Magnolia Heifer Young & Samantha Heifer Young

Finding miniature Herefords is no easy task but thanks to a new friend, Amanda Oliver (www.oliverminiatureacres.com), we were pointed in the right direction. Thanks Amanda!

It was a rather quizzical online experience pushing "Add to Cart" and suddenly you're the instant owner of a pair of cattle, site unseen. (I'm resisting the urge to say COW because they won't be cows until they've had their first calf)

On Monday, Farmer Young headed 6 hours southwards to Hemphill, TX to collect the two beauties from Rusty Cow Company. (www.rustycowcompany.com)

Samantha taking it easy

After some tactical horn handling, Farmer Husband coaxed the girls into the temporary pen.

Then came time to introduce Bullet to his companions.

"Yup, I can't take 'em"

Ultimately, the social mixer didn't go as planned and Bullet spent Christmas Eve in the big barn.  This was also the night Maggie and Samantha planned their great escape.  We woke up to discover the girls happily roaming the entire property, leaving hot, steaming evidence to prove it.

All in a days work!

 

Bullet Donkey Young

Introducing... (drum roll)... the glorious Bullet Young, first equine member to join Amber Acres.  Hails from the lush pastures of Little Elm, Texas. (www.DonkeyTonkAcres.com)

Bullet awaiting his fate

Time for good-byes and home before dusk.

After a short ride home in our 'new' cattle trailer, Bullet emerges gingerly to discover all of Amber Acres.  Echo, echo, echo...

The digs don't look too shabby, but where are all my hommies?

So far, so good.

"I wonder if the blonde thinks she's a donkey,
because she totally dresses like me."

AND, we're in.  Phew!

'Sigh!'

"Happy days, the torture is over!"

Unfortunately... this is the next problem.

"Who me?"

Because Problem (a.k.a. Charlie Young) likes to join Bullet for a game of Kick Me If You Can.

"Anyone game?"

Pastural Preparations

... All is quiet on the home front ...

29 Nov. '13

Preparations are underway to welcome Bullet Donkey Young to his new pastures. Now that the snow has melted, the ground can thaw and the inhabitants of Amber Acres must get back to work.

~

First order of business.  Purchase a hay bale. Drive up country road through One-Horse Town, spot lonesome hay bale in parking lot of ranch supply store.  Pay Cowgirl $85.  Load astonishingly heavy hay bale onto Farmer Young's beloved Ford, thanking Cowboy for his time.
Piece of cake!

Cruise home, pleased as punch that we finally look the part... to discover that said astonishingly-heavy-hay-bale does NOT NOT NOT slide effortlessly out of Beloved's truck bed!!!  (Visions of Farmer Young arriving at corporate head office for work on Monday with hay bale permanently lodged in the rear of the green machine flash through Farmer Wife's mind.)

After some tricky maneuvering, hay in all kinds of inappropriate places and an awesomely cleaver husband, the hay bale lands in the barn where it will live out it's existence.

Loading up for a trip to the loafing shed

'Oh what fun it is to ride on a one-man open sleigh, hey!'

Next up... BULLET DONKEY YOUNG arrives home!

Last Of The Snow

Oh BOY did we enjoy the snow!  2 days off school and hours in the snow.

Early morning walks...

Beautiful sunrises...

View from the breakfast room

And from the front porch:

Men at work...

And play...

Ice-ice Baby!

Good night!

Moon over the loafing shed

'Tis the season to be chilly...

Good Morning!!!

Any chance we can find our snow shovel from Canada?

Perfect time for a bike ride, no?

Instagram shot from front porch 7am

I think it's a perfectly good day to bake mince pies.

Preparations and such

I started the day here...

Side view of autumn Amber Acres

And went here...

First feed store experience

And left with this...

2X 50lbs donkey pellets;  2X Cattle pellets;  1X salt block (?)

To set up this...

Loafing shed

Before it was time to collect the under-aged workers, I popped in to Donkey Tonk Farms to visit our boy, Bullet.  Bullet and I enjoyed a harnessing lesson, a walk around his pen and a good brush down.  He's not quite sure what to make of me just yet.

Bullet, enduring me

While at Donkey Tonk Farms, I came across Beatrice, who's looking for, quite possibly, accommodation at Amber Acres (dependant on the farmer's check/cheque book).

Beatrice, pure-bred Lowline Angus 9 months

Apparently, she comes packing with a steer, Meat Loaf, born in the Spring, around the same time as her.  Meat Loaf would nicely fill out a freezer in about a year or so.  

Meat Loaf, 9 months old

And so, only time will tell whether Amber Acres will take a walk on the dark side, with some Lowline Angus.  

The birth of Amber Acres... a Dallas love affair

Today AMBER ACRES was born.

A quick registration by the man of the house at the county clerk's office, $25 and an unmentionable mortgage.

Current local inhabitants: 5 humans, 2 canines.

We eagerly await the arrival of Bullet:

Bullet: born 12 May 2013

His girlfriend Sierra:

Sierra

and Picabu:

Picabu

A trip 5 hours south to SE Texas will bring home lawnmowers:

Magnolia (Maggie)

Samantha (Sammy)