TURNIPS! (free no less!)

It's a beautiful day here on our little acre (or so) of comfort. The temps are low, the humidity is still hanging on, and the sun is hiding behind a river of overcast. It's all good though because today..it's TURNIP DAY!

Unfortunately the hubs and I did not plant a fall garden this year, but a friend of mine at work had a family member that seemed to be overun in turnips. Did I turn them down..OH NO NO NO! I met her today and she handed me over a mighty fine picking of turnips..tops and bottoms! (some were already cleaned and ready for the pot even! How cool is that!?)

I culled through the free bounty of greens, putting aside some for us and some for the furbabies (aka: bunnies) See..bunnies love turnip greens. You just can't feed them solely on them, but as an addition to their regular fare..they love them.
Here's proof!

The tops that I sat aside for the bunnies were bundled up, ready to dry for winter use (of course, I gave them some fresh) and the ones for us were washed, added to the prewashed ones and into the pot they went. Some Boston butt end portions rounding out the pot. :)

Can anyone guess what's for dinner??

I saved aside some turnip cuttings and a few of the stem cuttings for the bunnies for later this week as well. I'll wash these and put them in the fridge to keep them fresh. My bunnies are spoiled.

Till next time....
Down on the Farm

Full to bursting!

We've added to our flock again..this time, with rabbits.

We are the proud owners of 5, 8 week old baby rabbits. All are New Zealand whites crossed with Californian. Both.. a large meat rabbit breed. They are adorable and I know the kiddos are just going to love them!!

I will post some pics as soon as I can get some!

And as the title of this post suggest..the house IS full to bursting. Full of preserved food, stocked food and supplies to last us the long winters night through.

The bursting part is the sad part though. Yesterday, I decided it was time to practice with my new 'critter chasing gun'...a small 410 shotgun that I bought for myself to help protect the farm critters from the natural hunters of the wild (ie: bobcats, coyotes..etc)
Now, one must remember that our 'adopted' and rescued Great Pyrenees, Baxter is petrified of gunfire. He runs, bolts the fence, climbs mountains in great leaps and bounds and does whatever he can do to run as far as he can from the sound. (we are supposing that he was shot at many times in his wild and free youth!)

Anyway, we secured Baxter in the house and took the gun to the back of the lot and commenced to 'learning' the ins and outs of this particular model. Midway through the training and practice, hubs stops and says "I just heard a "POP" in the house"...*uhooh!..

We finished up quickly and came inside. Baxter was needless to say, trying his best to escape out the front window of the house, but found himself in a sorrowful predicament. He was stuck. Half on the couch, half off the couch, wedged behind the end table. This is what we saw when we entered the house.

Just open the window george..I'll get outta here!

He looked so pitiful..but all we could do was laugh. We rescued the rescued dog. He continued to tremble and 'hide' for the next 1/2 hour though. He's a mess.
Problem was...:We were so entertained by the stuck dog that we failed to find what may have caused the "POP' that the hubs heard.
Now...come to this morning. It's early early early and Pixie our temporary house guest (read: Son and DIL's cat) was insistent that I check our her food bowl. Alas, I walked into the craft room where I am keeping her dish (away from the other animals so they don't eat it..it isn't working)..and what to my wonderous eyes should appear but a mess that I could not wrap my brain around.
Chaos unbelievable.
It looks almost like a war had gone on in this room, there was even BLOOD on the floor...................wait. That's not blood..that's tomatoes. Wait....................WTH?  (blink blink)

This was how my mind reacted to the chaos.
(sadly..I did not think of taking a pic)

What I had truly found was the "POP" that was heard yesterday. 9 quarts of canned tomatoes were smashed, broken and spilled all over the floor, along with 5 pints of fruit and nut conserve. (all canned by me just two days prior) Skeins and balls of yarn were tossed about harry-carry, paintings and canvases littered the floor. WTH had transpired in here? This was the work of a scare-dy cat dog, named Baxter, who was trying to escape out the window, or into the pantry..anywhere he could to get away from the gunfire.

Egads what a mess. After the clean up, we discovered there were 5 quarts of the tomatoes and 4 pints of  conserve still intact. This was lucky. Still, it is sad to loose any canned supplies ..all the work...I nearly cried. But..now you know the 'bursting' part.  

Ohh the tragedy! But alas..Baxter is still safe (and still a scare-dy cat), 5 jars and 4 pints were still saved, the mess cleaned up and here we are...early morning of another day.

Sir Baxter the Wuss of Sagewood Farm

Welcome to our chaotic farm life! Critters..gotta love em.
See ya next time..down on the farm!

Fall has arrived!!

Well, here we are into October, Halloween just around the corner. Our weather has taken a change for the better..we still have a few 80 degree days, but all in all, it's pleasant enough that our air has been turned off! WOOHOOO! This is a good thing.

Over the past week we've canned up 12 quarts of potatoes, 16 pints of pears and 12-1/2 pints of onions. We've filled the freezer with venison and various other meats and stocked the pantry with  good sale items! Bring on the winter storms..we are ready!

(sad thing..the south doesn't get much in winter storms, but I can pretend and prepare anyway!)

We've been working on the rabbit hutch, making repairs and changing a few things about in it. Not only have we added to our poultry flock, but Rabbits are on the list to gain soon. I suppose in a few weeks we'll be on the search for the bunnies..for now, preps for their home must be finished.

Seems like I can't catch up on the housework as of late..what with working, the final crop harvesting, canning and preserving along with the holidays looming ahead, the house work seems to be the last on the list. Unfortunately, my energy runs out long before I get to the bottom of the list!! LOL


I've got a few more seeds to order for next year, but alas, my biggest seed purchase for some herbs and the like is complete and in place in my seed box. As far as herbs go..and most veggies, I'm ready for next year! How about you?

Life on the farm, even a small one, is busy from spring till fall. Winter it seems is our 'down' time..a time to relax. Even then if one thinks about it, Winter is a busy season too with handiwork. Way back when, clothes were made, blankets knitted or crocheted, quilts finished up, along with various outside work that could be done. Life in general is busy. Busy is good.

Till next time..down on the farm,