing Holland Lops, Netherland Dwarfs, and Silver Fox. Rebecca was also competing in the Royalty Contest.

Here is Nicholas showing Holland Lops.

Rebecca is showing Silver Fox, at the same time of course! It was a good thing Chris and I were both there to help get the rabbits in the right place at the right time! What a team.

Rabbit shows are exhausting, all day it is hurry up and wait. This photo was not staged, he really did fall asleep in that chair in the middle of a busy building for about an hour.

After the show we headed to Noblesville where my sister Julianne and my parents had gathered at Jessica's house for a visit. We heard and saw the fighter jets getting in formation to fly over the stadium for the Colts home opener- those jets are loud!! It was a great site, though.

Two Busy Weekends

2009-09-14T20:46:00.008-04:00

Last weekend was our Powell Family reunion. We have met at this farm every Labor Day weekend for more years than I can remember. It has grown from a Saturday night hot dog roast and hay ride to a full weekend with a hog roast, hay rides, swimming, games, and crawdad catching.

Grandma Morton, Grandma Great or Aunt Sis, depending on your generation

Our Host and Hostess with the Mostest!! Thank you for all your hospitality!

Normal, busy week

2009-09-03T11:30:00.002-04:00

Not much to report here- just a normal week! Rebecca got her braces adjusted Tuesday so she is trying to fill up on soft foods for a few days. It takes a lot of applesauce and pudding for that girl! She has riding lessons tonight. Nicholas had football practice Tues and again tonight. I am not used to anything being an hour and a half- it's amazing how that additional 30 minutes cuts into your evening! Wednesday we sold at the Farmer's Market and had our best night ever! We are just trying to keep up with dinner, homework, chores and laundry around all this busyness!

Our annual Powell family reunion is this weekend at the Treska Farm in Lagro,IN. It is without a doubt my favorite weekend of the year. They have a beautiful woods with a creek and crawdads, lots of outdoor games, a hog roast and perpetual campfire for the whole 3 days. The kids always have fun and it is amazing to see how everyone has grown from last year.

Nicholas and Rebecca

2009-08-27T20:50:00.005-04:00

Nicholas got his football equipment tonight. They are learning the basics and it was quite a workout- he was soaked with sweat when we took the pads off! He says his head hurts from the helmet and slamming into other players.
Rebecca is back in the saddle. She has been asking to take lessons again for quite a while. We finally got it worked out and today was her first lesson at a stable in Warsaw. She really enjoyed it so now we have leverage to get her out of bed in the morning!

Avis Acres Fine Cuisine

2009-08-23T19:54:00.003-04:00

Everything on the plate, with the exception of the bacon in the green beans, was produced here at Avis Acres! We were very excited about this plate and everyone ate lots! Chris really wanted the chicken fried and claimed he had never done that. So even though it feels like a lifetime since I had, I did pan fry it. He had a great suggestion to use potato flakes and flour for the light breading and it worked great. Right now I have a whole wheat black bread baking in the breadmaker and oatmeal soaking to prepare in the morning. I feel very healthy and productive!(with the exception of the fried chicken and bacon, of course!)

Working Weekend

2009-08-23T14:53:00.002-04:00

I worked this weekend, which wasn't all bad since it was unseasonable rainy and cool here in Indiana. I hope the weather holds for our annual family reunion over Labor Day weekend. We had movie night last night and watched Days of Thunder (TC before it all went to his head and he started jumping on couches!) That movie was made in 1990! How can it be that old! There was a lot of language for a PG13 movie, but it was still much tamer than anything we have now that is PG13. Wonder what we can find to watch tonight?

The kids went back to school this week.
Nicholas was excited to learn a cursive letter his very first day of third grade. If the class behaves during the week they can earn an extra recess on Friday, that sound like a great way to build teamwork!
Rebecca was pleased to learn she is in the pre-algebra Math class instead of 7th grade Math, due to her ISTEP scores. She's also excited they only have ISTEP once this year, in the spring.

Nicholas starts Junior Football League this week. It is the first time he has played, but I'm sure he's going to love it. Rebecca really wants to start her riding lessons again. We'll be looking into that this week. I thought the summer schedule was busy, looks like school year is going to be just as busy! have to keep those weekends free for rabbit shows, though! We entered Hollands, Netherlands, and Silver Fox in the ISRBA Convention show in Sept. Rebecca is going to compete in their Royalty programs, as well. It is very similar to the 4H Ambassador program.

Chris is trying to keep up with the garden- green beans and squash galore. I'm looking for new ways to use zucchini and summer squash if anyone has them! He's also busy making appts to reduce our animal numbers before the fall and get some beef, chicken and turkey in the freezer or sold.

I've been experimenting with the whole wheat flours and natural sugars. I'm having a terrible time with the bread in the breadmaker, everything is either underdone or overdone and none of it is as light as I would like it. I will try another recipe tonight. I made some zucchini bread using whole wheat flour and molasses. I thought it was ok, but very different. Chris loved it!

Holiday World Was Packed!

2009-08-19T19:34:00.007-04:00

When we planned this weekend we did not realize it was the last full weekend Holiday World was open for the season. We figured it out about 9pm Friday when the hotel and campground were packed full! We decided just to enjoy the beautiful weather and our time together and not worry about the crowds. It was a little difficult to coordinate 3 different "levels" of fun- seekers, but I think we did pretty well. The roller-coaster crowd got to hit a few of those, the toddler crowd got to hit their rides, and those of us in the middle got the best of both worlds! Except for my poor sister Jessica, between the 3 yr old and the 4 month old I think she only made it on one ride! I still really enjoy the water park side- their are so many great slides, wave pools, lazy rivers and splash areas. I am just happiest sitting in cool water and watching other people.

We went out to dinner at a German restaurant in Jasper Friday night. Saturday night was a Mexican restaurant in Jasper. Breakfast both mornings was at a cafe in Dale. Lots of good food and good company. Not to mention all the good things we ate at Holiday World. Here are a couple photos of the group.
On the way home we drove past the exit for Marengo Cave- and made a very spontaneous decision to stop and see it. I am so glad we did, it was really neat. Here are a couple photos from the cave. Anybody ever experienced true total darkness? It is very disorienting when they turn out the lights down there!

A very sad goodbye

2009-08-17T18:58:00.002-04:00

Before I can post anything about our weekend, I have to say thank you and goodbye to a very special person. My dear friend Rebecca Hollenbaugh passed away Friday morning. She fought the bravest 3 year battle against stomach cancer anyone has ever seen. She was 35 years old and leaves behind a husband, a daughter, and a son, as well as a dedicated and loving family.

Anyone who ever met Rebecca was touched by her in some way. I wish I could join all her friends and family at her service, but I am not ready to say goodbye. I am glad she is no longer suffering but I am too sad to feel that relief. We will all miss her so much.

Holiday World

2009-08-13T14:47:00.002-04:00

We are off to Holiday World in Santa Claus, IN tomorrow. My sister Jessica, her husband Dave, Marielle, Beckett, my sister Julianne, her husband David, my parents and my family are all meeting there for the weekend. I am really looking forward to it. Hopefully we will remember to get some pictures! We always forget that when we are together. We just have too much fun! Thanks again to our friend who watches our animals so we can get away.

State Fair Honors

2009-08-10T08:36:00.003-04:00

So on the hottest day of the summer so far we spent 12 hours at the Fair! It was too hot to enjoy all the poor food choices I was looking forward to making. Rebecca had to be at the Rabbit Building to register at 8am. The Rabbit Ambassador Competition started at 9am and we could have no contact with her until she was finished. So we dropped her off, hooked her up with a friend who would calm her nerves and Chris and I were off to explore. Nicholas had spent the night with my sister in Noblesville. I have to thank Jessica- it was great to be able to concentrate on Rebecca for her big day.

Before we knew it my sister called and said they were parked and she was headed in with Nicholas, Marielle and Beckett. We checked in on Rebecca but she was still busy, so we headed off to show Marielle some animals. By the time Rebecca was finished around noon, we had already eaten and seen all the animals and it was really HOT!

Rebecca said she felt pretty good about the competition- the test was shorter than it had been at the county level. She thought it was sneaky that all the rabbits they used for the Breed ID portion were black rabbits! She still felt her showmanship was her downfall- something for her to work on. So we headed out into the heat again so Rebecca could see what she wanted to see and get something to eat.

About 300pm Jessica and the kids were over-done so they headed home with Nicholas to get into the AC and rest. We stayed at the Fair with Rebecca and tried to stay cool until the awards program at 6pm and release of rabbits after that. I didn't do a very good job- it seemed like a no win situation- it was too hot outside, but going in and out of air-conditioning wasn't a good idea, either. I think Chris just wanted to leave me somewhere- I had a migraine by 5 and was so nauseous. But we all survived and by the time the program started I was feeling better, thank goodness.

The Awards Program

We had 4 girls from Whitley County competing

Novice Grades 3 - 4 (28 total) our competitor was Runner Up
Junior grades 5-6 (28 total) Rebecca was in the Honors Group
Intermediate grades 7-8 (29 total) our contestant was in the Honors Group
Senior grades 9-10 (22 total) our contestant was 5th
Master grades 11-12(20 total) we didn't have a competitor

All in all a fantastic finish for Whitley County! We are so proud of Rebecca for taking this opportunity and doing a great job.

We left the fair at 730pm, picked Nicholas up, and ate diner at Olive Garden once we had cooled off and got our appetites back. We had a very kind friend and neighbor taking care of all the animals at home for us. I had to be at work at 730 this morning, but Chris didn't mention losing any animals in this horrible heat. We can't thank our friend enough. We wouldn't haven't been able to get Rebecca to Indy to compete if it weren't for her capable care at home. Thank you everyone!

Wowsa Weekend

2009-08-03T12:00:00.013-04:00

Let's see- what's first. The goat's came home from the fair with snotty noses and coughs so we are giving them injections of antibiotics once a day for 7 days. The rabbits are passing around an infection so they are each getting one injection a week for 3 weeks and we have to bleach all the cages at the beginning of treatment and at the end. The cows are really being bothered by the flies so we are spraying them every day.

The garden is really getting going now- we've had green beans, zucchini, summer squash, red potatoes, carrots, and just this weekend corn!Saturday night we went to the Tin Cups game at Fort Wayne's new Parkview Field. It was so much fun! The facility is beautiful. It was a good game with them pulling off a win in the bottom of the ninth inning. Sunday we took some pictures of the 2 week old Holland Lops. They just opened their eyes and are starting to get out of the nest boxes. They look so cute at this age.

Rabbits For Sale

2009-07-29T11:56:00.002-04:00

A friend from South Bend who I consider to be a "real" rabbit breeder came for a visit on Monday. I had asked her to come down and help me evaluate the Hollands in my barn. Now I know who is for sale and who we think is worth hanging on to. Her evaluations were very helpful. She is really good about "setting" rabbits up properly and they really look different sometimes. Or they don't and then you know the answer to the stay or go question! She also has some really nice stock I am interested in purchasing. So if anybody is looking for a rabbit give me a call!

And then there were two...

2009-07-27T21:19:00.004-04:00

kittens, that is. Last week all three kittens disappeared into thin air the same day. No trace of them anywhere. There Momma was crying for them, the kids were crying and calling for them, it was awful! Sometime in the afternoon one came home covered in burrs. That same evening a neighbor called and said her husband had been walking around the mile a found a kitten by the road in front of our house. She was calling to see if it might be ours. The third one never returned ( the gray and white one that Rebecca had claimed). When I heard one had been found by the road I knew what had happened. The kittens went for a ride under a vehicle.

Today I was running late and drove to work faster than usual. I had a good day and finished up a little early. As I headed out of the parking lot with my windows down to enjoy the beautiful afternoon I heard this strange noise. Odd. I turned out of the hospital parking lot, through the stop sign, and heard it again. I realized what it was as I approached the gas station on the corner. I'll bet I looked really cute there jumping out of my car and running all around it yelling "here kitty, kitty, kitty." I could still hear it but couldn't see it, so up with the hood, still calling for it. I finally saw it's yellow eyes through the engine compartment. I called it up and it crawled through the engine and came straight to me. Can you believe that cat rode under my vehicle for 20 miles then waited all day?!? I still can't believe it. So we have two very lucky and not very bright gray kittens.

the Fair is over ;(

2009-07-24T08:45:00.004-04:00

How can it go so fast?!? We plan and work for it all year and then it is over in a flash.

Mini 4H extravaganza was Wednesday afternoon. Here are some photos of our next showman. Don't you love how he smiles and looks like he is having fun?

Thursday was the auction. Rebecca sold her dairy goat wether. We are very grateful to Wolf Lake Feed for getting her a great price of $200. She was very sad to leave him in a pen in the barn, especially when the goat leader reminded her to remove his collar. I'm not sure she'll be selling a goat again. She also sold her single fryer rabbit and got another nice price of $110 from Wal-Mart. That one is easier to sell, the 4Hers usually get the rabbits back.

Photos (lots of them)

2009-07-21T16:19:00.022-04:00

Rebecca and Nicholas learning a new skill!

Rebecca in the goat ring

Rebecca showing Tucker

Rebecca in the Rabbit show

Showing her Best of Breed Silver Fox (all three rabbits are hers- she needed help!)

Showing her best Opposite Sex of Variety (broken) Holland Lop

Showing her Best Opposite Sex of Variety (solid) Holland Lop

Nicholas in the parade

Chris' usual position- ringside!

Rebecca and the Grand Champion Guernsey

Rebecca and Maverick

Rebecca and Rejoice

Days Three and Four

2009-07-21T11:59:00.003-04:00

Day Three was the Beef show. What a long day! I felt I had been doing pretty well until the beef show. The Show barn was packed with people, it was getting warmer outside, and having to wait all day and try to keep tabs on Nicholas set off my first migraine of the fair. Rebecca finally got to show her steer- he finished at the bottom of the class, as we expected, due to his size. It's not realistic to try to compete with those grain force fed, growth hormone injected steers when you are trying to produce a grass-fed organic slow-food type of beef. Rebecca was not discouraged. She trimmed him, bathed him and groomed him the way she wanted to and she did it by herself. She has made quite a name for herself in the dairy and beef barn- I can't tell you how many people have commented to me what a neat young lady she is. She really enjoys caring for the animals and learning from other people, but she certainly makes up her own mind as to how she is going to do it. I think for her showing is just the necessary end to all the hard work but it is not her favorite part. I couldn't get her to participate in any showmanship competition! She just would not do it. Which is too bad because she really does a nice job and I think she could have done well.

There was another demolition derby Sunday night, but when we went home to do chores I stayed home and caught up on some dishes and laundry. I had to get those dairy whites clean after the Dairy show and before the Goat show!

Day Four was the goat show. An early start, the goat show starts at 8am! Rebecca has all Oberhasli goats, a dairy breed. She had two senior doe kids in the same class, (one is hers and one is her brother's)so she had to get help there. Nicholas' finished first and Rebecca's was second. Then she had a dry yearling and took second with her. The first and second in each class go back for Champion Oberhasli, so she really need help with three goats in that competition. Our goats were too small for this judge, but she did comment on their dairy type. Same with the Obe wether, too light. He was 10th is a very large class of 55-60lb animals. My parents came to watch the goat show. They made it just before Rebecca's classes, it was perfect timing. When she finished showing we decided to go out for some real food for lunch, everyone was tired of fair food or sandwiches from home. After a yummy Mexican lunch we headed home to "rest". This time the kids did fall asleep and we all slept for close to 3 hours! Rebecca did mention that she wasn't sure she wants to do four projects next year. When we roused ourselves it was time to do chores at home and head back to the fair to check on animals then watch the Truck Pull with some good friends.

Back to work today at 630am- what a whirlwind!

Wednesday is Mini 4H Extravaganza- Nicholas will show a rabbit and his goat.

The animals that are not going to auction get to come home Wednesday night. It is also the Powder Puff Demolition Derby, which is always fun to watch. Then the auction on Thursday and we will be done with another year. How can it go so fast after you work so hard and long to prepare for it?!?

Day One and Two

2009-07-17T23:25:00.002-04:00

We survived! And I think each day is more enjoyable than the day before. Friday was the dairy show. Rebecca showed a total of 3 cows. She ended up with the Grand Champion Guernsey. It was fun because she showed Diana last year as well but didn't take the Grand. Friday night was the 4H parade and then the motor cross in the grandstand.

Today was the rabbit show and we did much better than I expected. Rebecca showed 8 rabbits in 3 breeds and a single fryer. Our Silver Fox doe was Best of Breed, our buck was Best Opposite. In the Hollands she won Best Opposite of Variety in broken AND Best Opposite of Variety solid. She only showed one Netherland Dwarf, he won first in Siamese Smoke Pearl but not the shaded variety. The judge really liked his body, though. He said he had the best Netherland body there now we just need to breed for a better head! The Silver Fox doe got to go back for best 6 Class rabbit, but she was beat by a very nice New Zealand doe who went on to win Best In Show. her single fryer was a little light, but he didn't have anything bad to say about him. He was just a little soft through the mid-section. I was extremely pleased with her performance overall. One of the Californian does we sold to a first year 4Her went Best Opposite, so that was great, too. She was one very happy little girl. Our breeding program is getting better just when we decide to get out of that breed! I couldn't talk Rebecca into doing showmanship, she was just too tired. So we came home and "rested" for an hour, then did our own chores and headed back for the first night of Demolition Derby.

Now we are off to bed to get some rest before the beef show tomorrow. Rebecca's steer is in class 69 out of 82 classes, so I don't think we need to rush to get there. I'll try to get pictures posted soon.

Somebody should have slapped me!

2009-07-17T07:55:00.003-04:00

6 months ago when my daughter said " I want to take 4 animal projects to the fair this year" why didn't somebody slap me silly?!? Rebecca was seriously stressed out about getting everyone down there and Chris and I did not handle her nerves well at all. We got through it, just not very smoothly. It took us 3 hours last night to get our animals checked in and settled. That doesn't even count the hours our friend spent getting the dairy cows in. I used to think the dairy, beef, goat and rabbit barns were pretty close together, but last night they seemed to be miles apart!

Tucker weighed in at 736#. Probably a little small for this competition- there are some really big steaks here this year. Rebecca handled him through the whole process and got him tied up in his spot. The vet told Rebecca how glad he was to see her in leather boots. he said it was so much better than the tennis shoes and sandals other 4Hers were wearing. I asked him if he had time to clean them before the show since she would be working in them right up until show time! She decided not to show her junior calf- he just wasn't ready to behave the way she wants. In addition, he was banded to make him a steer and our fair requires castration. Another rule we learned a little late.

Our wether weighed in at 55#. Again, small for all the Boer competition, but Rebecca is not at all about winning. She just wants to make sure her animals are comfortable and wants to have fun herself. Poor Nicholas got the job of keeping an eye on the goats while we helped Rebecca check in the steer and rabbits. The pen was not nearly tall enough so he spent almost an hour pushing them off the gates. Another member did not show up so we moved them to a pen with taller gates, but Chris is still worried it won't keep them in.

The rabbits were very easy to settle. We were two short on bowls so I have to remember to take those today. Our Silver Fox weighed more than we expected. The male had to be bumped up from junior to intermediate since he weighs a solid 10 pounds!

Today is the dairy show. Chris dropped Rebecca off at 630am to do rounds on her own animals before she starts on the dairy she is showing. Luckily the weather is cooler and a little overcast. We are packing coolers and doing chores here before we head down just before showtime. I should have pictures tonight!

Babies,babies, babies!!

2009-07-15T22:26:00.006-04:00

I have been breeding Holland Lops for a couple of years. This is my most successful series ever! I have learned several lessons along the way. Number one: Always breed multiple does at the same time in case you need to foster some babies to another mom. Number two: Don't give up- it is not as easy as everyone thinks! So here are my babies. I bred 5 Hollands and have 3 litters- one more has pulled fur for the nest but still no babies. I also 2 Netherland Dwarfs and have 1 litter- the other one has pulled a little fur but no kits yet.

This litter of 3 Hollands looks like a solid tort, a broken tort, and a broken tort that might be a peanut (which would be ok even though peanuts don't usually make it because it tells me both parents are true dwarfs)

This litter of 4 Hollands are 2 blacks and 2 black otters.

This is the Holland litter I am most excited about- a black and a blue, which tells me both parents carry dilute- a great thing if you like lots of colors. And they are so nicely fed- see how filled out they are?

This is a litter of 3 Netherlands- Rebecca found the littlest one on the wire instead of in the box so she and Chris worked to get it warmed up and back with mom- it's still doing well tonight, so we'll just keep an eye on it. I'm not so sure about the colors here.

Tomorrow we load everyone up and head to the fair. Rebecca's first show is Friday so I will try to get results on here as soon as I can!

Grains and sweetness

2009-07-12T15:18:00.003-04:00

Chris found about a neighbor of ours who was offering a cooking class dedicated to helping people learn to use grains and natural sweeteners. We have decided since are trying to get other people to care about the use of chemicals and to recognize wholesome food we should probably change some (a LOT!) of our own practices. This sounded like the perfect opportunity to get us started. Rebecca and I went last night to a beautiful new bed and breakfast in Albion called The Brick Arc Inn. The Inn was hosting the cooking class but they haven't even had their grand opening yet. We joined a few other ladies and learned about how to use Stevia, Rapidura, maple syrup and honey in foods instead of refined sugar. We also learned about arrowroot powder for thickening instead of cornstarch. We learned how to soak grains and whole grain flours overnight to increase their nutritional value. And we cooked! We made an oatmeal like you have never tasted before! We used leftover oatmeal to make wonderful all natural and organic chocolate chip oatmeal cookies. We made healthy pancakes and a black raspberry syrup that was really great. We also met some really nice people who will be terrific resources on our journey. So we are ready for our transition to food that has more nutritional value.Next time we learn about lacto-fermentation and then how to make yogurts and kefirs! A whole new adventure.

New chicks!

2009-07-11T14:42:00.003-04:00

In order to have time off for the fair (without losing any pay!) I am working 11 days straight! Poor Chris and the kids are trying to get everything ready at home. In addition to the usual chores 100 Cornish Cross chicks arrived yesterday.

We had placed 3 Pekin ducklings that we had hatched into a brooder in the barn to see how it would work before the chicks arrived. We set up a puppy exercise pen inside the goat pen with lots of wood shavings on the dirt floor. We have two cats that are here all the time and a tomcat that only comes home when he is hungry. I was sure those ducklings would never make it with the cats, but they didn't bother them a bit! When we first put them out there the cats would sit and watch them but they never went any closer. I still can not believe it. So we decided it would be safe for the chicks, too. Evidently Cornish Cross chicks are a lot smaller than the ducklings, because Chris said when he put them down they ran everywhere! Right through the puppy pen and then over the board at the bottom of the goat pen and out into the barn! I wish I could have seen the three of them scrambling around trying to catch theese chicks and make the pen secure. By the time I got home the chicks were happily eating and drinking a running from one side to the other. They like to follow the ducklings who are just a few days older than the chicks but much taller. These will be our meat chickens and should be ready to process in 7 weeks.

We also have 3 kittens that were born about a month ago. Their mother, Socks, decided to have them in the landscaping right next to the front door. I tried to move them to a nice cozy spot in the barn but within 7 minutes Socks was carrying them back to her spot in the irises. So my irises and day lillies are getting trampled but the kittens are so cute.

Keeping on top of "it"

2009-07-09T15:00:00.003-04:00

About all we're doing this week is trying to keep up! We touched up the goats shave jobs on Tuesday- no one told me that "shave everything in front of the tail" really means everything! Can you tell me how to shave a goat's face and nose? If you can I would love to know! We did the best we could and are hoping someone will take pity on us at the fair and help. The goats go in on Thursday but don't actually show until Monday.

Rebecca has been walking steers and needs to get them each bathed once this week. The large steer has warts on his face we need to remove. We didn't know they were unacceptable for fair until yesterday! They went to Schwartz Harness and Tack this afternoon to get her showstick and neckties for the steers. She has all her books ready to turn in, they are due tomorrow.

The rabbits toenails are trimmed, that's about all they need.
Nicholas still needs to finish up his scrapbooks for Mini4H, I think I'll help him with those!

So the animals are almost ready with 6 days to go!

Holiday Weekend

2009-07-06T18:06:00.007-04:00

We started the holiday by heading to New Castle to gather with my family and watch my brother-in-law race go karts. Turns out it is one of the premier tracks in the nation! His engine wasn't quite fast enough this weekend, but I am sure they will be back. We had a great visit and a wonderful Italian dinner together. Here is David with his pit crew.

On Saturday Rebecca worked with her big steer. We think he's looking pretty good, we'll have to see what the competition looks like when we get to fair. This is Tucker. The hole in his ear is from the first 4H tag, which he ripped out. The second one is placed much deeper in his ear and has held so far.

Saturday night we went to a friends annual Fourth of July party. Always great food and a good time. The rain stopped just long enough for them to get the fireworks off.

Sunday was scheduled to be goat preparation day. To show the goats they need to be slick shaved 10 - 14 days before the fair. We have little clippers that we use for the dogs but we really needed the large animal clippers for the goats. Luckily, our friend who has dairy cows had a pair he was willing to let us borrow for a day. So while Chris built the goat stand Rebecca and I got to work washing the goats so they would be dry when the stand was ready. It worked beautifully! Isn't Chris' stand nice! I was pleasantly surprised at how smoothly everything went. Chris used the big clippers because in addition to being borrowed they were heavy and very expensive! Rebecca used the dog clippers on their legs, bellies, necks and facs. She also trimmed their hooves herself, which is great because I really dislike trimming hooves. She worked hard all day and it shows. The goats look beautiful. I just realized I don't have a finished photo, so you'll have to wait for fair photos to see the final product!

Lobball 2009

2009-07-01T21:32:00.006-04:00

Nicholas had his last lobball game tonight. he has played so well this year is has been so much fun to watch. Next year he moves up to the minors- plays on dirt with real umpires! Here are some of my favorite pictures of our serious player.

Whew!

2009-06-28T21:29:00.015-04:00

What a weekend! Friday when I got home I was so tired so I went to take a nap and woke up at 730! Nobody even came to check on me! Refreshed and re-energized I decided we should hit the drive-in movie in Huntington. It was a beautiful night, cool with just enough of a breeze to keep the mosquitoes away. We made it through the Transformers, but then it was after midnight so we headed for home. A Sheriff's deputy started following us in town for no apparent reason. I think he would have followed us all the way home, until we happened upon an accident and he had to let us go so he could help those poor folks.

Saturday we were supposed to go to the Farmer's Market. Unfortunately, we sold all our eggs earlier in the week and the lettuce fried in the heat. We need to get our production ramped up! We worked in the garden instead. the kids and I weeded and weeded while Chris re-tilled some areas. He got second plantings of green beans, beets and carrots in the ground, and a lot more sweet corn, too. By then we were all hot and tired so it was off to drop in on our friends who live on Loon Lake for a refreshing swim and visit.

Rebecca had an appointment to work with her dairy cows Saturday night. Here is a picture of Diana. She is a dry yearling Guernsey that Rebecca will be showing for the second year. The kids worked the cows in the yard instead of in the pasture the cows are used to and they did much better! Remember that- get them out of their element and they might behave better- think we could apply that theory to children? Rebecca also worked her junior steer, Bubba, after we got home.

Wonder what they are talking about?!?

Sunday was a cleaning day. I power washed the kennel while the kids tried to muck out the cow pen in the barn. It was very wet and Rebecca and Nicholas were not getting along, to say the least. It didn't take long for me to lose my temper, and boy did I ever. So we called it quits and everyone showered so we could head to Grandma and Grandpa's house. We needed to pick up an old pigeon house they were letting us "free-cycle" into a chicken house. The photo at the top is of the generation hand -off!

Nicholas can be such a great helper when he wants to. Here he is hanging the bird feeders he refilled for Grandma.

PS. Yes, we did get the pigeon house safely home and unloaded!
Whew!

Reverse Psychology?

2009-06-23T21:54:00.002-04:00

Chris and I have been arguing with Rebecca about working with the steers she is supposed to be taking to the fair. She isn't working with them enough to satisfy us. Granted, I have been working most every day, but I have not witnessed any sessions. Not so, anymore! I got really mad tonight and decided I was going to walk her junior steer. Chris said I shouldn't- the first rule of 4H is that parents don't do the work, only help. I got him into the barn using the bucket Rebecca feeds him milk in. I was able to get a gloved hand on his halter, but I couldn't get over the fence without letting go. Hmm. Now I have ahold of this steer through the fence and he is pulling backwards. With amazing timing Rebecca shows up to see what I am doing. I told her I was going to walk him but I didn't get myself positioned correctly. In a huff, she says she will get her boots and do it. Wink, wink. Next thing I know she is in the pasture with the steer fighting her, but he wasn't putting much muscle into it. He was just testing her while she talked to him and kept leading him around. After about 10 minutes he wasn't going to his knees anymore and she could actually give the halter a little slack. So after lots of praise for both of them, hopefully she will start working him several times a day. Tomorrow I have to get my hand on her older steer and see how long it takes her to come running!

Saturday, Saturday, Saturday!

2009-06-21T10:38:00.007-04:00

Sorry, everyone, I should have mentioned - no chickens were injured in the house disaster! It must have just rolled right off them and they were confused, but they stayed right where they had been before. You can see most of them in the photo in front of the house. A few wandered off to the gardens to dig for bugs. They are now safely in their new homes- one for the laying hens and one for the rest.

Saturday we spent the morning at the Farmer's Market downtown. I felt like we did really well since it was our first week. All we had to sell were eggs, 2 varieties of lettuce and we took a few Californian juniors. We sold several dozen eggs, lots of lettuce, and one rabbit! It's $50 to have a spot at the market for the season and we almost made that back in one morning. We also made lots of contacts and talked to alot of people about chemical free vegetables and pasture raised meat. One lady who bought lettuce was so sweet- she thanked us for growing it! She said she loves garden vegetables but she is not able to grow them, so she really appreciates people who do grow and share with others.

After the Market we came home and got busy weeding and mulching the garden. we had the turkeys out while we were working, they are so much fun to listen to and watch. Here is their picture, can you tell they are waiting to be released? We use the red two wheel dolly to move them to fresh pasture every other day.

When we finished in the garden we got busy making a new pasture for the goats. They do ok with the cows, but I wanted them to have their own "room". We gave them a calf hut for shade and shelter. I think they like it! They sure ate a lot of thistle last night. I think we are going to take the day off today. It is Father's Day, after all. It's very warm today. I think it's a great day to support the local pool!!

Disaster!

2009-06-19T13:34:00.005-04:00

We had tremendous storms last night. Whenever we have high winds we worry about our chicken house. It is a re-used rabbit shelter so the dimensions are a little too tall. Here's what is looked like this morning!

I had to go to work, so Chris and the kids spent the day dismantling the wreckage and salvaging what they could to be re-worked into a new shelter. They managed to get the chickens safely into new homes before the storms predicted for today arrive.I'll post a picture of the new structure tomorrow, it was too dark for a good picture tonight.

Yesterday Nicholas had a lobball game. Grandma, Grandpa, Aunt Jessica, cousin Marielle and Becket came to watch him play. He played well. Then they all came out to the house for hamburgers and some playtime with the animals. The pictures are on my sister's blog because she had her camera available!

Tomorrow is our first morning at the Farmer's Market. We finally feel like we have enough eggs and lettuce varieties ready to go.

Awesome Evening!

2009-06-16T21:59:00.002-04:00

An amazingly awesome evening in our household! Rebecca WON her division of the 4H Rabbit Ambassador competition and is going to the State Fair! It was so exciting- she and another 6th grade girl tied (they have never had this happen in Whitley County). The Rabbit Advisory Board members were all making phone calls trying to find out the state rule for a tie-breaker. It came down to the test score and Rebecca won by 3 points! She also did really well on the breed ID- they have to identify the breed, variety(color,and class of 10 rabbits. She only missed two. Considering there are 47 breeds to choose from I thought she did great. we are all very excited and so proud of her. Tomorrow she goes with the 4H club on an all-day trip to Fair Oaks Dairy.

My day off

2009-06-16T08:58:00.004-04:00

Today is my day off after working the weekend. I didn't realize how hard it would be to go to work every day knowing Chris and the kids are at home. I'm trying really hard not to leave them lists a mile long of everything I think they should get done while I'm gone. Chris is trying really hard to still give the kids a fun summer by only working outside in the morning and playing in the afternoon. There is always so much to do, though, I know that has been hard to accomplish.

Today we have a couple of appointments in the morning. Rebecca is going to work with the dairy cows she is showing at the fair this afternoon. Here she is with Rejoice, a summer yearling Holstein. This evening she is participating in the Rabbit Ambassador competition, also for the fair. This is a three part event, where the kids have to take a written test, identify 10 breeds of rabbits, and go through a routine where they evaluate a rabbit for an ARBA (American Rabbit Breeders Association) judge. I'm so proud of her for participating- I know it's scary for her because there is so much involved. I'm learning a lot along the way, too!

Nicholas had a ballgame last night, so he is "off" today. There isn't much on his agenda- he just has to wait around at all his sister's things today.

Welcome!

2009-06-14T08:53:00.005-04:00

Hello, everyone. This is going to be my attempt to actually journal and keep track of what we try to accomplish here on a day to day basis. Sometimes it doesn't seem like we get anything done, but I know we do. I'm hoping by journalling about it we will be able to see it better!

Yesterday I worked 730 to 400 while Chris shuttled kids around. They picked up goats milk in the morning from a kind friend who is letting us have it for our junior steers. Rebecca had a Rabbit Breed ID workshop to help prepare for the Rabbit Ambassador competetion next week. The 4H Rabbit Club brought in an ARBA judge and they sure learned a lot. Nicholas had a mandatory lobball practice. When I got home we did chores and re-bred all the Hollands and Netherlands we could, so hopefully more little ones next month. The ducklings we hatched are now outside- I'm sure they double in size by the day! They still like to huddle around their stuffed zebra, even though they are much bigger than it is. The chickens enjoyed being out yesterday- looked like they were very happy scratching around and getting bugs out of the garden.

After all that we decided we were too tired to cook. We had heard a local restaraunt had new owners so we went to check out Lake Shore Tavern at Tri-Lakes. Everyone was able to have what they wanted and there was no clean-up. Then home to watch some more of The Walton's- we rented the DVD of the 2nd season from the library and are almost finished with it.