Not the Announcement I Had Planned

I hope you all had a nice Easter today. Mine was very busy, but nice.

I was going to tell a confession and follow up with an announcement, but I have something else to share.

Lily had twins early this morning! Yes, she went into labor last evening and I was a nervous wreck. I emailed Wendy of Beyond the Sidewalks and she reassured me. I tried staying in the barn all night, but I think I was making Lily more nervous so finally went to bed when she wasn't even dilating by 11:30 p.m.

Here she is in labor with faithful Lola at her side.


I got up early this morning and was out in the barn before 7 a.m. to find twin little babies - one girl and one boy. Their little cords were still very wet, but their fur was mostly dry so I'm guessing they were born between 4 - 6 a.m.


I've named the black and white one "Bindi", which is what Steve Corwin named his daughter who is carrying on his work. Bindi is an Aboriginal name that means small girl.
Bindi....



I've named the little buck "Fizz" (he's the white one). I was trying to think of a name that had some significance for Easter, or Sunday. I thought of the number 7, since Sunday is the 7th day, and then that made me think of 7 UP and fizzy drinks. Hence, Fizz.

Fizz (or little Fizz Man)...


These little babies are a mere 14" end to end and about 9" tall at the shoulders. I'm not sure how much they weigh, but they feel like about 3 pounds, if that. They are TINY! I asked Laura to hold my cell phone beside Fizz so I could show something of a size comparison. It's all I had, but maybe you'll get an idea of how small they are.


Lily did such a good job and is very protective and attentive - especially to little Fizz. Bindi seems to be quite independent and brave. Fizz sticks right by Mama's side at all times!



Laura and Alissa came this afternoon to see them. They have spent hours in the barn with the new arrivals.


Lola is no longer the baby and has been such a good girl today. She is already acting protective over her siblings when she hears them cry. She has left Lily and the babies alone all day and not bothered them, other than to check on them from time to time. Usually, she is right by Lily's side.

I felt so bad for Lily yesterday and last night. She was so huge and I'm sure she was quite uncomfortable. Her bloating has gone down considerably and she has been eating and drinking a lot of water. Both babies have been nursing and then taking long naps, so I think everybody is doing very well. I'm just glad it's over with and I'm sure Lily is too.

They are all tucked in for the night and I'm ready to hit the hay myself. I have a very important day tomorrow (a little tease)!

Happy Easter

I hope you all have a nice Easter. I have a confession and an announcement coming soon.

Multiple Tornadoes Yesterday

We had been warned by the National Weather Service on Friday that Saturday was going to be a potentially very dangerous day, and brother did it turn out to be true.

The day started out with a lot of wind and heavy, gray clouds. The creepy kind of weather that can happen here from now till September. Tornado season is always worrisome.

My plan for the day was to go to the feed store and buy the chickens and goats food, and then go to Gail's to work for a couple of hours. Then I was going to stay inside and craft for the first time in ages. Well, so much for plans. While at the feed store, the owner told me I needed to go straight home and "batten down the hatches". So I called Gail and asked if she minded that I put off the work for another day, which was fine by her.

I came home and filled containers with water. If the power goes out, I can't get water from the well. Then I got my weather radio out and decided to clean the house. I spent a few hours dusting and cleaning and watching out the windows with no major change in the weather. I thought "I could have had my work for Gail finished by now", and decided to go outside and mow the lawn. I mean, it was very windy and gray but that was all - at that point. Then it started to rain and I went inside.

The television was on and there was a big notice that Sanford (my town) was under a tornado warning. Gail lives 20 minutes south of me and I called her to make sure they were aware. They were and she had put the animals in a safe room. We got disconnected and from that moment on, it got really intense.

I didn't lose power and was able to stay glued to the television and kept looking out the windows. I had things in the bathroom, ready to take the animals and myself in there, but couldn't stay away from the storm coverage. There were multiple tornadoes that hit one after another in a line. They went from Gail's area up through Raleigh and northeast to Virginia.

Because Laura was working in Raleigh, I knew she wasn't aware of the tracking so I called her. Long story short, she had left work, literally drove straight toward one of the big tornadoes and was pounded by quarter-sized hail. She turned around and went back to work, where she was safe. If she hadn't, she would have been right in the middle of one of the worst ones. She actually had seen it. So, she was safe.

I called Jeremy (Alissa's daddy) to see if they were ok, because Alissa was with him in another area. He was fine, but he had been to Lowes where I used to work just 10 minutes before it hit. Here is what Lowes looks like now.

I was able to get up with Gail and they had been spared. I was on the phone the rest of the afternoon and evening making and receiving calls to check on friends. There was a lot of damage left by the storms. The National Weather Service even said that these tornadoes were some of the worst ever to hit North Carolina. I mean, we get tornadoes, but not a series of long-lasting ones like yesterday.

http://www.wral.com/

I'm good in a crisis, but by the evening when I had time to think about it all, I could feel myself getting emotional about all the "what if's". I thank God that my family and friends are safe, and that I am too.

My Little Vegetable Garden

This year, I am going to be serious about growing some of my own vegetables. Every year I plant a few tomato plants, only to have them eaten by my herd of deer. Well this year will be different. I love fresh vegetables but don't often drive to the farmer's market mostly because it's inconvenient. But the food we buy in the grocery stores is full of chemicals and I firmly believe that's why cancer is so prevalent. Even the "high quality" pet foods are full of bad stuff. Have you ever looked into what dog food really is and how it's made? But I'm getting off subject.

While helping Gail's husband clean up a rental property, I brought home some things that were headed for the landfill. You know me - always have an eye out for free stuff I can repurpose in one way or another. Well, there was the ugliest "light fixture" in the kitchen. When John took it down, I asked if I could have it. It was nothing more than a box built out of really thick pine wood surrounding some fluorescent bulbs. I immediately saw potential for a raised bed. So I dragged the thing to my car, brought it home and put it in place.

Now Gail and John are very generous folks, and they let their employees at the nursery take soil from their compost pile for free. This compost is actually high grade soil with fertilizer in it that they use for growing the plants they sell.

Now check out my little garden that Alissa and I planted today.


The frame was free, the soil was free, and I've basically worked off, or will work off the cost of the plants, so they're kind of free. I've put the frame next to my fence, which will be a perfect support for the climbing veggies I'm planting (some beans and cucumbers). There's plenty of room for tomato plants and some green peppers. I've even bought some varieties of lettuce. If nothing else, I can live on tomato sandwiches this summer. I'm also going to put some other vegetables in pots in the back yard where they will be safe from the deer. Zoe and Blair, on the other hand, are quite another story. I'll be taking precautions so they can't dig up all my plants.

Here is my little garden helper taking a break. She said she was digging for treasures in the driveway.




I am taking part in the Sustainable Living Project hosted by Jan at Thanks for Today. Please go visit her blog and read more about this project. While you're at it, hop over to Garden Girl's blog and read some very inspiring posts about sustainable living and the importance of growing our own food, or at least part of it. She has a lot of very important information.

You know me - ever the tree hugger. While I usually come at it from an animal right's perspective, it's all about respecting nature in all its forms and taking care of Mother Earth...not just taking. Change one little thing that you do. It will make a big difference to our planet.

Is She Prego or What?

Lily has gotten so much wider since I took these pictures over the weekend. This morning it was a little difficult for her to get up. I'm expecting a baby any time now, or maybe two. She's really huge but it doesn't show in these pictures.

Silly Smudge

I am continuing to pare down my belongings and have sold some of my antiques. One particular piece is a very unusual grain bin, which has three sections inside it. It's full of Christmas decorations!

The minute I had it emptied, Smudge just had to get inside one of the sections. Now all my kitties like to get inside containers, but not like Smudge. He is so funny.


















And I have to brag on him in particular. When I took all the cats to a rabies clinic last Saturday, the vets immediately remarked on how huge...and beautiful...Smudge is. He's such a special cat and really lucky to be alive. He can be contrary at times, but I love him a lot.

Silent Sunday

Treats for Lily and Lola

A couple of weekends ago Laura and Alissa came down for the afternoon. It was a beautiful day and we all wanted to spend some time with Lily and Lola.









I gave Alissa a bunch of crackers to use as treats for them and brother, did they want them all!




Poor Alissa couldn't break the crackers into bite sized pieces fast enough :)












Afterwards, Alissa took the stand to declare the opening of a girls only club.



When I asked her what the club rules were, she proceeded to say "no hurting, shooting, teasing or being mean to any animals"!


That's my girl!

I'm linking up to Farm Friend Friday.

The Scent Is Heavenly

My beautiful Clematis Armandii is absolutely loaded with flowers this spring. I thought I had killed it summer before last when I started pruning and didn't know when to stop.

Well it has bloomed better than ever this year and the sweet scent of the blossoms flow in through the windows.



I paid $7 for this plant at WalMart or Lowes several years ago and it just grows and grows and grows!

I hope you're all having a good week!

Pretty Things!

Yesterday was my birthday and a friend who I haven't seen for a year took me to Panera for lunch. I love Panera Bread! It was great to catch up with her and now that I'm back up in the area, we should see each other a little more frequently.

I haven't posted about my pretty gifts I got from my family. My talented sister made me this bag. A friend showed me one that she had made last year and I loved the size and shape of it. My sister bought the pattern (it's called Baby Bow Tucks) and made one and gave it to me the weekend she and my mother came for a visit.


I don't have the patience to sew like this! Everything she did was perfect. She measured her cell phone and check book to customize the interior pockets to fit my stuff. And how pretty is the contrasting lining?




And how about this gorgeous button?!?


And she made me a pretty tissue holder...check out the curvy opening.


Laura and Alissa went shopping at Big Bloomers Flower Farm (Gail's garden center) and bought me this beautiful oxalis and put it in a pretty lavendar pot.



And she also bought me a little mushroom that I had flipped over when we were there the other weekend.


My Rosebud gave me a sweet bird. She knows how much I love birds and picked this one out all by herself.


I'll be helping Gail's husband on their rental property for just a bit Saturday morning and then will be out in the yard all weekend long. There is so much left to clean up and get ready for planting. I hope you all have a good weekend!

Kindness

I'm feeling the strain of my financial situation and I suppose that makes me also feel vulnerable.

Zoe is due for her annual physical, so I had made an appointment to take her last night to get only her rabies and DHLPP vaccinations. When I learned that she would have to have a physical by the vet, I decided to decline getting the DHLPP vaccination. Because I don't want to jeopardize Zoe's health I changed my mind at the last minute and told the vet to go ahead with all vaccinations.

She looked at me and asked "money tight?". Yes, I said. For the first time in my life I've had to ask family for some help. She looked at Zoe's records and said that the DHLPP wasn't critical since she's had three sets over the years, and that she could just take care of the rabies without an exam to keep the bill to about $20. She then proceeded to give Zoe a quick once-over anyway at no charge.

I've been a client of this particular veterinary practice for many, many years. The vets there are compassionate, support rescue groups and aren't in it just to make money. I appreciated Dr. X's concern for my situation and what she gave to me, getting almost choked up before leaving.

Since I was in the "big" city, I decided to treat myself to dessert at The Olive Garden. My sister had sent me some money to help with the IRS bill (more on that later) with some extra for fabric or something just fun.

It was getting late in the evening so I didn't want to wait to be seated and just walked into the bar area. I had been sitting there for more than a couple of minutes with the bar tender making a couple of drinks and cleaning up. I hadn't been acknowledged and was watching him wondering how long he would take before doing so. The second bartender came from the back with a carry out order for another customer and after taking care of that, immediately came over to me and asked if he could help me. "You sure can", I said and gave him my order.

There was something about him that seemed so genuine. He made eye contact with me and the other customers he talked to (yes, I was watching him). There was a certain appeal to me about him. He was young - maybe in his 30's - and had a nice demeanor about him. Not cocky, but very pleasant, and while average looking, attractive to me.

I ended up ordering a full blown dinner to take home, but ate some of it there. I can't remember the last time I've had dinner out and I felt like I deserved it. It was my sister's treat and I appreciated it. So I sat there and ate a little, but packed up most of it to enjoy this evening. I had dessert and coffee, which felt luxurious. As I sat there, I watched the first bartender, who did finally talk to me a little. It was almost 9 o'clock and I still had things to do before going to bed, so I didn't hang around after I had finished.

I wanted to say something to the young man who had waited on me and when I saw the opportunity, I signaled for him to come over. I told him that he had been very kind. He seemed a little surprised and thanked me immediately and said that he had enjoyed waiting on me. As I left, he told me to have a nice evening.

I wasn't feeling sorry for myself for sitting there alone. I rarely get lonely. But the kindness that was shown to me by two individuals - one a complete stranger - touched me so much that I almost cried. Silly? I don't know.

The quote ...be kind to strangers, for you never know what battle they are fighting... kept going through my mind all evening.

Spring Flowers and Sweat Equity

Ahhhh spring - things are blooming all over the place and it's such a beautiful sight. We aren't out of the woods here yet; some of our biggest snows have happened in March.

My forsythia is huge as ever. I even pruned it a little during the winter.



I don't have a lot of daffodils, but what few I have are in full bloom. Well, except for the ones I transplanted; they're just tiny green things this year.


My tulip magnolia has tight buds all over it, and some are about ready to open.


My iris grew about 3 inches over the weekend!



I'm saving the best for last. Remember I told you I was helping Gail's husband clean up a rental property and taking merchandise from their nursery in lieu of pay? Well, lookie what I got.....is this a beauty or what!?!

This double wide arbor has the sweetest gates that actually close. I'm leaving them open though so I can hang things on them.




I have GOT to finish my walkway this spring. It looks even worse now that I have this beautiful arbor.

My sister and mom were here over the weekend and DS helped me put up this gorgeous piece of architecture. I took them to Big Bloomers (Gail's nursery) and they really enjoyed themselves. There are so many things there that we all wanted, so I will be helping Gail's hubby a few more weekends :)

Now to do some chores before it's time to go to bed. I've already made a new shelf and hung it in the laundry room. Another repair job thanks to the cats over the weekend. If it isn't one thing, it's another with all these crazy animals!

This Will Make You Smile!!

Each morning, I usually check CNN when I get into work. Sometimes you can find stories that you don't necessarily hear about on the news at night. I mean, God forbid if we actually heard some good or postivie news.

Anyway, check out this story. I'm definitely going to think about this when I feel old and am hurting. He's an inspiration!!

93-Year-Old Bag Boy Loves His Job

You have a good day now, ya here? :)

Starving The Farmers? Really?

OK, I realize my blog has taken on a different direction lately. Things are getting out of hand and I believe in passing along information about topics that are important to animals, the environment, and society that promote a common-sense way of doing things. Mostly, I'm a tree hugger from way back and like to feel I'm making a contribution to "the greater good".

I just read a post on a farm blog that somehow led me to this article, a commentary on programs being cut in New York state.

http://www.timesunion.com/local/article/Starving-a-vital-industry-1032545.php

I've been so concerned with my own survival the last couple of years that I haven't had the energy to do much else. Now that things are getting a little better for me, I feel I need to help make some changes. And don't think one person cannot make a difference, because we can.

While I'm on the subject, I'll let you all know that I've recently stepped up my own game as a responsible custodian of this planet. I am no longer using paper napkins; I've replaced them with some cloth napkins that I sewed up last week.

I will also be making my own earth friendly laundry detergent this weekend using 20 Mule Team Borax, Ivory soap and Oxi-Clean. It's cheap and easier on the enviornment; you can find several variations of the recipe by doing a search on-line.

I'm using fewer plastic baggies and am going to start using good old-fashioned waxed paper to wrap my sandwiches in. The enormous swirls of plastic in the ocean should concern everybody. If I'm made a permanent employee in my current position, I want to push to get rid of bottled water this department buys (about 4 cases a week = 96 plastic bottles) and have a water filter system or cooler put in.

And...I am making a conscious effort to buy more American-made things when I can. I can thank Diane Sawyer's challenge for that one.

We can all make a difference by changing one little thing in our daily habits and routines. So take a minute and think about what you can do in your own home routine that will have a great impact somewhere down the line. Just like a smile can be contagious, so can leading by example. Think Globally and Act Locally!

I hope you all are having a good week. Spring has popped in my yard with pretty forsythia in bloom - woo hoo!

He's Everywhere!

Last evening I packed up Pumpkin and sent her home with Laura. I have too many cats in this house and I really needed to make this change.

I got out the little cardboard carrier to put her in and within 60 seconds, look who jumped in. Smudge was quite happy in there but I had to remove him. He wasn't happy.



So I turn around to carry Pumpkin into the living room and there he is on the little table I'm sending up to Ginny next week. I painted it years ago for Alissa but she's outgrown it and Ginny is just the right age to enjoy it.


So I'm taking pictures to put on my blog 'cause I'm thinking it was kind of cute. Smudge got perturbed and jumped down.

After Laura and Alissa left with Pumpkin, I noticed Mr. Priss Pants had found yet another spot to take respite in from all the flashing lights in his face.

I decided it was time to leave him alone for a while before he really got ticked off at me. He can be a real stinker sometimes.... but he's so pretty :)

The Importance of Insects

I've just read a very informative post over at Native Backyard and I let her know I was going to post it on my blog.

I cringe every time I see commercials encouraging people to spread this poison over their lawns. Not only does it kill the bugs we don't want, i.e., fleas, ticks and grubs, but it is non-discramantory and kills bees and other very beneficial insects.

Plus I didn't know about tall fescue grass and the toll it takes on the soil. You know what they say - you learn something new every day!

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What group of lifeforms do we most need for our own survival? I'll give you a moment to think about it.


Ready? Insects. Avid students of gardening probably answered this without need of the white space pause. Here I paraphrase E. O. Wilson, from his book The Creation:


First there are the pollinators, without which flowering plants would cease to be in only a year or two. Other insect-pollinated plants would follow. Then the kicker: "The soil remains largely unturned, accelerating plant decline, because insects, not earthworms as generally supposed, are the principal turners and renewers of the soil."

In my personal quest to find the best combination of plants to create habitat, the lawn question led to more questions than answers, at first. I hope I will include enough information in this post to help you answer your own. My goal is to create lawn space that looks attractive but does not discourage other life forms that are necessary for the success of my "target" life forms (like songbirds). What I found was disturbing, with wide-spread impact.

In municipal and federal landscaping (think DOT), plants are searched out and chosen on the basis of low maintenance and high success rate. Over the years, this has contributed to many unintended consequences, such as the invasive presence in North Carolina (and many other states) of miscanthus. Some of these plantings have been so wildly successful that they have choked out other native species and the other life forms that depend on them. An example of this is tall fescue, which has led to drops in the population of (among other things) quail, which require huge numbers of insects for forage.

Tall fescue is an introduced grass. Around airports, as mentioned before, it is probably an excellent choice because it does reduce the population of potential airplane destroyers. It has a symbiotic relationship with a fungus (called an endophyte) that not only improves the viability of the fescue, but reduces the viability of insects. Without the insects, species like quail cannot survive.

Because of its success in choking out competition (and therefore requiring little if any weed control herbicides), tall fescues have been billed as an environmentally conscious choice for turf grass. So far as that standard goes, the marketing agents are correct. The fewer toxins we use in our landscapes, the better. That ought to be a no-brainer. However, if the goals is to sustain life, rather than just to inhibit it, tall fescues really, really fall short.

Agricultural industry has focused primarily on the "defeat the weed" strategy. So most research is aimed at solutions for weed-free turf or forage. A fine summary of this agricultural research comes from Cornell University. This type of research is not directed at finding which grass species support forage by other species, but rather on what is not required for species success--water, fertilizer and herbicides. Another approach was taken by Stevie Daniels. A Penn State Master Gardner, Daniels has worked to understand the best solutions for native turf grasses. She has selected the fine fescues as one of her lawn solutions, depending on your location. Others are discussed at the included link.

Fine fescues, based on what I can find, do not need endophytes to succeed. This would mean that they would not inhibit insect life the way that introduced tall fescues do. There may still be a threat of allelopathic(linked document has great chart) relationships to consider, but the native clumping red and sheep fescues should be safe choices for turf that won't disturb the balance of life. Mixed with violets like johnny jump-ups and other native, low-growing species, these less-aggressive fescues can help you achieve a lively lawn that allows the bugs (and bunnies...I'm all about the bunnies) to thrive. Which will make your birds happy.

The real point here, however, is that it is not just our songbirds who need bugs. We all do. We need them to pollinate our flowers and crops, we need them to till and aerate our soil, we need them to maintain the smaller life forms that feed us, either directly or indirectly. So in my own personal habitat, the quarter of an acre that I can control, it would be the height of foolishness to discourage my insects. I need to provide them all the sanctuary I can.

Posted by R K Young on Sunday, February 27, 2011

Flea Market Gardens Magazine

I've had spring fever for a couple of weeks now, but now am practially hyper about getting started. I know it's way too early to plant anything, but the weather is perfect for clean up and preparation.

While at WalMart yesterday at lunch, I picked up a gardening magazine I hadn't noticed before. Turns out it's the premeir issue and boy is it loaded with ideas and inspiring pictures. A lot I've seen before, but there are some new ideas in it as well (new to me anyway).

For all you garden enthusiasts out there - you should check it out.


I'm so excited.....!!!