JMJ

We have so much going on here, it is hard to find the time to write and let you know about the things we have available. What a wonderful blessing it is to have new life and all the colors and wonders of spring has Easter approaches.

We are excited to take part in the inaugural year of DL Market. Dynamic Life Christian Church is hosting a farmers market in their parking lot the first and third Saturdays of each month beginning in April and going through November. We are so busy with school and farm work that we will not be there April 2nd, but we are excited to participate at least once a month through the summer and hopefully into the fall. There will be many local vendors there and I highly encourage you to visit and support local artisans.  

We will also be at the Browntown Redbud Festival on April 23nd. We will have our Goods, as well as a plant sale to support  Divinum Auxilium Academy.  The students are working hard to have herbs, tomatoes, greens, and some perennials available.  We will also have marigold seeds, grown, gathered, and packaged by the students.  

Chicks have hatched! We have over two dozen adorable, fluffy one day old chicks. They are a barnyard variety including Easter Eggers, black Laced Wyandotte, Rhode Island red, and black Australorp. All of them appear to be heavy on Easter Egger.  You have no way of telling whether they are hens or roosters, but if you end up with roosters you do not want, we are happy to take them back. $3/chick.

Baby bunnies will be available just after Easter. They are so tiny we have hardly seen them yet, but we see the fur in the mama rabbits nests moving, so we know all is well. If you are interested, we can let you know what colors and sex are available. $35 / bunny.

Baby goats are bouncing around and bringing Joy to all! This is Sepha and Bepo, born on the Feast of St. Joseph.  We also have little Rosie Posey, our first Mini Saanen doeling, who has is a little bashful and hasn't posed for a picture yet.  We have one more doe yet to kid, so we will introduce the the next kid/kids soon.  With the birth of kids, comes goat milk. We have a goat share agreement if you are interested in milk. 

If you are interested in goats, please see our Craigslist add and get in touch with me.  We would love to see these guys go to a great home.  

https://winchester.craigslist.org/grd/d/front-royal-mini-saanen-nigerian-dwarf/7461513690.html

With so much going on here and kids in two different schools, I will not be able to make individual deliveries. Please contact me and arrange to pick up on the farm if you are interested in goat milk or cheese, bread (white, whole wheate, spelt, or einkorn)

Aine, 14 years old has earnings and fairy dolls available for sale. 

Doll $10

Bead earings  $5

Clay earrings  $10

JMJ

We have puppies!  This is a grand adventure for us and we are so head over heals for these little pups!  These pictures were taken two weeks ago and they have grown so much since then.  There were wobbly on their feet then, but now they are racing all over the place, having only gown cuter and more endearing! 

They are 5 week old Pyrenees puppies (born 11/9/19) that will be ready to go to new homes by Jan. 4th. The mother and father are both un-papered, pure bred Pyrenees. You can come pick your puppy for Christmas and take her home by Epiphany (when they will be 8 weeks old). The Great Pyrenees are a livestock guardian breed and make excellent family dogs as they are calm and gentle with children. They are gentle with people, but will do a great job of protecting your property from the wildlife; we have had no trouble with predators taking our chickens since getting our dogs. They will also alarm you when anyone pulls in the driveway. 

Here is the info. people tend to want to know when looking for a puppy: Our puppies will be dewormed and our dogs are fed a part raw meat diet, supplemented with grain-free dog food. All available pups are female. If you reserve a puppy by Christmas, the price is $500 with $100 deposit. After Christmas, $550 with $100 deposit. There are only 4 available, so reserve one soon!

Please email me at jamiespiering@gmail.com for more information.

Cecily's First Holy Communion

JMJ

My Sweet Cecily Rose received Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament on April 29th.  She wore my dress and veil from when I received, which made it all the more special.  Both my daughters, so far have been able to wear it.  :)  And the gloves were a gift from Uncle Ben and Aunt Jessi to Aine.  They have been well loved!

She was so happy and peaceful all day.  I wish the sun hadn't been quite so bright because she looks a little nervous in the picture, but there was none of that in reality.

Here's the whole family on the next Saturday after her class received at a special mass.  We are sl thankful to our priest, Fr. Beres for offering this special mass, just for these first communicants.  Joseph and Henry sang in the choir and it was wonderful.  Lucinda and Elizabeth followed Craig (http://www.spieringphotography.com/) when he went to take pictures from the loft during the mass.  I couldn't believe it when I saw them up there: the girls were constantly in motion, but there was no noise!  Praise the Lord for small miracles! 

One year later--what we are doing

JMJ

Seeing as I have not posted in over a year, I thought it was time to get something up here.  There are many happenings to share from the last year, but I will start with what is happening now.  Hopefully, I will do "catch-up posts" along the way to fill in the gaps.  (though I don't have a great tract record with posting here, do I?)

The kids and I have been working hard to get items ready to sell at the Redbud festival.

Here is what everyone is doing:

Joseph makes bird houses.  Craig cut down several poplar trees on our property to make room for our orchard.  We had Jack Donahue of TimberWorks out with his portable sawmill to mill them into dimensional lumber.  We used them to side our horse shelter (will post that beauty soon) and still had LOTS left over.  I had no idea that poplar was such a beautiful wood--and rot resistant, too!  Craig showed Joseph how to use the miter saw and he has been a birdhouse-making-fool for  a couple of months, now.  Craig told him if he made a dozen to go up around our property, he could then make them to sell.  Joseph not only made them for us, but he donated a set of three houses and a feeder to his school fundraiser auction.  Now, he is making them to sell at the Redbud festival on Saturday.

Aine and Cecily have been helping me make sourdough bread that we sell to a few people in our parish community.  We are making it for ourselves, so making extra and selling it has been fun.  It is really tasty, if I do say so myself, and is about as healthy as bread can get.  We are making multiple batches to sell at the festival--some made of white flour, some whole wheat flour, and some of home-ground hard white wheat flour.

Marshmallows: if you have never had a homemade marshmallow, you've never lived!  Okay, I am exaggerating, but I don't even LIKE store-bought marshmallows and I LOVE these.  They are made from water, gelatin, and honey.  That's it!  I am making several batches to sell at the festival.

Henry has been very intently (or maybe I should say "intensely" because everything Henry does is intense!) making wooden swords.  He's made at least a dozen with the intent of selling them this weekend.  Though, I don't know that he has been able to resist playing with them . . . if there are any left, he will sell them this weekend.  :)

I opened an Etsy shop and have been trying to make more clay figures, focusing on saints--especially St. Nicholas--and nativities.

The girls have also been making adorable little clay animals to sell along side mine.  I don't have any pictures of their work yet, but I will post some when I do.  I will have Spiering Photography get pictures of all the kids work to show you.  

I began drawing again.  Drawing is really where my heart lies!  My dear friend Mandy Hain of https://piccolebellezze.wordpress.com/fall-art-lessons/drawing-workshop-front-royal/ went on to become a professional artist and offers art classes for children.  She is an amazing teacher as well as being a talented artist!  She offered a portrait drawing class for adults and after that I was hooked on drawing again.  It is very hard to find the time, but when I do, I wish I could never stop.  So, I offer 8"x10" portraits at my Etsy store.
https://www.etsy.com/shop/SicutCervus

So, if you would like to take a scenic drive, enjoy some live music and visit quaint Browntown this weekend, stop by and see us!  

Some Kids and Their Horse (and Goat)

JMJ

We've had a busy Winter and, thanks to Uncle Paul, we now have a horse for the kids (and me!).  This is Halcy.  We are all smitten!  She is a Haflinger.  I'm too tired tonight, but I'll post more about her and our goat soon.  Deo Gratias!

  

Autumn Hills in the Woods

JMJ

This will not be a wordy post, but a picture post.  Eliza is 2 mo. old now and we are settling into our new home for the autumn.  Craig is busy taking out overgrown brush and selectively thinning the trees to make the property into what we want.  It's hard work, but I never hear him complain about using a chain saw or moving good, heavy wood.  the kids are helpful, most of the time.  The grass is long because the lawn mower isn't working, but there are plenty of places to play and plenty of other outdoor work that needs to be done.  The grass can wait.  

I love wood piles.  They are so beautiful.  

It looks pretty trashy, but the kids made this fort that they are really proud of.  

And a bridge across the gully.

Looking down from the start of the trail.

Some of the trees and branches Craig took down.

The grape vine that will have to get some attention next year.

As you turn in the driveway.

Small woodland creatures.

Craig tried his hand at splitting rails.  They look great!