Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Just a quickie

The warm weather was a welcome change this past weekend. Lots of time outside. Running, sliding, "mowing", and, of course, picnicking (you've seen my kids and will have to supply your own mental pictures for the time being). Then, dragging dirty kids inside, kicking and screaming because they want to permanently live outside.

Just got my phone call update from Farmer Dad. Emma is gardening. And throwing the dirt she shovels to the chickens, who gladly search it in case there is anything edible there. Emma is wearing traditional farming attire -- nightgown, sweatshirt, pajama pants. Mary Claire is bouncing. And playing kitchen. At the same time. (in a bounce house - not just jumping up and down - yet another time a picture would probably help with the clarification).

Sunshine somehow makes everything good on the farm! In planting news, small greenhouse has been assembled and seed trays are being prepared. Peas are in the ground (my Papa would be so proud!), and as of today, so are sunflower seeds.

And my bulbs are coming up everywhere. I call them mine although I planted none of them. Most of them are thanks to the Gryders, and a few are thanks to Allen. I love them all equally. Except I really love the daffodils best.

Saturday, February 13, 2010

Who would have thought it... more snow! If I was back in business with a full computer and not just my trusty Netbook, you would be looking at gorgeous pictures of Gryder Farm coated in white. Or maybe crappy pictures of the farm coated in white... I don't know since I haven't been able to upload pictures in two weeks!

Given two mini-Lowrances with runny noses, we did not try our luck in the snow today. Instead, we've done art projects, play dough, read books, and now a movie. Meanwhile, I am beginning our "spring clean" since come spring my husband will disappear onto the 28 acres surrounding us, planting, watering, tending... and bringing in the dirt! Speaking of my husband, he is currently on his back (on a tarp) under the old farm truck, I imagine cussing not-so-under his breath. Nothing like a snow day of trying to fix an old truck instead of fetching hay, working on a shoot for the cows, and the other 10 projects he'd listed off to me this morning. Needless to say, I have a hearty, warm stew on the oven to warm my man up when he comes in because he is bound to be in a less-than-great mood! Crossing my fingers the truck starts running soon and heading to the kitchen to shell my hard-boiled eggs!

Oh, and did I mention - Gryder farm has hatched their first eggs!!! Yes, our two female silkies (pretty covered in feathers black chickens) have successfully sat and hatched their eggs! Yay!!

Tuesday, February 2, 2010

Snow and updates

Nothing like a snowed-in (well, iced-in if you want to be technical) weekend on the Gryder Farm. What's that... you want pictures? Well, I would LOVE to provide pictures; however, my trusty desktop computer could feel that the snow was coming and decided Thursday night to become overly infected with mean viruses and completely quit working. Off the CPU went to our friendly computer doctor... and out into the ice Allen and Emma went to Best Buy since there is no way I could be farm-bound and internetless. Gryder Farm is now operating with only the use of a cute little netbook which means.... no uploading of snow pictures. And unfortunately, the computer doctor cannot save our desktop which means no pictures until we have purchased a new one. Sad, I know.

In other news.... our silkies are sitting!!! Or, in English, our cute, fuzzy, black chickens are sitting on their eggs so hopefully in about a month, we will have some baby chicks!!! Allen is so proud of them. They are the first chickens on Gryder Farm who have actual sat on the eggs in an attempt to hatch. I guess these two girls deserve to be named!

And for those of you who haven't heard, the baby chicks won't be the only new babies around the Gryder Farm... yep, we have our own #3 headed this way in July. I think that should make for enough farm hands....