Re-using a Bottle Cap

My FroggyFriend sent this to me. What a great idea! I'm sure I am going to use it.

Seal Plastic Bags with Old Bottle Caps

I don't have any extra water bottles right now, or I would try it and take some photos for you. But I thought it was such a fun idea that I wanted to share it as well as remember it for later.

We've been busy! The new fencing is almost all in. We decided to add more, so the guys are coming back in a week or two to add the next length. We've got what we think is a great idea for some fencing around the garden, so that will be added to the fencing list, too.

We went camping.

The garden has been tilled.

The neighbor had 7 kids over the weekend. They have Mini-LaManchas and have never had kids before. All went well! But they didn't know about dipping navels or how to get a tiny kid to start suckling. They are wonderful people and we LOVE them to PIECES! They are great with their goats (and ours) as well as their two-legged kids. They always try to do what is best. It is great to live down the road from them and we are always willing to help them whenever we can.

Vet2Be was elected Treasurer in the FFA at his high school. He also started the new season of 4-H. 

We are clearing junk out from around the farm. We are on the third construction sized dumpster and will fill one more before we are done! We've been sharing with the neighbor, so it's not all from us! They knocked down a shed that took alot of space in the dumpster.

Sometimes I think that the junk and garbage on a farm multiplies like rabbits! Every few years we seem to fill two or three construction dumpsters!

So, it's been kinda busy! Which is why I haven't posted.

Hubby let me use his work camera (smiles and smiles from me!) but that means I have a manual to read, too. Hopefully I'll be taking better photos soon!

Our weather is still chilly most days, which is wonderful for working in the yard.


I hope your spring has been as busy and fun as ours has been so far!

Keeping the Dog Busy

We have a sweet mutt named, "Tipsy".  She would never hurt anyone.... but put a fly or rodent in front of her and watch out!

While we were camping there were holes all around the campsite. We saw one of the little critters, we think it was a mole.

Here are a few photos of Tipsy keeping herself busy.

No, she didn't get the rodent. But she had a great time trying!

Mother's Day Photos

We always go camping over Mother's Day weekend. We love to spend time together! Here are a few photos we took while we were gone. Yes, we live in the desert :)

Garden Plants are Growing

Maybe we will actually have a decent garden this year!

Look at how well our greenhouse is growing the starts this year!

We started these a few weeks ago. They are doing really well. Maybe the plant markers won't be plant headstones this year!

On the right side of the greenhouse. Lots of cold weather vegies. We have still had a few freezes in our area so we haven't planted them in the garden yet.

Son1 comes home from college this weekend. He is going to be sooooo excited to see the hot peppers growing and doing well. After spending two years in Mexico, he loves hot peppers!

We have some lights in the greenhouse for warmth. We have still had some nights that are below 30˚F. Most of the seeds I planted said that they should germinate at 80˚F. We use the lights to warm the greenhouse on the coldest nights.

We also have some 4 gallon square buckets of water in the bottom of the greenhouse. Hopefully by summer the whole base of the greenhouse will be filled with buckets of water. It will help to even out the temperature as well as serve as water storage for our animals.

We have plenty of water stored for human use, but the animals have always been a concern. How do we store water that won't freeze solid in the winter? The base of the greenhouse should do the trick. And if it may allow us to grow plants like lettuce and spinach all year round.

Always learning, always adjusting results, and almost always doing better the next time around.

Warm Weather for the Bees

Yay! The weather is warming up enough for the bees to really be out and about. The other day on my walk I heard one tree just buzzing! It was so loud that I thought there must be a swarm in the tree. It wasn't, it just happened to be the bees favorite pollen source for the day!

I really should take my camera on my walks.

The new top entrance, they love it!

Bottom entrance.

We have 4 more nucs of bees coming on Saturday to be installed on Sunday. Hopefully I can get some more photos of the installation.

Hubby is installing Carneolins and Italians. The Italians will be up at our end of the county. The Carneolins will be down south. One hive is styrofoam, the other a standard hive. We'll see which hive does better.

Shearing

On Monday Vet2Be and his friend, Taco, sheared the two sheep. They are Navajo Churro and about a year old. Usually Churros get sheared twice a year, but we didn't get to it last fall and the weather turned too cold when we had time.

Mandy has a beautiful black fleece.

Unfortunately she has a birth defect - she has a severe under-bite. She has a very hard time eating and would never be able to support life, either after being bred, or if she managed live lambs, she would never be able to eat enough to produce enough milk for a lamb.

Vet2Be on the left, Taco on the right. Yes, they are using scissors. We couldn't get the Andis to work, and the hand shears had a spot that wouldn't cut at all.

They sheared Sparky, too. But I was in the house teaching guitar and so I didn't get photos of her.

It is WONDERFUL when I can send two boys out to do some work and it all gets done, and gets done well! Whoo hoo! Less work for me!!!!