Colorful Potatoes

I have so many fun pictures today.

We harvested potatoes the other day and cooked some up for breakfast. We planted several different types and the color pallet was so pretty when I cut them that I wanted to share it with you.

My stepdad, Cliff Tucker, was given this "hairy hat". Cliff is "follicle challenged" and it never ceases to be the joke when he is around. It's nice that he can now have a full head of hair for everyone to enjoy.

Pops (my Father-in-law Gary Ashton) goes nowhere without his American Eskimo, Junior. Here he is feeding him something yummy from the garden

Our new barn looks almost spooky with the full moon rising behind it. The inside really is impressive. We are almost done siding it and starting to organize items so we can find it all easily. I am really looking forward to getting my red barn back.

We have so many exciting things happening at the farm. A Sheriff friend of ours came by the other day. He hadn't been there for about 3 months and he was totally amazed at how different everything looks. I love to see the changes that have been made since April of 2010. If you had told me then what it would look like now, I would not have believed it.

We had a fun time yesterday. Marvin had left the farm for a bit to do some errands. A friend and I came back from town and saw that the goats were across the fence in the neighbor's field. We drove to the house and grabbed some feed and the Kabota and went back down the hill. They were by the main road by now, so we herded them back through the fence. I asked her to stay and watch them while I went to get a bale of hay. When I came back, this little petite gal was picking up the goats and tossing them over the fence! I named her the Goat Goddess. I don't think she really appreciates the name.

We finished planting our 600 new olive trees. I really think that an olive orchard is one of the most scenic of all types of plantings. We are trellising our 1300 trees so they will be really beautiful in a couple of years.

The lightening last night was breathtaking. We had a horribly humid day. We were heading home around 10:00 last night and had the show of the year. We don't get lightening very much around here so it was really fun (especially since it didn't start any fires). It was warm and so exciting that we didn't get to bed until after midnight.

We now have 9 new calves. The last couple were born to last year's heifers. This made me feel better because I couldn't tell if they were pregnant or just super fat. I suppose some day I'll be a real cowgirl and learn how to preg test (or maybe not).

My quote for the day: Every time I stress about a work or life change, the new circumstances prove to be better than the last.

Veggies and more

We had a wonderful but poignant weekend. Our son sames left for basic training in the good ol US Army. We are so very proud of him to volunteer to serve our country, but also will miss him bunches.

The cauliflower and tomatoes are just 2 examples of the great vegetables growing at HZ Harvest. We are inviting all to come and share the bounty with U-pick open during specific times. Call us to make arrangements and bring the family. (805) 801-1899 or (805) 610-1053.

My little filly, Sugar is doing great. It was suggested by Johnny Johnston (the wonderful guy who gave her to me to raise) that I allow her to stretch her legs. He said to just take the lead rope off and let her run a bit and she would come back to me. I took her out into the field and took the rope off. After I walked around for 20 minutes or so, she just stayed right at my side. She finally caught sight of her pen and walked over and put herself away. Maybe next time she'll stretch her legs.

A very wise friend told me today's quote: Our dreams and ambitions are not always those of our children.

Be safe and God Bless James.

Phew!

OK, I've decided that I'm going to update this with a "small" entry more often.

We had a really nice weekend. Our precious youngest child (and only son) James is leaving Sunday for the Army. We are so very proud of his decision to help protect us and our country from those wishing to do us harm. Our hearts are heavy with the knowledge that he is leaving, but I know he will flourish in the service as he does in whatever he chooses.

His beautiful wife Melissa is trying to be brave for him too as she will be single-parenting their 20 month old son Landon and preparing for the birth of their second son, Carter who is due in November. Fortunately she is surrounded by lots of great friends and family.

She put together a surprise going away party for him Saturday and boy was he surprised! A great evening of family and friends at our house to say a final goodbye for now and wish James a safe and happy service.

Sunday was another great BBQ at Deer Valley Ranch, our sister property. The company was great, the food was fantastic and the day was perfect.

Sunday night was another matter. I woke up at around 2:00 am (actually Monday morning) to hear our female Pyrenees, Angel, barking somewhere in the distance. I didn't want to disturb Marvin so I jumped into the Kabota and took a drive. When I found her, my flashlight illuminated a big surprise. There was a large tail pointing my direction attached to a black and white striped animal. I hightailed it back to the house and got Marvin and his trusty shotgun. There were actually 3 skunks - Angel had already dispatched one and Marvin took care of the others. The amazing thing is that at least one of them had sprayed the plants in the garden but there wasn't a bit of smell on Angel. She is so quick that she was actually outmaneuvering them! All was well and our ducks were safe and sound.

Give us a call and come pick veggies or pick up a couple of hens. You can reach me at (805) 610-1053 or Marvin at (805) 801-1899. You can also email me at
kblackbu3@yahoo.com.

My thought for the day: "Wag more, bark less".

Calves, calves everywhere

Wow! Our heifers from the 4-H and FFA kids are starting to pop out calves right and left. We had 2 calves last Monday and 5 calves today. We have been truly blessed that all calves have been born healthy and hearty so far.

We have started siding the new barn. It is going to look so awesome!

Sunday morning was spent shearing the sheep. We had a wonderful family of experts come at 8:00 and learned lots from them. Sometimes it seems that we learn more each day from others than we could possible learn in a classroom.

Hope you had a great Labor Day!

Dragonfly Facts

The cute little blue bug is a dragonfly at our pond edge. I was curious about dragonflies, so I looked them up and found out some interesting information:

1.Despite their name, dragonflies are not related to common flies. In fact, they are part of an entirely different order of insects. Dragonflies are part of the Odonata order, which also includes damselflies.

2.Worldwide, the Odonata order of insects (dragonflies and damselflies) includes more than 5,000 individual species. They exist in many countries around the world. Within the United States, there are about 400 species of Odonata.

3.You often see dragonflies near bodies of water (ponds, lakes and slow-moving streams) because they lay their eggs on or near the water.

4.Dragonfly young (nymphs) have a special appendage on their head that they use as a spear to catch small fish. They are predatory insects from birth.

5.Dragonflies are not born with wings. They are born in a larvae state and eventually go through a partial metamorphosis process, during which they grow their wings.

6.Dragonflies spend most of their lives in the larva stage (up to three years, depending on the species). The adult, winged stage only lasts a few weeks. Mating is the primary reason for their winged stage. So when you see a winged dragonfly, you know it's toward the end of its lifespan. Sad but true.

7.Male dragonflies can be very territorial, staking claim to a particular area alongside a pond or stream. When you see two adults chasing each other through the air, it is often one male chasing another from its territory.

8.When you see two dragonflies flying through the air attached to one another, it is almost always a male and female mating.

9.Dragonflies will sometimes travel in swarms, which may be related to weather changes such as the passage of cold fronts.

10.Dragonflies prey on other creatures through their entire life cycle. As larva in bodies of water, they prey on other small creatures (mosquito larva, tiny fish, etc.). As adults, they eat other flying insects.

11.Dragonflies can be useful in controlling mosquito populations. Mosquitoes are one of their primary food sources!

12.Dragonflies are ancient insects. They have existed on Planet Earth for approximately 300 million years. Today, they look very much like they did in "dinosaur times," though they have gradually gotten smaller since then.

13.The largest dragonfly fossil (one of the earliest) had a wingspan of nearly three feet. That makes it the largest flying insect in known history.

14.Dragonflies have two pairs of wings. The wings are mostly transparent and move very fast, so it often appears that they have more than two pairs.

15.The front wings of the dragonfly are slightly longer than the rear wings. This helps with both speed and maneuverability.

16.Though many people fear them, dragonflies cause no harm to humans whatsoever. They are often curious toward humans and will fly around you for that reason, but they do not sting or bite.

17.Though dragonflies are essentially harmless to humans, there were many spooky legends about them in the past (some of which still remain). For example, people used to believe that sleeping outside put you at risk of having your eyes sewn shut by the dragonfly or "darning needle."

18.One of the most distinguishing features of dragonflies are their eyes. They have large, compound eyes with many facets or sides.

19.Because of their large, multifaceted eyes, the adult dragonfly can see nearly 360 degrees around it at all times.

20.Though you can't see them all with the naked eye, the compound eyes of the dragonfly can contain thousands of tiny lenses.

21.As far as insects go, dragonflies are among the fastest. Some of the faster species can fly upward of 30 miles per hour. Their four wings also allow them to move sideways, backward, to hover in place, etc. And they can do all of these movements quickly and accurately, which makes them well suited to eat other insects right out of the air.


My new little filly, Sugar, is doing well. I am really having a wonderful time teaching her to trust and love me. I can touch her anywhere on her body and this weekend I started her on a halter. She was a bit nervous the first time but 2 days later, she actually put her nose through it when I held it in front of her. As you can see, she is quite at home with the chickens. Ben (the dog) thinks she is his new girlfriend. He goes up to the pen and licks her nose. I have never raised a baby horse before. I am so happy with her and love her to pieces. I use all my skills that I previously learned helping our daughter Meghan raise guide dogs.

I really liked this picture of one of the kittens. My daughter gave us 5 kittens for the barn - 1 female (calico colored) and 4 males. This particular cat originally started out being named Squirrel (because the color of the cat looks like a squirrel). After a while, I thought that Squirrel wasn't a very nice name so I changed it to Earl. That was a fine name for about 3 months until my brother in law rolled Earl over and found that Earl is really a Pearl. I guess that there were really 3 males and 2 females.

We had another new calf yesterday. Each one is so darn cute. As you can see, this was a really large calf.

My thought for the day: "I only hope I can be as good today as my dog thinks I am". Have a great holiday weekend!

My Sunflowers

These pictures of Ben and Angel at the sunflowers were just too cute to pass up.

Everything is so happy right now. The fruit trees look great. The olive trees are growing like weeds. So many ripe veggies. The dogs are enjoying the pond.

Our ducklings are just about ready to be set free in their pond. We built them an island which hopefully will keep them safe.

We have 2 new calves with 9 more to come from this year's fair heifers and more to come from last year's.

The windmill is so cool - I just can't seem to get enough of it. When I look at the turning blades I think, "That's a farm".

Our darling baby boy (well, he is 24 years old) is leaving in 3 weeks for boot camp. He has decided to join the army and serve his country. I am so proud of him, but so sad to see him go. He is going to South Carolina which will be a really big culture shock for him. James has lived here all his life and will really grow as a person. Please pray for his safety.

We have been planting 10' tall sycamore trees. The farm is changing so much every day that I can hardly keep up with it.

I think this is really my favorite time of year. Days are getting shorter (we can actually get into bed before 11:00) and the lighting is really beautiful. I can't wait to get on the tractor and start preparing fields for winter.

The beds are being prepped for fall crops.

My little filly, Sugar, is doing very well. She is such a doll. I just forgot how expensive it is to raise a little baby. Special food, halters, etc. Good thing I work.

Call us and come visit and pick veggies!
(805) 610-1053

Come pick veggies!

We have a huge amount of ripe vegetables. If any of you are anywhere near us, please call and let us know when you would like to come and pick some. We have melons, yellow crookneck squash, zucchini, armenian cucumbers, burpless cucumbers, LOTS of tomatoes and cabbage, corn, fennel, onions, etc.

My mom was out last week and had one of our canaloups. She said that it was the very best cantaloupe she has ever had. The tomatoes are ripe in every size and color.

PLEASE come pick some and get yourself a dozen fresh eggs from our freerange chickens at the same time. the picture above shows us moving some of our chickens in their coup. I call this "Summer Vacation okie style".

I love the photo of the farm taken from up above.

Our friends Johnny and Keith Johnston raise horses. Last Friday night, on eof their mares had to be put down. They called me Saturday and asked if I would be interested in raising her 2 month old orphaned filly. Being of unsound mind, I said "sure". She had never been handled so I have spent the past few days working with her. She has gotton to be a really sweetheart.I have named her Sugar.

My 84 year old step father/author, Cliff Tucker came out to volunteer on Friday. He worked around the fruit trees. While he was busy, my Mom and I picked a bunch of veggies and took care of the morning chores. It was a great day.