Farming is Fun

Our new windmill needs to be fastened
down in the howling winds.

Our parents grew up on a farm. Mine in Indiana and Paul's in South Dakota. They chose the city to raise their families. Paul and I dreamed of farming. Sometimes you just got to pinch yourself when your Dream is realized. Everyday we appreciate and LOVE our Farm.

The rising summer sun makes a bright golden haze on the fields.

We just harvested hay. Arapaho, our llama,
 thinks it's good and ready

Our little alfalfa field is very beautiful and yields about 1/2 week to 2 weeks worth of hay. It is just big enough to give us a farming experience. We cut it with a special blade that fits in the weed whacker. Then we rake it by hand and stack it in the sun. When it is cured about, 3 days, we put it in the wagon. We just picked up 5 bales of a blend of 60%Timothy grass and 40% 'alfalfa. First cut may contain fox tails so we check it before we buy it.

We love our tractor

This me on the tractor.  Paul taught me how to run it and use it. I like looking back at the earth as it undulates under the sharp blades and the smell of earth and the promise of crops to come.

The Wild Jungle of Love

The Jungle of LOVE is Paul's creation. It is the lushest place in Cedar City Clay. A magical place with ground cover that protects the wildflowers. Next year I will plant one in my cornfield for protection from harsh winds and hard clay.

Ok now you gotto realize that 2 years ago these were 1 1/2 ' sticks with a few roots. I ordered 64 willows and trees and the post woman drove up with one whimpy green plastic bag. Pretty disappointing after wanting for those lovely trees and flowers in the catalogue. I commenced to digging forever holes and planting forever trees and willows. Today they are growing so nicely. See? Taller than an elephants eye and great wall for wind and snow for the llamas. The man in this picture I LOVE. He is so handsome and willing, don't you think ? ♥ PAUL ♥ Is my LOVE Husband ♥

Bizzy Beeezzz in The Jungle of Love

There are plenty of happy bees on our organic farm. They are so buzzie and bizzy, and gather so much yellow pollen their little legs are full of it. I love this wildflower garden and so do they.

This spinach is divine. I snip off the leaves as
 I use them and pinch the flowers off

My first cabbage ever. Ain't she pretty?
We have beets, Italian parsley and
chamomile too.

Rainbow eggs everyday

My girls are so sweet. Henny Penny, Betsy
Callie and Peck. I have 6 more.

Sunsets are absolutely scrumptious
with drama, color and variations.

Each day here is weaves a story of precious memories of textures, color, sound, and temperatures are a  reflection of our life long dream of living in the country in a rural setting. Farming is fun.

4th of July in Parowan,UT 2011

My handsome husband, Paul, drove his 1947 Allis Chalmer
 in the parade.

What a fun town this is! I love the town of Parowan and all the wonderful groups and activities that were represented in this parade. I was so surprised to see how many people were sitting on the flag lined curbs all the way down Main street. I didn't know they had a Swim Team, A Red Hat Society, A wonderful Drill Team from Parowan High, young martial arts group, goats representing the fresh goat cheese made at The Jack Rabbit Ranch located in Parowan trotted right along in the parade, Noble Farm from Summit was well represented in quite a few ways, one being a beautiful woman rider on top of a gorgeous black horse with red roses streaming down the tail and two very obedient dogs trailing along side. She turned her horse towards me and saluted with a leather gloved hand. One entry  was the entourage of the Iron County Search And Rescue. I was so thrilled to see our talented Search and Rescue dog trainer Pam Williams from The Hitchin' Post in Enoch,UT perched on top of an army green ATV with her search and Rescue Dog Maggie. Dogs are such an important part of life here on the farms and ranches. They were everywhere, on floats, ATVs, walking free in the parade,and on the curbs in the crowds. Folks reading this must know there were so many festive entries in the parade. They all were great ! Here is a brief video of the wonderful event ! You may enlarge the screen by clicking on the box icon on the bar below the video.

Children anticipated the candy being tossed out from the sheriffs SUV and Frisbees tossed out by the firetruck and various other parade participants threw out suckers and candy canes etc. The crowds synergy was intoxicating, the simplicity and creativity was inspirational. There were hoots and hollers, clapping and waving of flags. The whole scene was animated with enthusiasm and celebration. The sirens of the fire departments finale and the whirl of activity going on around me, brought to mind a time when I was a little girl in Santa Fe Springs, California. The parade marched down Telegraph Road right in front of our house. It was a simpler time back then in 1960. My sister, mom and I would walk down after the parade to the festival down the road. The memory of pink cotton candy, the sounds and whirrs* of the fun zone and the smell of popcorn filled my senses again. I was taken back to that time, yesterday, while watching the parade in Parowan,Ut. Here are some highlights of that parade in a photoshow below. Hope you enjoy it.

Jack Rabbit Ranch Goat Cheese Parowan,UT

http://site.jackrabbitcheese.com/