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NellieBelle
11214 Posts
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 Posted - Aug 27 2015 : 5:47:18 PM
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| Congrats Cindy. Onward and forward! |
To laugh is human but to moo is bovine. Author Unknown |
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GingerBKelly
274 Posts
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txbikergirl
3197 Posts
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Posted - Aug 28 2015 : 06:09:12 AM
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oh ginger, i soooo did celebrate with a wine goblet of milk last night! nice bath, lavendar oil, goblet of milk, and a good book!!
alas, the milk is not yet my own as our first cow arrives the end of september - and i have to drive almost four hours round trip right now to purchase raw milk. and the limit we can buy at that dairy every day is (3) half gallons - they have much more demand than supply and try to be fair to everyone.
*sigh* almost out of milk this morning, but FOUR weeks from tomorrow we leave to go pick up our girls! |
_(199x300)_(66x100).jpg?v 93697001) Firefly Hollow Farm , our little farmstead. Farmgirl living in the green piney woods of East Texas on 23 acres with a few jerseys, too many chickens, a pair of pugs and my Texan hubby (aka "lover boy") |
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CloversMum
3486 Posts
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Posted - Aug 28 2015 : 08:33:31 AM
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Congratulations, Cindy!!
(Now, remember to bring that contractor with you when you come to pick up your cows!)
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Loving life and family on our Idaho farm, Meadowlark Heritage Farm; A few Jersey cows; a few alpacas; a few more goats, and even more ducks and chickens |
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GingerBKelly
274 Posts
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txbikergirl
3197 Posts
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Posted - Sep 04 2015 : 3:35:01 PM
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| thanks ginger, i am soooo excited about miss sally o'mally and lady elsa! |
Firefly Hollow Farm , our little farmstead. Farmgirl living in the green piney woods of East Texas on 23 acres with a few jerseys, too many chickens, a pair of pugs and my Texan hubby (aka "lover boy") |
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txbikergirl
3197 Posts
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Posted - Sep 04 2015 : 3:39:19 PM
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we made big movement on the summer kitchen and milking parlor this week. not as far as desired, but big movement none the less. contractor worked all week to get the area ready and had concrete ordered for thursday at 2pm.... and thursday at 1pm the concrete company cancelled, and next delivery is wednesday.
these photos are before it was finally ready for concrete. large area is the summer kitchen, side area is the milking parlor. there will be a wall between the two. water and electrical everywhere.
shows how close it is to the house and backyard garden as well, very nice!
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Firefly Hollow Farm , our little farmstead. Farmgirl living in the green piney woods of East Texas on 23 acres with a few jerseys, too many chickens, a pair of pugs and my Texan hubby (aka "lover boy") |
Edited by - txbikergirl on Sep 04 2015 3:39:55 PM |
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txbikergirl
3197 Posts
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Posted - Sep 04 2015 : 3:42:10 PM
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just realized how bad the north side of our house looks, i need to clean it with the pressure washer soon!
there is a step down from the summer kitchen to the milking parlor as we wanted the parlor as close to the ground as possible... and we have a grade on the corner of the structure. |
Firefly Hollow Farm , our little farmstead. Farmgirl living in the green piney woods of East Texas on 23 acres with a few jerseys, too many chickens, a pair of pugs and my Texan hubby (aka "lover boy") |
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CloversMum
3486 Posts
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Posted - Sep 04 2015 : 4:26:28 PM
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| Looks fantastic! So happy for progress for you! |
Loving life and family on our Idaho farm, Meadowlark Heritage Farm; A few Jersey cows; a few alpacas; a few more goats, and even more ducks and chickens |
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GingerBKelly
274 Posts
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txbikergirl
3197 Posts
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Posted - Sep 05 2015 : 1:41:46 PM
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and here's with the plastic and rebar . from the other vantage point, standing in the backyard right by the back porch looking towards the barn/woods.
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Firefly Hollow Farm , our little farmstead. Farmgirl living in the green piney woods of East Texas on 23 acres with a few jerseys, too many chickens, a pair of pugs and my Texan hubby (aka "lover boy") |
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txbikergirl
3197 Posts
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Posted - Sep 05 2015 : 1:46:30 PM
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thanks ginger. we actually erected it ourself, a 30x30 metal truss and metal roof covered patio, just north of our kitchen garden and outside the back door. then lover boy had the brilliant idea to tag on a 10x30 milking parlor to me on one end - so i get water and electrical and concrete to milk in from day one!
hubby also did all the plumbing and electrical, so concrete is the only outsourcing we are doing.
it was actually cheaper to do this than remodel the indoor kitchen, and living in the south we like to cook/eat outside 9-10 months a year anyway. so an old fashioned "summer kitchen" for us. we picked up all the finishing accoutrements from craigslist for the past three years, so stay tuned to see the affordable frugal finishes ;> |
Firefly Hollow Farm , our little farmstead. Farmgirl living in the green piney woods of East Texas on 23 acres with a few jerseys, too many chickens, a pair of pugs and my Texan hubby (aka "lover boy") |
Edited by - txbikergirl on Sep 05 2015 1:47:51 PM |
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NellieBelle
11214 Posts
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Posted - Sep 05 2015 : 3:42:40 PM
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| Impressive Cindy. Lots of hard work, but it will be nice when finished. Thanks so much for sharing photos and explaining the layout. You will have to take more photos when Sally O'Mally, and Elsa arrive. Exciting to say the least. |
To laugh is human but to moo is bovine. Author Unknown |
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txbikergirl
3197 Posts
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Posted - Sep 05 2015 : 6:11:54 PM
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first piece of bling for the milking parlor. have had for awhile now, its HUGE - like 4x6 feet or so.
its a repro of an 1800s london news photo, a jersey cow fair and the cows actually have signs above each stall that say first prize, second prize, etc.
it was extremely inexpensive, since it is just a repro on canvas. we are just putting a quilt like hanging setup on top and bottom to hang it up and stretch out. and we'll put it on one side of the milking parlor so that if the sh*#@ ever hits the fan so to speak it won't be destroyed ;>
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Firefly Hollow Farm , our little farmstead. Farmgirl living in the green piney woods of East Texas on 23 acres with a few jerseys, too many chickens, a pair of pugs and my Texan hubby (aka "lover boy") |
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NellieBelle
11214 Posts
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Posted - Sep 05 2015 : 7:11:31 PM
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| That is a nice print Cindy. It is fun planning the decorating of our parlors. 4'x6' is pretty good size. Can't wait to see it all decorated and in working order. How fun. |
To laugh is human but to moo is bovine. Author Unknown |
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txbikergirl
3197 Posts
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Posted - Sep 05 2015 : 8:18:24 PM
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| thanks janet! |
Firefly Hollow Farm , our little farmstead. Farmgirl living in the green piney woods of East Texas on 23 acres with a few jerseys, too many chickens, a pair of pugs and my Texan hubby (aka "lover boy") |
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GingerBKelly
274 Posts
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txbikergirl
3197 Posts
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Posted - Sep 10 2015 : 5:23:23 PM
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| update... no concrete yet. potential rain made them skip our wednesday pour (and it didn't even rain). next available concrete delivery is monday... for once we need to pray for NO rain. updates next monday ;> |
Firefly Hollow Farm , our little farmstead. Farmgirl living in the green piney woods of East Texas on 23 acres with a few jerseys, too many chickens, a pair of pugs and my Texan hubby (aka "lover boy") |
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CloversMum
3486 Posts
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Posted - Sep 10 2015 : 9:27:24 PM
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| So sorry to hear, Cindy. It will happen, hang in there. |
Loving life and family on our Idaho farm, Meadowlark Heritage Farm; A few Jersey cows; a few alpacas; a few more goats, and even more ducks and chickens |
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GingerBKelly
274 Posts
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txbikergirl
3197 Posts
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Posted - Sep 11 2015 : 9:14:40 PM
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| he he he ginger, i hadn't thought about that... they are literally making us wait until the cows come home!! |
Firefly Hollow Farm , our little farmstead. Farmgirl living in the green piney woods of East Texas on 23 acres with a few jerseys, too many chickens, a pair of pugs and my Texan hubby (aka "lover boy") |
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GingerBKelly
274 Posts
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maryjane
7072 Posts
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Posted - Sep 12 2015 : 07:49:37 AM
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| Little something on its way to you Ginger. Also, Ken. Maybe not laughter but a smile on your faces:) |
MaryJane Butters, author of Milk Cow Kitchen ~ striving for the stoicism of a cow standing in the rain ~ |
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GingerBKelly
274 Posts
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Posted - Sep 12 2015 : 10:34:08 AM
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Well, Cindy. I'm not sure if this makes you feel any better, but I have a story to tell. The good news is, we are getting our little bit of concrete laid today (don't feel jealous, there's more).
After creating this cute little (tiny) two stall set up next to our red shed, we discovered that water puddles in the middle. Not good. 
Well, since nothing is ever 100% perfect in this world, I asked Ken if it was fixable. Sure, he said, with his SeaBee attitude, "Can Do" he said (gotta love that man).
So I'm waiting and waiting. One thing after another gets in front of the other and well....almost a year later (patience is a virtue) we are finally getting started. This is our prep work...
Before Photo Tiny Dairy Stalls Prep for Concrete Slope and Drainage:
Now mind you, when I asked Ken to fix the concrete, I had in mind that this would be done WAY before we decided to have Little Bit bred, simply because we need the head stanchion to hold her while the technician does his AI thing.
Last month we had Little Bit bred. PERFECT! This is why now is the time to get to work. We need to get the concrete before winter sets in. First frost is predicted for the first week in October.
As the saga continues....yesterday the concrete is delivered (in bags) and Ken sets up the mixer rental, after work. I'm getting really excited and happy! Finally, I thought..."Let the concrete begin!"  Right?
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~Ginger Kelly, Kelly Homestead Apiary, Charlton, MA~.jpg?v 26652890) gingerbkelly@gmail.comWhen a cow laughs, does milk come out her nose? ~Author Unknown
Check us out on FB: https://www.facebook.com/KellyHomesteadApiary/ |
Edited by - GingerBKelly on Sep 12 2015 12:02:26 PM |
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GingerBKelly
274 Posts
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Posted - Sep 12 2015 : 11:07:34 AM
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Wrong! Little Bit has something else in mind.....yesterday I noticed her mooing at me, for no apparent reason.
So I checked the calendar....It's exactly 21 days since the AI guy said she was bred. SHOOT!!!! I told Ken, please keep an eye on her. I need to know if she's in heat or not, since we thought she was bred.
Sure enough, the neighbor said, he got up at about 2 AM this morning and heard her making all kinds of noise last night.
This morning, she's still acting weird and mooing. 
Now, without a head stall; without a halter on her; with no place to catch her and hold her, there's nothing I can do to have her bred if she IS again, in heat. Again, not my idea of good planning.
I never thought I'd be upset to see our lovely concrete being laid, but I am. 
We have the concrete, but....
.jpg?v 33838207)
It's like, she's staring at us (especially me) saying, "So you think I'm bred, do ya; (while chomping on her hay); "Well, I'll show you a thing or two," while watching the construction with a devilish grin on her muzzle. 
.jpg?v 30731647)
I'll have to keep an close eye on her. I'm praying she's just mooing and acting strange for other unknown reasons (keeping fingers crossed). Then again, I'll have to be ready to have her bred again, if this is what it takes.
"The best-laid plans of mice and men..."
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~Ginger Kelly, Kelly Homestead Apiary, Charlton, MA~gingerbkelly@gmail.comWhen a cow laughs, does milk come out her nose? ~Author Unknown
Check us out on FB: https://www.facebook.com/KellyHomesteadApiary/ |
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![[flourish]](/images/flourish-txt_mobius.png)
Milking parlor construction
![Heritage Jersey Organization [logo]](/images/HJO-logo.png){kind=logo}
