Summer in a small town...

"Town and Country Days" came to our small town of less than 6,000 souls.  Carnival rides, music, food and a parade...

My favorite time of day in the summer...

Watching the sunset with my newest, furry friends...and my youngest son (aka, dirty toes)!

New arrivals to the farm...

Fisherman Finn and Trinity Lutheran Eve (yes, those are their real names) came home today!

It is so much fun having kittens in the house! 

Fisherman Finn and JJ!

Trinity Lutheran Eve

"Kitty City" built by the boys (with help from Miss Clare) and fully enjoyed by Fisherman Finn and Trinity!

Mulberries

We own a mulberry tree...Yum!

Make a wish!

This moment had "summer" written all over it!  I love that my oldest son is still innocent enough to find pure joy in a dandelion.. and sharing his exciting find, of this enormous weed, with his mama! 

Playing outside late on this summer solstice eve! Not much better than getting a few more minutes of fun, in jammies and all, before bedtime !

Home cooking

Homemade German chocolate cake for my dad's birthday! I over cooked the frosting a bit... But the cake eaters didn't seem to mind!

Our furry family is growing ...

Three pounds and three months old... We get to bring our rescue kitten home with us next week! We met her for the first time today.

June is "Adopt A Shelter Cat" month...so her adoption fee is half off. Adopting a cat from the shelter is such a good deal, she is coming spayed and all caught up on her vaccinations.  And flee free!

We are naming her Trinity, after the boys' last school. It's also a perfect name for her because she's three colors in one!

Late spring shearing

Beatrix is ready to get rid of her winter wool coat!

I tried my hand at shearing. It's harder than it looks...as the sheep are not exactly still and I kept worrying about cutting her! Her shear job doesn't look pretty but she's ready for the hot summer sun! 

Tick Country

Tick! Nasty and gross! I noticed this tick on me while in the grocery store! A quick call to farmer J informed me to leave it alone until I got home. I was pretty unnerved the entire 15 minute car ride back to our farm. Pickle noticed my anxiety and said, "Do you want me to drive, Mama?" I declined his polite offer! 11 more years, buddy!

Soon we were home. J used the hot end of a blown out match to get the tick to retreat out of my body. Parasite freedom!

Luckily, we have only found wood ticks, the tick that does not carry Lyme's disease, on our bodies. 

We need more chickens to free range on the land and eat up all the ticks!