Is Wicked Witch is under there?

So craigslist has an array of things for those who are looking, and I was so blessed to find a Free Shed! I thought how wonderful, I could put my rabbits in there instead of the garage. I contacted the woman, and went over to look at it with my husband in tow. Didn't look bad, hand built, didn't look heavy ....we'll take it.
So the next day we rented a trailer from a reputable rental company, got a couple of people my husband knew, and headed over there. We had the time of our life getting this thing on the trailer. First we couldn't even get into the back yard, we had to unhook the trailer and 4 of us pulled it through the gate. Then we all heave hoed it onto the trailer, and pulled every muscle out of our back imaginable.
Well apparently it was taking to long so my husbands friends ditched us, so we were left with me, my husband, the owner who is disabled, and her son, who had a cracked rib. YEAH! Haha.
We managed to tip it on its roof, to fit it onto the trailer so it wouldn't fly away. We had no tail lights, and it was now 6:30 and dark, so the lady had to follow us home.
I have never been so tired in my LIFE, I went to bed at 9:30, I haven't' done that since I was in high school. JK.
I parked it in the back yard so my nosy neighbor wouldn't see a shed in a trailer in my driveway.
My husband and i got up early the next morning to unload this massive (way bigger than it looked on the ground) shed.
The kids helped us heave it up, and guess what....it broke. HAHAHa, So now I have this huge shed, on it's side and I'm looking for the feet of the wicked witch of the east under it. Now what do we do?

Baby Update

Unfortunately we lost one of the babies...it would have to be my favorite one of course. It crawled out of the nesting box and froze over night. I have to say it's amazing because I cried when we caught a mouse in a trap that didn't die right away and I sobbed like a baby because it was suffering, but I didn't cry about the rabbit. I guess I'm getting to the point where I realize it's just how life works.

Yes it might be gross, but I let my three year old pet the dead baby, because he was curious and wanted to hold the poor bunny. That all stopped when he gave it a bath, and washed him in my tub...ewww. Then the bunny had to go. LOL.

Also, to all those of you who are interested in raising rabbits or getting into any type of hobby, make sure you follow your gut. I had a lady interested in my blue baby, and I found out she raised holland lops as well. We got to talking and I asked if she would be interested in trading my rabbit for one of her baby rabbits. She said no because she had got burned before, but then she wanted to trade two of her rabbits for my doe and all the babies except one. Well it sounded good because she raises them for show, but I wasn't sure because my gut said NO!

Well long story short come to find out she wanted to trade me a female that just lost all her babies, and she changed her mind when she found out my rabbit has some really great colors in her line. So thank goodness for Janice the 4-H lady who said keep my doe if I like her colors, and I do so I'm keeping her.

I am expecting more babies from the Lionhead this week, and hopefully my Mini Rex, so stay tuned.

Digging In the City (my experience in homesteading in the city): More Rabbits for the Brood

Digging In the City (my experience in homesteading in the city): More Rabbits for the Brood: "Ok, so I'm addicted. Addicted to rabbits. The babies are so adorable and cute it's hard to think I have to sell them. We lost one on Thursda..."

More Rabbits for the Brood

Ok, so I'm addicted. Addicted to rabbits. The babies are so adorable and cute it's hard to think I have to sell them. We lost one on Thursday, because it got out of the box (probably attached to its mother) and froze. It was sad, but no one cried, we know it's just part of life. Their color has already started and they are beautiful. We have one blue, sable, and two black.

I finally found a mini lop female with broken chinchilla color for my male mini lop Cutie. I also learned that two broken rabbits mating can make a Charlie, which is a rabbit who has only 10% or less of color. So my idea of mating my two tri color mini rex was probably not that great of an idea. Also, if you mate a rabbit with one buck and then put a different buck with her, she will have more kits, but also there will be different colors and different dads. Amazing. There is so much to learn.

Recipe for Pavlova

When I was 17, I had the great opportunity to visit Australia. It was an experience I will never forget, and one thing I truly remember is the best dessert I have ever had in my life. I was never able to find it here in the states, but as I stated in my earlier blog "Yard Sale" I found the recipe in a book my mom had.
So here it goes, hopefully it is as good as I remember it.

Pavlova 

• 3 egg whites
• 1/3 cup super fine sugar
• 1 teaspoon distilled white vinegar
• 1 tablespoon boiling water
• 2 cups heavy whipping cream
• 1/4 cup confectioners' sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups sliced fresh fruit

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 475 degrees F (245 degrees C). Cover a baking sheet with foil, and spray lightly with cooking spray.
2. In a large bowl, beat the egg whites to form stiff peaks. Add white sugar slowly, and continue beating. When egg whites are very stiff, add vinegar and boiling water. Continue beating until glossy surface is beginning to fade, and mixture is very stiff. Pile meringue onto prepared baking sheet. Shape into a circle 1 1/2 inches thick. Form a slight dip in the center, and make the sides slightly higher.
3. Place meringue in the oven, shut the door, and turn the heat off. Leave in the oven for one hour. Check the texture of the meringue; it should be hard with no soft spots. If soft in the center, heat oven to 250 degrees F (120 degrees C). Place meringue back into the oven, and turn off the heat. Cool when done. Transfer onto a serving platter.
4. Whip the cream until just stiff. Beat in vanilla and confectioners' sugar. Pile the whipped cream onto the meringue. Arrange the fruit on top of the whipped cream, and serve.

The babies are here!

The pregnant rabbit that I wasn't so sure was pregnant was really pregnant. She had he babies at 3:15 pm on Oct 25, 2010.
Funny thing is she wasn't prepared and neither were we. We cleaned all the cages the night before, and didn't put the nesting box back in the cage. I read somewhere they take out there fur to nest, but she wasn't doing that so we didn't bother putting it back in. Well, my husband went to get something for dinner, and informed me that our freezer in the garage was completely thawed, so we had to unload all our food and start cooking it to refreeze it. Then he yelled Ummm there's an emergency...so i ran out there thinking someone was hurt, but it was BABIES!
I have to say I was truly the happiest rabbit owner around, they were the cutest ugliest naked babies I'd ever seen.
We were scared because they were very cold, so we brought the babies and mom inside from the garage, and warmed them up. I was frantic thinking she wouldn't be a good mom, but when I checked on her today, she had made a nice little nest out of fur in her nesting box. The babies were sooo warm.
Things I learned from this experience, never second guess a pregnancy in rabbits. Always put the nesting box in around the time they are due. It is okay to touch domestic rabbit babies, because it helps them become good pets. Mother rabbits only feed there babies once a day, so don't get worried. I thought she wasn't going to be a good mom, but she is very nurturing.
Our rabbitry is taking off, I had to give 3 males away, because I just didn't have the space. I was able to  sell two lionheads, and one american female, so I am making some money. So I was down to 6 rabbits, but now we have 5 new babies. We are excited to watch them grow.

The Yard Sale!

So I helped my mom for two days with a giant yard sale at her door factory in Losantville, IN.
I learned to drive a forklift! That was fun, not that it has anything to do with the yardsale, but none the less it was fun.
My daughter and I were moving tables and I almost dropped a lamp because she made me laugh, and then instead an angel fell off and broke. I sold a $100 item for $2, I didn't know what it was...ahaha, I don't think my mom found me helpful at all. Oops.
But good news, I was able to sell a rabbit, and I got rid of my other 3 males. So I am officially down to 8 rabbits, and one is gone in Nov to a neighbor, so I am not making any money yet, but hope to be soon. Of course my pregnant rabbit is not showing any signs of having babies. Maybe it's a false pregnancy. We will see.
I found some really great books at my mom's yard sale, one recipe book had a desert called Pavlova, which is an amazing desert that I had when I went to Australia. I have never seen it anywhere in the USA, but was so excited to see it that I took the book. I will post it in a later post and maybe some of you can try it. It's delicious.
If your interested in any doors, look up the door factory, they can make just about any door you can dream up for a very good price. Made in America. www.customdoorproducts.com