Saturday, March 30, 2013

See www.real-food.com for the pictures!!!

Saturday, March 30, 2013

The milking machine worked like a champ this morning and Fern gave about 2 cups more than yesterday.

                The barn is filling  up with setting henss. Of those we can find, each had two eggs. No doubt there are more somewhere sitteing  on a rafat of eggs.

                 Little Hannah – well soon to be 7 – found a natural spring .  Maartin writes:

It's in the woods behind our house, maybe 5-600 yards away.  I haven't tried the water yet but I have a filter and will run it through and give it a try.  It runs beautifully.

Somebody just shot off their rifle several times down in the field below the river, out front.  What does one shoot at night?   Sally just walked by & told me how she and all the kids when they were very young, were walking up towards some little tiny lakelet near their house in Haines AK & shots were fired up through the trees at them.  She had the kids hide behind trees & went barreling down the hill screaming obscenities --  two guys & a small child were down there and froze with terror when they saw this She-Bear coming out of the trees, bawling in outrage at them --  Sally at her finest! (Written by Abby)

That’s my girl!

I went through some water damaged books today that were stored in thhe carriage house attic, looking for a missing volume. They were terribly moldy and it gave me quite a reaction. I am  not ordinarily especially sensitive to mold but these were baad.  My face got painful and Sally said I turned red. I am still walking around with handfuls of tissues.. 

Marcia and Barby were approaching Memphis TN at noon.

Monday, April 01, 2013

Yesterday was Easter. \We started the proceedings by getting the sheep sheared. Max has to leave soon for work in Montana. We took advantage of the only day both he and Mark Phillips, the shearer, could make it.They got started about 10:30 in the morning after eating hot cross buns that Sally made early in the morning.  He took around fifteen minutes per sheep and it all went very well, with the sheep being cooperative and then happy to pop out the back door into the sunshine.  Once they were sheared it was possible to see that at least two- the older females, Agnes and Susie, are definitely pregnant but we don’t think they will be ready to lamb for a few weeks yet.  We aren’t sure if the two younger ewes (now one year old) are expecting, but think they probably are. but they are well behind.

   It was a fine warm day, and all the sheep and cows went out to see if they could find some grazing.  Sally is working on the fences so that they will soon be able to go out into the North field which is usually the best in the early spring.

   We had an early Easter dinner, with Max’s family and Mark Phillips.  Mitra had brought ham and chicken from their own farm, which was delicious.  Abby cooked vegetable dishes including an outstanding corn pudding.  For dessert there was an apple pie Sally made using the last of some Northern Spy apples that I had bought last fall.They were still in nearly perfect shape.  They are a particularly delicious apple .

Today Sally and Abby took a load of stuff to camp. These are preliminary furnishings for Marcia to use while she awaits the arrival of her pod. We expect Marcia and Barby on Wednesday.

Wednesday, April 03, 2013

It has turned pretty cold again. The lasat several day have started out  in the low twenties and a howling wind. We have been keeping the shorn sheep in until noon at which  point they are mad to get out for some exersize. There are at least 2 dozen eggs every day  now. Only Fern is not doing too well. She is giving less than 1 ½ gallons. She will improve when we get some grazing. So far I have not seen one trace of new green.

            The travelers arrived about 6:30pm. They look very well indeed. I made chicken soup and Sally made a blueberry  pie. Abby made cookies and is taking great care of Marcia’s four chihuahuas. 

   Our two little families of baby chicks are doing fine.  We have another two or three hens who are about to hatch out more, if all goes well.  We think the sheep will wait another couple weeks before their babies appear.

Friday, April 5

It was twenty degrees in the morning and it felt colder.  We got about a gallon and a quarter of milk, and about a dozen and a half of eggs.   We think that the hens have found a place to hide their eggs.

  Fern was restless during milking; she waved her foot around and got it caught in the machine, kicking it off.  I got it put back ok but I think I got less milk because of it.

   We didn’t put the sheep out right away because of the cold.  They went out about noon.  We’ve been letting them run with the cows later in the day so they can go and see if there is anything to eat in the pasture.

   Sally has been working on the fences on the north field.  Abby has been doing a lot of housework.

   Martin and the kids came over about 7 pm.  He worked a long time on my computer.

Yesterday (Thursday) Marcia drove to Auburn and picked up her DD Abby Rose and baby Violet. They had been visiting friends and Abby Rose’  sister Caiti in VA./

My sister Barby and I took a stroll around the garden and she spotter the first tip of a daffodil poking up.Everything is still brown.