Farm Friend Friday #6-Thank You Tess! Plus: Peafowl/Muscovy Q&A

Hi farm friends. I hope you’ve had a wonderful week. This is one of my busiest times of year with my job, and I have a lot of visiting and catching up to do over the next few days. I look forward to seeing what you’ve all been up to. We have a big thank you to share and answers to your peafowl and muscovy questions. So, here we go...

I met a great blog friend the last couple of months at Idlyhours blog. Julie Marie lives in the countryside and loves her french roots, cottage gardens and her wonderful home. But even more than that--she loves her Tessy. Tessy is a beautiful, stray English Pointer that was blessed enough to find Julie Marie who is now her forever mommy. 

Tess has been so happy with her new home that she celebrated last month with her very own giveaway. My chihuahua, Gracie Allen, heard about it and asked me if she could enter this great contest for the furry, four legged friends in blog land. Wouldn’t you know that Gracie won one of Tess’s wonderful prizes and has been anxious to blog about it since the package arrived. The package included a beautiful red doggie blanket with little black paws, and a bag of her favorite treats, too. It was wrapped so beautifully, and came with a special doggie card we loved. 

Gracie took right to her new favorite blankie and even lets her beloved, George Burns, one of our papillons, enjoy it too. Tessy, Gracie thanks you so very much and George does too.  

Now, onto peafowl/muscovy Q&A. We had a great response to our muscovy and peafowl posts with a lot of good questions. Please note, we are not experts in muscovy or peafowl but will share our experiences with you.

Dog’s mom asked

Q: How do I keep the ducks from going to the river or leaving home? 

A: Well, that is a good question. You can clip one of their wings so they can’t fly, but they will still     wander toward any water source. We have a pond across the street and our muscovy sometimes go over there. However, we decided their really isn’t anything we can do except hope for the best.  The good news is that some, not all, do venture out farther than we would like, but they come home every evening on their own. They know where their bread is buttered. 

Matty asked

Q: Where in the world did you find your peacock?

A: I found him at an Ohio chicken swap. It’s a unique event which happens three-times a year in Lucasville. I’m sure other areas of the country host chickens swaps, but this event had much more than chickens including a wonderful peafowl breeder who has several beautiful varieties. He is from Indiana and knowledgable and caring about his birds. He raises quality peafowl. I went to the swap last April knowing I would come home with a pair of peafowl. 

Dreaming asked

Q: How long do they live? Do they lay clutches of eggs and will you keep them if they do?

A: Muscovy can live to be 15 years or older. Some have lived well over 20 years. They do lay clutches of eggs and we have had two clutches in the past with one on the way. We have kept them all and will be selling the pending hatch.

Mary Ann asked

Q: Can you keep peafowl with chickens? Some people don’t think you can.

A:  Mary Ann, I asked the breeder this question when I bought my pair and he said you could as long as your peafowl have their own area to roost. I wouldn’t put peafowl in a tight space or coop with chickens because they will dominate them and it’s not good for their health, but they can definitely free range together, eat near each other and live on a farm together. At least they do here at Verde Farm.

Bee Lady asked

Q: Do you clip your birds wings? Do you have to?

A: We clipped the peafowl wings when we first got them to ensure they didn’t fly up in the trees or fly off when we first got them home. We haven’t clipped them since because they’ve learned where to roost and have never strayed off the property at all. 

Phyllis asked

Q: How is their temperament?

A: We find our peafowl to be domineering but not over the top. They definitely use their size and tails to show other animals they are in charge. They know what they want and they will likely get it but we’ve never had any fighting or ugliness. The other animals just acquiesce to them.

Farmer’s Wyfe asked

Q: Do you have trouble with owls? Do you collect the feathers and put in vases?

A: We have been fortunate and haven’t had any problems with owls, yet. I do collect all the pretty feathers I find and used many in my Christmas decorations this past year. They are wonderful!

Thank you all for your questions and interest in our little farm and blog.

Now, let the farm fun begin with our 6th edition of Farm Friend Friday. Just click below to enter your post. Please, be sure to link back to Verde Farm so others can find Farm Friend Friday and all the great posts shared.

Red Gate Farm-Thank You

Hi farm friends, hope you had a great weekend and enjoyed Farm Friend Friday (FFF) as much as we did. We made new friends this week and were so impressed with all the wonderful posts. We were also excited to have 65 participants. I would love to get 75 this coming Friday for FFF #5. If you have thought about joining, this week would be a great time. Spread the word and invite your farm/ranch friends to join the celebration. Now, on to the story at hand.

A dreary Feb. was recently brightened in an inspiring way, coming when the winter seemed heaviest. I’ve been fortunate in the past few months to have found a wonderful blog, Red Gate Farm, I’ve been reading and loving. Chris and her family are fun to follow and examples of hard working, creative, innovative people. That hard work and creativity is on display at their picturesque farm, which I envy. This dear blog friend celebrated her first year in the blogosphere by having a giveaway--and boy was it a dandy. I was so excited and wanted to win.

One evening, on the road, away from home, in a hotel, sort-of feeling sorry for myself, I opened an email from Chris informing me I had won. I was so happy I actually did a cabbage patch dance, right there in the hotel room.

The package soon arrived and as I said before: Boy it’s a dandy. Two boxes filled to the rim with goodies. She carefully wrapped some of the pretties in awesome, vintage dress patterns and fabric ribbons. And, it’s as if the gift box was bottomless. Like a magician pulling handkerchiefs from a top hat, I kept on and on pulling gifts from this wonderful box, becoming more thrilled with each find. I had hot teas, a vintage teacup and saucer,  Lindt chocolates, a garden planner, colored pencils and so much more. It came in a fabulous burlap bag with a cute flower. Wow.

So far, I have enjoyed the chocolates and half-heartedly allowed farmer to have a piece. I’ve been looking through the 2011 garden magazines, as well as a vintage seed magazine and my next step will be to put pencil to paper and start my special garden journal/planner. I will also dig in the wonderful dirt with the cutest garden tool you’ve ever seen and don the best garden apron around.

Chris, I can’t thank you enough and I am so thrilled with this wonderful, generous, lovingly shared giveaway that has truly brightened a gloomy, grey month here at Verde Farm.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart,

A New Year Upon Us

Looking back over 2010 we are thankful for the happiness and blessings we’ve experienced this past year at Verde Farm. Our foray into farm living has provided us inspiration and purpose. We wish you all a safe, happy, healthy and prosperous 2011 and fulfillment in your life’s journey.  

Here is a sampling of some of our blessings this past year.

New Year’s ReflectionsLooking back on the months gone by, As a new year starts and an old one ends,
We contemplate what brought us joy,
And we think of our loved ones and our friends.
Recalling all the happy times, Remembering how they enriched our lives,
We reflect upon who really counts,
As the fresh and bright new year arrives.
And when we ponder those who do, We immediately think of you.
Thanks for being one of the reasons We’ll have a Happy New Year!By Joanna Fuchs

A Special Christmas Memory and Gift From White Sheep Farm

I got the wonderful news last week I had won a giveaway from Teri at White Sheep Farm. She has wonderful giveaways, and her handiwork is amazing. She asked us to share a favorite Christmas memory with her and she would select her favorite. I had to share one of mine. This is the story with a little more detail.

Teri’s Wintry Front Porch Scene

When I was in my twenties, and before I got married, my family had a house in the Smokey Mountains, near Gatlinburg, Tn.  I lived in Asheville, N.C. at the time and my family lived in W.Va.  Of course, the house wasn’t centrally located, but we sort-of looked at it that way. At any rate, it was a place to meet. A special place. I’ll not soon forget meeting my family a few days before Christmas during that period to spend old fashioned Christmas’s--as in stringing cranberry and popcorn garlands to place on the live tree we bought a few hours earlier from a local grower. It would also be pretty hard to erase the sounds of Bing Crosby, or Nat King Cole, and how Cole’s voice never failed to make the room a little warmer--even in front of a sturdy, crackling fire built by my daddy. I’ve never wondered about what we missed on TV those nights, because we didn’t have a TV in the room--but I do remember and cherish being with my family, laughing, singing and belonging.

I remember one Christmas Eve snowstorm that was a beauty. The flakes floated down, seemingly one by one, white cottony flakes landing perfectly on trees, window panes and the immediate, twinkly world in general. The snow put us all in a giddy mood and we took it all in together. My dad helped several visitors to the mountain out of the ditch, and spent a lot of time clearing the walkways and steps for us. He loved to stay busy and there was plenty to do. It was simply a postcard Christmas for our family and we soaked it all in, the snow, the old-fashion tree, the food but most importantly the love and laughter of being a family.

My dad passed away almost four years ago. Our Christmas’s have never been the same and never will. Among many things I miss about him, I miss his laugh. It’ll be hard to unlearn the sound of his laugh-- giddy and booming, so full of life.  We still enjoy our family and cherish the times we are together but a big heart and big personality is missing. He loved Christmas and we miss him terribly, even more so this time of year.

Me, Daddy and my little sister Anna many years ago

Well, that was my story and she chose it to win the giveaway, although it was a condensed version. It touched my heart and when I got my special gift in the mail, I was thrilled. She made me an adorable sleeping mouse in a match stick box.  See the precious note to Santa? She also threw in this beautiful pillow “Its a Wonderful Life,” one of my favorite movies ever and definitely one of my favorite quotes. It is a wonderful life, and I thank you Teri for this wonderful Christmas gift.

Lil’ Mouse

Santa’s note

It’s a Wonderful Life Pillow in with potpourri

If you haven’t seen Teri’s blog, please check it out. She has beautiful sheep, spins her own fiber and makes wonderful primitive decorations. I know you will enjoy it as much as I do.

Merry Christmas all,

Unexpected Friendship

Friendship

Blogging has been an unexpected light in my life. My friend at "Farm Girl Digital Designs" has been telling me for a long time that we should start a blog here at Verde Farm. I thought it sounded like a good idea, but where to find the time? While Richie and I pondered starting a small business with our farm, we knew we needed a website. Jill, a.k.a. Farm Girl, came to the rescue. She designed our blog, header, button and took many of our pictures. I asked her to do a special button for Verde Cottage, and she did that, as well.  She's been so supportive and does wonderful work. Check out her website and check out her abundant creativity.

I remember putting up my first post and thinking: “Who would read this? Would this interest anyone but us?” I was shocked when I got my first comments. Shocked and thrilled. I quickly came to know many of you--and in such a short time. I felt as if I had new friends. I truly look forward to your posts, comments and e-mails. The graciousness and interest from folks all over the US, and the world, for that matter, is positive, warm and unexpected.

For example, I've received two spontaneous gifts in the mail for no reason at all.  My first was from Julie, at "Dog Trot Farm."She read one of my fall posts about decorations and my inability to find the cute crows she had in her house. Sure enough, a box full of crows flying south from Maine to West Virginia arrived in no time, along with a cute little pumpkin--a surprise for someone she didn't even know, out of the blue, just because. 

Julie’s Window Boxes

One of my Maine Crows

Secondly, my friend Peggy at "A Primitive Plot" sent me an adorable pumpkin with a crow on top she designed herself. "Everyone needs a fun box in the mail sometimes," she said. And so, another crow flew from Michigan to West Virginia to someone she didn't even know, out of the blue, just because. 

Peggy’s Beautiful Crafting

My Michigan Crow

This is the way it goes with blogging. The people that love to blog are special folks and ultimately giving of themselves through their posts, comments, e-mails and so much more. I am so thankful for this unexpected gift and all my wonderful new friends who share their lives with me and allow me to share our lives with them.