Spring and Bee Swarms

Hi everybody! My apologizes for not writing lately. I have decided to write only on Tuesdays and Saturdays, but ironically I have been at the store every Tuesday and Saturday. I will find a way around it though!

Spring is finally here! I don’t know about you, but I have a pretty bad case of spring fever! I can’t wait to start planting stuff in my little garden. I’m planning on planting onions, tomatoes, strawberries. I’m not sure what else I will plant, but I for sure want to plant something else this year! I can’t wait for summer and being able to swim!

A few nights ago we saved a baby bunny rabbit from Jack, my brother’s dog. Today I let him loose (which was a hard thing for me to do, but he was three week s old and could care for himself, so that helped). I was going to let him go in the forest garden. As I was still on the trail leading to the  forest garden, I noticed a few honey bees buzzing around me. Dad had moved a bee box out in the garden, but they never messed with me this far out from the garden. I started to look where they were coming and going from. That’s when I saw it. a swarm of bees on one of the many branches. I let the rabbit go and started to inspect the bees. There were easily several hundred bees. I looked out into the forest garden, and noticed another swarm! I called Dad and he came back home. He put on his suit and captured the bees. So now we have two times as much honey as before. We now have three hives! Can’t wait to get the honey from them.

My little chicks are doing really well. So are my big hens. Just waiting on my little ones to lay. It will be a little while before that though. We are planning on building a coop soon. I can’t wait to start on it… and get it done. When we start to work on it, I will post some pictures.

I have some pictures of the bee swarms, but my computer is messing up so I will have to post them later, but I will put them on here! Hope to write on Tuesday!

If you have any advice for the bees or any other types of comment, please send me one in my comment section and I will get back with you!

Your farmgirl,

Matti

 

The facade

The facade (front of a building) of our store (MeatWorks Butchery and Market!!!!) is coming along really nice! On the top of the building is a big arch. That is  done (for the most part). The framing people are also working on the inside of the building. It is looking really really good. We got the last wall we needed knocked out, knocked out.  Sadly I missed out on that demolition. The inside and the outside are looking a good deal better, and fairly quickly!

I have finally let all my little baby chicks out into their big , enclosed pen together. They are so happy to be out and about! It is fun to watch them run, flap their winds and…well be little chickens. One of the chicks from the younger group (he is a leghorn rooster) is a litlle stinker. The day we let them out he pecked me and tried to flog me twice. Thankfully he is small, but he will get bigger. I have started to call him Bruiser. He is a little turkey chicken for sure!

Well, Sorry I didn’t write last week! Hope to write and hear from you soon!

Your crazay farmgirl,

Matti

Livin in the Country

It has been nasty weather here the past two days. Tuesday was a 68-70 degree day. Then yesterday…….it snowed. Lightly but surely. Today is cold with freezing cold rain. Welcome to Arkansas weather. I hope it clears off soon!

Yesterday, while I was going to take care of my chickens on my four-wheeler, it ran out of gas. I had a two way radio with me, but it wouldn’t work (of course). I was happy to live in the country, because I felt safe. I didn’t have to worry about any freaks (just dogs). And I was near the house of my great aunt and my grandmother, so I was close to two houses if I some help. Later one of our neighbors. Stopped by and asked if I needed help. She called the house and someone came to get me. I was happy and grateful for good neighbors (and warm clothes!). After that I took care of my chickens and all was well.

As I have told you guys, I have two batches of chicks. Exactly a week apart. Well the older chicks are to the age where they can hop on top of their waters and then fly over and out of their big water trough home. They are getting bigger and bigger. I can’t wait for a warm enough day to let them out of their water troughs and into the big brood pen!

Well stay warm and have a great day! Keep dry too! Hope to write again soon!

Your silly farmgirl,

Matti

Coming along

Hello! Hope you had a great Valetines Day! I did! I went and ate with three of my best friends, the Hicklets (the dughters of the family we are going into business with, Erin, Ellie, and Emma). It was a really fun night.

We have been working on the store quite a bit lately. We have the plumping put in the ditches and covered with dirt and cement. It still look sorta rough, but it is coming along. It looks a lot different from when we got it (the inside that is). I can’t wait to get it finished and opened! It will be so much fun. It will look a lot different when it is done! I will try and post some pictures if I can get my hands on some!

My little chicks that I got two weeks ago are doing great. We had to get a second order because so many were or had died. The second order had twenty-five in it. That made about fifty-three birds. Then a friend of ours that also has some chickens (some of these chicks are his acutally) gave us some of the chicks he had hatched out. Some of them were americanas and are so cute with their puffy little checks! I’ll try and post pictures of them too!

Well, I need to start to get ready for my basketball game at Mena. Wish me luck!

Your cooky farmgirl,

Matti

Chicky chicks

Finally! My little chicks from Murray hatchery come in this morning! I’m so excited to finally have them here. It is nice not having to worry about them while they  are shipping anymore. I had to hurry with my other chickens so me and mom could make that ten minute drive to the nearest post office (and town). We got home alright though.

I put them right into their brooder box when we got home. I think they were happy we had had that light on for a while. After they warmed up some they went around and started to check out their new home (and get something to eat and drink!). I went over their a little while ago and they were very happy. They figured out the system pretty quick. In other words, they knew where to go for heat, food, and water. Even as chicks, they can be fairly smart. That is sometimes… defiantly not all the time!

I’ll post some pictures of the pen and them soon (and try to get some of the other animals too!). Hope to blog again soon!

Your loony farmgirl,

Matti

Graftin time

Hello! Hope everyone is doing fantastic! Last night I went to bed a little too late, plus I had a fairly tough ball game yesterday too. So I’m a little sleepy. I’ll try and stay awake though!

 Last week, on Tuesday, we had some company over, one of the three families was all the way from Louisiana, the Callahans . They were friends with one of the other families, the Bordelons and had come to visit. Well, when they came over for dinner, Dad, Mr. Callahan, Mr. Bordelon, and I went outside and they showed Dad and I how to graft. It was easier than I thought it woulod be, thankfully. They also showed us how to bud graft. That was pretty neat too. I can’t wait till we can do that this year!

Well I guess that is all I can pull out of my head for now. If you ever have any questions, you can ask me through my comments.

Your non-normal farmgirl,

Matti

Some weeks……..

Hola! Hope you are sitting by a fire like me! I miss yesterday’s warm weather. Oh well, I guess I have to face the coolness of winter. I guess I can’t complain. I know a guy who went up to North Dakota for three months. He said one day it was eighteen below…. not including windchill. It was also fairly high winds that day. Way too cold for me!

This week is just one of those weeks. Sunday was a normal day, Monday we worked on the store, Tuesday Mom and Dad made the long drive to Big Cabin Oklahoma to pick up meat, then we had company over that night. Wednesday was the only night we had home. Today Mom and Dad and the Hickel’s are meeting with the plumber, electrician, and the mason. Friday and Saturday Mom and Dad have a presentation at the SSAWG conference. Next week will be better though. Thankfully!

These longer days are letting my chickens have more time to lay, which equals more eggs! We are in the middle of getting rid of some. I love getting a green egg almost ever day! It really is a very pretty egg. My favorite color egg is a Copper or Cukoo Maran’s egg. It is a chocolate color. I hope to get some soon.

Well, I hope to write back soon! Have a great rest of the week!

Your cooky farmgirl,

Matti