finally and thankfully!

 Our first load of hay is in, finally! thankfully! As is usually the case my nephew was on hand to help out and this time so was my sister!! We figured out why families used to be so large, because it took that many people to get all the work done for survival! Here are a few pic from the day!

Yea! it's here! Who's going to make it to the top first?!

Dang! that's a lot of hay!

At first the work seems daunting! It's a labor of love and certainly like money on the bank!

No idea what he said, but he must have thought it funny, look at that sheepish grin!

Two hard working country girls! I love this picture!

Tossing in another bale! Photo credit: Jen L.

Two of the hardest working kids I know!

Working hard!

Bucking hay!

Bridger thought he'd be a big helper so he jumped up onto the wagon, turns out eh, not so much! My sister however was a big help! Thank you Jen!

YEA! We did it! We got it all in!!

Am I a big helper now Mom?

Cap'n Eli's ice cold root beer (which F.Y.I. is made in Maine and just so happens to be the worlds best root beer!) for a hard job done well!

I have a picture of the three of them in the hay loft from every year we've done this. I cannot believe how big they are getting!

A day to remember!

Or a bad day to be a mackerel depending on if your are glass half full kind of person I guess. My sister is all about the fun, kind, generous and fun-loving. She works hard and she plays hard; she's a good person to show my kids that one can do both, as it's very difficult for me to not be doing anything, (vacations stress me out) and yesterday she invited us to play hard with her.

Her son loves to fish, and she loves the ocean, so she combined the two and thought we'd like to tag along too. She's taking a vacation on the beach, and invited us to go along as a birthday gift to my children on the 2 hour chartered fishing trip she'd planned for her son. Knowing that was something Faith and Andrew would love I took her up on it. We arrived at the dock at about 10:30, which meant we had to get up extra early, get the barn chores done and drive for an hour and a half in order to not miss the boat. When I walked into the goat's stall to vet Venus for milking she yawned, blinked and looked at me like 'Seriously?! Do you know I have no milk right now - because I was sleeping!?' And Garlic nickered then stomped his foot like 'You're late! I'm starving!' So we hop on the boat, life jackets handed out and we set sail. Well, we didn't actually sail out, it just read better, go along with it! Part of this excursion included pulling lobster traps and checking out what was in them, when the first on was pulled - bupkas! It's baited and plopped back into the water. Then we are taken to an island to see seals!

These guys were just lounging on the rocks in the sun and looking like 'Well it's about time you showed up! We we're wondering where our daily dose of admirers was. Besides do you have any idea how hard it is to pose so perfectly like this on these sharp rocks?!'
This one decided to see us more up close and personal than I found comfortable. Kind if rattled my nerves and my sister said to me, "You're such a girl!" On land is one thing, in the ocean is another. It was cute to look at but I prefer the up close and personal to be through the lens of my camera.
Looking at this guy all shiny and sunning himself on the rocks made me think, "Do these guys ever get skin cancer?" Weird huh? Welcome to my brain.
After we ogled the seals long enough we pulled another trap, jackpot! This one had a lobster, a crab, a couple hermit crabs and some "squirt guns" which I think are......oh heck, I'm drawing a blank, sorry.
Faith and the "squirt gun." Can you tell what it is?
Measuring the lobster and talking about what makes it a male and all about those crazy huge claws.

Faith liked the hermit crab - until it started coming out of it's shell...

Then he took us to see a real working lighthouse, it's fully automated, which means no lightkeeper, but it's so beautiful to look at. And at some point along the way while we were bouncing over the waves and the kids in the front were getting splashed my nephew says to the captain in a slightly alarmed but trying to be casual manner "Uh, we're taking on water!" I nearly fell out of the boat laughing! I was totally him! And fyi, we we're not taking on water, the water was just splashing over the side of the vessel, no worries, no danger. He comes (as does Faith) from a long line of worriers and panic-ers, so he comes by it honestly. In fact I don't even worry anymore about much of anything, because I know that Faith's got it covered! But when I do worry or panic it's huge! (The heat/humidity we had here today has melted my brain, so I cannot remember the name of this lighthouse either, I'll ask the kids tomorrow, they'll likely remember.) I read somewhere that the lighthouses in America are like the castles in England. I love that because I love lighthouses and to compare them with something I'll likely never get a chance to see struck a chord with me and it has stayed with me and I think of it whenever I see a lighthouse. It's too bad they are closed, what a thrill it would be to be able to rent it for a night or two, like a hotel room. Can you imagine having an entire lighthouse; and island to boot, all to yourself for a day or two?
Once we got to the fishing spot we dropped the anchor and were handed poles and given instructions on how to jig the line. I proceeded to dance a little jig and laughed - that was not what he was talking about. I was the first one to catch anything and let me tell you it's hard to fish with one hand and shoot pictures of all three kids because we've 'got a man down!' My sister started looking a little green around the gills whenever we stopped and just bobbed up and down in the ocean, I thought for sure she'd be tossing her cookies over the side of the boat but she just focused on the horizon and did as well as she could for the time we were out there. But hey, we managed I got some great pictures, caught fish - three at once even! (I'm amazing...) and she didn't vomit, so it was all good!
Her son thoroughly enjoying his time on the water despite being concerned his mother was so ill.
Then the excitement really starts! Faith is next with a string if 4 fish on her line! She's counting because she cannot believe it. It was a fancy schmantzy line with 4-5 hooks on it, I had one too - until I got it all tangled after I'd caught 3 fish on it. Ok, so I'm not that amazing...
And finally Andrew's line gets a hit - actually he ended up catching the most, 13 I think. I'm so thankful that my sister though that this would be something they'd like and that we were able to get away from the farm for a day and go.
There's the whole motley crew, Faith and Andrew grinning from ear to ear, my nephew suddenly being camera shy, me thankful to be back safely, and my sister just thankful not to be on a bobbing boat out at sea. A very wonderul time was had by all and if you ever get a chance to come to Maine, you should check it out! The memories (and pictures) will last a lifetime!
And just a favorite parting shot for the day, we we're poking around in some of the shops and eating sweet potato fries down at the pier when we looked up and saw this little gem so of course I shot a few pictures as it was setting and I'm thrilled with the way they came out. Andrew thought it quite looked like Jupiter with the clouds in front of it, I'd have to say I agree.

Ice fishing 2011

Three years ago Faith and Andrew were invited to go ice fishing for the first time with by my dad and a friend of his who has an ice shack on a nearby lake. Thinking it would be the last thing Faith would want to do I was surprised when she said she was really looking forward to it. Andrew enjoys at least trying new things was really excited about this as well. I brought them to the lake (and walked out to the ice shack with them) then left not having any appropriate winter gear. They had a blast! Last year it became a tradition and I did not participate again due to lack of winter gear. This year having winter gear I had no excuse when they asked if I'd go too, dang it! So I drove them out to the lake, donned on my winter gear, grabbed the camera and headed out with them. Mind you there was a windchill factor of minus 15, yes, that's right -15 degrees which was crazy cold!! I was so thankful for the huge glasses I'd grabbed as I left the truck, they blocked a lot of wind as they covered a lot of skin! I pulled my hat way down and put the hood up and was thankful I'd had the foresight to buy hand and toe warmers before we left town. Oh. My. God it was c.o.l.d.!!!


Mr. Harold came to meet us and give the kids a ride out, they loved that!

One of the several traps the group had out.

Several baskets for carrying traps and gear.

Making sure the bait was still on the hook as they weren't getting many flags.

Sick of waiting on flags Faith started 'jigging.'

As did Andrew.

Finally a flag with another small pickerel, they were happy.

My nephew thought he needed a picture taken with the fish as well. Won't his mother be proud?! After this shot was snapped he sent the fish back down the hole from whence it came.

In all honestly I had a nice enough time, but will also add that ice fishing is one of those things I've done as an adult that I can cross off never need to do again list. Just not my thing, but I'm glad my kids enjoy it and hopefully next year will have one of their own traps and a chance to go more than once.

Hay Day #2

I spent the day doing hay with my kids; of course; and my nephew, another 150 bales in and not a complaint among them! It was very windy here today which was nice because it kept us cool, but was a bit of a pain because it blew the loose hay around us like we were inside a snow globe. At one point Andrew put his swimming goggles on to keep it out of his eyes, they didn't last long due to the fact he steamed them up almost instantly. Haying is hard but oh so rewarding work. Too cool off before dinner I took them to the lake, I'm surprised they had the energy to swim!We also dug potatoes and picked cucumbers to go with dinner tonight. After dinner cleaned up the pasted butts on the newest chicks. Out of 50 I think there were 6 that needed attention. Who but Twistie could make that fun?! After the butts were cleaned up they needed to be held to dry off, it was hard to find children willing to hold adorable baby fuzz balls, but I managed. ;-) So now as I write this the kids are getting ready for bed, we've got another early day tomorrow and it'll start with a taking the second batch of chicks; which are now beasts, to be harvested. I'm too exhausted to transfer and posts the pictures tonight, in fact I think I might even skip Army Wives tonight and head straight to bed! Thankfully the DVR is set to record it in the event that that is what I decide.

I am so thankful for these kids today, they worked as hard as I did and we had such fun. Not many kids; I know of a few, would be willing to work that hard or do work that hard and do it with a joyful heart. The best part of it all for me is that I never even had to ask for their help. I fully expect to do all the hay myself; I'm the farmer, and it is so nice that the kids help without being asked. I'm so proud of all of them.

100 bales in several more to go!

What to do for a birthday for a kid that has nearly everything, like so many American kids do?? Hummm...... Ding! (that's the sound of my brain coming up with a great idea!) I'll invite him down for a day on the farm! My nephew; whom you may have read about here, is like so many American kids that have more than everything they want and are nearly impossible to do anything for on special occasions, like birthdays. Well they don't call me Twistie for nothing! I printed up a flyer inviting him down in the summer for a day on the farm; the flyer said it entitled him to do farm things, like poop scoop, feed the animals, collect the eggs, lug water, stack hay, you know things the kids and I do everyday! You should have seen his face it was like I'd given him the moon! I had sort of planned to have him down at this time of year to really give him a whack at farm/country life by having him help with the hay. I've recently heard of "haycations" but thought I'd test the waters to see if it actually worked! ha ha! The hay was to arrive yesterday and I could use all the help I could get, as Garlic smashed my foot when I was picking out his feet the other night, due to his lack of balance, and I've got a pretty good idea I've got a broken bone or two in there. When the hay needs to be done it waits for no one, smashed foot or not. We had a dicey afternoon weather wise yesterday and it did not arrive, but was taken undercover, rain and hay do not mix well when you're looking at long term storage.... So the hay guy called and said it would be delivered in the morning. I was not about to let these kids be bored, so I came up with a new plan on the fly.

We pulled the garlic... Andrew lugged it to the porch...

We hung it up to dry...

We threw down the rest of last years hay to make room for this years hay...

They jumped into the hay which was stacked nearly to the top of the ladder... and did the evening barn chores. This was from 4 pm on. Three very tired children went to bed and slept as well as you can with the heat and a wiggly and notoriously gassy dog that they wanted to sleep with them not to mention the excitement of company! I'd have taken a picture but left the camera in the barn and was not about to limp back to the barn to get it. Though it was a great photo op!

Breakfast - fresh fruit and cereal! Isn't the fruit pretty?

The hay arrives and the heat does too, it's over 90 degrees and I've got 100 bales of hay to stack. Note, I do not have an elevator, yet, so each bale is lifted off and thrown overhead into the loft then stacked. It's hot, sweaty, scratchy, hard work but it smells SO good, not as good as second crop, which will come on another sweltering day in August but hay smells good and what a good job to have done. I'm so impressed with these kids, words cannot accurately describe how proud I am of them for their willingness to pitch in and help and only one or two complaints, and justified at that, it WAS hot!

That's a lot of hay, yet not even half of what I need for the year.

*My nephew thought this would make a good family picture so I let him take it. A hard working family!

Water break...

The hay is all unloaded and stacked in the barn in just shy of two hours!! We kicked butt and took names! I think that was the fastest unload in my history, I couldn't have done it without the help of my kids and my nephew. This is the From the Country Farm Hay Crew 2010 gulping down an ice cold root beer after a hard days work had been completed.

They told me it was the best root beer they'd ever tasted!

Seeing as how the hay essentially flew off the wagon and it was over 90 degrees and part of the overnight trip to the farm deal I took the kids to the lake to cool off. I was impressed, nobody drown from exhaustion! I was not however impressed with the language of the people around us or the couple having a fight at the picnic table not 15 feet from us. Talk about a way to ruin a trip to the beach! Needless to say, we didn't stay long.

One night ended up turning into two nights because of the hay and tomorrows plans, which is no big deal, he's having a good time as are Faith and Andrew and when I drop him off tomorrow and his mom tucks him in bed it'll be like "Good Night Son, see you next Tuesday!"
So what did I give my nephew for his birthday? Hopefully a lifetime of fond memories. (and maybe a good night's sleep.)

old sneakers are a good thing

My nephew came down for a visit to the farm, this is him here. I don't know what it is about boys, frog, swamps, mud and water that all just seem to go together, it's like magnets. They cannot help themselves they just need to go into it. Well this is the result, he came up out of the swamp with many of these peepers, but this is the only one I got a picture of. It's a good thing he had is old shoes on too, between the swamp, helping to clean out the barn and just stinky sneakers in general you cannot imagine a more aromatic funk wafting up from those shoes. I'm sure it was a long ride home with those in the car.