Critterhaven Farm

What One Can Bear....

I hear all the time that God will not lay on a person more than one can bear.  Well I'm about bearing all I can this week.

Three of the puppies have died, but the other two are very healthy.  My papillon, Bea, who has never been bred or a mom is now feeding them as she is going through a false heat/pregnancy.  Has milk and everything.  Beats all I've ever seen.

Then Tuesday one of our Nigerian Does died after struggling for a couple of days.  She is at the state lab pending an autopsy, but I'm betting it's hypocalcemia.  That same day while I was taking her to the lab hubby called and another doe had twin bucklings, one was deceased and the other weak.  I treated him for white muscle disease but he didn't pull through either. 

Then today, in the middle of selling off the majority of the herd to pay for the mortgage and cut down on the feed, we found our herd sire, Zorro, dead.  No apparent cause, but he was butting heads last night awfully hard with the other bucks.  We are burying him tomorrow under the willow tree out back.

I sometimes wonder if it is worth all the effort.  All the sweat and tears we have put into this place, not to mention the money.  I think maybe it would be easier if we rented and didn't have to go and feed every night...but could just enjoy life.

But them I realize to us this is life.  I'm already missing terribly the does I had to sell tonight to pay the mortgage.  They are still here but now belong to another farm.  They won't be far up the road and I can visit, but I miss them already.  And now that Zorro is gone I feel our herd's foundation is gone.

So here is to you Chestnut Grove Lilly's Zorro.  Mom's little man...our champion even tho he was never shown and never won a ribbon.  In our book he already was a champion.  I was once offered $500 for him and turned it down.  I would again in a heartbeat.

2-26-04  to 10-3-08

AGS and NDGA registered Nigerian Dwarf buck

Catching Up on Things....

Is it time to sit down and say whew yet?  I had no idea so many people took time out of their day to read what I had to say.  But according to the comments I receive I have been very amiss in not relating happenings here on the farm.  Thank you to all who commented to me and had such nice things to say about my blog and the farm.  You asked for it…so here goes….

I knew I had not blogged in awhile, although I did take time out on 9-11 to pay tribute to the brave men and women then and now.

But I didn’t know it had been since July!  A lot has happened since then….so this entry is entitled appropriately playing catch up. 

Kidding season started back on Sept. 4^th.  That day we had one doe kid, then the 5^th 2 does kidded, and then one on the 7^th and one on the 8^th.  We are expecting two to kid anyday now, and then the rest sometime before the goat festival in town which is Oct. 10^th.  So now I have 9 little babies to feed, 3 of them totally on the bottle and the other 6 get one a day and nurse moms the rest of the time.

Then last Sat we were surprised by the arrival of a male cria, born to our female llama Patches.  Dark red like his daddy.  Little did we know that Sunday morning he would be joined by a tee tiny cria male born to our Vegas.  We had no idea she was even bred!  I originally thought C2 was a female.  Thought so for about 4 days until I turned ‘her’ up and saw ‘she’ was a ‘he’!  No matter…we are still keeping him, having him gelded when time and he will become our little petting zoo man!  He is so sweet and reminds me of his grandmother who we lost for unknown reasons a year after she arrived here.  She did give us Vegas, and now a little grandson that is her spitting image.

Then a week ago I get a call from another rescue in town.  Jerry wants to know if I’ll take in 5 puppies who don’t even have their eyes open yet that have been dumped at the local shelter.  First I said no.  I couldn’t fathom enough time in the day to feed and stimulate puppies!!  But then the vet tech in me kicked in, I went to see them, and sure enough, I ended up bringing 5 three to five day old pups home with me.  Every 3 hours…what was I thinking.  3 girls and 2 boys…and I still don’t know what kind.  But they are cute.  And adorable.  And I’m glad I said yes.

Apples.  Coming out of my EARS!  We have been here 3 years, and this is the first year we have had apples on these trees.  DELICIOUS.  I don’t know what kind…but I’ve made applesauce, canned them for pies later, and now am looking at all kinds of apple recipes to see what else I can do with them.  I think I’ll just chop some and can them for cakes and muffins and breads this holiday season to give as gifts.  The pear trees are loaded too, but I'm not a pear person.  I think I will put up some, but the rest we are giving away and then feeding some to the hogs.

I’ve sold a total of 7 goats in the past two weeks.  Still have some bucklings left to sale, and one of our does freshened with teat spurs on her udder, so she is for sale.  And then Sat. I adopted out our two pot bellied pigs in rescue.  And gave away countless roosters and pullets.  It’s still like a zoo around here, but with winter coming on I am cutting down on the numbers as best I can.  One of the llamas and her cria are for sale.  The meat hogs are coming along fine.  We are finishing them out on watermelons and pumpkins soon, and then the last couple of weeks according to the old timers around here we’ll finish feeding them on corn.  We have a farmer who gives us his left over watermelons and pumpkins out of the field, so they are not costing us anything.  DH has already gotten 2 truckloads of watermelons and soon will come the pumpkins.  It’s hard to look at the two pigs and not feel a twinge that we are feeding them to eat.  I’ve never eaten anything other than the eggs here at the farm, and the milk…but I mean no animal.  But times being what they are and the price of things in the store…we have no choice.  It will mean meat in the freezers this winter, where otherwise we would only be eating what I had canned.   The kids get protein from PB and beans we get with WIC, but that is it.   I never dreamed times would be so hard.  And I fear they will get worse before they get better.

Our goat festival will be here before we know it the second weekend in October.  I am on the committee in charge of the signs, and while I have all that covered, I have no where near my stuff ready.  I was hoping to make soap, but that has not happened and since it has to cure it probably will not.  So I have plans to make some goat themed bird feeders out of old tin lids and old pie pans.  I’ll upload a picture if I can get them made in time.  I always do okay with the antiques and primitives I have for sale, but this year I’m even short on those, not having the money to go yard selling like I usually do.  But we’ll have fun anyway.  We always do.

And to beat everything my lower back has been out for a week.  Hurts to walk, hurts to sit...but I still get up and manage and go.  I'm the mom..it's what we do.

Well it is late now and I have to get up early in the morning and petsit.  I have a court date this week for another judgement.  They will just have to get in line behind everyone else for their payment.  At least the mortgage is caught up for now.  I'll play more catch up tomorrow..have to ebay...to pay the mortgage..of course!

Thanks for listening.  Goodnight and God Bless.

The Day America Was Awakened

9-11-01

The Day America Was Awakened

Critterhaven Farm Takes Today to Remember All of Those Who Gave Their Lives For Us That Day

And For Those Who Made and are still Making It Possible for me being able to take my daughter to school this morning without fear of a roadside bomb going off.   For being able to send my husband to work today with the knowledge he would be safe and come home to us this evening.  For being able to enjoy the birthing and raising of our farm animals without fear of a government or individuals coming to take them as payments due.  For being able to sit here and voice my opinions and views and ideas without the fear of being imprisoned for my beliefs.

And for being able to pray to God.  As a Nashville radio personality put it today...in the end, it won't matter who's military is the strongest, or who's government is more powerful.

It will be who's God is the only one true God.  Amen.  And God Bless America and those who love and serve her well.

And if you are reading this today, thank God, thank your President, and thank your military. 

Grandma Claire's Summer Applesauce

Some may see this as a long drawn out way to do applesauce, but I've found out by trial and error this is the applesauce my Grandma made.  It has the same taste and smell and consistency as hers did.  I now think you have to let them sit a little to get this taste.

Day One:

I use a variety of apples...not just one certain kind.  I wash the apples very good and remove the stems.  I then put the batch of apples in my stockpot, enough to fill it and enough water where the apples are bobbing a bit.  In other words not packed so tightly you can't stir them when they start getting soft.

Cook until they get soggy...I mean the falling apart kind...starting to mush.  Let cool and put in the fridge overnight..in the same stockpot.

Day Two:

Remove stock pot from refrigerator and cook until they are warm and soggy again.  By this time they should start changing color from the yellow applesauce we are all used to to the brownish color you want.

Cool and return to refrigerator.  Tomorrow's the day!

Day Three:

Remove pot from refrigerator and cook until warm and mushy again.  By this time the apples are falling apart and the peelings and seeds coming out on their own.

Take your sieve and bit by bit roll out the sauce from your cooked apples.  Dispose of the leftover pulpy apple matter anyway you like (we feed ours to the slaughter hogs.  They love it!)

To the sauce add a sprinkle of cinnamon and a sprinkle of nutmeg.  Probably about 2 tsp. of each.  Then add 2 cups of sugar.  Stir well.  Let cook for about 15 minutes more.  The aroma and taste remind me of Grandma's!

Ladle into hot jars and put on lid and ring.  Can either by water bath or by pressure canner.  I do pressure canner and get up to 10 on the gauge.

Enjoy!

My hectic life...and then some...

I always start out with well intentions.  I have the day set the night before in my head.  Get up, do the chores, do what is on the list....then I wake up with an ear ache on the right side and a sore throat on that side too, and sigh..there goes all plans out the window. 

How do you do it? How do you train yourself to absolutely stick to what you planned for the day?  Organization is definately NOT one of my strong suites.  But we get by.  I just have to work on that part of our life.  Today I'm just NOT with it.

But yesterday I did get alot done.  After my daughter and I picked apples from my mom's house (ours are about a week or two away of being ready) I decided to make homemade applesauce using my grandma's recipe and technique.  I called it "Grandma's 3 day applesauce".  She didn't leave a recipe for it, but the whole family nearly fought over the last jar in her pantry when she passed away as the house was being cleared out.  For years I missed that wonderful taste, until I got my mom's pressure canner and grandma's stock pot and utensils, and decided I would try it myself.  The first batch was regular old applesauce.  So I started looking through my grandma's cookbooks looking for her recipe.  None there, so I found in the old 1954 First Edition Westinghouse cookbook she used one called Summer applesauce.  Still not quite there, so one day making it I was so tired I simply cooked the apples and left them in the pan, putting them in the refrigerator.  Next day, same thing...cooked them, and returned them to the refrigerator.  The next day I was bound and determined..so I mashed up the mushy apples...I was so excited!! The color was there!! Now for the test.  I put them through the sieve, got out the mashed apples, I added some cinnamon, nutmeg, and a little sugar....and voila...Grandma's applesauce!!

I'll put the recipe in the recipe section of my blog.

Since then I been too busy with life to think about canning.  Until this year.  And the first thing I did with apples was make the applesauce.  It is wonderful!!  It is almost like they have to ferment a little maybe?  I put up 12 pints of the stuff.  And as soon as my trees get ready I'm making more.  The kids love it, I love it....I'm thinking this will not be enough!

Today it's getting the kids rooms cleaned up and snapping and canning green beans.  I can do that in one day thank goodness.   The farmers market is Friday again and I will get more then, and hopefully some more plums and peaches to put up.  I'm going to make some peach jam and not just the plum peach I've made before.  This is the peach plum.  I did some as freezer jam, and canned some.

I need to rebatch the plum jelly I tried to make.  It didn't set but I think my batch was too big.  I'm dividing it into two smaller batches this time.

A lady who is starting in foster care (the human kind) came by and took all the toys we were taking to Goodwill.  I'm so glad to help out a family that is trying to help others in some small way.

We've taken in a wonderful little male CKC Shih Tzu to find a forever home for.  He is a doll!  He absolutely hates being alone but fortunately around here he never is!

Every once in awhile I get a sign to tell me I'm doing the right thing with rescue.  This go round, Molly is that sign.  I talked about her in an earlier post.  She has found her forever home and it is something.  Molly is going to Delaware to be a therapy/service dog.  I am so happy about this!  The person who is adopting her lost his beloved companion earlier this year, and Molly is going to fill the void in his life as he is filling it in hers.  She was rescued from a high kill shelter. And I think this new life is what she was meant for.

On a sad note about 2 weeks ago I backed over our oldest cat Scooter, and had to take him in to be euthanized.  He was a 16 1/2 year old outdoor cat.  Loved to lick! We called him Scooter Pooter, and he had survived everything in this area from cytaux to FIP, never catching any of it himself. He was never sick a day in his life, but he was getting slower and deaf as the days went on.  We would bring him in, but he wanted out.  It was his world.  We passed away quietly in my arms, and we buried him under the weeping willow tree in the back yard. 

It's been two weeks, and my heart still aches.  So today's blog is dedicated to Scooter, who was just one of the inspirations for this farm.

Goodbye Scooter Pooter.  Wait for me at the Rainbow Bridge. We love and will miss you deeply.

Mom

My mind and heart are full...

It seems like as the days wear on and the older I get, I am more appreciative of what we have.  Our home may not be paid for, but daily we live here along with all the critters and we make it til evening.  Then the next day we wake up and it starts all over again.  I finally have learned not to dread the next bill, but know that it will somehow get paid.  It always has.   The work that seems to pile up will be there waiting til I can get to it.  The pens will get built, the house will get cleaned, and life will go on.  As much as I have to do today I felt the need to write and catch up on my thoughts.

The future of this country scares me with the people we have in charge running it as though they do not live here but live in these utopias where the 'common people' are not listened to.  But it is us 'common folk' that contribute to their salaries, make their jobs possible, and elect most of them office.  When will our concerns and frustrations be listened to?  I fear for my children, but I fear for my country.  Every great nation has fallen.  Pay attention to your history or you are doomed to repeat it.  I feel we are headed down this path.  If the Godliness of this country falls, this country will.   Thank goodness for our men and women in harms way who are keeping our principles and the virtue of this country intact.    I can only pray their efforts and sacrifices are not in vain.

Today I plan on finishing up the LOADS of laundry that is waiting for me in the laundry room.  As soon as the tree is removed that fell we are moving the clothesline to the back immediately behind the house so I can utilize the power of the sun to dry my laundry.  We are wasting so much electricity with this dryer.  It takes about 3 turns to dry a load!  I would also like to work on a patio out back where we can put the outdoor fireplace and enjoy the evenings.  I have to get someone to move all the pigeon pens and reclaim my back yard!  The rabbit hutch is so heavy we will probably leave it where it is and just build and camoflage around it.

Plus today I'm finishing up the container planting of herbs and some late veggies.  We should be getting rain tomorrow and Sat. morning so want to finish by then.  Plus I need to get the yard mowed.  It is already up past my ankles.  I hate mowing this year because of last years drought.  I'm so leery of not having pasture so I let the goats out daily to get their belly fill in the front yard.  But it is growing so much this year they can't eat it fast enough!

I think I'll wean the baby pot bellied pigs today too.  They are getting very fat and faster so I need to do it now and let mom out or I will never be able to handle them at all.  The smaller dog pen is now empty so I can put them in that.

We took one of the rescues, Molly, in to be spayed today, so I'll have to get her this afternoon.  No more puppies until Heidi has her litter, then spay is on the agenda for her too!  This is Molly in her usual pose.  She knows sit, stay, walks on a leash, is housebroken, and will be up to date on her vaccinations.  She should find a loving home very easy!

Oh, before I forget.  Last night we had fresh green beans I snapped with small white potatoes, fresh golden and white corn we shucked.  My daughter called it 'shuckin corn'.  And some chicken breast with pasta.  I felt so healthy!  Tonight I have more beans to snap and taters to cook, and then some peaches I think I will peel and have with some cream.  I can't help but feel healthier just thinking about it!

I'll get some pictures made today and show them off tomorrow.

Until then, enjoy your life.  We are!

Oh What a Beautiful Morning...ouch....

What would we do?

Watching the news about the flooding in the midwest I can't help but think.  What would we do if this happened to us?  We have all these animals we are responsible for.  And even though this place in our knowledge has never flooded before, I'm sure many of the places in the midwest that flooded never did before either. 

Would we save a few and leave the others?  Of course we would get the kids to safety first...but then where would we start? And like so many of the ones involved in the major flooding, would we have time to?

Made me start thinking we need to set plans in place for either evacuation (my parents live on a farm on a hill), or the terrible task of evaluating our rather expensive Nigerian Dwarf goat herd and considering who would be the ones to save.  Who could continue on the herd as we have striven to build it?  These are not easy questions to answer, as every one of the goats are important to us.

And then there are the dogs, those in rescue and our own adopted dogs.   I tense and panic everytime there is a severe storm.  So far we have been lucky that none of our animals have ever been injured, in a shed collapse and two trees falling.  Crazy me has been known to head out in a lightening storm to check on things, although I have gotten better in my old age.  A bolt of lightening that hit a tree overhead once and I felt the static on the back of my neck sorta cured me of that.

I finished my "Tennessee Master Meat Goat Producer" course last week.  I'm now officially an 'expert'.  Well not really.  And even though I'm not a meat goat producer alot of the information was relavant to goat producing in general. I learned alot and really enjoyed the class.  Plus got two very nice certificates, one from UT and a nice yard sign stating my new status!

I'm SO far behind on the garden.  I have some planted in containers but I've still got some on the porch that I will be planting this afternoon in pots.  With the ducks and geese and chickens and all it is hard to ground plant because I am constantly having to chase them away!  NEXT year, as I always say.  We'll have a fenced in garden.  Yeah, next year.  For now I have okra, tomatoes of all kinds, squash, cucumbers, watermelon, and cantelope planted.  I can't wait for fresh out of OUR garden.

Taking in another aussie to foster tomorrow.  It seems like now is the time folks start dumping dogs.  Puppies that grew too much since Christmas and now are not that cute sweet puppy anymore...puppies and kittens that were 'unplanned'...and breeding moms that are no longer meeting their 'quota'.  Happens everytime this year.

I'm going to start a record of books that I'm reading for the summer.  I have a bunch to get started on, but so far have just started reading one.  This time of the year is the big vacation time so my petsitting business has picked up.  Four this week.  One continues through next week so I'll be good and tired by next weekend!

We are STILL trying to downsize.  Baby lop rabbits, pot bellied piglets, chickens, ducks, geese, you name it right now we have them for sale.  Goats both babies and adults too.  Seems like it is never ending.  And to think.  In 3 months kidding season starts again!

Picking up the tree that fell in the yard over two weeks ago tonight to haul off.  We cut up as much of the wood as we could but the rest of it including all the branches are headed to my brother in laws place to fill in ditches.  Although we don't have an indoor fireplace I look forward to using the outdoor one on cooler nights.  I'm designing the backyard after this tree is gone to build a screened room off the back of the house, and hopefully put a primitive kitchen out there.  I'd love to do most if not all the work myself.

Off to clean house, again...seems it is never ending.  Would love to hire a maid for one week, but with finances that won't happen.  I need to get down on my hands and knees and clean, and it is NOT easy to do at my age.  I think I'm getting mom's lupus.  I have not been tested but all signs are pointing toward it. Constant joint pain, and now my fingers get really stiff and tiresome.

I started again on my herbal supplements.  Years ago I did so and felt so much better for it.  So I'm doing it again.  I think if I got some of this weight off I would feel so much beetter.  At 5'4" 189lbs is not where I want to be.  More like around 135.  Hey, it's doable!  I think I was there...once.

How you moms do it I don't know!  I have plans for the day and then like today I'm behind on them.  After lunch and I'm behind.  I go through these highs and lows in life.  I get up one morning with all the gumption to get going and get so much done, and then the next day I want to stay in bed all day.  So what is the key to doing it?  I keep reading all of the wonderful blogs on here to envision the how to.  Maybe soon it will kick in!  I call us homesteading newbies, although we have had the farm for three years now.  I have books, ideas, know how.  It is just getting time, energy, and money to do it.  As granddaddy used to say...."If the good Lord is willing and the creeks don't rise....we'll get it done by and by."

I've always heard that "It's not the destination, it's the journey."  I disagree.  It IS the destination, isn't it?  If it were not why would we be here?  So I say, "Enjoy the journey while keeping your eye on the destination."

Four Paws at a Time....

This weekend was awesome for Critterhaven Animal Rescue resulting in adopting out 7 critters!  I adopted out five of the anatolian/pyrenese pups...they all went to wonderful homes!  Then someone came from Hendersonville late at night and adopted little Houdini, the oddball Australian Shepherd pup that I wasafraid would not get placed because he looked like his shepherd dad rather than like the Australian Shepherds his siblings looked like.  But the kid who adopted him absolutely fell in love with him...enough to show me Houdini will now have a wonderful life he deserves.

Then the little rat terrier who we have had since she was 6 weeks old went to live on a farm where she will have no egg temptations!  I'm calling later today and checking on her.  The couple fell in love with her..and I don't blame them...she was a real sweetie and had always been looked over when folks came to see about adopting a pup.  Her time finally came and she seemed real excited about the new venture!

It's things like that that make doing this rescue thing, even when the bills pile up and the work seems tiresome, that makes it worth doing.

Today I got bunches of planting done.  Tomatoes, peppers, herbs, and perennials are all in the ground..yes, I know...better late than never.  I want to get some corn and lettuce planted in some raised beds..but not sure how soon I can do that.   Took one of the rescues to the vet for her spay and will go get her this afternoon. 

Now I need to get to cleaning this house!! It looks like a tornado went through it and only left the walls standing.  Too much clutter...I am so ready for another yard sale!  It is amazing how much can accumulate in ones home.  I have gone through the childrens rooms and pulled out garbage bags full of clothes and toys to take to charity.  I can't even see the floor enough to vaccuum.  All of this and still much to do outside.  I've applied for the TN Ag Enhancement Program.  They will match half of what we spend on building some new holding and weaning pens. I hope to get started on that by the end of the month.  As well as fencing in the front yard, and the remainder of the yard so that the dogs that are in pens can be left loose in the yard.  Too much danger of heading to the road right now.

Off to clean and feed the kids lunch.  I hope to put progress reports of the pens and other work here at the farm on my blog as time permits.  For now this is what I would like to get built.  Then get the barn on the backside and we'll be ready for fall kidding!! Our biggest one so far.

One can only hope and dream.  One day this will be a complete working PAID FOR farm!

Til next time..still plucking along....

They Made Me Do It

I posted to one of the yahoo groups this morning in answer to as question about how you decided what breed of goats to get.  So I decided to put my reply on my blog.  

I feel everything happens for a reason.  Like last night I was very depressed about struggling to make the mortgage payment this month.  Then got the mail, and lo and behold there was a check from the mortgage company for an amount we overpaid when we avoided the foreclosure.  Today we are making the mortgage payment and once again peace reigns here.

Same with the goats.  I feel we were led to the Nigerians.  We have prospered from them in so many ways there is no way this all happened by accident.  So here is our story.

_______________________

I kinda fell into Nigerians.  We had a brush goat and an Alpine wether and then a lady was in the feed store that said she was taking her herd of Nigerians to the auction barn.  So I met her in the Walmart parking lot and picked out Snickers and Blaze, two non registered nigerians...and fell in love.  They were not overly friendly but in less than a month became very friendly and I could just see the potential in them.  We acquired a pygmy buck and after the babies were born I was hooked.  Then I chanced upon a wonderful registered nigerian dwarf buckling from the Burns at Chestnut Grove Farm with excellent bloodlines.  Sold the pygmy, got the nigerian...then we had purebred babies.  Then started thinking...finally...what did I want to do with this breed?   I knew I didn't want to do meat goats....just can't eat them.  So I set out to just be a nigerian dwarf breeder of registered and non registered stock.  It is a new breed around here (TN) and many people who have visited the farm fell in love too.  I have a website and started getting reservations for babies not even born yet.  My customers are mainly hobby farmers in the area who like the temperament and the size of the nigerians, and many are first time trying their hand at milking for home consumption.  So with this in mind my focus has now changed to direct my efforts to improving the milking lines and capacity in my herd, while still keeping the nigerians for their size and ..well...you just fall in love with them.  Most of the people that are purchasing stock from me have places of anywhere from 1/2 acre to about 10 acres on average, so the nigerians fit in nicely.

A friend of mine said your overall goal at some point will be where you have your herd consisting of quality animals of your own herd name.  A wonderful goal to aim for.  My problem is I'll still have these foundation animals...because I cannot see parting with them.  Love them too much!  Zorro our foundation herd sire will always reside here until he passes.  We owe him that as well as many of the girls.

I also tried my hand at mini dairy breeds with some wonderful spotted Nubians and some registered mini Nubians.  Shortage of feed with the drought last year forced us to sell those off and it broke my heart, but the majority of the herd went to a farm about an hour from here still in TN, so I get to follow their progress for generations.
But I kept the Nigerians and I would not take anything for the foundation herd we have now.  The Nigerian business is booming here in TN.  Thank goodness!

________________________

They seem to be thinking the same thing.... 

Thought I would post this wonderful salad.  It isn't just for summer but it is delicious!  We fix it everytime for when our ladies get together for secret pals or Ladies Day at church.  Enjoy!

Summer Grape Pecan Salad

Ingredients

• 2 lbs green seedless grapes
• 2 lbs red seedless grapes
• 8 ounces sour cream 
• 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, to taste

Topping Ingredients

• 1 cup brown sugar, packed, to taste
• 1 cup crushed pecans, to taste

Directions

1. Wash and stem grapes.
2. Set aside.
3. Mix sour cream, cream cheese, white sugar and vanilla by hand until blended.
4. Stir grapes into mixture, and pour in large serving bowl.
5. For topping: Combine brown sugar, and crushed pecans.
6. Sprinkle over top of grapes to cover completely.
7. Chill overnight.

Staying Focused

Have you ever just tried to sit and stay focused on something?  I find about the only time I can do that is when all is quiet at night.  Hubby and the kids have gone to bed, all the animals have been fed, and the chickens and doves and pigeons and goats and all are restling and trying to get comfortable for the night.  Buddy the peacock hollers every once in a while trying to make sure he isn't alone in the world.  The doves are cooing to each other to try to fall asleep.  And me? Well I am wracking my brain to try to hold all of this together.  One day at a time.  Don't look too far ahead.  Easy come easy go...what?  Okay, sometimes it doesn't work 100%.  But the idea is in the quiet of the night I hope someone will speak to me.  So far I've been listening but my world has been quiet.  Maybe that is the problem.  I'm listening in this world.

And I'm also rambling.  Must be this wonderful spring cold that just started yesterday!  Guess I could fix some turkey noodle soup...as our Tom won't be here much longer.  He is at the point where he is attacking visitors at the farm and even tries me daily.  Our Australian Shepherd has become our guard dog and saviour from Tom...fending him off when he gets too close.  He will be freezer ready as soon as I make sure a few of his protege's from the hatching a few days ago are going to be alright.  Yum...our own first thanksgiving turkey.  We could follow the rule we have always had and not use any of our critters for meat...but Tom is the exception.  He has made me mad and bruised me enough times to earn the right to be the first used critter on our farm for meat.    At least we can save that much on our thanksgiving meal.

Speaking of saving on meals, I went to Wally-World last night for the first time in two weeks grocery shopping and spent just over $60.  Not bad for a family of four.  I've started using our goat milk for the kids, and plan on making our own butter with the cream.  Then we have an over abundance of eggs!!  So I'm checking into freezing them in some way or form to make them last.  I am going to work on making my own bread.  I have a bread machine that has sat on the counter for two years...takes all this to get me to doing this.

Now if I can just get the garden planted we'll have our own food this summer.  I hope. 

I feel like shouting 'Keep Hope Alive'!  "Where there is a Will there is a way!"  "He will never give you more than you can Bear!"

So we keep plugging along.  I get encouragement from my friends along the way.  I look at my children as they play or sleep, and imagine try to imagine this life without them...and I cannot.  And I try to imagine this life without this farm for them...and I cannot.  So while we may sell everything we have in this house physically, and while we may go without alot of things...we will keep this place for them, for us, for the animals..both those we own and those we rescue and foster...and we will keep plugging along.

That is what we do.

I received an email this week that made me stop thinking of my troubles and appreciate the work our brave soldiers are doing abroad.  Here are just a couple of examples and images...makes you stop and think.

You complain about how hot it is.

He wears his heavy gear, not daring to take off his helmet to wipe his brow

You crawl into your soft bed, with down pillows, and get comfortable.

He tries to sleep but gets woken by mortars and helicopters all night long.

Say a prayer for them.  And for all of us.

Susan

Another Day....

Well we haven't been able to get refinanced...so once again the mortgage is due..at that wonderful high amount due to the huge APR.  Talk about living paycheck to paycheck!  Hubby brought home $159 last week.  He was out with kidney stones.   But I'm hopefull once again.  We've never NOT been able to make it.  Somehow, someway, something always comes thru.  We sell another goat, he gets a call to work on a lawnmower, or something always happens.  That tunnel is black...but I have to hope there is a light.  I post these things knowing there are others out there having problems too...all I have to say is it will get better.

It is just putting my trust and faith in someone else is the hard part...ya know?  I always seem to have to be in charge.  Hard letting go.

One bit of good news is we got hubby's father's trailer moved over here, so as soon as we can get it finished in I'm hoping to start boarding dogs and cats here while folks go on vacation.  I do petsitting now in folk's homes and have been in this area since 1992.  Now with the ability to board I'm hoping that my pet sitting business will increase dramatically.  And save me on gas without having to travel out four times daily to all my clients to see them!

We are planning a HUGE yard sale for a couple of weeks from now.  That will help.  We always do well.  Our junk is ALWAYS another man or woman's treasure.  And this time we are cleaning house, and shed, and garage, and attic.  All of it.  I'm tired of the junk, tired of the clutter, AND tired of the antiques! Can you believe it? So it is all going...as Dave Ramsey says...the kids will think they are next!

The geese are laying and now setting.  I hope to have Sebastapols in a few months for sale.  They are rare these days with most hatcheries rebuilding their stock.  We will also have Silky and Phoenix chicks, as well as bantam ducks.  No more baby goats til fall but we will be breeding in a couple of weeks to assure we have Sept. babies.  We also should have baby pot bellied piglets in a bit.  All of this to get my mind off the mortgage.

Somehow, someway....

Good night for now....

Friends are Everywhere...

It is amazing how many true spirits there are out there.  To be able to meet friends like we do and form wonderful friendships...something we couldn't have dreamed of doing even 20 years ago.  I met a wonderful lady and her husband this past weekend when we went to catch chickens at her place.  She raises llamas also and she and I were so happy to find someone else who did!! Even tho my husband and I were there to help her out, I feel her hospitality really made our day.

I remember as a child getting my Just About Horses Breyer magazine and searching the ads for a 'snail mail' pen pal.  She lived in Indiana and I lived in TN.  We couldn't wait to get those weekly updates in the mail!! Now children are so spoiled to immediate texting.  Thank goodness my two and four year old haven't learned the computer yet!

I am so ready for spring to be here!! All I keep looking at are seed catalogs and sales lists for little critters.  Came home from the flea market with twenty one three week old chicks on Monday..future layers for the flock.  But I still know not to go overboard.  We are caught up on the mortgage..but next months is still due on the first and we haven't been able to refinance yet.  Hubby is going to talk to the lady at the mortgage help place tomorrow.  I'm to the point I just can't handle it anymore..so I'm sinking my energy into the farm.  We can't afford to pay someone to put up fences in the front..so I'm doing it.  Dewormed the cria tonight all by myself...I'll be sore tomorrow.  Pasture rotation is SO important..and these poor guys...12 goats now in the back pasture along with the 3 llamas and the mini donkey..have been on this same pasture for way to long...but what do you do when you have nothing else fenced in?

That and trying to ebay and watch the kids too.  Thank goodness the kids are SO well behaved!  Tomorrow is ebay...supposed to be raining so after I petsit, get the kids fed, the baby goats fed, the cria checked, and the baby chicks fed..it will be time to ebay.

I feel like I'm rambling tonight instead of having coherant thoughts.  Maybe I am..but these days it is so hard to concentrate when everything is changing and up in the air.

Goodnight all..and thank you for all of your wonderful prayers and words of comfort...nice to know I'm not alone out there. And I know I'm not..just nice to have confirmation!

Life...

You know?  Life is funny.  and strange.  And blessed.  One day we are struggling and don't see a light at the end of the tunnel.  Then all of the sudden the light appears, and daylight is there.  Our house isn't much.  By many standards it isn't worth the price paid.  But it is our home.  And it is once again ours. 

Thank you to so many well wishers who kept us in their hearts and prayers thru all of our struggle these past few months.  Thank you to those who bought livestock from us, and even our furniture to help us make the extreme amount demanded on us by our mortgage company.  We are caught up and out of foreclosure.  Now we just have to refinance with someone who will get us out of this ARM and into a more reasonable and manageable monthly payment.

You don't know what it feels like til it happens to you to be out in your yard talking to someone and a car drives by, stops, and turns around in your driveway.  My hubby and I agreed it feels like a lot of vultures flying around waiting for their prey to die.

I still keep watching for them to appear.

But life will go on here.  We are planning our breedings in the next couple of months for our fall kiddings.  It is going to be our first year to actually plan with different herdsires.  I'm looking at genetics and backgrounds to see who is compatible with whom and who will bring the best assets to each mating.  It's very exciting to me!  Especially if I get what I hope will be our best crop ever of healthy and hardy kids.  It will be VERY hard this year deciding on who to keep and who to sell kid wise!

And on another note...we had an experience the other day with my son who will be 2 in a couple of weeks. It was SO nice out here on Monday that when we got home from town the kids went out on the playground to play.  We had a pool there at one time and now where the sand is there is a playground.  People ask if I run a daycare!  My kids usually stay there and play and the critters stay off...except for Buddy the peacock.  He in a sense watches over the kids, sitting on the swing set while the kids play.

Well the goats were out grazing in the front yard and they started back to the back again. My son decided to follow.  And he was ambushed by our male turkey.  Now Tom has followed me before and acted like he wanted to try me...but never has.  I usually pick up a stick and bully him off.  My son wasn't so lucky.  I reckon Tom attacked him, knocked him down, and scratched his back up.  My daughter who is 4 came running in to tell me he was in trouble.  I guess the wind was blowing so hard I couldn't hear him yelling.  I went running and the only way I could get Tom off him was to grab his neck and choke him.  The kids went in the house and other than being scared and hurting my son is okay.  His back is healing. My husband said if Tom had his spurs it would have been a different story.  Hubby wants to sell him saying he will do it again, but I think that if we clip his wings he will be able to stay in the back field and well away from the kids. We are going to try it and see.

I'll keep everyone posted on what goes on with Tom!

I've always known...but now I truly believe...that God will not put anything in our paths he doesn't think we can't handle.  He just wants to see how we can handle them.  I hope this time we have made him proud.  Stuff doesn't make us happy.  Our home and health, family and faith, do.

Susan

Amazing Grace...

Well one more day!  We are sending in a TON of money tomorrow to the mortgage company to save the farm!  I've sacrificed and sold goats, antiques, curios, other furniture, even some to my mom to make the goal.  We may be a little short but are borrowing from family to make the difference then paying back at the end of the month.

Don't be fooled by people telling you foreclosures can take up to 6 months.  Our auction date at the courthouse steps was a month after we got the letter from the lawyer.  Feb. 12 we got the letter...and March 12 is the foreclosure sale.  After being 45 days late on the mortgage.  And they WILL send your money back.  Ours sent back our Dec. payment and said they would our Jan. too so don't send it.  Now when I see foreclosures in the paper I won't think what I did before.  I've been there...and I know it isn't because we have been working our rears off to get money to the mortgage company.  Stuff is not everything.  Family and home is. Amazing what you can still learn at 41!

What's really hard is when people drive by slow then stop and turn around in your  driveway...you know they are checking out the property that is still yours! Like vultures waiting for you to lose the place and they will get a 'deal'...I know now I will never do that to someone.

I just want to let everyone know what their kindness and prayers have meant to us.  People have offered us money even tho they didn't have it.  We didn't take it but am so grateful to people for offering.  I even had one lady go out and buy two lottery tickets trying to help!  Another friend had me list a goat for her and when it sold gave me 1/2.  Some people are amazing and I feel so selfish.  My entire life has been changed by this for the better.  Most people really are good at heart and come together in a crisis.  We have so many sick at our church from diseases, cancer, car accidents, so even with this on us I still feel truly blessed.  I was told God would not put something in our path we could not overcome.

With our thanks to God and everyone's prayers and purchases, we have overcome.

Just goes to show someone is always watching out for you!

Susan

Welcome and Howdy...

Welcome to the first blog of Critterhaven Farm.  We are a small hobby farm with one basic message.  We love our goats!!  We've been raising our Nigerian Dwarf goats for about 6 years now.  I experimented with Mini nubians but due to risk of foreclosure sold out just a few weeks ago. 

Unfortunately we are one of those families who bought our home with an ARM three years ago and now are suffering the consequences.  After playing catch up for 2 years our mortgage company demanded the past dues caught up in one payment rather than in payments, sent our payments back..and then started to foreclose on us.  So come Friday after paying four months mortgage and lawyers fees we will be caught up so we can finally refinance and keep the place!!  I sympathize SO with those who are in a similar boat.  Hang in there.  Through God's grace, the love of family and friends, and some good ol' selling on ebay and craigslist and wherever I could find we are able to pull ourselves out of this.  Now I'm in a selling mood and can't stop!

After all is said and done we want to fence in the front field so we can rotate the goats and llamas off the back field for 6 months or so.  We also have a small barn we relocated here to put up and hopefully we can do that too.

Then I want to get the chicken pens for the silkies up and the pigeons divided out into breeding pairs.  Only then will I start to feel organized around here!

So this blog will be updated as we progress.  First off will be a pen for the newly weaned baby goats to get them away from mom's and off the back field.  We are also building a buck pen just for our herd sire Zorro to get him away from the other boys and on his own breeding/living quarters pen.

Stay tuned...it can only go up from here!

Susan