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What Was New in 2009
The remodeling continues!
Each year at Bluebird Farm & Horse Ranch another home improvement project is tackled, and 2009 was the year to remove the rotting back deck and do something different. What started out as a simple porch has expanded into a very nice - and very large - covered area off the back of the house. It should make summer barbeques a bit more fun and harsh winters a bit more tolerable. Due to winter’s swift arrival, the concrete will have to be added in the spring.
Camp Trailer Deluxe! After several years in the logging industry, Bluebird Farm & Horse Ranch’s travel trailer was retired to a seasonal occupation of elk hunting and summer vacations. But not first without a complete makeover: new paint, new upholstery, new curtains (and check out those curtain rods - genuine elk and deer shed horns!), and some flooring updates. It is now fit for hunting in style! You won’t find a nicer hunting camp on wheels – this one’s custom! Another Texas Longhorn Given the price of beef right now, Bluebird Farm & Horse Ranch just couldn’t pass up the opportunity to add another steer to the herd. Welcome “Ax” a beautiful longhorn steer that will spend a few years growing out some horns before becoming more beef in the freezer. Pink Piglets! The farm is now complete with hogs! Bluebird Farm & Horse Ranch has added two crossbred gilts and a barrow (castrated male) to the long list of livestock. Next year it is hoped the girls will produce more piglets and the barrow will provide some home-grown bacon. More Web Pages To make surfing through the pages of Bluebird Farm & Horse Ranch a bit easier, a site map has been created and can be accessed at this link: Site Map New Additions! The farm has added another heifer: a Texas Longhorn named “Fileena.”
She is a very friendly girl and it is hoped her calves will be equally sociable so they can live a long life and grow some very nice horns.
Bluebird Farm & Horse Ranch has also found a mate for Pearl, the Goffin Cockatoo. Welcome Arlee, a quiet and friendly male that likes to go outside and supervise the lawn mowing. 2009 Hay Season Starts with a Bang! The tires exploded when the baler caught on fire during the first day of hay season at Bluebird Farm & Horse Ranch. Luckily nobody was hurt and the tractor was fine. People say balers can spontaneously combust – and here’s proof! Fainting Goats The amazing fainting goat has been added to the menagerie of Bluebird Farm & Horse Ranch. These two little females are myotonic and really do fall over when startled, adding some entertainment to the farm! They learn rapidly and are no longer afraid of giant Ben, the Anatolian Shepherd, or the horses and cows, so creative ways of frightening them must be invented; but the kids are up to the challenge! A diamond in the rough; or a Pearl in the buff? Welcome “Pearl” the sweet Goffin Cockatoo parrot that is so bent on making a nest and having a brood, she has picked her feathers to nakedness! Bluebird Farm & Horse Ranch is hoping to find a mate for her soon, so she doesn’t have to continually wear a silly collar to prevent picking. Since her arrival, she has attached herself to the men of the house, and likes to go for walks outside. She talks to the canaries and will gladly share a meal with any member of the household. Hope pizza pockets are non-toxic! Bucket Babies Bluebird Farm &
Horse Ranch has added a few more calves to the herd: 12 day old Holstein bulls. They will be castrated at a later date and are expected to produce some
lean sirloin and hamburger. To the dairy farmer, male calves aren’t worth
much. But to the Bowes’ dinner table, they all eat the same! Though they
sure are cute now! Hope the kids don’t get too attached. For distraction, we
have chicks and ducklings that have hatched this week. More are expected,
including some rare breed ducks. Pictured are Black Australorp Chicks and
Snowy Call Ducklings. What do you call a
deaf dog? Nothing! She’s not
going to come anyway! Thus, Bluebird Farm & Horse Ranch welcomes one
more dog to the menagerie: a mostly white, blue eyed Catahoula pup named “Nothing.”
As typically happens with this color combination, Nothing has very limited
(if any) hearing ability. She loves to follow the other dogs around, and it
is hoped that she can be trained by a special collar with a radio frequency only
she can hear. Time will tell just how much Nothing can hear. Baby Announcement #2! On April 8, 2009 the
matriarch of Bluebird Farm & Horse Ranch gave birth to her last foal: a
beautiful brown filly with a wide star. The bay thoroughbred mare, Peaches,
will
not be bred again due to her age. She is still a wonderful trail horse and
it is hoped that her newest addition will have her charming temperament. She
will be registered with the Jockey Club and is in consideration for a career
on the race track. Baby Announcement! April Fools Day left
north Idaho with a few inches of snow. Spring is slow in coming and our mare
Sally couldn’t wait: she brought Bluebird Farm & Horse Ranch’s first foal
of the year: an Appaloosa filly! She was born at late morning on April
second and is very big and strong. She has a beautiful points pattern in red
with small leopard spots through out. If Pete can bear to let her go, she
may be offered for sale later this year. Another Poodle! As if four dogs
weren’t enough, Bluebird Farm & Horse Ranch has added one more: a
Standard Poodle puppy named “Anesthesia.” Several years ago, owner Annie
Bowes had asked her husband Pete for a Standard Poodle. He was recovering in
his hospital room from a shoulder surgery, and he was obviously still influenced
by the anesthesia, because he said “yes” but then later recanted. Pete still
claims the conversation never occurred, so in his defense the dog given to
Annie for her birthday was named Anesthesia. The pup is six months old and
already as tall as the Labrador, but not nearly as heavy. She likes to hang
out with her ‘fellow’ poodle, little Filbert in his tiny kennel. A visit with Jim and Louise Shockey! Sportsman’s Warehouse sponsored a nationwide tour for Jim and Louise Shockey, and their daughter Eva. Along with signing pictures, Jim Shockey also autographed an oar provided by Annie Bowes. As most avid hunters know, Jim Shockey is famous for ‘rattling’ in bull moose with his trusty oar. Jim also invited Annie to Canada for a videoed hunt which she may take him up on. You never know what might happen next at Bluebird Farm & Horse Ranch! A New Year, and New Beginnings And a new business!
Dr. Annie Bowes, owner of Bluebird Farm & Horse Ranch, has gone out on
her own and started a mobile large animal clinic: Aspen Veterinary Service!
This new veterinary office will cater to the farm animal, including
artificial insemination, herd health, and treatment of unusual farm critters
such as alpacas, llamas, goats, and pot bellied pigs! Please visit her webpage
at: Click here for what was new in 2008 Click here for what was new in 2007 |
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