Golden Acres Ranch Florida

Foxy is really brazen this time of year.  She must have kits in her den.  Every spring she comes stalking the pasture raised hens and any chicks running around.   She'll come right up to the house in the middle of the day trying to catch a meal.  One of the girls apparently didn't get into the coop last night since we can trace the feather path by the coop that goes on out into the pasture    She really put up a fight but I'm sure she is gone.  We count at night about once a week.  We're down to 36 now which includes 2 roosters. Sure eats into our egg production.  I guess we'll keep them in most of the day now.  We actually set up our chairs outside the hen house to relax with our end of the day toddy and babysit the hens so they can spend time outside.

The two roosters are an odd pair.  A friend gave us a Silky. Typical bantam - mean - and he does rule the roost.   He keeps the big guy that looks like a Rhode Island Red on alert.  Big Guy won't come in the roost at night until he looks around to see where Silky is.  Then he makes a run for the highest rung.  Foxy got our other rooster.  He took to roosting out in one of the pastures with the goats.  Big mistake! 

It is rather cool (63 degrees F) for our area this morning but the weather is beautiful.  It's a good thing that my waders are insulated because I'm getting ready to capturing mayhaws again today. 

When I moved from Ohio to Florida years ago, many folks would comment about not being able to distinguish the seasons.  Well, I've learned there is a big difference in the four seasons just minus the snow, ice and long periods of freezing weather. 

This is spring and mayhaw harvest time.  As the name indicates the berry is ripening in May on the trees as we speak.  What a delight this is.  We put on old clothes and boots to protect our feet from the stumps, scratchy limbs and such at the bottom of the pond.  The boots also provide comfort that maybe the snake can't bit through.   Spring - snakes - oh dear!  Yes they are moving around now that the ground is above 70 degrees.  I think they are looking for a girlfriend/boyfriend also.  Of course, the pond has the usual number of spiders, miscellaneous unidentified bugs and at dusk the the mosquito.  But, the pond water is warm, the sun is shinning through the trees, the water is brackish and the frogs are croaking.  The baaing of the goats and lambs carries sweetly across the water.  The distant barking of a dog is somehow not annoying.  All city sounds are far away. This is just one gentle sign of spring in Florida.  

Other signs are the leaves that have just recently fallen to the ground.  You know, what is called fall up north happens in April and May in this part of the country.  Then there is the proverbial 'Fox in the Hen House'.   All stores for another time.  It time to head to the Mayhaw Pond. 

I'm Bobbie's daughter, Christine, and she asked me get this blog up and running. I live in California, and the ranch is in Florida. I take care of the website and online stuff. 

It's Mayhaw Berry harvesting season at the ranch right now. Mayhaws are trees native to a few states in the southern US. They are actually part of the apple family, but the fruit is small - berry sized. 

There are 15 trees in the stand. Some of them 50 years old. They live in pond water; not because they are so thirsty, but because it protects them from the fires that occur as part of Florida's natural ecosystem. 

Bobbie, Fred and whoever they can get to help canoe through the shallow pond harvesting berries that fall from the trees and float. When the berries are ripe, they can shake them out of the trees.

Everyone at the ranch is getting ready for the 4th Annual Mayhaw Farm Day on May 15th. Details are posted here on Local Harvest events. 

Happy May!