Corn Maze and Pumpkin Patch

It has been awhile since I have blogged as we have been quite busy. The barn is finally done and being used. Our Amish friends Dan and Katie Miller were here for a week to help. It looks great!

We grew a corn maze and pumpkin patch this year. The corn is at least 10 feet tall and the pumpkins are turning orange. We will be open for the corn maze every Fri, Sat and Sun (weather permitting) from 3pm-dusk on Fri and 10am-dusk on Sat and Sun. As soon as the pumpkins are ready we will offer "pick you own". There will be horse drawn wagon rides to the corn maze and pumpkin patch. We have a hay maze for the little ones and will be doing different activities on various weekends; blacksmithing demos, rope making, corn shelling, pony rides, etc. The cost is $5 for the corn maze and $5 for a "pick your own" pumpkin.

Check out our website and facebook for more info or just call us 888-818-2701.

Spring Farming

Today we did a farm tour for a great group of kids from Rouses Point. They made rope, dipped candles, shelled corn, took a horse drawn wagon ride, fed the animals, and had a blacksmithing demonstration. Time flies when you're having fun and before we knew it they had to leave.

On Sunday our donkey, Sooty had a baby boy. All seemed to be going very well. Baby was running around and very healthy. Yesterday I noticed that he was acting a little off. About a month ago another female had a baby that died. She had stolen Sooty's baby but she had no milk! The baby had been about 2 days with little or nothing to eat. We put Sooty and baby in the barn and today he is running around like he should be. Poor little guy...he was lucky we noticed before things got any worse.

We're waiting for some decent haying weather but we need at least 3 days without rain in the forecast. Hopefully we will be about to cut some this week.

Much has happened since I last updated everyone. We have planted our corn, got the garden in, had our sheep sheared, and had a baby miniature donkey born. Violet had the baby girl and she is beautiful!

Breeze is getting big. She is growing about an inch a week. She is getting dark like her mother and father. Looks kinda funny right now as her face and parts of her legs are dark and her body is still light colored.

We are almost done with our field trips for the schools. We had more classes this year than usual. Some of the classes just fed the animals and took a horse drawn wagon ride and had their lunch here. Others did that plus dipped a candle, shelled corn, made rope, got a blacksmithing demo and groomed a draft horse. One group got to see our sheep being sheared.

Planting Corn

It has been sooooo busy around here that I haven't had the time to blog. We have been doing farm tours for the area schools, working with the kids from CT-TEC, mowing, feeding, picking up, all the stuff that comes with a farm! Plus, I am an auction junkie. We have been to an auction almost every Saturday until today. There were a couple this weekend but just couldn't justify going with so much to do. One of the best auctions we went to was an Amish auction in Heuvelton a month or so ago.

Today George, Jill and Renee planted corn. They all did a GREAT job!!! Everyone was tired by the end of the day. Hopefully, the weather will cooperate and the corn will grow well. We put about 15 tons of horse manure, 10 tons of chicken manure and then triple 19 fertilizer. The corn was short last year and we think it was due, in part, to lack of nutrients. The continious rain didn't help either. We are hoping for great weather this summer. The horse with the green wrap on her tail got bred by our Mammoth Jack this morning. We are hoping for a mule foal next spring.

We have been selling compost like crazy this spring. Everyone is getting into the gardening thing. That is a very good thing! I still need to get the garden in!!!

Goats, goats and more goats!

It has been a very busy week. The pygmy goats are starting to have babies and it gets crazy when several are kidding at once. One mother had triplets and another mother's baby died. That mother stole 2 babies from the triplet group! All are doing well so we left it like they wanted it. No one seems too upset. They are soooo tiny and all girls. Right now there are about 9 new babies.

The goat bithing video is on facebook. Check it out on Country Dreams Farm and become a fan while you're at it.

Day on the Farm

Today and this weekend were very busy. We had many of our friends came over to visit and enjoy the weather. We moved some horses and donkeys to different pastures. Everyone that got moved got wormed. Even wormed and trimmed the hooves of some of the goats.

Today George trimmed Pete(draft horse) and he also got wormed. That would be Pete and NOT George!

We put some compost around the barn and seeded it. Hopefully it will grow.

Beautiful Day on the Farm

Today was a beautiful day!! We worked in the barn putting up harness hooks and taking the harnesses out of the rented trailer. Hopefully we can get that out of the yard pretty soon.

The Porter's stopped over to visit today. Hope their camera didn't go into overload with all the pictures of Breeze and goats!

Our neighbor, Ben, stopped over today. He is working out of town so we don't see him too often anymore. He's the guy who started working for us when he was quite young and got hit in the head with a bale of hay. It doesn't seem to have had any long lasting effects on him. He still thinks farming is in his blood. Better keep his day job though.

Saturday we are headed to an auction in North Lawrence and to visit some friends in the area. The weather is going to be great!

Breeze and Star

I finally got the video of Star having her baby ready for posting and found that it was too big to post on my blog. I was able to post it on my Facebook page. It can be found on Country Dreams Farm. You can also become a fan of the farm while you are there.

We measured Breeze today and she is 2.5 inches taller than she was when she was born almost 3 weeks ago now. What an experience she has been! She is very friendly.

We had 2 baby goats born this weekend. Jesse was bred to a LaMancha and had 2 females who have the signature ears. They are doing well and are quite cute.

Farrier Day

Today our farrier and his helper were here to do some work on our horses and donkeys hooves. Jill and Renee (draft team) had their winter shoes removed and got a trim. Helen and Star (both drafts) just got their hooves trimmed. They also trimmed 3 miniature donkeys. One, Violet, isn't very well behaved. She was rejected by her mother many years ago so I raised her in the house. She had a multitude of problems and it was suggested by most every vet to put her down. Dr. Hannah McCormick was our saving grace. She prescribed magnetic therapy, Chinese herbs and Selenium. You would never know there had ever been a problem with her but when her feet get just a bit too long it is quite noticable. Anyhow, the farrier has been working on her feet since she was less than a week old. There is no excuse for her bad behavior as her feet have been handled more than the average equine. She rears, throws herself or anything else she can think of to deter the farrier! He is undaunted by her behavior but I am surprised he continues to put up with us! Thankfully he handles it quite well. She is expecting a foal in May as are 2 of the other donkeys. They are soooo adorable...little and very fuzzy! Will post pics and updates when it is closer to their due date.

Breeze is doing very well. We handle her feet every day so she won't be a handfull when she outweighs us all.

Foal's Name

We finally have a name for our new baby. Dad's name is Spring Water Leo, Mom's name is Redford Hill Star. So baby is Star's Spring Breeze. We will call her Breeze. She is getting so big. Her front teeth are just beginning to come through the gums. She tries to chew on everything including us. I will post new pics soon. It was so windy today and rainy yesterday that I didn't really want to have to take pics. I think I can get some tomorrow.

We will be at Parker Family Maple Farm this weekend doing rides. Weather is looking cold but sunny. I can deal with that...beats the rain we had last weekend.

Star foaling (finally)

It's a girl!! She was born Friday night at about 9:00. Star was 3 hours from being pregnant for a whole year. She had a big beautiful girl. We had been putting her in the barn every night for the last month and last night was no exception. When we went to the barn at 8pm to check on her and feed her she was soaked in sweat and didn't want to eat. We were pretty sure we were going to get a baby. Made a few calls, got my towels and camera and waited for just a little while. Pretty soon her water broke and everything went pretty smooth. We helped her a little but she did all the work. We have had a lot of company here today to see the foal. We haven't named her yet but will keep all posted.

I will include a picture today but will post the birthing video soon.

Chickens and Star

I really have nothing noteworthy today. Star still hasn't had her foal. She is huge and so is her udder. She is about 19 days past her projected due date. She is making us all nuts! Will try to post a picture of her tomorrow.

Worked on cleaning out the chicken coop. Almost done. Will clean out nest boxes tomorrow. I love my chickens!

Star

Still no foal! Star is soooo uncomfortable. Her udder is huge and she looks like she is walking bowlegged! She spends the day outside and nights inside to keep her stall cleaner. I will post a pic of her tomorrow unless I have a video!!

We tried out the "new" old corn picker today. It does a good job. Something happened though and the chain jumped off the gears. George worked on it this afternoon but it still isn't fixed yet. Sure beats picking by hand.

I started to clean the chicken coop today and will work on it tomorrrow. That is a dirty job as it hasn't been cleaned since last fall. Will make great compost and fertilizer for the gardens. I put manure in the flower gardens and the flowers are beautiful. They love the manure. Chicken manure is stronger than the goat manure so if I use it full strength I usually use the goat but will use chicken if it isn't too close to the plants.

Will keep updated 'bout Star.

Sleigh Rides and Star

Tonight we did several rides. I had some family come up for a ride and to see where we work. Dylan was there. Our friends the Mahoneys came over and brought Dylan a signed Andrew Weibrecht card. They went to the celebration in Lake Placid, NY. We weren't super busy tonight but met some very nice people. When it is slower we get a chance to spend a little more time with the riders.

Star's bag is HUGE!! Much bigger than this morning Will keep you updated. She acts so uncomfortable...understandable!!

Corn Picking No More

Today we went to Melrose, NY (near Albany) and bought a corn picker. That means I won't have to pick by hand anymore! It is tractor drawn but 25-30 years old. Seems to run good. George can't wait for the snow to drop so he can try it. It was wider than the trailer so they loaded it with one wheel hanging off the side of the trailer. Thankfully, our trip was uneventful. It rained almost all day and seemed to rain the hardest while they were loading. I sat in the drivers seat so I could back the trailer under the picker when told to do so! That was the best seat to have under the circumstances.

Star is still continuing to bag up but no waxing of the teats yet. Hopefully not much longer. My camera is ready...just hope she doesn't wait until I leave for a few minutes. I had a donkey do that one time. I kept checking her and watching her with the binoculars. She was acting perfectly normal so I ran into town and was gone for less than an hour. When I came home I looked with the binoculars and she seemed to be preoccupied with something on the ground. Sure enough, she had her baby in that little bit of time. They can't be trusted!!!

Snow, Snow and more Snow

It's been awhile since I've had the chance to update.

First, there is no baby yet! She is bagging by the day though. Barn is ready for her and we will start bringing her in at night. Will keep you posted.

This past weekend was a busy one. We were wrapping up President's Week and glad it is over! A new friend, Hugh, his wife and a friend came with us just for the "fun" of working with the horses. Hope they had a good time. My mother and Dylan came with us too. Dylan worked and played hard. He was falling asleep in his plate of pizza at Pizza Hut!! Maybe in a few years he will do some of the sleigh rides for us.

Today we got alot of snow! I LOVE snow! I went snowshoeing this morning with the dogs. Picture is of Bella (Newfie/Saint) sound asleep on the couch with the cat. I guess she can't play with the big dogs and ought to stay on the porch...or should I say couch!!

Then I made a snowgirl. I haven't done that since my girls were little. The snow is perfect. If you haven't made one lately this is your chance. I wanted George to help but he wouldn't. I wanted one big enough to have to use the tractor but he said, "NO"! I finally got him to come out and take a picture. Oh well.

Life's Crazy Moments

Yesterday we took our Amish friend,Dan,home. We stayed for lunch and his mother served water buffalo. You may think, ugggh, who eats that but it was pretty good. It sure beats fried pig brain!!! We were there one night after they butchered and ate dinner. It is hard to see because it was after dark and they only have kerosene lamps to see by. Everything is passed around the table and I took a bit of everything. After I ate most of the food on my plate the boys asked me how it was. They proceeded to inform me that I just ate pig brain!!! I really thought I was going to vomit but I didn't. I did quiver every time I thought about it though! Now I really check out what I am served. They still laugh at me every time I eat there.


We did sleigh rides tonight in Lake Clear. We were quite busy. Met some very nice people who enjoyed their ride. One young girl took quite a few pics and she is going to send me some of the ride and the horses which I will post when I get them.

New friends will be going to Lake Clear with us tomorrow. Hugh sounds anxious to get to work with the horses.

Star is bagging up a bit more every day. Will keep posting her progress.

Sandy, Renee, Owen and Nick were over this morning. Never a dull moment and it seems when someone is here things get quite interesting!! We had our stud Mammoth Donkey, Ty and 2 draft mares in the barn. One or maybe both mares are in heat...need I say more? I could say more but this isn't the place...you really needed to be here to appreciate the moment! Ask Sandy and she will attest to the show. Sorry, no pics available!!

Sleigh Rides and Chores

Wow! It has been awhile since I have had a chance to blog! We have done sleigh rides every day and had chores to get done. No time to update as we would get back late and I was too tired.

Star is beginning to bag up!! It's about time! Will keep everyone informed of any new progress and hope to see the birth.

Did a ride for the Hockney family and they are always fun. I drove the sleigh and then they went into The Lodge for dinner. I am posting their last years picture and if I get a new one I will post it.

Sunday we did a ride for my relatives. Christine and Gregg picked up Harriett and met at Deb and Jim's. They had a good time. Dylan was there too so I got a pic of him on the horses.

Last night we met Bob, Sandy, Renee, Nick and Owen at The Lodge. They took a ride and had dinner. We stayed and crashed their dinner. Owen is quite a ham! He went out with George and Bob to put out the lanterns. He was tired when they came back. Bet he fell asleep just out the driveway! Got to catch up on all the family happenings.

I suppose I should really try to get something done today.

Friends and Work

This morning I got a call from Pat Parker from Parker Family Maple Farm to confirm dates we will be doing horse drawn wagon rides at their farm. They are local producers of some great maple syrup! We have been working there for several years and it seems to get busier every year. If you've never been there you should put it on your agenda. The dates are 3/20, 3/21 and 3/27, 3/28. The rides are free.

Ben Clark, former neighbor and farm helper, stopped by today to visit. We don't see too much of him now that he has this fancy job...travels all over the country, makes big money, you know...lives the good life now!! I think he got hit in the head by a bale of hay many years ago and that really helped make him the man he is today! It couldn't have hurt too much because he misses farming now.

We are headed out for sleigh rides tonight. Weather is great, not too cold, so it should be a good night. I will post again if anything out of the ordinary happens.

Oh yea, Star still has no udder but is huge! She drives us crazy!

Corn Picking and Sleigh Rides

Not much to report tonight. Picked corn today and then went to do some sleigh rides. We are about half done picking corn. Hope to find a corn picker before next year. It will save us so much time. The horses love the corn. They get some every day. Met some neat people tonight doing sleigh rides.

Star still doesn't have an udder. She will probably be late but that will be better for us. Her due date is Feb 15 and that is a busy week for us so if she waits until after President's week we will be here more. Will update ASAP.

Winterfest in Morrisonville

What a busy day! We did wagon rides for the Winterfest at the American Legion in Morrisonville from 12-3, loaded the horses with their harnesses still on and did sleigh rides from 5-8pm at The Lodge on Lake Clear. Horses are pretty tired tonight. I am too.

Time to hit the sheets!

Sleigh Ride Proposal

Sleigh Rides again tonight. We did a ride for Pat's 4-H group today. Everyone had a good time. Picture tells the story better than anything I might say.

Had a proposal tonight and she said "Yes!" after she got done crying. All the while on the ride she kept saying he was the best boyfriend ever. She waited her whole life for a sleigh ride so she didn't think it was anything more than that. He did a great job planning this proposal. Some men just know how to do it!!

Time for bed...11:30pm is just tooooo late for me!

Draft Horse and Corn Picking

Picked corn again today. I love picking corn by hand...it is mindless work, like weeding the garden. It gives my brain a rest!!! What little one I have! We have about 30+ rows left to pick, maybe we are half way done. I hope to get it picked by the time we have to plant again in the spring!!

Star is no closer to foaling. No bag yet, just a huge belly. I hope to video the birth so I can post it here. It is supposed to be due Feb. 15 but I think it will be later than that.

Time for bed...5:30am comes too soon for me.

Sleigh Rides Again

We had to work today...it was an easy day as we only had one ride. There was a birthday party at The Lodge so we took them for a quick ride. All seemed to enjoy! Weather was warmer than yesterday. It got to about 23 above so that quite tolerable.

Star still has no bag and she is due Feb 15th. Think she may go later but hope to catch the birth and post the video. Will keep everyone updated.

Full Moon Sleigh Rides

Tonight is a FULL moon or "wolf moon". Don't know why it is called that but I believe there is a reason. While George and I were visiting with some sleigh riders at The Lodge on Lake Clear there were 2 clear howls! I have heard coyotes all my life and these were not yips but definately howls! It was very cool.

It was -11 degrees when we left Lake Clear. Sure am glad the heater finally works!

Our friends, The Mahoney's, came to see us tonight. Always fun to see them and Mikey but she was sleeping tonight. They brought Dylan (my nephew) some John Deere gummies. He is a huge JD fan. Hope to see them again around President's week.

Too late for me to be up...time to hit the sheets!

Wicked Cold Today

Had to put out round bales today and it was soooooo cold! Horses don't seem to mind as much as we do. Put Ty (mammoth donkey) in the barn yesterday and didn't let him out today. Did put his coat back on and plan on leaving him in the barn for the next couple of days.

Closed the chickens in the coop and they can come out when it warms up by Monday. They don't mind but I like to let them out when possible. They lay better and don't eat their own eggs when they spend time outside.

Star (draft mare) is due with foal Feb 15. No bag yet. Will keep all posted.

First day blogging

I am learing how to blogg today...I will update ASAP!! Visit our site. cdfarm