Blog Posts

Sophia's Chicks!

6/4/2015

The Farmer’s Wife

                                                           Sophia’s Chicks

     Tim stood there contemplating one day with what to do with an old deer blind he had made years ago. At first he was going to build a playhouse for the girls and then it was decided it would become a chicken house and Megan would be keeper of the chickens.

     Tim worked on the chicken house for several weeks keeping in mind that Sophia and Emily would be the ones to also gather eggs. Finally when the house was finished it was loaded up and taken to Megan’s house.

     Emily and Sophia took to taking care of the chickens from the start. Sophia especially loved gathering the eggs which quickly became an obsession for baby chicks. It was soon discovered that one of the hens would not move from her eggs. Sophia kept watch daily for the baby chickens. Nothing stopped her not even the storms or rain Sophia kept watch.

     Hearing Sophia calling her Megan went out one day to discover what Sophia’s excitement was all about. There in the laying box were baby chicks! Sophia would continue to go out every day to check on the chicks but to also gather the eggs. Slowly the amount of eggs she would bring in dropped, concerned Megan went out herself to check on everyone in the hen house and she discovered where all the other hen’s eggs where. Sophia had put all the eggs she was gathering under the hen that just hatched babies.

     Sophia’s explanation when asked about this was, “Well the more eggs she has then the more baby chicks I will make!”

     When thinking about this today as I write this story I am reminded how thankful I am…..Nana doesn’t have to explain anything to Sophia her mother does!

Hoss!

5/4/2015

The Farmer’s Wife

Hoss!

Hoss is a much bigger dog even though he is a Chiwennie. I call him my gentle giant.

He is a fierce protector only when provoked otherwise he is content to just lying on the porch sleeping the day away. The other day I went to sit on the porch, as soon as I sit down I am surrounded by six dogs and one cat. They all at different times jump up for me to pet. Hoss is no different except he patiently waits until the others settle down or run off to play so he can get all the loving to himself.

Hoss jumps up to finally receive his loving pats from me along with the kisses I place on his forehead. I lean down to holding his sweet face in my hands and proceed to speak to him, when I notice a long grey tail hanging out the side of his mouth. I am confused; my eyes were just not processing what I was seeing to my brain.

Then it did…I slowly got up from the chair all the while Hoss is continuing to jump on me I make my way to the door and go inside. From the safety of the house I look down at Hoss who is simply staring at me with that tail hanging and to my horror moving to the side of his mouth. It wasn’t long and Hoss grew tired of our staring game and went to the rug on the porch and spit out a huge lizard, Hoss licked the lizard and the lizard turned and ran away as if this was a normal happening. I sat on the couch and contemplated a drink, one with alcohol however it was only ten in the morning. I could not help but wonder what I would have done if he had placed that lizard in my lap.

But I can’t….I just can’t.

Rosie's Stash!

2/9/2015

The Farmer’s Wife

On February 14 our dachshund Lilly will turn 14 years old. I have told Tim for several years now that when Lilly is gone, I will never have another inside dog again. And I have kept my word every time until now. There has only been Maggie and Thorn (outside dogs) for some time now until this past Halloween Maggie gave birth to 5 puppies. Tim and I discussed it and we decided to let my daughter Megan have Moe and my good friend Leta have Tink. We would keep the rest on the farm with us. The runt of the litter was a female which we named Rosie, for some reason the larger males would attack Rosie biting her and causing her to scream. This is what I heard one morning and went out to rescue Rosie bringing her into the house bathing her and holding her till she calmed down. Tim came home about that time and I asked him to bring in the kennel I would just keep her in the house with us. Tim started laughing and he started to speak when I interrupted him by holding up my hand as he continued to laugh as he headed outside for the kennel. Well I have to say things were going great. Rosie was house trained in about two weeks, she would sleep all night. I am not going to talk about the fact that she now sleeps in bed with us, I may have to write about that another time. Things were going good until one day after I let Rosie back in she ran into her kennel. I marveled at this because she sometimes goes in there without me having to put her. Well I found out why the other day! I decided to wash all of Rosie’s blanket and another blanket she had in her kennel. When I pulled the blanket out there all over the blanket was her private stash. My husband immediately fell into hysterical laughter, while I in horror looked at all the goat pellets she had collected from the goat pen. I went outside and sat on the porch, I could still hear Tim’s laughter while he removed her stash. I felt something on my leg and there was Rosie looking up at me with those sweet eyes of hers. Picking her up to hold her I had but one thought, after Rosie there will be no more inside dogs. And then I started laughing at myself and thought……Really!

Seeding the Fields!

9/19/2014

There seems like there is always something that needs to be done on the farm. Tim was going to plant winter wheat and oats this year and Sophia asked if she could help. Tim told her she could so away they went with their buckets. I could sit on the porch and was watching them first starting out side by side. After a few minutes I noticed Tim had moved over from her. Finally when I looked again I noticed he was walking behind her. So I wasn't sure what he was doing but I could tell Sophia was throwing her seed out as Tim had showed her. I could also hear her and she was singing as she worked. They were down in the fields for about an hour when they begin there walk back to the house, so I decided go inside and fix them both something to drink. When Sophia came in I asked where pawpaw was she said he will be in later. Confused I went to look for him, well I found him he had his shirt off shaking seed out of his hair and his shirt. He looked at me and we both just started laughing, guess that explains why he was walking behind her!!!!!

Pumpkins!

7/23/2014

I have been so excited about the garden! This year we are growing pumpkins! I have waited for ever for them to finally come up, put on their blooms, start growing the pumpkins, then for them to ripen and change their color to a beautiful orange.

The day finally came and Tim started harvesting the pumpkins! First he came in with three, then four. The next day was the same thing, finally I asked him where are we going to put these until October and is this the last of them? He slowly shook his head and informed me that according to his research they will continue to produce until about October, that the ones that are ripe we have to store in a dark, dry, cool place.

Hmm.....I think we are going to need a bigger house! All these pumpkins and we only planted 4 vines!! This was just suppose to be a test! Well I guess I will just keep storing them in the spare bedroom and just keep shutting the door. So for now when my husband hands me more pumpkins I just smile. I tell myself that, Just keep smiling!

Really? LOL!

6/7/2014

I knew being a farmer's wife at times would be scary, funny, gross and wonderful. But now I am a red neck too? LOL! I guess we are, my husband Tim used one of his old blinds to build a chicken house. He did a wonderful job, the house has 4 boxes with hinged lids. One chicken door/ramp on each end plus a larger door for cleaning. It even has little windows to open during the summer and spring months, with sliding glass to close during the winter. The chicken house also has plenty of room to expand with more boxes if needed.

We delivered the chicken house down to my daughter's place at the front of the property. She is now the keeper of the chickens. The girls are all ready arguing over what color it will be so I will keep you posted on that!

But the Megan and I begin to listen to Tim & Adam's conversation and realized they were talking about how you could still hunt out of the chicken house!

Really?

Being A Goat Mom!

5/22/2014

Being a goat Mom at times is very challenging. There are times when I have had to keep the other Mom's from running over him, to sitting out in the field while he takes a nap or climbs in my lap so I can hold him. Yes that means I randomly go out there to see him and Yes sometimes he is calling for me!

Monkey has been sick this week, It has been hard. Up and down checking on him, trying to get him to eat. I have also had to give him medicine and a shot! I so remember those days when my children were sick, thank god I didn't have to carry and walk him! LOL! But I would have if I had thought it would help!

Monkey amazes me everyday and he is such a joy!

And I do feel like a mom with a newborn, I felt like that this morning when going through my drawer to find a top that was clean and didn't have stains from formula and other unmentionables!

I love being a Farmer's Wife......well it does sometimes depends on what is happening on the farm!

Our Bottle Fed Baby, Monkey!

4/20/2014

The Farmer's Wife!

I knew when we started raising goats there would be times when we may have to bottle feed one. However I was not prepared for the amount of work it would take. My kitchen counter top is covered with bottles, nipples, and formula supplies. I have a bottle brush and a dish drainer lined with the clean bottles.

I suddenly felt as if I have traveled back into time, getting up every 4 hours for a feeding, making sure the baby is sleeping well, and clean. We have our fussy times, our tantrums, and our just want to be held times.

Then I wake up to realize I have not traveled back into time at all! I am feeding and taking care of a baby goat! If someone had told me years ago that I would be keeping a goat in my house and bottle feeding him. I would have laughed hysterically!

But here I am........and I love every minute of it. Now I'm not going to tell you the every four hour feedings have been fun, because they haven't. LOL!

But I am a true goat mother, The other day I took Monkey down to visit his goat family, one of the other goat's head butted him out of the way causing him to fall to the ground. Well before I even had time to think about it, I pushed the goat out of the way and grabbed Monkey up in my arms to see if he was alright!

Yes I know he is a goat, Yes I know he has to learn the herd rules, but not today! I will think about that tomorrow, yes tomorrow!

The Broken Road Farm!

3/12/2014

The Farmer's Wife!

Penelope

The Farm has really grown in the last 2 years. We first got dogs, then came the feral cats and kittens. Then of course our beloved goats. Our daughter who lives on the farm has added rabbits and now a pot belly pig.

Now when I was a nurse I had to take the temperature of some pretty strange characters but I never thought I would be taking the temperature of a pot belly pig named Penelope!

When my daughter, Tim and I entered Penelope's pen, Megan said she had this. Tim grabbed hold of Penelope talking to her in soft tones and turned her backside to Megan. The next thing I know Megan hands me the thermometer and leaves the pen.

I simply squat down took her temp, while telling Megan to go get the Children's Tylenol. When I stood up my husband said I guess you still got it Nurse Lauren. I turned and looked at him and smiled saying, That's because I'm a farmer's wife!

The Broken Road Farm!

1/29/2014

The Farmer’s Wife

By: Lauren Boehm Lynch

The Broken Road Farm

Four years ago this month, my husband and I moved to The Broken Road Farm. At first glance I must confess, the land was a mess. And I knew I had no experience on where to begin. And I didn’t know the first thing about being a farmer’s wife. (I’m still finding my way!)

But thank God for Tim. He knew which direction to take, and all I had to do was follow. There have been some wonderful moments, sad moments, and very scary moments! Yes everyday on the farm has been like being on the show Fear Factor for me. Just walking from the porch to my truck with grasshoppers of every size flying at me is enough to send someone over the edge. (And yes by someone I mean me!)

But that having been said, I do it, I walk through them! I am not going to tell you that I don’t scream a little or that I never run.

The garden was a wonderful experience this year. Canning and making Jelly from the abundance of grape, plum, and blackberries on the land. The animals have been a lot of work, but so much joy and love. Our cats, dogs, and our beloved Goats are never ending adventures.

I never thought I would be living on a farm with the love of my life, But I am! I am so looking forward to many more years to come! But a little secret between friends, I say a prayer every night for there to be a little less grasshoppers! Oh, and did I mention the snakes!