Musings from the Farm | Golden Acres Ranch

A day on the farm

I?ve been talking a lot about the events coming up during October and it is always such a busy month. Today I?ve been able to relax and enjoy this cool weather, however, I have spent most of the day indoors, mostly taking care of loose ends. The time has been very pleasant working with a daughter-in-law making her first baby quilt. Rissa has even carded the wool for the stuffing from our own sheep.

Then there is the incubator with the eighteen guinea eggs my friend Sue provided for me. Now talk about guinea eggs, one of the pair came marching up to the coop with, at least, nineteen keets that they hatched out in one of the pastures.? Rumor has it that guineas mate for life and it does seem that pairs stay together at least while there are keets on the ground. I?ve not done any scientific evaluation about the mating-for-life thing but they sure stick together and defend those babies. It seems like aunts and uncles join in the protection unit also. These keets are smaller than baby chicks and sure know how to stick with mom and dad.

Technical stuff

The other thing I?ve been busy with is learning what all can be done on the computer and my new iPhone. It was time to upgrade and I finally got away from the ?talk only? phone and spent the bucks on this one just before the newest came out last week. :-\

Apple has training sessions every Wednesday and Saturday, so Fred and I went once and then Rissa, our daughter-in-law (see photo), and I went once. Her iPhone is so old they told her to keep it if she ever upgraded because it is a collectors item. So I guess Jim needs to get her a new one.

The other thing I?ve learned on the computer is how to share folders through Dropbox. No more sending attachments to emails that take forever.? Next thing I?m working on is how to make the Square Card work on my phone for charge cards. Wow, I love technology. Especially spell check. I can often get close to the word I want but cannot figure which is worse my spelling or my typing. Oh, by the way, I can talk to?my phone to text or call someone. I don?t even have to type in all those too little letters on the keypad. Of course, it doesn?t always understand what I say and that can lead to some strange messages.

Most of you know I sell stuff online through Red Hills Online Market. I did get up early one morning and headed to Louise?s, the Red Hills Online technical guru, with my laptop so I can learn a better way of listing products. This sure beats going to farmers markets every week. Again, I just marvel how life is changing and I think it is for the better. It is amazing what information is out there and how quickly it can be found. Learned how to build a brooder out of a plastic storage box for my chicks and guineas this morning.

Our nightly routine

It is getting dark earlier every day and the time hasn?t even changed. Our nightly routine is moving dogs into their night quarters and closing up the chicken/guinea coop. Those chicks and guineas are really into a routine themselves. We just go out after dark and close the door.

Our Great Pyrenees, India, comes around about then to head up the nightly watch. She is great and spends her nights roaming the farm. We haven?t seen a fox since she has take up duty. Too bad I can?t trust her mom Gracie to do the same. She likes to go visit neighbors. I keep telling her they have guns but she goes anyway. So her nightly routine is to be brought up to the screened-in front porch. She does keep the frogs away.

65 four-year-old?s came to visit the farm

We often give tours of our farm to educational groups. This last Friday was our biggest one ever. The Creative Child Learning Center from Leon County came with 65 children.? In addition, there were teachers and parents who came along as chaperones. Just picture a large school bus and 20 cars. Wow was it a sight.

Fred had the hay wagon set up but it can only hold about 30 at a time. Half of the children rode into the farm and the other half got to ride out.

I will say, these were well-behaved children and it was a pleasure to have them. The biggest hit with the young ones is letting the chickens out of the coop and the brave ones getting to hold one. Our chickens are getting used to being picked up and none are mean not even the big rooster.

Click on the photo to see more pictures.

Source: http://www.goldenacresranchflorida.com/2012/10/musings-from-the-farm/

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