Blind Hog and Acorn

If only the weather could last longer as it is...  Highs near 70F, lows nice and cool enough to sleep with the windows open and needing a bit of blanket..

Geese and goat kids are growing, garden is putting out asparagus.  Apple trees got a pruning so Blind Hog can ride the new mower under the branches and not lose his hat.

Zero turn mower is certainly the way to go!  If only it could cut 8" tall out in the fields!

Blind Hog and Acorn started off the week by getting a really good deal on a battery powered riding mower, saving $2K off list price, only to find out that yes- it did have a serious problem and so they got it back to Tractor Supply within 24 hrs (almost) for a refund.  Seems it had a problem with the first owner who returned it and the problem did not duplicate itself for the store  manager.

After much decision making, a zero-turn will be delivered to the farm on Wednesday... Yay!

Sam the Farmdog just dispatched a huge male groundhog- he is still panting and a bit of blood is still coming from where the ferocious whistle pig got ahold of poor Sam's tongue!

Hot, humid, but getting much needed rain in nice slow amounts- no drastic flooding involved.

Scored a nice dining table with 8 chairs via FaceBook Marketplace... $100... Sold!

Time for a cold beer and to give Sam a treat...

What a fun week at the farm! 

Goslings hatching, new porch furniture, a porky pig sighting, goat milking in the mornings and whatever did Blind Hog and Acorn find in the clothes dryer blower fan but a pair of blue racers!  BTW- Acorn did check to see if they were on the trail of mice but there was not one tell-tale dropping or sign of mouse nesting activities- what we had here was a pair of snakes looking for some "privacy..."

Oy oy oy...  At least it was discovered that the dryer belt was cracked and would soon need replacing, but that in itself turned into two fruitless trips to Springfield.  New belt is to be delivered on Monday, via Amazon- the Helper of Rural Folk everywhere...

Bravo and Charlie gooses have both hatched their eggs- Bravo had two of her seven eggs hatch (the remaining eggs stinky duds), Charlie hatched four of eight.  Eggs five, six and seven are in the incubator since the first four goslings are out and about...  Egg #eight was an unfertilized dud.

Bling Hog got his pan of brownies.  All is well with the world.

The incubator hatch was so-so... A few duds that were iffy when candled and alothough four goslings hatched, one did not make it.  Acorn thinks the egg was too warm and thus a "preemie" pipped too early.  Them another gosling developed spraddle leg from the incubator's "too slick" floor.  When the legs go out sideways, they tend to stay that way.  Bandaids to the rescue!

Electric fence is back on and the goat kids have been learning some lessons...  Maybe..  Some seem to be repeat offenders...

All in all a good week, and Bling Hog goes off on a tangent...

Eight or more pairs of purple martins back and of course, a freeze alert and a week of sub-70's in the days ahead...

Blind Hog is still working on that big deadfall oak from the south woods that fell across the fenceline. Acorn is spinning around doing "goosey things..." Little honker hatched in the incubator, now a week old and strutting about on little flappy feets

Ticks are already on the prowl, morel mushroom season a bust- the dry april was not conducive for development.  "We see this..."

Lemons squares, anyone?

The final kidding of the season happened and wouldn't you know, TRIPLETS! Momma is a trained professional, and the three should do just fine.

Lil' Honkers are growing and took their first bath today- one was acting just like an adult goose in the water- head down, water up over the back and flapping of wings.

Sam caught a squirrel this morning and ate it for "first breakfast..."  Came in later and had "second breakfast" that was already poured for him...

Grass is so green.  Lilacs so lovely. Happy April...

Art museum visit- check... 
Redbuds blooming- check...
Morels popping-  check...
Martin gourds up-  check...
28°F mornings (?)-  check...

Springtime in the Ozarks!

Blind Hog and Acorn have been doing the usual chores, extra work on the Springfield house, and even took a day off to visit the art museum in Bentonville.  Acorn is more than ready to do that again soon, and not wait another 6-8 months!

All in all, SteelMeadow Farm is right on schedule.  Garden might be limited to store-bought starts for a few crops,  but Acorn will support the local growers.  This is also the 17th anniversary of their move to Missouri. Tempus fugit!

Alpha Goose sat on 9 eggs and 8 hatched.  The unhatched egg was a stink bomb, we see this.  Now to see if Bravo and Charlie gooses are ready to incubate their nests or were they just giving Acorn a cruel "April Fool's" prank when she found both on their nests ...  23 eggs in two incubators, Bravo and Charlie both have 5-7 eggs in their nests.

Work continues on the city house- appliances delivered and Blind Hog and Acorn got them installed.  Nothing is easy/simple save the fridge- attach the water line and wait for magic ice to flow...

5.5+ inches of rain in 48 hours- THAT got the farm right soggy!

Goose pens were flooded, needed trenching to divert the drainage but even better news?  The county road held!

Blind Hog and Acorn had a productive week at the Springfield house, ready for appliances to be delivered.  They even took a couple days off to stay at the farm.  Well, ok- they HAD to stay due to the rains but it was a nice change of pace!

Another busy week at the Springfield house, but things are coming along.

Blind Hog and Acorn came back to the farm at noon, ate lunch, took a nap and off to evening chores.  Tomorrow is a "stay at the farm day," so that is sweeeeeet.

Goats are growing, geese continue to lay, extra goose eggs in an incubator.

Farmers have about had it with "house renovation" work, but there is a light at the end of the tunnel and things will calm back down. THEN they can concentrate on FARMWORK...