Yahoooo for the weekend! I love weekends! It's wicked HOT, but hopefully the temps will start to cool off a bit on Sunday. If nothing else, the weekend allows time for splashing around in the water!
A few updates on what's been happening around the farm...
CHICKENS: More chicks have hatched... I haven't counted all the heads yet, but they're all CUTE, I can tell you that! We've had babies hatch every so often over the past couple of weeks, so they're all different ages and sizes. They're so stinkin' CUTE!
DEXTERS: The cow's udders are starting to swell with milk. That means soon we'll have BABIES! And you know how I love the little cow babies! Princess might deliver first...then Queenie... then Dixie... then we'll have to wait a while longer (months!) for Lucy, Pixie, and then Chick should be the first to calve again next year, since she was the first to calve this year.
KITTENS: We have two litters of kittens right now. There are four babies in one litter, and only three left in the second litter. Unfortunately, the litter with 4 babies are as WILD as can be. We don't usually see them during the day -- only at night, as they are racing around, playing. We haven't caught them, and we haven't been able to catch their mother yet, either.
The other litter that only has three babies started with six babies. The mother had them in the garage, and something (we figure a stray tom cat) got in the garage and killed a couple of the babies. Their mother is young and wasn't giving the babies as much attention as she needed to, so Alan took the four remaining babies from her. After about a week of feeding, we found a home for one of them and he went to live with his new family. We still have the other three, and since they are still too little to be outside on their own, we keep them in one of the chick brooders so they can have lots of room to play and romp. They've grown so MUCH! They're all girls. A dark tiger stripe, a dark tiger stripe with small faint orange tortoise patches, and a long haired gray girl (with the FATTEST pink belly!) We call her Fatty. *grin* We were thrilled to find a home for the boy, and we would like to find homes for the girls as well. They're young, and already litter box trained! But if we can't find homes for them, at least we will be able to catch them and get them to the vet when they're old enough so they won't be having any kittens of their own!
Anyway, that's most of what we've been up to... And now and then I make things!
This card was made with an image from the Shady Tree Studio line from Cornish Heritage Farms. I stamped the image and painted it with re-inkers. Once the image was dry, I used a white gel pen to add the white leaves and dots, just for something different. I like it!
This is gorgeous! The white leaves are really eyecatching! I am so glad you are getting those kitties to the vet if you can't get them a home. I can't wait to see pics of all the new babies!
Posted by: Danielle | June 28, 2009 at 08:22 PM
Your card is beautiful! I really loved your update about all the animals. I'm always amazed at what's going on at the farm.
Posted by: Erika M | June 27, 2009 at 04:40 PM
I have this stamp, and love it! You've really made a beautiful card here!!! The white leaves are a wonderful touch!
Posted by: Carla Mayfield | June 27, 2009 at 05:50 AM
faaabulous daaaling! love the card. And you are such a doctor doolittle! you and your animals! good golly miss molly do you ever sleep taking care of all those critters!?
Funny story....we used to have a great dane , my hubbys pride and joy...the dang dog slept in our bed before we had kids..and the dog would lay on its back and snore away like the hubby! So i told him one of them had to go...it happened to be the dog (out of the bed that is) anyways later after having the kids....whom loved our great dane and vise versa, she was just like a mother to them as well, herding them around and making sure they were safe. WELL...i got the idea to paint miss Shebas toe nails......she was gray and black so i figured PURPLE would look great with those colors.! WeLL it did look fab BUT my hubby refused to walk the dog until those purple toenails wore off!!!!!!!! Said he wouldnt be caught dead with a dog with purple toe nails...(hubby is a cop! ha his buddies would of gave him some crap! hahaha) We miss our great dane....just not the clean up! HELLOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! So bless you for lovin all those critters!
Posted by: Renee' | June 26, 2009 at 10:28 PM
Wow you have been busy busy with all those babies. Oh "kittens" can you get any cuter then that. You know how I love kitties (I need pictures).
What a pretty card and I love how you did the leaves around the bird.
Posted by: Ida | June 26, 2009 at 09:49 PM
Anna - your Bluebird card is lovely, but your farm story is even better! You know, the Bluebird is Idaho's state bird, but I seldom see them! This morning I was riding my bicycle at 5:45 (I love being out that time of the morning) and since we live in a semi-rural part of town, there are acreages and I love to "talk" to the animals along the way - horses, goats, deer, chickens...and this morning as I was listening, in the "quiet" of the morning, the doves, quail, roosters, horses' nickering, mules' braying, and of course, the ever-popular crows cawing, I thought of you and how "musical" it must be that time of the morning around your place! What a perfect job you have, caring for all those sweet critters! Try to stay cool the next few days! Love from Idaho, Jeanne xoxo
Posted by: JeanneH | June 26, 2009 at 09:48 PM
Geez, Anna, what's in that Texas water? *grin*
Beautiful card!
Posted by: Valerie | June 26, 2009 at 09:05 PM
I love visiting your blog - it's like a trip to my idea of heaven! I love animals - chickens in particular although I've never raised them (that might change my mind!). Your photos and stories about them are just so awesome. Tiny Tim (right?) with the little coat - - - I LOVE his curly feathers!
I can picture your kittens (I love cats, too) but what intrigues me most is the thought of calves! Wow. To have babies like that around - what a blessed way to live. Ok, I've babbled too much. Thank you for sharing - I enjoy your blog tremendously!
Posted by: Sharli | June 26, 2009 at 09:01 PM
Love hearing about the animals, Anna :).
And I love your card, too!! The white gel pen drawing is so inspiring ~ what a great touch. I have got to learn to stitch on my cards, too; it looks beautiful.
We had some hot weather here in Michigan, too, recently - in the 90s for days... and thankfully we have a/c, all the animals live in the house, and the sweet neighbors have a pool :)
Hang in there and have fun with all the babies!!
Posted by: Nancy | June 26, 2009 at 07:45 PM
I LOVE reading about your critters and how well they are treated. You are an amazing, caring person. Not to mention how artistically gifted you are! I wanna be you when I grow up......well, since I'm probably older than you, I guess I wanna be you NOW! :)
Posted by: Karen RI | June 26, 2009 at 06:34 PM
Hi Anna, You colored the bird beautifully. I thought the background was made using the resist technique. Your drawing talent never ceases to amaze me.
I am looking forward to seeing more of the new babies.
Have fun on the farm.
Posted by: Laurie in MN | June 26, 2009 at 03:51 PM
So fun around all around you & OH SO HOT!! I hope it does cool off a bit this wknd for you. Beautfil card, I too very much like the white leaves & dots. It's great you found a home for the little boy kitten & those little girls sound very adorable. Enjoy your wonderful animals, I love the updates. :)
Posted by: D.C. Martin | June 26, 2009 at 02:42 PM
Your bird is just beautiful! sounds like there is always something going on on the farm. wold love to see pictures of the kittens :)
Posted by: Debbie | June 26, 2009 at 02:14 PM
WHAT???? You have kittens and have not taken pictures and not posted to your blog and deprived us of that joy? Shame on youuuuuuu.
Just sayin'... ;-)
Posted by: Sue | June 26, 2009 at 02:13 PM
Thanks for the critter update! Your coloring on the card is gorgeous as always. Here I was hoping you were going to say the white leaves were a new stamp ~ I love the look!
Posted by: Dotty | June 26, 2009 at 01:45 PM
BEAUTIFUL!!! We have bluebirds here in NE, and on our acreage we have 9 bluebird houses. They are so beautiful, and I just love seeing them!
Glad to get the update on all the critters! That's fantastic! Sounds like most everything is positive, and going well. Now if FALL would just hurry and get here...LOL (hang in there, keep that A/C cranked up!)
Have a great weekend with Alan!!! :D
Posted by: diane mcvey | June 26, 2009 at 01:39 PM