DECEMBER 2020

 

MERRY CHRISTMAS

and best of wishes for a 

HAPPY, HEALTHY and SAFE

NEW YEAR

---------------------------------------------

Here at the Farm we have pretty well organized the buildings and animals ready for the colder months ahead. Snow shovels sit at all doorways in anticipation or maybe to scare the white stuff away!

Friends up Barrie and Orillia way have already had a good amount of snow to clear, here we have been a bit more fortunate - some would say. If your a skier, (downhill or cross country), snowmobiler or like to snowshoe (like me) then you kind of like a little bit of snow!

A few folks had some real wind damage at the end of November as a very strong wind storm raged through the evening. We awoke to see one of our lovely old Maples had been blown over. Looks like maybe the roots were a wee bit on the decaying side. We have lived here for about 37 years and these lovely old trees were planted about 15 to 20 years before we arrived. We always thought they were maybe planted a little to close to each other but they have always provided a welcoming amount of shade.

Our son will use it for firewood to warm his house so the tree keeps on giving.

Thank you!

A very talented young lady has made us a beautiful quilt block to put above the barn door. It is finished and should be mounted by the New Year. I will add photos in the next blog.

The metal work at left was a Christmas Tree Ornament our youngest grandson made at school in metal shop manufacturing class.

Well Done T

It's time to go and make a few shortbreads for the freezer to enjoy through the holidays so I will sign off below.

In these difficult days of 2020 we look for peace, love and kindness within ourselves and in each other. Please enjoy the holiday season, stay safe, healthy, and in good spirits if you can. To those that work the frontline a BIG and continued THANK YOU! To all essential workers a BIG and continued THANK YOU as well. To all the helpers in the world and to all those that have suffered this year, you are in our thoughts and prayers.

 

MERRY CHRISTMAS,

HAPPY HOLIDAYS

AND HERE'S TO A

HAPPY, HEALTHY

AND BETTER

NEW YEAR!

Until next time,

Jeanne & Kim

If you are interested in Kim's current listings please link: www.century21.ca/kim.hadwen

NOVEMBER 2020

At the 11th hour

On the 11th day

Of the 11th month

REMEMBER

//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Well, November has rolled around and if you follow this blog at all you will notice I have skipped October. I must have had a premonition of this as I wished a Happy Thanksgiving to all in the September blog.

Looking back now October seems almost a blur. Lots was going on everyday farm wise and Real Estate wise. We were also training our 2 year old Belgian filly "Delilah" for the Fall Futurity Competition in Listowell. Our daughter had taken this on as her project all summer and saw it through to show time!

The competition involves a Halter Line Class, Obstacle Course and Cart Class. It pits Belgians, Percherons and Clydesdales against one another. There are 3 Judges (usually representatives from all 3 breeds) and they all judge independently from one another until the last event has been run. Totals are then tallied and the winner presented. We had the great fortune of winning this event last year (see November 2019 blog) with our mare Ruby, trained and shown by our farrier Jeremy Tingey and family. Jeremy has successfully competed in this Futurity almost since its beginning approximately 12 years ago, winning several times and placing near the top the other times!

This year Jeremy had chosen 2 year old "Cruze" from our barn to compete with and finished in 4th place over all out of 16 competitors - well done Jeremy and family.

Our daughter with Delilah finished 14th over all and for their first ever Futurity did a fantastic job! The highlight being a 7th place finish out of the 16 in the difficult Obstacle Course section - well done Carrie and Delilah!

Well the last days of October ended with a bit of the white stuff on the ground one afternoon and as we entered November we were blessed with a wonderful few days in a row of VERY warm and lovely weather. We will carry the memory of these into the fall/winter as the days grow colder.

  

 Below are a couple of recent horse photos. First is of 1 and a half year old's Gunner and Frankie. They will be next years Futurity Competitors. They have been the best of friends since birth.

This is a very November looking sky with Frankie in the foreground

And along with the warm temperatures we have been blessed with we have been enjoying some spectacular sunsets.

If your ever interested in the current Real Estate listings we carry, Farm or otherwise link here:

www.century21.ca/kim.hadwen

                          

                                                                      Until next time,

                                                                          Stay Safe, 

                                                                       Jeanne & Kim

 

SEPTEMBER 2020

                      That time of year again!

Half way through September as this blog entry is made. The geese have been active this past week with fly overs and some stopping in the harvested grain fields to see what morsels have been left behind and to rest their wings before setting off again.

School has begun in most areas now - different for sure from other years - our hopes are for a safe experience for all.

Here at the farm the two new additions are settling in - CeeCee and DeeDee, the little piglets we will raise throughout the winter months. Will add a photo next time.

As we go about farm chores this month our minds are always on the coming Fall & Winter and we add an hour or day here and there of a chore that gets things ready for that. Windows that are removed from barn to allow summer breezes to flow will be put back in. The outdoor grain boiler will soon be filled with grain corn to heat the house and workshop. Grain crops and hay are all accounted for - making sure there is enough to feed livestock through the winter months, as well as shavings and straw for bedding. 

My 6 chickens arrived in August and have adjusted to life on the farm very well. They love their new coop and will have outdoor access next Spring. We enjoy their lovely offerings of fresh eggs for breakfast.

                                                     

The cows are  enjoying their last few weeks out on pasture before they move to higher ground and then eventually indoors with outdoor access available at all times. Seen here in photo they are following the tractor and hay bale to the feeder as the grass isn't quite as sweet as it was.

Along with the geese flying over head, we have had daily visits from a flock ( or google says: rafter ) of wild turkeys! There are 15 of them and it appears to be 2 hens and their 2 family units joined as one.

Seen below in video.

I will take time now to wish everyone a HAPPY THANKSGIVING when it arrives as I probably won't post again until after the fact. 

Enjoy your time with family and friends (within the acceptable amount of people - of course)

Stay Happy, Stay Health, Stay Safe

We leave you with a photo of Patsy playing "QUEEN OF THE HILL."

Until next time,

Jeanne & Kim

Real Estate has stayed unbelievable strong throughout the summer months. For Kim's current listings please link here: http://www.century21.ca/kim.hadwen

          

AUGUST 2020

 

ALMOST TIME TO HARVEST THE OATS

The above photo was taken in the end of July and by the 2nd week of August the oats had matured and turned golden ready for harvest. As yields go it wasn't the highest amount but it was better than nothing. Kim laid down the outside rounds with the old ride on swather so as to have easier access to the inside. Seen below with the old pull type combine.

There wasn't a huge amount of oat straw but the 14 round bales we did get along with some we will buy will keep the livestock warm this winter.

The  months of  June into July saw a bounty of strawberries, well the end of July and into August is blueberry picking month around here.

Two different Thursday's netted a whole bunch of the yummy fruit for the freezer. Think warm blueberry pie, cobbler or muffins in the cold winter months.. Pictured above is the pretty array of berries as they turn from green to pink to deep blue!

A new venture around here this year was our oldest grandsons interest in stock car racing. It has kept everyone busy in any spare time one might have working on this little Honda car to race at Brighton Raceway. He had a fun and successful inaugural race at the end of July but the car has been back 

"in the shop" since then waiting on parts!

Hoping to "get er going" again soon!

We reported back in the November 2019 blog about our girl Ruby winning the Futurity class at Carsons Fall sale in Listowell.  Seen above is her full sister Delilah training with Percheron Penny for the competition this year. Seen here she is learning the ropes on driving and will have to learn to drive single and maneuver through an obstacle course as well. We also have her stable mate "Cruze" up in Orillia at our farriers doing the same sort of process as he will show Cruze as well. 

Through the summer we have been watching Stevi grow. If you archive the past couple of months you will see how he came to stay with us. 

We are glad to say that he has been weaned from our girl Gracie and is now back home with his people family and all the other horses in their stable and doing very well.

Way to go STEVI

If you noticed a different layout to this blog I will tell you it has been a challenge!  The layout has been changed by the powers that be and it will take me a while to get use to it.

I have been unable to find out how to remove photo's that I changed my mind about so they are all here.

Hopefully by the September entry I can get the grandkids to give

me a hand to figure it out.

As the summer starts to wind down I imagine everyone is wondering the same thing, "What is September going to bring" with kids heading back to school and hopefully no big increase in the pandemic.

Until next time, 

Stay safe.

Jeanne & Kim

JULY 2020

WELL STRAWBERRY SEASON IS OVER
     

              AND THEY WENT FROM 

<--------------  THIS... TO THIS   ---------------->

                         and into one of 
                             
                               THESE

                                  

                                                                 
Strawberry Triffle has been a Canada Day staple at our farm for years now. Usually double the size of this one and shared with a group of friends and family but this year we enjoyed this smaller version within our bubble. Hope everyone had an enjoyable Canada Day!

Next berries up are raspberries and blueberries. We don't do many raspberries here but we do like to go pick high bush blueberries for pies and muffins throughout the winter.

The garden has been producing well. The garlic has all been harvested and hangs to dry. We've enjoyed fresh rhubarb, lettuce, radishes, peas, snow peas and most recently new potatoes (smothered in butter), onions, tiny tomatoes, cucumbers, beets and anxiously await sweet corn. 

Hope your own gardens are growing well if you planted one this year or if not then we hope you are able to support any of the fine vegetable stands or CSA's in the area.

Below is a picture of one of our Norwegian Fjords (Johnny) modelling his new hair do! This gentle breed is a pleasure to work with and their very interesting 2 toned - stand up - manes lend themselves to some unique designs. Here he sports half diamonds. May try hearts next time!

Seen below is our grandson with his Norwegian Fjord

                   (Jeff) and the old cart he made new again with new boards and a fresh coat of paint!

In May we introduced you to the little shire foal "Stevi" that came to live with us for a while. He continues to grow like a weed and keep us entertained with his personality. He is so laid back I am never ready with my camera to catch him when he does a jump and a skip but I will try in the next few days to get him on the run for the next blog. Here he and his adoptive mom Gracie are enjoying a lovely rainy day (long over due).

The temperatures so far this month have been grueling to say the least. The horses stay inside through the day in the shade with fans blowing on them and are turned out in the evening when the sun goes down and the temps are a bit more tolerable.

Can't complain too much as the heat is good for the crops in moderation but it makes it hard to grow a 2nd crop of hay when it's this hot and no rain, just like your lawn that goes "crispy" that also happens to a hay field. Once again this year the rain  has been very spotty. 

Here's hoping today's rain will go along way to help the situation.

Along with the "No Rain" we have seen some spectacular cloud formations.

 I cant help but capture some of them in pictures.

Once again if your interested in our current farm listings link here: www.century21.ca/kim.hadwen

This blog seems to be all about the 

horses so I will leave you with a 

photo that I took a bit ago as the 

mares and foals were heading out to 

pasture.

Until next time,

Jeanne & Kim

                                                                             
















                                 

JUNE 2020

                                                          SEE WHAT I SEE!

Not only do I see the strawberries peeking but also that it's darn near the end of June and once again late with the Blog!

3 batches of strawberry jam cooked and in the freezer 2 days ago and 3 more batches to go today. Not all from my own patch (smallish amounts this year). Great berries supplied from local Sunny Slope Market, Foxboro (on the Foxboro - Frankford Road)

What fantastic weather the month of June brought us. Although HOT at times, we have not experienced so many consecutive days of sunshine for making hay for many many many years! We were truly blessed to get all of our first cut in (about 70 acres) in a week and a half. Cut, tedded, raked, baled (either big rounds or big squares), picked up and stored inside. We even took a bit of time to try the horses on the tedder - see video and photos below:

Pep, Penny and Kim tedding hay

Our girl Gracie and adopted Stevi continue to enjoy each others company. Stevi is growing like a weed and getting so very tall, not super graceful (lol) but that will come. This video is from a few weeks ago now and he's grown so much more since then:

As summer time is officially here now and the hot days as well we must remember when they become TOO hot that in January and February we think fondly of these days! (lol) Corn crop is in that will heat our outdoor corn boiler this winter - great renewable home grown energy, oats for horses is looking real good and is under seeded with alfalfa mix for next years hay crop. Still to do is a lot of rail fence repairs, bush hogging of pastures, laneways etc...and continue to clean out all barns and store manure to spread when fields are ready.

Vegetable garden is growing very well and garlic will be ready to harvest in a couple of weeks. We have enjoyed radishes, peas, snow peas and romaine lettuce so far. Potatoes are in blossom and beans too!

Well we will move on through the summer months and the new way of life we are all slowly becoming use to during this crazy time of history. Once again thank you so much to all front line workers and our thoughts are with those that have lost loved ones.

Pictured at left are some gorgeous yellow roses grown in our daughters garden. Instead of picking one I choose to leave them undisturbed and just enjoy the photo!

Real Estate is VERY busy and the market is strong in rural properties. If you are interested in a peek at our current listings link here: www.century21.ca/kim.hadwen


Until next time,

Take care, stay safe.

Jeanne & Kim

MAY - 2020

     WELCOME THE MONTH OF MAY ......

..........or I guess I should say goodbye to the month of May as I write this blog on the 2nd last day of the month! Not sure where the time has flown but I'm sure a lot of folks feel the same way this spring!

Again I won't focus this blog on other than the farm but will say our continued Thanks to All the Helpers in the world that keep the world turning on a day to day bases. One is re-awakened to what is most important in life through times like these, and our thoughts and prayers are with those that have lost loved ones.

Comet with her mom Olympia

Here at the Farm we keep busy with spring time rituals. Veggie gardens are planted ( and up ), baby calves are all here and out on pasture now with their mom's - the jet black Angus look so lovely on the emerald green grasses of Springtime! The last foal to be born for the year has arrived, on Mothers Day weekend and her name is Comet - she's lovely!

 We also have watched Presley grow  the last 5 months into a very handsome fellow ( see the January Blog ). He was weaned mid may and mom Gracie was on her way out to the meadow when we got a call from good friends who sadly had lost a lovely Mare who had a month old stud colt. Well bless our girl Gracie, she accepted this little fellow like her own and that is how we have "Stevi" (who is a Shire breed), staying with us for a little while to nurse and continue to grow strong. He is a character to say the least.

Shire foal "Stevi" with adopted mom, Belgian mare "Gracie"

Along with babies being born on the farm we continue with day to day farm stuff. Grain (under seeded with hay) has been planted, is up and looks good. Corn also has been planted and just through the ground. The crazy heat of last week along with a couple of much needed rains has brought the hay crop around and looks promising - fingers crossed. Other things of interest or NOT has been our venture into bread making. Along with everyone else this seems to have been a March/April/May craze. We were lucky enough on one trip to the grocery store to find 3 packets of yeast. Now I have made bread before in my day but I have to say the homemade buns I made and the super Cinnamon buns our daughter made were fantastic. I think, like everyone you talk to, we all need to be outside (safely) to walk off some of the extra pounds!






 It truly amazes me

   how you can take

      such a few

  ingredients and

  make something

   so very mouth

     watering as

     homemade

        bread.

Will report more in June but the lawn is calling for yet another cut. Enjoy the Spring weather and the ability to be outdoors.

Stay safe - Stay healthy!

Until next time,

Jeanne & Kim

APRIL 2020

                   HAS SPRING SPRUNG ?........ 

Only a couple of days ago I would have said a resounding YES to that question.......looking out the window today though tells an entirely different story!

What began as a rainy day soon gave way to a SNOWY day  here on April 9th and they say by mid day the sun shall shine for the remainder of this day....that's truly called a mixed bag!

Won't dwell on the world events at present as everyone is very aware of them, will just say a HUGE thank you to those helpers in the world and our thoughts and prayers go out to everyone.

Here at the farm there is always something to keep us busy. I made up a make shift greenhouse over one of my garden beds to see if I could entice some lettuce to give it a go earlier than usual, put down some new grass seed and have begun to pick up the small limbs and tree debris that fell over the winter. Kim has been busy on the days that the weather co-operated putting in some field tile drainage and other days doing repairs in the barns and outbuildings.




 Four long lines

should help out the

drainage in these

fields for years to

come. It was a lot of

digging but boys and

their toys! A throw

back to sandbox

days!



                    Wishes for a Happy Easter weekend. 

                                                                    Until next time, 

                                                                     Jeanne & Kim


                                                                       ( stay safe)