When it Rains it Floods

it is definitely a Monday at our house--what about yours?

Isaac woke up at 230, drank 4 oz, and went right back to sleep, me on the other hand tossed and turned, John was kind and let me sleep in the news reported light sprinkles--John though, being the loving husband he was, covered the chicks as their pen is usually the first to flood, so luckily that was 'covered' I finally pull my butt out of bed at 7;30-8 am, D and John have already left (today D goes to cub scout day camp, and boy was he excited) I hear some rolling thunder in the background so I take Tiger out to go potty, he wants to play, of course he wants to play.


It begins to sprinkle and I notice our incredibly pregnant momma rabbit is pulling fur so I go to see the nest she is making--where did all her hay go? oh crap she kicked it out, so with Tiger and Isaac in foot I run to the porch to go get her some more hay to go in her nest (cause she kicked it out of the pen entirely) and that is when it hits.

This was the short distance we had to go, the entire area instantly started to fill up like a pond (most vanished before I could get the picture)
Some one in heaven must have turned on the high powered sprayer because it was hitting the ground so hard it was bouncing back up, I now understand why a flash flood was given the name flash. we are mid backyard when it hits, Tiger suddenly freaked out runs to go inside and runs smack dab into the new gate John installed at the top of the porch steps. Isaac is crying and running but misses the steps entirely and I have to chase him down.

This was a steady stream of water (it has since calmed down)
Finally we all get inside, I call John to see if he can pull up the weather radar--how long is this going to last? about 20 minutes--but the babies could be born in that time.....so alas, I lock tiger up, leave Isaac roaming grab a hoodie and run outside to get hay from Cookies stash. I can not even begin to explain how hard the rain was coming down, but, I will say I am happy I ran out to grab hay from cookie, her shelter was flooding, the babies were huddled up in the driest corner they could find and cookie was standing over them.


Well, can't have them scared or getting too wet and cold, so I left to retrieve a crate we had to give them so they could cuddle up in a dry spot among hay--at this point I walking through streams as I try to get to the old goose pen to retrieve the huge dog crate, and guess what, it won't fit through the door I had planned to take it through, so I have to go back out, back through the gates, around the fences and in through another gate to go in through another door--finally get it, get hay, get the babies in it, run back to the rabbit in labor with hay for her and......


I find her huddled in the milk crate, still no babies, she is wet (need a new roof for her pen, it is on the list of things to do this Saturday--why couldn't the rain wait till Saturday? the fur she has pulled for the nest is wet, and falling through the cracks, and well--we can't have that. So I grab mom, throw some hay in her pen, throw some on top of the milk crate she is huddled up in and I drag them all in side (note, I have quite allergic to the hay so this wasn't a want to do thing, but she does need it for the nest), go back out for a plastic crate big enough to be her home for the delivery (because lets face it, unlike our other 2 rabbits, she isn't litter box trained).
The tote and crate with hay set up I tried to offer the momma rabbit
Note, at this moment my pajama pants are so wet I can barely keep them up, I am in flip flops that have the wedges and the water is to my ankles and I am slipping and sliding all over the place, my hoodie hat has come off, the rain has soaked through the hoodie and my shirt, I am covered in wet sticky hay (remember I am allergic) and the rain was still coming down hard, my eyes were burning, and so I just tried to grab the biggest tote I could find--and guess what? The milk crate is too big, but as I run in with the tote my pj pants give up and fall off, soaking wet I say 'forget this' and I take her into the girls room and lay the tote on its side, the milk crate on its side, put hay in the tote, put hay in the crate and prayed at that point she wasn't so freaked out that she could actually deliver and not kill the babies

These are the clothes I was wearing, just FYI, the pants when dry are a light blue with floral print.
I sat down at this computer at 820 am, I have spent the last 24 minutes typing this up--as much as I want to go in and video tape momma delivering her babies, I needed to give her space and so, I figured I would do so and calm down myself by typing out the last hour of events--yes, all that happened in less than 1 hour, and it is still raining with thunder and lighting (did I mention I did it all while there was thunder and lightening? Have I mentioned how much I hate thunder and lightening?) Tiger is peacefully chewing on his bone in his crate, Isaac who did manage to drink almost 6 oz of a bottle (when I sat down after all of it I also tried to let him finish up his bottle) is now curled up on the tile next to my feet, I definitely need to get into some dry clothes and go check on momma and ask ya'll, could you please pray for her and her unborn (well maybe they are now born) babies? They definitely need all the prayers they can get, specially since I just realized in my haste to get them into a dry space I sat them right next to an A/C vent...


SO I AM CURIOUS--how has your morning gone?

Edited to add, mom delivered numerous babies but all died but 3, and it would seem those 3 are probably going to die as well (suspecting there to be an issue with the litter, going to try and breed her to a different buck the next go around and see if it works out better)

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64 loads of pink All Natural Laundry Saop$6.00 USD 64 loads of All natural Dye free Laundry soap$6.00 USD 64 loads of all natural Auto dish Detergent$6.00 USD 32 loads Auto dish/laundry soap$7.50 USD

Why buy our all natural home made all natural laundry soap?  Because it works, don't believe us, give it a try, we are offering a 25% discount so you can try it and see for yourself why our customers love it.  Our soaps contain no extra fillers or toxic carcinogenics like some name brand laundry soaps, it is gentle enough to use on preemie baby clothes as well as your lacy lingerie yet strong enough to clean my husband's dirty greasy work clothes.  The soaps are scented with citronella essential oils but do not leave your clothes smelling like bug spray.  In addition to leaving your whites whiter and your brights brighter, it gets out tough smells, Like BO and Cat urine.  We are proud of the ingredients we use and list them on every bag in simple terms because with our sensitive skin we know how frustrating it is to search for ingredient lists

all our products are phosphate free (which has lead to increased green algae in our water system which is bad) sodium lauryl sulfate/sodium laureth sulfate free (which is very harsh on your skin and causes skin irratation/rashes) actually helps improve your septic system function (because it is bleach free, you can use with bleach but we haven't had the need) and works great with well/hard water--a list of our ingredients can be found here

We know you are going to love it so order yours today

Frugal Friday: Home made dog food--is it really a savings?

So, ya'll might know that we have a few dogs (today we have 4 large breed, 1 medium breed, and 3 puppies) and so one can imagine we go through a lot of dog food, about 50 lbs every other week, not to mention the random things D decides to feed them because he doesn't want to eat it.  We are currently seeking homes for 3 adults dogs and 3 puppies (the puppies, cause well, they are weaned, it is time for them to find new homes, and the adult dogs for various reasons, 1 was only meant to be temporary, one is hating country living and wants to be a city girl again, and one was acquired to be a guard dog and instead kills the animals she is meant to be guarding).  None the less, right now we have 8 dogs, and we feed all 8 dogs store bought dog food so with payday a few days away when John points out we are out of dog food i figured 'why not finally try those home made recipes I found a couple months ago' and so last night I did, and I have to be honest, at first I was excited, it was easy and it actually smelled delicious and other than the oven being on for over an hour to cook it I thought 'this isn't so bad' but then we pulled it out of the oven, cut it up, and that was when reality hit....it took over an hour, the house was about 100 degrees, every baking dish I had was dirty, measuring cups everywhere, not to mention the bowls I had to use to mix it all up which took almost all of this morning to clean (I still have one more load to go) and it only made 5lbs of dog food--did I mention one of our dogs is a St Bernard/Great Pyrenees mix?

I tried to stay positive, I decided to make another batch, at which point my loving husband points out 'honey what is for dinner? ' pointing out that dinner time was over an hour ago--and instead of baking our dinner I am baking dog food, yes, he felt loved and appreciated knowing that the dogs food was more important than his food, even more so when he ended up cooking cause I was too busy cooking the dogs dinner.  I have to report, that was at 6:30--at 9:30 I was still trying to bake it in the oven cause it was too moist because I did a double batch, the house was super hot and I realized that as much as I love to home make items cause it makes me feel like I am doing my part, home made dog food was not the way to go.  I confess, if we had 1 normal sized dog it would have worked, but to go thru that nightly is not my idea of useful, not to mention that last night I was able to use items we had left over, like I used turkey broth I froze after making thank giving dinner, we don't eat a full size turkey every week, so eventually we would run out of home made broth and have to start buying it, and I didn't do the math, but trust me, spending $20 for a $50 bag was definitely looking like a serious bargain and I washed all the dishes I had to clean up afterwards.  

All in all though, the dogs loved it, even our pickiest eater, and so, I guess, when we have the supplies or another 'we won't have the money till Friday' moment, the home made dog food will be a special treat, but only that, a treat, at least at our house.

So, I am curious to know, what have you done recently with the intent to save money only to figure out you ended up spending more in the long run?

Also, if anybody does know of a cost saving dog food recipe that is easy, quick, and will save us money please feel free to share it, I would love to give it a try

My Conversation with a Washing Machine Repairman

So, if you follow me on facebook you have probably figured out we are having issues with our washing machine.  It started out that we were having issues with our power, it was surging, that was around the time our washing machine started to act up, we thought it was a coincidence, the repairman that came to look at it though had his thoughts on the matter, and I feel the need to point out that before you start reading you need to read all the way to the bottom and not just jump to conclusions and move on because the bottom is where it begins to make sense

Well, first off, anytime any kind of a repair person comes to the house it is a fun experience with 4 big dogs (Besi is smaller and usually in the house already, none of them seem to mind her)  so I stood outside and made sure none to keep the dogs busy in the rabbit pen while he snuck into the house.  by the time I got in he was already looking at the washer

Now let me point out we have a brand new (bought in Feb of 2011) Maytag washing machine, top loader, extra capacity without the agitation arm taking up much needed space.  We got it for a great deal last year and figured it was time to have a new washer with a warranty since we had spent a few hundred dollars replacing 2nd hand washing machines.  It is an HE washing machine and we take great care to make sure everything we use in it (and sell) is HE approved.

some interesting things I learned--did you know that there is a little manual hidden in the washing machine for repairmen, the company doesn't want you to know it is there because they wand you to use repairmen and not be able to do the repairs by yourself (his words, not mine), and this is ok with me because we bought an extended warrenty so the repairman was covered, but boy would I have been mad otherwise.

so he pulls out this little book, and he opens it up and he does a few things and he says 'ok, here is the problem' and so I go over at which point he says 'wait I got to find it' and then he tells me the sudsing sensor tripped and asked me what kind of soap i used---now, to be honest, i couldn't tell if he was giving the look of 'oh no, not another one of things' or if his eyes were flashing dollar signs like Scrounge McDuck and Ducktails but either way, i saw a distinct change in his face when I pointed out that we made our own.  He ofcourse pointed out that we need to make sure to use HE approved laundry detergent--I assured him it was, and he reinstated that the sudsing scensor tripped, I thought for a second realizing this didn't make any sense, at which point I remembered a little laundry room mishap.  about 2 years ago, frustrated by all the stained clothes we had I broke down and bought some stain pretreatment from Sam's club, it came in a gallon or more jug with a hose and a apray thingy, shortly after buying this we started making our own laundry detergent and it was mostly full despite how long we have had it--well it isn't anymore, because the spray nozzel fell off the shelf and covered the washing machine lid, not thinking anything of it I picked up a dirty towel, I wiped it all up with said dirty towel, wiping it off the lid into the washing machine and then throwing the towel in the washing machine and starting the load, there was so much on the washer it wouldn't surprise me if there wasn't more than 3 cups worth, and some had dripped in before i even found it, either way, after explaining this to him he agreed that would cause an excess of sudsing.

He then asked me about how large of a load we put into the machine at one time, knowing all to well that if he didn't like my previous answer he was going to downright hate the one I was about to give him--and i was right, filling it all the way up was in fact the wrong answer, we are only to be filling it 2/3rd of the way up, and this is why--because without the agitation arm the machine relieson the clothes to beat against each other so that they can get clean, with too many in the washer at one time and with the small amount of soap that the washer uses you can imagine that there isn't much room to beat together and so they won't get clean.  i then informed it that the small loads weren't getting clean too, at which point he informed me that if there isn't enough clothes then they also don't have enough to beat against each other and won't get clean either--hmmm, interested, so either way, we have to fill it 2/3rds full even if we only want to do a small load, that is good info. 

After we worked out those 2 problems I said 'so if that was the problem, does that mean it is fixed' at which point he made it extremely clear that even though those were problems the main problem was that the something or other that he compared to the transmission of the washing machine was completely gone and that he had to order in the entire assembly, gut the washing machine and replace it before it would work again--oh joy, that isn't going to be cheap, and it won't be repaired until next week probably.

Now with that said, i am curious just how my laundry soap might cause the transmission of our washing machine to go out, he went on about this and that and then tried to tell me that there are cheap laundry soaps at the dollar star that wouldn't break my washing machine--hmmm, I don't know about that, I might not have been raised by a father who spent 50 years as a washing machine repairman, but I have had about 6 completely die on me in the last 6 years and one thing I distintly remember is all the build up left by inferior laundry soap which I think it damaging to a machine (I though am no expert by any means). 

We talked further, and don't worry I was pleasant, at first he acted like he was walking on egg shells and that I might rip his head off at any moment, but I didn't, I actually appreciated him talking to me and thought this would arm me with information from a repairmans point of view.  I though did feel the need to point out that in almost 1.5 years of using our laundry detergent we never had any kind of build up on our clothes and also pointed out how all the ingredients are recommended for HE machines and that the soap does not produce any suds, I also stated that the ingredients I use and that you can get them in the laundry isle.  Now, thinking back to this conversation I feel the need to point out that as he was trying to tell me to buy laundry detergent at the dollar store for cheap I mentioned how none of them work as well as ours does at getting smells out at which point he suggested I mix our home made soap with the store bought soap--why would I want to do that?  first off, and 2ndly, how come my laundry soap isn't safe to use in the washing machine by itself but it is safe to use mixed with something I don't believe is safe to use at all? 

He then went on to tell me that Our laundry machine is not built to use a powdered and that maybe if I just melted down the soap then it should be safe--hmmm, as much as I hate to do it i guess I could make liquid laundry detergent, or even just put it i a cup of water to dissolve  before putting in the washing machine).  He explained that even if you can't see the clumping that the laundry detergent could be clumping in the pipes and tried to tell me that it could result in my washers transmission going out again--hmmmm, interesting point, you were completely against my home made laundry soap, now (after I tell you a little bit more about you) you are ok with it as long as it is in a liquid form, ok, I buy that.

I then thank him for his great information, he tells me I will hear from his office, and then we struggle to hold back the dogs while he runsout the gate, after all that was said and done I come in, grab an ice bag and put it on my shoulder and go to sit down and instantly I am remembering something I looked at on my washing machine a few days ago, so I hop back up and run in and lift the lid and sure enough right on the lid it states it is safe to use liquid, and POWDERED HE laundry detergent---hmmm, interesting

Anyhow, after that I started to think back to everything else he had to say and knew I needed to share it with you, and don't worry, as smart as he is when it comes to washing machine repairs, remember that he gets paid to tell people what the company wants him to.  Anyhow, part of me thought 'should I really share this, the guy was very against home made detergent' but then after praying about it i realized that you guys needed to be prepared in case you encounter a repairman who wants to tell you that your washing machine transmission is fried because you use home made laundry detergent.

now first off, let me point out that a lot of home made laundry soap recipes call for bath bars of soap, which is fine to use, but not HE approved, we offer a couple varieties but are weaning them out and discourage people from trying them unless there is a specific reason they can't use the All natural White or Pink laundry soap (and few have that reason).  The All natural white/pink laundry soap does not suds, and if it does it isn't enough to trip the sensor, but remember the more you use the more it will suds, so for those of you who think more is better, beware, that is not the case with this laundry soap, please only use 1 Tablespoon, at the most 2 and only use 2 Tablespoons every so many loads, not every load or build up may occur and we wouldn't want that.  If you are afraid of build up, you can always use half a scoop, the clothes should still get clean.  Anyhow, the point i am trying to make here is that not all home made laundry soap is created equal, and for this point you need to be weary of what is for sale online and make sure they aren't trying to sell you something that will in fact break your machine (remember, our machine broke because I wash 20 pairs of levis at a time, not because of the soap) and if you tell the company you use home made laundry soap they won't honor the warranty, so if you are asked then don't lie and say you use tide, instead tell them it is a combination of detergents purchased in the laundry isle of the store and that is specified for HE washing machines (which is it) that does not void the warranty (and again I feel the need to restate, it is the truth, not a lie)

2nd off, my husband is a repairman, he hasn't been doing it for 50 + years, but he has been doing it long enough to know what will and won't hurt a machine (his specialty is mechanics, and so one can imagine he is very particluar about the kind of gas he uses) and when we bought this new washer he himself did extensive research and when I txted him that the repairman said our soap damaged the washer he laughed and said obviously he doesn't know anything about it then because it actually improves  it drastically and with regular use should allow a quality washing machine to last twice (if not 3 times) as long as it would while using store bought detergent.

Anyhow, with that said, rest assured, the FAM Farm all natural home made laundry detergent is safe to use and it won't burn on your washing machines transmission, if anything, the culprit of the problem was my lack of laundry skills and the store bought stain pretreatment

so what are your thoughts on this?

have you ever had a repairman tell you something you knew was completely false?  .

would you trust this person to repair your washing machine?

did you know about the instruction manual hidden in new washers?

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