Hot Hot Summer and we don't rest!

Very early Morning View From our Front Porch

From my last newsletter in May about cool and wet weather and it's challenges, we have done a 180 and gone to hot and dry weather. We love hot weather by the way rather than cold, I guess which is why we live here and not further north. We do have many friends in the more frigid climate zones and we usually visit them NOT in the winter LoL. Unless my sisters have their birthdays or 50th wedding anniversaries in February, well then we have to make an exception, right?! Here are our hot/dry weather challenges:

* I still have to wetmop daily. Our older pyrenees dogs live in the house and A/C during the day when the temps are over 90. Just too much fur. But you are not supposed to shave them, because their undercoat doesn't grow back right if you do, the hairs are hollow to trap air and cool (or heat), and the thick fur protects them from sunburn and predator bites.

* We brush the dogs often (weekly) to keep their coats fluffy and cooling.

* Harvest Host visitors have slowed to a crawl, they all have returned up north and nobody wants to come down to Florida in the summer unless it's at the beach, but....

* instead of farm tours, we have to mow daily (still), the grass is still growing at a pace that your can literally watch and neither goats nor horses eat enough grass to keep it down.

* we water a few plants daily. Most of our greenery is native to Florida and they survive just fine without watering, but we have a couple of young fruit trees that we need to keep alive and a few flowers around the cabin.

* did I mention the weeds also flourish without watering? Along with red ants and other creepy crawlies. We get along with all of them though except for the red ants.

* all goats are now dried off, which means nobody is producing milk anymore at this time. We really appreciate the extra time this gives us to actually cuddle the goats rather than milking them.

* our cars are covered under a layer of dust/sand, which also means we have to use the dryer more, the sand immediately settles on fresh laundry hanging outside.

* and in case you are wondering, these hot temps also provide the chickens with another excuse not to lay eggs. And the few that do, we share the eggs with the snakes as pay for keeping rodents away. BTW, if you have snakes, don't put out fake eggs. We did, to entice the chickens not to lay in the woods and then we found a snake with an egg inside. One of our helpers freaked out because she thought the snake ate a wooden egg, so I made her (the snake) gently throw up the egg, which wasn't fake. One angry and surprised snake later at least we were happy that she was healthy. The fake eggs are back in the drawer.

By the way, I have one left of the brand new still in the (slightly dusty) box antique-style egg scale and egg baskets, which I'd like to move out. Text me if you are interested (850-464-2115). We also have a brand new smoker and a dog grooming stand and a hardly used air fryer which also need a new home.

Stay tuned for more items that need new homes as we have put the farm back up for sale. No more waffling, this time we are really ready. It's time, even though our motor coach is back in the repair shop. That's a whole other story, hopefully told with a happy ending in the near future. Here is the link for the realtor listing if you want to take a look or know someone who might be interested.

https://www.mossyoakproperties.com/property/serenity-acres-60-acre-farm-madison-florida/56756/

With Love and Hugs, the Serenity Team made up of

Wayne and Julia, Jake, Eleonora, Ash & Summer, Katrina, and Molly along with cats Felicia, Captain Hook, Grandma Cat, Shadow, Baby Cat and Jonah. Also Lilli, Radar, Adele, Apollo, Tiggr, and Dora.

Goat Wisdom #38!

When it was said that Nature teaches us harmony, they have never been around a bunch of goats...... we are all nothing but trouble

(mantra of Tyler, Rosie, Annie and Chocolate)