The Hunt is On!

Now that the snow is gone, and warm days have begun, the chickens are re-establishing their egg laying spots and routines.
This means...not all the chickens are laying eggs inside the coop.  Some of those chickens, the renegades, are laying in the barn, on the hay, in the window wells, in the tiger-lilies, and on my front stoop.
The eggs on my front stoop aren't hard to find.  It's all the other eggs.
So, who's job was it last year to find eggs?
Well, we aren't really sure who was assigned to do it, and who actually did it every day...so we needed to make sure that this job was covered.  We needed someone who wouldn't get distracted, someone who would be thorough, someone who would be careful with the eggs(not to bring up a dozen cracked ones)...the choice person was the Wife.  She's just too busy.
We chose the Farmer's Shadow.  He's great at the job!
Everyday is an exciting adventure to find as many eggs as he can!  AND he gets paid for each (uncracked) egg that he brings in!
So the hunt is on!!!

It's Officially Springtime in Dear Farmer's World

It's not the calendar that says when spring officially arrives, it's nature.  When the pasture starts to green and the air begins to smell of sweet warmth and the farmers are all out driving around and looking at each-others' farms.
So, yesterday, under the guise of needing to pick up fence posts at the most local supply store(which is forty-five minutes away), Dear Farmer went out and about.
The route he took was the most out of the way...
but past every farm that he knew of where there would be cattle and where they grow hay.
"Look there", he would say, "They still have a lot of hay left on the ground."
"OOOoooh, the barn roof didn't handle that last snow."
"I have always loved his location."
All the comments, the drive through the countryside, the beautiful sunshine after the gray of winter....it was a wonderful day.
And the trip that was supposed to take forty-five minutes...took an hour and a half.
Spring has officially arrived.

Cousins, Aunts, Uncles, and a Birthday, oh my!

We have been absent for a little while, but for good reason...we were off celebrating the Amazing FarmWife's Birthday!!!
We had pre-arranged to meet cousins in Dixon and bring a celebration with us!  The choice for dinner was Ice-Cream Sundaes (make-your-own!).  And we thought that some birthday balloons would hit the spot!
Wouldn't Grandma have an amazing time?!
So, we packed people up, packed up food for (actual) meals, packed up children, drove to Illinois, stopped at the store to get toppings and miscellaneous needs(really, who doesn't NEED headphones?Which child left shoes back at home?), pick up the balloons, and deposit everyone and everything at Fabulous Aunt and Uncle's home.
A quick call to Uncle Photographer to arrange for a drop off for the Amazing FarmWife to attend her party, and we had the weekend in full swing!

Night one: play outside with the Reese's Pieces Cousins, welcome the Amazing FarmWife and Uncle Photographer, eat ice-cream sundaes, stay up late talking

Day two: play outside, eat an actual three meals, go to park, play outside, Welcome MorMor and the Amazing FarmWife, stay up late talking

Day three: good-bye to the three Reese's Pieces Cousins, play outside, welcome Uncle Yoga-Ranger, eat three actual meals, go to park, stay up late talking

Day four: go to church, have dinner with Dear Farmer's whole family, plus Uncle and Aunt Bike Doctor and Mac-Amazing, Uncle Yoga-Ranger, Uncle Photographer, Fabulous Aunt and Uncle, Twin-Cousin#1 and her cousinettes and the Amazing FarmWife.  Eventually Dear Farmer's entire family has to go home this afternoon...{sigh}

if you are reading and get the feeling that Fabulous Aunt and Uncle have a revolving door...you are correct. That is what happens when the family comes home, but ooooooooh, how much fun we all have!
After this weekend, it may take the Amazing FarmWife a little while to recuperate. She deserves a little rest.
Happy Birthday, Grandma!

This story is full of Bull

Dear Farmer had to take a bull to a friend for the summer.
The bull was not thrilled to take the ride, but the dog convinced him it would be better.
Dog yipping at his heels, he got in the trailer.
A long drive in nice weather.
The door was opened, the bull walked out, and everyone was happy ever after.

Around here, we spread bull around...but in the realistic sense.
So, here's the story:
The bull, Tuxedo, was purchased a few years ago from a dear friend, Ray-of-Sunshine.  Ever since Ray-of-Sunshine has said, "wow, I'd really love to have him back."
This year, Dear Farmer could make that happen.  So, Tux is spending the summer at Ray-of-Sunshine's farm.  Dear Farmer was so excited to be able to bless him.  The loading process was a little long.  Tux didn't really understand why he had to be going in the trailer...I'm sure he's realized that not all that go in the trailer come out.  So, Dear Farmer had to call the farm dog out to do her job, which she did great.  No one had to play dangerous games with a 1700lb bull...he ended up walking in(unhappy) into the trailer.  Six hours later, Tux was unloaded and Ray-of-Sunshine blessed us with beautiful handmade plaques out of barn-boards! They say, "Hope" "Love" and "Believe".  Then he made my favorite one: "Trust in God" ---that one's going on my tiny house!
So glad Tuxedo can reside there for a little while and everyone is safe!

Dear Farmer Places an Order Online

Dear Farmer is of the opinion that phones are for calling and talking to people...not texting, snap-chatting, insta-gram-ing, taking pictures, or reading on.
Dear Farmer likes to do business with a handshake...not bids, quotes or contracts.
Dear Farmer likes to buy things from a person...not the self-checkout, vending machine, or online.

These days aren't like the days when Dear Farmer was a boy.  Bread costs more than a nickle a loaf, gas costs more than ten cents a gallon, and there are some things you just order online.
"Back in my day..." Dear Farmer will begin a story, and the children groan.
"Pop! Get in the twenty-first century!", they say.  But that's not when Dear Farmer was born.
So, ordering online is a big "to-do" when Dear Farmer has to do it.  He only orders from companies that he's dealt with in the past...ones that have people on the other end.  Then spends hours "one-touch" typing in the desired items. It's so painful, none of us can watch him anymore.  He has to do it himself!
Then, after hours and hours of filling a cart....he calls in the Wife to checkout....
He has learned that the quick typing and quick clicking is un-nerving...so he usually tries to leave the room when it comes to checking out.  There are some times he has to be present for the orders because they need special instructions...he's usually found rubbing his head for the headache that comes on afterward.

No, these aren't the days that Dear Farmer grew up in.
It only takes two days to get something from an online order, he doesn't pay extra, and we don't have to wait at the mailbox for the delivery.
Pictures of animals are sent instantly from farmer to farmer with questions, concerns, or for sale.
Decisions take seconds, not weeks.
Modern machinery can do the work of three-hundred horses.
His tractor can do 45 mph on the road!

"Those Good Old Days", we remind Dear Farmer, "you still get to live.  You walk among your herd, hear the softness of the hay being munched during feeding, touch the tops of the grass as it begins to seed-head. You work in the beauty of creation every day! One afternoon ordering an automatic chicken door that's timed to close at night and open at the break of day(so that none of us have to do it)...that's really not that bad!"

Farmhouse Kite Instructions

On a blustery day this is how we entertain ourselves. (Don't forget to sing the song from "Mary Poppins"...let's go fly a kite!)

Supplies:
1 plastic shopping bag
1 length of yarn or string

Instructions:

1. Tie the length of yarn or string to the two handles of the bag.  They do not need to be tightly tied, a loose loop will work just fine.
2. Hold the end of your length of yarn or string at the opposite end of the handles.
3. Go outside into the wind and run.
4. See your "kite" blow up full of air.
5. If it is a very windy day, you can stand in one place while your "kite" flies in front of you.
6. Encourage children to run against the wind for a long time.
7. For extra fun, let go of the "kite" and see how far the wind takes it.  Then go and retrieve it.
8. Remember to discard the "kite" into the trash can when you are done.  Cows will die if they eat plastic shopping bags.

CHICKENS! It's what brings Fathers and Sons together?

CHICKENS! It's what we're doing on the farm right now...preparation, anticipation, building, and raising.
CHICKEN fencing, CHICKEN waters, CHICKEN feeders, CHICKEN brooders, CHICKEN houses, CHICKEN-egg washing, CHICKEN butcher dates, CHICKEN chicks, CHICKENS roosters, CHICKEN...CHICKEN...CHICKEN....
So it comes as no surprise to anyone around here when the current project is the CHICKEN house.

Dear Farmer and Honorable Son No.2 have been plugging away at the creation of the new CHICKEN house.  They had the spent one day grating and leveling the area where the house will go.  Now they are in the shop building the frame...because that's a good indoor activity during the cold rain.
Dear Farmer is loving getting to work with Honorable Son No.2.  The two are very alike in ability and practical thinking.  Honorable Son No.2 anticipates what is coming next, measures everything correctly, and laughs at the same jokes as Dear Farmer.

Dear Farmer came in from work...after day number two of working together...very happy!
Dear Farmer is anticipating the work taking half the time, and turning out to be correct from all angles in the end.  Those alone are reasons to be happy...but the best part is working, laughing, and spending time with his son.

And Honorable Son No.2 has found out...he really likes Dear Farmer too.

This proves two beautiful facts:

1. Neither Dear Farmer or Honorable Son No.2 are CHICKENS themselves.
2. Real men aren't CHICKENS about mending relationships.