Hay, Nice Rack!

So another thing that we get to do to help manage the farm is to unload hay racks.  I haven't really done this, but I have watched.  It's not the most exciting job around the farm, but another one of those necessary evils.  Usually, now that my little brother lives here, he helps.  So, off it is to the farm!

We get two different types of racks, racks for feed (alphalfa) and racks for bedding (straw).  The alphalfa smells sweet enough to eat.  You know those purple flowers you see on the side of the road sometimes, they look like this:

Wait, that's not right...

That's better!  You can actually eat the flowers.

Then they cut it (the first cutting is generally not very good, you want the second or ideally the third cutting of alphalfa sometimes there is a 4th, I think, but for some reason, I think it's not always the best).  Then, they let it dry, they 'rake it' (but they use a piece of equipment that's unlike any rake I've ever seen) then they bail it, and stack it on a hay rack.  We hitch it up to the big diesel truck and take it back to the farm to unload.

This is what a Hay Rack might look like.

Then, they use an elevator to get it off the rack and up on the stack (haha, that rhymes, I'm a poet and didn't even know it-alright, I'll stop, sorry)

This is an eleavator-I know, not the kind of elavator I was acustom to either...It's amazing what you can learn on the farm.

Then you pick up the racks of straw, and repeat.  There are many different sizes of bails, we use what my husband calls, 'idiot bails' they are a lighter bail, I think about 40 pounds, there are other bails that are a little larger, then you get in to the ones that are round (weighing between 660-880lbs), they usually sit in the middle of the fields forever, and if you have eyesight like mine, when uncorrected, they may appear to be buffalo in the great white Iowa wilderness...

We get our racks in the summer, and they need to last all through the winter months when the sheep can't graze on the grass around the farm.  They also need bedding for the buildings when they are inside during the winter and in the nursery. 

Usually, when the boys get done, their arms are all torn up, they have remnants of alphalfa or straw all over them and they blow snot rockets in the shower.  Good thing they shower at my mother-in-law's house most of the time because if there is one thing that I hate, it's snot rockets being blown in my shower-shame on you!

(*Actually, I'm told that when you go to college for Agriculture, specifically in courses related to animals, they teach to to blow snot rockets as a way of properly following government guidlines when going from farm to farm, so that you don't retain any germs/bacteria, etc in your nasal cavity protecting yourself and hopefully not spreading disease to other animals-this is what my husband tells me anyway...probably to maintain his 'snot-rocket rights'.)

Another side note:  I'd like to apologize to Mrs Feeney for not blogging recently, I promise to try to be better.  =)

Taco Pie: What semi-country wives do when their husbands are away

My husband is very picky, and by 'very picky', I mean VERY picky.  He likes meat and potatoes and cottage cheese.  This presents a culinary challenge for me at times.  I work around it when he travels.  With my big brother temporarily living at our house, I decided to make Taco Pie.  A favorite from our childhood (and a recipe my husband despises). 

So, this is what semi-country wives do when their husbands are away.  They do whatever it is they want!  Oh wait, no, they really don't, they just make things their husband won't eat.  I still watered the flowers, changed the boy, fed him, bathed him and maintained the household and went to work...well until Thursday anyway.  It's glamorous, isn't it?

Due to a considerable interest, I will post the recipe, it's not mine, I obtained it from the internet, but you should probably add it to your weeknight, stand-by, favorites:

Impossible Taco Pie:

• 1 lb. ground beef
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1 ( 1 1/4 oz.) envelope taco seasoning mix
• 1 can ( 4 oz.) chopped green chiles, drained
• 1 1/4 cup milk
• 3 eggs
• 3/4 cup Bisquick
• 2 tomatoes, sliced
• 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack or Cheddar cheese

Preparation:

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Grease glass pie plate, 10 x 1 1/2 inches.
Cook and stir ground beef and onion in skillet until beef is brown;drain. Stir in seasoning mix, dry. Spread in pie plate; top with chillies. Beat milk, eggs and Bisquick baking mix until smooth. Pour into pie plate. Bake 25 minutes. Top with tomatoes and cheese. Bake 8-10 minutes. Longer or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 5 minutes. Serve with sour cream, tomatoes and shredded lettuce if desired. 6-8 servings.  I also add homemade salsa or Ortega Taco Sauce for good measure.


I would have taken a picture for you, but, sadly, it's gone! =) 

Being the good, domestic goddess that I am, I also took the kids in for photos.  Here are a couple:

Resume: Livestock Photographer

I am adding 'Livestock Photographer' to my resume.  I bought myself a lovely Nikon D3100 for no reason at all, other than I wanted it about 3 months ago.  I got a carrying case and telephoto lens for Mother's Day, aren't my baby and the girls sweet??  Since then, I have tried to capture the girls, the boy and the dog.  However, every time we go to the farm, I'm asked to capture something else.  Sheep.

This is very technical, very important matter. There is a very distinct 'right way' to photograph sheep.  Me, I would come at it from a different angle (and height, and light, for that matter) but sheepin' photography, it's VERY specific.  Everyone takes the same basic three photos, for us 'lay-people':  from the side, back and then a face shot.  The difficulty comes with with the height, angle and placement of the animal.  Plus, you have to have them against the make sure the sheep is pushing (essentially flexing it's muscles).  Still with me?  Yawn, I'm not sure I'm with myself.

Anyway, it turns out my husband is VERY picky (I didn't realize how picky until after we were married...of course, I hate when that happens!).  So I take several shots (try several hundred shots), at several angles, at his direction.  Then he goes in the barn, where he can see the photos (it's too bright to see them out in the sun), then he growls and grumbles and tells me what's wrong with them.  After that, we go back out, take another hundred or so and do it all over again...several times.  Then, he picks the ones that I take on my own, without his instruction.  Like this one below:

Then he makes me take one of their backside.  He says people look at the bone and muscle in the rear end.  This doesn't exactly scream bone and muscle to me...I'll stop there.

And then a head shot for good measure.

Here is a shot my husband asked me to take, see that big blurry thing?  He 'set the sheep up', right in front of a tree. And told me to get pictures for the website.  Babe, I know this is a nice camera and all, but it doesn't uproot trees-I'll need Photoshop for that.  Can we expense it please, please, please, please, please?! Anyway, I did as I was told, because that is what submissive country wives do right?  Oh wait, I'm a semi-country wife, so that changes things a little...  I took the pictures, so he could see what a boneheaded move that was!  Love you babe. (OK, he deleted them from the camera before I could upload it...GRRRR!)

Then I took a few to capture the true beauty of the sheep and because I was bored and hot and wanted to go inside and eat something.

Then he told me to stop because it was annoying and they wanted to put the sheep away for the day.

Then we all went in and had 'farm-food' for lunch.  It was and always is, delightful.

We sold this Ram at the Stud Ram Sale, Sedalia, MO.  He was a sweet boy-he went to a farm in Arkansas.

The Project...(WARNING: It's lengthy)

This is what I have been devoting every free moment to the last week:

Generally when I agree to do things, I get myself in over my head.  It's common practice in my world, and then I have to find a way out of said thing.  This time (once again) it invovled Biggest Sister and Big Sister and Halloween costumes.

Why, you might ask are we discussing Halloween costumes now?  Well, if there is one thing I learned from my mother about Halloween, it is that you DON'T want to be sewing the arms of a Power Ranger costume as a child is walking out the door.  Nor do you want to let your children see you cry in the process of constructing these costumes.  Both of which tend to happen with procrastination.  I can remember many o' Halloween eves that Big Jan spent burning the midnight oil to make sure that our costumes were ready to go for our school party or the actual Halloween trick or treating.  This is one mistake I don't make, I HATE being late and being rushed.  And I do like to look out for fabric sales. 


After over an hour and a half of back and forth over what exactly these 'Tangeled' dresses were suppose to look like (I've never seen the new Disney movie telling the story of Rapunzel, but I'm told it is very good) we had a workable drawing.  Google was no help as my search brought up several variations of the costume for dress up and on different dolls and what not, but they simply would not due, according to the girls.  They want the real thing...of course.  There is no pattern for this dress, but after making more than my fair share of Disney princess dresses, I was (not so much now that I know what is involved) willing to take on the challenge.  So, we drew it up and headed out shopping.

My VERY rough sketch...

The bulk of the dress is dark purple satin. We simply can't use an easy to work with fabric like cotton, oh no, no, it must be satin.  Satin is slippery and shimmery, and it frays, badly.   For those of you who don't know, it has been the bane of my existence in sewing princess dresses for the past 3 years. There is a small strip in the middle that is light purple, satin of course, because it frays (not really, but I think they are trying to sabotage me).  Then there is pink ribbon laced up the light purple satin and tied in a bow at the top, I think.  At least, that is what we discussed.

The top of bodice is also lined with lace, but only around the neckline, I think, at least that's what we discussed (are you seeing a pattern?).  We needed 2 separate, but coordinating pieces of lace to accomplish this look.  You simply can't have 2 inch lace to line the neck area, it's just too much. 

The eyelets

Back bodice with zipper

The skirt portion is about what I would consider 'tea length'-must be a British term, but it's not to the ground and it's not just below the knee. The skirt is 'flowy', the flowier (is that a word???) the better.  The girls must be able to 'twirl', that is a requirement.  The skirt also has lace trim at the bottom.  I chose cotton.  The girls did not have a choice in the matter.  Then there is the matter of the sleeves.

The sleeves have strips of pink in them. I opted for a quick fix, a wider version of the ribbon that will be used to lace up the bodice.  Plus this way, it won't fray...I hope.  Did I mention satin is slippery and shimmery and hard to work with?  Fraying, makes me crazy!  Ribbons are also satin, in general.  These costumes will require extra seam sewing, as in double the sewing time...BARF!

We got all of the fabric and notions including 2 colors of purple satin; purple lining for the bodice; 2 different, coordinating pieces of lace; a special border, with little eye's to lace up the bodice; zippers and 2 different sized, same colored, double sided ribbons.  All for the bargain price (with my coupons of course) of about $36 dollars for 2 costumes.  I had to subtract the batting and other little things I had to pick up for other projects while we were there.  There are similiar costumes for sale for about $40/ dress.  So I guess we're saving money(?)

The fabric and necessary notions to complete the project, x2.

And after a few hours, a little focus, a bit of neglecting Guyface (not really, but he was awfully whiny while I wasn't paying attention to him) and a visit from smallest sister to check sizing, ta-da!

Why do I put myself through this you say?  Well here is why.  First of all, my mom made ALL of our Halloween costumes (even when I was a dice, she painted a refrigerator box, or dirty laundry, she cut the bottom out of a laundry basket and tied rope on to it so I could hold it on my shoulders).  She made me a princess costume (before all the Disney pricesses took over), she made me a Miss America costume, a bride and many others.  I remember them all.  And I loved to play dress up in them after Halloween.   These are memories I will always take with me. 

The other reason is illustrated here.  This was Halloween the second year that I was around the girls.  This was pretty much how the previous year went as well... I am not trying to pick any fights, but I left after we visited with them before trick or treating, saying never again.

These beautiful girls deserve beautiful costumes and that is something I can do. I am going to make sure it happens.  And I have, ever since then, with the exception of Payton wanting to wear her Snow White dance costume last year. She did ask me to make her a Jasmine costume right before Halloween.  I respectfully declined, she'd made her decision in July when I asked and was still able to do something like that.  In October, there was no way I could do it, I had Guyface 11 days after Halloween.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I have another dress to make...

Baby Boy's Bumper

I said I have a project up my sleeve, and I do.  This is NOT the project. The problem is, these pesky necessities get in the way. 

See, the problem is, Guyface is pretty mobile.  He can't quite crawl, but he drags himself and he can move 360 degrees on his tummy.  And he likes to get in to stuff.  Lately, he has taken to wedging an arm and a leg between the slats in his crib, then he panics, wiggles, and screams bloody murder in the middle of the night so his mama will come in and shake him loose and put his plug back in so he can get back to his peaceful sleep.

His mom, she's not amused by this behavior.  At all.  So out of necessity, I made a 'bumper'.  I'm against bumpers really, well, until a child gets stuck in the slats, panics, wiggles and screams bloody murder in the middle of the night, every night, several times.  I worry about SIDS, but I also think, that at this point, he's strong enough to move if he gets too close or if it covers his nose and mouth.  So I'm going to go with it for the time being.

This was NOT a fun project.  I hate making things I HAVE to make.  I would much rather make things that are fun, or put a smile on someone's face.  Pretty sure Guyface could care less about it.

It didn't dawn on me that you would be so interested in the process of making this bumper until I finished, so you don't get any photos of the 'making', but you do get a picture of the finished product.

This is his crib-it was Big Sister's crib before it was his.  We did get new sheets and changed from girly pink and purple themed to a 'farm theme'

The bumper, gingham with red piping on the top.

The bumper's ties...who has time to tie nice bows, it was after BOTH our bedtimes!  Maybe my mom will tie them in nice bows the next time she comes out.

This is the crib skirt that I made for Guyface out of burlap and gingham (same gingham as the bumper).  I made it when I was 8 months pregnant.  That was a terrible idea.  I should have made the bumper when I made the crib skirt.

I also recovered the cushions on this chair that my mom got for the nursery.  This was also done at 8 months pregnant and I may have cried, multiple times, trying to recover it.  I resent this chair and do not rock my son in it because it was such a pain to cover and brings back bad memories.  Actually, that's not true.  I don't rock Guy in it, because I just put him in bed, start his seahorse music toy and he's out. Yeah buddy!  That's my baby...well, until he gets stuck in the slats, panics, wiggles...(Need I go on?)

This is what Guyface was doing while I was finishing up his bumper...well, that is when he wasn't crying because he wanted some attention from his mama.  And before I took this picture, he was snoozin'.

I worked a half day today because Guy was sick.  He showed marked improvement by the evening, so I will be working a full day tomorrow.  My LAST full Friday, well until next May.  I'm excited.  Then I should have time to get to the project I keep eluding to.  =) 

Spring has sprung in to Summer!

Though it has long-past for this growing season, one of my favorite times in Iowa is when the corn just starts popping up through the dirt (wait, soil, it's soil in Iowa).  I love the bright green that shoots out of the rich, black soil after a long winter...and this winter was L-O-N-G!

Though this picture was taken about a month and a half ago and I'm just getting to it now, I still love to see the contrast between the bright green racing stripes running through fields.

Love those green stripes!

The other side of Iowa spring/summer, is the storms.  Unfortunately, this spring has not been kind to the farm.  They've lost two, large trees and one more that was dead and just needed to come down. 

It also knocked over my precious tomato plants that I have strategically placed on my porch (on casters, no less) away from those pesky rabbits that eat them before I get the chance.  I have tomatoes, they're green, but they are there and if I didn't check on them today, we might have lost them. =)  Good news is, we didn't!  I also have some peppers and cilantro growing on my porch.

Spring has definitely sprung, in fact, look, here's my garden.  Can you tell I attempted to weed it yesterday after I took Guyface for a walk and he fell asleep in his stroller?  I didn't think so.  Dang!  I did.  At this stage, because I planted something that I know nothing about growing or have never grown before, ie) carrots, Okra and peas, I guess I'm kinda screwed.

You can see the green beans and the onions.  And those dang rabbits are going to town on my raspberry, blueberry and blackberry bushes.  I'm going to have to do something about this!

Lastly, I planted something in this other garden box, however, I have absolutely NO IDEA what it was.  Sadly, I can't remember.  I'm going to blame it on a severe lack of sleep and obligations to work full time.  We do have some volunteer plants in the second garden...  Five bucks says they are pumpkins.  I wish they were cucumbers. I think I am going to miss having cucumbers in my garden this year.  I didn't think I wanted them when I was buying seeds, but I do want them, and I don't want to go to the store and pay like $3 for one!  Next year, I'll plan better. 

On a completely unrelated note, I haven't been blogging because something called life, has happened to me!  Aye yie yie!  Busy lady!  Here are a few highlights:

Guyface's Baptism

Brady's birthday

An inpromptu photo shoot with the girls and Graham Tuesday night.  I've been cleared to show their faces.  Here we go-Sickos, be warned, I will end you if you come after these girls...ever!  Promise.

My baby boy doesn't like grass...