barn kitties

Whats a farm without a hundred cats running around?!
This is one litter that we got. A fellow farmer texted my husband and said he had some kittens that needed a new home. My husband said we'd take 2. We already had one barn cat and 2 black cats came with the farm.
The morning that we got them I picked them up. I had my youngest with me. Well you know what?! Kittens are super cute. I mean look at their little faces. I took them all! I got home and my husband was surprised that I had all 4. I said they were just looking at me all cute, I couldn't just take 2!  He called me a softie.  hehe  He called the other farmer and said we'd bring 2 back. Oh no! Was the answer. I have more coming tomorrow! LOL
So we kept the kittens. They are the most friendly barn kittens around. They love to be lugged around and loved on. They come when you call them and they get milk every milking. Maybe a little spoiled!
Enjoy the day!

remember that post about fencing...

 I found the pictures of all the fencing we pulled out of the tall grass and the wire and posts. Such hard work, but we did it together and got the job done. It also gave us the opportunity to look at the land and the old stone walls. As well as the over grown pastures. It needs work. And no big surprise they were over grown with brush and some trees and such. We decided we needed to bring back the stone walls too. But I'm ahead of myself.

 All the wire we found left behind from the previous tenant who used the fields for horses. We threw it.

 Fence posts left behind. We saved the good one. About 300+-.

The clips. We saved those too. Those are 5 gallon buckets too.

new life

As we are busily working to get the big herd of cows home, still having pressure to get our cows on the milk truck, all the work to be done, the days getting shorter, the work getting heavier, the need of hay, ahhhhhhhhhhhhh.
We have new life. It takes a moment or several to see and observe the miracle of life. I love watching! It's been 40 years since cows have been on the property and 40 years since a new birth on the farm as well. We were so excited! Plus they were Jersey calves being born. We were hopeful for heifers. We had spent a lot of money on getting these girls artificially inseminated. We had not wanted a bull where we were and AI was what we used. Not always the cheap route to take either.

 BIRTH PICTURES BELOW!

So on a beautiful, sunny, warm day in  August Daffodil had a healthy bull.We all watched as she gave life and took care of it. It's simply amazing.

The other girls come over to see whats going on.We didn't keep him for long. A few days and he was gone to another farm.

Then on another beautiful, sunny, warm, day in September Goldie had her first calf, a bull. It was actually on a Sunday afternoon. She worked hard to have him too. She is by far our most gentle cow. Real sweet. And she stayed sweet.

 This calf was up and sucking so fast after being born! I've never seen one so fast! Goldie was such a great mama too. She showed him off and didn't show any aggression towards us. Only the cats, when they came too close. We kept him for a few days and he as gone too, another farm.

So even in the midst of business we still got to watch calves being born. Happy, healthy, mamas and calves. We were thankful for.
Enjoy the day y'all!

firewood

We live in Maine. Nuf said. Hardy har har.

 We get snow, ice and cold. Yup. Seems like we just got out of it and finally have some buds on the trees and finally mowing our lawns! Why am I posting pictures of winter!? Well I'm almost a year behind posting and telling you about our crazy life on a farm!
 Life has a way of flying by. I was told once that the days are slow and the years are fast. Looking back I can see that. It's always stuck with me, that line. I look at my kids and think wow, how fast they have grown up and become teenagers. Young adults. Too fast. But it happens. I'm so proud of my kids, and who they have become.  But before I cry I'll change the subject. No just kidding, I'm not a crier. But my kids...they are my heartbeat. This farm ya. My life. I love it. I love the work, the births, the cows, the idle times, oh wait, not much for idle times, but none the less I love it all. Even the struggles, and we know our share of them.

Sunsets. Yup. I still have them. Christmas Eve!

This one is one our oldest daughter took. I just love it. She is getting quite an eye for picture taking. I encourage her in this too. She really enjoys it.

But this picture here is fire wood! YAY!

 We got lots of fire wood last year for the house. We now have a big house, and wood fire places. So fire wood it is! 
I love a fire going when the wind is blowing and the snow is coming down. And this past winter we got plenty of cold, and snow. It was the coldest winter we've had in Maine since 1976 I think is the year. No I'm not kidding either. I wouldn't kid about something like the cold. I'm not a fan. I tend to run cold anyways. Ridiculously cold. FOREVER. Ya, I did a little complaining towards the end. I'm human and I was sick of the cold.
But even in this terrible winter we were better of this year then the previous and I'm thankful for that. Our cows were warm, and dry under one roof.

And just for giggles...

Belle loves the snow! She is so happy to leap and jump and try to get the snow and catch it in her mouth! So funny to watch. She'll even back at it while she chases it!
Have a good one y'all!