Memorial Day Weekend

Memorial day is tomorrow, so I just wanted to say a big THANK YOU to my dad, grandfathers, uncles, cousins, friends, and all the men and women who have or are currently serving in the U.S Military.

Lot's of stuff has been happening the last week or so.  Last weekend I went away for a friend's bachlorette party weekend.  Ton's of fun was had by all.  We even took a duck boat tour, my first.  For those of you who don't know what a duck boat tour is, I will tell you, the duck boat is a land/water vehicle that was used during WWII they have been re purposed into "tour" boats, our driver drove us through town giving us the history of the area as well as some local points of interest then we boated across the harbor to the next town and we got another drive through town.

At the farm, it has been raining pretty much all week long!!!! The grass is super long and the new tree's and gardens are waterlogged.  On the other hand the grass is also super green!  The chicken pen and coop are almost down (me and the hubbs are gonna make a big push to finish it up tomorrow since we both have off work)  The turkey's are doing well, Martha the brown one has discovered that she can fly out of the pen to eat all the green green grass on the other side, George the white one is either to heavy or has not figured out how to get out.  The other day they were snatching mosquito's right out of the air.  Yesterday, when I got home from work Martha had made her escape and was sitting on the picnic table, just waiting for us to get home and let her buddy out.

In wildlife news, we have a sandpiper lady, who has made a nest in the field.  The hubbs, me and Napoleon were out walking the other day and stumbled upon her she was quite vocal  almost getting right up in Napoleon's face and then she flew off low to the ground and acted like she had a broken wing to try to lure Napoleon away from her babies, he just stood there cocking his head back and forth like "what the heck are ya yelling at me for"  he did try to go for her once but we held him back.  Since then we have given her a wide berth.  Hopefully soon the little eggs will hatch and the babies will take off. 

More soon from Ridge Top Farms, there hopefully will be a new addition to the farm next weekend. 

Finally, it seems that it is shaping up to be a beautiful spring day out.  The sun is out the sky is blue with some big white puffy clouds floating around and the high is 70 degrees.  Too bad that I will be at work all day, oh well this weekend's forecast is also predicting good weather.   I will be heading out to a girl's weekend/bachlorette weekend, and Hubbs is working some this weekend too.  A little break from the farm for me.
The farm is doing good, it has rained almost every day this week, so things are green is some places and muddy puddles in other's.  The turkey's were enjoying the sunshine this morning strutting about their pen.  We started turning off the heat lamp on the chicks, getting them used to the temps, it's starting to get a little crowded in the brooder as they get bigger, pretty soon they will have to be moved outside and then just a little longer and they will start laying eggs!!!! How exciting!!!  The hubbs and his son will work on the truck some on Saturday and hopefully that will be up and running soon.  That's all that's gone on this week at Ridgetop Farm.  I hope you all have a wonderfull weekend.

Spring has sprung

It's mid may, and I just ate soup and grilled cheese sandwich to warm me up!!! It's all of 48 degrees outside now and inside as well since we have turned the boiler off for the year.  Hard to believe that just a few days ago it was pushing 90 degrees.    Thankfully it is suppose to warm up again by the end of the week.  Funny how once your a farmer the weather becomes all important, you need to know weather or not to add straw to the animals beds and if you need to water the veggies and tree's or if Mother Nature will do it for you.  This past 9 months of living the farm life has taught us this lesson as well as many others and I am sure we will continue to learn as we go.

Lot's have been going on the last week or so.  Mother's day weekend the hubbs and I rented a power post hole digger and dug a hundred holes, 5 rows of 20, it was tough going there were Lot's of rocks and we had to drag it from hole to hole which took both of us because it was rather heavy, Hubbs had to do the lifting though cause the auger was almost as tall as me.  The sun was shinning bright and it was very warm we drank Lot's of water and even with the sunscreen I ended up with sunburn on my arms and face and of course my neck LOL.  (that's where the term redneck comes from in case you didn't know, because farmers are our in the sun in early spring everything is covered but their neck and it always gets sunburned).   While the hubbs and I were digging holes, my son was busy mowing the grass and picking up sticks.  The weekend wasn't all work though we did get some fun in we had breakfast at Ihop on Saturday and spent the evening with family and friends at my cousin's house.  On Thursday hubbs and I drove out to the other side of the state to pick up the 100 apple tree's, the drive took us about 2 and 1/2 hours each direction.  That same evening the tree's were in the ground, we had my cousin and her family over for dinner and the guys planted the tree's and us gals cooked the dinner while watching the kiddo's and dog's play.  After dinner the kids rode a small dirt bike around and the big boy's played on the 4-wheeler and shot targets. 

The turkeys are growing and appear to be healthy and are getting a little bold.  The brown one has discovered that she can fly just high enough to perch on the top of the fence of their pen or fly up to sit on the top of their hutch.  We have been trying to let them out everyday or at least every couple days to free range in the yard... they do so love their play time.  The walk around pecking at everything they think might be tasty my shoe laces, pants, the bricks and the dog.  The dog is very good with them surprisingly enough he just sniffs them and then will sit beside me and watch them. 

the chicks are also doing well, hanging out in their brooder they are getting their feathers and are attempting to fly.  We did have to pull two out and put them in their own box because they were getting pecked pretty good with bloody spots they are doing well now and since the bloody spots seem to have healed up some we might try putting them back in with the rest.  We ordered 1 rooster and then had ordered some straight run chickens so far we can see that we have the one rooster we ordered and at least one other I think that the free chick they sent is a male mainly cause it's bigger then the others it is still a waiting game right now to see who is male and female from the strait run.  Hubbs and his friend have been working on the coop and it's looking good.  This weekend we will be trying to finish it all up, since the chicks will be ready to move outside pretty soon.

The funniest story of the week though is:
I was heading back home after taking the post hole digger back to the rental site, I stopped for gas before I hit home and discovered fluid and smoke coming from the front end <sigh>  had to leave the truck there at the gas station and walk back home it was a beautiful day though so that wasn't so bad... no what was bad that has I walked past the little creek I stepped in a dead squirrel.<EWWWWWWW>  and I am sure the people who drove by will forever tell the story of the women who was dancing and shaking her foot around by the creek in a strange crazy dance.  LOL.

well folk's that's all for now, keep checking back for more pictures and updates and perhaps even an addition to the farm.

Chick Days

The Chicks have arrived!!!!!!

Fresh out of the shower this morning, I get a call from the post office in Lansing... me: "hello" Postal worker: "hello, your chickens are in", Me: "what?", Postal Worker: "your chicks are here and need to be picked up".   Obviously there was a bit more to the phone call than that but that really was the best part.  The Chicks were suppose to be here tomorrow Monday... (since when are post office's open on Sunday's??)  I have the day off tomorrow and had big plans for those little babies.  But instead hubby, who was off for a big motorcycle ride with his buddy's got a panicked phone call from me... Me: "the chicks are here" Hubbs: "what??" Me: "the chicks are here and need to be picked up at the Post Office in Lansing" again there was more there but really that's the funny part.  So hubbs turns around and heads back towards home to get a car to drive to Lansing to pick up our new babies, I on the other hand completely bummed headed to work.  The hubbs has sent me a few picture mails and dipped thier little beaks in the water and they are all doing well.  I am chomping at the bit to get home and see them for myself.  I am super excited to see them, and I will get pictures posted ASAP, so check back soon for those.

I really feel like our farm is here, before it was a dream but, now that there are turkey's and chicken's and some pea's in the ground and apple and pear tree's in the ground too..... Sometime I just can't belive it! and I am so loving it even if it's raining again today.

Birthdays, Rain and a mouse in my pocket

I know it's been a while since I posted last, a lot's been going on here at the Farm and with my "regular" job, I work at a Hospital and have my own photography company Reflections and Dreams Photography.  It was also my birthday and my granddaughter's birthday and Easter.  Grab a cup of tea or whatever you like to drink and I'll fill ya in.

Rain Rain Rain.... that's all it's been doing for the last couple of weeks with one day of sunshine thrown in here and there. Don't get me wrong I know that April showers bring May flowers, but, really I am kind of done with the rainy and super windy days I wanna be outside on my farm.

Currently all the apple trees, 18 of them are planted in the ground and even have buds on them.  The 2 pear trees are also in the ground and budding.  This makes me very very happy and the hubbs too,  especially since it was his idea to do the orchard.  We do plan on getting more tree's for the orchard and hopefully that will happen this summer.  DJ (my son) and the hubbs made me my first ever raised garden bed, and it's pretty awesome.  I planted my pea's that I had started inside out in the garden I am surprised to see them still doing so well since when I planted them it was raining and 37 degree's out.   However, it's been too windy to start them up the trellis they keep breaking so for now I am just leaving them lay on the ground, and keeping my fingers crossed.   I can't believe how fast George and Martha Washington are growing (that's the turkeys)  every time I look at them they look bigger and more like an adult turkey.   We bought them a hutch and pen and have moved them outside, Easter was the first day they spent outside we brought them in at night for the first two days but now they stay outside all the time and seem to be enjoying the green grass, worms and bugs they are finding.   In a few more weeks we are gonna add some panels to the pen so they have a bit more room to run around in.  Still working on the chicken coop and their yard too.  This morning I cleaned out the brooder with a bit of bleach water, cleaned the thermometers and the chicken wire top, and it sits waiting for it's new occupants who will be here in about 5 days!!!! So excited can't wait to get that box from Murray McMurray and here those little peep peep sounds.   We ordered 9 female and 1 male Silver Laced Wyndotte's, 6 female Creveours, 4 White Crested Polish and 5 Silver Laced Cochin's at a st run.  Plus they send you a free exotic chick so I can't wait to find out what that one is.

Easter, was also my birthday this year, and it just happened to turn out that I had a 3 day weekend, which I made the most of!!!!!  Friday I planted my pea's, and then had an appointment for my Photography company they came out here to my house (too bad it was too cold and rainy to take the photo's of the baby outside) then it was off to a birthday party with some family who also have birthday's in April, good company, good food and lot's of laughs.  My Aunt Pam bought me bunches of stuff for canning, and I am so so super excited to try some of that out this fall!!!! I also got a Mini Rose bush from my Aunt Karen and a garden Gnome from my Aunt Julie... he is not yet out in the garden I used him on my Easter table as a centerpiece.  I am pretty sure that little gnome is glad he is out of the cold.  Saturday is the day we went out and bought the turkey hutch and pen as well as some other stuff from our trusty Tractor Supply company, and the day we finished planting the tree's.  My hubbs that wonderfully sweet man I am married too took me out to a fab place called "Oasis spa and garden" it is a place that has small themed rooms where you soak for an hour in a hot tub!!!!!  We had an outside room so we sat and relaxed under the stars plus we had cupcakes in the shape of a chicken!  Easter Sunday we each got a basket from the bunny.  Since we were having people over we didn't dawdle to long with the baskets though, we finished some errands and got ready cooking and cleaning.  The Egg hunt was lot's of fun we hid candy and some really good gift cards in Camouflaged eggs even the "big" kids got in on the action once they learned there was a $25 American express gift card somewhere out there.  The camo eggs where really hard to see, even when you knew where they were.  More good company and good food.

Saved the funny story for last
 Thursday morning, the hubbs and I were woken by a the thump and bang of Romeo (the cat) trying to dismantle the radiator cover in our bedroom, upon inspection we discovered there was a little mouse hidding along the pipe.. so we put out some glue traps... later in the morning I found the cat on one end and the dog on the other end of the radiator the little mouse would run towards Romeo and he would bat in back down the pipe then Napoleon would try to lick it and it would run back towards Romeo... this went on for sometime, I left for work thinking that one of them would get the mouse or the one of the traps would.  When I got home from work I didn't see the mouse any where in the radiator, so thought that one of them had gotten it..... oh how wrong I was!!!! the next morning I picked up my folded up jeans of the floor of my bedroom and that little mouse came flying out of them all disoriented both the cat and the dog came up to it and sniffed it but did nothing! that's right not a thing there I am yelling and screaming and dancing around in my undies and a t-shirt and the two of them just sat there sniffing the mouse, my 10 year old son had to get a glove and some paper towel and take it outside...

Birthday Celebration on the Farm

I am sorry that I haven't updated in a while, what with mt regular job, Easter and Birthday Celebrations and a job for my side business Reflections and Dreams Photography.  I promise more later on all the exciting stuff that has happened in the last week.

Peas!!!!

I can't belive that I forgot to mention that all of my peas sprouted!!! They seem to be growing like crazy, let's hope it stay's that way when I move them to the garden beds.

oh P.S
the chicks arrive in 18 days whooo to the hooo

Queen of the Sun

I first saw this on a blog called Cold Antler Farm and since it is an issue that is near and dear to my heart I wish to share it with all of you as well.

Busy Weekend.

       This morning I took a moment to just look around, and I have to say that we kicked some serious bum this weekend.  Every day our farm is looking more and more like my dream farm and it's amazing!  Hopefully in the next few years we will be able to expand and add more animals and gardens, put in a wrap around porch and maybe a pool.  Sometimes big plans have a way of getting bigger, I know my dreams for this farm seem to get a little bigger everyday, though I do work to keep myself in check and remind my self that it will all happen in time, just have to keep plugging away at it.  In the meantime kick back and I'll tell ya what we did this weekend.

Saturday
 According to early weather reports it was suppose to be in the high 60's and sunny all day... pshhhhh what do weatherman know, it was cold and cloudy all morning long it finally hit the mid 50's in late afternoon.  That didn't stop us though we got up had some breakfast and got to work.  My son did a great job driving the lawn tractor around and picking up a bunch of trash, sticks and stones.  The hubbs and I headed into the feed and seed in town and picked up a mix of rye grass and clover seed.  Once we got back the three of us walked over the property again making sure all big rocks and sticks and trash was picked up, we mixed up the seed and hubbs hooked up the spreader to the lawn tractor and off he went throwing seed everywhere!  My son and I headed in to cook up some lunch.  After lunch my son took a break and the hubbs and I went into Home Depot to get some tree platning supplies.  By the time we got home the sun had come out and it warmed up a bit, we did take a detour and stopped to look at some cool looking utility vehicles. Since the sun was out we loaded up the cart with some apple tree's, stakes and rope and headed out to the back preoperty line to plant us some tree's, and plant we did!!!! With all 3 of us working on it we got all 10 of the Honeycrisp planted.  All work and no play make us grumpy, we don't want to be grumpy so we took ourselves off to the Bloated Goat Pub in town for some dinner and a little fun!!! Good food there!!!!!! 

Sunday
Again, according to the weatherman it was suppose to rain on Sunday.  Partialy the reason we seeded and planted the day before.  The brightly shinning sun woke us up on Sunday morning ok weatherman????   I spent the morning running some errands for my reunion meeting later in the day.  The hubbs got some stuff together and went up on the roof on the garage/game room to make some repairs.  Cyndi my aunt came over for lunch and to work on plans with me for our upcoming family reunion.  My son took most of the day to do his chore which, was picking up all the sticks in the "yard" portion of the property basicly the area that surrounds the house.  He kept wanting to take breaks, though it was 80 degree's but, in the end he got the job done and just in time since his friend walked up just as he put the last pile in the fire.  It was a beautiful day out so we fired up the grill and had some burgers for dinner.  The Turkey's has some fun too, the hubbs and I took them out for a few minutes to play in the sun and green grass, they each got a bug and boy were they ever proud of themselves for that feat.  It was neat to see the way they would hunker down when they heard the dog bark.  Once, the turkey's were safely back in the brooder, the hubbs and I did some basic repairs to the livestock barn (we are hoping to one day have livestock in it).  Ended the day by sitting on a log by the fire watching the sunset.  It really was a beautiful day.