Saturday, January 05, 2013

Saturday, January 05, 2013
Most of the day the temperature was in the mid 20’s but with a cold wind. I got 14 eggs.
Granddaughter Rebecca, Sally’s DD, and little Torleif and Halfdan are here and today we were joined by DIL Amy and little Hannah and Henry. We had a fine day with lots of eating and outdoor activity. The wind let up enough for sledding. Rebecca and Amy helped with the sledding and all had a good time except for Halfdan who had a bad cold and cried quite a lot. I made black bean soup, among other things, and Rebecca made a blackberry crisp. In the midst of all this, besides doing most of the cleanup, Sally and Rebecca defrosted the chest freezer. So now we have enough room for the pork when it arrives. Amy stayed for supper which gave the cousins time to get nicely acquainted. This was the first time they had met as Rebecca’s family lives in Alaska.

Sunday, January 06, 2013
Nine eggs and a gallon and a half of milk.
Halfdan was clearly much sicker when he woke up this morning. He was quite feverish and limp. Becky decided that he needed to see a doctor so Sally and she and Torlief made a run into Rumford to the emergency room. They tested for flu which he didn’t have, and said she should give him more Tylenol and Ibuprophen. Meanwhile Sally and Torlief went grocery shopping and had a lot of fun. Torlief requested broccoli, and said it was all right if Sally bought cauliflower but that she could have his. He also recommended buying plenty of bananas and strawberries. The strawberries proved to be quite a hit. When they got home the little boys ate them all, Halfdan having perked up.
I was just finishing the noon chores when they got back. Willie had spent the entire time they were gone sitting by the gate in the snow, waiting for them to return. Halfdan felt so much better that they were able to play with him in the snow later in the afternoon. It had been quite cold in the morning but warmed up to about 25.
I worked a couple of hours today on my editing. My eyes were feeling better today and not any worse. I am counting on a miracle and expect to get it.
Rebecca made a fine pasta dish using local sausage, my home canned tomatoes and fresh vegetables. The boys ate a lot.

Monday, January 07, 2013
Nine eggs, over a gallon of milk. It was twenty degrees in the morning and again warmed more later. We had stayed up very late watching the new season of “Downton Abbey” and had trouble waking up and getting out to the barn. The boys however were full of zip. They were very funny, with Halfdan imitating everything Torlief does, to the best of his ability.
After washing the morning dishes, Sally and Rebecca and the boys went to Weld to buy cheese and stamps and to go to DD Marcia’s house at the lake. By then the weather was really lovely. They had a fine walk down the access road. The lake is now frozen over and one party has risked driving his truck onto the ice to set up an ice fishing hut.

Tuesday, January 08, 2013
It was -10F this morning and doing the barn chores was misery for both Sally and me. She had to drag the hose back up to the house and hang it up by the Aga to thaw. I had a lot of trouble with getting the machine onto Fern because it was so stiff and cold as were my fingers. When there is another day this cold I will summon help from Sally to hold up the claw while I attach it. Fern wasn’t looking forward to the icy machine, I guess. She kept edging away. In addition to these complaints, Sally is coming down with the kids’ cold.
But I am happy to say that Halfdan (20 months) is noticeably better and it’s very charming watching the two boys play together. He did go into a very amusing rage at supper time when his mom took my magnifying glass away from him. He ran through the house pumping his arms. He wanted awfully badly to examine things. I said he could use it at the table with Rebecca present. He then had a fine time observing a ladybug off of one of the house plants. He parted with the glass briefly so that Torleif (4 ½ ) could have a look.
Torleif collected the eggs. He found 9.
Fern gave 1 ½ gallons.

Wednesday, January 09, 2013
The temperature today was more humane, 10F. Most of the day was in the 20’s. I heard a lot of cackling but found only 5 eggs. Evidently the hens have concealed a nest. Sally says she will search tomorrow in bright daylight.
Sally and Rebecca and the little boys went to Farmington. They said they had fun shopping at the thrift store and Nina’s gourmet shop, and they also got a sandwich at.
I chatted for a long time with DD Marcia in California. She’s having trouble with Bertie Wooster, her Seabright cockerel. He is attacking her. I told her of a trick that I learned from Claire (a forum member) which is to take it by the feet and whirl it around.
Sally now has the boys’ cold and has a bit of a sore throat and a headache.
The vacuum pump seems to be letting me down. It took forever to milk and it’s very difficult to get the claw on. We got less than one and a half gallons which I attribute to vacuum problems.
Rebecca made a pumpkin pie from the variety called Winter Luxury that I grew last summer for the first time.. I hope I can get the seed again. It is of superb flavor and texture.

Friday, January 11, 2013
Sally came in from here early barn visit with discouraging news. Fern was back in heat. Sigh. I called for the AI tech and he came about 3pm, good timing for breeding. I had him use the same bull, Alexander. If she does not settle this time I will order a different one nest time.
Rebecca was busy all day packing for travel tomorrow. DS Martin is here and will drive her and the boys to Logan airport in Boston together with Martin aid his family. They are taking the same flight to Phoenix.
The milking machine has been sluggish and I felt was not doing a good job. Martin brought it in and dismantled the intake. It had ice and water in it. The parts are now on the Aga drying out.
A big event today was getting the new pork. Max and Mttra brought it all here. We are dividing their largest pig, 262 hanging weight, four ways and storing it here. It sure looks grand. We sorted it all out into separate bags. I plan to do the bacon myself using Fergus Henderson’s dry cure as I have dome before.
It will be hard to say goodbye to the Bentzen family tomorrow. I think they had a good time. Halfdan is largely recovered.
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