Around the farm...

Hi Everyone!  I have something a little different to share with you today....scenes from around the farm.  Things have been happening around the farm lately.  A couple of weeks ago they came and cut the grass for haying...

...and raked it...

...then came back a few days later and baled it....

 ...into large rectangular bales....

....and then of course they returned to pick them up as most of them had already been sold.  While this has been going on, I've been working not on my house...that's on hold for a while...I've been trying to get ready for an upcoming open house and the Clarinda Craft Carnival that I attend every year.  This year, it's the only Fair that I will be attending so I need to make sure it's a good one.  Remodeling the house this year was the priority so I didn't attend any other fairs and I wasn't able to have an open house this spring, but I'm working on having one this fall and definitely before Christmas!  Tomorrow I'll show you what else has been going on around the farm.  Thanks for stopping by.

A ladder and making hay...

Hi Everyone!  I hope your weekend was great and your week is off to a grand start!  I worked out in the shop this weekend (which is always good) but I didn't get enough done.  So today I'm just going to show you the little ladder I picked up on Saturday.

 I went to Weston Primitive Company's Open House on Saturday and picked up this great little ladder.  It's a great color and size.

I love that it's a two-sided step ladder, meaning that the steps are the same on both sides.  It's the perfect ladder for creating shelves.  By putting boards across the steps it becomes an instant shelf which will be great for taking to my showings and creating vertical show space by placing it on top of  a table.

 And they came Sunday morning and turn the hay and raked it into bigger piles....

 ....really big piles....

 And then they came back Sunday evening and started to bale it.  They baled most of it in these giant square bales...

.....but they ran out of daylight and we think they are going to do the part in the second hay picture in small square bales because it's the better hay for feeding horses. 

 So hopefully they will be back today to finish.  Anything exciting happen at your place this weekend?  Thanks for stopping by.

At the farm...

Hi Everyone!  I hope you have wonderful plans for this weekend.  I'm planning on getting some work done in the shop.  So hopefully I'll have plenty of things to share with you next week.  But today I thought I'd show you a couple of things going on at the farm.

 It's hay time!  What a beautiful sight!

 In fact, it's past hay time.  Each time they were ready to cut the hay it rained but yesterday they were able to cut and rake the hay.  Now it just needs to dry and then it can be baled.

 And while I was out with the dogs last evening, I saw this mom and her baby in the hay field.  By the time I had gotten the camera, they had moved to the road.

 The baby is young and little and was moving very tentatively on it's legs.  I have seen the mom in the pasture the last month or so but never got to see the baby due to the high grass.

 Here she is waiting for the baby to cross the road and deep ditch to join her in the field across the road.

 I'm guessing mom wasn't too happy when the pasture was cut today....it was a great place to hid a baby...

...and there they are back together in the bean field across the road.  It was fun to watch them together.  Sorry the pictures aren't any better but I wasn't able to get any closer.  Any interesting critters outside your door lately?  Well, now I need to get out to the shop, it's going to be hot today.  Thanks for stopping by.

We're havin' a heat wave...

...a tropical heat wave...the temperature's rising...it isn't surprising....she certainly can...can-can.....Boy is it hot out!  Hi Everyone!  I have this song going through my head...so I had to share it with you!  I hate hot weather.  At least really hot weather.  There isn't any air movement either which makes it feel even worse. 

And do you know what hot weather is good for?......

 ....well on the farm.....

....this is what happens during hot weather...

 ....the grass was mowed Tuesday.....

 ....left to dry on Wednesday....

 ....raked this morning....

....and baled this afternoon....and now is being picked up and loaded as I write this.  And it's hot out.  And they are doing this on a tractor without a cab...no air conditioning...and no air movement....it's so hot out that it takes your breath away.  But it's done...well almost.

Have you been watching the Olympic Swim Trials that are going on in Omaha?  This is located about an hour from me.  Oh how I wish I could have attended.  Back in the day I was a swimmer.  My events were the 100 and 200 Butterfly, the 100, 200 and 500 Freestyle, and both relays.  I loved swimming and I love watching these trials and the Olympic hopefuls.  I can't wait for the Olympics.

Here's a peek at what I was working on Tuesday on my day off.  I didn't get it finished because I had to go to my parents to do my mom's hair and by the time I got back it was just too hot to work out in the shop.  This is the first thing I need to finish when I get out to the shop this weekend since it's for a client.  But I already think I'm going to change the top to something a bit wider.  I'm so glad I didn't attach it.  Be careful if you're in this heat wave.  Drink plenty of fluids and don't over stress yourself.  Thanks for stopping by.

Around the farm....

Hi Everyone!  I hope you are having a great week.  Today is my day off so I will be busy working out in the shop.  I am going to finish that bench today (I mostly finished it last night but needed to make a stop at the lumber yard) and I have to get working on that coffee table.  I thought I'd share a few things that are happening around the farm.

 The corn was planted a few weeks ago and is growing nicely.

 And we've got grass.  It's just about ready to be cut, raked, and baled into hay.  When the wind is blowing (likes it's been doing a lot lately) the grass looks like ocean waves moving across the pasture.  It really is an interesting sight.

 And in that grass is a lot of little purple flowers...it's actually called red clover.  And the cattle and horses love it.

 The grass is early this year.  It's almost a month ahead of schedule.  After it's cut and baled, we need some more rain so we can get a second cutting off of it.

 And this is the view outside my front door.  This field, directly across the road was planted last week with beans so that's why it still looks bare.  It needs a little rain too.  And do you see that sign...

 They are selling this land.  Oh how I wish I could buy it.  But I don't have that kind of money laying around.  Land around here has been going for upwards of $5,000 an acre.  If I had that kind of money, I'd be opening my own shop...not buying land.

I just hope it's new owner buys it for farm land and not too build on.  I really don't want a neighbor directly across the road.  It would destroy my view! 

I wanted to show you an antler that I found in our pasture a couple of weeks ago.  I had taken the golf cart down in the pasture and came across this.  Too bad it has a broken tip. 

And here's a peek at the back of the bench I should be finishing up today!  YEAH!  I will share it when I'm finished building it.  Now I have to get ready and get out to the shop.  Have a great day!  And as always, thanks for stopping by.

New finds...

Hi Everyone!  I hope your week is off to a great start.  I am in the process of getting ready for my first ever Spring Craft Fair.  I've only ever done fall shows so I'm having a bit of trouble deciding what exactly to make and take to this fair.  It's one I've never been to (not even as a shopper) so I really don't know what I'm getting myself into.  And it's a two day fair.  Again, something I haven't done before.  So I also don't know how much stuff to take.  I am trying to make sure I have enough inventory and a variety. 

On that note, one of the things I've been taking to all my fairs are my version of a message/picture board.  Which I've shared with you here and here.  On my lunch break today, I stopped by one of the antique/junk shops to see if he had any frames available..and this is what I walked away with.

 I could make them, but why not recycle existing frames, if I can find them.

 Some of the time the frames are very ornate, but this time they all have simple lines.

 But I like the variety of shapes and sizes.

 This one needs a bit of work but I couldn't pass up the price.

 And this one is oak, but I have no problem painting it.

So with some paint, wire and clips, these will all be turned into my version of message boards or for pictures or art work.  There are just so many possibilities.  I will show them to you once I'm done. 

If it doesn't rain tonight, tomorrow my dad and I will be putting fertilizer on all the pastures.  We won't be getting calves this year due to the high cattle prices, so instead we will be putting up hay.  And since Spring arrived so early here, if the rain holds up, we should be have several good cuttings of hay. 

This is a picture from last year.  So hopefully we'll see sights like this several times this year.  We're hoping for a good hay year.  And the part for my saw will be here later this week so hopefully I'll have some new projects to share soon!  Thanks for stopping by!

My nephew...

Hi Everyone!  Happy Saturday.  My nephew Quinton has been here for three weeks and today he is returning home.  My parents are meeting his Mom part way between their home and his home. 

This was his first trip over by himself and we had a great time.  He was a big help to me in the work shop and we made a few things together.  He helped exercise my dogs in the pasture, climbing hay bales with them and running them until everyone was tired. 

Hard at work in the workshop.  Making all sorts of things.  We had a good time together!

Thanks for all the help and the great memories!  Have a great rest of the summer Quinton!