Fowl

One of the clucks in horrible dress. She is in the process of losing just about all of her feathers in this picture taken in November All of the clucks have their feathers back now.

The flock of turkeys is growing. I think all but a few of the spring babies made it through the summer. There are over 20 of them now.

Recap 2014

     Hello. We at 3Beeze are still alive and doing well. Oh my goodness I can not tell you how crazy the past few months have been for us (it shows in my absence here). A quick recap of the last part of 2014 for us this first full week of this New Year. (Can't believe we are in January already.) Aug. 2014 had my mom and my aunt staying with us, as has been the tradition for the past 10 years. I always enjoy their visits. We visited with our niece and her husband who came up for a job interview which went well. Sept. 2014 had us deep in school. Me back to work and my son back to school like summer had never happened. There were some minor adjustments that needed to be made, which caused a good amount of stress for my son the first month or so and then things finally settled into a nice routine by the time Oct. rolled in. Oct. 2014 had us humans settled but the lady clucks were in the beginning stages of one heck of a molt. We're talking next to no feathers left on their bodies. Wow, they are sure ugly when they go through this kind of a molt and we had no eggs. Nov. 2014 had us with an additional 4 mouths and bodies in our house. Our niece with her two boys and husband were staying with us until they could secure a home. That was one long and hectic month. With still no eggs. Thanksgiving was a full house. With 12 hungry mouths at the farm table. Food was awesome and there were mounds of left overs. We had to add a table and use some creative seating tactics and pull out two sets of dishes but everyone left happy and full. Our home was ours again. Everyone went home. Time enough to get my house back in order and rooms back that we had given over to our niece and her family. Mountains of bed clothes to wash. I thought I'd never finish. I did. Just in time to put harvest decorations away and pull out Christmas. With just two weeks before the day. Then the gift shopping commenced. We kept it easy and light and enjoyed a very quiet and still Christmas holiday. Jan. 2015 -- here we are. With eggs!! The clucks decided they could lay eggs again. What a great way to start 2015!!

Smack Dab In The Middle Of Summer

By date and how the seasons go here in the Pacific Northwest we are smack dab in the middle of summer. We have blue skies and hot temperatures. Perfect for drying the wheat out and that's about it. For the past week we've had to resort to turning the air conditioner on in the middle of the day and doing all the outside chores as quick as possible in the morning before the heat sets in. Some days it seems that is a losing battle. A little sweat never hurt anyone, right?. I take these days in stride and my son and I spend a lot of time at the creek. The water is quite cool still and very refreshing. Soon the weather will turn and we will have blowing snow and below 0 temps. (I'm not a big fan of that.)  The area farmers are just days away from putting harvest into full swing and high gear. Doing as much as we can to soak up as much summer time as possible and tuck it away to pull out and savor later in the year.                                                                                          

Wheat is just about ready.

Cool water at the creek.

June/July Update-Time Got Away From Me

I had so many photos that I wanted to share that I paired them down and decided to post them in two different sets. I can't believe it was April when I was here last (before yesterdays post). I guess looking back we have done all sorts of things since then. It just doesn't seem like it has been that long. So here goes. A photo update on the happenings around here in June and July.                    

Where the wheat meets the vineyards. (Last weekend in May)

Visited the Lavender Farm in early June with my sis.

Summer time thunder storms and glowing wheat. Beginning of June.

Beautiful peaches that my sister brought for me all the way from California.

Beginning of July thunder storms moving in.

                       Our raspberry vines blessing us with wonderful berries end of June beginning of July.                                                                                                                                                                                                                     That is it in a nut shell. A small one but enough for you to get the idea. Now for posting more regularly then once every 3 months.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   

April/May Update - Time Got Away From Me

I find myself rather surprised at the time that has flown by since I was here last. April!!! Really, has it been that long? My gosh. A quick run down in photos of the things we've been up to around here is in order.                                                                                                                    

Early April had us with snow in the mountains and some heavy rain in the valley.

Another storm in mid April blowing in over the hill tops for the night.

Fields ready for planting by the end of April.

May's snow melt has all the rivers and creeks swollen.

                                                                                

Progress on my nieces quilt, finished by mid May to give to her as a gift for her birthday.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       **Stop on by tomorrow for the rest of the photo update for June and July!!

Liebster Award Nominee

Liebster Award. It is an award given to up and coming bloggers with less then 200 followers. Leibster is German for favorite. So you could say that this is the Favorite Blog Award. In being nominated or receiving the award you are given 11 questions that you are to answer, you are to give 11 random facts about yourself, nominate 11 other deserving blogs, let them know you nominated them for the award and ask them 11 questions. You should also acknowledge the blogger who nominated you for the award.

I am honored to have been nominated for this award. I was nominated by Linn Acres Farm. You can find them at http://linnacres.blogspot.com/. Here are my 11 questions to answer.                                                                                                                                                                                                                             

1. Where are you from?    We reside in the rolling wheat fields and fertile wine country of Southeastern Washington in Small Town USA. When I tell people where we live I say it this way because it is easier to grasp our location by this description because it seems that no one has ever heard of the small town we live outside of let alone has any one ever heard of the small township we reside in, I get more understanding from people by telling them our geographical location.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             2. Favorite food or recipe?    Raspberries fresh off the vine, still warm from the afternoon sun, I would say is my favorite food. I can't say that I have a favorite recipe. I kind of add-lib as I go in all of my cooking and baking.

3. Do I prefer summer or winter?    I am a summer lover. I love the sun and the warmth that the summer temps bring with them.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   4.  Why did I start blogging?    I have always liked to write but could never find the time. When we started the idea of the homestead and everything that came with it I thought it would be neat to chronicle the events. I liked the idea of the blog over doing a hand written journal. So that is when the blog became.                                                                                                                                                                 5. Is there anything I'd like to change in my life?    Speaking in the moment no. But taking a look back there are things that, with the knowledge I have now I would have done differently. But wouldn't we all. Our life is good here and we are very blessed.                                                                                                                             6. What is the favorite holiday?    Ours here is the 4th of July.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                7. What is my favorite thing to do with my free time?    Free time. There isn't a lot of free time around here. More like free moments. But what I love to do most with that time is to create. I am an artist through and through and look at everything through the eyes of an artist. So any form of creating is how I like to spend those ever so precious free moments.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      8. Daily routine?    I suppose I do. The same things happen for the most part each day around the same time. But as for following a list, no. Sometimes days are different. Things happen and not the same things are done everyday at the same time.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           9. Do you have any pets and what are their names?    We do have pets. A good handful of them. We have several fish - none of them have names. We have 14 clucks. Only some of them have names. Our one rooster, Little Bit. (He isn't all that small either), Our older set of hens all have names, the Buff Orpington, Lucky, the trio of Light Brahma's we call the Dixie Chicks, our Black Australorp is RB and our older Welsummer hen is Althea. Only the ee rooster and the ee hen in our group of newer clucks are named. The ee hen is Chong Win. We have four cats. A 19 year old tabby Lola, our 6 year old male Maine Coon is Barthalmeow, we call him Bat for short and he is quite the character. We have a set of twins, brother and sister tabby barn cats. The male is James, the female is Zooey. Last but not least, the two dogs. Our big lab Luke who is our constant companion and our little Boston Terrier Josie who is our little baby girl.                                                                                                                                                                       10. One of my favorite books?    That's a tough one. I love to read and have lots of favorites. Does an author count? Elizabeth Peters is my favorite author. I know I can count on her for a good read.                                                                                                                                                                                                11. What would I do if I suddenly won the lottery?    I'd have to sit on the money for awhile. Let it sink in for a bit. But I think I might go on a fabric and yarn buying frenzy. Make sure to secure a home in a place that is warm in the winter time and have the husband "retire". Then we would most likely travel. (go back to our rubber tramping roots.)                                                                                                                  Eleven random facts: 

1. We have a library.  2. I am a self proclaimed artist. 3. I love to bake even though I don't do it often. 4. I love to dig in the dirt. 5. I love how dirt smells. 6. I am computer challenged. 7. I love how books smell. 8. I like how fabric and fiber feels when I work with it. 9.  Thunder storms excite me. 10. Roses and lavender are my favorite flowers. 11. I go barefoot as much as possible.                                                                                                                                                                                             Eleven blogs that I nominate for the Liebster Award. I don't follow too many blogs. Some of them have more then 200 followers and a few do not. Here are the few in no special order.   alwaysfixinneversitten.blogspot.com, 500dollartomato.blogspot.com,                                autumnskyranch.blogspot.com , thisweetlandfarm.blogspot.com,                                       goosehillfarm.blogspot.com and theheartofjunebug.blogspot.com.                                                                                                                                                          Here are the 11 questions for our Nominees                                                                                                                                                                   What is the most favorite thing to do on your homestead/farm?                                                What is your most dreaded chore?                                                                What are five words that best describe you?                                                                Where is your most favorite place?                                                           What was it that started your interest in keeping a blog?                                                      How did your blog get its name?                                                                      When is your favorite time of day?                                                                    What is your greatest achievement?                                        What are some of the things that you have done to become more self reliant?                                                   Any hobbies that you have?                                                        What is your everyday job besides your homestead/farm?                                                                                        

Almost Two Years

It has been 2 years since we began this journey of our little homestead and the things that come along with it. Along the way we had another journey that seems like a lifetime ago but is ever present in the scheme of things and events here. One that is knit with the basic ideas of the first journey we began but has been ever so life changing. One that we never anticipated that we would be taking. 2012 January. The idea of living simpler, eating healthier and concentrating on a less stressful lifestyle. We were excited to start this journey and live it. May 2012. Husbands Mom became dreadfully ill and we nearly lost her. I watched this take a tole on my husband, all I could do was be there. I couldn't remove the pain or shoulder the experience. Summer 2012. Husband became ill and was down for 3 weeks with an appendicitis -not a burst appendix but one that had been slowly poisoning him for 3 years and had finally culminated in him being septic, surgery to remove his appendix and nearly a month of healing. Again all I could do was watch and be strong. I couldn't lessen the pain. Mean while my Mom-in-law is still very ill. September 2012-we learn that my husband must have emergency surgery in a matter of days-his life depended on it. That was a big chunk to digest. No time to make arrangements - time enough to gather a few things together and travel to the neurosurgeon and his hospital. Thus the life changing event. Again I was the watcher. The watcher of my husband as he went into surgery not knowing if I would see him alive again and if I did what condition he would be in when I saw him next. My son - not only did I have to stay strong I had to keep my thoughts moving forward to anticipate a plan of attack for us -for if I was to be my husbands caregiver, for if it was just my son and I and to look ahead to bringing my husband home well. This is the thought I focused on. I found myself many times in the only place I could find peace and reassurance - on my knees. Here is where my strength was, my courage. Mean while my Mom-in-law is still ill and we still did not know her out come.  

No time for much of anything else or myself. 2014-nearly 2 years later and what seems like a lifetime ago. My Mom-in-law is on the mend and improving daily. Nearly back to herself again. After several adjustments and learning curves for us, we here at 3Beeze are nearly back to what we could call an everyday life. Some things are the same, a lot is different but in a way that knits itself to the original life change we were looking for when we started with the idea of the homestead. So here we are, ready to keep going and keep adjusting so we can continue to live this life.