AUTUMN HAS ARRIVED IN EAST TEXAS!

Fall is HERE!  Usually, autumn comes to our area softly and quietly, just kinda sneaks in.  Well, this weekend, autumn came slamming through here with solid rain for two days and North winds 15-25 mph.  It's 62 degrees outside at 8:27 pm.  We haven't seen these temps since probably March or April at the latest.  Last week, we had highs in the 90s, and sure, it'll warm up into the upper 80's this week, but WOW!  It's been nice!  Even Bug (the chihuahua) at 13 years of age has been tearing around here like a mad nanny goat enjoying the cooler air.  She's been so frisky!

Only thing was, this morning at 6:00 am while we still in bed, the power went off.  Bleh.  The only reason I would know is that my box fan went silent all of a sudden.  I guess the wind and rain shut something down. It also shut down the pump or generators at the water supply out here.  So we had no electric, and just a tiny trickle of water - I guess whatever was left in the lines - at least we could use the toilet - took forever to fill back up but at least we didn't have to go outside and find a tree.

We did alot of nothing today.  Some napping, reading, snacking - couldn't cook anything. At 5:00 pm, we wound up going to my folks' house to shower and do my hair for work tomorrow.  Then, after doing that, we got a call from friends that the electric was back on.  I knew that would happen.  Didn't get to church today because there was no water or electricity to get ready!  It's amazing how much we depend on it.  AND I had baked a beautiful, moist, rich homemade chocolate cake with fudge-y icing Saturday to take to our lunch fellowship today!  Shoot!  Oh well......................

Oops - looks like we've already made a good dent in this cake.  Actually, I did carry my daddy several pieces.  He loves his desserts!

I'm getting quite a few eggs now and have been taking 2-3 dozen to work with me each week to sell... Helps pay for feed...  I now have 10 hens.  I got me a white leghorn last week.  I didn't have a white chicken.  It's all about color - plus I decided I needed another white egg-layer.  Tony just shook his head...and rolled his eyes.

Also, I forgot to announce that I entered my plum jelly in the East Texas State Fair and I got a BLUE RIBBON!  YEA ME!  Thank you Mammaw!  She would be so proud!

See that 'un there in the middle with the blue ribbon?  It says Vickie on it.  That's my plum 

jelly!  I'm sorry I'm tootin' my own horn but hey... I'm very excited!  I will hang my ribbon proudly on my pie safe where all my jellies are stored!

Just one  more pic of my little garden shed... The garden's been long gone.  I'm just SO glad we made the decision 4 years ago NOT to tear it down.  It was falling over sideways, but between hubby and his friend they got that sucker jacked up and straightened and repaired and saved this rustic little shed.  I absolutely love it!

Well, that's about all today, my friends --- I am still alive and kickin' - just been SO busy around here. I've been hoppin' around readin' in blogland  - just not commenting much.  Take care - I'll be back soon!!!

Vee's Note Card Party

Hey there!  I'm hooking up with Vee's note card party this month, and since it's soon to be officially autumn, think I'll do some fall decor cards with images from last year.  So hang on to your butts seats and let me search back through my blog....

My front porch October 2009

Below are some photos I took at a farmer's market in Franklin TN when we went up to Nashville to see my oldest son Adam.  This was such a neat place and really screamed  AUTUMN!!!  Tony had to drag me away. I could have stood there and looked at all day long!

Franklin, TN October 2009

October 2009

October 2009

Hope you enjoyed my cards!  Now I'm off to see the rest of yours!

If you'd care to join in the fun, here's your link ----

Back At The Farm...

Hey there!  Just stopping by to say hi!  All's well on Sand Flat Farm...

Chicken update.  I have 9 hens.  Twice this week I have gotten 9 eggs in a day.  Is that amazing or what!  I would think that it would not happen often that all of one's chickens laid an egg on the same day.  Different chickens breeds lay at different rates.  I doubt that ANY chicken lays every single day.  You who've had chickens longer can tell me if that's true or not. (I'm sure I will be corrected if I'm wrong! :- )))))

Just LOOK!

Have you EVER seen any eggs more beautiful???  I know I'm silly - the chicken-thing is still new and I still love going out to collect the day's eggs.  Of course, Tony and I can't eat this many eggs.  We give some to son and his wife, her parents, my parents, and eat quite a few ourselves, and sometimes have a dozen or two left to give to friends.  Thanks for indulging me...

Gypsy says hi!  She's got her a big ole hole dug around at the back of the house.  It had gotten so hot, so I would run water in the hole to cool the dirt.  Gypsy LOVES to lay in her hole!  

The hay's all in. I don't know if they'll get another cutting or not - depends on the weather perhaps.  Hay was much better this year.  Still could have been better, but we got some late rains that helped the ranchers and farmers out some.

I love to watch the raking.  You know, these ranchers and guys that actually take care of the hay have hundreds of thousands of dollars invested in their equipment.  You should see some of the machinery that our hay guy brings over to our place!  It's amazing!  

Well, girls - gotta run - work tomorrow.  Painting later this week! YEA!  I need to put up some of my little paintings I've been doing over at my South Light Art Blog  click my button on my side bar if you're interested!   I also added a link to my website where you can view more paintings of mine.  Take care - see you soon!  Keep yer dress down!

Autumn, Aprons, A Rose is a Rose...

What a glorious morning!  The last couple of days the temps have been in the upper 60's first thing in the morning when I go out to feed and water my chickies.  I feel a little "fallish" coming on!  I don't wanna rush but it makes me long for cool days, sweaters, soup on the stove, and one of Becky's soy candles in Pumpkin Spice burning on the table.  You know that delightful shivery feeling of autumn?

Well, we've got upper 90's again coming back, but it sure is nice! What's going on in your neck of the woods?  I'm trying to get a little painting done today.   Something new for me - I'll be sure and post pictures over at South Light art blog later - link on my sidebar if you're interested...

Here, at the farm, let's see who's minding the henhouse....

Well, for starters, Mr. Black/Yellow Garden Spider is keeping watch on the back side of it, and...

Miss Gypsy is guarding the front.  Actually, I had thrown some rolls to the chickens and she tried to do some digging to get one of them and I had to shut that down.  I even gave her one of her own and she buried it behind the AC unit outside.  Silly dog.  She comes to the back door every morning and asks for her dog biscuit.  Sometimes, she eats it, sometimes, she buries it.

Did I ever show you  my vintage apron collection?  Well, if I did, you're gonna see it again.

I didn't mean to have a collection, but it just happened.  I had a couple of aprons that were my grandmothers' that I'd saved through the years.  As I visited garage/junk sales, vintage aprons kept drawing my attention and were so cheap (most of the time).  When I looked at them, I immediately thought about the women who wore them, the work that they did to feed their families, the hands that dried themselves on them, the eggs and garden goodies that were collected in them, the children who grabbed onto them pulling at their mom for some attention, and perhaps even the tears that were shed on them.  

One by one, another worn and faded apron came home with me on my forays.  I now have 18 - EIGHTEEN - yes, you heard me right, 18.  It just happened.  But you know what's fun now?  When we have friends over to the farm for supper, I shall have all the ladies put on one of my vintage aprons while we're getting everything ready.  It'll be fun for all of us!  The aprons all hang on the door in my kitchen so they're easy to grab one up and go.

See what my sweet husband brought home last night?  He stopped and bought me 3 bouquets of Tyler roses!  They are so beautiful.  "Just because..."  And they smell heavenly...  I had enough to make two pitchers full.  I love roses - I don't care if they're not the swanky long-stemmed ones.  I think I actually prefer the little Rose-stand roses - they're lovely, really smelly (  :)))) and easy to put in my vintage pitchers and vases.  He was so thoughtful!  And I'm so lucky!

Take care, friends - you coastal folks look out for that hurricane a-comin'.  And by all means, no matter what you do, Keep Your Dress Down!

# 273 of 300 Ways to Catch a Snake (and other foolishness...)

When you live in the country, you're gonna run across critters.  Critters abound out here and if you don't like critters, then don't live in the country.  Critters are different from your good buddy pets.  Critters eat your garden, dig holes everywhere, come in the house even when they're not supposed to and are a general nuisance. We're always trying to get rid of critters - mice, rats, gophers, armadillos, moles, skunks, hogs, possums, 'coons AND last but certainly not least - SNAKES.

Now I don't cotton to these kinda critters too much myself, but they're not going to keep me from loving my little farm and enjoying every minute I'm here!  You just live with 'em and deal with 'em.

This morning, we had a some excitement here at Sand Flat Farm.  I went out early - 6:45 to feed and water my chickies before work. Fresh water, fill up the feeder, strew a little corn to scratch, clean out the night's poo... you know, the usual. Upon exiting the run, I happened to glance to the side, right by the doorlatch, and lo and behold, I saw THIS ------>

WARNING - Graphic photos - not for the squeamish nor faint of heart!!!

I MUST HAVE JUMPED BACK TEN FEET!

This fellow slithered into the coop probably a couple of days ago. I wondered why the chickens only laid 2 eggs that day when they usually lay 5-6.  I thought it was just too hot outside.  Evidently, the snake had come through the small gauge chicken wire and ate his fill and then couldn't get back through with such a full stomach!  He was a good 4 to 4 1/2 feet long

Rat snake, right?  At least I hope so. We've seen him a couple of times around the yard.  He'd always shoot up under the house when he spotted us looking at him with an evil intent in our eyes.  Can you count the bumps along his stomach?  SIX, there are six bumps! Horrors!

Slowly, I eased out of the coop trying not to disturb him. I started for my hoe, but decided to go get Tony out of bed and have him come out. He dressed quickly and got the hoe ready.  Tony took the snake's tail and carried him twined around the end of the hoe out to the orchard and neatly whacked his head off.

Good job!  Another farm critter bites the dust!  Glad that was all he bit!  Tony got a plastic bag to dispose of this booger and I went to check the coop just in case there was an early egg or an egg from the night before.

GUESS WHAT!  That dumb snake swallowed all six of my golf balls that I'd put in the nests to show the hens where to lay!!!!  I imagine he did eat a couple of the previous day's eggs, and then later decided to eat the rest of them!  JOKE'S ON YOU MR. SNAKE!  I'll bet he had a major case of indigestion!  Now, don't think us bad folks for killing this guy - he would have died anyway trying to pass those golf balls.

Sooooo,  we retrieved my golf balls...

Lookie there ^ - see all six lined up in a neat row!

Kinda gross actually, but at least I got my balls back - to be cleaned and disinfected for sure - reptiles have really nasty mouths - full of germs and bacteria.  Yuck, maybe I just need to get some more...

Now, have any questions?  Well, then you've just seen #273 of 300 ways to catch a snake.  Great way to trap a snake in your chicken coop!  You're very welcome.

Keep yer dress down.