Fridays on the Farm & raggedy hearts

ML at House of Whimsy is my inspiration for Fridays on the Farm. I really enjoy her Wednesday posts, and so I have decided to share a bit of our old farm on Fridays. I'll start today, by showing you around the farm yard. Our farm when homesteaded, raised sheep. The land was all sand knolls, covered with sage bush, bull berries, rabbit brush, grease woods, cotton wood trees and cactus. It all had to be cleared and leveled. This was done with a team of horses and by hand. Fields were planted and plowed, fruit trees and shade trees were planted as well. There wasn't much water until they built the canals and creeks and diverted it from the high lakes. Which was also done by horse team.

After some years, the sheep went and were replaced by beef cattle. Which is what we still raise today. That and alfalfa. So come with me for a little walking tour around the yard.



This old guy was a gift from my uncle to our oldest son when he was a teen. It was to be re-built......... the grandsons love it. I think it needs a more dignified spot to call home, maybe this summer ...........

I want to move this closer to the house.......

Hauling wood is an everyday chore.

The front of the Stone House. The stone is there, walls 2 1/2 ft thick under the siding. Our yard is surrounded by Elm trees.

Looking east of the house. This is the only road in or out.

Looking west of the house up to the fields

North of the house sits the cabin and the corrals. The Stone House burnt down in the late 30's, well, the inside of the house burnt, and at that time this cabin , which was also a homestead cabin from the other side of the family, was taken apart moved here and reassembled and built on to. That's where the family lived while they re-built the inside of the house. And where my in-laws lived for a time after they were fist married.
In front is the old water well, which still works. You crank the handle and there is a chain with cups on it that bring the water up. There is also a spout on the side where you can hang a bucket and fill it up.

West end of the cabin. My sons are going to take this apart and move it again, to another place on the farm and use it for over night camping with their kids.

Looking east from the back door, out towards our fire pit and picnic area. You can see a corner of the old garage.

Newest hobby of son #2 and DH, sheep.

Goat in the pig pens.......doesn't everyone have a goat in their pig pens?

Corrals. And behind them, runs the creek.

This is (DH"S) Grandpa's original homestead cabin. He came here as a young man from Sweden and lived as a bachelor when he first homesteaded. He later met and married G grandma Naomi, and her father was a stone mason, and together they built the Stone house. This cabin is now the grainary and tack shed, where Mr. G (cat) lives. Off to the left side is the chicken run.

Old Beau dog. Spends most of his time in the back room on the floor sleeping. # 2 son bought this old dog 15 years ago.

BUT this is the old dog! LOL she is 16 ! I didn't get a picture of the "young" dog because he was off somewhere

This is the back or north side of the Stone House, and the cabin.
No morning chores are done here anymore, no cow to milk, nothing. And electric heaters in the water make it much easier! We just get up, DH goes off to work and the teen to school.
In the evenings, cows are fed, chickens are fed and the "egg" or maybe two or three are gathered (they are really "fair weather" layers LOL), wood is hauled, chore cows ( bull, beef steer we are fattening, and maybe some calves we are feeding), sheep and horses are fed. The truck on my header lovingly know as "old red" is the feed truck. When they use ton bales, they use the tractor to feed with. Most nights there is also a sled pulled behind old red and the teen rides it before and after the cows are fed.

So now come in, and take off your wet boots and set them in front of the stove so they can dry off. Sit down and warm up and I'll show you the hearts I've been making from an old quilt found here at the Stone House.

When we moved here I found an old quilt stuffed in a box out in the garage. As you can see it was in shreds. I brought it in and washed it up and used it for this and that. Lately I've made some Valentine hearts from it. I've backed them with an old cotton table cloth that came from an aunts belongings. I love them. They are little pieces of days gone by here at the farm. I don't even know who made this quilt which I feel kinda sad about. Grandma Naomi? Grandma Stokes? G Grandma Mitchell? G Grandma Smithson? Maybe my father in laws first wife, Jean?

Made a pattern for 3 sizes

These are my 3 favorites. I think I'll keep them for myself. :-)

*

But I want you each to take a set of 3 home with you as a remembrance of being here on the farm.....

I really love living here. I love the history of our home, as well as the history of our area, the Uintah and Ouray Indian Reservation. I love the red cliffs and red sand, & the sage brush. I enjoy hearing the coyotes howl even though it gives me chills, and seeing deer in the fields at nights.

I hope you enjoyed your visit out around the farm yard, and will join me on many more Fridays as I share ordinary bits and pieces of what life is like for us here on the farm.

Carpe diem.......Seize The Day

Mercy