Sick Ones and Vet Bills!!

We have only been in this cow business for about 4 years...and we have not had to deal with the sickies before. I didn't even know that cows could get flu-like symptoms! 

But lo and behold....it happened! We knew that our bull, Ken, was being a little standoff-ish, but Ken is Ken....and he is a grumpy fella anyways. Then one day, we noticed him limping  and shuffling towards the barn.

And when I say shuffling....I mean picture how the elderly walk on a sheet of ice....

and then picture a 1200+ lb bull walking like that! 

With a closer inspection...he had a severely red nose and eyes....

We quickly quarantined him from our other cows (and donkey)....and he went into our grain bin and stayed there for days....wouldn't come out for water or food. BaileyHusband tried coaxing him out with buckets of feed...which seemed to work initially....

We, I mean BaileyHusband, ( I still don't feel too comfortable being that close the big lug, even if he doesn't feel good!) had to carry water in large buckets to him to get him to even drink.

The vet arrived and gave him some (expensive) shot of anit-biotics that was to last in him for 7 days. Ken had a temperature of 103 degrees...and it was a cold day! Poor guy!!

After two rounds of shots, and 2 1/2 weeks later.....we are pleased to see that Ken is becoming his feisty old self....and is now back in the larger pasture with his lady friends.......

YEAH KEN!!! 

But.....just like the flu in a household of children....it seemed to have spread......

Most of our calves were having gross snotty noses...makes you want to get a large Kleenex doesn't it?

And they were laying around the barnyard, looking totally sad. So more shots and more vet bills later....we think we have knicked this flu in the bud.....just hope our baby mamas don't get it, don't know what it would do to their unborn calves! YIKES!

Hopefully we will have a more healthy month ahead!

~Kim

Please don't tell anyone!? This is my NEVERland!

Disclaimer: You are about to see something really disgusting, and humiliating!

The "View" from the doorway!

I hope I am not alone in my secret room that I have, one that has become a sort of open and throw kind of room! (At least you know that I am completely honest...some bloggers just show their BEAUTIFUL rooms)

Starting about last April when we were getting ready for Emma's graduation party, and all the way through children's birthdays, holidays, and a Barn Sale that I wanted to have that never happened this fall....the room that I can create in (our craft/project/scrapbook/art room)...has become this:

There WAS once a table here for crafting, wrapping......

Lots of past party memorabilia that desperately needs to find a home

The view of most of the room.....UGH!!!

I seriously don't even know where to start!!

I actually have nice countertops to view photo albums and layout projects on.

Horrified?? I sure am...how in the world did I let it get so bad?

Well, it all won't get done TODAY, but I actually have BIG plans for this room, and maybe I will have to add better clutter storage elsewhere in my home, so all my projects don't get stuck here in NEVERland.

Maybe this is what happens when you have a houseful of creative people? That is the excuse I am going for right now! Wish me luck! 

~Kim

HAPPY NOVEMBER

I cannot believe that we are already into November....

I wanted to share some happenings here at the farm.

Paco, our blue peacock....flew the coop! He is now a free-ranger. Actually ALL of our blue peacocks were free ranging for a day....(someone left the door open, Gunnar, but we won't mention any names!) We caught all of them but Paco....we think he is much happier! 

Felipe, our white peacock, who rents space in our chicken coop, is much happier also....we thinned out our flock of hens....and he has more space to strut his stuff!

Jetta, our black cat, made it through Halloween....she was completely frightened by all the scary monsters that came to our door! And I am happy to announce she is FINALLY earning her keep around here. She is often found hunting in the barn early in the morning....and the scary amount of mice we have had is now a thing of the past!

And Hershey girl is loving the once-again-green-grass....and sunshine!

 (Poor ol' girl has an "owie" on her nose)

I got to finally finish our end of the season lawn cutting...and our yard is looking more like its a beautiful spring day , rather than the end of the year! 

Hope this nice weather sticks around for awhile so we can get that chicken coop cleaned out and moved! 

~Kim

Finding Home: Day 31 The Finale

Here we are on the final day of my 31 Days Challenge, set up by a beautiful blogger named The Nester.

I was one of like 1200 bloggers that took on this challenge. And I think it has been fun....I could actually keep writing about "Finding Home" for more than 31 Days! There are so many different ways I could have taken the meaning of my topic choice. 

******************

DAY 31

I have wrote about what HOME feels like for me....

And even though we all live in different types of homes, from the farm to the city. 

And from our home in the great USA to living abroad, 

Some of our homes are really small, and some are quite large....

all we really want and need is a place of our own.

Somewhere to be comfortable.....

somewhere to relax, play, eat, sleep....

have fellowship with friends and family, be alone....

celebrate births, mourn the ones who have gone....

enjoy the magic of Christmas, plant flowers...

raise our children, snuggle with our spouse....

H O M E

is such a powerful word

Some search for that feeling their whole lives....what they may have felt in their childhood.

Or maybe have lost and are searching for a way back to.

Whether you are searching for a new home.....needing to feel "at home" in the space you are in...... or are unsure how to get there....

I hope everyone can see the path to FINDING HOME. 

I want to thank all my friends who have stayed with me during this 31 Days challenge...if you would like to see a list of all 31 days, click here.

I hope you all continue to "follow" me on my blogging adventure....

this little blog is like my personal journal, scrapbook of our farm, 

and also my creative outlet that I love!

~Kim

Finding Home: Day 30 Our Halloween Home

Day 30

Ok, so this post won't EXACTLY be about Finding Home....but it will be based loosely on the theme.

How about finding a Haunted House?

OR looking for a Home to TRICK OR TREAT?

This year, I was the "driver" of our little pumpkins for their trick or treatin expedition. You see, when you are country folks, we don't walk door to door to get our candy....you drive door to door. And Baileyhusband had to work late :( 

So this is what most of our guests had to be greeted with this year:

Those 3 pumpkins were done by MY 3 pumpkins (my #4 is away at college).

Actually 2 of them have turned into Dracula and a Werewolf. 

Team Edward or Team Jacob? haha

There is nothing more pure, more sweet....than watching your children dress up and have such child-like fun!

Well, one more year of Halloween has been completed.......

Bags are COMPLETELY FULL of future stomach aches and cavities!

Good night all....

and HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!!!

~Kim

Linking to: The Nester's 31 Days Challenge

Finding Home: Day 29 Your Story

Day 29

Your Home Tells the Story of You...

What Does YOUR Story Say?

I hope OUR Home tells the story of our family of six....

A husband and wife..and their two daughters and two sons....

I hope OUR Home tells the story of Christians who are perfectly imperfect....

A home that feeds our faith.....

I hope OUR Home tells the story of hard workers...and hard players...

Our busy life....which is full of love, comfort, fun, laughter, tears (good and bad).....

I hope OUR Home tells the story of friendship and family ties......

For family, friends, and faith IS what Home is all about.

Hope YOUR Story is what you WANT it to be!!!

~Kim

Linking to: The Nester's 31 Days Challenge

Finding Home: Day 28 Weekends at HOME

Day 28

To me, there is NOTHING better than a weekend at my favorite place....HOME.

Don't get me wrong, I thoroughly enjoy watching my son play football, my daughter cheer at her college games, going on little field trips with my kids, taking them to 4H meetings, and visiting family.

But, as rare as they are, having a weekend completely at home is by far....the best!

And although this may not be a fun time to most people....this is what I am so happy about:

15 loads of laundry....sorted, washed, dried, folded, and put away!

Didn't think anyone would be interested in pics of that! :)

2 little boys' bedrooms (including closets!) cleaned, organized!

I will post pics on another post someday....still not completely happy with the arrangement of their rooms.

Living room re-arranged (again!)...now, I am happy with it! (I think?)

Front room, which is our music room/ library/ home office....cleaned!

Which is no small feat....I had huge stacks of paperwork/ mail/ catalogs/ school papers that had accumulated over the past several months that needed purged.  

This room has a floor now!! YEAH!

Coffee room, all cleaned, re-arranged...and cozy-fied....ready for these cold days that are ahead...and it makes you now want to go snuggle by the fireplace.

Rented 4 movies...and have managed to watch 2 of them so far!

Tried to mow our lawn for the last time this season....but just as I started a few paths....the mower acted like it was going to blow up.....turns out the belt blew...now we have a large lawn ornament until we have time to fix it! (Hopefully this week, so I can finish OPERATION YARD CLEAN-UP)

like my shadow? 

Helped BaileyHusband work with our calves, except I forgot that I was wearing my nearly new hot pink tennis shoes....oops! They have been initiated by the cows :( I so need a good pair of work boots.

I want work boots like Baileyhusband! 

Swept turkey poop off of my front porch....and off my back deck...those darn animals.....

Now I think that I am going to go watch the other 2 movies we rented and VEG out on the sofa for the rest of this lovely weekend!! *so tired*!

~Kim

If you want to see all my other posts from this 31 Days Challenge..click here.

Linking to: The Nester's 31 Days Challenge