Cool Off!

I know, I promised a different post yesterday, but I'm not quite done writing the post and getting all the pictures so I'm going to ask you to be patient one more day. In the meantime, I hope you enjoy this post that's been simmering in my draft folder about a month now. :)

Now that the summer heat is truly upon us here in Florida, I thought I'd share a few ways I keep my rabbits cool in the heat. Because they are fiber-producing rabbits, they are more likely to overheat, especially here in Florida's sun. Many people simply have an air conditioned area for their bunnies, however that wasn't an option for me so I have found a few techniques to keep them cool.

Tip #1: Hydration!

Fiona enjoying a cool sip of pineapple juice.

Keeping the rabbits hydrated will go a long ways towards preventing heat stroke. Make sure they have fresh, clean water available. I like to add a few ice cubes to their water. I also give them a few tablespoons of refrigerated pineapple juice which hydrates them, cools them, and prevents wool block! You can also hydrate them with watery fruits such as mango, pineapple, celery, watermelon, and cucumber. I freeze mine to make it an even cooler snack for them. (Plus, it makes storage easier.)

DO NOT add this to the water bottles, they don't drink it fast enough and it ROTS in the water. Lesson learned!

Tip #2: Shade

I know this isn't the best picture, I was trying to show that it's see-through but still provides plenty of shade. Similar to a screened-in porch but shadier.

The rabbit hutch has a roof that keeps the sun off the rabbits, plus it's under a tree, but I also add a bit of shade cloth on the sunnier side of the pen in order to keep the direct sun off of them. The shade cloth is especially nice because it still allows a breeze to pass through, plus you can wet it a bit in the afternoon and the water combined with the wind gives the area a nice, cool breeze. We use this stuff everywhere!

Tip #3: Environment

I know the ground looks a little rough here, we recently moved the fence back a few feet.

 As I said before, try and position the hutch in the coolest area possible. For me, that meant avoiding direct sun and keeping them away from the laundry room vent/air conditioning unit, both of which give off heat. Purchasing a cage-style hutch also allows the breeze to get to them as opposed to a solid-wall hutch. I also purchased box fans to place over the pens to create a breeze during the day, so far I think they've been one of the best things to help them. Each of them also have a floor tile in the pen with them. With a cage-style floor, it's important that the rabbits have something they can stand on anyway, (the cage can be hard on their legs/feet) and a tile is preferred to the traditional piece of plywood because it stays cooler, is easier to clean, and the rabbits don't chew on it (possibly ingesting dangerous chemicals).

I seriously recommend investing in these fans! Mine came from Dollar General.

I really don't do much more than this on a day-to-day basis and I've never had a heat problem. Let me know if you have any other great tips to keep your pets cool!

~Farm Girl Teacher

Wooten Family Photo

It's that time of year again! Every Christmas there is tons, and I mean TONS of hustle and bustle. My immediate family and I go to at least two Christmas parties, (one on either side of the family) as well as prepare for our own family traditions. I know three parties doesn't really sound like a lot, but when you couple that with the fact that both my mother and I work at elementary schools and are very involved with charity/Christmas fundraisers this time of the year, December tends to be quite a blur!

One of the particularly fun traditions we do is take a family Christmas photo...which doesn't sound like much if you've never seen a Wooten Family Photo...take a look at the good, the bad, and the ugly from 2013....

Left to Right: (Horses) Tux, Jose, Colby, Drew Piney (People) Tammy, Rebecca, Miranda Randy (Dogs) Mandy, Cole

The above was the winner for the official card, but of course I'm going to show you more than just one picture. :D

Thanks to Eric, our wonderful photographer and my boyfriend who inevitably gets roped into the ordeal whether he likes it or not. :)

I'm not going to lie, the process is not an easy one and I'm often reminded of the Griswold family antics! (Mom's favorite Christmas movie)

In addition to the big photo, we also do smaller photos with just humans, just one person with the animals that belong to that person, the children, the adults, dad and kids, mom and kids, etc.

All told we easily take over a hundred pictures, I promise I'll try not to get too carried away with today's post...

Well, maybe... I am my mother's child after all.... :)

The animals are the most challenging as it's borderline impossible to get everyone looking the same directions with their ears where they belong, however you wouldn't believe how many we have where the animals look great...and at least one human is just a bit off... :)

And yes, I know that not all our animals are pictured, but we try to get as many as possible. Chickens and sheep just don't always photograph well! Plus, it's not possible to have EVERY animal in the picture so we often just grab one to represent their entire species...

 Merry Christmas!

~Farm Girl Teacher

Coffee, Bunnies, and Avonlea...This is What Beautiful Days are Made of....

So much has been happening lately I often feel as though I may truly loose my mind! Today I went to the school district to begin paperwork and prepare to enter the workforce! For those of you who don't know I will begin teaching fourth grade at the local elementary school! I am so excited and so nervous, but so excited to finally be moving forward.

Most people place their chairs around the fire...not in this family!

Yesterday was wonderful, I began by enjoying some coffee while letting my bunnies play in their play pen.  (Yes, it's actually a dog kennel, but the bunnies love it and the wire is small enough that they can't get through.)

Fiona loves hopping around in her play pen, the tube in the center is a favorite toy of both rabbits, however Shrek especially enjoys hiding in it! Fiona is too nosy to hold still in the tube, she'd rather jump around and snack on the grass!

I have two English Angora rabbits. I got these rabbits back in January and have been raising them for fiber and because...well their cool. :) I have a male and female I hope to breed when the whether gets cooler. (I wouldn't want to be pregnant in Florida in August wearing fur coat, I don't think my bunny wants to either!) Fiona was just recently given a haircut (it was my first time, don't laugh!) I originally swore I would only pluck their coats, however it was just so hot outside, I thought I would give her a break. I hope to get Shrek done today, Fiona clearly enjoyed it, she can move more freely and is clearly cooler.

Sitting up so she can better look around! :)

Want to hear how they got their names? Click here!

After a lovely day I was sitting in my newly remodeled room reading (er, rereading) the Anne of Green Gables series. :) I was reading Anne of Avonlea and a section really stuck out to me. I've read this book so many times and this passage seemed unimportant, but for some reason it really spoke to me. Has this every happened to you?

Anyway, without further ado, I leave you with this quote and hope you enjoy as much as I did!

Perhaps, after all, romance did not come into one's life with pomp and blare, like a gay knight riding down; perhaps it crept to one's side like an old friend through quiet ways; perhaps it revealed itself in seeming prose, until some sudden shaft of illumination flung athwart its pages betrayed the rhythm and the music, perhaps--perhaps--love unfolded naturally out of a beautiful friendship, as a golden-hearted rose slipping from its green sheath. 

~That Farm Girl Teacher

Carrots in the Classroom?

During my internship, the other teachers and I were trying to encourage the students to read more books. Well I had recently gotten my Angora's when inspiration struck! I had been struggling to name them and had found the perfect way to combine two of my passions...teaching, and caring for the newest members of the family! Thus, Name That Hare! Was born!

Female (Later named Fiona)

Male (later named Shrek)

Prior to the competition I allowed the students to choose six possible names for both the male and female rabbits. (Two names per rabbit per fourth grade class.)

Here's how it works...

1. Students read books on their level and take an AR (Accelerated Reading) test that tests their comprehension of the book.

2. Students who score an 80% or higher show their reading log to me and I gave them a ticket that they could used to vote on their favorite names. (One boy name and one girl name).

3. On the bottom of the poster I kept a tally of how everyone voted so they could easily see which of the names were winning.

The students LOVED it. They became very competitive and read more so they could vote for the names they loved the most. The winners were Shrek and Fiona (although I thought Mr. Fluffystein was really cute). The competition lasted a month and to keep them encouraged I brought in short videos I taped of the bunnies playing in their pens.

Sometimes it's those impromptu things that just work the best! :)

~That Farm Girl Teacher