Exciting News!

Up here on the hill in the Maine woods, we take great pleasure in the simple things. As I had said in a previous post, Darlin' gave me a bird feeder for Christmas. I hadn't had any birds visit until this past Saturday. Here are some pictures of our first little visitor:

She is just about the cutest thing!

 We all enjoyed watching as she came and munched on seeds throughout the day.

 Just one thing; we don't know what kind of bird she is! If anyone knows, could you please comment and enlighten us?? I have ordered a bird book,but it isn't here yet.

I hope she will return and bring many of her friends with her!

Have a good day y'all and don't forget to enjoy the "little things" in this life.

Ladies Homestead Gatherings

Good morning all! My cousin and I are starting up a chapter of Ladies Homestead Gatherings! Here is the link to their website: http://www.ladieshomesteadgathering.org/
This is what my cousin posted on her blog:

I am very excited to announce my Cousin Dani and I will be starting A Ladies Homestead Gathering here in the state of Maine. This is part of a National nonproft organization in which each month we will learn a homestead tip and have support for one another and our homesteads.
This will be open to any lady who is interested in homesteading in an urban or rural setting. For any woman who is beginning to research homesteading.
Some of the topics anticipating to go over are bee keeping, raising beef critters, goats, chickens, cooking from scratch, candle making, soap making, etc.
Please let me know of your interest date so we can keep you informed of our first meeting date!!!

We have since chosen our first meeting date: March 25th, 2017 @ 2:00pm. The topic will be Garden planning. We are still in the planning stages, and learning details, but there is talk of including a "lending library" in which we will share our homesteading related books with each other. We will be meeting once a month. This is a good opportunity to get together with friends, meet new friends, and have a good time sharing the passion we have for all things homesteading. If you would like to learn more and this idea tickles your fancy, then feel free to contact me : danniosgood@gmail.com or my cousin Dee : wylddreamfarm@gmail.com. We hope to get together with friends, new and old and learn new things! Come join us for some fun!!

We Want Out!

These cuties couldn't wait to go outside!

After some fun in the snow, time for hot chocolate! 

 MMM! Chocolate smiles!

 The other night I peeked in on the boys before I went to bed. Little Boy's bed was empty. Look where I found him! It was really dark then,but the flash makes it look like mid day.

My package for my project should be here today, I'll keep you posted. If all goes well I may have it done on Saturday!

~Backlog~

Right around Christmas, Poopie brought this mink over to Darlin' when he went outside. This is the second one (that we know of) that she's caught. Good dog. She keeps our chickens safe. I still have the old bitties that free range. They stay huddled up in the barn with straw most of the time now (I don't blame them!). A couple years ago we lost one chicken to the coons. The dog comes in with us at night, so she couldn't protect them. I guess a real homestead dog would stay outdoors all night, but Poopie is more of a pet than a work dog. 

 Little Boy was trying to lug a chair down from the livingroom into the kitchen and I couldn't figure out why. I kept saying "No, you're going to fall." He was getting mad, and I couldn't fathom what the fascination was with the chair all of a sudden. Then I looked out in the kitchen and Big Boy had pulled a chair up to the stove. Now it all made sense. Poor Little Boy. He was just trying to copy his brother and I was telling him ''no''. Once we straightened that out, I carried the chair out for him and he was happy as a clam.

 Awwah.

 I had unknowingly dumped a bag of pellets into the stove that had some clumps in it and it was making the fire smolder. So I had to grab my wash tub and scoop them all out one "gallon" at a time 'till I found all the clumps. The boys could smell fun a mile away. They came out to the kitchen so quick, with trucks and scoops and their new excavator from Uncle Chance. I thought "why not?"

 I'm not sure why the sitting in tubs of small, dry objects is so irresistible.

 Eating popcorn and watching Veggietales on JellyTelly,courtesy of Gran-Gran.

The view the morning of this picture was breath taking! It was right after freezing rain followed by a dusting of snow. These pictures don't do it justice! The sunrise on the ice covered branches was GLORIOUS! I do not comprehend how people can see such beauty and say there is no God.

More pictures and posts to come! Have a great day everyone!

Limitations

Happy New Year everyone!
You're probably wondering where I have been and what is going on around here.
As I have mentioned before, Darlin's work schedule changed last September. Which increased my workload at home dramatically. It isn't the most ideal situation, yet we are very grateful that he has a job, as jobs around these parts aren't exactly plentiful. He used to be self employed as a logger, cutting wood on our property and other wood lots around. But with all the mills in Maine shutting down, the wood prices are through the floor because there is nowhere to take it. Hard times for woodsmen. He has been working construction for nearly a year and a half.
     Anyway. We sold the cows. All of them. We had 6. Two steers, two cows and their calves. I just couldn't do it anymore. I constantly felt like I was two steps from insanity. They just require so much care, but there is only one me, and the boys come first. It would be a different story if the boys were older,but at the ages of 1-1/2 and 3, I cannot leave them to take care of loose animals, and all the other fun stuff that comes with keeping livestock. Plus everything else that I have to do around here. I felt like I could not do anything well at all because I was spread so thin. You know? Too many plates to keep spinning. Therefore, we had to get rid of some plates. I really do enjoy cows. I miss them. But just like the Good Book says; "To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:" Ecclesiastes 3:1 And this just isn't the season for cows.
     That being said, Darlin' is going to expand the maple sap business side of things this Spring. He hopes to put in close to 350 more taps. That should finish up the front piece of maple trees. Then we have several more down back to tap. Hopefully someday when we get them all tapped we would be able to generate enough income to be more financially flexible, and maybe some day, "self sufficient".

Big Boy turned three on Dec. 9th. He is getting so big! He is right in love with Chuggington trains! Little Boy is walking everywhere and talking non stop! I have recently reorganized the toys, games and crafts. I hope to do a little video on that soon. Big Boy has been doing more preschool type stuff. He loves it! I hope to do a video/post on that soon too.
     I'm still working on that surprise I told you about... don't give up on me. Also, I've got a project up my sleeve that I think you will like as well. The essentials for that are on their way, I had to order them online. Cousin Dee, I think you will like both of them! You're an old soul like me!

All this to say that I am still alive. Things are starting to simmer down as I readjust to some changes made. Also, I got a bird feeder from Darlin for Christmas. I've had it up for almost 3 weeks now and no birds. :( That's a bummer. I think I will move it to a more prominent spot and then slowly inch it back to where I want it.
Take care and think SPRING!