Bunny Breeding

This is My daughter Charlotte with our bunny Fern just before Easter. Fern is a California, New Zealand cross doe. She will be old enough this coming week for her first breeding. Her kits will hopefully be the the first babies born on Fern Meadow. They are however slated to fill our freezer for winter so I will probably spare you pictures of them. Fern however will hopefully stay with us for many years as breed momma, so she has a name and is part of the barn family.

A Furniture Project.

This is an old buffet that was gifted to me by a grandmother of my husband. She showed up with this, a drop leaf table and the rest of the truck bed full of plants! Needles to say it was like Christmas for me. You'll have to wait till the weekend to see what I've done to her.

Things that make Fern Meadow home

When I became really serious about searching for the place that would be our home and become all we dreamed of creating, I made an extensive list of things that it would have. One of them was a fireplace in the parlor. I can't help it, the basis for my style will always start with the classics. Nothing compares to a crackling fire on a cool fall day, or a mantle to decorate for Christmas. When we toured our place this was the last room we saw and this fireplace clinched the deal. Through the months of inspections and negotiations I would picture myself sitting by the fire with a cup of hot cider and it got me through. Here she is done up simply for summer.

ok forget what I said about the name change Because, DH totally nixed it. Seems he has gotten attached to Fern Meadow, so it has to stay. Since he never picks anything, and rarely gets attached to such things, I am honoring his wishes. Really it just makes it all the more special to me.

My Ity Bity Barn

It was just a plain old brown and white shed when we moved in. No window or flowers or cupola. I still have big plans for this, such as a living sod roof with wild flowers.

Pics and Projects

This is an arrangement that I collected from around the farm earlier this spring.

 I have an obsession with all things bird related and have an extensive collection of abandoned nests that I hope to create arranged art with in the future.

Technical Problems & A name change!

     Well, I am having trouble getting my photos on the computer due to my printer not behaving so the other intros will have to wait. In the meantime I would like to reintroduce my farm. Now officially Firefly Farm. I was chewing over several names when I started this blog, but today this just stuck out. The simplicity appeals to me . There is also a personal connection to this place. Today is the one year anniversary of this little bit of land becoming mine, and the fireflies have been in full swing! So this is it, home forever-Firefly Farm...
     I feel that even without photos yet I should give a bit of a roll call just to make the progress of this place in one year's time a bit more real. First is Silver cat,the only critter to arrive with us from the old place. Next Frankie, Bonnie, and Charity ,who is now Chaucer due to a mix up by her, I mean His previous owner. They are Rex rabbits I received as a gift. The boys will be my breeding bucks. Then my chicks arrived ! The flock now consists of 12 hens and three roosters, Le Stat, Louie, and Armond. Next I purchased a California New Zealand cross doe. Fern will be my breed doe, and I hope she gives me kits in September. Giacomo was next to arrive. He is a  white weathered Romney ram lamb. He was not in my original plans. I wanted fiber animals and was going to start with goats, but the opportunity came up for him instead. He has worked out so well that I am now quite certain that I will remain a shepherdess for a long time. I am currently desperately trying to bring home two little sisters for him. No luck so far. Last to arrive is McQueen. He is just a little old Dutch rabbit, here to retire like Bonnie. They are helping to provide much needed material to build my future soil fertility.
     So , that is everyone. I, with the help of the very tolerant man in my life,  have worked each of these souls into the routine of my life. We have designed and built the housing and care facilities that will help to keep them safe and the wheels of this place turning. This has been a giant leaping start, and it feels great to be off at a run!

Introduction Photos

My Banties upon arrival, back on a very icy day in March.

Frankie Figs , my full size Rex buck.

Wow, it has been way too long!

So, spring has come, and almost gone. It has been unbelievably busy. I am making a commitment to my self to post at least 3 times a week starting now.
     Yesterday was an important milestone in my farming life. I butchered my first chicken! It was not as bad as I thought, and my fascination and curiosity kept me from getting yucked out. Everything went very smoothly,and I cant wait to cook him up. After many months of caring for several animals, building facilities and preparing planting beds, I feel like this makes me a farmer for real.
     I have spent the last few months brooding chicks, bottle feeding a lamb, and planting perennials. I have completed several furniture makeovers, rearranged my parlor and boudoir, and finally bit into my kitchen reno. The "barn" has been coming along, as well as outside painting projects. Today I started refinishing an old buffet for my dining room, so far I hate it, we'll see. Mrs. N. signing off-  
P. S. Stay tuned for lots of pics!!!

Waiting for Spring

Today is as good as any to begin writing. The weather is hanging at a dreary 30 or so and there are flood and wind warnings for this afternnoon. The wind has me most worried since this is what happened in the last wind storm- 

Yikes!

     I am wishing, like everyone else, for those first warm breezes, and the sound of sweet birdsong. I can't wait to dig in to the soil out back and see what it may have to offer all my lush garden desires, I want to wrench open these old rotting windows and let the fresh air clean away the winter blues. 

     Our move happened in the midst of high summer and my second pregnancy, the house had no furnace, hotwater heater, stove, or laundry room. Every room needed serious scrubbing and paint. My husband works long summer hours so it was all up to me with a 2 year old in tow. Now that I am through that insanity, spring will be the start of getting to really put my personal shine on the place. 

     However, against my wishes, those huge pines you see towering behind the house, must come down first thing. I had hoped to set a huge dining table under them and hang candles from the boughs someday. That is not to be becase they could at anytime come crashing through the roof, as they saw fit to demonstrate last Saturday. So I will spend this wind warning hoping they can wait until the tree man comes for a visit.