"Critters" (part 3)

I could probably share hundreds of photos of our horses, dogs, and cats, but we'll save that for another time. Today, I introduce you to the world's most entertaining pig..........



guinea pig, that is!            

 This is Ema.  We've had her for nearly 2 years, now.  She is a very social creature!  Whenever you enter the room where she's kept, she "talks" to you.  In fact, if we are sitting at the dining room table having a conversation (just around the corner from her "bedroom"), she might just throw in her 2 cents.  She even has different little noises for each member of the family!

                                                                                                               
Ema must be quite the conversationalist, because we regularly find Lady and Mac visiting with her.

And, finally, we have our chickens:

At present, we have one rooster and 13 hens.  We've had a backyard flock for about 5 years now.  We like having a colorful variety, and have kept several different breeds from bantam silkies to leghorns to jersey giants over the years.

At this time, we have barred rocks, Rhode island reds, buff orpingtons, black austrolorps, one leghorn and one americana.

 We don't keep our own chickens to save money on groceries, because we really don't.  Our desire was for our kids to continue to have a direct connection to their food, even though we were no longer beef or dairy farming.  Our last home was less than ideal for gardening, so chickens were our best option.

Will is our resident "chicken whisperer".  He can calm and catch even the most flighty and frazzled bird in the flock!




Below, I am holding my beautiful rooster.  We actually raised him from an egg.  He is a cross between one of our buff orpingtons and a silkie-cross rooster.

My goal with the chickens is to double our flock by spring of 2016, and sell our free-range, farm fresh eggs.  We actually have an ideal location for a little farm stand.  We'll be getting our vegetable garden going this spring, too.....but, I digress........Let's get the maple syrup going first!

Very soon the conditions will be right for the sap to flow, so stay tuned.....

The "Critters" in Our Lives (part 1 of 3)

We've shared our lives with many animals over the years. I thought I'd take a couple of posts to introduce you to our current crew (for my fellow animal lovers!), because they are so entertaining and appear in so many of my photos.

We've been blessed with everything from dairy and beef cattle to a goat to guinea pigs in the last 18 years, but the "staples" in our lives have been dogs, cats and horses.  We believe God calls us to be good stewards of all that He shares with us, including the animals in our care, whether they are for food production or companionship.  And, so, with that in our hearts, we always strive to take the best care of our animals that we can!

Standing with me, above, is Ginger, our nine year old yellow lab whom we adopted from an Amish neighbor in Lancaster County, PA.  We first met her the day after she was born, and took her home 9 weeks later!  She received her little orange coat for Christmas this year because she can't quite handle the cold like she used to, but she's determined to stay outside with her family, no matter the weather.

 This is Macadamia Nut, aka. Mac.  He is just three years old.  While checking out a pony we were considering purchasing in Chester County, PA, Don and I fell in love with this guy, who was a pudgy little tank at just 10 weeks old. Needless to say, we left that stable with a dog, instead of a pony!  He will be in lots of my photos, because he LOVES to pose for pictures and he's always with us.  He's a hunting dog that missed his calling as a model!

Ginger and Mac (Oct. 2013)

 I cannot imagine my life without dogs.  They are a constant source of companionship and entertainment.

Ginger and Mac (Feb. 2013)

Currently, in our "rodent-control" department, we have our feline companions:

Lady, the youngest at only 9 months, is our female.  Adopted from the shelter where my daughter, Grace, volunteers, she has proven herself a mighty hunter. (And, quite photogenic!)

Bugsy, our largest cat, is 6 years old.  He got his name because his favorite past-time is chasing flying insects in the summertime!

Leo has been my long-time companion of 11+ years!  He was born behind a bush near the front door of our home while we were dairy farming.  His mama abandoned him there at 3 weeks of age, so I adopted him, and the rest is history!

Stay tuned to meet our horses and more......