The Cooksy's Hacienda

Last week we helped a dear friend get some painting done on his dream retirement home. Mr. and Mrs. Cooksey have always dreamed of owning an organic farm, and bought the land several years ago. Although they have been doing some of the farming, they have not been living on the property. Last year they started construction on the dwelling, and this summer they are close to moving in, but need to paint and put in the flooring, thus we found ourselves in South Carolina painting.

We packed up the camper, and the kids bikes, and the dog and made our way to Kershaw, SC, a place we had never been before. Mr. Cooksey has a trail around the perimeter of the property and his garden is all inclosed to keep out the deer and other animals. He also has a series of soaker hoses snaking through the garden to keep everything watered. The kids enjoyed the sand and the biking and Jeff and I painted. They kids also did some weeding in the garden, and a little painting. We got a lot completed, but we will have to go back and do a little more before the Cooksey's can move in.

Spring Pasture Maintenance

back of barn after a month

front of barn

back of barn in March

Kathleen pulling the plugger with gator

gathering equipment and seed

Last month the entire family worked many long hours and days in an attempt to bring our horse pastures back to life. We gathered rocks and branches, we filled holes, and kicked poop, we plugged, seeded and harrowed. Now a month after a few rains and some warm days, we are beginning to see more green than brown. Today we actually let the horse graze in the back field for the first time this year, and oh were they happy.

Death of the third bantam chicken

The Bantam Trio

Lightning was a little banny rooster,

and he was a beautiful bright red.

He had two little bantam friends,

but now all three are dead.

Gloria was a little brown hen,

and was a rare color 'twas said.

She and her friends played together,

but now all three are dead.

Honey was a pretty white rooster,

and his merry life was led.

But one morning there was a calamity,

and now all three are dead.

by Helena George

In 2008 we bought three bantam chicks, Gloria died within a few months, the second, Honey, died shortly after, but Lightning the red rooster died this afternoon. We were all sad.

Baby Goats

Yesterday, March the 28th, our nanny goat Rosebud, gave birth to three babies. Thankfully, all are well, despite their being born while we were gone, and in the rain.

Biltong

Last year some friends introduced me to the enjoyment of South African jerky, called biltong, I was immediately hooked. After spending a good amount of money buying it, I decided that there had to be a way of making it myself. After some internet searching I found a site called biltongbox.com and there was my answer. It is a website for people who, most likely, grew up in South Africa eating the stuff, but no longer live there and miss the taste.

So, I employed our friend Paul Trimble, who does a lot of handyman work for us, and gave him the plans for the box. He had it finished in less than a day and by the next day I had meat dying. It is very simple; beef, salt, vinegar, pepper and coriander, dry and cut. It all takes 2-3 days to process and dry, and about one day to eat. Most of us here on the farm like it, I do know some people who don't like, and that can't be understood.

Family Ski Trip

Ober Gatlinburg resort. Robert is the lone skier on the slope.

Smokey Mountain National Park

Gatlinburg, view from tram.

This week we took the kids skiing for their first time. We went to Gatlinburg TN, a resort in the Smokey Mountains of TN, we all had a great time.

We all went to the ski school before hitting the slopes, and Jeff and the kids did great. They moved from the lesson slope to the next level very quickly, and by day two, Jeff and Maria were ready for the black diamonds. I on the other hand had to spend all of the first day, and half of the second day on the lesson slope. I eventually figured it out and we all enjoyed riding the lifts and skiing together. It was a great trip and a lot of fun for all.

We also went ice skating at the ski resort and everyone did well. It had been years since any of us had been skating and Helena and Robert had never been before.

Gatlinburg has a new aquarium and it was very nice. We had never been to an aquarium where you walk under the tank and the fish swim on three sides of the walkway.

We rented a cabin that has a hot tub and we all sat in the hot tub at the end of the day. It was difficult stepping outside in your swimsuit when it was 33 and snowing, but the water felt so good.

Snow Storm #3

Yes indeed we had a third snow storm. This was the same storm system that headed for DC and dropped 2 feet of snow. We, thankfully, were on the southern edge and only got 4-5 inches of snow overnight and then rain all day yesterday.

It was beautiful in the morning, one of those postcard snows, big wet flakes that weighed down the tree branches, but by lunch it was rain, and by the end of the day we were a swamp with a layer of snow on top. We are very grateful that we had no ice and we did not lose power, we even did school work, and went out for supper:)