Heart of Texas Farms

If you like soap operas we had the chance to watch our very own drama unfold before our eyes this month.  We have our year & half old hens on one side of the barn and our younger six month old hens on the other side seperated by an interior door and outdoor fence. One evening the door was inadvertently left ajar. As I slid the barn door open in the morning it look like an all out barn-room brawl.  The air was heavy with dust, feeders were knocked on their sides, hay was pushed aside. We think the older hens did not like the way the young chicks wore their feathers and the young chicks said something about the older hens wide tail feathers.  It took an hour to seperate the women from the girls. Good fences (and locks) make for good neighbors.

Andrew brought home Boer goats, which have an uncanny smell similar to goat cheese. We love goat cheese piled on our pizza, so the smell is not offensive to us.  Boer goats are a meat goat. We would rather buy goat cheese than labor in the making of it. We will leave the production of goat cheese to another talented soul. A bobcat was spotted in the road and donkeys are known for being great protectors of livestock. With this in mind, Andrew tracked down a handsome little fellow I call Pretty Boy. Apparently my daughter's horse, Reggie, and Pretty Boy, the newly acquired donkey, tossed back and forth some impolite names. Reggie has decided she will no longer go anywhere near that side of the farm. With her nose in the air and tail held high she regally stands behind the feed ring and leaves only to drink out of the pond. Hopefully this grudge will pass.

The last bit of theatrics ended with the bull.  He had been limping so we decided we would seperate him from the ladies and tend to his foot. We started with a feed bucket and a stick, which escalted to a motorcycle, then a motorcycle and truck. After two hours of begging and bribing the bull we decided maybe he wasn't limping so bad afterall.  This was a bull that had a mind of his own and was not tempted in the least by any treats.  I'm wondering if the phrase "bunch of bull" came from an exasperated farmer.

I decided it was time for housekeeping in the beehives. Since the hives are only first year hives it is best not to harvest the comb or honey. One hive had become crosscombed on the bars. I decided I would try to bait the bees to other empty hives nearby with lemongrass and honey and comb so I could cut out the comb and start over. It was a sticky, delicious mess. I wore my trusty Stay-Puft Marshmellow bee suit and rubber gloves. Usually I don't wear anything, but since I was going in an rearranging the kitchen, stealing furniture and eating the bee's food I thought it would be best to wear my newly aquired armor.  We have a lot of Snow on the Mountain growing in our fields. It is green with white stripes and can make honey especially spicy.  It is an aquired taste. At least I know now that we will want to eradicate the Snow on the Mountain or harvest honey before it appears in the field. One bee did manage to sting me in the funny bone, thus reminding me to keep my elbows off the table. The baiting was a success. The colony split into two hives and in a matter of days I have 16 combs drawn from the top bars. They truly are amazing hardworking insects.

Hopefully October will cool the tempers and calm the animals...

James 3:17-18 "But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness."