Year of the Camellia

After the cloud of this year's winter, which seemed like it would never end, we are finally seeing a little bit of a silver lining. The camellias have been especially beautiful this year. The have kept their buds tightly closed until now and they are all opening in a burst to welcome spring. We are still waiting on the azaleas, though. They are fully one month behind normal, but I know that they will be exceptional a little later this spring. We ordered a few new camellias this year from Camellia Forest, a nursery in North Carolina that we like a lot. We even got a tea plant (which is a type of Camellia) and hope to try to pick,cure, brew and drink our own tea in a couple of years. Just for fun.

Southern Snow

We're having a only-a-few-in-a-lifetime snow here is South Mississippi! The ground is actually white--the snow is not melting as soon as it lands. The girls, of course, are having a ball--getting soaking wet and running in every few minutes to stand by the fire. May the electricity stay on, may the roads stay clear.

Month of the Chickens

They are everywhere. Well, they were everywhere--now they're in our freezer. Cornish Cross Broilers. We recently raised and butchered 150 of these massive white chickens. I'm not a real football person, but they remind me of the guys who run over everybody else--tackles, I think. When they're hungry (and they're always hungry), they appear as a white swirling sea. They are not terribly bright, and they're not terribly afraid of electric poultry netting, either. Imagine walking toward their pen, feed bucket in hand, and seeing this horde rushing toward you, their combined weight allowing them to merely walk over the electrified fence. A bit frightening... But, as I say, they are now appearing (one at a time) deliciously roasted on our dinner table. A happy ending.


On to smaller poultry--Here's a very cute photo (taken by our oldest daughter) of one of our youngest daughter's new bantam chicks (notice the baby peeking out from under the mom). They are exceedingly cute, being so tiny and so active. When they're not hiding out under Mom (aka Cinnamon), they're riding on her back or scratching in the grass.

There are many wonderful things about living on a farm--and more wonderful things, I think, about growing up on a farm. It's a delight to watch plants & animals grow, to learn where the expression "Don't count your chickens before they're hatched" really comes from, to know that, though the pig is for eating, we'll give him the best care/food we can while he's here, to realize that when Peter heard the cock crow, it was, indeed, VERY early in the morning. Life here is very real, very immediate and very full.

Home Within a Home

Our latest project is redoing/saving our barn. It's been incredible to see the transformation--from a sagging, vine covered home for rodents (aka rats) to a solid, gleaming (with it's new metal roof) testament to the beauty, dignity and utility of a well-built pole barn. Perhaps the nicest lagniappe of the redo is the "unveling" of the log corn crib. We have much respect for our carpenter, who also built our guest house and has done numerous projects in our home and at church. Art will add 6 stalls to the barn--a snug home for the horses, donkeys, sheep and maybe a few cows when it gets really nasty outside!


On the door of that sturdy corn crib we found another home--this one for dirt daubers. They obviously visited the various clay banks at the creek and came back to create multi-colored tubal apartments. They remind me of something from the western deserts...

Woolly Babies

This little lady is Angel or Cloud, depending on which daughter you ask... She was born this morning to our very standoffish white ewe who we had about decided was not REALLY bred. But she was. So now we have 2 very sweet babies, one solid white and one solid black. (The black one is Emily--named after Emily Dickinson with whom she shares a birthday). These are Gulf Coast Native Sheep--a very hardy, parasite resistant breed that has adapted, over its long history here, to our hot, muggy climate. Their favorite food seems to be privet, which is NOT native to this area but has also adapted and spread and spread...

To give you an update on the Piney Woods cows--they are doing beautifully and have become very respectful of electric fencing. After reading the first post about them, you'll perhaps be surprised to know that they are staying put (also filling up on privet) with only one strand of hot wire!

Our laying hens (raised on grass, natural feed) have come of age, and we're now in the egg business. Let us know if you need one (or 8) dozen.

Be sure to stop by our website, Camp Topisaw , and check out our new springtime natural wax candle scents: Narcissus Poeticus (smells just like daffodils) and Brent Road Mimosa (named after the Dr. Seuss-style trees that grow just down the road from our farm).

Hounds + Heirlooms

Things have been a little crazy around Camp Topisaw.

We've been interested in "heirloom" plants and animals for a long time now and finally decided to take the plunge and purchase a few cows, a few sheep... After locating a wonderful, close-by source, we arranged to purchase 5 head of Piney Woods Cattle and 3 Gulf Coast Native Sheep. Both of these breeds are listed as "critical", meaning there are fewer than 200 annual N. American registrations and fewer than 2,000 global population, by the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy.

So the big day arrived, the animals were unloaded into the fenced enclosure, and we visited and enjoyed watching them until nightfall. AND THEN...the next morning the cows were gone. David found them behind the swingset and tried to lure them with food. No good. They ended up running through the spring, across the creek and into the very wild woods beyond. A visit to our neighbors brought results--they corralled the wayward creatures...for a few hours. The bull broke out, and his ladies followed. A few days later, they were "captured" again, only to break out after eating their host's generous outpouring of sweet feed. We were truly in despair--we had waited so long to get these animals, they were a rare breed, and they were loose somewhere on the banks of the Topisaw Creek. Then, as is always the case, God heard our cries. One morning, 4 days after their escape, they simply came wandering into our yard. They had recrossed the creek and found their way home. I can't tell you how much I admire these animals.

And then there was the hunt! Our oldest daughter rode in her first hunt earlier this month. The whole event was stunning. The rest of us rode in the "Talley-Ho Wagon" and admired the beautiful horses, stately riders. It was a gorgeous day.

I'll tell you about the sheep next time...

Edie

Big Plans

We've had two exciting days--yesterday we received 100 chickens which are being brooded in a refrigerator box on our porch... If you've never ordered day-old chicks, you may be interested to know that they come, in cardboard boxes, to the local post office! You get an early morning call from a postal employee, telling you that your (very noisy) birds have arrived and "how soon can you get here to take them away?!" This batch is Cornish Cross which we raise for eating. They're small, fluffy, yellow eating machines right now but will soon grow into big, rather unattractive, white eating machines before being "processed" at 8 weeks. We raise them on pasture, using only natural, non medicated feed, no hormones, etc. Let us know if you're interested in purchasing a few--they average 4# each and sell for $10 each.

TODAY we've had a cement truck at our place--pouring the floor for our new addition to La Petite Maison (the "Little House" studio where our soaps, skincare and candles are made). I'll be using the new space for my "concocting" area, leaving the rest of the house for classes, birthday parties and a shop where you can purchase our products!