What Am I?

I’m red, silver, blue or green,

Sometimes not able to be seen.

The grass is what hides me most,

Guess what I am, you may be close.

A good hint to get you going,

I can be shredded up when mowing.

Along the side of the road I lie,

You see me when you drive right by.

I can be big, and sometimes small,

Usually, four and a half inches tall.

I’m filled to the top completely full,

I’m not an old brown rusty tool.

I rhyme with, pan, man, and ran. . .

Because I happen to be a can.

~Unique

Babies On the Farm

Baby animals are one of the many reasons I love living on a farm. Lambs, chicks, calves, and kittens are the only baby creatures we have this year, though in the past we have had kids, goslings, foals, kits, piglets, poults, peachicks, and ducklings. 

Not to mention the mice pups, baby birds, snakelets and other wild baby creatures we have cared for.

The lambs arriving in late winter are always a symbol of the nearness of spring to me. Lambing time is an exciting period here on the farm. We all watch for signs present when an ewe is preparing to give birth- like filling or full udders, inattentiveness to grain, restless pacing about the pen. Many times, we guess when a mama will have her baby and whether she will have a single lamb or twins. Then comes my favorite part, naming them. 

For the past few years, we have been naming our lambs in alphabetical order, according to birth. This year, we have Abel, Betsy and Ben, Cora, Della and Derrick, and Evinrude. Naming them that way, helps us keep track of which lamb was born when and which ones were part of a twin set etc.

This year, we had three calves, Rudy, Della, and Samantha, which were born from early to mid-spring. Here it is always more of a surprise when a calf is born. Though we know when a cow is getting ready to calve, we may not see the baby until a few days after it was born. Calves usually hide away, far from the main herd, secreting themselves in tall grass or brush, sometimes even out of the pen, and not giving itself away to anyone but the mama. However, when we do find the new calves, for a few days to a week, the baby has no apparent fear of us. It lets us come close and pet and hold it without being frightened. It is not long though, before their God-given sense of fear begins working and we must view our little heifers or bulls from a distance.

It is always exciting to be the first to find baby kittens. So, when we guessed earlier this year that one of our cats was expecting, we kept a careful watch on her daily habits. We all like guessing which is the most likely place the Mama cat will give birth. So far, the nesting boxes stored above the old rabbit pens have been the favorite spot for our cats. I love feeling the baby kittens roll about in the Mama or watching them push and shove against the skin when she’s lying down. As of now, we have five kittens, Fila and Kila from our first litter, and then three little ones that we haven’t named yet, since we still have to determine whether they are boys or girls.

By the end of this year, our baby animals won’t seem so much like a baby anymore. The lambs will be as big or bigger than their ewes, the calves though not yet as big as the adults, will be harder to wrangle about, and the kittens will be nearly grown. Then we must wait until spring again when we get to see what baby animals we have next year!

~Halayah

From Day To Day

Samuel McDaniel is my name;

I’m 15 years old but feel the same.

I like to catch some little things,

some mice, some snakes, even when they’re mean.

I am pretty wild when I am,

I’ll climb a big tree because I can.

I’ll jump a fence that’s four feet high,

to hear my watchers, say oh my!

I’ve got some plans, and I am not lying,

I want to try some wild bull riding!

I gone fishing and done some roping.

I’ll catch a coon today I am hoping.

I like to wrestle; I like to fight.

I might get hurt, but that’s alright.

It’s all for fun after all,

and the hurts I get are rather small.

I like to play a few fun sports,

like football and basketball and things of that sort.

I hit the ball, with all my might,

The ball goes far, almost out of sight!

I’ve run to first, after dropping the bat.

Past second and third and on past that!

I am now at home; I’ve finally made it.

Baseball is by far my favorite.

I like the cold; I like the heat.

I’ve stood in the snow, in my bare feet!

This is my life, and I must say;

I am loving it living, from day to day.

~Samuel

Uncomfortable

Hiking the River to River Trail 2002

It seems that many of our quests in life are all about gaining comfort. We long for the perfect room temperature, thirst for the coolest drink of water, search for the smoothest transportation, pursue our favorite relaxing recliner, and end the day by lying down in the most comfortable bed possible. While all worthy goals, it is often the most uncomfortable times and situations that we reflect back on that bring the best memories and provide the maximum personal growth.

Uncomfortable 2023

I was recently reminded of this when we overpurchased some gardening items on a trip with our children. The back of our Suburban was filled to the top with mulch, dog food, landscape block, groceries, and other supplies. It was then we found a large strawberry hanging pot on clearance that we couldn’t pass by. The only place to put it was on the clothes hanger right in front of Halayah’s face. The hour-long trip home was not going to be comfortable, but it would be memorable and cause growth.

Tent Living 1997

While I value comfort, it has not always been my top goal to provide it. When moving to Illinois, we slept in a tent for the first six months, lived without electricity for four years, hiked the 175-mile River to River trail with little training. 

Hiking the River to River Trail 2002

doing it all by hand 2011

We typically work in the heat of the day, utilize hand tools when possible, build our own buildings, grow our own food, and cut our own wood for heat. 

Driving for Water 1997

Yet, with each of the activities or situations, stories can be told of the hardships, successes and failures that have been derived from the often-uncomfortable circumstances; with personal growth, wonderful memories, and exceptional stories overshadowing the discomfort.

Removing a Wall 2015

We frequently sit around the table reminiscing about life with the difficult and uncomfortable times pervading the majority of the conversation. We reflect on how those times made us feel and we almost always laugh, even about the tough times. 

Clearing the Yard 1997

After the fact, those uncomfortable times always bring back the best memories. We still often find ourselves “out of our comfort zones,” but we would not have it any other way!

Mulching Leaves 2022

~Mark

Fresh From the Oven- Chocolate Chip Cookies

Chocolate chip cookies, fresh from the oven…Mmmm! Have you ever wondered where cookies came from? How did these perfect, chewy, soft delicacies become what they are today? Long ago, as a test to see if the oven was hot enough for cakes to be baked, little “testers” were used to ensure correct temperatures. Ovens were not as temperature regulated as they are now. Those big luxurious cakes had to be baked just right or the king may have the chief baker’s head! These “little tester cakes” became what we know today as cookies.

While there is question as to who invented America’s (and Dad’s) favorite cookie, we can thank Ruth Wakefield for popularizing the chocolate chip cookie in the 1930’s. She and her husband ran a famous New-England restaurant called the Toll House Inn. Her desserts were sought after. Butterscotch nut cookies with semi- sweet chocolate chunks dotted on top were served as a complement to ice-cream. Some think that Ruth, a very detailed person and not one to make mistakes or substitutions in short order, ran out of nuts and used chocolate instead. Others think she substituted chocolate in hopes that it would melt and replace her butter, or that she chipped her chocolate, hoping it would melt and permeate the dough. Whatever actually transpired, the famous Toll House Chocolate Crunch Cookie was born! Later, Wakefield sold her recipe to Nestle for one dollar and a lifetime supply of chocolate!

Recipe:

1 cup butter, softened (two sticks)

¾ cup brown sugar

¾ cup white sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon pure vanilla

2 ¼ cups white all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

2 cups chocolate chips



Cream the butter and sugar.

Creaming these ingredients aerates the butter and fills it with bubbles that catch the gases released by the leavening agent, (baking soda and eggs in this instance). Overmixing can add more air than needed and make the cookies rise tall and then fall very flat during baking.

Tip: To soften refrigerated butter, heat a jar with hot water from the tap and place the jar over the stick of butter. You may have to reheat the jar a time or two, but it works very well, perfectly and thoroughly softening butter straight from the refrigerator in about five minutes or so. I generally set out the butter half-an-hour or so before hand to soften at room temperature, but the jar works if you are making them last minute.

Add the eggs and vanilla.

Good quality, pure vanilla is part of the secret of making these cookies delicious. Real vanilla has a better flavor. We use our own farm fresh eggs as they have a nice color and cookies are better when they look pretty as well as taste good. The eggs hold the mixture together, add flavor, help spread, and add leavening. The height and the texture of the cookie is mainly due to the egg.

In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, soda, and salt. Add gradually to the wet ingredients.

Again, it is important not to overmix after the flour mixture is added to the wet ingredients, as it would cause excess gluten development making dense cookies. Gluten doesn’t form until flour meets liquid or moisture. The best way to know when to stop mixing is to mix just until there are no visible streaks of flour left.

Baking soda raises the Ph of the dough, slowing the process of protein coagulation, allowing the cookies to spread before the egg sets too quickly.

Salt enhances the sweetness of the sugars.

Fold the chocolate chips into dough.

By folding (or mixing very lightly with the mixer) the right amount of air is added and, once again, less gluten development. Gluten , a protein found naturally in flour, acts as a binder helping to hold ingredients together. It is great for breads, but too much makes for tough cookies.

Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for eight to ten minutes, depending on the size of the cookie.

Overbaking is very easy to do with chocolate chip cookies, or any cookies for that matter. The much sought-after, soft, chewy cookie is achieved by taking them out of the oven when the edges are slightly golden. The middles will still look moist and underdone, but they will set.

Remove cookies from sheet.

Cookies continue to bake on a hot sheet. The longer they sit on the sheet, the more done they become, resulting in a crunchy cookie. It aids in easy removal to use a thin spatula.

Secrets to a good chocolate chip cookie:

Use real butter, pure vanilla, and overall good quality ingredients.

Be careful not to overmix.

Watch for overbaking.

Always wash your dishes!

These chocolate chip cookies are a big time favorite in our family, and they sure do not last long with all eight of us! I hope you enjoy these as much as we do!

~Jayla McDaniel

Patiently Waiting

A few weeks ago, I went down to gather the eggs. I noticed a hen sitting in one of the nest boxes, so I took her out and got the eggs that were under her. The next day that very same chicken was on the nest again. I repeated what I did the day before, but the hen would not give up. Finally, I asked Dad if I could take her and put her in a separate pen with ten eggs to sit on and hatch.

The day we let the broody chicken sit was April 30. I put straw into the little pen and put in a water and food bowl. I took ten eggs and set them on the straw and then I put the chicken in last. She sat on the eggs right away.

When a hen sits on her eggs, she heats the eggs up to 100 to 101 degrees Fahrenheit. She turns them over using her beak. The humidity the eggs need comes from the hen’s body. Brooding chickens eat in the early morning or late evening when the dew is on the grass. This way her feathers get wet so she can keep her eggs moist.

It takes twenty-one days for a chick to hatch, which meant that if everything went well, on May twenty-first there would be baby chicks emerging. I was excited and could not wait! A hen that is sitting will talk to her eggs a few days before they hatch and the chicks will talk back to her through their shell. That is why the chicks know their mother’s voice so well.

Every morning when I fed the chickens, I checked the hen sitting on her clutch of eggs. I gave her food and water, and a little handful of grass to eat. At first, she did not eat the food I gave her, but after a couple of days she ate every bit of grass I offered her. I continued doing this day after day. It felt like the eggs were never going to hatch. I noticed the chicken sitting on her nest patiently waiting. She was more patient than I was.

On the morning of May twenty-first, I went to feed the sitting hen when I heard a peeping noise. I bent over to get a closer look and saw a little head poke out from under the mother hen’s wing. Later I found out there were three little chicks. I was extremely excited!

~Jonah