Homestead Happenings: October 2016

A fine cow/sheep dog Champ is! The sheep are chasing him! They weren't scared at all of the go-cart or ATVs, either.

Early frost again this year gave us several green pumpkins. I tried making a green pumpkin cobbler that tasted just like apple cobbler. I got the idea from Ma Ingalls in The Long Winter.

Rina is trying to figure out where all the grapes are that she's been eating all summer. Her hair is REALLY coming in more blonde.

 Helping Daddy as he trims the shrubs back. She loves being his "swamper".

 We let her ride around in the t-bucket around the homestead with daddy. She screams when it's time to get out.

 I entered this picture into a couple of magazines. We'll see what happens. I just thought it was so cute. Rina loves to feed all the animals on the homestead.

 Brother's little helper!

We took the time out of our homeschool schedule to go to the open house at the National Weather station here in town. There are only 3 in Oregon. It was very interesting. Josiah's Scout Master was there with a demonstration on practical ways to keep our water sources clean.

Never too early to start homeschooling! I think Hailey will make an excellent teacher.

You might be a redneck if you bring home a 🐑 ram in the back of a Subaru! We have a young ram visiting our ewes for the next couple months. Better late than never. Thanks for the visit and your  help Cousin Joey and family!

            

Mama's little helper is 18 months! Had to get her her own Dyson so she'd let me vacuum with mine.

 Josiah got the idea to make some boots out of one of the sheep hides he and his dad naturally tanned.

 I also entered this picture into a couple of magazines for consideration. It cracked me up when I found Cuddles in my outdoor basket that goes on my deck table. He looked very comfortable.

I got to see both my nephews play 8 man football with the Dufur Rangers. My niece, Lily enjoyed teacher Rina some cheers! The Rangers cleaned house that tonight 🏈

 We decided the old front porch was enough of a safety hazard that we had to replace it this fall.

 Michael and I and Rina all worked together to get this deck together as quickly as possible before the really bad weather hit. Rina took her job of handing us screws very seriously.

 It turned out better than I expected. It is on the shady side of the house and we can now sit on the deck and watch the chickens, sheep and garden grow. It was expensive, but I don't think we'll regret that we made it into a deck, not just a porch.

 My makeshift "bistro" set - two camping chairs and an old oak captain's chair that had all it's spindles broken off long ago that now serves as my table. Looking forward to doing my bible studies out here for years to come.

 Mom and Larry gave Rina a little "Candy Corn Kitty" for Halloween. She really likes it. She liked the card that went with it, too.

 This girl loves shoes! Got her these shoes for the future, but she spotted them and wanted to wear them despite them being too big. She's just like her Aunt Stacie.

Sickness ran through the kids this month. Rina got hit with teething and a cold. Poor girl! The only thing good about it is that she actually let me snuggle her, usually she's too busy.

 Continued the tradition of Trick or treating two local assisted living centers with friends, then Mom and Larry. Went home and had a pumpkin shaped Papa Murphys pizza and then settled in to watch the old Disney classic "Ghosts of Buxley Hall" while eating popcorn . Rina was dressed as a 🐝, Hailey was Batgirl and Josiah was an Army soldier.

The cutest bee on the homestead!