tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20463489625178722702012-02-13T00:59:17.905-05:00Zephyr Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16390325505351159920noreply@blogger.comBlogger4911100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2046348962517872270.post-3896758539020129712012-02-13T00:59:00.000-05:002012-02-13T00:59:17.918-05:00

By the 10th of February, we had 1.3" of rain for the month and a total of 8.4" for the year, 2" over normal for our region.  (I blush as I write this, thinking of friends and family in West Texas and other drought-stricken areas.  Don't feel neglected, though--I'm sure we'll join you later this year!) Combined with what weathermen are calling "June-uary" weather, things have been looking green

Zephyr Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16390325505351159920noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2046348962517872270.post-19098866459986294172012-02-12T16:43:00.000-05:002012-02-12T16:43:15.068-05:00

 Pouring rain + stuffing hay nets = Priceless!  Thank you, Kara!

Zephyr Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16390325505351159920noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2046348962517872270.post-37572443557604106822012-02-06T01:10:00.001-05:002012-02-06T01:12:35.823-05:00

After a recent misstep on uneven ground--on my bad leg, of course--set me back several days, I wished for a John Deere Gator or Kubota's equivalent.  Then I realized we've got something almost as good.  So Herb charged up the battery on our Kubota lawnmower, parked it in the garage, and Saturday I tried out my new go-kart. The big animals in the barnyard were quite suspicious of my noisy

Zephyr Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16390325505351159920noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2046348962517872270.post-3762512347634321332012-02-01T10:52:00.000-05:002012-02-01T10:52:27.458-05:00

I'm wondering why we spent the money to buy a wood-chipping attachment for our DR brush-hog. Misty strolled down to the Lower Pasture this morning, picked something up, and strolled all the way up to the back porch carrying it in her mouth.  Her treasure was a fat corncob-sized stick which she proceeded to chew into mulch (at right).  Then she wandered off and brought back this branch and

Zephyr Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16390325505351159920noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2046348962517872270.post-24194314328705684712012-01-28T21:47:00.002-05:002012-01-29T18:55:18.546-05:00

My daughter Kara took me on an outing to the cute little town of Chickamauga today, and she found this in an antique store.  I thought it was absolutely worth $10, especially with a 10% discount! I've already gotten its worth back many times over in enjoyment, and I've only owned it for a couple of hours. First, we took a straw poll of shoppers and shop-keepers in Chickamauga.  Out of at least

Zephyr Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16390325505351159920noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2046348962517872270.post-51011484732695864772012-01-27T22:07:00.000-05:002012-01-27T22:07:41.945-05:00

Frosty morning (Jan. 24) Pink morning (Jan. 25) Misty morning (Jan. 26) And all of these were taken today, Jan. 27 . . . Bright morning Cloudy morning Mountain-view morning The nice thing about winter is (still) that even people who aren't morning people can enjoy the beauty of morning!  The nice thing about the BlogPress app for iPad is that it's quick, easy and mobile.  But the nice

Zephyr Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16390325505351159920noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2046348962517872270.post-10891960428973623042012-01-27T18:12:00.002-05:002012-01-27T18:31:59.990-05:00

Frosty morning Pink morning Misty morning Sunny morning Mountain-view morning One nice thing about winter is that even people who aren't morning people can enjoy the beauty of morning! Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Zephyr Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16390325505351159920noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2046348962517872270.post-56072988146020170502012-01-21T16:46:00.001-05:002012-01-21T16:53:53.390-05:00

The other day I snuck up on Misty in my wheelchair to get this picture of her on the porch with her latest treasure, an old hubcap.  Who knows where she found it, but she's obviously attached to it!  The dogs keep going off into the woods and finding stuff that former owners threw out there years ago or--and these make much less adorable photo ops--remains of animals that hunters abandoned in the

Zephyr Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16390325505351159920noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2046348962517872270.post-56821420180723033992012-01-08T18:05:00.000-05:002012-01-08T18:05:46.750-05:00

Things we’ve done right in our three years here: 1)  Getting chickens.  That includes having our own layers and learning to butcher our own meat chickens. 2)  Getting Dexters.  While Sara is not the best representative of the breed, she has given us a marvelous heifer, and Siobhan has convinced us that we love cows, particularly Dexters.  The very helpful and friendly Dexter breeders we’ve met

Zephyr Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16390325505351159920noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2046348962517872270.post-11160390523892087632012-01-01T00:01:00.001-05:002012-01-01T10:48:09.169-05:00

Mistakes we’ve made during our three years here and what we’ve learned from them: 1)  Leaving a gate open. The result: Sara got loose. We herded her into a pasture, but we weren’t able to get close to her again until time for her calf to be born. We had to trick her into the trailer and haul her up to the round pen before she calved. Now we double-check gates! 2)  Waiting so long to build

Zephyr Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16390325505351159920noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2046348962517872270.post-75737568449194978152011-12-24T18:19:00.000-05:002011-12-24T18:19:42.600-05:00

Wishing all of our friends and loved ones a very blessed Christmas as you celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Zephyr Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16390325505351159920noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2046348962517872270.post-33871911489033909132011-12-24T18:02:00.000-05:002011-12-24T18:02:41.485-05:00

Earlier in December, the hams I cured were ready to smoke.  They were just too big for me to handle from a wheelchair, so I had to pass the baton to Herb.  After all, it's really a fun process, and I knew he would enjoy doing it. First, he rinsed the hams well, especially in all the cavities.  Jeff had opened them along the long bone and encouraged me to pack salt in there to encourage an even

Zephyr Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16390325505351159920noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2046348962517872270.post-35852381533236459112011-12-24T14:42:00.000-05:002011-12-24T14:42:57.610-05:00

Right before we took the pigs to the butcher, I read a newspaper article about lard which turned around my thinking on this much-maligned kitchen staple.  The internet is a great source to learn about the benefits of lard and the fact that pasture raised pigs make the healthiest lard.  I realized that our pastured pigs would give us lard that was FAR healthier for baking than highly processed

Zephyr Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16390325505351159920noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2046348962517872270.post-12544950717131187162011-12-22T12:23:00.001-05:002011-12-22T12:24:20.022-05:00

On their way here for a pre-Christmas visit, Jenny and Jean-Marc stopped to visit my sister and her family.  Jenny was telling them about our bacon and ham.  One nephew said he would love some and offered a bribe--a handmade Christmas wreath--in exchange for some bacon.  Another nephew and his wife raised that offer with chestnuts and squash.  My sister upped the ante with organic apples and

Zephyr Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16390325505351159920noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2046348962517872270.post-86752490433578474642011-12-17T23:31:00.001-05:002011-12-21T22:08:13.699-05:00

Dec. 1 was a snappy cold morning with a heavy frost on the ground, and we got up before the sun came up. Jenny went out to feed the animals in the barnyard while I got dog food ready in the house. As soon as we'd fed the dogs and ourselves, we got to work on the bacon.  The first step was to rinse it, removing all of the curing salt. Each plastic container that had held two slabs of bacon

Zephyr Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16390325505351159920noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2046348962517872270.post-11943274539992378422011-12-08T18:54:00.000-05:002011-12-08T18:54:23.100-05:00

Here's a photo from Black Friday showing Monique and Brandy, Ping, Jemima (flapping her wings), Siobhan and a couple of the drakes. Saturday, Herb left for Dallas to be with his sister in the hospital.  Sunday Jim and Monique and the kids went home and Jean-Marc began his long drive back to Virginia, leaving Jenny to help me with everything there was to do.  Little did she know, bless her heart!

Zephyr Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16390325505351159920noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2046348962517872270.post-47993388339541878852011-12-08T18:05:00.000-05:002011-12-08T18:05:00.182-05:00

As you can see, I'm like the butcher who backed into his meat grinder and got a little behind in his work!  :)  I could write a book about Thanksgiving Weekend with tons of photos of people and things I'm thankful for.  I'll spare you, and go with the "lite" version . . . Apart from Katie and Cameron who were too far away in chilly Scotland, we were blessed to have the rest of the family here

Zephyr Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16390325505351159920noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2046348962517872270.post-60858455736710426472011-12-08T11:17:00.000-05:002011-12-08T11:17:43.772-05:00

Monday, Nov. 21, after I took Kara to classes up at Covenant College, I went to Triple H Meats to pick up the pork from 4 and 8.  Jeff helped me load the boxes in the car.  He had called me earlier to tell me they were "the nicest pigs that have ever come through here." I asked what he meant by "nicest," and he said that they were very nice pigs personality-wise, but he was talking about the

Zephyr Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16390325505351159920noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2046348962517872270.post-56583089270833490922011-12-06T21:50:00.001-05:002011-12-06T21:52:30.558-05:00

While Herb was in Dallas with his siblings and his sister in the hospital, we had the horses and calves in the barnyard.  The hay was going down fast, and I realized it wasn't going to last till Herb got home.  Seeing the tricky location he had chosen to put the feeder, I was pretty sure I'd never be able to get a bale in there.  So the solution was to put some hay in the Home Pasture for the

Zephyr Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16390325505351159920noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2046348962517872270.post-22424886612050432022011-12-06T11:28:00.001-05:002011-12-06T11:35:50.780-05:00

Over a year ago I had bought some pork belly at Nature's Harmony Farm.  Unsure what to do with it, I kept it in the freezer all this time.  Recently I had the motivation to figure out how to cure it, with our own pork ready to be brought home in a few days.  So I researched recipes online and used them as a basis to create my own homemade bacon cure. The ingredients: 1/2 c. kosher salt 1 1/2

Zephyr Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16390325505351159920noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2046348962517872270.post-86214822511089314972011-11-19T14:11:00.000-05:002011-11-19T14:11:20.311-05:00

Wednesday we started out with a misty morning . . . . . . turning to gentle rain and ending with a rather frightening storm (there were tornadoes in the area).  And yet that was not the end. As I came back from feeding the animals, a glorious rainbow streamed out of the clouds, ending in a shaft of light that looked like the legendary pot of gold.  The rainbow suddenly faded, leaving only the

Zephyr Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16390325505351159920noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2046348962517872270.post-76871057653865397602011-11-11T17:19:00.001-05:002011-11-11T17:20:51.765-05:00

This past Sunday, the beautiful afternoon and a lazily-purchased deli chicken spurred us to take an impromptu picnic.  The dogs were delighted at an unexpected walk in the middle of the day, and the horses were just as happy to have an excuse for a race across the pasture.  Hero and Brandy led the pack neck and neck, as usual, with Angel following and Zephyr, like the old cow's tail, bringing up

Zephyr Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16390325505351159920noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2046348962517872270.post-34271346857619270522011-11-10T17:46:00.001-05:002011-11-10T17:47:39.150-05:00

Yesterday's post ended with T-Bone escaping without his injections.  Herb put some feed in the round pen and left both the gates open overnight so the cattle would be able to go in and eat, thus getting the idea that the round pen is a nice place. This afternoon we went down armed with feed, raw sweet potato peels, cooked sweet potato discards, injections, halters, and camera to attempt to raise

Zephyr Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16390325505351159920noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2046348962517872270.post-11837325909043741692011-11-09T21:38:00.001-05:002011-11-10T16:36:49.693-05:00

About a week and a half ago, we began the process to have Sara bred by AI (Artificial Insemination). The Diamond H Ranch has a good explanation of the process that Bickett Genetics is using for Sara. Today was Mitch's third visit and the actual day of breeding by AI.  In January 2010 we bought two straws of Hillview Redwing's semen from KHeart Dexters. The first one got us our Siobhan.

Zephyr Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16390325505351159920noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2046348962517872270.post-75949277702408417222011-11-07T21:14:00.000-05:002011-11-07T21:14:40.076-05:00

Today was a VERY sad day for us as we took the pigs to their appointment at Triple H Meats.  We've been sad all week as the day drew nearer, but today we went about our chores with truly heavy hearts. Here are a few pictures of 4's and 8's last few days. On Thursday we moved the trailer into their pasture, giving them their dinner first so they wouldn't escape while the gate was open to let

Zephyr Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16390325505351159920noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2046348962517872270.post-34817324629548696202011-10-31T23:00:00.001-04:002011-11-03T08:00:31.918-04:00

After we got Sara fixed up, halters on her and Siobhan, and acorns collected for the pigs, Herb went to work setting up our new smoker with me as his assistant. Once it was ready, it had to be cured.  He rubbed vegetable oil all  over the inside, then plugged it in for 3 hours. Here is the smoker getting cured, although nothing shows since you don't use wood to cure it. The pigs heard the

Zephyr Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16390325505351159920noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2046348962517872270.post-42818218824989211762011-10-31T16:30:00.001-04:002011-10-31T16:55:17.108-04:00

When we put up our head gate in July as part of our plan to breed Sara again, a reader asked how it worked.  I posted about an attempt to breed Sara in August, an attempt which failed--not through any fault of the head gate, but because of things we didn't know. Since then, Herb has made the pen around the head gate smaller so Sara has less room to get away.  He also fastened a 16' cattle panel

Zephyr Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16390325505351159920noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2046348962517872270.post-76970026467585840132011-10-31T09:42:00.001-04:002011-10-31T11:19:08.005-04:00

Yesterday was a busy day for my Nikon.  After our frosty morning sortie, Herb and I headed out to the pasture after church because Mitch from Bickett Genetics is coming tomorrow to set Sara up for AI.  We needed to get the cattle into the end of the Lower Pasture where the head gate is set up so that we can easily entice Sara in with some pears. We took the easy way down, past the barnyard and

Zephyr Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16390325505351159920noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2046348962517872270.post-57501361498964066122011-10-31T08:56:00.000-04:002011-10-31T08:56:00.208-04:00

We went out to feed yesterday morning and found that Jack Frost had visited us overnight.   We've found a misty, frosty-looking film over the ground a few mornings in the past two weeks, but it wasn't frost--just a Jack-Wannabe. Jack is such an artist!  I love looking around and seeing what he's chosen to touch with his brush. Fortunately, we've been covering the garden every night that's been

Zephyr Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16390325505351159920noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2046348962517872270.post-82102369792605039302011-10-31T08:13:00.000-04:002011-10-31T08:13:33.160-04:00

From fiery sunsets . . . . . . to gilded mornings . . . . . . we have glowing colors all around.  I wish we could get October twice and skip November!

Zephyr Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16390325505351159920noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2046348962517872270.post-58061638843490187852011-10-26T18:34:00.003-04:002011-10-30T23:17:31.152-04:00

Today we followed Walter's very thorough (and very humorous!) directions for weighing a pig with a string. First, we made friends.  That means we gave the pigs some acorns as an appetizer. Next, we tied a string around 4's middle, then Herb picked her up by the string and stepped on a bathroom scale. Just kidding!  But we really did give the pigs acorns and some friendly scratches to get them

Zephyr Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16390325505351159920noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2046348962517872270.post-31309858654532018522011-10-24T17:15:00.000-04:002011-10-24T17:15:17.079-04:00

We are novices at raising pigs and haven't got a clue how big the girls are.  Why does it matter?  Because we need to make an appointment for, um, "Death Row," but we have to be sure they reach butchering weight before they go.  (The earliest available date right now is Nov. 29, so we need to pick a date soon). Herb with 8 (left) and 4.  Herb is 5'8".  If you want to know how much he weighs,

Zephyr Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16390325505351159920noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2046348962517872270.post-27809793522541372442011-10-24T15:03:00.001-04:002011-10-24T16:06:25.147-04:00

 When we got home from Europe, we looked at Misty and asked, "Who are you and what have you done to Misty?"  We said goodbye to a big, gangly puppy and came home to a small horse. Although completely dwarfed by her, Zephyr loves to play with Misty.  What results is something like Mutt and Jeff sumo wrestling.  Here are a few of Misty's moves: The Face-Off--as in, we try to bite each other's

Zephyr Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16390325505351159920noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2046348962517872270.post-58059460252016273152011-10-24T01:22:00.000-04:002011-10-24T01:22:30.844-04:00

One new thing we came home to is acorns.  One day I noticed the pigs eating something off the ground underneath our huge oak tree.  When we investigated, we discovered they were hunting the acorns that keep falling down.  We know that Nature's Harmony Farm purposely pastures their pigs in wooded lots in the fall so they can eat acorns, so we figured we should take advantage of the free food, and

Zephyr Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16390325505351159920noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2046348962517872270.post-44109528361661716702011-10-24T00:26:00.000-04:002011-10-24T00:26:09.681-04:00

There's no leisure to get over jet lag when you come home to a farm.  Animals want to be fed on time whether you want to sleep late or not!  Rain and chilly weather and turning leaves remind us that fall is marching toward winter and there's a lot to catch up on after being gone. With Jim and Monique's vacation before ours, it had been almost a month since we saw them and the kids.  So it was a

Zephyr Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16390325505351159920noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2046348962517872270.post-76645564014181465012011-10-16T18:13:00.000-04:002011-10-16T18:13:39.313-04:00

 It was a lot more complicated getting from Glasgow to Dublin than we imagined, but we finally arrived safely.  The flight on Ryan Air was the best of all the flights we took!  Jim and Laura Pettit met us at the airport and took us home with them.  It's been several months since they left Chattanooga for Dublin, and it was so good to see them! Here is the view from their apartment, lit by the

Zephyr Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16390325505351159920noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2046348962517872270.post-82085393541702066432011-10-16T17:28:00.000-04:002011-10-16T17:28:54.977-04:00

 We're back!  On Sept. 23, we left home for a conference in the Atlanta area, then boarded a plane for Scotland to visit our daughter Katie & son-in-law Cameron in Aberdeen where Katie works for BP while Cameron is studying theology.  After  nearly 24 hours of bumpy flights followed by a lovely train ride from Glasgow, we were met at the Aberdeen station by Katie & Cameron . . . . . . and

Zephyr Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16390325505351159920noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2046348962517872270.post-46535595096273353552011-09-22T15:54:00.001-04:002011-09-22T15:55:08.367-04:00

Zephyr Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16390325505351159920noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2046348962517872270.post-28826349045318264642011-09-21T23:11:00.000-04:002011-09-21T23:11:05.638-04:00

Dedicated to Jean-Marc. First, cut the stem end off each bean if it hasn't broken off.  If there is a string, you can usually pull it off as you pull off the tip of the bean.  I just leave the other (pointy) end on. Put the steamer in the large pot with an inch of water in the bottom.  Cover pot and bring water to a boil. While the water is boiling, weigh the beans you are about to freeze (in

Zephyr Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16390325505351159920noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2046348962517872270.post-83626098330873306242011-09-21T14:38:00.000-04:002011-09-21T14:38:49.519-04:00

After reading a recent post on The Greening of Gavin, I was inspired to use some lemons that were beginning to age in my refrigerator and try my hand at making Limoncello, too. My version is lazier and perhaps not so green as Gavin's, and I can't taste his all the way from Australia, but here it is: 7 medium-sized lemons, zested and juiced My trusty zester removed the zest without the pith. I

Zephyr Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16390325505351159920noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2046348962517872270.post-89365564532588067372011-09-21T13:37:00.000-04:002011-09-21T13:37:37.323-04:00

About a week ago, Jim & Monique brought Charis and Kol over for lunch and the afternoon.  Kara joined us for a farm tour.  First stop was the pigs, who entertained us with piggy noises over the snack we brought.  They gave us a very vivid impression of what it means to "eat like a pig" and to "be into your food!" Mercy was one of our first batch of meat chickens, the personable Naked Necks.  Her

Zephyr Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16390325505351159920noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2046348962517872270.post-67782805577667930062011-09-20T20:39:00.000-04:002011-09-20T20:39:55.737-04:00

 Gypsy and Esmerelda, our two older pullets, ducked into Brandy's stall for a spot of hunt-and-peck, only to find it swept clean. Their coop had been swept clean, too, and treated for mites (just in case) in preparation for a major remodel. Part way through the job, Alger Hiss came to inspect our work.  I could swear I heard him say, "Yessssss!"  We installed two 2x4's horizontally as a

Zephyr Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16390325505351159920noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2046348962517872270.post-20040903575640013102011-09-19T17:35:00.000-04:002011-09-19T17:35:01.046-04:00

"Familiarity breeds contempt."  I'm afraid that's what happened with Misty's good LGD manners when we spent two days in a row working in the barnyard.  She started out just fine, lying quietly near the ducks . . . . . . but then she decided to play with Alger.  She tried to touch noses with him. Alger hissed and stared Misty down.  She dropped her head for a moment, but then got friendly again.

Zephyr Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16390325505351159920noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2046348962517872270.post-41484408675254691942011-09-19T16:38:00.001-04:002011-09-19T16:40:08.395-04:00

The Thompsons helped us move the chicken coop to the safety of the barnyard back in July.  Herb was going to level it himself, but summer heat put a stop to most of our outdoor projects.  With fall upon us and winter approaching, it seemed time to finally put the coop to rights.  One of the Muscovy drakes realized that ground being dug up meant a bug smorgasbord was being unearthed.  Robin

Zephyr Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16390325505351159920noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2046348962517872270.post-50612392347600451852011-09-19T13:20:00.000-04:002011-09-19T13:20:15.621-04:00

Misty seems to have perpetually muddy paws.  She loves to dig, apparently a Pyr characteristic. We needed to get the Back Pasture safe for putting the animals in there when we go to Scotland.  Jean-Marc will be holding down the fort, and it will be lots easier if he doesn't have to refill water tanks.  That means putting the animals in the Back Pasture along with a round bale of hay since the

Zephyr Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16390325505351159920noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2046348962517872270.post-15961282502748345102011-09-15T18:59:00.002-04:002011-09-15T19:02:31.846-04:00

The promised post on our pastures is finally ready after I managed to finish a color-coded map (simplified from our survey) to show where they are.  The newest pasture, Kara's Pasture, is the bright yellow one in the center of the map.  To the right of it is the pale pink Home Pasture; to the left is the green Back Pasture; and below is the lavender Lower Pasture.  The blank area sticking down

Zephyr Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16390325505351159920noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2046348962517872270.post-65209108921380582862011-09-14T18:48:00.000-04:002011-09-14T18:48:13.356-04:00

After Tropical Storm Lee blew in on September 5 and knocked out our power during the night, we had to rough it.  This is the September 6 paper which we didn't get until the next day because of the tree across the road.  Believe it or not, no paper is one of the hardest parts of roughing it! As the day wore on, we began to worry about our huge freezer in the hay barn (background), crammed full of

Zephyr Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16390325505351159920noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2046348962517872270.post-54147596171835380912011-09-08T23:13:00.001-04:002011-09-08T23:18:05.469-04:00

At the end of the last post, we were praying for rain.  During the night before Labor Day, September 5, Tropical Storm Lee blew in.  By 10:00 a.m. we had 4". The pigs and ducks were loving it.  This happy pig was munching on something she'd just rooted up from the nice, soft mud.  Down in the back pasture the low area was filling with water.  The pond was full, but not overflowing yet. The first

Zephyr Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16390325505351159920noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2046348962517872270.post-2197478842165836292011-09-08T18:21:00.000-04:002011-09-08T18:21:05.905-04:00

When Zephyr got sick on Aug. 28, I was already behind posting pictures here.  Obviously nothing happened with "Adventures on Zephyr Hill Farm" while Zephyr was so sick in the hospital.  Barely over that crisis, Tropical Storm Lee hit us and took out our power for 42 hours.  Oh, yes, I counted every single one! Hopefully, adventures of that magnitude are over for awhile, and I can catch up on

Zephyr Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16390325505351159920noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2046348962517872270.post-66758924464998324102011-09-04T20:06:00.003-04:002011-09-04T20:54:41.344-04:00

I'm back after a long silence, and I want to begin by re-posting a picture from my last post on Aug. 23, showing Zephyr gleefully racing a pig along the fence. This picture made me chuckle when I posted it.  It makes me breathe a prayer of thanks to God as I re-post it. It also makes me think of a line at the end of "While You Were Sleeping" where Ox Callaghan tells his son Jack that there is

Zephyr Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16390325505351159920noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2046348962517872270.post-11958645631491712482011-08-23T18:07:00.000-04:002011-08-23T18:07:27.775-04:00

After more than average rainfall for the year, August has been completely dry.  Strangely, the temperature has been in the low 90°s, even down to a high of 89° compared to the high 90°s of July--but no rain.  It's dry, dry, dry! Yesterday while we were working nearby, the pigs started galloping along the fence, raising a cloud of dust.  Their dust is what is highlighting the sun's rays! Since

Zephyr Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16390325505351159920noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2046348962517872270.post-73979470563211717132011-08-11T00:21:00.000-04:002011-08-11T00:21:05.490-04:00

I forgot to post pictures about getting the round pen, etc. ready for Sara the day before our planned breeding.  So I'm going to back up and post a few. This picture of Misty trying to figure out how to get back through the fence shows that we have some major fence repairs to do!  Here's our nice straight line of electric fence set up to keep the animals in the back half of the Lower Pasture

Zephyr Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16390325505351159920noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2046348962517872270.post-21873063476130839272011-08-09T17:08:00.000-04:002011-08-09T17:08:11.840-04:00

After my post about the head gate, a reader requested an update on how it worked.  This was supposed to be that update as I told about getting Sara bred by AI (artificial insemination). The corral and head gate were all ready in the Lower Pasture.  All we had to do this morning was move the animals from the Back Pasture (at right) to the Lower Pasture (at left).  You can see the gap between the

Zephyr Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16390325505351159920noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2046348962517872270.post-88703913676264951482011-08-08T16:41:00.000-04:002011-08-08T16:41:15.517-04:00

A house-shaking clap, no, crash of thunder got me out of bed last night, thinking of my computer.  After I shut it down, the violence of the storm tempted me out on the back porch with my camera and tripod.  Kara was working in the guest room upstairs, and the light shone out the door onto the trees close to the porch, but beyond, everything was pitch black. Countless small flashes of lightning

Zephyr Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16390325505351159920noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2046348962517872270.post-74484529168576615472011-08-08T15:54:00.000-04:002011-08-08T15:54:11.661-04:00

Herb wanted some compost for his fruit trees, so he had to pull up the long grass that's growing on our compost heap since the chickens scattered it (when they used to free range).  He was about to yank out a handful of green stuff when he looked a bit closer: There were half a dozen cherry tomato plants "volunteering" in the compost pile!  They seem to be the Yellow Idli grape tomatoes that

Zephyr Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16390325505351159920noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2046348962517872270.post-49942800364974784052011-08-05T19:04:00.000-04:002011-08-05T19:04:45.294-04:00

Good:  An overcast day. Good:  Cooler temperatures, only 72° at 8:30 a.m. Good:  Misty wandering over to the pigs' pasture to make friends. Good:  Misty patrolling the fence line on her own initiative. Good:  Seeing our three cows out in the back pasture together. Not so good:  Seeing that T-bone, our future grass-fed beef, is the smallest.  (He's the reddish speck to the right of the two black

Zephyr Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16390325505351159920noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2046348962517872270.post-83932132606810710552011-08-02T22:39:00.001-04:002011-08-02T22:40:17.082-04:00

It’s so hot in Northwest Georgia … … a robin stole a potholder off the clothesline and used it to pull a worm out of the ground. … the trees keep whistling for Hero. …we used a seat belt buckle to brand the new calf. … it got down to 93° yesterday and I caught a chill. … Kara won’t ride her bicycle anymore for fear she’d be in an accident, get knocked out and end up cooked to death on the

Zephyr Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16390325505351159920noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2046348962517872270.post-81891368981687470412011-08-02T20:44:00.000-04:002011-08-02T20:44:13.840-04:00

What does any good mother do when both her children want the same toy?  Assuming she's given up teaching them to share, she buys them each their own toy. Here is Misty with her squirrel toy. Here is Zephyr with hers. Here is Misty watching Zephyr shake her "dead" squirrel. Here is Misty with Zephyr's squirrel and Zephyr looking longingly (or calculatingly) at it. Here is Misty offering to play

Zephyr Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16390325505351159920noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2046348962517872270.post-42013363110897000522011-08-02T18:00:00.000-04:002011-08-02T18:00:00.649-04:00

Now that Zephyr is friends with Misty, they've started playing tug 'o war.  At first, Misty didn't stand a chance because she was so much smaller.  She still weighs less--17 lbs. to Zephyr's 25--but she's almost as tall as Zephyr and more solidly square.  She also brings her Pyr stubbornness to the game, helped by a formidable set of very sharp little puppy teeth! Misty is also learning some

Zephyr Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16390325505351159920noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2046348962517872270.post-38440508410378240722011-07-29T20:32:00.000-04:002011-07-29T20:32:59.280-04:00

The other morning I let the ducks out. Jemima (in front) came down from her perch on the back of the barn roof and joined the boys, but only briefly.  Within a few seconds she was perched on a fencepost looking down at them as if to say, "Ha, ha, ha!  You can't catch me!" She flew over to her favorite gatepost, and with one of the drakes watching her intently from the ground, began to preen

Zephyr Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16390325505351159920noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2046348962517872270.post-21392117704516181512011-07-28T22:47:00.000-04:002011-07-28T22:47:57.532-04:00

Wednesday when Misty went with me to the barnyard, she started to chase one of the drakes.  I yelled, "No!" but before I could get to her to stop her, he turned on her.  He knocked her down and pecked her with his bill.  Chastened, she got up and headed the other way.  Unfortunately, I didn't have my camera ready to catch the lesson, but I sure was glad it happened.  I'll take any help I can get

Zephyr Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16390325505351159920noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2046348962517872270.post-21298193996894589672011-07-27T22:21:00.000-04:002011-07-27T22:21:18.138-04:00

Last year the canteloupe plants we bought at a local nursery didn't do very well.  Out of four plants, only one survived and gave us two small, insipid-tasting canteloupes. So this year I ordered muskmelon seeds from Shumways', started them in small pots, and then transplanted them into the garden.  They took off, sprawling all over their bed and encroaching on the neighboring peppers.  I

Zephyr Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16390325505351159920noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2046348962517872270.post-30343103604517651982011-07-24T18:42:00.000-04:002011-07-24T18:42:49.839-04:00

Zephyr Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16390325505351159920noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2046348962517872270.post-58291183521989350732011-07-24T18:28:00.000-04:002011-07-24T18:28:38.626-04:00

Advisory:  There are several pictures of a bloodless castration technique.  They are not graphic, but I prefer to warn those who might find them startling.   Yesterday we drove a little over three hours to the Atlanta-area Belle Fourche breeding operation run by Gabriella Nanci.  We have been corresponding with her for several months about a young bull that she was willing to sell as a steer.  

Zephyr Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16390325505351159920noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2046348962517872270.post-2538098013119466022011-07-24T15:35:00.000-04:002011-07-24T15:35:11.874-04:00

The bounty of our garden seemed to point toward Korean food one night recently.  I made gochu-jang sauce for cucumbers, sautéed a bizarre little squash in sesame oil and garlic, and invented a Korean-style recipe for some baby carrots. Korean-Style Carrots 1 pint baby carrots, cleaned1 heaping tsp. grated ginger root, fresh or from a jarseveral cloves of fresh garlic, minced or

Zephyr Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16390325505351159920noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2046348962517872270.post-71728423678384426072011-07-24T15:20:00.001-04:002011-07-24T15:21:35.601-04:00

Herb had a breakfast meeting one morning last week, so I went out to feed alone.  Poor Hero was eagerly waiting at the gate, barking loudly to remind me that he was done with his guard duty and it was time to let him out! The first thing I noticed before even opening the gate was that there was no sign of Jemima Puddleduck.  She wasn't on the barn roof, the chicken coop, the gatepost or the

Zephyr Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16390325505351159920noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2046348962517872270.post-11781452348406127482011-07-23T22:52:00.000-04:002011-07-23T22:52:05.072-04:00

The second morning Herb went out to bush-hog the hunting preserve, Jemima Puddleduck was sitting on the roll bar of the tractor.  I made Herb wait while I grabbed the camera to capture some pictures of our picturesque little lady.  And I swear that the halo around Jemima is not photo-shopped!  There really is something special about this duck! Jemima obviously loves her high perch. Up there she

Zephyr Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16390325505351159920noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2046348962517872270.post-57978384303567568662011-07-23T22:04:00.000-04:002011-07-23T22:04:49.054-04:00

Our farm is surrounded on two sides by an almost-400-acre hunting preserve that is owned by a bank which also harvests lumber from time to time.  There are about a dozen people on the hunting lease, including Herb and me.  It helps the hunters to have an active member living in our house since the only entrance to the hunting preserve branches off our driveway. So far, we've only used the

Zephyr Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16390325505351159920noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2046348962517872270.post-88382812519313961162011-07-22T00:02:00.000-04:002011-07-22T00:02:51.552-04:00

Since Sara's calf last November was a heifer (Siobhan, at left), having our own grass-fed beef has been an event very far in the future.  We are just now trying to get Bickett Genetics to come over and breed Sara again by AI for a calf next April.  Even if it should turn out to be a bull, it needs two years to grow into grass-fed beef, so we're at least two years and nine months away from our own

Zephyr Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16390325505351159920noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2046348962517872270.post-45454415836009564212011-07-21T16:47:00.001-04:002011-07-23T22:05:48.680-04:00

Every evening when it's time to put the ducks to bed (the chickens go up earlier, but the ducks like to stay out chasing  bugs), Misty follows us to the barnyard.  Herb in his head lamp praises her for following us. As we approach the barnyard we can see Jemima Puddleduck sitting on her favorite fence post.  The Red Baron is agile enough to follow her there, but it gives her peace from most of

Zephyr Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16390325505351159920noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2046348962517872270.post-3383651420957931752011-07-20T22:42:00.000-04:002011-07-20T22:42:31.689-04:00

Funny carrot. Funny pig, galloping for its food.  Funny pigs, sticking their heads in the food before it all hits the pan--so some of it ends up on them! Funny Jemima Puddleduck, who spends most of her days perched on the fence . . .  .  .  . to keep away from the Red Baron and his funny-looking fellows.  Funny Siobhan, standing in the mud puddle that used to be the old half of the pond. THAT

Zephyr Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16390325505351159920noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2046348962517872270.post-38343437651551346042011-07-16T10:43:00.000-04:002011-07-16T10:43:09.963-04:00

(I've actually been getting behind in my blog due to our travels and summer activities.  I actually took these pictures two weeks ago.) It's time to breed Sara again, and we found out that Bickett Genetics will come to Sara instead of her having to go to them.  That will traumatize Siobhan less and enable us to save board fees for Sara.  Since we know that she is coming into season regularly,

Zephyr Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16390325505351159920noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2046348962517872270.post-26566290576124462362011-07-15T23:13:00.000-04:002011-07-15T23:13:52.645-04:00

At the end of June we took a trip for Herb's sister's birthday party in Colorado.  While we were gone, Jean-Marc (joined later by Jenny) took care of the animals for us.  These are some of the pictures I took after we got home. Zephyr enjoys the shade beside the garden in her summer haircut. Four and Eight love anyone who feeds them! Beautiful black-eyed Susans abound in the Lower Pasture.  Hero

Zephyr Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16390325505351159920noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2046348962517872270.post-27835959175158564822011-07-14T18:04:00.000-04:002011-07-14T18:04:42.901-04:00

Or at least, through a lens fogged by going from the air-conditioned house out into the sultry July evening.

Zephyr Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16390325505351159920noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2046348962517872270.post-2792643025429764192011-07-05T21:51:00.000-04:002011-07-05T21:51:05.721-04:00

The very day Peekaboo left us, we left for a week in Denver for a family reunion-birthday party.  Since I got back, I didn't have much heart to post.  As Gayle said in a comment on my last post, so many animals gone in such a short time.  And despite all our precautions, mostly because of their silliness, we have lost two more chickens to the fox.  We've discussed many options for keeping our

Zephyr Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16390325505351159920noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2046348962517872270.post-54508258267822233002011-06-23T18:11:00.000-04:002011-06-23T18:11:11.008-04:00

In Memoriam: Peekaboo Dec. 18, 2006 to June 23, 2011 Darling ferret-boy, today you were reunited with your Precious on the other side of the Rainbow Bridge.  We miss your sweet little face already, more than we can say.  We love you, and you will be with Precious in our hearts forever.  Until we meet again, sleep tight, little Peek-a-face.

Zephyr Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16390325505351159920noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2046348962517872270.post-17877398156093620422011-06-18T12:24:00.000-04:002011-06-18T12:24:15.322-04:00

When I went to the hydrant next to the barn to get water for the chickens this morning, this is the horrible sight that met my eyes.  One of our beautiful Muscovy hens lying mangled and bloody in the barnyard--and three others missing.  I could hardly bear to go into the barnyard. I felt even more heartsick when I found feathers all over the open chicken tractor.  We had used it to catch the

Zephyr Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16390325505351159920noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2046348962517872270.post-21315031320631494042011-06-17T23:38:00.000-04:002011-06-17T23:38:40.101-04:00

Zephyr Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16390325505351159920noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2046348962517872270.post-813010111064426512011-06-16T21:54:00.000-04:002011-06-16T21:54:54.420-04:00

Soon!

Zephyr Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16390325505351159920noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2046348962517872270.post-35450020280917169112011-06-16T19:39:00.000-04:002011-06-16T19:39:17.752-04:00

The little duck that was purchased by someone who wasn't allowed to own poultry in their neighborhood has been living in solitary confinement in the brooder house where he quacks pathetically every time we go in to feed him.  I finally decided that he was big enough to try again to integrate him into the barnyard.  Tuesday I put him in there, but the other ducks attacked him.  So I shut him up

Zephyr Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16390325505351159920noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2046348962517872270.post-17968777848773642882011-06-15T13:35:00.000-04:002011-06-15T13:35:24.126-04:00

Ingredients: 1 lb. 10 oz. fresh chicken (and duck) livers Scant 2/3 c. brandy 1 stick unsalted butter 1 lg. onion, finely chopped 1 garlic cloves, crushed 1 heaping tsp. fresh thyme, crushed 5 juniper berries 2 bay leaves Sea salt, to taste Fresh ground pepper, to taste 1/2 c. whipping cream Clean the livers of veins, etc.  Rinse and pat dry.  Pour brandy over livers in small bowl and cover in

Zephyr Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16390325505351159920noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2046348962517872270.post-59185665867402164582011-06-14T18:19:00.000-04:002011-06-14T18:19:02.882-04:00

Someone searching the internet after the rash of recent tornados came across my post on "Tornado Warnings" and emailed me asking for plans for our storm cellar.  Unfortunately, I don't have any plans, but I offered to post more detailed photos.  Here they are: The entrance to the storm cellar.  The two vertical posts were added during our recent remodeling, not for the storm cellar, but to

Zephyr Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16390325505351159920noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2046348962517872270.post-6947483686581407502011-06-13T15:11:00.001-04:002011-06-13T15:15:55.607-04:00

Once upon a time there were two little piggies name Four and Eight.  They lived in a steep bit of woods on the edge of a pasture.  There they had no house, but just a food bowl and a swimming pool in the shade.  One day the swineherd's wife came to feed them, and Four chased her.  The swineherd's wife was scared and tried to run up the steep hill, but she slipped and stumbled.  Finally the

Zephyr Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16390325505351159920noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2046348962517872270.post-2283306132356211532011-06-11T22:07:00.000-04:002011-06-11T22:07:42.724-04:00

Friday was our final (fourth) day of butchering, and we had planned to do five of the eight drakes. On Thursday night we gently herded all the ducks into the chicken tractor in the barnyard.  Then Herb went inside and picked up the five drakes we had marked with silver spray paint that afternoon.  We put them in Zephyr's crate and wheeled them out of the barnyard. Friday morning about 8 a.m.

Zephyr Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16390325505351159920noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2046348962517872270.post-71597020228526969762011-06-07T19:48:00.004-04:002011-06-07T20:02:55.935-04:00

Advisory:  Some of these photos may be considered graphic by some viewers. My sister-in-law just emailed me this quote from a column in a San Francisco newspaper--right after Herb and I finished butchering our second batch of 10 chickens in two days. Yes, this is really funny--and it is really sad! It also goes right along with what I was musing on this morning as we murdered our meat.  (I

Zephyr Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16390325505351159920noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2046348962517872270.post-57993327299899322432011-06-07T17:17:00.001-04:002011-06-08T14:53:03.767-04:00

Advisory:  One of the photos may be graphic. One thing I like to do on this blog is to share things we've learned from our mistakes.  Today I won't share the actual mistakes, but I will share things we've learned from them to make our chicken processing work better. The first time we butchered chickens, there were four of us working on 26 chickens, and we managed to do them all in one day.  We

Zephyr Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16390325505351159920noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2046348962517872270.post-64258631464090869872011-06-04T22:23:00.000-04:002011-06-04T22:23:34.926-04:00

Charis has a book called "Yummy-Yucky" that says things like "Soap is yucky; soup is yummy."  Here's our take on the yummy-yucky theme: Pigs have yucky manners, and Four is a pig!  She shoves Eight away, trying to get the most food or the best bits.  They both wag their tails, coiling and uncoiling them, as they eat.  When they have juicy goodies like tomato skins or messy berries, they smack

Zephyr Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16390325505351159920noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2046348962517872270.post-14620389407417743012011-05-26T22:44:00.000-04:002011-05-26T22:44:45.953-04:00

Wednesday was a big day for us.  In fact, it was a PIG day for us!  We were going to pick up our two gilts (weaned female pigs).  Herb built a crate out of pallets in the back of the pickup truck. Then we headed to Jim and Monique's house.  Normally it was my day to babysit the kids, but instead we were going to take Charis with us to give Monique a chance to get some work done.  While Charis got

Zephyr Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16390325505351159920noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2046348962517872270.post-42738095152900729372011-05-21T19:15:00.000-04:002011-05-21T19:15:27.088-04:00

 Herb put out scratch for the hens (layers) and opened their pen before I found the camera and got outside.  When Esmerelda saw me come out, she ran to meet me, but all I did was shoot her.  :)  I caught up with Herb in the barnyard where he had already fed and watered the ducks.  He had a bucket of scratch and was ready to feed the meat chickens.  Hero and Zephyr came into the barnyard with me

Zephyr Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16390325505351159920noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2046348962517872270.post-24939896190728424462011-05-20T22:31:00.000-04:002011-05-20T22:31:56.329-04:00

Another duckling!  This duckling came to us via a previous owner and a drafted rescuer who was unable to give it a safe place to live.  Hopefully, third time's the charm . . . The moral of this story is:  Do not take home cute baby animals without knowing that you can keep them!  Not only is this poor duckling peeping in loneliness, but it may end up being eaten if it can't be integrated into

Zephyr Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16390325505351159920noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2046348962517872270.post-36080542296595696862011-05-18T18:26:00.001-04:002011-05-18T18:29:27.202-04:00

We spent this past weekend in Williamsburg, VA, to celebrate Jenny's graduation from William and Mary Law School (in only two and a half years).  Here are some pictures from our wonderful weekend away, a time of celebrating family and God's goodness through the years--all made possible by Jenny's hard work, Jean-Marc's support, and commitments from Jim, Monique and Kara to make the trip.

Zephyr Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16390325505351159920noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2046348962517872270.post-48860119752773266372011-05-12T22:14:00.000-04:002011-05-20T22:27:34.681-04:00

The past few days, since I've been feeling well enough to get up and go outside a bit, I've noticed an irritating noise that Herb has been complaining about for a week.  It makes him quite grumpy!  We thought it might be a problem with the electric installation--a constant whirring, almost like a distant, ululating burglar alarm--perhaps as a result of the tornado's devastation of the power grid.

Zephyr Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16390325505351159920noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2046348962517872270.post-71245812274903253192011-05-08T00:14:00.000-04:002011-05-08T00:14:19.675-04:00

Note: I've been sick in bed with sinusitis and bronchitis since Tuesday evening, and today was the first day I got out a bit to help poor Herb with chores. I didn't even think of taking a camera along (although I saw something I'm dying to get out and photograph--and I already have a blog title for it!) Meanwhile, I'm going back to use some photos from April 29 that got overlooked. This was

Zephyr Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16390325505351159920noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2046348962517872270.post-12672362811825577562011-05-03T19:08:00.000-04:002011-05-03T19:08:25.063-04:00

This happened on April 29, right after the storm, but I didn't have a chance to post it until now.  The chicks were 6 weeks old on April 27 and ready to go outside in the chicken tractor.  But, the chicken tractor was serving as a Duck Mobile in the barnyard, so we needed a new plan for the ducks.  Enter my (first) Gypsy chicken coop which Herb built a couple years ago on a wagon so that it could

Zephyr Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16390325505351159920noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2046348962517872270.post-23621363554680290812011-05-02T08:45:00.000-04:002011-05-02T08:45:25.051-04:00

Saturday we went down to Leahaven, our guest house-farm in Alabama.  Here is the story: http://leahaven.blogspot.com/2011/05/gods-protection-in-midst-of-destruction.html

Zephyr Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16390325505351159920noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2046348962517872270.post-70569528880928068662011-04-28T22:01:00.000-04:002011-04-28T22:01:01.806-04:00

We are safe and sound after yesterday's storms.  In fact, in our little corner of the world, it was almost a non-event.  But for the area around us, it was one of the worst disasters anyone can remember. Eight are confirmed dead in Ringgold, the community where we do much of our shopping. http://catoosanews.com/bookmark/12996194 Several died in Trenton, GA, about half an hour from us.  Trenton

Zephyr Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16390325505351159920noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2046348962517872270.post-51575185833076064042011-04-27T22:43:00.000-04:002011-04-27T22:43:02.255-04:00

Today has been a day of crazy weather.  We woke up to a tornado warning in the morning with more predicted later in the day.  Usually tornado warnings around here mean 15-30% chance of tornados, but today we had a 70% chance!  So we decided we had better "batten down the hatches." Since there was hail predicted along with the thunderstorms, heavy rain, and tornados--and since the garage is still

Zephyr Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16390325505351159920noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2046348962517872270.post-70199584231157662762011-04-27T20:02:00.000-04:002011-04-27T20:02:28.075-04:00

Storm light over the farm warned us that we might not get much work done outside today and we'd better get going. The first item of business was to make a new paddock and move the animals. Here they are in the new paddock (at right). You can see the difference between this fresh grass and the grazed area (at left). Zephyr inspects the fence line!  You can see where Herb weed-whacked under the

Zephyr Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16390325505351159920noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2046348962517872270.post-68117580367822347062011-04-25T00:23:00.000-04:002011-04-25T00:23:22.675-04:00

We reflected on God's loving care to our family as we celebrated Jesus' resurrection today. We were up early to help out at church, cleaning up after a week of hosting homeless families through Interfaith Hospitality Network.  It was barely light when I looked out the back door of our own home to see this touching sight:  Sara and Siobhan laying down peacefully together. After

Zephyr Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16390325505351159920noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2046348962517872270.post-936174795526171002011-04-22T19:18:00.000-04:002011-04-22T19:18:41.583-04:00

Back in February I wrote about my attempt at taming our rooster, Wren. http://zephyrhillfarm.blogspot.com/2011/02/how-to-have-nice-rooster-outside-of.html Unfortunately, Wren has continued to attack me repeatedly.  I have had to defend myself with whatever I was carrying--metal tree stake, walking stick, a piece of 2 x 4, even my purse!  We realized Wren was going to have to go before he hurt

Zephyr Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16390325505351159920noreply@blogger.com6