Saturday, August 11, 2012

Saturday, August 11, 2012

First thing this morning DD Abby and DD Marcia came  down from Weld and sorted out the calves. I may have a buyer for Ella and need to get her in and into a halter. Bret finished up the stair railing to a high standard.

We were worried that it might rain on our vast family picnic at Marcia’s camp. It did not.Neither did the sun shine but the temperature was very pleasant. Little children ran around and were given boat rides by DS Martin.Older children got towed on an inflated ring.Adults sat around drinking various delicate beverages and eating the enticing nibbles brought by DIL Mitra and DIL Amy. Cousin Holly made cucumber salad and I made Spanish rice (DD Bret’s recipe). Martin and Amy brought artisanal sausages and I made three lamb roasts. DS Mark and DIL Annie brought artisanal bread from Standard Baking Company in Portland, a truly world class bakery.

Granddaughters Shireen and Maia made a three layer yellow cake from The Joy of Cooking  with chocolate cream cheese icing.It was a group birthday celebration for grandson Roger, July 25, granddaughter Roshan Aug 12 and me. DD’a Abby and Marcia did all the setting up for this lovely occasion. There were 25 of us. 

Sunday, August 12, 2012

Last night after sister Barby and I came home from the lake, the four teenagers, Shireen Roshan, Maia anad Roger, accompanied by DS Bret went down to DS Martin’s to swim. They like to swim at Martin and Amy’s because they have a float. It was 9:30 and dark. My sons were on land and not swimming. All four kids stood on one edge of the float and jumped off together causing the float to flip up and capsize. They were all slammed by the flipping float and knocked under water but Roshan was hit hardest by a metal pipe arrangement that sticks up. It swiped her head. Maia was struck on the shoulder. All four had at least a bruise but it could have been so infinitely much worse. There is something sinister in realizing that the float always had this potential, it just awaited the day when they were all big enough for their combined weight to capsize it.

Barby and I stayed home today. DD’s Abby and Marcia visited and helped with chores and took my trash to the dump. Bret visited and worked on pruning the black current bushes, his favorite fruit.I worked for awhile with my heifer calf, Ella, to make sure she remains friendly. There is an interested buyer coming tomorrow.

The weather remains damp and threatening.

I picked three zucchinis and a huge yellow tomato which Barby and I ate for dinner.

Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, August 13, 14 and 15

On Monday anad Tuesday we convened for dinner at Marcia’s camp and when I got home it was so late and I was so tired that I did not write.

As anticipated, the folks came for Ella. It was a nice young couple named Mike and Ruth Straub. They have a baby named Ella. They have other animals but are new to bovines. With Abby’s help, Ella loaded pretty well. They reported on Tuesday that she also unloaded remarkably well and permitted herself to be led to her new quarters. They promised to provide updates on her.

We got together for a lobster dinner.

Tuesday was Bret, Maia and Roger’s last day. Roger mowed the lawn while Bret pruned the black currents. I provided rib eye steaks for our dinner. Afterwards Maia demonstrated her Science Camp project. She built from scratch a little catamaran about 15” long that is operated from shore by a hand held device. She even molded the plastic hulls. There are little propellers on each hull that operate independently so that the boat turns and dives. It has a submersible electric power cord.

Fern and Milton keep squeezing into Ella’s pen and lying down. We figure that they are remembering her.

Wednesday morning Bret and the kids left forAlaska. Abby drove them to the bus in Portland.

Fern and Milton are still lying down in Ella’s pen.

Fern’s production is now down to 2 ¼ gallons OAD

Thursday, August 16, 2012

It rained all last night, a warm rain interspersed with thunder and lightening.

At milking time all the animals were quiet and orderly. Fern gave almost 2 ½ gallons. She and Milton were both packed together in Ella’s pen again this morning.

Marcia, Abby, Barby and I met Mitra and her mom, Marie, for lunch at Wicked Gelato inFarmington. We all had paninis. Mitra and Marie then had to do other errands, Mitra picking up her popping corn order, Maria home to make over Roshan’s room. The rest of us went to the Thrift Shop and had fun finding things to bring home.Marcia found a nice Polar fleece jacket.. Abby found a charming lamp in the Art Deco style, quite old. I got a lobster shaped cookie cutter. Not sure why.

Max wrote this morning from Montana where he is currently working:

There is a family of Peregrine falcons that live in a tree across the river. They were setting up such a squeaky ruckus this morning that I looked out to see what was going on. There was a big raccoon in their tree. While I watched they set upon the raccoon with such ferocity it changed its mind and climbed back down.

The Kootenai River runs past his house.

Friday, August 17, 2012

The day started warm and sunny but by evening reverted to rain.

The front door of the barn has been sticking badly. It’s the one Ernie, Marcia’s SIL, rebuilt this spring. Because the barn is post and beam construction, when the barn got filled with hay the bottom edge of the new door, which is built into the big main barn door, began to scrape the floor. I have been having to kick it and use my hip to get it open. The last few days of rain have further swelled the boards and I had to fight with it to get it open for the wagon this morning. By the time I was ready to leave with the milk, the warm sun must have swelled it just too much to allow it to open at all. For about 20 minutes I employed every trick I could think of. Lately I have been thinking of Archimedes so asked myself what he would do.  I found a heavy old flat coal shovel and slid it under a bit of a crack and managed to lever the door along until I got it open. It is going to stay open now.

During the sunny portion of the day I went to Weld with Marcia, Abby and Barby where we bought huge ice cream cones before driving to the Center Hill overlook. One can see a great panorama of the finest Maine mountain scenery including Lake Webb and Tumbledown. Lastly we picked up my car from Mt, Blue Garage where Mike had been working on it. He had to replace the entire muffler. I had been driving around make noise like a flock of Harley’s

All day I simmered bean soup made with the ham bone from earlier in the week. It was a big success. We convened for a soup supper on the porch at camp, Marcia and Barby’s final evening.

Fern gave 2 ¼ gallons this morning.