Monday was the Memorial Day holiday. We flew the flag. We meditated on what it all means. Well, although I was mindful of the reason, meditation meant that one of us slept in, and the other ended up taking a nap on the couch in the afternoon. You guess who did what. It was a lazy and relaxing day, with just the usual things that needed to be done.
We made up for things on Tuesday. After Bex got up I said it was time to put the chicks outside, and suggested that we integrate the flock today. As usual, Chilly was on Becca's shoulder and was going to go in last. I put the first Rhodie in with the Americaunas, and Zeus immediately started making noise and chasing it around. I had expected this and knew that the four new chicks "against" the two - or possibly even just Zeus - would work things out. Becca Freaked Out. She was so upset and uptight that I decided to wait and educate her further on what was going to happen, and how I expected it to play out. I reminded her that she was upset when Lily and Salsa fought as kids, and she said, "Salsa is STILL mean to Lily!" Yes, but they've worked it out. This is going to take more time for Becca than I think it will for the chicks. I may have to do this on my own when she's away with a friend, or when she's with her sisters for an upcoming concert.
Yes, you might say I am a pushover. But I know how to pick my battles, and this was one that wasn't worth "winning," and wouldn't have taught anyone anything. I think it's as important to the chicks that we be calm and confident as it is for Becca to have that same calm confidence. Anxiety and fear is contagious. That's the last thing animals need when adjusting to a new situation.
The next thing on the agenda was to shave Duncan. Well, not exactly shave him, but take the clippers and trim his long Scottie locks. He's recently started pulling his hair out again, and because his diet is stable I don't think it's allergies, but perhaps the heat. We put him on the milk stand (just as a table, we didn't put his head in - his legs are too short!), and took the shears to him. He is such a good boy about grooming, having obviously had regular experience before becoming a country dog who isn't pampered as much. I'd share a picture of him, but the bald spots on his sides are too hideous to preserve for posterity. Let's just say that I didn't butcher him badly, everything looked close enough to even, and he seems happier.
We then took a run to Sebastopol to help my brother out with some gas. It's hard to deal with a holiday weekend when you've lost your job, the unemployment check is a day late, and you have a job interview but not enough gas to make it. I'm not in much better shape, but had a little more wiggle room and could lend him a hand. Isn't that what family is all about? We take care of each other. While we were in Sebastopol, I discovered that the Frizelle-Enos feed store had organic chicken feed for much less than I've been paying elsewhere, so we picked some up. We also took a run by the grocery store and then headed back home for more ranch adventures.
No wildlife on the driveway this time, though we did see a turkey take flight and then glide across the driveway ahead of us as we left.
Becca bathed the dogs. She did it outside. They were not so thrilled with the cold shower, though I'm sure it made them feel better overall. At least I hope it did!
Luna got her head caught in the fence again, so while Becca got her out I installed the new battery. There's lots of oomph in that fence now, so I noticed all of the goats were staying well away. Good goaties. For those who don't know, that electric fence doesn't zap like a horse fence would (and those are scary), but it's more like a strong static SNAP. Since goats explore first with their noses, it does tend to get them to stay away.
We took the 25 pound bag of chicken feed and put the contents into its container. I asked Becca to throw the large brown paper bag away while I fed the chickens, and she decided to ... put it on her head like a hat and make the dwarf goats run around. I love watching the goats run, especially Moonshine, who bounds like a deer. At one point she asked if I had scissors handy, and I said I didn't. Then I told her about the Unknown Comic, who used to wear a bag over his head with holes cut out for the eyes and mouth. She said, "That's what I wanted to do!" Ah, the simple pleasures of life. The things those with a youthful spirit can do with a paper sack ... or box ... or anything that just requires a little imagination and joy.
We had too much scheduled on Wednesday (Becca got to visit with a friend for the afternoon) to integrate the chicks, though I wanted to - soon! I want to be home for the entire first day so I can intervene if any of them get hurt. We will probably do it this weekend. Even though they are only in the house overnight (for their safety), that is still too much.
Thursday morning, bright and early, I started to move the chicks outside and discovered that they had dumped their water overnight, soaking the bottom of the cardboard box. I needed to transfer them to another box before taking them outside. At this point, I am REALLY looking forward to flock integration!
We had a big afternoon planned for Thursday - my niece's high school graduation at Analy High School in Sebastopol. We left early and were able to get there in plenty of time to find a good parking spot. It was close to the wire when my oldest daughter and her husband arrived, but they were able to find a spot near us. And near the livestock. I've mentioned Analy before, but I am always happy to visit there. The solar panels over the student parking lot are a reminder of how forward-thinking this school and district is, and I love the livestock area where students keep sheep, pigs, chickens, goats, and even a calf. The calf spent a lot of time "talking" loudly as we stood near the pen and watched the animals.
The ceremony was what you would expect. I was surprised that there wasn't much new offered in the way of speeches. I suppose the high school experience hasn't changed much, or maybe tradition dictates what people talk about at these events. The band was good, and the choir amazing. I was very impressed, and it made me want to be in a choir again! The students tossed tortillas and pitas like Frisbees from their seats during the event, as well as beach balls and, yes, the inflatable doll. Overall, it was a fun time and we were happy to see Kaila through this rite of passage.
We'd realized while we were at Analy that we'd forgotten to put the chicks inside before we left. Their pen is not very secure and I don't feel comfortable leaving them outside after dark. I would hate to come home to see feathers everywhere and the carnage that would be waiting within if that happened. Chilly also has this bad habit of sticking her head through the fencing to peck outside the enclosure. We had 1 1/2 hours to get home, take care of business, and then get over to Santa Rosa for dinner reservations at a Japanese steak house style restaurant.
We took the back roads from Sebastopol, through Forestville, to home. There's a bridge built in 1902 on the way - one way traffic only - named Wohler Bridge that crosses the Russian Ruver. It is a picturesque spot, and my own daughter and her then fiance (now hubby) took some of their engagement photos on it. They walked out onto the bridge and moved over when vehicles needed to cross. Now let me tell you what happened Thursday.
We pulled up to the bridge and paused to check for traffic before going across. There was a truck on the bridge. It was slowing. A woman was walking from a nearby parked car, camera in hand, onto the bridge. It's a classic pickup truck, totally restored, cherry red and white. Out from the driver's side comes a man in a tux, salt and pepper hair and beard. Out from the passenger side comes a woman in an ivory lace wedding dress. Probably a second wedding, congratulations. Hurry and get your shot, and have a good life. They strolled to the front of what is probably the groom's pride and joy. The photographer took her sweet time, taking shots, walking over to them to show them the shots, then taking more. They started walking and I thought, "Good. They're done." They walked past the truck doors and beyond the truck to mid-span of the bridge. Now I'm getting annoyed.
A convertible blue Mustang pulls up behind me with two men in it. Okay, now the pressure is on as traffic is building. I can see another vehicle on the other side of the bridge wanting to cross. The Mustang pulls up next to me and I explain they're taking wedding photos. These guys had NO patience.
BLAAAAAAAAAAAAAST goes the Mustang's horn. BEEP BEEP BEEEEEEEEEP! "Come on! If you want to stop traffic, get a Sheriff!" BEEP BEEP BEEEEEEP! The groom smiles and waves.
Then the couple starts walking again. "Good. They're done." They walk to the OTHER side of the bridge and the groom sits on the railing. We are 10 minutes into this at this point. This makes the guys go ballistic. Curse words start flying from the Mustang and threats to "f--- something up if I have to come out there."
Two more cars pull up behind us.
I am thinking it would be kinda funny if the groom fell off into the river, but then his truck would still be blocking the roadway.
He gets off the railing and promptly trips over his bride's train. I giggle a little. I can't help myself.
"Good. They're done."
They walk to the front of the truck for more shots there. OMG! We are 15 minutes and counting. My time to get to Santa Rosa is seriously dwindling.
They FINALLY get into the truck and pull most of the way off the bridge. Groom leans out the window, smiles and says, "We just got married. Thanks for waiting." I grit my teeth as I think, "It's not like you gave us any choice," and have to squeeze my way by him to get onto the bridge. The vehicle on the other side isn't waiting, and he doesn't enter the roadway until I'm mid-span, so we have to squeeze by each other on the one-way. The Mustang is behind me, and they turn left onto Westside while I turn right - we both wave as we leave.
We had serious problems getting everything done in time to make it to dinner for our reservations, and we just couldn't move fast enough to make up the lost time. While we're on the freeway, my mom calls Becca to find out what we want to order. Thank goodness I'd checked out the menu beforehand, so I knew - and she was able to place our order for us. We finally arrived at Kimuri, which is a Japanese steak house type of restaurant, where the focus is the food prep at the table. The two men preparing the meals were entertaining and funny. We had a great time celebrating Kaila and Shane's graduation, and Kaila and Timothy's 18th birthdays. Everything worked out after all!
Showing posts with label chicken. Show all posts
Showing posts with label chicken. Show all posts
Saturday, June 2, 2012
Sunday, May 20, 2012
Odds and Ends and Escape Attempts - Both Caprine and Fowl
Thursday flew by, mostly consumed with doing work on a typing job I have at home. (Hurrah!) I don't think that anything really unique happened at all, except I was happy to learn that Phillip Phillips will be in the American Idol finale. I know, I live a really exciting life, eh?
The last time I made cucumber melon soap, the imprint stamp in the bottom slipped, so the pattern was off and they were unsuitable for sale. I melted and remolded the soaps on Friday morning and plan to get some good photos taken (now that I have a tripod) and get those listed at etsy.com. Typing again Friday morning. I really enjoy this job and wish I had more of this type of work. I have some plans to see if I can expand it over the summer.
We got home late on Friday, so feeding the animals and moving the goats to the barn, milking, was all done after dark. On a warm summer night it's not too bad, and definitely better than rain. I am grateful to have a good cover over us for milking, and the time was spent pleasantly ... until just about the time Imbri was done eating her grain. I started to hear the yipping and squeals of coyote pups. There's something that's really indescribable about the sound of them. They sound cute, because it's obvious they are trying to be "big," and are learning a craft, but some of the sounds they make are spine-tingling. Then, the adults joined in. Typically I can hear one or two groups, but that night I was surrounded. The coyotes were far away, probably not even on our land, but there were at least five distinguishable areas, and they were all around me. Their voices soared and the pups went silent, and then after a couple of verses, joined in the chorus. It's magical and frightening at the same time. There's a primal instinct that tells you to get the critters and yourself indoors. My friend, Tammy, described her reaction at hearing these at her old home - and my reaction - perfectly. "Smiling with goosebumps."
Saturday morning was bright and sunny, with no trace of the fog that had haunted the last few days. It was still cool as I started the morning routine, but nice and clear, and I smiled really big when I saw the barn door. Salsa was ready to get out, and had turned the handle open. There is a lock on the door, but I don't lock animals into a building, in case someone needs to get them out in an emergency. This is why my dad built a bar to go across the outside of the door. Often as I move it into place at night, I hear in my mind, "Katie, bar the door," and feel like a pioneer woman. I decided to see if I could record Salsa playing her game with the door, and it worked. I had Becca look at this video later in the day, and she laughed out loud, saying that it was funny and kinda creepy at the same time. Maybe you'll enjoy it, too.
She's a smart goat! While I was turning off the recording on my phone, she opened the handle again and suddenly slammed into the door. She's done this before, and the screws on one side of the piece securing the bar come slightly loose and I have to slam it back in.
Zeus and Persephone have been outside for a couple of weeks now and are settling into their little chicken area nicely. Although Imbri used to answer Zeus when he crowed, I never noticed Foghorn taking any notice of him, until Saturday morning. I was working at the computer when I realized that they were answering each other, Zeus crowing, and then Foggy. That was fun to hear. Zeus is getting more confident in himself and is really starting to sound like a rooster, instead of a frog trying to croak out a crow.
The plan was to bring the four youngest chicks outside and introduce them to Americaunas. Becca went on a hike with her sisters and their husbands, so it was me all alone when it came time to make that decision. I kept putting off doing it, because I knew it was going to be a challenge, moving the box out to the run and physically getting four chickens into a new area. Suddenly, I heard a huge commotion coming from the room they are in, and - as always - I was afraid one of the many predators in our house had found a way in. It was Traz doing her normal routine, trying to escape, and getting close. She has learned that if she flies up really hard and fast, she can dislodge the clothespins holding a section of the netting, and get out. I decided that it was time to go ahead and put them outdoors, NOW.
It's a large, square box they are in, difficult to handle. I dragged it at first, and then decided to go ahead and pick it up. I was afraid of them trying the escape routine into my face while I carried the box, but the movement had them staying close to the bottom and cautious. Picking them up and putting them into the small run was easier than transferring the food and water. I got everyone in and secured the bird netting over the top opening, confident they'd be happy enough outside to not try to escape.
I underestimated Traz. More on that later.
Zeus and Persephone were fascinated by their new neighbors. They might recognized their chirps, because though they never saw each other, they probably talked like prison inmates through the walls. Zeus paced back and forth, looking up and down, trying to find a way to get in to see these new chicks in the neighborhood.
They seemed to all be doing fine, so I went back into the house to work, leaving a door open so I could hear any problems, and doing an occasional head count. I heard a commotion outside and again leaped up to see what was going on. I stepped outside and saw ... Traz, out of the pen and perched happily on a bar on the top. She was comfy, just sitting there, looking at the other chickens as if to say, "Hey, what's taking you so long? It's nice up here!" I slowly approached, hoping she wouldn't move, and she didn't. She stayed still and I picked her up and gently placed her back inside. Then I put a piece of plywood over the opening. They stayed put the rest of the day.
I would have taken a picture if I hadn't been so concerned about getting her back in quickly.
The rest of the day was uneventful. I was able to move the chicks back indoors for the night (they need to be introduced slowly so there's no crazy chicken gang fighting when the new kids move in) and the only sound that night was the beautiful voices of people singing at the retreat center next door. What a great way to end a great day.
A note on the Sonoma Chicken Salad. I forgot to mention that I didn't use the poppy seeds in the recipe, and it was just fine. In fact, I think better, because I'm not a big fan of poppy seeds.
The last time I made cucumber melon soap, the imprint stamp in the bottom slipped, so the pattern was off and they were unsuitable for sale. I melted and remolded the soaps on Friday morning and plan to get some good photos taken (now that I have a tripod) and get those listed at etsy.com. Typing again Friday morning. I really enjoy this job and wish I had more of this type of work. I have some plans to see if I can expand it over the summer.
We got home late on Friday, so feeding the animals and moving the goats to the barn, milking, was all done after dark. On a warm summer night it's not too bad, and definitely better than rain. I am grateful to have a good cover over us for milking, and the time was spent pleasantly ... until just about the time Imbri was done eating her grain. I started to hear the yipping and squeals of coyote pups. There's something that's really indescribable about the sound of them. They sound cute, because it's obvious they are trying to be "big," and are learning a craft, but some of the sounds they make are spine-tingling. Then, the adults joined in. Typically I can hear one or two groups, but that night I was surrounded. The coyotes were far away, probably not even on our land, but there were at least five distinguishable areas, and they were all around me. Their voices soared and the pups went silent, and then after a couple of verses, joined in the chorus. It's magical and frightening at the same time. There's a primal instinct that tells you to get the critters and yourself indoors. My friend, Tammy, described her reaction at hearing these at her old home - and my reaction - perfectly. "Smiling with goosebumps."
Saturday morning was bright and sunny, with no trace of the fog that had haunted the last few days. It was still cool as I started the morning routine, but nice and clear, and I smiled really big when I saw the barn door. Salsa was ready to get out, and had turned the handle open. There is a lock on the door, but I don't lock animals into a building, in case someone needs to get them out in an emergency. This is why my dad built a bar to go across the outside of the door. Often as I move it into place at night, I hear in my mind, "Katie, bar the door," and feel like a pioneer woman. I decided to see if I could record Salsa playing her game with the door, and it worked. I had Becca look at this video later in the day, and she laughed out loud, saying that it was funny and kinda creepy at the same time. Maybe you'll enjoy it, too.
She's a smart goat! While I was turning off the recording on my phone, she opened the handle again and suddenly slammed into the door. She's done this before, and the screws on one side of the piece securing the bar come slightly loose and I have to slam it back in.
Zeus and Persephone have been outside for a couple of weeks now and are settling into their little chicken area nicely. Although Imbri used to answer Zeus when he crowed, I never noticed Foghorn taking any notice of him, until Saturday morning. I was working at the computer when I realized that they were answering each other, Zeus crowing, and then Foggy. That was fun to hear. Zeus is getting more confident in himself and is really starting to sound like a rooster, instead of a frog trying to croak out a crow.
The plan was to bring the four youngest chicks outside and introduce them to Americaunas. Becca went on a hike with her sisters and their husbands, so it was me all alone when it came time to make that decision. I kept putting off doing it, because I knew it was going to be a challenge, moving the box out to the run and physically getting four chickens into a new area. Suddenly, I heard a huge commotion coming from the room they are in, and - as always - I was afraid one of the many predators in our house had found a way in. It was Traz doing her normal routine, trying to escape, and getting close. She has learned that if she flies up really hard and fast, she can dislodge the clothespins holding a section of the netting, and get out. I decided that it was time to go ahead and put them outdoors, NOW.
It's a large, square box they are in, difficult to handle. I dragged it at first, and then decided to go ahead and pick it up. I was afraid of them trying the escape routine into my face while I carried the box, but the movement had them staying close to the bottom and cautious. Picking them up and putting them into the small run was easier than transferring the food and water. I got everyone in and secured the bird netting over the top opening, confident they'd be happy enough outside to not try to escape.
I underestimated Traz. More on that later.
Zeus and Persephone were fascinated by their new neighbors. They might recognized their chirps, because though they never saw each other, they probably talked like prison inmates through the walls. Zeus paced back and forth, looking up and down, trying to find a way to get in to see these new chicks in the neighborhood.
They seemed to all be doing fine, so I went back into the house to work, leaving a door open so I could hear any problems, and doing an occasional head count. I heard a commotion outside and again leaped up to see what was going on. I stepped outside and saw ... Traz, out of the pen and perched happily on a bar on the top. She was comfy, just sitting there, looking at the other chickens as if to say, "Hey, what's taking you so long? It's nice up here!" I slowly approached, hoping she wouldn't move, and she didn't. She stayed still and I picked her up and gently placed her back inside. Then I put a piece of plywood over the opening. They stayed put the rest of the day.
I would have taken a picture if I hadn't been so concerned about getting her back in quickly.
The rest of the day was uneventful. I was able to move the chicks back indoors for the night (they need to be introduced slowly so there's no crazy chicken gang fighting when the new kids move in) and the only sound that night was the beautiful voices of people singing at the retreat center next door. What a great way to end a great day.
A note on the Sonoma Chicken Salad. I forgot to mention that I didn't use the poppy seeds in the recipe, and it was just fine. In fact, I think better, because I'm not a big fan of poppy seeds.
Thursday, May 17, 2012
A Unicorn on the Ranch
Monday this week was a pretty routine day. I made more hot chocolate mix for the morning mochas, and started another batch of vanilla extract.
I haven't mentioned vanilla extract yet, have I? It is ridiculously easy, though it takes a long time. As in three months. I started the first batch in April and it should be ready on the 4th of July. Monday's batch will be ready on my birthday. Happy coincidences! I decided that the hot chocolate and extract combo would be good gifts.
To make vanilla extract, you take 9 plump vanilla beans, split them and scrape the seeds out. Put the seeds and pods into a jar and add 1 1/2 cups of vodka. The cheap kind is fine. After three months, strain through a fine metal sieve and put into dark-colored jars. I discovered that vanilla beans can be found ridiculously cheap online. Spicy World sells 1/2 pound for just under $25. That's about 30 beans for what it would cost me at Safeway currently to buy four, FOUR beans. These mail ordered beans came vacuum sealed and were fat and so fragrant I could smell them through the packaging. I didn't know that vanilla beans didn't normally come shriveled up, so this was a pleasant surprise.
Monday evening, Becca shooed the Americaunas into their coop for the night, and then asked me to hold the lid open so that she could hold Persephone. She hesitated to pick Percy up, because Becca was concerned about Zeus going after her. What is funny is that Bex used to hold Zeus all the time (when he was Athena), because Percy was more active and - in the beginning - aggressive. She hesitated for so long that Percy decided she didn't want to wait any longer. Before we could react, she jumped out of the coop and flew into Becca's face, then landed on the ground. She then started walking away as we started to panic. The last thing we needed was to have a loose chicken at night time! After just two attempts, Becca was able to pick her up, and I was thankful that she didn't panic and start running away from us. I would hate to have to chase a chicken at dusk. After a little bit of cuddling, Becca put Percy back into the coop for the night. Silly chickens.
We found out on Tuesday that Becca received an A+ on her art final, which she had been stressing over and had stayed up until 1am last week to finish. Hurrah!
I decided to try making granola bars on Tuesday. It was another cold, foggy and chilly morning, and the sun didn't break through until 11:00 am. That makes a perfect morning for cranking up the oven. I love the granola in the recipe I'd found in Make the Bread, Not the Butter but wanted to make it into bars. I found a recipe for granola bars that differed slightly in ingredients, so I decided to try combining the two of them. After toasting the dry ingredients, I heated and then mixed in the "glue", then laid the mixture into a baking dish lined with greased wax paper, pressing it down hard. It took a few hours to cool enough to cut. I learned that the recipe (as I modified it) is a bit too sweet for me, and I need to press the granola mixture in HARDer, but they taste good and mostly stick together. I substituted maple syrup for the honey and think that was a mistake (I just love maple syrup, though!). When I have a trial run that makes this recipe work well, I'll post it to the blog so you can try it. The kids (and teachers) love the granola, but unless you're using it as cereal or in yogurt, it's easiest in a brick for snacking.
As I was walking with the dwarf goats to the barn that evening, I was admiring Moonshine's (we call him Mooney) little cowlick in the center of his forehead. It curves forward like the flag on a quail's head, and I sometimes call him "Alfalfa," after the character in Little Rascals. As I was looking at him, I noticed a grey area behind the cowlick, and wondered if he'd gotten something on his head. I reached down to move his fur and discovered that he was growing a horn! In the center of his head! As a kid, he had been disbudded (meaning the growth areas for horns were cauterized to prevent them from growing for his safety as a pet animal), and this horn was growing right in between those two areas. I have a unicorn goat.
The horn is curving back a little, so I doubt it will grow straight forward like the mythological beast, but it is still fascinating. I don't know yet how or why this could have happened.
Wednesday morning was again sooooo cold and overcast! The sun is lazy these days and didn't show up until 11:00 am again. I like to wait until it's sunny to go out and start the sprinklers and do some weeding. Early in the morning, I kept busy by making some cajeta and starting a new chicken salad recipe.
If any of you have had Pacific Market's Sonoma Chicken Salad, you know that it's something special. I had a craving for it the night before, and decided to look and see if there was a recipe available that was anywhere close. I could probably have asked my friend, Tammy, who used to work at Fiesta Market in Sebastopol (before they were bought by Pacific), but I figured I'd try online for something that wouldn't generate 20 pounds or so of salad.
Of all places, Whole Foods Market has a recipe for what I call - and they do, too - Sonoma Chicken Salad. As I made the dressing, I thought that it tasted just a little different, somewhat sweeter, than Fiesta and Pacific Markets' version. The steps to create this recipe were super easy, and I'd never cooked chicken this way before. It was easy, quick clean-up, and left the chicken moist, tender and tasty. I really like this salad (I hate to admit better than Pacific or Fiesta's versions!), so it's definitely going to go into my family cookbook! The recipe says it makes six servings, but I'm finding it is going a lot further than that.
Sonoma Chicken Salad
Whole Foods Recipe
Serves 6
I haven't mentioned vanilla extract yet, have I? It is ridiculously easy, though it takes a long time. As in three months. I started the first batch in April and it should be ready on the 4th of July. Monday's batch will be ready on my birthday. Happy coincidences! I decided that the hot chocolate and extract combo would be good gifts.
To make vanilla extract, you take 9 plump vanilla beans, split them and scrape the seeds out. Put the seeds and pods into a jar and add 1 1/2 cups of vodka. The cheap kind is fine. After three months, strain through a fine metal sieve and put into dark-colored jars. I discovered that vanilla beans can be found ridiculously cheap online. Spicy World sells 1/2 pound for just under $25. That's about 30 beans for what it would cost me at Safeway currently to buy four, FOUR beans. These mail ordered beans came vacuum sealed and were fat and so fragrant I could smell them through the packaging. I didn't know that vanilla beans didn't normally come shriveled up, so this was a pleasant surprise.
Monday evening, Becca shooed the Americaunas into their coop for the night, and then asked me to hold the lid open so that she could hold Persephone. She hesitated to pick Percy up, because Becca was concerned about Zeus going after her. What is funny is that Bex used to hold Zeus all the time (when he was Athena), because Percy was more active and - in the beginning - aggressive. She hesitated for so long that Percy decided she didn't want to wait any longer. Before we could react, she jumped out of the coop and flew into Becca's face, then landed on the ground. She then started walking away as we started to panic. The last thing we needed was to have a loose chicken at night time! After just two attempts, Becca was able to pick her up, and I was thankful that she didn't panic and start running away from us. I would hate to have to chase a chicken at dusk. After a little bit of cuddling, Becca put Percy back into the coop for the night. Silly chickens.
We found out on Tuesday that Becca received an A+ on her art final, which she had been stressing over and had stayed up until 1am last week to finish. Hurrah!
I decided to try making granola bars on Tuesday. It was another cold, foggy and chilly morning, and the sun didn't break through until 11:00 am. That makes a perfect morning for cranking up the oven. I love the granola in the recipe I'd found in Make the Bread, Not the Butter but wanted to make it into bars. I found a recipe for granola bars that differed slightly in ingredients, so I decided to try combining the two of them. After toasting the dry ingredients, I heated and then mixed in the "glue", then laid the mixture into a baking dish lined with greased wax paper, pressing it down hard. It took a few hours to cool enough to cut. I learned that the recipe (as I modified it) is a bit too sweet for me, and I need to press the granola mixture in HARDer, but they taste good and mostly stick together. I substituted maple syrup for the honey and think that was a mistake (I just love maple syrup, though!). When I have a trial run that makes this recipe work well, I'll post it to the blog so you can try it. The kids (and teachers) love the granola, but unless you're using it as cereal or in yogurt, it's easiest in a brick for snacking.
As I was walking with the dwarf goats to the barn that evening, I was admiring Moonshine's (we call him Mooney) little cowlick in the center of his forehead. It curves forward like the flag on a quail's head, and I sometimes call him "Alfalfa," after the character in Little Rascals. As I was looking at him, I noticed a grey area behind the cowlick, and wondered if he'd gotten something on his head. I reached down to move his fur and discovered that he was growing a horn! In the center of his head! As a kid, he had been disbudded (meaning the growth areas for horns were cauterized to prevent them from growing for his safety as a pet animal), and this horn was growing right in between those two areas. I have a unicorn goat.
The horn is curving back a little, so I doubt it will grow straight forward like the mythological beast, but it is still fascinating. I don't know yet how or why this could have happened.
Wednesday morning was again sooooo cold and overcast! The sun is lazy these days and didn't show up until 11:00 am again. I like to wait until it's sunny to go out and start the sprinklers and do some weeding. Early in the morning, I kept busy by making some cajeta and starting a new chicken salad recipe.
If any of you have had Pacific Market's Sonoma Chicken Salad, you know that it's something special. I had a craving for it the night before, and decided to look and see if there was a recipe available that was anywhere close. I could probably have asked my friend, Tammy, who used to work at Fiesta Market in Sebastopol (before they were bought by Pacific), but I figured I'd try online for something that wouldn't generate 20 pounds or so of salad.
Of all places, Whole Foods Market has a recipe for what I call - and they do, too - Sonoma Chicken Salad. As I made the dressing, I thought that it tasted just a little different, somewhat sweeter, than Fiesta and Pacific Markets' version. The steps to create this recipe were super easy, and I'd never cooked chicken this way before. It was easy, quick clean-up, and left the chicken moist, tender and tasty. I really like this salad (I hate to admit better than Pacific or Fiesta's versions!), so it's definitely going to go into my family cookbook! The recipe says it makes six servings, but I'm finding it is going a lot further than that.
Sonoma Chicken Salad
Whole Foods Recipe
Serves 6
Ingredients
Dressing
1 cup mayonnaise
4 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
5 teaspoons honey
2 teaspoons poppy seeds
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Salad
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
3/4 cup pecan pieces, toasted
2 cups red seedless grapes
3 stalks celery, thinly sliced
1 cup mayonnaise
4 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
5 teaspoons honey
2 teaspoons poppy seeds
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Salad
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
3/4 cup pecan pieces, toasted
2 cups red seedless grapes
3 stalks celery, thinly sliced
Method
In a bowl, combine mayonnaise, vinegar, honey, poppy seeds, salt and pepper. Refrigerate until ready to dress the salad. This can be prepared up to 2 days ahead.
Preheat oven to 375°F. Place the chicken breasts in one layer in a baking dish with 1/2 cup water. Cover with foil and bake 25 minutes until completely cooked through. Remove cooked chicken breasts from pan, cool at room temperature for 10 minutes, then cover and refrigerate.
When the chicken is cold, dice into bite-size chunks and transfer to a large bowl. Stir in pecans, grapes, celery and dressing.
Preheat oven to 375°F. Place the chicken breasts in one layer in a baking dish with 1/2 cup water. Cover with foil and bake 25 minutes until completely cooked through. Remove cooked chicken breasts from pan, cool at room temperature for 10 minutes, then cover and refrigerate.
When the chicken is cold, dice into bite-size chunks and transfer to a large bowl. Stir in pecans, grapes, celery and dressing.
Nutrition
Per serving: 610 calories (390 from fat), 43g total fat, 5g saturated fat, 100mg cholesterol, 500mg sodium, 17g total carbohydrate (2g dietary fiber, 13g sugar), 33g protein
Monday, April 30, 2012
Another Sunny Weekend
Saturday dawned a beautiful, sunny day in Sonoma County. After staying up way too late the night before, I awoke to the sound of both of my alarms going off - one had been playing the radio for an hour and I hadn't noticed. On weekends I allow myself to "sleep in" until 6:00 am. The 5:00 am alarm had still been set, but wasn't as loud as a weekday morning. I laid there for a moment, thinking about curling up to go back to sleep, and then ... Zeus crowed from across the room. It was definitely time to get up. One of the projects planned for the weekend was getting a chicken coop built for the chicks to go outside. It's well beyond time.
I decided that it is also well beyond time to mix and mold some more goat's milk soap. I'd been putting it off for a while, because I had the brilliant idea to purchase the last order of glycerine in bulk. I didn't realize until it was delivered that the 25 pounds would come in One Huge Block, and not in the neat one-pound blocks I'd been used to. It was a daunting task ahead, but since I'd successfully cut off a couple pounds before, I knew it was definitely possible. This is one huge block o' glycerine.
I ground some anise seeds to put into the soap. I love the smell of this soap and hope that it will work well on the etsy.com web site. This will be the first time I've listed soap on the site, so my fingers are crossed!
Bette brought down some more plants, so I got the rest of the tomatoes into two beds now, and we are working toward getting more raised beds completed so we can plant the rest.
The yellowjackets are still trying to build nests in the pickup, and I am knocking them down when I find them. We bought a couple of traps, but they aren't attracting anything. This is the first time I've ever had that happen. I kept moving one trap closer and closer, until I finally decided to do this.
I've added more attractant to the bait and will see what happens this weekend. I don't know why the trap isn't working!
Zeus waited to crow until 7:00 am Sunday morning, so he wasn't my alarm clock. It's so nice to add to my morning routine a walk to the garden to tend to the new plants. There's still so much left to do, but we are making good progress.
Sunday is Farmers Market Day in Windsor! This seems to be the only day that Becca asks me to be sure to wake her in the morning and not allow her to sleep late. We both look forward to going to the market. We tried some breakfast burritos there, which we both found to be too bland. That's probably a good thing, since I should be making them at home myself before we leave. There were tons of plants, and my daughter and son-in-law picked some up (they met us there). We brought home some beautiful Meyer lemons so Becca can make her wonderful lemonade. These were organic Meyer lemons at half the price of "normal" lemons at the grocery store. Bargain!
We split up for the ride to my place, with Becca riding with her sister and brother-in-law, as we were going to work on a chicken coop. When I got home I immediately noticed that one of my favorite, everyday use, cowboy boots was missing, and I had a sinking feeling. I looked in the other room and found ... half of it.
I did a lot of yelling, and put Breezy in her crate outside. I couldn't stop crying. She used to be an awful shoe-chewer when she was a puppy (and destroyed a loveseat and chewed on the corners of walls), but in the ensuing many years she appeared to have broken that habit. I don't know what has gotten into her to make her revert these last few weeks. I use these boots every day and I don't know what I'm going to do without them. On our way to the farmers market earlier in the day, I was even thinking I should check the soles when I got home to see if they need upkeep, because I wanted them to last a good, long time. I guess that's not going to happen.
On a brighter note, my daughter and her husband arrived with Becca soon after to help us build a chicken coop. They offered some comfort and several hours of distraction, which helped a lot. Using scrap wood that I had around, Cory lead the design effort to put together a sturdy, comfortable home for the Americaunas. The other chicks will join them when they're a little bigger. Every time I look at it, I am so pleased with what we accomplished!
Becca went in the house to get Zeus and Persephone, and came out with one perched on each hand. Just as she exited the house with them, the radio station played the song that she and Jessi had been waiting for to win tickets to a concert. She rushed over, we opened the coop, and she rather unceremoniously placed them into their new environment. I quickly opened the door again and saw them just huddled on the floor of the coop, looking frightened. I reached in to pet and soothe them, and soon after they stood up and walked slowly out of the door. They were immediately happy, scratching and pecking, eventually chirping. It was a bit of a challenge to get them back into the coop later in the evening for their safety overnight, but we did. I worried about them all night, and checked on them several times before going to bed, to make sure they were okay. They're able to be in the cooler temperatures now, but aren't used to it yet. I felt bad for them, but was relieved that the two biggest chicks were out of the house.
Being outside most of the day, on my feet and walking and carrying, etc., made for one tired mama. It was all we could do to put some pasta together for dinner, then after showers hit the sack. The tiredness and soreness was pleasant, though, after a day of fun, family, and projects completed well.
A short update on the hot chocolate mix I assembled earlier in the week. On Friday morning, I used the homemade mix in the girls' morning mocha and hot chocolate, and didn't say anything about the change. Becca asked me Friday night on the way home if I'd used it. I told her yes, and asked if she liked it. She said it was better, and that she liked the salt. I hadn't even told her that I thought it was too salty. Starbucks has been making a salted caramel hot chocolate, so I guess salt, chocolate and caramel all work together well. It appears that I can use the homemade mix without objection, thank goodness!
I decided that it is also well beyond time to mix and mold some more goat's milk soap. I'd been putting it off for a while, because I had the brilliant idea to purchase the last order of glycerine in bulk. I didn't realize until it was delivered that the 25 pounds would come in One Huge Block, and not in the neat one-pound blocks I'd been used to. It was a daunting task ahead, but since I'd successfully cut off a couple pounds before, I knew it was definitely possible. This is one huge block o' glycerine.
I ground some anise seeds to put into the soap. I love the smell of this soap and hope that it will work well on the etsy.com web site. This will be the first time I've listed soap on the site, so my fingers are crossed!
Bette brought down some more plants, so I got the rest of the tomatoes into two beds now, and we are working toward getting more raised beds completed so we can plant the rest.
The yellowjackets are still trying to build nests in the pickup, and I am knocking them down when I find them. We bought a couple of traps, but they aren't attracting anything. This is the first time I've ever had that happen. I kept moving one trap closer and closer, until I finally decided to do this.
I've added more attractant to the bait and will see what happens this weekend. I don't know why the trap isn't working!
Zeus waited to crow until 7:00 am Sunday morning, so he wasn't my alarm clock. It's so nice to add to my morning routine a walk to the garden to tend to the new plants. There's still so much left to do, but we are making good progress.
Sunday is Farmers Market Day in Windsor! This seems to be the only day that Becca asks me to be sure to wake her in the morning and not allow her to sleep late. We both look forward to going to the market. We tried some breakfast burritos there, which we both found to be too bland. That's probably a good thing, since I should be making them at home myself before we leave. There were tons of plants, and my daughter and son-in-law picked some up (they met us there). We brought home some beautiful Meyer lemons so Becca can make her wonderful lemonade. These were organic Meyer lemons at half the price of "normal" lemons at the grocery store. Bargain!
We split up for the ride to my place, with Becca riding with her sister and brother-in-law, as we were going to work on a chicken coop. When I got home I immediately noticed that one of my favorite, everyday use, cowboy boots was missing, and I had a sinking feeling. I looked in the other room and found ... half of it.
I did a lot of yelling, and put Breezy in her crate outside. I couldn't stop crying. She used to be an awful shoe-chewer when she was a puppy (and destroyed a loveseat and chewed on the corners of walls), but in the ensuing many years she appeared to have broken that habit. I don't know what has gotten into her to make her revert these last few weeks. I use these boots every day and I don't know what I'm going to do without them. On our way to the farmers market earlier in the day, I was even thinking I should check the soles when I got home to see if they need upkeep, because I wanted them to last a good, long time. I guess that's not going to happen.
On a brighter note, my daughter and her husband arrived with Becca soon after to help us build a chicken coop. They offered some comfort and several hours of distraction, which helped a lot. Using scrap wood that I had around, Cory lead the design effort to put together a sturdy, comfortable home for the Americaunas. The other chicks will join them when they're a little bigger. Every time I look at it, I am so pleased with what we accomplished!
Becca went in the house to get Zeus and Persephone, and came out with one perched on each hand. Just as she exited the house with them, the radio station played the song that she and Jessi had been waiting for to win tickets to a concert. She rushed over, we opened the coop, and she rather unceremoniously placed them into their new environment. I quickly opened the door again and saw them just huddled on the floor of the coop, looking frightened. I reached in to pet and soothe them, and soon after they stood up and walked slowly out of the door. They were immediately happy, scratching and pecking, eventually chirping. It was a bit of a challenge to get them back into the coop later in the evening for their safety overnight, but we did. I worried about them all night, and checked on them several times before going to bed, to make sure they were okay. They're able to be in the cooler temperatures now, but aren't used to it yet. I felt bad for them, but was relieved that the two biggest chicks were out of the house.
Being outside most of the day, on my feet and walking and carrying, etc., made for one tired mama. It was all we could do to put some pasta together for dinner, then after showers hit the sack. The tiredness and soreness was pleasant, though, after a day of fun, family, and projects completed well.
A short update on the hot chocolate mix I assembled earlier in the week. On Friday morning, I used the homemade mix in the girls' morning mocha and hot chocolate, and didn't say anything about the change. Becca asked me Friday night on the way home if I'd used it. I told her yes, and asked if she liked it. She said it was better, and that she liked the salt. I hadn't even told her that I thought it was too salty. Starbucks has been making a salted caramel hot chocolate, so I guess salt, chocolate and caramel all work together well. It appears that I can use the homemade mix without objection, thank goodness!
Tuesday, April 24, 2012
Crunchy Goodness
Monday morning dawned. Sort of. The sky lightened to grey. This was a misty, foggy Sonoma County morning. And it was still beautiful. Damp mornings like this invite bread-baking and things done indoors. They encourage you to listen to the quiet, and every sound seems muffled. There's always a peaceful feel to the morning air at the ranch, but each season has its own rhythm, it's own feel, it speaks to you differently.
Weed whacking is going to be ongoing for a while, and Monday was no exception. Back yard and near the barn this time.
I hadn't made bagels in about a week, and the kids were sad and missing them. This was the perfect morning to start a batch early. The last time I wrote about this King Arthur Flour recipe, I said I was going to modify it. I did, indeed, and discovered that sometimes a good thing is best left alone. I won't change the ingredients in this recipe again, except perhaps to add to it (cheese!). My previous suggestions about handling the dough are still good.
Cornbread is going to have to wait still. I went to the regular grocery store to find cornmeal, and there's nothing organic or trusted or guaranteed GMO free, so I will wait until I can get to Big John's and see what they have available.
The chevre turned out so good that I have decided I will not make cream cheese anymore. Chevre is better!
Since I've skipped cornbread for now, granola is the next recipe in Make the Bread, Buy the Butter. It looked really simple, and all the ingredients needed were at hand.
Oh. My. Goodness. I tasted it before I put the granola into the oven. I could have eaten it all right then!
The house smelled like toasted oats, brown sugar and maple for an hour. When the granola was done, I couldn't wait to taste the golden brown, crunchy goodness. Success! I added 1/2 teaspoon of orange zest to the recipe just because I thought that would be good. It gives it just a slight hint of orange that goes well with the rest of the flavors. I skipped the wheat germ and coconut because I didn't have any and I'm not a big fan of them. The nice thing about this recipe is that it can be tailored to your taste. Fabulous!
The timing was perfect, and the bagels were ready to go into their water bath immediately after the granola was done. (I can hardly wait to break out the chevre to top a fresh bagel with.) Tuesday's venture is going to be yogurt, and I am looking forward to putting some of this granola on top of that!
I brought a quart jar full of the granola in the car when I picked Becca and Sophie up from school. By the time they got in the car, 1/4 of it was gone. By the time we got home, only 1/4 was left. The granola is a big hit, and the kids are talking about selling it at school.
Monday night I did the regular chick head count and again came up one short. Traz had somehow gotten out of the box, which is more than four times her height, and found her way past the bird netting over the top. I secured it more carefully with clothespins. There's a cat in the next room and dogs in the house. I think Traz doesn't really understand how safe she is in the box. I'm looking at chicken coop plans so that we can get one built and get the chicks outside when the weather's better. Now that they are bigger, they are anxious to explore.
Weed whacking is going to be ongoing for a while, and Monday was no exception. Back yard and near the barn this time.
I hadn't made bagels in about a week, and the kids were sad and missing them. This was the perfect morning to start a batch early. The last time I wrote about this King Arthur Flour recipe, I said I was going to modify it. I did, indeed, and discovered that sometimes a good thing is best left alone. I won't change the ingredients in this recipe again, except perhaps to add to it (cheese!). My previous suggestions about handling the dough are still good.
Cornbread is going to have to wait still. I went to the regular grocery store to find cornmeal, and there's nothing organic or trusted or guaranteed GMO free, so I will wait until I can get to Big John's and see what they have available.
The chevre turned out so good that I have decided I will not make cream cheese anymore. Chevre is better!
Since I've skipped cornbread for now, granola is the next recipe in Make the Bread, Buy the Butter. It looked really simple, and all the ingredients needed were at hand.
Oh. My. Goodness. I tasted it before I put the granola into the oven. I could have eaten it all right then!
The house smelled like toasted oats, brown sugar and maple for an hour. When the granola was done, I couldn't wait to taste the golden brown, crunchy goodness. Success! I added 1/2 teaspoon of orange zest to the recipe just because I thought that would be good. It gives it just a slight hint of orange that goes well with the rest of the flavors. I skipped the wheat germ and coconut because I didn't have any and I'm not a big fan of them. The nice thing about this recipe is that it can be tailored to your taste. Fabulous!
The timing was perfect, and the bagels were ready to go into their water bath immediately after the granola was done. (I can hardly wait to break out the chevre to top a fresh bagel with.) Tuesday's venture is going to be yogurt, and I am looking forward to putting some of this granola on top of that!
I brought a quart jar full of the granola in the car when I picked Becca and Sophie up from school. By the time they got in the car, 1/4 of it was gone. By the time we got home, only 1/4 was left. The granola is a big hit, and the kids are talking about selling it at school.
Monday night I did the regular chick head count and again came up one short. Traz had somehow gotten out of the box, which is more than four times her height, and found her way past the bird netting over the top. I secured it more carefully with clothespins. There's a cat in the next room and dogs in the house. I think Traz doesn't really understand how safe she is in the box. I'm looking at chicken coop plans so that we can get one built and get the chicks outside when the weather's better. Now that they are bigger, they are anxious to explore.
Monday, April 23, 2012
Long, Hot, Busy Weekend
Saturday morning, bright and early. The air is cool, but foreshadows a scorcher day. This is the time to get the goats moved and milked quickly and start in with the weed whacker. There is still a lot of grass to cut down, so the rattlers don't feel comfortable on my turf. This is war.
There's a war on another front, as well. Over the last few days I've observed and knocked down several new yellowjacket nests in my pickup truck, on the building next to our house, and in the grain shed. I set one trap Saturday, but too far away. I moved it closer on Sunday and added another one.
We had a birthday party planned to attend in the afternoon, and my daughter and her hubby were bringing a new mattress up for Becca's bed, so I worked more outside early and started moving the old broken pool, getting it cleared out and ready for disposal. The new mattress is very much appreciated by Becca! She's been sleeping on a futon for a long time, and those just aren't comfortable. She really enjoyed a restful night on Saturday. The bed is now twice as tall as it was before, and Duncan, our Scotty, was tired at the end of the day. He just couldn't get up the gumption to make the double leap to the top, so Becca needed to give him a little boost.
After the bed install and a walk around the garden, then the discovery of a black widow spider near the front door (eek!), Becca and I took off for her friend Saul's house. I love it when we get invited to parties there. His parents are so sweet, and his mom makes the Best. Food. Ever. Last year it was tamales. This year, I couldn't keep away from the sweet green salsa. I have to find a recipe that comes close, because I'm still craving it! I loved that it was smooth and rich, almost glossy, but also had little chunks of onion and radish, and plenty of cilantro. Saul brought out his cotton candy machine and we made some from hard Jolly Rancher candies. I'd never heard of doing that before.
Besides the good company and food, I love wandering around their property, enjoying the chickens and pigeons and peacocks. There are a couple dozen or more fuzzy little chicks peeping, hanging out with their protective mamas. I am fascinated by the rare albino peacock they have.
As evening approaches, every single day he goes into an open area to spread his tail feathers, preen, fluff, and turn slowly and majestically around so we can admire him.
Part of the fun was a short walk to the creek, where the kids waded and skipped rocks. Becca is really good! She got five skips out of one.
By the time we got home, we were pleasantly tired, sweaty and ready to relax. We had to take care of the animals first, and after chores we settled in with ice water and iced tea. I was too tired to even pick up my knitting. We watched a television program and talked about the day, then hit the sack.
I "sleep in" until 6:00 am on the weekends, and the sun was shining brightly when I awoke Sunday morning. I love these long summer days! The air was cool and crisp and fresh, and just right to do chores without the need for even a sweater. Just out in the morning breeze in a tank top and jeans. Of course, I had to have the cowboy boots on, because rattlesnakes are always on my mind now when I'm outside. I did some more weed-whacking in the field next to the big goats.
I woke Becca, who was in a much better mood Sunday morning! The new mattress really helps her. It was time to get ready to go to the farmers market opening day in Windsor.
I was surprised when we arrived at the market in Windsor. Cars were lining up on Redwood Highway to turn into our usual parking area, and there were no parking spots to be found at all. I was a little disappointed at the two-block walk we needed to make, because I was planning to bring plants home from the community garden. When we got to the edge of the market, I was amazed again at how many people were there! The aisles between the stalls were so crowded that we had to thread our way through. I was like a kid at Disneyland, wanting to stop constantly, and Becca had to remind me of our established routine and "farmers market rule" several times: Walk one end to the other, and taste your samples and make your purchases on the way back.
There were a lot of vendors that we recognized and were happy to see again. We greeted the farmer whose wife always makes the best gypsy pepper jelly at the end of the summer. We got to meet her for the first time, and they told us there are six jars left that they forgot to bring, but they'll bring them next weekend. We saw the biegnet booth, with puffy, decadent, fried dough sprinkled with powdered sugar that gets all over your clothes and face. Our favorite dairy farmers had their cheese out with samples. The cute pony-tailed Johnny Depp look-alike with our favorite farm stand was there, as well. He is so enthusiastic and proud of what he is doing, and always has the best basil. We bought some artichokes from him, picked fresh that morning.
There were a lot of new faces and booths, too, though we were sad to see some of our favorites missing. I know that means that they are enjoying success that makes it not worthwhile for them to attend the farmers market, but we miss them. The most recent loss was Mama Tina's ravioli. She has been doing really well over the last year, and has been able to get her products into local restaurants and grocery stores. I'm happy to be able to pick up her ravioli at Big John's Market in Healdsburg (until I perfect my own!), but am sad not to be able to visit with her on Sunday mornings.
We filled our market bag with cheese, honeycomb, and fresh veggies, and then grabbed a couple of tomato plants from the community garden. When we got home, hot and tired, we unloaded our things and then Becca made some lemonade. We'd forgotten to pick the lemons up at the market and stopped by the grocery store on the way home. A big mistake. The organic Meyer lemons at the market were half the price of the regular ol' lemons at the store. You can bet we won't forget next week! Becca had to work on finishing a school project while I got to relax for and knit for a while.
I checked on the chicks later in the day, and when I did my head-count of the newest chicks, I was one short. There was a moment of panic, as I started to look at the floor, then I heard a sound near the top of the box. There was one of the Rhodies, perched on the metal guard wires on the heat lamp, having found a good roost. Thank goodness it was a warm day, so the lamp was turned off! I laughed when I realized that this is the chick we've named "Traz," short for Alcatraz. She's an escape artist, and I knew that we'd have to remind her constantly that she was not going to be able to escape. The netting went over the top of the box immediately. Traz will keep us on our toes!
My evening inspection of vehicles and buildings showed more new wasp nests to knock down. The traps have nothing in them at all, and I keep moving them closer to the house and activity. I like to keep traps as far away from us as possible, but these guys are intent on making their nests right next to us, so I have to move them closer to the house.
It is definitely springtime on the ranch. The carnations are really starting to bloom, and their scent can now be enjoyed on the breeze, just by walking out the door. These are the best-smelling carnations I've ever encountered.
Happy Earth Day!
There's a war on another front, as well. Over the last few days I've observed and knocked down several new yellowjacket nests in my pickup truck, on the building next to our house, and in the grain shed. I set one trap Saturday, but too far away. I moved it closer on Sunday and added another one.
We had a birthday party planned to attend in the afternoon, and my daughter and her hubby were bringing a new mattress up for Becca's bed, so I worked more outside early and started moving the old broken pool, getting it cleared out and ready for disposal. The new mattress is very much appreciated by Becca! She's been sleeping on a futon for a long time, and those just aren't comfortable. She really enjoyed a restful night on Saturday. The bed is now twice as tall as it was before, and Duncan, our Scotty, was tired at the end of the day. He just couldn't get up the gumption to make the double leap to the top, so Becca needed to give him a little boost.
After the bed install and a walk around the garden, then the discovery of a black widow spider near the front door (eek!), Becca and I took off for her friend Saul's house. I love it when we get invited to parties there. His parents are so sweet, and his mom makes the Best. Food. Ever. Last year it was tamales. This year, I couldn't keep away from the sweet green salsa. I have to find a recipe that comes close, because I'm still craving it! I loved that it was smooth and rich, almost glossy, but also had little chunks of onion and radish, and plenty of cilantro. Saul brought out his cotton candy machine and we made some from hard Jolly Rancher candies. I'd never heard of doing that before.
Besides the good company and food, I love wandering around their property, enjoying the chickens and pigeons and peacocks. There are a couple dozen or more fuzzy little chicks peeping, hanging out with their protective mamas. I am fascinated by the rare albino peacock they have.
As evening approaches, every single day he goes into an open area to spread his tail feathers, preen, fluff, and turn slowly and majestically around so we can admire him.
Part of the fun was a short walk to the creek, where the kids waded and skipped rocks. Becca is really good! She got five skips out of one.
By the time we got home, we were pleasantly tired, sweaty and ready to relax. We had to take care of the animals first, and after chores we settled in with ice water and iced tea. I was too tired to even pick up my knitting. We watched a television program and talked about the day, then hit the sack.
I "sleep in" until 6:00 am on the weekends, and the sun was shining brightly when I awoke Sunday morning. I love these long summer days! The air was cool and crisp and fresh, and just right to do chores without the need for even a sweater. Just out in the morning breeze in a tank top and jeans. Of course, I had to have the cowboy boots on, because rattlesnakes are always on my mind now when I'm outside. I did some more weed-whacking in the field next to the big goats.
I woke Becca, who was in a much better mood Sunday morning! The new mattress really helps her. It was time to get ready to go to the farmers market opening day in Windsor.
I was surprised when we arrived at the market in Windsor. Cars were lining up on Redwood Highway to turn into our usual parking area, and there were no parking spots to be found at all. I was a little disappointed at the two-block walk we needed to make, because I was planning to bring plants home from the community garden. When we got to the edge of the market, I was amazed again at how many people were there! The aisles between the stalls were so crowded that we had to thread our way through. I was like a kid at Disneyland, wanting to stop constantly, and Becca had to remind me of our established routine and "farmers market rule" several times: Walk one end to the other, and taste your samples and make your purchases on the way back.
There were a lot of vendors that we recognized and were happy to see again. We greeted the farmer whose wife always makes the best gypsy pepper jelly at the end of the summer. We got to meet her for the first time, and they told us there are six jars left that they forgot to bring, but they'll bring them next weekend. We saw the biegnet booth, with puffy, decadent, fried dough sprinkled with powdered sugar that gets all over your clothes and face. Our favorite dairy farmers had their cheese out with samples. The cute pony-tailed Johnny Depp look-alike with our favorite farm stand was there, as well. He is so enthusiastic and proud of what he is doing, and always has the best basil. We bought some artichokes from him, picked fresh that morning.
There were a lot of new faces and booths, too, though we were sad to see some of our favorites missing. I know that means that they are enjoying success that makes it not worthwhile for them to attend the farmers market, but we miss them. The most recent loss was Mama Tina's ravioli. She has been doing really well over the last year, and has been able to get her products into local restaurants and grocery stores. I'm happy to be able to pick up her ravioli at Big John's Market in Healdsburg (until I perfect my own!), but am sad not to be able to visit with her on Sunday mornings.
We filled our market bag with cheese, honeycomb, and fresh veggies, and then grabbed a couple of tomato plants from the community garden. When we got home, hot and tired, we unloaded our things and then Becca made some lemonade. We'd forgotten to pick the lemons up at the market and stopped by the grocery store on the way home. A big mistake. The organic Meyer lemons at the market were half the price of the regular ol' lemons at the store. You can bet we won't forget next week! Becca had to work on finishing a school project while I got to relax for and knit for a while.
I checked on the chicks later in the day, and when I did my head-count of the newest chicks, I was one short. There was a moment of panic, as I started to look at the floor, then I heard a sound near the top of the box. There was one of the Rhodies, perched on the metal guard wires on the heat lamp, having found a good roost. Thank goodness it was a warm day, so the lamp was turned off! I laughed when I realized that this is the chick we've named "Traz," short for Alcatraz. She's an escape artist, and I knew that we'd have to remind her constantly that she was not going to be able to escape. The netting went over the top of the box immediately. Traz will keep us on our toes!
My evening inspection of vehicles and buildings showed more new wasp nests to knock down. The traps have nothing in them at all, and I keep moving them closer to the house and activity. I like to keep traps as far away from us as possible, but these guys are intent on making their nests right next to us, so I have to move them closer to the house.
It is definitely springtime on the ranch. The carnations are really starting to bloom, and their scent can now be enjoyed on the breeze, just by walking out the door. These are the best-smelling carnations I've ever encountered.
Happy Earth Day!
Saturday, April 21, 2012
My Little Chickadees
Becca and I had planned on getting some Rhode Island Red chicks for her final science project of the year. That's one great thing about her taking an Agriculture (Ag) based science class in high school. No volcanoes or projects like that, the kids get to raise something. It could be chicks, or plants, or even a goat, pig, or steer. There are barns at the high school so some of the larger animals can stay at school.
About a week before the Rhodies were due to be hatched and delivered to us, Becca and her friend Sophie caught sight of some Americauna chicks at the feed store. Those are harder to come by, and there they were. Americaunas have beautiful markings, but more than that, they lay green and blue eggs. I've always wanted to have some! Since we were preparing to have chicks in the house anyway, I agreed (somewhat eagerly, I admit) to get them. I asked the guy at the store if the chicks were all sexed, and he said that they were as much as possible, but it's hard to tell this young. He assured me that 95% of the chicks were hens.
We brought home Athena and Persephone (Percy for short).
They grow fast! The following photo was taken at just about a month old. At nearly six weeks they are even bigger now.
We've been hearing odd noises from the chicks in the morning lately. I thought at first they were learning how to cluck, growing out of the cheep and peep. It hit me yesterday, when I heard the rhythmic and repetitive sound, that one of the Americauna chicks is probably a rooster. I like roosters, though I am disappointed that this means 50% fewer blue and green eggs. The good thing about this is that we'll have more farm music. I love Foghorn Leghorn's crows greeting me in the morning.
About a week before the Rhodies were due to be hatched and delivered to us, Becca and her friend Sophie caught sight of some Americauna chicks at the feed store. Those are harder to come by, and there they were. Americaunas have beautiful markings, but more than that, they lay green and blue eggs. I've always wanted to have some! Since we were preparing to have chicks in the house anyway, I agreed (somewhat eagerly, I admit) to get them. I asked the guy at the store if the chicks were all sexed, and he said that they were as much as possible, but it's hard to tell this young. He assured me that 95% of the chicks were hens.
We brought home Athena and Persephone (Percy for short).
They grow fast! The following photo was taken at just about a month old. At nearly six weeks they are even bigger now.
We've been hearing odd noises from the chicks in the morning lately. I thought at first they were learning how to cluck, growing out of the cheep and peep. It hit me yesterday, when I heard the rhythmic and repetitive sound, that one of the Americauna chicks is probably a rooster. I like roosters, though I am disappointed that this means 50% fewer blue and green eggs. The good thing about this is that we'll have more farm music. I love Foghorn Leghorn's crows greeting me in the morning.
Sunday, July 11, 2010
The End of Stay-Cation
It’s a Sunday, so I suppose it’s not technically a vacation day, yet this is the last day of my “vacation” from my regular job. It’s bittersweet. There’s a part of me that looks forward to more routine in my day, but I am really going to miss this time with Becca.
We both slept in this morning, me until an ungodly 8:00 a.m. Salsa is giving so much milk now that I am going to have to go to the bigger bucket. She filled the 2 quart plus bucket this morning, and had plenty more to give. I decided to let her bucklings finish, rather than go inside and get another container. I never thought I would get so attached to goats, but I really enjoy my time with all of them.
Mom is worried still about rattlers, especially since she told me this week that a man was bitten and is in ICU at Kaiser Santa Rosa. I am super cautious when out and make sure there is nothing lurking that might surprise me - or me it. I realized that even when I’m doing morning chores by myself, there is an animal with me most of the time, and I pay attention to what they are doing and looking at. They are all so aware. While I get the grain and alfalfa set up and feed the chickens, our tomcat, Star, follows me every step of the way. He wraps himself around my ankles, and walks in front of me, stopping often so I have to step around or over him. I pay attention to what he’s looking at and where he is going.
After that, I have the goats with me, and boy are they in tune with what’s going on. They are all eyes and ears as they walk to their pens, snorting and stopping if something unusual is about. Usually it’s Star that has them fixated, though they are starting to finally get used to him.
We did things around the house and started laundry to prepare for the work week, until receiving the call from Jessica that they were on their way to the new house in Windsor with their first major load of furniture. Moving day! Even though we moved relatively quickly (for having a 12-year-old who has to “get ready”), they beat us to the house and had already unloaded the trucks and trailer and were waiting for pizza lunch. We shared lunch with the crew and then headed to Sebastopol for another load. Becca and I stopped for gas in Windsor before leaving town, and saw this beauty.
We helped pile more things into truck, trailer and cars. It seemed so strange to see the place so empty. Popeye, their dog, was wandering around, watching everyone, wondering what the heck is going on. Jessica had to catch their cat, Savage, to get her into the carrier for the move over, and she was on edge, as well.
We girls left before the guys and had the cars unloaded and were relaxing a bit when the guys arrived with the big stuff and animals. We got the critters settled and then started unloading. A little time situating things and visiting and relaxing, and then it was time to go. Jessica is highly organized, and knows that she wants things just so, so it didn’t make sense to help unpack boxes. I reluctantly let her take that on, though I think they were going to just get the bedroom and bath essentials unpacked, shower and hit the sack. There is still a little more to pick up from Sebastopol, and some clean-up and repair that we can help with next weekend.
We’ve done chores for the night and I was so excited to see that the chickens actually left these for me!
I have really been struggling to figure out why one of our hens decided to start eating the eggs. Some days I can catch them before she gets to them, and others I can't. There's nothing worse that opening the coop in the evening and finding empty shells. And there's a special feeling of excitement when you open it and are able to reach in and grab two perfect eggs like this from your own chickens. Roxie will be separated eventually from the others, if she continues this bad habit, but until I can set up another coop, we will do the best we can and try to figure out how to work through it.
Becca got some swimming in after we got home. She was cold, so she has hot chocolate while I write this, and I have a cup of tea. Speaking of cup - still no sign of my favorite coffee mug. I e-mailed the retreat center caretaker next door this morning, and he and his staff will keep an eye out for it. The majority of our driveway is along an easement over the retreat center’s property, and visitors and staff alike often hike in that area. I also let my landlords know, in case they come across it.
Time to fold laundry, hit the showers, and get some sleep before the new week. I’m sad to see stay-cation end, but am happy for the time that we had, and all that we accomplished.
We both slept in this morning, me until an ungodly 8:00 a.m. Salsa is giving so much milk now that I am going to have to go to the bigger bucket. She filled the 2 quart plus bucket this morning, and had plenty more to give. I decided to let her bucklings finish, rather than go inside and get another container. I never thought I would get so attached to goats, but I really enjoy my time with all of them.
Mom is worried still about rattlers, especially since she told me this week that a man was bitten and is in ICU at Kaiser Santa Rosa. I am super cautious when out and make sure there is nothing lurking that might surprise me - or me it. I realized that even when I’m doing morning chores by myself, there is an animal with me most of the time, and I pay attention to what they are doing and looking at. They are all so aware. While I get the grain and alfalfa set up and feed the chickens, our tomcat, Star, follows me every step of the way. He wraps himself around my ankles, and walks in front of me, stopping often so I have to step around or over him. I pay attention to what he’s looking at and where he is going.
After that, I have the goats with me, and boy are they in tune with what’s going on. They are all eyes and ears as they walk to their pens, snorting and stopping if something unusual is about. Usually it’s Star that has them fixated, though they are starting to finally get used to him.
We did things around the house and started laundry to prepare for the work week, until receiving the call from Jessica that they were on their way to the new house in Windsor with their first major load of furniture. Moving day! Even though we moved relatively quickly (for having a 12-year-old who has to “get ready”), they beat us to the house and had already unloaded the trucks and trailer and were waiting for pizza lunch. We shared lunch with the crew and then headed to Sebastopol for another load. Becca and I stopped for gas in Windsor before leaving town, and saw this beauty.
We helped pile more things into truck, trailer and cars. It seemed so strange to see the place so empty. Popeye, their dog, was wandering around, watching everyone, wondering what the heck is going on. Jessica had to catch their cat, Savage, to get her into the carrier for the move over, and she was on edge, as well.
We girls left before the guys and had the cars unloaded and were relaxing a bit when the guys arrived with the big stuff and animals. We got the critters settled and then started unloading. A little time situating things and visiting and relaxing, and then it was time to go. Jessica is highly organized, and knows that she wants things just so, so it didn’t make sense to help unpack boxes. I reluctantly let her take that on, though I think they were going to just get the bedroom and bath essentials unpacked, shower and hit the sack. There is still a little more to pick up from Sebastopol, and some clean-up and repair that we can help with next weekend.
We’ve done chores for the night and I was so excited to see that the chickens actually left these for me!
I have really been struggling to figure out why one of our hens decided to start eating the eggs. Some days I can catch them before she gets to them, and others I can't. There's nothing worse that opening the coop in the evening and finding empty shells. And there's a special feeling of excitement when you open it and are able to reach in and grab two perfect eggs like this from your own chickens. Roxie will be separated eventually from the others, if she continues this bad habit, but until I can set up another coop, we will do the best we can and try to figure out how to work through it.
Becca got some swimming in after we got home. She was cold, so she has hot chocolate while I write this, and I have a cup of tea. Speaking of cup - still no sign of my favorite coffee mug. I e-mailed the retreat center caretaker next door this morning, and he and his staff will keep an eye out for it. The majority of our driveway is along an easement over the retreat center’s property, and visitors and staff alike often hike in that area. I also let my landlords know, in case they come across it.
Time to fold laundry, hit the showers, and get some sleep before the new week. I’m sad to see stay-cation end, but am happy for the time that we had, and all that we accomplished.
Thursday, July 8, 2010
Lazy Wednesday
We took it slow today and got a later start than expected, so didn’t get to do all that we wanted on our list.
The fly predators were put out, and hopefully this is the beginning of the end of the numerous flies that have showed up at IBTC Farm. Unfortunately, some were eaten by the birds, but hopefully enough are left to hatch so they can do their work.
Foggy the Rooster seems to have suffered no serious injury after his mishap with the feeder. I have left it on the ground and am keeping an eye out for something to hang it with that won’t cause problems in the future. Maybe an old wire hanger could be bent to hang it up safely and easily. The eggs are still being eaten, though I am out there often to check for them, they are apparently eating them quickly. I ran out of the good food that seemed to help stop the problem, so will pick some more of that up and work on getting them real nesting boxes. I am determined to find a way to stop this without losing Roxie. I am pretty sure she is the only culprit, but she lays my favorite eggs. I just need to figure out how to keep them. (And I refuse to clip her beak, as some online sources have suggested.)
After a trip to the feed store to pick up some grain (I forgot to bring the truck, so we’ll be picking up alfalfa today), we headed back to Healdsburg. Unfortunately, because we left so late, we weren’t able to go to a couple places I’d hoped to see. We settled for a trip to Garrett’s ACE Hardware. I know, a hardware store? But this hardware store advertises that they have rare hens for sale, and I wanted to see a place that would have things like that. The store is in an area of Healdsburg we haven’t explored yet, and we were happy to see a Round Table Pizza across the street. Mental note for future reference. The store is homey and feels like the small town gathering place that it is. They have a beautiful garden area with fountains and benches, gazebos and arches, it was a delight to wander through and get ideas. There weren’t many chickens available, but we were happy to look at the doves, (including some babies), parakeets, cockatiels, and a few interesting looking chickens. We spied another building with a sign over the door that read Country Store, that looked intriguing. Housewares! A wonderful shop filled with kitchen and household items, shelves, soaps, every gadget you can think of, and so fun to wander around. I have often wanted a bagel cutter, because those things are so hard to cut straight and I always worry about cutting myself, and found one there. Becca used it last night and hugged it, saying, “MY bagel cutter! I love it!”
After we reluctantly left the store, we headed down to pick up some ... bagels, of course, then on to Becca’s swimming lessons. She is picking things up so quickly that they moved her to another class last night, and at the end of the lesson, introduced her to her new teacher for Thursday, who teaches a class three levels up from where I enrolled her. According to the class description, this is far too advanced for her, so I’ll have a chat with the instructor before class starts to make sure he understands that she’s a fast study, but really, she only learned how to do the crawl on Tuesday!
I barbecued pineapple sausages for dinner (yum!!) while Becca got into the pool to practice more, and we had the sausages with Cesar salad before watching So You Think You Can Dance and our hometown fella, Guy Fieri, on Minute to Win It. Becca stayed in the pool too long and was shivering and really cold the rest of the evening. It took a while to get her feet warmed up. I’d say that I need to keep an eye on the temperature and make sure she’s out before that happens again, but as miserable as she was, I don’t think Becca will push the temperature again like that.
Looking forward to what Thursday has in store!
The fly predators were put out, and hopefully this is the beginning of the end of the numerous flies that have showed up at IBTC Farm. Unfortunately, some were eaten by the birds, but hopefully enough are left to hatch so they can do their work.
Foggy the Rooster seems to have suffered no serious injury after his mishap with the feeder. I have left it on the ground and am keeping an eye out for something to hang it with that won’t cause problems in the future. Maybe an old wire hanger could be bent to hang it up safely and easily. The eggs are still being eaten, though I am out there often to check for them, they are apparently eating them quickly. I ran out of the good food that seemed to help stop the problem, so will pick some more of that up and work on getting them real nesting boxes. I am determined to find a way to stop this without losing Roxie. I am pretty sure she is the only culprit, but she lays my favorite eggs. I just need to figure out how to keep them. (And I refuse to clip her beak, as some online sources have suggested.)
After a trip to the feed store to pick up some grain (I forgot to bring the truck, so we’ll be picking up alfalfa today), we headed back to Healdsburg. Unfortunately, because we left so late, we weren’t able to go to a couple places I’d hoped to see. We settled for a trip to Garrett’s ACE Hardware. I know, a hardware store? But this hardware store advertises that they have rare hens for sale, and I wanted to see a place that would have things like that. The store is in an area of Healdsburg we haven’t explored yet, and we were happy to see a Round Table Pizza across the street. Mental note for future reference. The store is homey and feels like the small town gathering place that it is. They have a beautiful garden area with fountains and benches, gazebos and arches, it was a delight to wander through and get ideas. There weren’t many chickens available, but we were happy to look at the doves, (including some babies), parakeets, cockatiels, and a few interesting looking chickens. We spied another building with a sign over the door that read Country Store, that looked intriguing. Housewares! A wonderful shop filled with kitchen and household items, shelves, soaps, every gadget you can think of, and so fun to wander around. I have often wanted a bagel cutter, because those things are so hard to cut straight and I always worry about cutting myself, and found one there. Becca used it last night and hugged it, saying, “MY bagel cutter! I love it!”
After we reluctantly left the store, we headed down to pick up some ... bagels, of course, then on to Becca’s swimming lessons. She is picking things up so quickly that they moved her to another class last night, and at the end of the lesson, introduced her to her new teacher for Thursday, who teaches a class three levels up from where I enrolled her. According to the class description, this is far too advanced for her, so I’ll have a chat with the instructor before class starts to make sure he understands that she’s a fast study, but really, she only learned how to do the crawl on Tuesday!
I barbecued pineapple sausages for dinner (yum!!) while Becca got into the pool to practice more, and we had the sausages with Cesar salad before watching So You Think You Can Dance and our hometown fella, Guy Fieri, on Minute to Win It. Becca stayed in the pool too long and was shivering and really cold the rest of the evening. It took a while to get her feet warmed up. I’d say that I need to keep an eye on the temperature and make sure she’s out before that happens again, but as miserable as she was, I don’t think Becca will push the temperature again like that.
Looking forward to what Thursday has in store!
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
Farm and Field
This afternoon we packed a picnic lunch and headed to Dragonfly Farm, about 5 miles up our “street,” to check it out. The signs at the road say that they have fresh cut flowers, a farm stand, and picnic area. The place is lovely and rustic.
We wander toward the sign that invites us in, and tells us that dogs must be on leash, and a long-necked duck waddles across our path. There are dozens of them. I spot a chicken run and have to check it out.
Lots of Rhode Island Reds, White Leghorns, and Plymouth Rock chickens, and one beautiful golden chicken on which each of its feathers is outlined in brown. I must find out what type of chicken this is!
We wander around more, admiring the acres of roses...
... and spy a gift shop. I vaguely notice the sign showing their hours of operation as we open the door. A kind-faced woman asks if she can help us, and I explain that we are exploring Healdsburg. She says that they are closed today, but we are welcome to look around. After apologies, I explain that we brought lunch with us, and ask if it would be okay to eat at one of the picnic tables outside. She says we are welcome to. We find a table and open up our small lunch, enjoying it, laughing and taking pictures, while looking at the surrounding rose gardens.
It’s a lovely place, and we plan to come back when they’re open to explore it some more.
Next stop, the high school football field, to try out the boomerang. We’d looked online the night before to see how to throw it, and have a pretty good idea of what to do. Becca threw first, and it just plopped into the grass. My first try had it making a turn and starting to come back. We were excited! We played with it, finding the wind, getting all excited as it started to make that turn, but being disappointed that it didn’t really come back to us, determined to keep trying. There was a man on the other side of the field driving golf balls, and he asked if we had ever thrown a boomerang before. We explained we hadn’t, and were operating off of online instructions. He looked at our little wooden boomerang and showed us how it was made, where the wood was cut away to give it the lift and turn, and gave us some really helpful tips on throwing it. Our last few throws were really good, still not what we wanted, but much closer. We had so much fun, lots of laughter and good times.
It was time to get to the pool, next to the school, for Becca’s first swimming lesson. She was nervous about being stuck in a group of much younger children, since she hasn’t had swim lessons yet and she’s 12. There were three kids in her group, and she was the oldest, but it wasn’t too bad. I could see the confidence in her build, and she paid attention and then practiced kicking and floating in our pool at home - even though it was really cold!! Eight more classes, and I’m hoping for more confidence for *both* of us when she’s in the water. She’s a fast study.
We couldn’t resist going back to El Sombrero for dinner before going home. There was a concert in the park, so finding a parking spot was a challenge, but we worked it out. I wish I’d gotten the burrito again, as the nachos were a disappointment. Still, good times with Bex, watching the people in the store, from the girl knitting at the table with her big sister, to the high school students walking in and then out, to the group of 8 French tourists chatting away and looking at their iPhones.
When we went to the chicken coop to feed and tuck in the chickens, I was horrified to see Foghorn Leghorn, our rooster, lying in an awkward position at the end of the coop. Upon closer observation we could see that one of his talons had gotten snagged in the baling twine I used to hang the feeder so they wouldn’t kick dirt and shavings into their food. We quickly untied the twine and Becca held the top open while I reached in to see how it was caught on his foot. He is normally a feisty little bird, but he must have known I was there to help him, and he was really calm, allowing me to take his foot in my hand and ease the twine off of his claw. He walked away slowly with a limp. Poor thing, I am sure that he is sore and his foot was probably going to sleep. I hope that he hadn’t been stuck like that for long, and that he feels better by morning. He’s a good boy, and I love listening to him crow.
Bex went into the pool, of course, for as long as she could. We played cards and watched Hells’ Kitchen (I know, but at least they bleep the words) before hitting the sack. I am really enjoying this time with Bex. There are a few options to discuss with Becca about where we go on Wednesday. Looking forward to it!!
P.S. Foggy the Rooster is fine this morning!
We wander toward the sign that invites us in, and tells us that dogs must be on leash, and a long-necked duck waddles across our path. There are dozens of them. I spot a chicken run and have to check it out.
Lots of Rhode Island Reds, White Leghorns, and Plymouth Rock chickens, and one beautiful golden chicken on which each of its feathers is outlined in brown. I must find out what type of chicken this is!
We wander around more, admiring the acres of roses...
... and spy a gift shop. I vaguely notice the sign showing their hours of operation as we open the door. A kind-faced woman asks if she can help us, and I explain that we are exploring Healdsburg. She says that they are closed today, but we are welcome to look around. After apologies, I explain that we brought lunch with us, and ask if it would be okay to eat at one of the picnic tables outside. She says we are welcome to. We find a table and open up our small lunch, enjoying it, laughing and taking pictures, while looking at the surrounding rose gardens.
It’s a lovely place, and we plan to come back when they’re open to explore it some more.
Next stop, the high school football field, to try out the boomerang. We’d looked online the night before to see how to throw it, and have a pretty good idea of what to do. Becca threw first, and it just plopped into the grass. My first try had it making a turn and starting to come back. We were excited! We played with it, finding the wind, getting all excited as it started to make that turn, but being disappointed that it didn’t really come back to us, determined to keep trying. There was a man on the other side of the field driving golf balls, and he asked if we had ever thrown a boomerang before. We explained we hadn’t, and were operating off of online instructions. He looked at our little wooden boomerang and showed us how it was made, where the wood was cut away to give it the lift and turn, and gave us some really helpful tips on throwing it. Our last few throws were really good, still not what we wanted, but much closer. We had so much fun, lots of laughter and good times.
It was time to get to the pool, next to the school, for Becca’s first swimming lesson. She was nervous about being stuck in a group of much younger children, since she hasn’t had swim lessons yet and she’s 12. There were three kids in her group, and she was the oldest, but it wasn’t too bad. I could see the confidence in her build, and she paid attention and then practiced kicking and floating in our pool at home - even though it was really cold!! Eight more classes, and I’m hoping for more confidence for *both* of us when she’s in the water. She’s a fast study.
We couldn’t resist going back to El Sombrero for dinner before going home. There was a concert in the park, so finding a parking spot was a challenge, but we worked it out. I wish I’d gotten the burrito again, as the nachos were a disappointment. Still, good times with Bex, watching the people in the store, from the girl knitting at the table with her big sister, to the high school students walking in and then out, to the group of 8 French tourists chatting away and looking at their iPhones.
When we went to the chicken coop to feed and tuck in the chickens, I was horrified to see Foghorn Leghorn, our rooster, lying in an awkward position at the end of the coop. Upon closer observation we could see that one of his talons had gotten snagged in the baling twine I used to hang the feeder so they wouldn’t kick dirt and shavings into their food. We quickly untied the twine and Becca held the top open while I reached in to see how it was caught on his foot. He is normally a feisty little bird, but he must have known I was there to help him, and he was really calm, allowing me to take his foot in my hand and ease the twine off of his claw. He walked away slowly with a limp. Poor thing, I am sure that he is sore and his foot was probably going to sleep. I hope that he hadn’t been stuck like that for long, and that he feels better by morning. He’s a good boy, and I love listening to him crow.
Bex went into the pool, of course, for as long as she could. We played cards and watched Hells’ Kitchen (I know, but at least they bleep the words) before hitting the sack. I am really enjoying this time with Bex. There are a few options to discuss with Becca about where we go on Wednesday. Looking forward to it!!
P.S. Foggy the Rooster is fine this morning!
Monday, June 14, 2010
Country Living Ain't for Sissies (Unless You're a Ridiculously Wealthy Sissy)
"Country living ain't for sissies." This was the thought that crossed my mind as I panted and sweated, cleaning the barn last night. It's a chore that can't be avoided without suffering even more discomfort and aggravation later on, not to mention the guilt at the potential discomfort of the animals that would have to use it. My critters come first.
There are a lot of things that need to be done / dealt with on our little farm/ranch that are not for sissies or the faint of heart. Cleaning the barn is only one. Using pitchfork, rake and broom to remove three loads of soiled alfalfa and wood shavings, with the accompanying stink after a couple of really hot days, is no picnic. You take a moment now and then to walk to the water spigot to wash your face and take a swig of fresh cold water, and breathe. The satisfaction when the job is complete, the cozy nest restored for these little ones that rely on me, is so worth it. The compost that the debris will create, also worthwhile.
As if the barn cleaning last night weren't enough, it was then time to unload the grain and seed purchased at the feed store. Lugging 40 to 50 pound bags of food and dumping it into bins is not for sissies, either. Yet, it's amazing how much we can do if we just decide to do it. Sometimes it's baby steps that get us there, other times, it's much easier than we had expected. Being satisfied with what *can* be done makes finally reaching that goal even better. No sense in stressing over acres of weeds and tall grass that need to be taken down. Spend 20-30 minutes a day, and watch it disappear. Savor the patches when they are cleared, and look forward to and plan the next day's spot.
I had to laugh as I was working on that barn, and gave a silent prayer of thanks for Shippey, for Wales, for team leaders, for rangers, for an awesome team of friends to work, play, sing, laugh, and learn with. The reason I was laughing is that I thought, "Well, good thing I had that training at Ty-Nant on how to shovel sheep shit. It's not all that different from goat."
I learned a lot more than how to shovel ancient sheep dung from an old barn on that 1978 tour, and the tours and work projects that preceded and followed it. I learned that I am capable of anything I wish to do. It may look hard, it may be hard, but when you dig right in and figure out how to do it, there's no greater satisfaction. I also learned not to be afraid to try new things. This is why I'm not afraid at all to learn as I go on how to care for goats, chickens, growing a garden, raising goat kids, milking, making soap, cheese, butter, cajeta, ice cream, and more. Research, look it up, try it out, dive right in.
Most good things on a farm don't come easy or quickly. There's no instant gratification in sowing seed, breeding a goat, or incubating an egg. That's perhaps why the results are so sweet. It's a result of something that *we* did, in conjunction with the earth, sky, rain, and Spirit's creatures. Teamwork with a capital T.
At the end of the evening last night, I kicked back on the deck in my favorite chair, and enjoyed a bowl of freshly made ice cream from our sweet goat's milk. I took in the view of my growing garden, enjoying the views and sunset, the smell of the first rose to bloom this season, anticipating the gardenia's sweet fragrance as it wakes up after a wet winter. As it got darker, the stars started to sprinkle the pitch-black sky, brighter out here than in the city, and I breathed a sigh of gratitude. I'm getting healthier out here, with the hard work and good food. Life in the country is good.
There are a lot of things that need to be done / dealt with on our little farm/ranch that are not for sissies or the faint of heart. Cleaning the barn is only one. Using pitchfork, rake and broom to remove three loads of soiled alfalfa and wood shavings, with the accompanying stink after a couple of really hot days, is no picnic. You take a moment now and then to walk to the water spigot to wash your face and take a swig of fresh cold water, and breathe. The satisfaction when the job is complete, the cozy nest restored for these little ones that rely on me, is so worth it. The compost that the debris will create, also worthwhile.
As if the barn cleaning last night weren't enough, it was then time to unload the grain and seed purchased at the feed store. Lugging 40 to 50 pound bags of food and dumping it into bins is not for sissies, either. Yet, it's amazing how much we can do if we just decide to do it. Sometimes it's baby steps that get us there, other times, it's much easier than we had expected. Being satisfied with what *can* be done makes finally reaching that goal even better. No sense in stressing over acres of weeds and tall grass that need to be taken down. Spend 20-30 minutes a day, and watch it disappear. Savor the patches when they are cleared, and look forward to and plan the next day's spot.
I had to laugh as I was working on that barn, and gave a silent prayer of thanks for Shippey, for Wales, for team leaders, for rangers, for an awesome team of friends to work, play, sing, laugh, and learn with. The reason I was laughing is that I thought, "Well, good thing I had that training at Ty-Nant on how to shovel sheep shit. It's not all that different from goat."
I learned a lot more than how to shovel ancient sheep dung from an old barn on that 1978 tour, and the tours and work projects that preceded and followed it. I learned that I am capable of anything I wish to do. It may look hard, it may be hard, but when you dig right in and figure out how to do it, there's no greater satisfaction. I also learned not to be afraid to try new things. This is why I'm not afraid at all to learn as I go on how to care for goats, chickens, growing a garden, raising goat kids, milking, making soap, cheese, butter, cajeta, ice cream, and more. Research, look it up, try it out, dive right in.
Most good things on a farm don't come easy or quickly. There's no instant gratification in sowing seed, breeding a goat, or incubating an egg. That's perhaps why the results are so sweet. It's a result of something that *we* did, in conjunction with the earth, sky, rain, and Spirit's creatures. Teamwork with a capital T.
At the end of the evening last night, I kicked back on the deck in my favorite chair, and enjoyed a bowl of freshly made ice cream from our sweet goat's milk. I took in the view of my growing garden, enjoying the views and sunset, the smell of the first rose to bloom this season, anticipating the gardenia's sweet fragrance as it wakes up after a wet winter. As it got darker, the stars started to sprinkle the pitch-black sky, brighter out here than in the city, and I breathed a sigh of gratitude. I'm getting healthier out here, with the hard work and good food. Life in the country is good.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)