Hey Honey!!!

Yea, our bee's were so happy this year that we have been able to harvest honey in our first year of beekeeping. We have probably harvested two quarts of yummy, delicious honey. How cool it is to eat honey from your own farm. Plus, whipped with butter and slathered on toast it's like frosting, yummy!!

This year have been a very productive year for us, the previous years of work have culminated into healthy streambeds, beautiful pastures-now almost weed free, furrowed ground smoothing out, it's very rewarding for us.

Animals are all doing very well also. Hard to believe that fall is here.

The Twins

Well ok, they aren't really twins but they sure look like it. "they" are Reuban and Waldo ( of the wheres' waldo fame and post) they are almost inseperable. One of them sounds like what I would expect a muppets car to sound like. A very short maaa. and that's it.

I'm still keeping an anxious eye on Shorty, beginning to think she is never going to calf, she's huge!!! Still as sweet as ever although she has been pushing other cows away from her ( I keep thinking it a sign of upcoming labor) but no calf yet.

The neighbor must have brought his bull back from loaning him out for breeding, all of the cows are having a yelling contest across the street back and forth. Our cows may be small but they sure sound loud, way louder and deeper than the bull across the street. We think he should be ashamed of his tiny bellow.

Chickens are all doing well, suspect that a neighbor went on vacation and had the kids watch the dog... or not or maybe it was just a weird coincidence that all of the chickens that we lost this year were in the middle of the day and no sign left of them, and no animals alerted. Oh well it is life on the funny farm

Speaking of the funny farm; I have a new chicken with an overgrown top beak ( I will trim back this wknd) who comes to the porch for food.....cat food that is. So I have a cat food eating chicken, a dog food eating cat and a cat food eating dog. Did ya catch all of that? Told you it was the funny farm

Family history

lol, ok so it's not my family history but I have had multiple requests for the percheron stud family so:
"Sterling's Tommy" registered name
reg # 273745
sire
Chief's Successor Topper
dam
Morning Glory's Delight
he also has on the top "King Lyndon"

I had a very enjoyable time at Rush River Percherons. They were most welcoming and incredibly patient with my endless questions. I learned a lot and hope to see them at either the Iowa St. fair or MN st fair.

My new favorite quote

"riding is the art of keeping the horse between you and the ground."

Today I am off to a Wisconsin Percheron farm to observe them hitching and working their horses. This a family run farm that spends much of the summer traveling the country and showing their percherons in 6 & 8
team hitches. Wow, I can only think what a chore that is to hitch that many tall horses! Looking forward to learning what I can today.

My little red wagon

Woohoo, now all I need is a collar for 'Thomas" the percheron and we will be driving to town in style in the little red wagon.

Weather has finally warmed up!! Phew, humid for minnesota as well. I have been busy taking down fences that led to nowhere and were always in the way. It's nice to see how our work is paying off in lush grass pastures.

Bee's seem to be doing very well, everywhere I go there is a constant sound of their busy buzzing. I'm anxious to see if or how much honey there will be to harvest this year.

Sugar shortage

phew, if the hummingbirds keep this up there will be a sugar shortage. I am filling the quart container three times a day. This feeder is still the favorite of the hummingbirds.

Orioles are back or perhaps they never left, they are once again active on the one hummingbird feeder.

We do have our QH gelding for sale, we are moving into the drafts and draft crosses.

Home Sweet Home

Well, it happened I fell even more in love with Thomas, the percheron. He now has a permanent home here at DreamRiver. You can see from the first picture that he is also a fellow with a great sense of humor! He is truly a gentleman, even when around some very excited mares...wink...wink. Time will tell if our Thoroughbred mare has settled (pregnant) If all goes well we anticipate a fabulous colt from Thomas & Kasino.

Where's Waldo?

yes, where is that darn waldo? Waldo is the name of our newest calf on the farm. A black bull calf that has appeared and disappeared for varying lengths of time, including yesterday where we weren't able to find him for over 12 hours!!! I must admit that it was great exercise walking up and down the hills in search of the little guy, but a little frustrating as his mom didnt' seem to know where he was either. It's very common for most of the newborns out here to be 'missing' for a few hours, but typically mom is relaxed and calm. Waldo's mom was anything but calm and relaxed.