The melodic songs of the mountain bluebird and larks have returned as the voice of spring in our highland mountain home. And last week, we spotted the first Swallowtail, Spring Azure, and Mourning Cloak butterflies. There are lots of baby animals on the Ranch: Alpine goat kids, Shetland lambs, Delaware and Australorp chicks; with Satin [...]
Here are just a few of the adorable new Shetland lambies. It is so much fun to watch them play- we call it Lamb Olympics!
We are back in green this year with the kitchen garden! We can hardly wait to reap the benefits on the dinner plate. For the past few years, we have not had a vegetable garden- the raised beds weren’t finished, not enough water, other projects became a priority, etc. Over the winter, Krystal was introduced [...]
On March 20, 2021, a batch of new chicks arrived on the ranch! Being that we have yet to find a breed that fits what we’re looking for in a sustainable homestead flock, we decided to try two new heritage breeds: Delaware and Australorp (the blue variety.) We are also using some techniques to brood [...]
Can it really be so long since I last posted? Apparently so. As you can guess, it's been busy on the Ranch. Life in general get's that way! We've dealt with personal health challenges, installed a septic system, welcomed another granddaughter into the family, raised a litter of Havanese puppies, and survived a pandemic... among [...]
May 15th couldn’t come soon enough. That was the day chosen for the arrival of our little Havanese family addition. Welcome home to the ranch, Shiloh! As Natural Rearing Breeders of English Shepherds and Krystal being a Certified Small Animal Naturopath, finding a Naturally Reared Havanese puppy was vitally important. We found Patty Jicha of [...]
Every autumn the age-old question “Are you ready for winter?” starts to pepper local conversations. Being ready for winter in our remote mountain area means different things for different people. Some things need doing every year; others don’t, so our list changes from year-to-year. For 2018 it includes the following: Cut, chop, and stack firewood- [...]
A few years ago, a friend mentioned something about chemicals in baking soda. I dismissed it thinking she must have meant to say baking powder, not soda. We all know there is aluminum in baking powder. And then I started watching this neat YouTube channel called Off Grid with Doug and Stacy. In one video, [...]
The summer 2018 puppies arrived on August 4th! Siobhan had twelve puppies; sadly 3 were stillborn. It happens. The nine are doing wonderfully, strong and letting the world know they are here! There are five males and four females; half are Black & White, the others are Sable & White. You can follow their growth [...]
After a few years without, it appears we will finally have baby rabbits soon! Oh boy, I do love baby bunnies. Okay, okay, I love all the babies! Our black Satin doe Velvet is due the end of June. Satin rabbits are friendly, known for their lustrous fur that is wonderful for tanning, and are [...]
