Michigan Thread - all are welcome!

[Opa]

Around 5 yesterday the sky darkened and I decided that it would be prudent to go quickly to gather eggs. Just a few drops of rain fell on me as I returned. As the sky seemed to brighten I thought this wasn't going to be much of a storm. Then it suddenly turned to night and torrents of water assailed us. Just as the rain ended we lost power.g

Our evening meal was almost ready to come off the stove so I hurriedly lit several candles and a couple of kerosene lanterns. Eating by flickering light may have some romantic appeal, but when its purpose is to keep you from eating the napkins it is less appealing. We had barely finished eating when the power came back on. I extinguished the candles and lanterns then went about the house resetting all the clocks. As I sat to continue reading the lights once again went out and we spent the next 3 hours again under our emergency lights and moving about the house by flash lite.

While power failures are a rare occurrence I have learned that having emergency lighting available is a wise thing. Today I will refill the lanterns and place them once again on either side of the fireplace to await the next outage.

 

[ladyrsanti]

The chicken on the sheep pictures are cute but when I look at where my birds roost I can't help wondering how hard that wool is going to be to clean and card.

Haha! Yes, that would seem like an issue. Luckily, like the buzzards use the sun to disinfect their heads after plunging them into rotting corpses, the sheep bake off any chicken poo on their backs in the sun. There are far worse things in that wool that the sun never touches.

 

[Maah]

Finally... all fair events are done. The only thing left is to pick up our 2 small chickens (Old English cockerel & Leghorn pullet) on Saturday night. My daughter sold her 2 meat chickens at the fair auction yesterday for a ridiculous price, I'm quite floored with it. This being our first year even remotely involved with 4H, I had no idea people pay such ridiculous prices on these animals! A huge thanks to all the businesses/people that registered to bid in support of the kids and their hard work.

Off subject, but not off mind... I think a visit to the chiropractor is in order today. Not sure I can handle 6 more hours in this chair.

Love the chickens/sheep pictures!

 

[Farmerboy16]

My herd!
Belinda really stands out with her odd coloring. the small black cow is Maybelle-Belinda's half sister. I hope to get her bred next week, so she will have her first calf next year! November the steer is the far left. Bella is in the middle. The jersey steers were in the other end of the pasture.

Got a halter and a rope on Belinda, so I can catch her easier at night, so I can get the milk from Bella in the mornings.

Willow, my pure Guernsey heifer. She is at my best friend's farm.

 

[SillyChicken]

Finally... all fair events are done. The only thing left is to pick up our 2 small chickens (Old English cockerel & Leghorn pullet) on Saturday night. My daughter sold her 2 meat chickens at the fair auction yesterday for a ridiculous price, I'm quite floored with it. This being our first year even remotely involved with 4H, I had no idea people pay such ridiculous prices on these animals! A huge thanks to all the businesses/people that registered to bid in support of the kids and their hard work.

Off subject, but not off mind... I think a visit to the chiropractor is in order today. Not sure I can handle 6 more hours in this chair.

Love the chickens/sheep pictures!

Congrats to your daughter for fetching a good price. I think people pay so much, not so much for the bird as to encourage and reward the kids for their efforts, which is nice to see.

 

[Amastacia]

so many cute pictures in the last day or so

the forecast for the weekend has me a little concerned. it is supposed to get into the thirties friday night. enough for me to be a bit worried about all the green tomatoes i am still hoping will ripen at some point. not sure if i should pick them all and hope they'll ripen if i lay them out or leave them there and hope it doesn't get too cold for them.

and to think this has actually been a warmer than average summer...

 

[gladahmae]

Emergency lighting is always a good idea. We keep a few LED lanterns around for exactly that reason. One is has a dimmer on it, so we keep it upstairs for the kids can see enough to get to the bathroom without panic attacks when we lose power.

We also invested in a portable generator after that storm we had 2 springs ago. No power for 5 days does a lot for your willingness to shell out the money for one of those.

 

[Jake Levi]

We had a nice warm week the first week of june and then it began to cool down and since we have had the coldest summer that I can remember in 12 years. Last week we had three nice warm days, and two good ones this week, and this friday its frost warnings. Not a single ripe tomato yet this year. I will begin to pick some green ones today and tomorrow that are exposed and hope the others will be covered by vine and leaves.

Life goes on.

 

[1muttsfan]

Got my last chicks for this year in from Greenfire Farms - Cream Legbar cockerels and some Swedish Flower Hens. I ordered 6, and this is what came - hope they all fit under one broody hen!

Raz, how is your hatch going?

 

[RaZ]

I just went into lock down this morning. I have a sponge filled water glass in the 'bator but humidity still on the low side. I'm not too concerned. Yet.