When it Rains, it floods

Yes, yes, I know, when it rains it pours, which is also true, but here at the fam farm when it rains it floods, I would post a pic but sadly it hasn't stopped raining and we don't have a water camera (not to mention we have yet to find the cord).

This morning is no exception, I just spent the last 2 hours digging trenches trying to drain the pig pen, adding more perches and tarps to the chicken coops so they might have a spot to dry off (with it being so hot we didn't fully enclose their coops cause we figured they would like the openess in the heat of the summer--boy am I regretting that today), everything seems to be standing in pools of water, and to make things even better, the milking stand is out in the rain and poor Cookie is huddle up under the lean to shelter we have for them and the last thing I want to do is drag her out just to milk her (the bucket would fill with rain water before it had a chance to fill with milk) so I am currently trying to devise a plan to be able to milk her by myself in the kitchen (John is usually here to help me milk her when we do it inside, he holds her collar and pets her while i milk her, sadly he isn't home right now).

Anyhow, with all that said, I know we need the rain and I do appreciate it, but why can't we spread it out so that we get rain every night and not all at once in a day or 2 so we flood? Not trying to tell anybody how to do their job, just making a suggestion, now where did I put my swimsuit and goggles? (because my rainboots and rain coat just aren't cutting it today)

My Friend Love me!!!

I have a dear friend that I have known for years, we are like day and night different from each other, but we go so far back that the point that we have practically nothing in common hasn't really stopped us from being friends through out the years--as friends who grow usually grow apart because of their minor differences it seems weird that it is our differences that actually seem to keep us together because we each learn from each other (even though I am sure she does most of the teaching). Anyhow, She tries to convince anyone and everyone that she is heartless and I would say a few other things but I am trying to keep this post G rated, so lets keep it at heartless, and to most people she probably is, but this week (like many other time in our lifes) she has definitely reminded me of just how much of a heart she does have. I won't point out her name because I know she would shoot me for spreading the word that she not only has a heart but that she has been as generous as she has this week, but I wanted to let her know how thankful I was for all she has done, not just this week but as we grew up together.

Now, incase you are all wonder just what i am talking about--yesterday I received a package in the mail, she took the time and effort and ordered me Non-GMO, Non-Hybrid seeds, when I called her up to thank her she pointed out that despite how big the package was she didn't spend a fortune, but it isn't the point that she bought them (as much as I do appreciate that) it is that she took the time in her busy life to sit down and actually order some (and she put a lot of thought into what she ordered me) because for the last 3 months I myself have been saying 'I need to order my seeds' but it has yet to happen, now I have 4 days before Spring break and I realized that I had put it of for too long and was looking at seeds in the stores but the Heirloom varieties were definitely lacking and so one must say, finding the seeds in the mail broke my heart and made me cry tears of joy cause it was 1 less thing I had to do.

Now, to tell you just what I received: (note, this is going to be long, it was an 85 variety pack which included 1 complimentary seed packet)

Survival Essentials 25 type/Variety (E pak)

1. Peppers, Cubanelle (75 seeds)
   
2. Turnip, White Egg (400 seeds)
   
3. Tomato, Homestead 24 (50 seeds)
   
4. Tomato, Ace 55 (50 seeds)
   
5. Onion, Evergreen Bunching Nebuka (200 seeds)
6. Melon, Honey Dew Green Flesh (50 seeds)
7. Lettuce, Prizehead (500 seeds)
8. Chicory, Red Verona (175 seeds)
9. Cucumber, Straight Eight (50 seeds)
10. Corn Salad, Dutch (150 seeds)
11. Squash (scallop) Early White (Bush) (25 Seeds)
12. Lettuce, Butter Crunch (500 Seeds)
13. Kohlrabi-White Vienna (200 seeds)
14. Coriander, Long Standing (50 seeds)
15. Beet, Ruby Queen (150 seeds)
16. Basil, Italian Large Leaf (150 Seeds)
17. Watermelon, Crimson Sweet (50 Seeds)
18. Turnips, Seven Top (400 Seeds)
19. Tomato, Red Cherry Large (50 seeds)
20. Tomato, Floradale (50 seeds)
21. Swiss Chard, Ruby Red (75 seeds)
22. Summer Savory (75 seeds)
23. Squash,Table King (bush) (75 Seeds)
24. Pepper, Serrano (75 seeds)
25. Pepper, Early Jalapeno (75 seeds)

30 types/varieties (D pak)

1. Amaranth, Red Garnet (200 seeds)
2. Borage (30 seeds)
3. Cress, Curled (350 seeds)
4. Swiss Chard, Lucullus (75 seeds)
5. Collards, Vates (300 Seeds)
6. Okra, Red Burgandy (50 seeds)
7. Kohlrabi, Purple Vienna (200 seeds)
8. Kale, Dwarf Siberian (500 Seeds)
9. Fennel, Florence (75 seeds)
10. Pepper, Cayenne (75 seeds)
11. Pepper, Sweet Banana (75 seeds)
12. Onion, Red Burgundy (200 seeds)
13. Celery, Tall Utah (300 seeds)
14. Watermelon, Charleston Grey (50 seeds)
15. Pumpkin, Small sugar (25 seeds)
16. Melon, Banana (30 seeds)
17. Squash, dark Green Zucchini (25 seeds)
18. Squash, Waltham Butternut (25 seeds)
19. Cucumber, Boston Pickling (50 seeds)
20. Turnip, Shogoin (400 seeds)
21. Mustard,Florida Broadleaf (600 seeds)
22. Eggplant, Long Purple (50 seeds)
23. Lettuce, Bronze Mignonette (500 seeds)
24. Cucumber, Poinsett 76 (50 seeds)
25. Radish, White Icicle (200 seeds)
26. Radish, French Breakfast (200 seeds)
27. Tomato, Yellow Pear (50 seeds)
28. Lettuce, Red Romaine (500 seeds)
29. tomato, Roma (50 seeds)
30. Carrot, Red Cored Chantenay (500 seeds)

30 Type.Varieties

1. Cabbage, Pak Choi (complimentary seed pack)
2. Dill, Mammoth Long Island (100 seeds)
3. Cucumber, Marketmore (50 seeds)
4. Collards, Morris Heading (300 seeds)
5. Cauliflower, Snowball Y (100 Seeds)
6. Carrot, Royal Chantenay (500 seeds)
7. Carrots, Scarlet Nantes (500 seeds)
8. Cantaloupe, Hales Best Jumbo (50 seeds)
9. Cabbage, Copenhagen Market (100 Seeds)
10. Eggplant, Black Beauty (50 seeds)
11. Broccoli, Green Sprouting (100 Seeds)
12. Beets, Detroit Dark Red (150 Seeds)
13. Watermelon, Sugar Baby (50 seeds)
14. Caraway (100 seeds)
15. Cabbage, Red Acre (100 seeds)
16. Brussel Sprouts, Long Island Improved (150 seeds)
17. Beet, Early Wonder 150 seeds)
18. Arugula (Roquette) (500 Seeds)
19. Onions, White Sweet Spanish (200 Seeds)
20. Okra, Clemson Spineless (50 seeds)
21. Lettuce, Oak Leaf (500 seeds)
22. Lettuce, Black seeded Simpson (500 Seeds)
23. Radish, Cherry Belle (200 Seeds)
24. Rutabaga, American purple top (400 seeds)
25. Spinach, Bloomsdale Long standing (100 seeds)
26. Squash, Early Prolific Straight Neck (25 seeds)
27. Squash, Acorn Table Queen (25 seeds)
28. Bell Pepper, California Wonder (75 seeds)
29. Tomato, Marglobe Improved (50 seeds)
30. Tomato, Rutgers (50 seeds)
31. Turnips, Purple Top White Globe (400 seeds)

I have to be honest, I have no idea what most of those things are--and don't worry, that doesn't mean she failed me, my friend did this on purpose to help me grow and learn new things (she does this cause she truly believes I can become a 'better person' and this is why I love her). Anyhow, I was wondering if any of you had any advice on how to plant and care for these different kind of seeds/plants (don't worry, i don't expect you to give instructions on each and every one, just wondering if you have any advice)--I definitely have a lot of research to do so advice would be appreciated

wow--What a Week

Sorry, I have no photos to post, my goal this week was to find the cord for the Camera so i could download photos, instead i have been busy trying to preform damage control--don't worry, we were super far from the Tornadoes that did so much destruction, we are praying hard for those affected, but instead we were hit by something else, what exactly we still don't know.

First--our dogs figured out that they could get out of our backyard (on Monday)--and trying to patch all the spots they can dig out is beginning to be a full time job. Now the thing that gets us is that we put up the Fence during Christmas Break, and they have yet to try and bust out, they were content to be confined, now we can't even let Red out to go potty without him breaking out.

second--Saturday we returned home to find our chickens all killed and guineas killed, Red was chained up, Besi was inside the house, and Hannah, Brandy, and Miss Oreo (AKA Momma) were all outside of the fence but none of them had any evidence that they were involved in the slaughter (Brandy even had a big plastic 'collar of shame' on her head because of her ear procedure and we searched it like mad for any little feathers and there wasn't 1).

Third, Sunday night we heard a new dog bark in our yard and John opened the door just in time to catch Hannah and Miss Oreo Running off our neighbors newest dog (a rescued pit bull who appears to have been a victim of puppy mill over breading and the neighbors thing were subjected to dog fighting once she became too old to breed as a way to further abuse her, they didn't do any of that to her, just what they kind of gathered after they rescued her)

fourth, Monday we found our black and white rooster killed

fifth, Tuesday we found Snow white's cage busted into and snow white dead (no puncture wounds, it appears she died of a heart attack) on the ground in front of her cage, her 5 babies all ok and now are living in our office, we bottle feed them twice a day now using cookies goat milk.

And then Yesterday i returned home to find another rabbits cage busted opened and her also dead in front of her cage, she had no babies, but it was still traumatic to say the least.

last night we tied up all the rabbit cage doors so they wouldn't be able to pop open (the locks seem to be pointless to whatever is breaking into them) and plan on making some modificatinos to their cages, we also look forward to spending spring break building a larger chicken coop (for our new chickens) and building a bunny house so that they can all be locked up at night and hopefully unbothered by anything (cause obviously just having them in cages isn't enough anymore) as to who is responsible for all of this, we still don't know, but trust me, everything at this moment is a suspect

and as for the camera cord--it is still MIA, hopefully we will be able to find it this weekend, but if we can't please forgive us for not posting pics, we do have a few other things kind fo taking precedence--here is to hoping this weekend goes better, we are suppose to pick up our new chickens monday