Life Update

I have failed to post on here for quite some time now.  This year has been a very busy one to say the least.  Lots of different things going on around here at the ranch, and outside of our little piece of property!

Summer nights in Oklahoma are most always very humid and sticky.  But we've had beautiful ones as well, like the one in the photo above.

We've experienced many thunderstorms this Summer, which is definitely different than last year's very dry spell.  Rain is a great blessing!  I snapped the photo above one night, standing in the back of our truck, as lightening cracked across the sky.  It was a spectacular storm to observe!

We have had the joy to see a TON of little babies be born on our little farm!!  Ducklings, chicks, bunnies and goat kids...all so fun to watch grow up  :-)

My graphic design business has drastically taken off (in a good way).  Filling client requests and answering questions is a daily task of mine, as well as designing graphics and print material for the family sign shop.  Above is a photo of some of the many printed materials I've created for ForeKidsGolf.com  -  They are loyal clients of mine that I have worked closely with for these last couple years.

Since the recent heavy, often rains, our pastures, for the most part, are flourishing and have shown a very big difference in last year's production.  It is greener, longer and doesn't get dried by the sun as easily, thankfully!

So there you go, that is a basic overview of what my Summer has held thus far.  More to come Lord willing, I just need to make time to post.

Stay cool in this heat!
~Hannah

The Snow that lasted 3 hours

We finally got hit with a good amount of snow yesterday, about 4 inches.  It stayed on the ground for about 3 hours, just long enough to have a snow fight and build two snow men  :)  And then, it almost all melted!

This morning, I was startled awake by a huge bang of thunder, followed by the biggest storm I've ever seen!  Hail, rain, ice, thunder and lightening, mixed with snow...just all around, strange weather for the middle of February.

Goodnight!
~Hannah

2 more kiddos!!

Surprise!  Rosie, one of our Nubian does threw two kids this morning, a NuMancha doeling and buckling  :)  It was a super easy birth, praise God!

NuMancha Doeling (right) and Buckling (left)

Doeling

~Hannah

Chilly Day

Today, we had about 2-3 inches of ice in the animal's water buckets.  Talk about hard to crack!

Draining the hose is a daily chore for us right now.

Yep, we gave into our old dog, Gabby, and let her in the house.  She was cold  :)

Forgot to post pictures of our new LGD pup!  She's pretty good with the goats thus far...but she still needs to learn that they're not toys  :-)

Judah, the gentle giant!  He's a big baby.

I am very thankful for our stove!  Wood heat is the way to go, especially out here in ice-storm country!  It keeps this little house nice and toasty  :-)

Last pic of the day.  One of our Muscovy ducks, at the water trough.

Have a great day!
~Hannah

Linked up to:  Cool Clicks Thursday

Winterizing a Shelter

It was a very pretty day for working outside!  So I decided to winterize a shelter for our bucks that was in dire need of a makeover.

Here the shelter is before anything was done to it.  It was like a wind tunnel.

Always keep your hay rope! Comes in handy for projects like these.

First, I hung a thick quilt on the open side, cutting 4 slits in the top, then stringing hay rope through over the roof, and attaching it to the other side. Yes, it's pretty okie-looking, but it works :)

Attached hay rope.

Then, I cut two slits in the sides, and wrapped the blanket around the poles.

The side is done.

 I started on the wall by digging about a 3" trench, then setting a board inside the trench. Then I attached wire to the inside of the board, and nailed a piece of metal on the outside of the board, leaving a space in between the wire and metal wall. I used the little space to put insulation in (junk blankets and fabric). Then I added a support beam at the end.

Another view of the wall.

I added a coroplast board to finish the wall. I put a pallet on the side behind the quilt, and leaned a pole up to secure it.  Done! It's pretty warm inside already :)

Jasper, already enjoying the shelter

Stay warm!
~Hannah

Photo Friday: The FALL Season!

Goodnight!
~Hannah

New Ranch Project: Miniature Donkeys

Yep, so I decided to buy a mini jenny (miniature female donkey) yesterday as my new school/farm project!  The front pasture is getting quite tall and we needed a cheap way to mow our lawn, and she's a perfect choice!  My brother bought a john (castrated donkey), and together, we're working on halter training them both.

Josiah with his miniature donkey

Mini jenny

We've only had them for a day and already have halters on them.  They're leading quite well for how stubborn donkeys can be  :)

That was pretty much it for today

Cheers!
Hannah