Some glimpses into our week...
Sunday, March 31
A picture I snapped this morning of the tire present we're making for Ellie. It still needs a paint job. It was a long week!
Spring cleaning at the farm includes getting our chimney cleaned. Consider this my public service announcement reminder if you have a stove...annual cleanings are a good thing. Especially if you live in pine country and get a lot of creosote. I thought the stove with the pipe missing was neat.
Look at this amazing Tom Turkey. He was strutting his stuff for the ladies down the road. We had a good time watching him. I love that nature provides so much entertainment around here!
We had an impromptu picnic under a fort made from blankets on the clothesline. It was really fun. Ellie's lunch choice (crackers, meat and cheese) makes an easy to move meal. We actually were out of cheese this time, so we added a jar of homemade pickles that my mom made last fall, and some stuffed celery. Yum! Clean up was so simple. Shake everything off and watch the chickens scramble over.
The grass was really cold, so we brought a bunch of blankets and pillows to sit on. One side effect I didn't foresee....Owen turned his juice box into a squirt gun. And I had a fort-full of laundry to wash. Oops!
Thursday, April 3rd
Blueberry Maggie's Milk. Yummy!
Friday, April 4th
We are on phase one of pasture restoration here at the farm. That means we're going through and taking the stuff out of the field. We separated into three piles--metal, trash and wood (a post next week on what I found...it was neat!). After working hard, we needed to play.
Using rocks, we outlined a castle making use of the old manure tank area that hasn't been used in a couple of decades. We hid a special rock tied with bailing twine and separated into teams. The goal was for one team to storm the castle and steal the rock. The other team was castle guards. It was fun!
Saturday, April 5th
Cinders catching some sunlight rays. He's a cutie! And loving us working in the field. He can run around like a crazy puppy, and when he's in the house he's much more willing to play nicely.
We have a (currently not up-to-code) fireplace, which we'll be replacing with a wood burning stove shortly here. The stove is currently in the garage, waiting for installation! I know nothing about stoves. Help me. =)
ReplyDeleteDo you get it professionally cleaned? How much does that run?
We do go for professional cleaning at this time. We have a steep metal roof that my husband isn't eager to climb. He did used to help clean his mom's out when he was in high school, so with a set of chimney cleaning brushes it can be done without paying for it.
DeleteEach spring we get a $30 off coupon in the mail from the company we use. The normal price is $169 + tax, so this brings it down to $139 + tax. They inspect the chimney as well and vacuum everything out.
There's nothing like wood heat--we can get it super hot in here in the winter, and open some windows to air the house out. You can't do that when paying for electric heat! And the sight of a wood burning stove....so pretty! I think you'll like your stove once you get the hang of it.