Update on the Broken Arm

Still placing the blog on hold, but wanted to type a quick update! I had surgery on July 6th and needed a plate and 6 screws. Yesterday's x-ray showed that it's healing nicely. My stitches were removed and it's now in a cast for three more weeks. After that, if all is well, the cast comes off and I will begin physical therapy!

http://www.hartscreekcattlecompany.weebly.com

Pipe Gates, Heifers & Broken Arms

I regret to say that I'm forced to take a break from my blog. It is difficult to type this with one hand. During our recent heifer sorting, I was injured. I was working the gate when three heifers got very shook up & hit it at full speed. My left arm ended up between the pipe gate and the pipe fence, with the force of the heifers behind the gate. It was instantly obvious that my arm was broken. My husband took me to the ER where x-rays confirmed it. I will need a titanium plate and screws. My surgery is scheduled for July 6th. Prayers are appreciated! Be back as soon as I can!

Canning Tomatoes

The garden is in full swing, so instead of posting vacation pics, I got REAL BUSY picking and preserving when we returned!
You'll need 22 pounds of ripe tomatoes, water, Ball Citric Acid (or bottled lemon juice), and salt.....along with quart jars, lids and bands (I used regular, not wide-mouth).
Prepare your boiling water canner. Heat jars and lids in simmering water until ready for use (do not boil) and set bands aside.
Wash tomatoes. Dip in boiling water for 30 to 60 seconds. Immediately dip in cold water. Slip off skins. Trim away any green areas and cut out core. Leave tomatoes whole or cut into halves or quarters.
Add 1/2 tsp Ball Citric Acid or 2 Tbsp bottled lemon juice to each hot quart jar.
Pack tomatoes in hot jars leaving 1/2 inch headspace.
Add 1 tsp salt to each quart jar.
Remove air bubbles. Wipe rim. Center hot lid on jar. Apply band and adjust until fit is fingertip tight.
Process filled jars in a boiling water canner for 1 hour and 25 minutes. Remove jars and cool. Check lids for seal after 24 hours. Lids should not flex up and down when center is pressed. ENJOY!

https://www.freshpreserving.com/

Heading to the Mountains!

It has been a very hectic few weeks.....to prepare to be gone from the farm for one week, takes about a month of preparation....not to mention the help of great friends to take care of things while we're away. My husband is off at work for his two weeks, but our youngest daughter and I are going to Ruidoso, NM for a week. Beautiful mountains, cool weather, good food and good times!
So, I bet you can guess, my next blog will be about our trip! Stay tuned......

Cleaning Up (Homemade Household Cleaners)

I must admit, I'm a little late on my spring cleaning.....but I've always been more of a summer-cleaning gal anyway.  I've been making my own laundry detergent for years. So, recently, I decided to make my own household cleaners. I tried them out, and guess what? They worked! They're so much cheaper than store-bought cleaners and I know they have to be healthier to use, without all those chemicals. I purchased two spray bottles and printed out labels (which I covered in packing tape to keep them dry). I made a glass cleaner and an all-purpose spray.
For the glass cleaner I added 1 cup of water, 1 cup of white vinegar, 1/2 cup of lemon juice, and 20 drops of essential oil (just to make it smell nice, the oil is completely optional).
For the all-purpose spray I added 2 cups of water, 1/2 cup white vinegar, 2 tablespoons of baking soda, and, again, 20 drops of essential oil, if desired. Now, I'll tell you, this one foamed up and overflowed my pretty little spray bottle for a few seconds. So, next time, I'll mix it up in something larger and then pour it into my spray bottle. Live and learn......

Sentimental Scenes From the Farm

Recently, I've been capturing some images of sentimental things around our farm. If you've followed my blog, you know that we inherited this farm from my parents. That, in itself, makes it very special and sentimental.

The bridge my parents purchased at an auction in 1990. They had it professionaly installed on the creek that runs through our property, Harts Creek.

My dad's old John Deere planter

Some antiques that belonged to my grandfather (my dad's father)

And some antiques that belonged to my other grandfather (my mom's father)

And last, but not least, the beautiful old original screen door from the 1890's, that's on the old farmhouse that belonged to my parents.

http://www.hartscreekcattlecompany.weebly.com

AI Work on Heifers, Tilling the Garden, Cute Donkeys & Nosy Calves

Interesting title, huh? Today was an extremely busy day that started way before daylight and ended some 14 hours later. So I tried to capture just about everything that went on, in one title.
We were up before sunrise for coffee and then getting our new replacement heifers, plus our raised heifers in the lot. Crazy A Breeding Services out of Stephenville, TX came to the farm this morning to put CIDRs in all of our heifers to begin the AI process. We are very pleased with their service and excited to see what the outcome will be (more info coming soon on this process).
Next, we mowed the yards (two.....ours and the old farmhouse yard that belonged to my parents).
We then tilled the garden, which just seems to be a bit too large......but we'll see. Working on the sprayer (because one of the donkeys broke it while using it for a rear-end scratching post), cooking lunch, tearing out an old fence, and checking / feeding cows also took place today.
Basically......just a normal day on the farm.....wouldn't have it any other way!

Excited About Our Website!

If you haven't already, please take a look at our website!
http://www.hartscreekcattlecompany.weebly.com

Replacement Heifers!

Besides the 10 Angus replacement heifers we've raised, we also recently purchased 10 more Angus heifers from Two Igo LLC out of Plainview, TX.
We couldn't be more proud of these new heifers! They are big, beautiful, calm, easy going heifers and we can't wait to see how they grow and produce for us.
Crazy A Breeding Services out of Stephenville, TX will be coming to our farm on April 20th to begin the AI process on our 20 heifers. Exciting things are happening on the farm!
http://hartscreekcattlecompany.weebly.com

Wedding Anniversaries and Cattle Conventions

My husband and I recently celebrated our wedding anniversary on the romantic riverwalk in San Antonio, Texas.......attending the annual TSCRA Cattle Raisers Convention!
Because that's just what you do when your anniversary falls on a great learning experience like this!
We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves and learned so much. We attended all the general sessions along with:
Should Your Ranch Be Incorporated or Not?
Stocking Rate: The Most Critical Decision
Cubes: What's Right for My Situation?
Replacements: How Much Can You Pay?
Safe Cattle Handling
Eminent Domain
Selecting the Right Cattle Handling Equipment
Plus....the Young Cattle Raisers After Party at Pat O'Brien's,  the Cattle Raisers Dinner and Dance featuring Jake Hooker and The Outsiders, and the Closing General Session Brunch with motivational speaker Taya Kyle (who was amazing!).
We are already excited about attending next year in Fort Worth!
http://tscra.org

The Bull Was Worth It!

If you read my post from a year ago, Buying the Bull, then you know how STRESSED I was to make this large purchase without my husband there! However.......we now have six little smokey colored calves on the ground and more on the way! It's an exciting spring at Harts Creek Cattle Company!!