Farm Living Friday

Recently, Miss Priss and I went to visit my Dad.  While we were there we went to Wade's Mill.  If you want information about it, you can find it here. 

Wade's Mill has been producing stone ground grains since 1750.  That's longer than we have been a country!  The kind gentleman who runs the mill gave us an amazing tour and Miss Priss was able to see how grains were processed when Laura Ingalls (her current obsession) was a little girl.

Miss Priss watching the water wheel start turning.

Pulling the belt to get the machines running.

Learning about the different grains produced by the mill.

This little mill taught us so much!  We enjoyed learning about the different grains that grow in Virginia and how previous generations obtained their flower, cornmeal, and grits.  We purchased some flour and pancake mixes to enjoy and to remember such a wonderful day!

You never know what little places you might find in your state or neighborhood.  I encourage you to seek out some little known places where you live.  You never know what treasures you may uncover!

Until next time!

Farm Living Friday

While we live on two acres, we do not live on a farm.  That doesn't mean we don't embrace farm living.  We reside in a rural community and the hubs has spent more than half of his life working in the field of agriculture.

Each summer we spend a lot of our time involved in agricultural ventures.  Agritourism, gardening, canning, and county fairs are all a part of our life in the summer months.  I know not everyone is able to experience farm life, and because of this I am beginning the "Farm Life Friday" series to run during the summer months.  It is my hope to share some of the joys of rural living through this series.

So sit back, grab a cup of coffee and enjoy some of the adventures we experience with Farm Living.

Miss Priss and I ended school Memorial Day weekend.  The following Monday we were out enjoying our new found freedom from our school year schedule when Hubs called me on my cell phone.  Since he teaches in a neighboring county, he was still in school.  His students were hatching chickens as part of a class project and the hatching had begun in earnest that day.  He called to let me know that he would be bringing home five chicks - four were doing well and one was not.  He asked me to get some things ready so that he could bring them home.

So Miss Priss and I headed to our local Tractor Supply to get what we needed.  I am an educated woman, but I have no idea what to do to help a sick chicken.  So I asked the folks there and they set me up with what I needed for the short term.  Then we headed home.  I prepared Miss Priss for the likelihood that not all of the chicks would live, and that it was part of farm living.

When we got home, the Hubs arrived shortly after us with the chicks.

Sick chick. :-(

One of the folks at Tractor Supply suggested that we keep the sick chick separate from the others in order to prevent the spread of any illness it may have.  So Hubs put him in a small box within the makeshift brooder we threw together.  S/he looked so pitiful curled up without moving.  I couldn't just watch the little thing suffer so I grabbed a medicine dropper from the hall closet and started giving it chicken electrolytes (yes, this is a real thing!) and held it close to my heart so it would stay warm and know that someone cared.  Then Miss Priss and I said a prayer for the little guy/girl.

Eventually, s/he perked up and we were able to put him/her back in with the rest of the flock (upon the recommendation of a friend who raises chickens).

Sick chick (the gray one in front) with a member of the flock

All five chicks

As the week progressed more eggs hatched.  Miss Priss was even able to assist in helping one of the chicks who had been struggling all day to come out of its shell.  I was gagging at at the grossness associated with chicken birth, but she love every minute of it.  She even got to cuddle it after we got him cleaned up.

Miss Priss with her patient

When all was said and done, sixteen of the eighteen eggs hatched and ALL of the chickens survived. Now y'all, I love animals.  But I was in no way prepared to have sixteen chickens.  Fortunately, Hubs' students were able to take most of them, but Miss Priss had decided she wanted to raise chickens.  So those sweet kids let her have four of them to raise.

So our adventures in raising chickens has begun. 

Long Overdue Update!

Time has flown by here at Wilted Acres!  Miss Priss and I went back to school the first week in August and it has not slowed down one bit!

First Day of First Grade!

Despite the early start to the school year, we still managed to squeeze in some summer fun.  We spend a lot of time outdoors in the summer and this past summer was no exception.  Miss Priss LOVES carrying around our little dog, Ruby.  She is a mixed breed pup that we got from a friend two years ago when her dog didn't get along with this sweet thing.  (Can you imagine??)  I'm so glad she contacted me when she had to rehome her because she has been such a welcome addition to our little family!

Miss Priss with Ruby

We also had a garden this past summer.  We weren't able to have one in the Summer of 2016 because we ended up having the foundation of the house repaired and I ended up with pneumonia at the start of the summer.  So this bowlful of goodness was appreciated this year!

After a good summer came an unseasonably warm fall.  So warm, that I was afraid the long sleeved Halloween costume I made for Miss Priss was going to be too hot for her to wear!  She wanted to go as her favorite superhero...

WONDER WOMAN!

Miss Priss decided early on that she wanted to be Wonder Woman for Halloween. Unlike her mother other children her age, when she decides on a costume, her mind is made up!  So I thrifted the red shirt from Goodwill and purchased the iron-on decal for her shirt.  The skirt was the most difficult part, not because of the sewing, but I couldn't find the "right" fabric.  I settled on this and she loved it!  I was able to purchase the elastic for her skirt for $0.25 at a yard sale, and the tights she already had.  I believe the "Lasso of Truth" was purchased at Target for around $3.00.  The headband and wrist cuffs were the most expensive item, at around $15.  I could have made them, but I was running out of energy time so I just purchased them at a Halloween store.  She loved it, and I'm glad I was able to do it, but I think next year I will buy it off of Amazon and save myself a ton of time and money!  

For Thanksgiving, we went to my sister's house for dinner.  It was so nice to get together and my brother-in-law did an amazing job with the turkey!  Spending the day with our girls playing and enjoying our time together was such a blessing!

Me and my "baby" sister! 

 To kick off the holiday season, Miss Priss and I went to our town's annual Christmas Parade.  It was so cold, but we enjoyed every minute of it!  The Hubs was home catching up on some reading for a class he was taking so we made it a girls night on the town!

Small town living means enjoying local parades and seeing loads of folks you know!

We even got Ruby into the spirit with a new bandana and bows for her hair.  I don't like leaving the bows in because I am afraid she will pull them out and eat the rubber bands.  So I try and get a picture before I take them out.  We have a wonderful groomer who is local, and I try to support local small businesses when I can.

Ruby is all ready for Christmas!

 One thing I forgot to mention was Miss Priss' first organized activity outside of school - soccer!  She had a great coach and we enjoyed watching her play.  She did struggle with going to practices and near the end she didn't want to go to her games, but she stuck out the season.  I don't think she wants to play again, but I am glad she tried something new.

While soccer appears to be a bust, she is currently taking piano lessons and loving them.  We have the piano that was in my grandparents house for as far back as I could remember.  I don't know how to play and it was only serving as a dust collector, so I was giving serious consideration to getting rid of it.  When I suggested this to the Hubs, Miss Priss was adamant that we keep it.  I told her if we were going to keep it that she would need to start taking lessons.  She agreed.  I contacted her music teacher at school for recommendations and he suggested a lovely woman who lives about ten minutes from Miss Priss' school.  We met her for an initial consultation to see if Miss P was ready for lessons and the rest is history!
So each week, while Miss Priss practices, I sit in this lovely room with her teacher's two Yorkshire Terriers and a sweet little kitty called Pippi Longstocking, and knit.  It's a lovely 30 minutes listening to my sweet girl play music and cuddling some furbabies.  I think this might be what Heaven is like!

My view during piano lessons. 

Until next time!