Windy Acres

Wonderful Day

Today was the most beautiful day here, about 75 degrees and cloudy most all day, didn't seem like the first day of summer is so close!  It was a fantastic day to work outside, which I did all day long.  I got some work done in flower beds, herbs set out, some garden tilled, and more weeds pulled!!  It has rained enough that the weeds pull really easy and so it is almost fun............well, it isn't hard and you can see the progress you are making as you go........so as much fun as pulling weeds could be.  There are quite a few left over plants in the greenhouse and although it is getting late to set them out, since it hasn't been really hot yet and we have had plenty of moisture I am still trying to find places to stick them in the ground instead of letting them go to waste.  I still have way more tomato plants than I would ever need, and lots of herbs we started from seed.  Wish some of you lived close enough that I could share!   I also have hundreds of volunteer petunia plants coming up and already blooming, so I am recycling them as well.  Speaking of flowers, I have Hollyhocks planted in front of our barn and they are just absolutely beautiful this year.  I took a picture this morning so I will share it another day.

We dug a bucketful of potatoes today, didn't get the beans picked, will do that tomorrow.  I did pick the first cucumbers.  I also still have to set out the sweet potato plants.  It sounds like tomorrow will be as nice as today was, so I plan to take advantage of it working outside again.

As it turned out we do not have to serve a funeral dinner tomorrow.  That is really a blessing as hubby is supposed to be resting and I have so much that needs doing around here the first part of the week.  It is a really nice out reach for our church to do and we usually don't mind it, but this week it is just best for us that the family did not request a meal.  I hope that doesn't sound selfish of us............

We needed a big bale of hay moved for the goats today and our neighbors that usually do it were not available.  Hubby thought of another neighbor to ask and he came immediately and did it for us, it is so nice to have such willing and friendly neighbors!  I gave him some fresh eggs and a plate of brownies in return. 

We actually thought far enough ahead today to put a pork roast in the crock pot for supper!  We keep saying we really need to use the crock pot this summer 1) so meals will be ready and  2) not to heat up the kitchen...........but we usually fly by the seat of our pants around here  and don't have meals planned well enough or think of starting anything early enough in the day. 

Country Blessings,

Marilyn~at Heritage Hill Homestead

Where do I begin

to catch up after not blogging for 10 days???  I have some excuses, but I don't know if they are good ones.   Storms and tired that would about cover it.

A week ago Thursday, they began predicting severe storms for our area a week in advance, that made me a little nervous.  There were storms but nothing like they thought at least for our area.  Then this past Thursday there was a tornado on the ground in Kansas for 80 miles!  It was west of us, so we were in no danger, but it nearly destoryed the small town of Chapman and also hit Manhattan and then north of Topeka.  They said it did $20 million damage to Kansas State University Campus!  The following evening the same type of storm was about 40 miles east of us and headed our way.  However we only got rain out of that one.  Our kids homes were much closer to the path this time and they all took cover, but there was no damage.  Praise the Lord for his protection in each of these storms for our family and homes!  This has been such a stormy spring in our area.

Farmers Market on June 7 was a good one, hubby and I both had good mornings.  Then we hit a few garage sales and got a huge bird cage for $10, quite a find we thought.  A few other small purchases, but nothing exciting.

Tuesday, hubby had Dr. appointments so we were on the run all day, errands and grocery shopping while we were in Topeka.  As it worked out, we were able to see part of Nick and Kaylan's ball games that evening on the way home.

Wednesday was the first birthday party for Madelyn.  How does time go so fast??  Her birthday is actually the 18th, but that will be a busy day, so they scheduled the party a week early.  She was so cute and we all enjoyed watching her celebrate.  The same evening Lexi had a ballgame right across the street from the party, so we were able to watch part of her game that evening.

That brings us up to Friday the 13th............that was my 55th birthday.  My 50th was on Friday the 13th also!  Of course it was "baking for Farmers Market" day, so that is all I got done, no time to celebrate.  However Saturday evening hubby, Mom and I went out to eat. 

Farmers Market this week was not as good, and I baked more items, so I had quite a bit left over.  Saturday afternoon, some folks from Texas and Ohio that have family here came out to visit and see the animals.  We had a nice time with them.

Today was a really nice day.  Hubby wasn't feeling the greatest this morning, so he stayed home from church.  When I got home he told me that his son Jimmy had called and he and his family were coming to visit this afternoon for Father's Day.  We had a very nice time with them, we don't see them very often, so really appreciated them coming.  They brought us the most wonderful gift, a huge Scrapbooking kit!  The two older Grand daughters were not able to come along so we missed them though.  He got calls from some of the other kids wishing him Happy Fathers Day.

I also spent some time early afternoon visiting with a friend from school, church and 4-H.  We are about the same age.  She had moved 30 some years ago, and I had only seen her briefly once since then.  She was in town with her family and wanted to see me, so we met at Mom's and enjoyed catching up.

A busy week ahead, we will find out in the morning if we are serving a funeral dinner at church this week, one of our county fairs is the end of the week and our grand daughter, Whitney is getting married on Saturday! You will be hearing more about the wedding and pictures following.

In between these activities, I have been pulling weeds.........that is a full time job it seems.  They are everywhere, in the flower beds, in the garden...........  Mowing is hard to keep up with right now with all the rain too.  Speaking of garden, we had the first green beans today, yummy!  I should have a pretty good picking tomorrow or the next day.  We have dug quite a few potatoes to sell, all of the turnips, some beets, sugar snap peas, and lots of onions.  Peppers are setting on and cucumbers too.  Just waiting on tomatoes to get red!

Well, that pretty well tells you what has been going on around here lately.  I do hope I will be able to keep up dated more often.

Country Blessings,

Marilyn~at Heritage Hill Homestead

Look what was for supper tonight

Hubby came in with the first nice little bunch of new potatoes.........so browned new potatoes was immediately on the menu for supper!

Yummy............

Kaylan's mama called this morning and said she was wanting to come to visit the farm again, so she has been here since about noon.  Will stay until Friday afternoon.  Anyway, when she ate the potatoes she said these are really, really good.

We spent the afternoon working outside, she helped pull weeds, plant flowers, water some flowers, of course do chores and played with the kittens. One tired and dirty little lady tonight!

Yesterday hubby went to the Dr., didn't get to see his, but at least got in and was given some antibiotic to knock this cough and miserable stuff he has been fighting for a week.   Thankfully, he was already feeling some better by this morning!  He was well enough to do a few things outside today, which he had not been able to do since last Friday.

Better get to bed, a busy day tomorrow.  Can't believe it is time to start baking for the weekend Market again already!  I will at least make Amish Friendship bread, Lemon Poppy Seed bread and Morning Glory muffins.   We will see how much I get done with the help of our little 4 year old gal?  Saturday in town will be the city-wide garage sales, so may try to make a few extra things because of the big crowd in town.

Country Blessings,

Marilyn~at Heritage Hill Homestead

Thank you Lord

This morning there were some really severe storms in our area and I am so Thankful that our little homestead was protected.  The main damage was from large hail.  Hail as large as softballs, 4 inches across were reported as close as 20 miles or so!  Hubby and I had gone to a nearby town to the bank, as we left for home it started to sprinkle.  Within a few miles of home it started to hail, some pretty good sized, but not enough of the large ones to damage the pickup.  Two miles from our house we stopped and picked up a really large hail stone.  When we got home there were only  a few small ones laying in the yard, the sky was so dark the yard lights were on.   It rained really hard for just a few minutes, then moved on. 

I measured the hail we picked up and it measures 2 3/4 inches which I heard on the news is baseball size!   I can only imagine what damage that would have done to our garden!!  And the wheat is just starting to turn and looks good, that would have wiped out the crop for the local farmers.

There have been so many tornadoes in Kansas this spring and summer, quite an active storm season!  At least there were no tornadoes with the storms this morning. 

Thank you Lord for your protection again today!

Country Blessings,

Marilyn~at Heritage Hill Homestead

Nice Sunday afternoon

After church and dinner, we took a nice Sunday afternoon nap.  I didn't intend to sleep the afternoon away, but it happened.  Hubby is still feeling poorly, so I know he needed the rest and I probably did too.

Late afternoon a friend called and invited us to come over for homemade ice cream.........now that sounded soooo good!  I went out to do chores and when I came in to get ready to go hubby said that some friends were on their way over to get some bees.  So, I had to call and back out on the ice cream invitation.  

 Bee story is:  for years while I was growing up here in this house there were bees in the corner of our house.  They never bothered me and growing up with them I didn't think much about them.  After many years my Mom began to get stung and so someone came and got the bees.  Quite a mess as the honey melted in the wall and ran and didn't smell good!  Well last summer I heard a noise and saw a swarm of bees.............don't you know they moved right in that same spot in the corner of the house!   I am guessing it had been at least 20 years since the previous bees had been there.   Hubby was concerned that someone would get stung, I really wanted them around for the garden.......so pro and con, hard to know what to do.  We had offered them to these friends that have bees, and they decided to come and get them this evening.  He vaccumed them up into a box and off they went to their new home!  Sadly he told us to spray the remainder and then spray foam into the hole so they cannot continue to go in and out.  I hate to think of trapping those left, but there really is no other choice at this point.   I asked lots of questions about the bee behavior and learned a lot, they are really interesting little creatures!   They brought me a lovely little primitive pin cushion as a gift, Thank you Carmen, I love it!   Luckily I had some Lemon poppy seed bread left over from Farmers Market to offer...........Us girls had such a nice visit, we have a lot in common to chat about!  They have a lovely family, 3 very handsome, polite, neatly dressed, just good all around country boy sons!

Ahead this week...........lots of chances for rain the way it sounds.  Not what we need right now.  The yard needs mowed again, and the push mower must be used around the house before we cannot find the house!  Neither of us enjoy the push mower..............  Weeds need some attention in the garden, I will set out some flowers that are left over in the green house.  It is getting too late to sell them and I have lots of bare spots to fill.  I usually set out flowers the first of May......and today is the first of June???   I am behind on washing eggs again, so that is on the list for tomorrow too.

Forgot to tell you that I finally got my hair cut a few days ago.........I had let it grow quite long and while I really enjoyed how easy it was to pull back and go............it was making me look about 20 years older than I really am, so it had to go.   I do like it and am so glad I did it.

A friend of ours does a blog about local happenings and she often features the Emporia Farmers Market,  I just checked it out and yesterday's Market has another picture of hubby selling his wares, so if you would like to see it, check here.  Flyover People

Country Blessings,

Marilyn~at Heritage Hill Homestead

First Farmers Market of the year

I had the first Market here in town of the year this morning.  Overall I was very pleased, several things made it a great morning. 

Hubby has been going to one in Emporia, a college town about 20 miles from us since the first of May.  In the past I have begun ours here the first Saturday in June, which is also the city-wide garage sales.   But we had garden produce and a big part of mine here is baked goods, so we decided to go ahead and start up a little early.  I had not advertised at all, so wondered how it would go...........my regular customers came!!   We have it on the corner right at the main intersection of town, across the street from Casey's, so it is in a location that if anyone goes downtown they will see us there.  That helps a lot.

This is the 5th year for our little Market....and I do mean little.  Many weeks I am the only vendor, but I don't mind.  I really enjoy doing it and have a good customer base built up.  I enjoy visiting with the folks who stop by, some buy and some just stop by which is fine.

I took green onions, radishes, turnips, spinach, jams, lemon poppy seed bread, friendship bread, cinnamon rolls, muffins, 1 pie, some tomato plants and herbs that we had started in the greenhouse, eggs, chickens, buffalo, ground beef, whole hog sausage, and soap.  I can't think of anything else right now.

Sold out of everything except 4 bunches of onions, 2 loaves of lemon bread as far as baked goods and produce.  Sold 15 dozen eggs (hubby sold 15 dozen also!) The only meat I sold was chickens, however I did not have a sign out about meat and don't remember to tell people I have it unless they ask.  Need to get a sign made for next week!!   Total sales for today here was $105.  I thought that was pretty good for just showing up!

Previous years my Friday is so stressful and tiring.........so this year I am trying to follow a schedule through the week and do a little each day that I can to get ready for Market instead of doing it all in one day.   My goal last night was to roll out the cinnamon rolls around 8 ( I usually do it after 10) and I did start at 8:30!  I had them all done and the dishes done by 10 or so and got to bed a little before 11:30!  Good for me  Last summer my schedule was go to bed between 1-2am and get back up to bake rolls at 5............not enough sleep for this getting older gal let me tell you!   So, I was very pleased with my first Friday, and really intend to make my life a little less stressful this summer!  One thing that helped too was I only made 1 pie that was preordered, usually I spend a big part of Friday making pies.

A classmate was in town visiting her Mom today and saw me and stopped by to visit.  We had a nice chat and that made the morning extra enjoyable too. 

Hubby has the cold or whatever I had last weekend and is feeling quite yucky!  Mom called and wondered about going to Wendy's this evening and he did think he felt well enough to go, so we did and enjoyed the little change of pace for us all.   Wendy's is the nearest fast food place to us about 7 miles, Mom enjoys going over there every once in a while, so we usually do when she suggests it.

Country Blessings,

Marilyn~at Heritage Hill Homestead

Weekend events

Saturday morning we went to Emporia Farmers market.  In the evening Mom and I attended the Alumni Banquet here in town.  It was the 65th reunion for my Dad's class and they had invited Mom to join them.  I suppose things like that only happen in a small community!  I went along for company.  It was my 37th year and since it was an odd year I was the only one there from my class.  It was a nice meal and fun evening.

Sunday morning we missed church as we had promised to take some animals to a kids day event.  It was at a historic ranch that is now a National Park in the Flint Hills.  If you have a minute please check out this virtual tour of the ranch buildings.

Tallgrass Prairie Preserve National Park 

There is a 3 story barn,  huge ranch house, berm chicken house and other outbuildings.  From the house there is a tunnel that leads to the spring house.  Quite an impressive ranch!   Everytime I am there I say that my critters and I could just move right into the barn.  We took some hens and a rooster, also some eggs for the kids to gather, Danny our very social Royal Palm turkey and 2 little goat kids that are friendly.  Another family had some milk goats there as well.   We had done this last year and had a great time, so were looking forward to it again.   It was rainy as we left home, but turned out to be a nice day.  They pay our gas and feed us lunch too.   Oh yes, Sassy the puppy went along and was quite an attraction too.

Sunday evening, Son Ryan and family spent the night at Mom's so we had supper together.  Had fun playing with the grandkids and visiting.

Memorial Day every two years my Dad's side of the family has a reunion in town.   My cousins and I are in charge of setting up and clean up.  It went very well with a much bigger turn out than past years.

Last evening we met Son Rlyn and family at Pizza Hut and had a nice visit with them.   Pizza is one of my very favorite foods and I had not had it in a long time!  

This evening I went into town for our evening Bible Study group.  

Yesterday we made several batches of noodles and I made some Friendship bread that was overdue.   It has rained quite a bit over the weekend, so no garden work.  I did pull some weeds in the flower bed and hubby got part of the yard mowed today.  It grows really fast these days!!!   Things in the garden are really growing too, it amazes me to watch how much things change from day to day when it rains and is warm.  

We had 2 Granddaughters celebrate Birthdays over the weekend.......Happy Birthday to Whitney and Paig!!

Country Blessings,

Marilyn~at Heritage Hill Homestead

Been on vacation? Not really.........

I have been missing from my blog, but nothing so exciting as a vacation!  Just time flying by these nice days.  I have checked in on other blogs, but not taken the time to write myself.

Will try to briefly catch you up on things around here the past week.

The end of last week the turkey that had been sitting was due to hatch and for whatever reason she got off of the nest the last day or so?  I was dissapointed as I had some folks wanting babies.  I didn't really realize it in time to get them in the incubator to finish up.  Hope one of them will start sitting again soon.

Friday pulled, washed and bundled radishes and green onions for Farmers Market.  Hubby went to the Friday evening one, not many customers, but our neighbor was there so they had each other to visit with.

Saturday, Hubby went to Farmers Market and I took 2 goat wethers to meet the Grandson for 4-H weigh in and tagging at  the fairgrounds. They weighed 45 and 46 pounds. 

Sunday, after church it seems like we took a afternoon nap, I always enjoy those.  Took some leftover radishes and green onions to give away at church.

Monday I set out a few more tomato plants, planted some squash and a row of Sunflowers.   Got caught up on washing eggs.......that gets ahead of me way too often.  We have quite an abundance of eggs right now, getting about 4 dozen a day.

Tuesday was the big chicken processing day!!!!  We started loading about 6, left here around 7, their appointment was 8:30.  We unhooked the trailer full of chickens and left to go to the local auction we enjoy on Tuesday mornings.  Great biscuits and gravy at the sale barn cafe!  If you don't already know, the local sale barn cafe will have some of the best food around.  We had not been to this auction for months, it is an hour drive and you never know what will be there of course, so with gas prices we had not gone.  The chicken processing plant is only about 5 miles though, so we checked it out.  We had a swing frame and had been looking for a porch swing to put on it.........well there was a porch swing at the auction and we got it for $10 including a nice pad.  We were excited!  This auction starts out with produce, eggs, plants, sometimes baked goods and then goes on with a junk sale, then at noon the hay sells and at 1 the animal auction begins.  This is the only local sale left that sells goats, sheep, hogs and cattle.  All the others are only cattle, maybe hogs............Back to the chickens...........we got back to the plant a little before noon and they had barely started on our chickens!!  They had taken some others in ahead of ours, so it was 4 before we left there.  Long day!!  I woke up feeling yucky, sinus, cold, allergy who knows, but a scratchy throat and achy legs.  So I took a couple of naps in the truck, it was a beautiful day, nice cool breeze, so that was actually enjoyable.  When we got home I did chores and hubby unloaded chickens, we ended up with 216. 

Wednesday morning Sadie our Great Pyrenees had her puppies, Rowdy our Anatolian Shepherd is the father.......yes, he was a busy boy this spring!  She had 8, but had them in a small area in a manger in the horse barn.  She laid on 3 of them, so yesterday we moved her to a goat birthing pen where she has plenty of room.  The remaining 5 are doing great.   3-4 of them are already spoken for, so hope she can raise them all.  I still felt yucky, so didn't do much except chores..........which btw seem quite simple now with the monster chickens gone!

Yesterday I set out a few more tomato plants, the goose Lulu started to sit tight on her nest, I had milk to use up so I finally made some yogurt.  Had been intending to do that for months.  Still felt yucky, but a little better.  Last night I got a newsletter sent out, I try to do one each month, and needed to let local customers know that the chickens are ready to be picked up. One good thing about feeling bad is that I have been ready to go to bed earlier all week!  Maybe it will become a habit.

Hubby has Dr. appointment this morning, I stayed home because of list of things to do and also not feeling up to par.  I need to do some baking and get garden things ready for market.  We plan to start our local market in the morning, this is a couple of weeks early, but might as well get going since we have things to offer.

We have a busy weekend ahead, so may wait to update after it is all over.   Have a great Memorial Day weekend with your family and be safe!

Country Blessings,

Marilyn~at Heritage Hill Homestead

A Day in My Life

A day in my life day, May 14th.  First of all it will not let me add pictures to my blog anymore..........it says not enough space.  I have missed sharing pictures and cute little art, not sure what I need to do different, any suggestions? 

Most entries are about my day anyway, but this is official on the 14th. 

Morning started out about 6:30, I am trying to get myself up a little earlier these days, striving for 6 this summer, this means I really need to go to bed earlier!  I have to check messages on here first thing, then for breakfast hubby had sausage biscuit sandwich and I had biscuits and gravy.  Then out to do morning chores which right now are..........feeding and watering the monster chickens, watering the hens, bunnies, feeding cats and dogs, and whatever else looks like they need attention.  Actually this morning I did a few more things as I knew I would not be home this evening, so I went ahead and fed hay, etc.  Came in for a few minutes and made a couple of phone calls.  I mulched the tomato plants, this year I put down feed sacks between each plant and then covered them with hay.  Seems like this will work well, we will see.  I hoped to set out some more tomatoes, but didn't get that far.  A friend had called this morning and wanted to come over this afternoon for her kids to see the critters and a visit, so needed to get in and get some lunch.  Sandwiches~Simple!  She came and we had a nice visit, I should add here that it was the most beautiful day here..........not cold, not hot, not windy and not raining...........what more could you ask for!!  If we could have about 2 weeks of weather like this everyday I might get caught up outdoors.  As she was leaving, a friend stopped by to get some eggs.  Then back to work.  Hubby  used the weedeater for the first time this year, I pulled some weeds here and there, planted a few flowers and watered the ones planted yesterday.  We moved things around on our little patio area and cleaned it up.  Watered the garden, hubby borrowed a sprayer from our neighbor and sprayed around buildings, etc.  I finished chores  while he did this. All of a sudden it is time to go in and get cleaned up.  Our ladies Bible study group met tonight, we had a nice turn out.  On the way I stopped at a friends house to pick up a goat halter for grandson to use showing this summer, she has a Show supply business.   Then home to put the monster chickens to bed and water them one more time today.  Hubby was on his own for supper, I had a delicious brownie at our meeting, then a snack when I got home.   As you have seen, food was not a priority on this really nice work outside as much as you can day!  That is about it for the day......  It is 11pm and I am going to try to get to bed soon.  Oh one bit of good news, Snowball the kitty was home this morning.

Country Blessings,

Marilyn~at Heritage Hill Homestead

This and That Tuesday

It was a quiet Mothers Day here.  Mom came out for dinner and a nice visit in the afternoon.  I visited with some of the kids by phone through the afternoon and evening. 

Monday morning I took Mom  to an eye Dr. appointment.  She has been having treatments for a year now, she gets an injection in her eye.........I can't stand the thought of it, but she doesn't seem to mind.  I am sure she doesn't look forward to it, but doesn't complain! At first it was every month but now is once every 3 months.   Usually it is about 3 hours, but this time we were out of there in 1 1/2 hours.  She has to take it easy the rest of the day following the treatment.

This morning hubby went to pick up some small hay bales.  He said I didn't need to go along as there would be some guys there to help him load it...........well when he got home he said all that was there was a pregnant lady!  While he was gone I made some meatloaf, I put it in 3 small loaf pans, baked one today and put the other 2 in the freezer.  That is just the right amount for the two of us for a meal.  I also started some veggie soup........I know it isn't soup season, but I had wanted to make one more pot full.  I had several things in the freezer for soup and wanted to get some of them used up. 

This afternoon I set out some petunias,  I had not planted any flowers yet.  I need to get busy, May is half over already!   Each year I say I am not going to plant so many flowers around the house, but I always do.  I really enjoy them, not so much in July when they have to be watered every day, but it is worth it!   Also have quite a few tomato plants to be set in the garden yet.  It looked like rain all day, but didn't get any.

We are on the countdown for the chickens..........a week from today they will be processed!!  I hope it doesn't rain for a week, their pen is such a mess when it is muddy, and the smell........... (think pigs)

Sad note, we are missing a cat today, sure hope Snowball is back tomorrow! 

Country Blessings,

Marilyn~at Heritage Hill Homestead