Tuesday, April 23, 2013

Texas Sunset - right outside my studio window!

12 X 16 Oil on canvas mounted on board
Check with Artist for Availability
Wow - you wouldn't know it today that it's Springtime in Texas. The thermometer is supposed to drop into the 30's tonight. Guess I'll be out covering tomatoes, although I'm pretty sure they'll be OK - they've been out for a while now and are pretty hardy.
We have been working around the clock for the past couple weeks changing up the way we garden. We have built 4 raised beds in the "little" garden and filled them with a wonderful mixture of compost made from leaves, grass, and assorted manures. Never thought I could be so excited about varieties of poop!
The  big garden has had a layer of alpaca poop spread on it and the potatoes and English peas have survived the reoccurring frosts fairly well. In addition I have finished planting the corn, black eyed peas, purple hulls and green beans. The onions planted last fall from seed are beginning to make bulbs and the cows are getting chopped beets almost daily, although they don't really need it as we actually HAVE GRASS!
Abbey's 2 calves are getting quite big and since it's almost time to let her have a 2 month rest, I'll be listing them for sale soon. She is due to calve in July which means I'll be without fresh milk starting mid-May. Hopefully my tummy will understand...
More farm reports: The 14 chicks that hatched in the incubator 6 weeks go are all doing well and it looks like half are roosters - following the odds. Guess we'll be eating stewed chicken here in a couple months...
I have also ordered 10 turkeys from the feed store (it was the fewest I could get). I cannot imagine containing 10 turkeys, so I expect I will sell at least 6 of them on Craig's List. Ideally I would like to keep 2 for breeding and eat the rest. Turkeys are unpredictable, though, so we'll just go with the flow on this endeavor.
Oh, I almost forgot the most exciting news of all: I CAUGHT A BEE SWARM! Our bees had been acting restless for several days. I was heading out to the corral to check on something and when I walked under the cedar elm, I heard a loud buzzing and I wondered briefly why the bees were around a tree with no blossoms...? I look up and saw a hug football-sized wad of bees about 15 feet up. WOW! I ran to get Mike to bring me a ladder, a box and a saw while I hurriedly donned my beekeeping garb and mixed some sugar water spray. As it turned out, I really didn't need to be so cautious. While they flew madly around me as I sawed off the limb they were clinging to, none landed on me or even tried to sting. It was unnerving at first and I was shaking all over, but it was exhilarating, too!
We called our friends, fellow beekeepers, and offered the swarm to them, as they had lost theirs due to cold this past winter. PLUS they are our alpaca poop providers and I feel we are still getting the best end of the deal! Boy, this has been a busy Spring!
Leviticus 26:5
Your threshing will continue until grape harvest and the grape harvest will continue until planting, and you will eat all the food you want and live in safety in your land.

If you are interested in this painting, click here to send me an email. I accept checks and Paypal. I can also arrange LAYAWAY. To view my latest paintings on Daily Painters go HERE. To view larger paintings, go to my Website HERE. To view a wealth of OTHER Texas Artists, enjoy THIS site!

Wednesday, April 10, 2013

# 36 For the Love of Goats

8 X 10 Oil on Canvas
Check with Artist for Availability
This adorable creature is owned by Caitlyn Menne of Oregon and is a Nubian dairy goat. At 20 years of age, Caitlyn describes herself as "a jack of all trades, and master at none, I dabble in this and that. Farmer, writer, goat raiser, herbalist, aspiring cheese maker, spinner, teacher — if pushed for a straightforward answer, I'll say that I'm a grass farmer; pure and simple." Caitlyn raises these beauties and has lofty plans for them which you can read about HERE.
My little part of Texas has received 3 small rains in the past 3 weeks and for that we are very grateful. We are not, however, grateful for the frost we are supposed to endure tonight. The tomatoes are covered, the chicks are in the coop and the calves are bedded. The weather isn't nearly as bad as that of some of my northern friends, but is not natural for April anywhere! With the exception of one late peach, all the fruit trees bloomed early and lost their fruit to 2 other late frosts, so I have just about written off that crop. 
We are proceeding with the construction of 4 raised vegetable beds. Two are completed with two to go. I can only build one at a time - Mike moves the bricks with the tractor's front loader, but they still have to placed after the ground is leveled, and that is back breaking. We scraped the bottom of the old pond before the rains hit and have a huge pile of sediment that we are placing in the bottom of the beds. In addition I have a gigantic leaf/grass compost pile and tons of composted manure from the barn to top it all off. I may not get much else planted this year, but these beds should be producers - IF we can keep the chickens out of them! 
Psalm 147:7
Sing to the Lord with grateful praise; make music to our God on the harp.
If you are interested in this painting, click here to send me an email. I accept checks and Paypal. I can also arrange LAYAWAY. To view my latest paintings on Daily Painters go HERE. To view larger paintings, go to my Website HERE. To view a wealth of OTHER Texas Artists, enjoy THIS site!