Tattle Tell Pot Belly Pigs

Hammy has now picked up Petunia's evening routine of "telling on" others. Petunia "tells on" Hammy when he takes over the food bowl and NOW Hammy tells on Billy (a sweet goat) by doing exactly the same thing despite the fact Billy eats the stuff the pigs pick over. So, now I have two tattle tell pigs who come running over and touch my leg with their snoots to "tell" on one of their herd mates so I will make the other let them back in. Only on my farm, lol...

Barn Quilting Fun:)

I absolutely LOVE my hobby:). I am determined to add a little whimsy to all of our outbuildings and barns:)... 

Who Lives Here?

I love creating intentional and unintentional homes for animals around our farm. Makes me wonder who lives in this cute little house:). 

My Newest Barn Quilt...

I absolutely LOVE making these things! They add so much character and whimsy around the farmstead. I usually start out with one idea or pattern in mind and end up with something totally different:). 

Barn Quilt fun...

I love making these things! They add so much character to barns and outbuildings:). 

A Day in the Life of a Former Barn Kitty...

So... Years ago, while living in Oregon, a young girl caught these two feral kittens and brought them to our house. I kept them in a crate in the barn overnight and gave them food and water. I am guessing they were 8-12 weeks old at the time. The next day, I let them out of the crates and hoped they would stay around because I had been looking for a barn cat. 

They grew and grew and I had one spayed and the other neutered. 

A neighbor spotted a mountain lion in the area, so everyone was on alert. The male barn cat came up missing, so we assume he ended up being eaten by the mountain lion. The female cat adjusted to no longer having another cat around and stayed.  

My husband and I would hike up on the back of our property where there was a beautiful waterfall and natural pools. The barn cat would follow us. When we crossed creeks, she would wait at the edge of the creek for us to lift her over. She is the sweetest barn cat I've ever encountered. And... Especially since she was a feral.

We decided to move to the east coast and transported ALL of our animals with us, including Barn Kitty. We had engine trouble in Nebraska and were stranded there for a week. I found horse hotels for the horses, goats, and sheep. But the pigs and cat were confined to my tack room for the entire week b/c if I would have unloaded them, I would have never gotten them re-loaded (the pigs). The cat was a barn cat, and not house trained, so I couldn't take her into a hotel. 

When we FINALLY made our destination (east coast), we kept barn kitty in a crate overnight in the barn, once again with the hope she would get oriented and not run off. 

We were lucky. We let her out the next day and she stayed with us. 

She was a great barn cat and always caught mice and other things she left at the barn door as treats for us (lol). Two years passed, and out of the blue, she began to fall violently to the ground. My hubby and I rushed her to the vet where we learned she had inner ear disease. They treated it with antibiotics just to make sure it wouldn't clear up (and it didn't). So, the put her on a regimen of Dex and Meclasine.

We learned she would have this condition forever. The options were to put her down or make her an indoor cat. 

We have FIVE dogs and one pig indoors. None had ever been exposed to a cat. We hoped we would be able to make the transition. Everyday the dogs would peer and bark at her through the baby gate we put up to separate them. They wanted to eat her...

We would bring her out and keep the dogs at bay each day at increasing time intervals to try to get them all socialized. 

Months passed, and our routine finally worked.

Barn Kitty is now an indoor cat, has never had an accident in the house. She took to the litter box like stink on shit... She hates her daily medicine regimen, but it keeps her from having "the dropsies," as we call it. 

She is the sweetest girl and has been through so much in her short little life. She has been such a great addition to our crazy house. We absolutely adore her! She is one of the crew now:). 

Newest Barn Quilt

I LOVE making these barn quilts. They add so much character to barns and other out-buildings:).

My Inactivity...

I have been inactive lately... Very inactive! I would like to apologize for my absence, BUT, I do have exciting news to report... During my absence, I was productive... Very productive. I wrote 2 children's books and a dystopian novel... 

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/reviews/afraid-of-the-dark-holly-smith/1122407407?ean=9781681641133

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/animal-lives-matter-holly-smith/1122853486?ean=9781514805756

My novel is with the publisher. You are not going to want to miss this one!!! 

Afraid of the Dark

https://www.facebook.com/afraidofthedarkamelia?ref=aymt_homepage_panel

Been a Little Busy Lately........

So....... I've basically been locked in the house for 3 days banging out this story idea and drawing..... I literally drew an entire children's book and wrote the 1st draft in this time.... Okay... Some of my drawings are repurposed drawings I've never done anything with, but......... I am EXCITED about this one:)....... Can't say anything else about it but will "tell" when the time comes:)! 

Snake Poooooo

Awwww my gaawwwdddd.... I am literally at the brink of insanity with all of these snake issues..... Snake Pooh........ 

Hard Working Little Bee...

This is the most adorable and hard working little bee ever. Was careful not to disturb:). Must be some type of pygmy??? 

Beauty Around the Farm...

Trying to breath and enjoy beauty around the farm instead of focusing on all of the damn snakes I have encountered lately. I have seen more snakes in a 2 week period than I have ever seen in my life. I encountered a copperhead in the garden yesterday (woooo freakin' hoo for me). By the time I returned with a gun, it was gone. Of course.... So... Every time I return to the garden, I will be worried about copperheads. FML.... 

Fingers Crossed...

Fingers crossed with the hope this is a muscadine vine growing in my holly bush. If so, I will dig it up and relocate it this fall:). 

muscadines, mexican shell flowers, evening sunflower:)....

HOW can people NOT love plants??????? Lovin' life!!! 

Tomato Suckers

When these tomato plant suckers take root in about 2 weeks, they will be added to my garden. Yay for adding 40 additional plants for free.... Canning... Here I come!!! 

Mexican Shell Flower

I LOVE these Mexican Shell Flowers:). 

Pigs Gone Wild!!!

This is what happens when u leave ur full garden bucket where the pig can reach it (kitchen chair)... she literally ate every cucumber and tomato. I guess she already had her dinner. Lol. Last pic of radishes gone to seed.

Beauty Around the Farm

Took a break to enjoy some beauty around our farm... I love taking time out to "smell the flowers," so to speak:). 

I'd Say He Is Desensitized to Snakes:)

Bug surprised the heck out of me today. He snatched this snake up (chomping on it) and slung it around for a good minute.... I guess he's desensitized enough, lol... 

Not 1, Not 2, But THREE snakes in the chicken coop tonight...

Cabbage Gone to Seed

This is what cabbage looks like when you let it go to seed:).

Chicken Attacked...

Feeling happy!!! One of our red hens was attacked by a dog a week and a half ago or so... She had one external puncture, wouldn't walk (limped when she did), was panting, making gurgling noises, and had blood in her mouth... She is one of our sweetest hens and a great layer. So, I decided to bring her inside, bath her, and dress her wounds (just sprayed blue kote on the puncture site). I gave her tylan injections for 4 days just in case. She WOULD NOT eat on her own. I realized the panting meant she was in pain. So, everyday, for a week and a half, I crushed a half of an orange flavored low dose aspirin up, mixed it with raw egg, apple juice, electrolite paste, and yogurt. Every couple of hours, I forced a couple of syringes full of the liquid down her throat. The panting stopped and I didn't notice anymore blood in her mouth. She eventually started standing up in the bathroom and made small improvements each day... We let her back out with her flock today.. She was pecking around in the yard and seemed happy and in no apparent pain. She has a small limp (probably a broken bone somewhere), but she is okay and seems happy. Like I sad, no apparent pain anymore. So happy we decided to let her recoup and didn't cull her b/c we ASSUMED she wouldn't make it...

Chicken Popcycles

It has been so hot here, I decided to make chicken popcycles to help keep the babies cool, happy, and comfortable... 

I love the cartoon artists at Fiverr;).

Smiling Animals:)...