Season 4, Episode #1~ 2023 Off to a Great Start

Blind Hog and Acorn rang in the New Year as they usually do- sound asleep!  The past week has been full of farm chores and activities, even with sinus drainage…

Goose pens completed, geese paired up and set in their new digs where they will stay, segregated from each other, until goslings are hatched.

Goat kidding is now on hold for a month- 18 more nannies yet to pop.

Weather has been tolerable, so no big complaints from the farmers.  In fact, Acorn is thinking that today would be a great day to make up a batch of ice cream.  Blind Hog has requested a pan of brownies, and a day in the house  resting and relaxing might just be the ticket on an overcast day- highs in the mid 40’s they say…

Here is to a restful start for the New Year!

Season 3, Episode #46~Happy New Year’s Eve

Goats are doing well and the old cows didn’t seem to be overly concerned. Dam got to spend a few nights inside and was a very good boy.

Blind Hog and Acorn survived the near record lows followed by record highs as kidding continues. Seven more days for this first wave of kidding.

Onwards to 2023!

Season 3, Episode #45~ Polar Express on Christmas Eve

Blind Hog and Acorn got prepared for the winter storm a few days early- no shame there!  After 48+ hrs incarcerated in the dairy barn, goats have begin kidding. Acorn is a tired midwife.

Dairy barn has been staying 10+ degrees warmer than outside.  Might not sound like much but when it -8F outside, being near 0F in the barn is a good thing!

Ring those bells and Believe!  Give angels their wings!  Have another cup of mulled wine!

Season 3, Episode #44~ Goats will be Goats

Ain’t telling a goat what to do, that is for sure.  No kids yet!

Blind Hog and Acorn are still making cold weather preparations.  Closed in the north gable end of the old goat barn- Acorn maintains she is NOT a hoarder, as that stack of old rusty sheet metal has come in handy for more than one project…  Hay has been covered, all arrangements ready.  Will the goats hold out till after the single digit cold snap?  Time will tell…

Found out who is eating cat food in the hay barn…  Hint- it is NOT the Acorn…

Season 3, Episode #43~ The Cows Came Home!

Took some finesse but the calves thought they would be tricksie and came home with the goats last Sunday- Acorn quickly closed a gate behind them, got them separated into the round pen and cheered!  Let the weaning begin!  Calpurnia, Lulu and Pi shuffled on down and over the next day.  After 5 days with no ill effects, the buyers for SteelMeadow’s Piper, the last heifer, was loaded into a trailer to join her half sister and 30 other head of Irish Dexters outside Kansas City.

Now Blind Hog and Acorn can focus on goats and kidding to begin- looking at behaviors, one or two are beginning to “mumble…”  Talking to kids in utero… Sam caught and ate a squirrel, while it was still “fresh…” The steer found his hay, the geese danced in the moonlight and the goats are getting plump…

Yet more exciting futbol on the telly, weather has also been mild.  Finally got a good soaking rain.  For the first time all summer the dry creek has water flowing and the dredging by the county is working a treat!  No flooding up in the road!

Influenza is really hitting the Ozarks hard- neighbor’s son is in the ICU, folks all around are feeling/getting sick.  Get yer jabs, people... Not too late!

Season 3, Episode #42~ December Already!

Wellllllll, FIFA World Cup has certainly taken the attention of the farmers, and when the mornings are brisk, it is far too easy to toss another log on the fire and delay chores for just a wee bit longer…

Cranberries have been processed, geese waddle around and still no goat kids yet. Cows and two calves still need to come home from the east field- figuring it won’t be too much longer and Acorn does not want any goats kidding way up there.

The bucks are segregated once again, living their “lonely life” next to the other goats, but they have a nice paddock with tall forage, and excellent shelter. Their wailing falls on unsympathetic ears- both human and caprine.

Season 3, Episode #41~ Stuffed with Stuffin’ and a Goooooooaaaaaallll!

The holiday week began with cleaning, cleaning and more cleaning.  A bit of cooking too, but nothing crazy- was just Blind Hog, Acorn and Baby Badger.  Turkey was cooked a week before, and the few sides were easy peasy.

Usual chores continue.  Wire horse panels purchased and cut for the goose pens and barn door openings. Blind Hog has his woodpile about finished. Wolfpack for the win, and all the FIFA futbol has been entertaining, especially the commentators en Espanol!

Still no goat kids, Acorn needs to set her delivery equipment next to the back door. Squalls will soon be sounding on the baby monitor! That last piece of mincemeat pie did not last long!

Season 3, Episode #40~ Pre-Thanksgiving P(r)ep Talk

Prepping of many kinds at SteelMeadow Farm…  Cooking, baking, cleaning.  Getting all the little fiddly bits done.  Fruitcakes…  Cinnamon rolls… Turkey…

Blind Hog’s firewood is no longer growing oyster mushrooms, those logs went into the woodstove.  Those logs were also very light, weight-wise, for their size. Guess the fungi have been taking care of that.

Goats are happy enough, cows too.  If the cows were not getting enough to eat or drink they would holler and so far all is quiet in the east field.

A trace of snow at the farm- nothing like the lake effect snow that is supposed to hit New York tomorrow. Oy.  Been there, done that.

Be safe this holiday week!

Season 3, Episode #39~ Blind Hog has his Cake!

Busy enough week for Blind Hog and Acorn- cutting down dead trees for firewood, cleaning up the sewing room and culling through boxes and boxes of “stuffs…”  A carload of recycling and thrift store drop offs… And the wall of boxes and shelves is so neat and tidy…

Blind Hog had a great 81st birthday, even got some work in while the weather was in the upper 70’s.  Now, it barely got above freezing for the high.  PLUS SNOW FLURRIES!

Oyster mushrooms have begun to fruit on firewood cut from a dead oak- it did have mushrooms before, but the last “fruiting” was pretty poor, Acorn thought it was all over.  NOPE!  May have to cook up something just to show off the  delicious fungi!

Season 3, Episode #38~ Lull in Activities, Sorta…

Not a very exciting week…  Garden chores, woodpile chores… Blah blah blah…  Goats DID get vaccinated, with the help of the Badger. That was a might task that needed doing.  Tail hairs sent off on four doelings to get them registered as 50%’ers…

Acorn got all excited about a new coffee grinder but after recording the podcast it was found the new unit won’t even power on!  No!!!!!!!!!  Tried taking it apart, putting it back together. Nope nope nope…

Cell phone booster still working well.  Just amazing. 

Just so you know, the ladybug was on the outside of the betta jar… Pumpkin muffins are delicious!