Chronicles of a Farm Girl

Farm Girl Returns

2009-06-16T11:13:00.000-07:00

The farm girl returns after a nine-month hiatus. It was a busy year and I wasn't at the farm a whole lot. School took up much of my time and it became too much effort to even think about writing. That said, there have been many changes here at the farm and still more to come.

After much deliberation and thought, we decided to sell the farm and move northward. In part, the move was influenced by our neighbors and also by the climate of the Rogue Valley, which is desert-like in the summer. At this point, we have buyers for the property and have put an offer on a place near Corvallis. The place needs work on the house and barn. However, Corvallis gets significantly more rain and there is a creek running on the edge of the property. I visited there last weekend and saw a deer in the field.

I arrived at the farm on Saturday. Lisa, my dad, and I had a weeding extravaganza the next day. Yesterday, I picked and dried some sage and marjoram. I've already picked cherries and made cherry jam today.

This summer will be chaotic with moving. We've stopped planting our garden and are now maintaining the spring plantings. We will be going back between the properties, getting the new one ready and moving all the animals as well as the furniture.

Labor Day Party '08

2008-09-08T16:35:00.000-07:00

Every Sunday of Labor Day weekend for seven years now, we've had our big labor day party. We have a huge tomato tasting and potluck. This year it ran from 2pm to 8 pm. We had our first out of town guest arrive the Wednesday before. We smoked three chickens, barbecued lamballs (lamb meatballs), and barbecued corn. I organized a "Name the Goats" contest for the new little kid and the buckling. There were so many people that came that I probably only spoke with a third of them.

We had many large tomato varieties at the tasting this year:
Legend. Rose de Berne. Brandywine. Super Fantastic. Stupice. Talladega. Peron. Plum Lemon. Tobolsk. Paul Robeson. Purple Cherokee. Black from Tula. Ananas Noire. Marz Round Green. Lillian's Yellow Heirloom.

(A Palestinian Tomato. The one we picked that day was over 2 pounds.)

And many cherries:
Gabrielle. Peacevine Cherry. Sungold. Sunsugar. Tiny Dancer. Dr. Carolyn's Pink. Matt's Wild Cherry. Green Grape.

A few people brought their own varieties:
Red Brandywine. Momotaro. Odoriko. Kellog's Breakfast. Gardeners Delight (Cherry). Black Cherry.

The winners of the contest were as follows:
Best Flavor:
Winner: Rose de Berne
Runnerup: Sungold
Prettiest:
Winners: Ananas Noire, Black from Tula
Honorable Mention: Lillian's Yellow, Peron, Rose de Berne
Best Red:
Winners: Rose De Berne, Stupice
Runnerup: Peron
Best Purple/Black:
Winner: Purple Cherokee
Runnerups: Black Cherry, Black from Tula
Best Orange:
Winner: Tobolsk
Runnerups: Kellog's Breakfast, Tangerine , Lillian's Yellow, Sungold
Honorable Mention: Plum Lemon, Ananas Noire
Best Cherry
Winner: Sungold
Runnerups: Gardener's Delight, Tiny Dancer , Peacevine
Honorable Mention: Sunsugar, Gabrielle
Best of the Best
First: Sungold
Second: Rose de Berne
Third: Purple Cherokee

My dad, Lisa, and I judged the "Name the Goats" contest. We decided that the best names for the doeling and the buckling were Acacia (AH-KAY-SHA) and Caprihorn, respectively.

After all the guests left that evening, the out of town guests and us descended on the third smoked chicken like vultures. We didn't bother with forks or plates; we just ate with our fingers. It was without a doubt the best chicken I've ever had. The next day, I left with some of the house guests for the city.

(It was the coolest, cloudiest Labor Day Party yet, reflective of the summer as a whole.)

Canning Season

2008-08-23T10:47:00.000-07:00

Canning season has begun at the farm this summer.

Last Tuesday, I made 3 1/2 pints of peach jam. Alas, the peaches were not our own. One of our neighbors went peach picking at a local orchard and had excess.
Last Monday, Lisa and I made green bean relish. We finally found another way to use up green beans!

Earlier in the summer, Lisa made 5 1/2 pints of plum jam and 3 1/2 pints of currant jelly.

Cobbing: A Year Later

2008-08-17T20:30:00.000-07:00

On July 19, my dad, Lisa, Rachelle (a friend), and I finished cobbing the other two sides of the root cellar. Last summer we only finished the Left and Back sides. Over the winter, there was a lot of air leakage. The rain washed some of the clay from the coat of cobb and cracking occurred.

The two unfinished sides before cobbing.
We dug up some of our own clay and then sifted the large clumps out with a piece of chicken wire.
We added sand that we bought to the mixture.
The straw helped bind the sand, clay, and water together.
The corner of the cellar was the hardest section to cobb because the hay was looser there.
The bales are visible underneath the cobb.
The right side was especially dangerous for stooped cobbers. Lisa bumped her head twice.
The unfinished inside is visible from the front.
The root cellar after several hours worth of work.

Before and After

2008-08-17T19:53:00.000-07:00

Amanda's chicks are now a month old and asserting more independence. They wander farther away from their mother now.

This chick has little cheek puffs, suggesting that it could be an Araucana. She is the friendlier of the two.

This chick is part Brown Leghorn and has a large comb. I'm fairly sure that it is a rooster.

Chronicle of a Birth Foretold

2008-08-15T19:45:00.000-07:00

Today, around 5:30 PM, Lily kidded. I noticed earlier in the afternoon that Lily was acting strange and her udders were larger. This gave us time to prepare a jug (small stall) for the kidding. I cleaned out the old straw, put fresh straw on the floor, filled up the hay rack, and provided Lily with water.

I went back to barn later to check on her with my dad and there was a small, wet goat standing on four wobbly legs. She has markings like an Oberhasli. Lily was happy to receive a bucketful of vinegar-molasses water after the birth.

Early August Update

2008-08-08T12:58:00.000-07:00

Recently, there has been much activity going on around the farm.

The smoke has become a lot worse in the past few days. It was pretty sporadic before that. There are three fires southwest of Happy Camp that are causing the smoke. (Normally, there you would see hills in the background of that picture)

The three sheep have been named Larry, Curly, and Mo. We call the ewe Curlette instead of Curly. We have discovered a few problems with the new sheep. Curlette developed a case of foot rot. As a result, we had to treat all of our sheep's feet. We mixed zinc sulfate, dish soap, and water in a large tub. Then, we put a cattle panel along one end of the tub, forming a three sided enclosure with the fence. Shaun was the easiest to catch. Macy and Little Beau were very difficult because of their size and skittishness. We held each sheep in the solution for 5 minutes. Curlette got an extra 10 minutes. While doing this, we noticed that Shaun had a lump on his face. Lisa worried that he had C.L. (Caeous Lymphadenitis), a sheep and goat disease. We separated both Shaun and Curlette from the rest of the herd. A few days ago, we had a blood test done on Shaun and the result was negative.

The peaches and yellow plums are coming in right now. Lisa made plum jam today and I froze some of the peaches. I also blanched 6 quarts of green beans, baked bread, and made bran muffins.

The second set of baby chicks are going through their awkward stage, growing in their adult feathers. They are a little less tame than before. I haven't been able to spend as much time with them.

New Buckling

2008-08-08T12:46:00.001-07:00

On Tuesday, we bought a 3 month old buckling. He is a second generation Mini Oberhasli. He is a bit skittish, but will sniff your hand to see if it is food. The first few days, he announced his loneliness with loud baas. We put him in a separate pen from Arrow, our adult buck. So far, we haven't come up with a name. All of our past bucks (Racer and Arrow) were already named when we bought them.

We hope to breed him with the three yearling does, Zinnia, Angelica, and Violet. For the time being, we will keep Arrow to breed with the older ladies, Calla and Lily.

Green Bean Time!

2008-08-04T16:47:00.000-07:00

It is that time of year again. Last year, I was amazed by the sheer quantity of green beans I harvested and chopped. Green bean season officially started July 20 when I picked the first significant number of beans (7.2 ounces). Since then, the amount has increased by magnitudes. I picked a whopping 4 pounds of green beans today alone! That brings this summer's total up to 13 pounds, 12.5 ounces.

D-Day (Destruction Day)

2008-07-26T18:47:00.000-07:00

Wednesday was Destruction Day for our kiva fireplace. We have only lit a few fires in it since we built our house in 2002. However, it was enough to know that it didn't really heat the house. It is a centerpiece for our house since it is literally in the center of it and located in the great room.

For years, we've tossed ideas around about replacing it with a wood stove, but never put anything into action. With the downturn of the economy and the rising oil prices, we wanted to get the stove before it became more expensive and before demand grew.

The kiva was beautiful, though not functional. Also, it was a risk, since we really didn't know how a wood stove would look in its place.

The kiva after a few whacks of a sledge hammer.

We finally see what is under the kiva.

After demolition, you can still see the outline of the kiva. The brown object in the center is our model wood stove.

A Second Chick Hatching

2008-07-19T21:50:00.000-07:00

After the three chicks hatched a month ago, I decided to try my luck again. Three weeks ago, I put some eggs under our remaining broody hens: Amanda (Buff Orpington) and Edith (Maran). Amanda kept switching nest boxes and I repeatedly moved the eggs back under her. Edith, on the other hand, stayed faithfully on the same nest box. I was convinced that the eggs had gotten cold. Yesterday, I discovered a yellow chick under Amanda. Both of the eggs under Edith had disappeared and we found a dead chick in the nest box.

This afternoon, I discovered that another chick (half Brown Leghorn) had hatched under Amanda. I moved Amanda and her chicks to the triangle nest box today. I left the remaining egg under her to give it one more night to hatch, but I'm doubtful that it actually will.

It is so much fun to hatch little chicks. I love to see the interaction between mother and chicks.

Yet Another New Sheep

2008-07-19T21:03:00.000-07:00

Today we picked up a ram from the people who bought Tiger and Canna. He is four or five months old and part Suffolk. We named him Shaun after Shaun The Sheep from Wallace and Gromit. He is much less shy than any of our previous sheep. He has a long tail unlike the other sheep. Most sheep have their tails cut off at an early age.

General July Update

2008-07-18T15:55:00.000-07:00

A large farm update is in order. There has been so much going on recently.

The wildfires in Northern California have brought some smoke to the area recently. Earlier in the summer, there was a period of five days with smoke. We were worried that this summer could be reminiscent to the summer of 2002. Thankfully, we have been very lucky. The smoke returned once this week, but the winds shifted. That evening both the sun and the moon appeared red-orange.

The broccoli harvest this year has been the best ever at the farm. The refrigerator overflowed with bags of broccoli. In order to use it up, we ate it with almost every meal. We sauteed it with onions and put it over pasta. We ate it with dip. We baked it in quiche. Luckily, it is my dad's favorite vegetable!

After we harvested the sweet cherries, the sour cherries started to come in. I picked 2 pounds, 13 ounces of them the first round and Lisa made two jars of cherry jam. It was my first taste of cherry jam and now it is one of my favorites.

Lisa's mint has gone wild this year, trying to take over one of the beds in the garden. I severely pruned it last week, resulting in mass amounts of mint. Unfortunately, my mint is much less vigorous. In fact, it is pitiful with only a few stalks.

The meat chickens are well over six weeks old, the age at which most slaughter houses kill their chickens, now. We moved them up to the orchard coop where they have more room to spread their wings. They also have an outside enclosure, fenced with three foot chicken wire. One of the turkeys died a few weeks ago. The remaining turkey lived in with the layers for a while, but she was the object of much abuse. She now lives with the meat chicks, but is always flying out of the enclosure.

My sunflowers are blooming now. Planting them in March was so much of an improvement from last year. The flowers brighten up the bed.

Elsewhere in the garden, the cabbage is looking very healthy, yet another result of a wet, cool June. We have been harvesting garlic, onions, wheat, and oats. The wheat and oats are in very small quantities in comparison to industrial farms of course.

An Awkward Age

2008-07-17T20:07:00.000-07:00

At four weeks old, the chicks have reached the awkward age. They are shedding their chick fluff for real feathers. This is a time of discovering new independence. The chicks often spend time out in the field with their mothers, scavenging for tasty bits.

The mothering team has grown to three: Eggitha, Cordelia, and now Eliza. Eggitha and Cordelia are the main mothers, but Eliza helps out. The chicks seem very well adjusted to the flock and the other chickens have accepted the new members.

Now that the chicks are growing feathers, we can more accurately guess who their biological mothers are. The brown chick looks like it could be part Brown Leghorn, meaning Gloria would be the mother. Both of the white-yellow chicks could be part Golden Sex-Link. The Golden Sex-Link chicken is a cross between a Rhode Island White and a Rhode Island Red. The two white-yellow chicks are distinguishable because one has more orange around the neck.

The chicks playing "follow the leader" with Eggitha and Cordelia.
This chick has an orange tint to the feathers around its neck.
The brown chick and the white chick hunt for food.
The three mothers: Eggitha, Cordelia, and Eliza (clockwise from left).

Three New Sheep

2008-07-14T19:17:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, my dad, Lisa, and I went to a farm in Phoenix (not Arizona) to pick up three Suffolk cross sheep. The farm had at least fifty sheep by my estimation. A dog, Rainbow, guarded the sheep and looked suspicious of us. The three sheep, two wethers and an ewe, glanced around nervously inside the temporary pen. In order to load them into my dad's beat-up old Nissan, we moved the temporary pen near to the truck. Glenn, the owner, grabbed each sheep and hauled it up to the truck bed. My dad and Lisa kept the sheep from escaping and I lifted up the window of the canopy. The sheep attempted to free themselves, but in vain.

On the ride home, they stood nervously, watching their home move farther and farther away. Around turns, they stumbled to maintain their standing position. Once home, my dad backed the truck into the field where Macy and Little Beau were grazing. At first, the new sheep were hesitant to leave the protection of the truck Once one jumped, the other two followed. Macy and Little Beau ambled over to greet the new additions in a round of sniffing. On the other side of the fence, the goats were curious. They sniffed the sheep through the gate.

The two wethers are intended for meat, but we might keep the ewe for breeding. Sometime soon we will pick up a ram to give the older ladies another chance. Now all we have to do is to think of some creative names!

Sophie's Sorrow

2008-07-07T12:21:00.000-07:00

Our dog, Sophie, usually sleeps inside the house at night, but recently has been waking my dad up early in the morning. On Thursday evening, my dad decided to make Sophie stay outside for the night.

Around 1:00am, I heard Sophie's sharp barking coming from outside my open window. My dad came out of the house to quiet her down. I took a whiff of the night air and immediately recognized the odor of skunk. I quickly shut my window from the invading smell and then rushed to close the windows on that side of the house. It was apparent that Sophie had been sprayed by a skunk.

There were several skunk sightings prior to this occasion. Driving home one day, we saw a mother skunk leading three of her babies down the side of the road. At the time, I thought they were cute. The previous day, we spotted a skunk in one of the pastures and put Sophie in her run before she could do anything.

The next day, July 4, we gave her a shampoo bath in the yard. She smelled pretty rank and seemed to sense that the water and shampoo was for her. It took a lot of trouble just to get her near the tub of water. We gave up on actually getting her in it and used a pail to pour water over her. The bath helped the smell some, but didn't get rid of it completely.

On Saturday, a foxtail became lodged in her paw, between her toes. Lisa pulled it out, but Sophie continued to lick and chew on her paw. The area turned pink and raw. She stopped putting weight on it and hobbled around on three legs. It was clear that the wound was worsening this morning. Lisa brought her to the vet to have her checked out. Sophie is now at the vet.

With the skunk and then the foxtail, Sophie has been moping about. We haven't been petting her as much on account of the smell and she hasn't been able to come inside at night anymore. Hopefully, after she comes back from the vet, she will be feeling better and more like her old self.

Chronicles: Anniversary Edition

2008-06-29T07:00:00.000-07:00

Today is the first anniversary of the Chronicles of a Farm Girl blog. In order to celebrate, I have brought together the best and the most viewed posts of the year. To clear up any confusion, the posts from 2006 come from e-mail newsletters I wrote. 107 posts have been published before now.

Most Viewed Posts*:
1. Root Cellar (August 13, 2007)
2. Tall Fences Make Good Neighbors? (March 14, 2008)
3. Tales of Turkeys (November 27, 2007)
4. Cobbing the Root Cellar (August 28, 2007)
5. Zinnia Growing Up (December 7, 2007)

*since September 9, 2007

Most Blogged About Topics*:
1. Garden (22 posts)
2. Goats (17 posts)
3. Vegetables (14 posts)
4. Weather (13 posts)
5. Cooking (11 posts)

*based on the number of posts for that label

Farewell to Goats

2008-06-28T19:11:00.000-07:00

On Thursday, Canna and Tiger left the farm for good. They went to a large family who live on a farm with lots of other goats. The kids were surprisingly quiet, maybe because they had each other. They only let out a few baas. Calla was equally silent. The kids rode off in the laps of two boys, looking nervous.

When I went the barn later that day, Calla came in. She baaed and looked forlornly around the stall for her kids, but she couldn't find them anymore. With the kids gone, Calla has been producing a lot more milk.

I spent the morning with the kids in the Willow pasture, watching their cute antics. Calla set a bad example of trying to eat the willow tree behind the fence and the kids tried to copy her. The teenage trio (Violet, Angelica, Zinny) didn't hesitate to shove the kids around some. I was actually able to take some pictures of the goats. Normally, they are so friendly that it is impossible.

Bountiful Broccoli and Countless Cherries

2008-06-27T22:42:00.000-07:00

Yesterday evening, my dad, Lisa, and I picked the sweet cherries from our tree in the orchard. The fruit was mostly untouched due to my dad's bird netting work. We spent the first part of picking stuffing our mouths full of cherries until we had no appetite for dinner. My dad climbed a ladder to reach the top branches. The tree is still quite small, being four or five years old. We harvested a good 3 pounds, 15.2 ounces not including the countless cherries we ate.

Later that evening, Lisa started me harvesting the broccoli that was about to flower. In addition to the many smaller heads and side shoots, I picked (sawed off with a rather dull kitchen knife) a 3 pound, 11.6 ounce head of broccoli. I filled three plastic bags full of broccoli to put in the refrigerator. What's more, there is yet another gigantic broccoli head waiting out there.

The Chick Pics

2008-06-25T21:16:00.000-07:00

The baby chicks are now over a week old. Eggitha still keeps a sharp eye on them, but they seem more independent. For example, they are not afraid to go to the other side of the coop without mom.

The other chickens are for the most part treating the baby chicks well. Eggitha is very defensive if another chicken steps out of line. The other day, I saw her and Ginger, a Golden Penciled Hamburg hen, fighting. When I finally came inside the coop, the fight had ended, but Ginger had several of Eggitha's feathers in her beak. We do have one mean hen named Edith, who is a Maran like Eggitha. I observed her chasing and pecking a chick. Eggitha was perturbed, but intimidated by cruel Edith.

Cordelia, a Polish-Silke cross hen, has taken a liking to the chicks. She was broody at the same time Eggitha was and may have taken a turn sitting on the eggs. Today, she broke up food for the chicks to eat and they willingly did. Later, I saw the chicks laying next to her on the ground while Eggitha was scratching around.

The chicks enjoy the sun. (6/24/08)
An orange foot can be seen poking out from under Eggitha. The other chick looks like it wants to climb under also. (6/24/08)
This yellow chick seemed to enjoy climbing on top of Eggitha. (6/24/08)

Hay Bucking '08

2008-06-21T16:25:00.000-07:00

When I arrived at the farm, the hay had already been cut and was drying. On Thursday, the hay was raked. Our hay guy started baling in the evening, but left the tractor overnight to finish the next day. In order to finish the bucking before my dad and Lisa had to go to a wedding, my dad took a half day at work.

The day before, my dad cleaned out the remaining forty or so bales from last year's cutting and put them on pallets outside the barn. While he prepared for the new bales, Sophie caught a mouse in the hay room.

On Friday, we began bucking around 3:00 pm. Lisa drove the truck while my dad lifted the bales onto the bed. I helped roll the bales closer, position them on the truck, and keep count. Each load was 22 bales. I was able to ride on the bales until the last ten or so bales were stacked. Sophie was happy to help watch the process, but often trotted in the way of the truck. At one point she saw a neighbor walking their dog down the road and ran off. I caught her while my dad and Lisa continued.

On each return trip, either my dad or I had to walk beside the truck to make sure no bales fell. On several occasions, I stopped a bale from falling off. Other times, however, my dad and I weren't so lucky and a bale would fall. Lisa did an excellent job of backing the truck into the carport. Once parked, we drank some water and I kept track of the number of bales.

My dad stacked the bales in the hay room while I moved them in reach, to the tailgate of the truck. On the first load, Lisa discovered that some of the hay in the bales was damp. This posed a problem, since damp bales can start fires. In order to combat this danger, Lisa sprinkled salt on each bale.

Around 6:00pm, we took an hour break to rest ourselves before the next round. By then, threatening clouds loomed on the horizon. On the eighth load, we filled the barn. My dad took time to set up more pallets outside to put the remainder of the hay on. After that, we unloaded the rest of the load.

Back out on the field, the sun moved lower in the sky, blocked by clouds. After our ninth load, we felt the warm splattering of raindrops. We moved in rush to buck the remaining bales still on the field. The drops only lasted a minute or two, but they pushed us into action. Yet again, my dad had to gather more pallets for the hay. It was evident at that point, that there was a record number of bales this year. The eleventh and last load was a mere eleven bales, bucked in the twilight. Even after we moved all the bales off the field, we had to cover the stacks outside with tarps and metal roofing panels. By the time we finished raking the spilled hay from the carport and walked back to the house it was 10:00pm. At that late hour, we had yet to eat dinner and take showers.

We bucked an impressive 231 bales of hay in six hours. This is most likely attributed to the unusual and wet spring we had this year and the fertilizer that was applied in May.

For the past few days, my arm and back muscles have been extremely sore. My dad recovered much quicker, but he's used to hard labor. I, on the other hand, sit in a classroom or at a desk at home for nine months of the year.

A Surprising Find...

2008-06-19T14:48:00.000-07:00

On Tuesday, Lisa and I arrived in Ashland. Later that evening, Lisa and I went to check eggs together. She had to show me which nests to collect from, explaining that she had let some of the broody chickens set on eggs. Our broody hens don't have a good idea of which nest to set on, so they often switch. Lisa had given up hope that any chicks were going to hatch. There were about five broody hens in the nest-boxes, but only two had setting eggs in them.

Lisa unceremoniously thrust Eggitha, one of the broody chicken, up to check for newly laid eggs. She saw a cracked shell and thought that Eggitha had accidentally broken an egg, but then she saw a little chick peek from under Eggitha's feathers.

I ran quickly up to the house to tell my dad the exciting news. The three of us returned to the chicken coop to take a closer look. There were three chicks altogether and one egg that hadn't hatched.

Eggitha seemed to take on the responsibility of motherhood well. She sheltered her chicks under her body to keep them warm and pecked us if we came to close.

Yesterday, we moved Eggitha and her chicks from the nest-box to a to a triangular shelf in the corner of the coop. We rigged up curtains for privacy out of some scrap rags. Eggitha was very disturbed by the move. She looked for the unhatched egg that we removed, but soon accepted the loss.

Next, we gave Eggitha some chicken feed. She broke up the large pieces so that the chicks could eat the particles. Later, we put a dish of chick feed in the triangle box and the chicks were able to eat those particles. Eggitha drank some water, but the chicks didn't. She probably hadn't been out of the nest-box since the chicks hatched.

That evening, my dad and I found Eggitha and the chicks on the floor of the coop. She was nesting on the ground with the chicks huddled under her. The curtains on the triangle box had come down. We put them back on the triangle box, but realized that they probably wouldn't be able to stay up there long-term.

Today, the Eggitha and the chicks are doing well. They stayed up in the box overnight. I gave them more food and water. This time the chicks did drink some water. Eggitha has been scratching up the hay in the triangle box, showing the chicks where the spilled feed had fallen.

Two of the chicks are yellow and one of them is distinguishable by a slightly orange butt. The other chick is primarily brown with two stripes down its back. We know that their father is Hans, our rooster, but we don't know the mothers. I suspect that the two yellow ones could be part Buff Orpington, Rhode Island Red, or Golden Sex-link. The brown chick could be part Brown Leghorn or Araucana.

And So Begins Summer...

2008-06-17T10:52:00.000-07:00

I finished school on Friday and now am free for the summer (except for that summer homework!). Later today, Lisa is going to pick me up to travel to the farm for the summer. As usual, I'm finishing my last minute packing, trying not forget anything.

Life on the farm this summer looks to be full of interesting activities. Among them are:

Harvesting
Hay Bucking
Hiking
Jackson County Fair
Volunteering

The Annual Chick Order

2008-06-07T13:31:00.000-07:00

This year, we bought 25 Red Broiler meat chickens and no layers. After our first batch of chickens in 2001, we started to order chickens in the mail (in large quantities). They are shipped right after they first hatch and come in a box with long air slats. We have to pick them up at the post office since they can't deliver the chicks directly to our house (which is quite a distance from our actual mailbox).

I remember one day when an order of chicks came in a couple of years ago. Lisa and I went to the post office and came to my dad's work with a peeping box. By now, my dad's coworkers are used to occasional animal visits.

We also have two turkeys that were not ordered in the mail. Since we only have two, they'd better not get into any trouble!

Aren't They Adorable?

2008-06-07T12:11:00.000-07:00

UPDATE: Their names are officially Tigerlily (black) and Cannalily (brown). Lisa came up with the names. (6/8/08)

The two new kids are growing up. I still haven't come up with official names for them. Originally, I thought of Iris and Laurel as possible names, but my dad said that we should save them for goats we are going to keep. Now, I'm thinking of naming them Saffron (brown kid) and Larkspur (black kid). I have to get the stamp of approval from my dad and Lisa.

The older kids from 2007 are growing up too. Now, Zinny and Angelica are about the same size as Violet. My dad told me that he has trouble telling Violet and Angelica apart. Zinny has a darker brown coat and black face that is more distinguishable.

Clockwise from left: Lily, Angelica, Violet, Zinnia.
Zinny (above) and Angelica (below) stand on top of a wooden spool in the pasture.

In Memoriam

2008-05-26T16:29:00.000-07:00

In light of Memorial Day, I'd like to pay tribute to the animals at the farm who have passed away.

The Chickens (Omitting Roosters):
Guadeloupe ~ August 15, 2003 .
Katherine .
Henny Penny .
Henrietta .
Alexzi ~ December 1, 2007 .
Florence .
Mimi ~ August 18, 2007 .
Cayenne .
Henna ~ June 23, 2007 .
Lucy ~ March 2006 .
Natasha .
Penelope .
Dana .
Clara ~ Spring 2008
Gloria ~ May 21, 2008 .

The Sheep:
Lambchop ~ 2003 .
Stu ~ 2003 .
Dolly ~ 2004 .
Kabob ~ 2004 .
Baabaa ~ 2004 .
Sloppy Joe ~ 2005 .
Grilliam ~ 2005 .
Baa 51 ~ 2006 .
Baa 52 ~ 2006 .
Baa 53 ~ 2006 .
Ram-a-Lamba-Ding-Dong ~ 2007 .
Cardinal Woolsy ~ 2008 .
Wooliam Sheepspeare ~ 2008 .

The Goats:
Rennet ~ January 2006 .
Light Brown Female ~ February 2007 .

The Ducks:
Mocha .
Daffy .

The Turkeys:
Gravy ~ 2004 .
Martin ~ 2005 .
Shaniqua ~ 2005 .

The Cat:
Gracie ~ Went Missing .

The Goat Herd

2008-05-19T17:26:00.000-07:00

My dad snapped the photo above on Saturday. The two adult goats on the left are Calla and Lily. Violet, Zinnia, and Angelica are grazing together on the right. The two new kids are standing in the foreground. With the new kids, we have eight goats now. My dad and Lisa have already found buyers for the kids. They'll be gone before summer comes.

Violet: The Third Generation

2008-05-19T08:04:00.000-07:00

Violet was born March 19, 2007 to Calla and Arrow. She is half Nigerian Dwarf, quarter Pygora, and quarter Oberhasli. She had a twin brother that we sold. She is a third generation goat.

She is a very shy goat even with my dad, Lisa, and I. On a few occasions, she enjoys a good chin scratching, but she must be the one to approach you.

May Heats Up!

2008-05-15T17:47:00.000-07:00

Up north in the city, we are experiencing a taste of summer. It was sunny with a high of 86 degrees. Tomorrow, the high is supposed to be 98 degrees according to the Oregonian this morning. Just two days ago, it was rainy and in the 60s!

Then, I looked at the weather in Southern Oregon and I gasped:

Record heat hit the valley today as the high peaked at 98 degrees in Medford, breaking the record of 96 set in 2006, according to the National Weather Service's Medford office.
Hot weather is forecast to continue through the weekend, with the worst of it on Friday, when the high is forecast to top out at 102.

This is the type of weather typical of late June and July. As a result of the heat, the city of Ashland's water use doubled overnight.

May Days on the Farm

2008-05-12T17:43:00.000-07:00

A general farm update is in order.

Kitkat disappeared for four days this week and gave us another scare, but he came back today.

The No Mow Project continues. My dad has three fenced areas in the yard that he rotates the sheep on now. We are hoping that this will curb grass growth for the summer.

Macy Brown and Little Beau have long passed the date at which they could have lambs. It turns out that they are just fat, again! Apparently, the ram at the farm we sent them to was bad. We are keeping them one more year.

Calla and her kids spend all day outside now. The kids are growing and frolicking. We still haven't named them yet, but I've put out a few names for consideration. The kids are usually named after flowers or plants. There is a chance that the kids might be sold before summer.

Lisa has been germinating a record number of tomato starts for her tomato start business. I think she has about 500. About a third of them are for us.

The sunflowers I seeded in March are coming up. Hopefully, I will be able to enjoy them longer than last year.

I am looking forward to the summer ahead, which is coming closer. This summer may be the best one at the farm yet. Lisa and I will hopefully be making a comeback to the Jackson County Fair. I plan on doing more volunteer work, possibly planting trees with Lomakatsi. Every year, the farm improves and it's amazing how far it has come.

The Fate of the Shakespearean Sheep

2008-05-12T17:27:00.000-07:00

The Shakespearean Sheep, Cardinal Woolsey and Wooliam Sheepspeare, have gone where all wethers at the farm must go. They are now neatly packaged in the freezer. Sometime in the future, they might become lamburgers or lamballs. They have joined the ranks of our previous sheep:

Lambchop
Stu
Dolly
Kabob
Baabaa
Sloppy Joe
Grilliam
Baa 51
Baa 52
Baa 53
Rama-Lamba

Arrow: The Buck

2008-05-05T17:01:00.000-07:00

Copper Penny Arrowhead, also known as Arrow, is a Nigerian Dwarf buck. He came to the farm in 2006. Violet, Angelica, Zinnia, and the two new girls are his kids.

Like our previous buck, Racer, he is a mellow guy. Sometimes, he becomes a little lonely in his separate pasture. Unfortunately, Arrow smells horrible so I rarely interact with him. My dad pets him when he feeds the animals for the night. He will be leaving the farm sometime within the next year so that we can breed his kids.

Finally Announcing: Calla's New Kids

2008-05-03T11:19:00.000-07:00

After a long wait, Calla gave birth to two baby girls. We were expecting the birth in late March, but obviously miscalculated. My dad discovered them yesterday at 5:00pm after they'd been in the world a few hours. One is black with a white nose and ears. The other is brown with black on her belly and forehead. They are half Nigerian Dwarf, quarter Oberhasli, and quarter Pygora. As with all baby goats, they are adorable.

Sophie the Sheepdog (well, sort of)

2008-04-28T15:24:00.000-07:00

Sophie was born in July 2005 somewhere in Northern Oregon (I don't remember the name of the city). We brought her down to the farm in October 2005. She's 7/8 English Shepard and 1/8 Rough Collie. For the most part she is a content dog with tons of energy.

She's notorious for her high pitched barking. Any person who isn't part of the family constitutes barking, which means she barks at pretty much everyone. We've tried bark collars, spraying her with water, and putting her in her kennel to stop barking.

We brought a kitten home (Kitkat) when she was almost a year old and she assumed the cat was her play toy. They still play together, but Kitkat seems to get less pleasure from it than Sophie.

Just recently, we began to train her to herd sheep. The sheep take her cues and she hasn't bitten them...yet.

The picture on the left was taken shortly after she came to the farm.

Just a Regular Oregon Spring!

2008-04-23T17:38:00.000-07:00

After the Earth Day Celebration on Saturday, snow began to drift down from the clouds. I wasn't too surprised because forecasters were predicting snow. Tired from Earth Day and only four hours of sleep the night before, I took a nap. When I woke up, almost two inches of snow lay on the ground. I couldn't help but run outside and build a miniature snowman.

The snow didn't deter the sheep from continuing to graze on the front lawn. Sophie found her calling in life, herding the sheep. While I've been gone for school, my dad and Lisa worked with Sophie on herding.

This spring has been unusually snowy. I seem to attract snow whenever I visit the farm!Sophie herds the sheep in the snow.
Snow piled up on a rosemary bush.
The snow begins to melt under the poplar tree.
Snow coats the chicken wire fencing around the upper beds.

Related Posts:
A Snowstorm
A Spring Snowstorm
I wasn't there but...

Happy Earth Day!

2008-04-22T21:50:00.001-07:00

I celebrated Earth Day on Saturday with my dad and Lisa. That weekend, I made the trip to Southern Oregon for my Grandma's birthday celebration and surprised my dad by showing up at the Earth Day Celebration. We had a booth with the permaculture group. It was sunny for the first few hours and then near the end the wind picked up. There was intermittent snow that didn't stick.

The celebration was well attended and we saw many of our friends. I had only one complaint about the event. The Toyota dealership brought a bunch of hybrid cars, which sounds all fine and good. However, when I looked at the mpg statistics, I was shocked. Most of them got a whopping 33 mpg. Our own Honda Civic probably gets at least that and it runs on gasoline alone.

As usual, Google came up with a logo to fit the day.

Calla: Born on the Farm

2008-04-21T15:28:00.000-07:00

Callalily was born on May 27, 2004 to Lily and Racer at the farm. She is half Oberhasli and half Pygora. As a kid, she was taken on walks along with Blackberry (another goat born that year) on the gravel road leading to the farm. As most goat kids are, she was extremely stubborn. She gave birth in 2006 to her first kid, Althea. This appeared to mellow her out. Her most recent kid, Violet, was born in 2007.

Calla is a likable, friendly goat. She's an easy milker, but not quite as productive as her mother. Currently, we are waiting for her to have her kids, but she seems to be taking her time.

I wasn't there but...

2008-04-16T18:06:00.000-07:00

It seems that the Spring Break snowstorm was not the final snowstorm of the year. The local newspaper reported that:

Ashland received four inches of snow in some areas on April 15, 2008. The coming warmth of spring was briefly interrupted by a dusting of snow that turned the town into a winter village.

But that isn't all. The forecasters are predicting:

...UNSEASONABLY COLD AIR MASS THIS WEEKEND...

A LARGE AREA OF LOW PRESSURE WILL MOVE SOUTH OUT OF ALASKA AND
SETTLE IN OVER THE REGION THIS WEEKEND. AN UNSEASONABLY COLD AIR
MASS WILL ACCOMPANY THIS WEATHER SYSTEM. SNOW LEVELS WILL LOWER TO
BELOW PASS LEVEL LATER SATURDAY THROUGH SUNDAY. EXPECTED SHOWER
ACTIVITY THIS WEEKEND MAY PRODUCE SEVERAL INCHES OF SNOW OVER THE
HIGHER ELEVATIONS DURING THE WEEKEND. IMPROVEMENT IS EXPECTED
MONDAY AS LOW PRESSURE GRADUALLY MOVES OUT OF THE REGION.

Ironically, I'm heading down South for my grandma's 85th birthday and will be visiting the farm this weekend.

Animal Biography Series: Lily

2008-04-14T14:44:00.000-07:00

Today is the first official post in the new Animal Biography Series. Each Monday, a new animal will be featured.
Lily, an Oberhasli, was born March 21, 2001 and was registered under the name Hostess Pie. When she came to the farm in 2003, we renamed her Lily. In 2004, she had twins, Callalily (Calla) and Artichoke. She had another set of twins in 2006 that were never named. Back in July, she gave birth to Zinnia and Angelica.

Lily is a fairly friendly goat, but easily scared by strange people or animals. She is our top milk producer.

A Spring Snowstorm

2008-03-30T14:36:00.000-07:00

Spring hasn't been very apparent these past few days. On Friday afternoon, it began to snow, lightly at first and then heavily. The temperature hovered around 30-32 degrees into the evening. The ground had already been saturated with rain earlier in the week, so the snow didn't stick at first. However, the snow was persistent enough that after a few hours, white patches appeared on the ground. By nightfall, the ground was coated by snow. In the morning, the porch thermometer read 20 degrees. It melted by the afternoon, but the cold temperatures lingered for the rest of my stay at the farm.
The old greenhouse and cottage (background) looking east.
The upper beds next to the house.
Looking across the hayfield. Normally, mountains would appear in the backdrop.

A Watched Chicken Never Lays an Egg...

2008-03-28T16:42:00.000-07:00

They say a watched pot never boils...

Here at the farm, we say...
...watched dough never rises.
...a watched turkey never sleeps in the coop.
...a watched chicken never lays an egg.
...watched plants never grow.
...watched seeds never germinate.
...a watched goat never gives birth.
...a watched cat never catches mice.
...a watched dog never stops barking.

The E-Team!

2008-03-26T16:28:00.000-07:00

A group of four chickens works hard through the day, trying to keep the garden safe from pests and bugs. They face the task of combing through meters of garden to find the ultimate enemy: The Earwig. Together, they are called the E-Team (Earwig Removal Team). Individually, they are known as:

Cinnamon the Courageous (Partridge Rock)
Melody the Meticulous (Buff Orphington)
Olivia the Obedient (Black Austrolorp)
Regina the Resolute (Barred Rock)

Spring Has Arrived?

2008-03-26T15:55:00.000-07:00

Spring Break has arrived and I have returned to the farm for a week. On my first day at the farm, the weather was beautiful. The sun shone and there were only a few clouds in the sky. It wasn't exactly warm, but it was comfortable.

Spring is planting time at the farm. So far this week, I've helped Lisa seed some carrots, beets, parsnips, and cilantro in the upper beds. We planted garlic in the circle beds and potted some raspberry cuttings. In addition to planting, I helped scrape the paths between the garden beds and put new mulch on top of the black weed cloth.

The weather in the past few days has been changeable. Moments of sunshine soon disappear as a cloud moves over the sun. Sometimes, it drizzles or becomes overcast. Today, it feels like winter has not loosened its grip. This morning, I was able to go outside and spend time with the goats in the pasture. Around midday, the weather took a turn for the worse. The rain poured down in a steady downpour while the wind carried it diagonally. The thermometer dropped down into the upper 30s. Now, the sky is a bright overcast with fog rolling down the hills. The forecast shows temperatures dipping down into the 20s tonight with a possibility for snow on the valley floor.

Tall Fences Make Good Neighbors?

2008-03-14T13:40:00.001-07:00

This past week, we had a new fence put up between our property and the new neighbors'. We wanted more privacy considering their house overlooks our orchard. They had said that they wanted a tall fence in the past. The eight foot tall fence spans the entire south side of their property and stops at our driveway. We plan to grow vines on it, since it is not a very pretty fence.

However, the neighbors were very angry when they saw the fence being put up. The fence was on our side of the property line, but apparently they wanted it farther in. They are going to build their own fence on their side. Now, they are resigned to it, but I hope this doesn't make for tense relations in the future. It's extremely important to have good neighbors. My dad always says, "Good fences make good neighbors." This is a quotation from Robert Frost's poem Mending Wall:

Something there is that doesn't love a wall,
That sends the frozen-ground-swell under it,
And spills the upper boulders in the sun,
And makes gaps even two can pass abreast.
The work of hunters is another thing:
I have come after them and made repair
Where they have left not one stone on a stone,
But they would have the rabbit out of hiding,
To please the yelping dogs. The gaps I mean,
No one has seen them made or heard them made,
But at spring mending-time we find them there.
I let my neighbor know beyond the hill;
And on a day we meet to walk the line
And set the wall between us once again.
We keep the wall between us as we go.
To each the boulders that have fallen to each.
And some are loaves and some so nearly balls
We have to use a spell to make them balance:
'Stay where you are until our backs are turned!'
We wear our fingers rough with handling them.
Oh, just another kind of out-door game,
One on a side. It comes to little more:
There where it is we do not need the wall:
He is all pine and I am apple orchard.
My apple trees will never get across
And eat the cones under his pines, I tell him.
He only says, 'Good fences make good neighbors'.
Spring is the mischief in me, and I wonder
If I could put a notion in his head:
'Why do they make good neighbors? Isn't it
Where there are cows?
But here there are no cows.
Before I built a wall I'd ask to know
What I was walling in or walling out,
And to whom I was like to give offence.
Something there is that doesn't love a wall,
That wants it down.' I could say 'Elves' to him,
But it's not elves exactly, and I'd rather
He said it for himself. I see him there
Bringing a stone grasped firmly by the top
In each hand, like an old-stone savage armed.
He moves in darkness as it seems to me~
Not of woods only and the shade of trees.
He will not go behind his father's saying,
And he likes having thought of it so well
He says again, "Good fences make good neighbors."

The No Mow Project

2008-03-14T13:26:00.000-07:00

Every spring, the rain falls on the ground and miraculously, green spikes begin to shoot up from the once parched earth. At first, it is a wonderful sight to see grass growing again, but soon it grows too tall. In the city, people mow their lawns to keep the grass down, but at the farm we prefer another method. Usually, my dad brings out his weedwacker and spends many hours trying to control the grass. This year, my dad and Lisa put a temporary fence around part of the yard and let the sheep graze. They seem to be content in their new pasture.

Pregnant Sheep?

2008-02-28T16:41:00.000-08:00

It looks like Macy Brown may be pregnant, at least that's what Devon, the sheep shearing guy, said. Little Bo Sheep appears not to be pregnant, but you never know. Both ewes visited a nearby farm (only a mile or so away) in October to be bred. I'm hoping for some cute, cuddly lambs come spring. Hopefully, unlike their mother, they will be friendly.

A Turkey Tragedy

2008-02-17T18:44:00.001-08:00

About two weeks ago, the first turkey went missing. These turkeys are excellent at flying as I have mentioned before, so it was possible that the turkey had escaped. There has been many a time our new neighbors have found a turkey in their yard. A few days later, the situation became graver; another turkey went missing. There was no hard evidence at the time of any foul play (no pun intended!).

Later in the week, my dad went to the orchard and found a third turkey wounded and barely alive. The best thing my dad could do was to put it out of its misery. By this time, it was clear that some predator was sneaking into the orchard where the turkeys were. They were easy prey, roosting outside.

My dad and Lisa butchered the last two turkeys. It was better to eat them than to have them killed by some animal. The original plan was to breed them and hatch the eggs in an incubator.

The Return of Kitkat

2008-02-17T18:08:00.000-08:00

On Friday evening, my dad called from the farm. "You'll never guess what happened!" he exclaimed. Five minutes previously, he had been out on the porch feeding Sophie when he saw Kitkat rubbing against the post. My dad immediately took him inside and gave him a bowl of milk, after of course he shouted to Lisa the good news. Apparently, he looks well fed and healthy. He did seem to be glad to be home. After all, he has his sheepskin to massage his paws on again.

My theory is that someone took him into their house and didn't let him out. They probably thought that he didn't belong to anyone because he didn't have a collar on. The elastic on Kitkat's collar kept snapping off so he didn't have it on at the time.

Related Posts:
Kitkat Gone Missing
Kitkat at Milking Time
Of Mice and Cat
Cat and Dog

A Snowstorm

2008-02-12T16:26:00.000-08:00

On the evening of January 27, a storm blew through the valley, leaving at least 11 inches of snow at the farm. When my dad called to tell me, I was so disappointed that I wasn't there. Three hundred miles away, in the city, we only received an inch or so that quickly melted away. Being from the Pacific Northwest, where it hardly snows, I was shocked at the amount of snow. In all my short life, I don't ever remember getting that much snow in one dump.

The picture above was taken the morning after the snowstorm.

Sophie Watching

2008-01-27T21:49:00.001-08:00

Sophie is watching the turkeys through the fence (January 5). We don't allow her in with the turkeys; they are too tempting for her little doggy brain.

A Snowy, Rainy, Windy Holiday

2008-01-15T15:31:00.000-08:00

I arrived at the farm for the break around midday on December 26. Much of the snow had disappeared. I was lucky enough to see snowfall on Christmas day, though it did not stick. The hills were covered in snow for the entire vacation. It snowed off and on for the next few days, but there was hardly any accumulation.

The days leading into the first weekend of the new year were extremely windy and rainy. There was a series of storms that hit the Pacific Coast. The strongest storm ripped through Friday night and Saturday morning. I couldn't fall asleep because the wind was so loud outside my window. The nearby ski resort at Mt. Ashland was closed. According the Mail Tribune:

Mount Ashland reported winds of 50 to 65 mph at the lodge and 60 to 70 mph at the top of the mountain Thursday. The high winds and limited visibility made operating the lifts impossible and kept the slopes closed all day.

Of course California took the hardest hit from the storm. The storm looks like a hurricane on the satellite images.

Kitkat Gone Missing

2007-12-25T21:19:00.000-08:00

Kitkat has not been seen around the farm for about two weeks now. We are very worried that something has happened to him.

A few years ago, we had a cat named Gracie. She ran away and turned up at her old house. Years later she disappeared completely. We had a suspicion that a certain neighbor, we'll call her Fanny, had something to do with her disappearance. Fanny had previously threatened to catch any neighborhood cats that ate her precious cat's special food.

Related Posts:
Kitkat at Milking Time
Of Mice and Cat
Cat and Dog

August 19: Grizzly Peak

2007-12-18T16:39:00.000-08:00

This past summer my dad and I went hiking on Grizzly Peak. I had been hiking there twice before. The first time I went there was during a nature camp in 2002. I remember the area as being very lush. A month or so later, the East Antelope Fire burned the northern side, near the ridge. My dad and Lisa were at home while the fire was burning and saw it crest the ridge at night. I was unfortunately at my Grandma's apartment ten miles away. I could still see the fire, but not nearly as well. I went back there a few years ago with my dad and again this summer. We noticed that small evergreen trees had been planted in the burned area. On a hot, sunny day, it becomes very hot up there with no live trees to shade the area.

Zinnia Growing Up

2007-12-07T18:04:00.001-08:00

On my recent trip to the farm, I snapped this photograph of Zinny. It was very hard to take pictures of the goats; they don't like to stay still.

Kitkat at Milking Time

2007-12-03T10:58:00.001-08:00

Every morning, Kitkat comes down to the barn for a snack.

Baby Goats Nursing

2007-11-27T18:17:00.001-08:00

Zinnia and Angelica, the two most recent goat kids, have grown quite a bit since August. They are not so old that they will stop nursing. I took this video while I was at the farm for Thanksgiving.

Tales of Turkeys

2007-11-27T17:43:00.000-08:00

In honor of Turkey Day, I snapped a few photos of our Narragansett turkeys. These were the five lucky turkeys. We had two other turkeys and they were delicious!

The day before Thanksgiving, the turkeys seemed to sense the coming holiday. Sophie was running around in a nearby pasture when one of the turkeys flew over the fence. Then, began the chase. The turkey would fly a few yards and return to the ground. Sophie would catch up and the turkey would make another arc. Eventually, my dad restrained Sophie and caught the turkey. As soon as he put it back, another turkey flew over the fence.

These turkeys are excellent at flying. We often find them on the new neighbor's property. They no longer sleep atop the roosts in the coop. Now, they perch on top of the coop.
The two females are the whiter turkeys on the right. The male turkeys are a bit darker around the neck and chest. (above) The top tom turkey shows his feathers off. (below)

Thanksgiving at the Farm

2007-11-21T22:16:00.000-08:00

I'm coming back to the farm for Thanksgiving tomorrow, but just for the weekend. After that it's back to the city. I'm looking forward to some delicious turkey. The picture shows Gravy, the very first turkey at the farm. He was sure tasty!

Layering Quiche

2007-11-03T10:53:00.000-07:00

Two weeks ago, my mom and I made a quiche with many layers.First, we added White Cheddar cheese and then a layer of roasted potatoes and onions.Next, we layered tomatoes and sprinkled Parmesan cheese on top.Then, we added more slices of White Cheddar cheese and poured the egg mixture over that.Finally, we baked it and cut into the quiche.

Related Posts:

The Making of Quiche

Harvest Time is Here: Pumpkin Pie

2007-11-02T18:26:00.000-07:00

The aroma of baking pumpkin wafted from the kitchen and swirled into the rest of the house.

Earlier that day, my mom and I drove out to Sauvie Island to pick out pumpkins for the autumn season. We traveled far inland to a less popular farm to begin our search. Stepping around the withering vines, we chose three fairly large pumpkins. I was reminded of my own little farm that I hadn't seen since August.

When we arrived home, we put the smallest pumpkin in the oven. Neither of us knew exactly how long to bake it , so we checked on it every half an hour or so until it seemed cooked. We sawed it into large slices once it had cooled sufficiently and stashed it in the refrigerator for another day.

The next day, we put the pieces through the food processor and froze five jars worth. With the leftover pumpkin, we made a pie. We put in extra cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg to give it a stronger flavor. I have to say, it was delicious.

The Many Tales of Whipped Cream

2007-10-23T16:45:00.000-07:00

A few years ago, my dad, Lisa, and I went to grocery store on a Friday as usual. I was sent on a mission to pick out a carton of whipping cream to go with the cobbler we planned on making that evening. Searching for the best deal on Organic whipping cream, I scoured the shelves. I found an average sized carton at an excellent price and grabbed it.

It was not until we put away the groceries that my mistake was discovered. "Where is the whipping cream?" Lisa questioned, searching the refrigerator. "It's right there," I answered pointing at the carton. The words Half & Half were printed clearly in bold. Ever since then, my dad and Lisa have teased me about it.

That was not the first time I had a conflict with whipped cream. At the age of 8, my uncle and I had a rather nasty whipped cream fight. I was at my aunt and uncle's old house in California and the family was eating some sort of dessert with whipped cream. Though I have no memory of how exactly the fight started, I suspect my uncle was the initiator. Whipped cream flew back and forth across the table. Then, a glob of it landed on my favorite purple dress. My dessert fork went flying in the air before I knew what had happened. I gasped in horror as it hit my uncle's lip. The events afterward are foggy in my memory, but I do know that he forgave me readily. I, of course, felt horrible.

This brings me to a not so dramatic event that happened last night. My mom and I wanted to have some pumpkin pie for dessert. I volunteered to whip the cream to go with it. After a few minutes of searching, I found the beater and a bowl. I headed to the fridge for the whipping cream and reached in to pick up a pint sized carton. The beater hummed as I began to whip. The cream seems extra frothy tonight, I thought. A picture of the carton flashed through my mind and I let out a loud guffaw. I'm sure you can imagine the reason for my sudden outburst.

Farm Hall of Fame

2007-10-01T17:12:00.000-07:00

Some of our animals will always have a special place in our heart. These animals deserve a spot in the Farm Hall of Fame.

Firsts
Basil and Buttercup:
Born: March 9, 2003
Breed: Pygora
About: They were the first animals born at the farm. We kept Buttercup for a few years, but sold Basil at a young age. Buttercup was a mellow goat, taking after her father.

Blackie and Jolie:
Born: March 12, 2003
Breed: Pygora
About: At first, these twin sisters were unfriendly, but eventually we tamed them. They were our first goats. Jolie (and Racer) had 5 kids: Buttercup, Basil, Blackberry, Tina, and Boysenberry. Blackie (and Racer) had 2 kids: Jack and Ivy. We originally thought she couldn't have kids because she didn't get pregnant the first year. Both Jolie and Blackie were very vocal and stubborn goats. After a few years, we decided to sell them because we didn't want to raise Pygora goats anymore.

Blue Feather:
Born: January 26, 2000
Breed: Miniature Oberhasli
About: She was our first milk goat. For the first year, her milk didn't taste very good because we didn't filter it right away. She had 10 kids: Snapdragon, Bluebelle, Marionberry, quadruplets (4 boys, 3 unnamed and Rennet), and triplets (unnamed, 2 girls, 1 girl died, 1 boy). We sold Blue Feather this Spring.

Buddy:
Born: Sometime before 1997
About: He has been at the farm longer than us. The property came with a cat. He doesn't come around as much since we got the dog, but he still enjoys a good petting.

Gravy:
Born: 2002 or 2003
Breed: Broad Breasted Bronze
About: He was the only one of his siblings to survive that year. His favorite food was tomatoes. We had a delicious Thanksgiving dinner.

Lambchop and Stew:
Born: 2002
About: They were our first sheep and were quite tasty! Like most of our sheep, they were very skittish.

Guadeloupe and Katherine:
Born: April 2001
Breed: Golden Sex Link
About: These were two of our first five chickens. They were the friendliest chickens in the batch. Originally, the lived in Portland until they were moved to the farm. Katherine died first and then Guadeloupe on August 15, 2003.

Miracle Chick:
Born: August 17, 2003
Breed: Unknown (a cross between two of our chickens)
About: Miraculously, he hatched beneath our hen Cinnamon. She rejected him, so we raised him in a cardboard box. He was the first and only chick hatched naturally at the farm. His name was a result of not officially naming him right away. Since he turned out to be a rooster, he went to the chopping block. Multiple roosters do not usually get along very well.

Ping, Mocha, and Daffy:
Born: March 2003
Breed: Khaki Campbell
About: We had ducks until September 2003. My dad had a special bond with our ducks and was sad to see them go. However, he did not enjoy cleaning their pond (a kiddie pool).

Summer of Smoke

2007-09-24T15:55:00.000-07:00

Saturday, July 27, 2002

It is hazey because of the smoke from the forest fires. You can hardly see the mountains and hills. And when you go outside all you can see is smoke. There are a lot of forest fires in Oregon this year.

Monday, July 29, 2002
More about the smoke, yesterday was the worst it's ever been. You could not see the hills or mountains at all except for the hill near the barn and the hill past the mobile home. I read in the newspaper that it was unhealthy for infants, some small children, people with lung related problems and older people. The headline on "The Daily Tidings" was "Smoke Chokes Valley."

Tuesday, July 30, 2002
(Pollution Graph: Medford: 88, moderate)
It was smokey in the morning, then it turned crystal clear in the afternoon. Bet you never saw "Sunny and Smokey" for a fordcast. 4 MORE DAYS OF SMOKE PERDICKED

Wednesday, July 31, 2002
More Smoke, can't see Hills or Mountains, Enough said.

In the summer of 2002, I was 11 years old. The above entries are excerpts from my diary. (Since then, I have certainly improved my spelling and writing skills.) That summer still lives on in my mind today. Whenever there is the faintest odor of smoke, I look to the horizon for those hazy clouds. It was the year of the Biscuit Fire, the nation's largest wildfire in 2002. The fire wasn't completely smothered until December 31, 2002. Though, we were never even close to the fire's path, the smoke funneled into our valley. For 30 days straight, smoke blanketed the hills. It wasn't pleasant to breathe in the acrid air, so I stayed inside most of that month.

The Mail Tribune reported this on August 18, 2002:

Smoke has been our constant companion for more than a month now.
We’ve seen it in many forms as wildfires flared across Southern Oregon. In black and gray and brown clouds, dense and roiling beneath a soaring white plume during a blow-up. As salt-and-pepper grains of ash on car windshields and kitchen counters after the flames ebbed.

And this on August 2, 2002:

Smoky conditions are expected to continue indefinitely as fires rage in Southern Oregon.
"We’re in a poor location when you get the smoke from the Biscuit fire because of the westerly winds, and then we’re directly south of the Timbered Rock fire," said Keenan Smith, natural resource specialist with the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality.
Medford and Shady Cove, which both have air quality monitoring stations, continued to show unhealthy readings Wednesday.
In fact, readings were worse than in Grants Pass or the Illinois Valley, where the fires are burning.
After 10 a.m. Thursday, Smith said, readings at both stations surpassed the federal limit of 150 micrograms of particulate per cubic meter of air. After steadily rising, both stations’ readings jumped to 300 by 3 p.m.

In the summers proceeding, smoke never lasted long. With even a whiff of smoke, the memories come pouring forth.

The Return of the Squirrel

2007-09-10T15:27:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, my mom and I were sitting on the patio eating dinner. I noticed a squirrel standing on the corner of the fence. Upon closer inspection, the squirrel appeared to be quite similar in appearance to the one I saw earlier. He was the same squirrel! The walnut still sat on the fence. The squirrel looked around, looking as if he had forgotten something. It scurried along the fence toward the nut and picked it up with his teeth. The same bushy tail went leaping into a tree and he was gone.

Chronicles of a City Girl: A Squirrel Tale

2007-09-09T15:32:00.000-07:00

This afternoon, I was sitting on the patio doing my Environmental Systems homework. A warm breeze brought leaves fluttering to the ground. Tall trees rocked back and forth. My cat, Angel, lay resting on a patio chair. It was a lazy Sunday afternoon.

I looked up from the page, gazing at the beautiful day. A chitter* wakened me from my reverie. There, standing on the patio, stood a wide-eyed squirrel. It had a large walnut hanging out of his mouth. He scurried forward, his beady eyes not once leaving me. Then, he hesitated, considering me more cautiously.

The back of the patio chair blocked Angel's view of the squirrel. I sat, not making a sound, while the scene unfolded.

The squirrel bounced closer to Angel, not aware of the lurking danger. All in one quick moment, Angel caught sight of the squirrel and sprang. The walnut was quickly discarded as its owner raced across the yard and up the fence.

I picked up the nut, feeling sorry for the squirrel. As I approached the fence, he backed off into a tree. I set it on the fence in hope that he would later return to pick up his precious treasure.

*chitter - the sound a squirrel makes, a cross between a chatter and a chirp

August 30 Downpour

2007-09-05T21:03:00.000-07:00

On August 30, a storm loomed on the horizon. Thunderstorms had been quite commonplace this summer. The power had gone out twice earlier that day. It was muggy and the air felt heavy. My dad, Lisa, and I ventured into town for a potluck and a movie. While we were there, we witnessed an amazing show. Driving through town, we saw scattered branches and a downed tree. It was raining heavily when we arrived. A few minutes later, the sound of pounding rain grew louder. Soon, hail 1/4 inch thick began falling from the sky. The street became a river and the sidewalk a stream. Water pooled in front of the doorway as a it cascaded down the cement steps. Eventually, the rain subsided and it became quiet once again.

The Mail Tribune reported this the next day:

A series of storms tore through Ashland on Thursday, knocking down tree branches, power lines and causing mild flooding on several streets.
In addition to more than 3 inches of rain, the storm dropped half-inch-size hail periodically, according to National Weather Service meteorologist Brett Lutz.

"That was a good amount of rain to fall in a little less than four hours," Lutz said. "The southern part of town was hit the hardest."

End of Summer

2007-08-31T08:10:00.000-07:00

Today, I'm leaving the farm for the city. While I won't be at the farm, I might write some updates occasionally from what I hear from my dad. I'm thinking of doing a picture series.

It has been a wonderful summer, full of new experiences.

Good-bye farm.
Note: This picture was taken during a thunderstorm. The sky really was bright orange!

The Second Cobbing

2007-08-29T22:12:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, my dad, Lisa, and I cobbed a second side. This time we made bigger batches, so it took less time.

The Last Green Beans...I Think?

2007-08-29T21:38:00.000-07:00

I picked 2 pounds, 1.5 ounces this morning. That brings the summer total to 39 pounds, 0.2 ounces. Almost 40 pounds of green beans. We haven't been keeping up on the chopping, so we had two plastic bags, a large tupperware, and the beans I picked today in the refrigerator. Lisa and I did a green bean purge.

Measure 37

2007-08-29T18:33:00.000-07:00

Usually, I don't get too political, but when politics affect the farm, I make an exception. Today, we received a letter in the mail stating:

This is to notify you that the State of Oregon has received a claim for compensation due to the enforcement of a land use regulation that is alleged to restrict the use of certain private real property in a manner that reduces the property's fair market value. This claim pertains to property located near property you own. This claim was submitted to the Sate under Oregon Ballot Measure 37, now known as Oregon Laws 2005, chapter 1, and Oregon Administrative Rules 125-145-00010 et seq. The processing of Measure 37 claims by the state is done under OAR 125-145-00010 et seq. Per OAR 125-145-0080, we are notifying you of the pending claim and of your opportunity to submit comments concerning the claim and any relief the State may allow. Relief for a valid claim may include the payment of just compensation or an election to stop applying the land use regulation to the property. An election to stop applying a land use regulation to the claimant's property may result in use of that property that would not be permitted it the land use regulation continued to apply.

Our neighbors who own roughly 45 acres want to subdivide their land into 9 five-acre parcels and develop a building on each. This is $800,000 compensation. Their land runs along our road. Developing that land will cause a whole lot more traffic and noise. From some neighborhood gossip, I heard that they are already rich and don't need that money. I am very passionately against Measure 37. It ruins environmental and land use laws. Anyway, I could go on and on about it, but I restrain myself.

Licking the Frosting Bowl

2007-08-29T18:21:00.000-07:00

Part 2 of the Carrot Cake assembly: Making the Frosting.

The frosting recipe was quite simple: cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla. Everything in the frosting is bad for you, but extremely delicious! Mixing the butter and cream cheese was the hardest part since I stirred it by hand. I initially made a recipe and a half, but then realized that it was not quite enough to cover the cake. The second half recipe also allowed for more bowl licking! One of the best parts of making carrot cake, besides actually eating it, is licking the bowl.

The Sweet Aroma of Carrot Cake

2007-08-28T15:55:00.000-07:00

Today, I made a carrot cake for Lisa's birthday. First, I used a food processor to grate the carrots. Next, I mixed brown sugar with the carrots and left it for an hour. The raisins were added after that. In a separate bowl, I mixed eggs, white sugar, vanilla, and sunflower oil together. Then, I mixed flour, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves in yet another bowl. I added the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Once they were mixed, I added the carrot mixture to that. The last part I added were the walnuts. Finally, I was able to pour the batter into two eight-inch cake pans and put them in to bake.

Now, the aroma of baking carrot cake wafts through the house.

Cobbing the Root Cellar

2007-08-28T15:18:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, my dad, Lisa, and I cobbed one side of the root cellar. The cobb mixture was made of clay (dirt), sand, straw, and water. Mixing the cobb was the most difficult part, but the actual application was fun. Lisa put sticks onto the wall of the root cellar so that we could grow vines on it. We all wore rubber gloves to protect our hands.The first bit of cobb that was applied.
We worked from the bottom to the top.
My discarded rubber gloves lie on a rock next to the wall.
The tree branches add a nice effect to the outside of the root cellar.
It took almost 3 hours worth of work to finish cobbing the side.

The Making of Quiche

2007-08-27T21:33:00.001-07:00

Tonight, I made quiche for the second time this summer. It is a great recipe because it uses eggs, milk, and green beans! Of course the vegetables can be varied depending on what we have around.

First, I rolled out the pie crust (whole wheat flour, vegetable shortening, salt, water) and then made the nerve wracking transfer from counter to tin. Last time I made quiche, I didn't put enough flour on the counter and it stuck. I had to re-roll the crust.

Next, I chopped and sauteed the onions, garlic, carrots, and green beans (which I chopped after I had picked them!). While these were cooking, I cracked 10 eggs into a bowl. Then, I added salt, pepper, and milk to the mix. Once the veggies were done, I mixed some oregano into them and poured the mixture into the pie crust. I poured the egg mixture in next. The final ingredient was some homemade feta cheese that Lisa had made.

It cooked for well over an hour and by that time it was getting late. When it came out of the oven, the vegetables and egg were cooked perfectly.

Yesterday's Beans

2007-08-27T12:00:00.000-07:00

I picked 3 pounds, 1.9 ounces of green beans yesterday morning. Our refridgerator now contains mostly milk, eggs, and green beans.

Giant Vegetables

2007-08-25T22:11:00.000-07:00

There have been a number of huge vegetables grown on the farm this summer. Here are just a few: This carrot was pulled up on August 23.
Although it is not purple, this is a beet that we pulled up August 18.This green bean was picked July 13, but I'm sure bigger beans have been picked since then.These two huge cloves of garlic were picked August 17.

Shakespearean Sheep

2007-08-22T21:13:00.000-07:00

The two new wethers now have names! Say hello to Wooliam Sheepspeare (white sheep) and Cardinal Woolsey (brown sheep).

Normally, we wouldn't name sheep with a Shakespearean theme, but the name Wooliam Sheepspeare was just too good. We had to come up with another related name. Cardinal Wolsey is a character in Sheepspeare's ... I mean Shakespeare's Henry VIII as well as a historical figure.

Blooming Beauties

2007-08-22T17:03:00.001-07:00

My sunflowers have started to bloom! The big sunflower (one of the first planting survivors) has just started to open its petals. It is so satisfying to see the seeds I planted earlier this summer grow into such beautiful plants!

Just Some Green Beans

2007-08-22T13:50:00.000-07:00

I just picked 2 pounds, 3.7 ounces of green beans. This brings the summer total to 33 pounds, 12.8 ounces (counting the 2 pounds, 2 ounces I did not post about).

Zinny's Accident

2007-08-19T12:33:00.000-07:00

This morning, my dad found Zinny caught in a hay feeder. Her leg was trapped in between two boards. There is a gash on either side of her leg. She hasn't been putting much weight on it, but she seems to be fine otherwise.

The Return of the Green Bean

2007-08-19T11:30:00.000-07:00

The green beans have made a comeback, but are still waning. There is one main trellis that is still producing a lot. I picked 2 pounds, 6.2 ounces this morning.

My Little Seeds

2007-08-18T23:33:00.000-07:00

Lisa helped me start my first winter garden vegetables this afternoon. I'm going to bring them back to the city when I go back so that I can plant them in my backyard there. I planted 6 different plants: Umpqua Broccoli, Yugoslavian Red Lettuce, Buttercrunch Lettuce, Bright Lights Chard, Red Kale, and Gailon. Lisa also gave me some beet (which she saved herself) and carrot seeds to plant directly in the ground.
I scooped the dirt into each of the 12 pots.
I patted and watered the dirt down.Lisa picked out the types of seeds I planted. I made little tags to stick into the soil that identified the kind of plant. Then, I planted them in the little pots.

Tomato Disease

2007-08-18T23:00:00.000-07:00

Some of our tomatoes have caught tomato spotted wilt virus. Lisa had to rip out 5 tomato plants so the virus wouldn't spread to the other plants. The picture on the left shows a forlorn spot where a tomato plant was ripped out.

New Sheep!

2007-08-18T22:10:00.000-07:00

This morning, we drove to a nearby sheep farm where we buy our sheep. There were about 8 or so wethers (ex-boys) to choose from. We picked out one white sheep and one brown one. They both have nice faces, but are very skittish (as are most sheep in my experience). We brought them home in our old, beat-up Nissan truck. We introduced them to our two other sheep, Macy Brown and Little Beau Sheep. There was a lot of sniffing and confusion, but soon the four were grazing together as if they'd known each other their whole lives.

Now, I need to think of names! Our past sheep have been named: Lamb Chop, Stew, Grillum, Sloppy Joe, the Baa 52's (three sheep together), Ram-a-Lamba-Ding-Dong, (Ram-a-Lamba for short), Dolly, Baabaa, and Kabob (Bob).

R.I.P. Mimi

2007-08-18T21:58:00.000-07:00

Our beloved chicken Mimi died early this morning. An autopsy revealed that she may have died of an intestinal problem. Otherwise, she was a healthy chicken. Mimi, a Speckled Sussex, was born February 2, 2002 at Murray McMurray Hatchery. She lived a happy life, eating bugs and food scraps. I remember that she was one of the few chickens who would eat from my hand. She was an outgoing and determined hen. We will all miss her. She is survived by her sister, Amelia.

The Goat Family Tree

2007-08-17T23:30:00.000-07:00

I have made up an easy-to-read family tree chart for our goats. Note: Racer was our original buck, who is now living on another farm. This chart does not include other past goats.

First Tomato Tasting

2007-08-17T22:04:00.000-07:00

Today, we had our first tomato tasting of the season. Lisa picked 8 different types of tomatoes for us to sample. These varieties were: Shuntuski Velican, Purple Cherokee, Rose de Berne, Sun and Snow, Aunt Ruby's German Green, Black from Tula, Ananas Noire, and Vera's Seeds of Paradise. Our favorite was the Black from Tula. It had a strong, sweet flavor. The Ananus Noire was the most unique looking (see picture).

We grow a lot of tomatoes around here (over 50 varieties). Lisa starts tomato plants as a little side business. By the way, the best cherry tomato variety I have ever tried is hands down Sungold. After eating a Sungold, no other tomato can compare.

Making Soup

2007-08-17T21:29:00.000-07:00

Tonight, I made a delicious soup. It was primarily made of our own produce. I did the chopping, mixing, and cooking, with some help from Lisa. First, I sauteed the onions in butter. Next, I added the garlic, green beans, carrots, and potatoes. Lisa melted some chicken broth and cooked the tomatoes a bit. Then, I poured in the milk and added cornstarch. I waited until it started to boil to add the chicken broth and tomatoes. I let it simmer for over a half an hour so that the potatoes, carrots, and green beans would be cooked through.

Here is the recipe:

2 T. butter
2 onions, chopped
4 c. carrots, chopped
2 huge cloves of garlic, minced
3/4 tsp. oregano
3/4 tsp. thyme
2 c. milk
1 T. cornstarch
1 pint tomatoes, quartered
1 1/2 c. chicken broth
1 1/2 c. green beans

Walking Goats

2007-08-17T21:06:00.000-07:00

My friend, Rebecca, and I took Angelica and Zinny on a walk down the gravel road today. It brings me back to the years that we used to walk Calla and Blackberry. Now, they are all grown up. Calla has a kid and Blackberry lives at another farm.

As with all baby goats, Angelica and Zinny were reluctant to leave their mom. A great chorus of baas rose into the air as we led the kids away from the farm. Sophie, who, as you can imagine, was extremely excited, added her bark to the chorus. We had to pull the kids along at first. When we were only a few hundred feet down the lane, we were met with our first obstacle. Lulu, our neighbor's dog was running straight toward us. "Pick up Zinny!" I commanded Rebecca as I scooped Angelica into my arms. Rebecca was having a bit more trouble holding Zinny. Unlike myself, she was not used to holding goats. Before the Lulu reached us, the neighbor called her off. We set the kids back down to continue our walk.

Every so often, we would stop to give them a bit of grain or comfort them. We met several cars coming down the road. When this occurred, we would head to the side of the road and pick the kids up. The drivers peered curiously through their windows at us. It must have been a strange sight indeed. Angelica was the more stubborn goat of the two. She would rear onto two hooves and jump around trying to go back. Zinny, on the other hand, willingly followed and nibbled on the occasional weed alongside the road. On the way back, Angelica and Zinny were much more eager to move forward. There was a joyful reunion between Angelica and Lily. We kept Zinny on leash for another walk.

Zinny was much less cooperative without her sister beside her. Once we reached the end of the driveway, she was a bit better. The howling of our other neighbor's dogs and the few cars driving past made her even more nervous. Near the end of the road, we stopped to wait for Rebecca's ride to pick her up. There were two cows in a neighboring pasture who gazed curiously at Zinny. She looked back at them with frightened eyes. As we waited, we were confronted with the sounds and sights of the roadwork at the end of the road. A large dump truck turned down the street and headed toward us. I held Zinny by the side of the road, hoping the truck would pass quickly. As it rolled by, the bed of the truck bounced over a pothole and made a loud BANG!

Soon, Rebecca's ride arrived and I started the journey home. I had just begun walking, when a car drove by. The car slowed. A little girl's face was pressed up to the window, staring out at us. The driver also looked on in amazement. They passed, pulled into a driveway, and stepped out of the car. By this time, I had continued down the road, still looking back at them. They stood watching for a few more seconds and turned to go inside. I think that I was just as interested in their reaction as they were in Zinnia.

Small Beans

2007-08-17T13:28:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, the green beans only came in at 14.1 ounces! The season is really winding down. I'm glad of it, but at the same time, it is a little unsatisfying to pick only a few beans.

Final Yellow Plums

2007-08-15T17:50:00.000-07:00

This morning, I stripped the yellow plum tree of all the remaining fruit. Most of it was very overripe. I fed all the plums to the chickens. They were very appreciative.

Bean Season Winding Down!

2007-08-14T14:33:00.000-07:00

I only picked 3 pounds, 4.3 ounces this morning! Yay!

Root Cellar

2007-08-13T19:05:00.000-07:00

The plans for an above ground root cellar have been in the works for some time. This August, my dad began the construction process. Hay bales provide the insulation and main framework for the building. The foundation is made of pavers on top of dirt and sand. Plywood supports the bales on top. Metal sheets held down with pavers shed the cellar from rain. There is one shelf on the inside. Eventually, we will cobb the outside.

The hay bales make a wall underneath the porch while the foundation is built. (August 2)
My dad shows off the newly laid foundation. (August 2)
The hay bales are stacked to make the beginnings of the walls. (August 2)The root cellar as it looks presently. (August 12)

Summer Activities Total

2007-08-11T17:40:00.000-07:00

This is an ongoing list of major summer activities.

Bike Rides: 2
County Fairs: 2 (Jackson, Klamath)
Driving Practice: 2
Farmer's Market Volunteering: 3
Going to the AHS Library: 9 (1 time it wasn't open)
Going to the dog park: 1
Hikes: 2 (Mt. Ashland, Wagner Butte)
Lectures: 1 (Natural Farming)
Library Volunteering: 7
Movies in Theater: 1 (Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix)
SPRG Meetings: 2 (Melanie Lancaster's, Nigel's)
Visiting Grandma: 3

Places Visited:
Cave Junction
Jacksonville
Klamath Falls
Oregon Caves National Monument

The Summer of the Bean

2007-08-10T12:56:00.000-07:00

I picked green beans for an hour and a half today. They weighed in at 6 pounds, 3 ounces. I think the Rattlesnake beans may be winding down! Yay!

Prolific Peach Salsa

2007-08-09T18:17:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, Lisa and I made 1 1/2 gallons of peach salsa! We left more for ourselves to eat right away this time.

Mmm...Peach Salsa

Beans, Beans, Beans...

2007-08-06T17:58:00.000-07:00

Beans, Beans, Beans
Baked beans,
Butter beans,
Big fat lima beans,
Long thin string beans-
Those are just a few.

Green beans,
Black beans,
Big fat kidney beans,
Red hot chili beans,
Jumping beans too.

Pea beans,
Pinto beans,
Don't forget shelly beans.

Last of all,
Best of all,
I like jelly beans!

I picked 7 pounds, 7.2 ounces of green beans. I'm absolutely sick of green beans. The excerpt is a bean song I found on the Internet. Here is my version of it:

Green beans,
Green beans,
Big fat Green beans,
Long thin Green Beans beans-
There are just too many.

Green beans,
Green beans,
Big fat Green beans,
Purple dot Green beans,
Green beans too.

Green beans,
Green beans,
Don't forget Green beans.

Last of all,
Worst of all,
I hate Green beans!

A Surprise in the Onions

2007-08-01T22:02:00.000-07:00

Lisa ducked her head in the door and called for me to come outside to see something cool. I was baffled. I looked around as I walked outside. She led me into the garden to where she had been harvesting onions. There, nestled in the mulch and weeds was a little nest of eggs. Lisa told me that she had seen a quail fly off from the garden. There were 10 eggs in the nest and one that had fallen outside of it.

Another Rainstorm

2007-08-01T21:52:00.000-07:00

We sure have been getting our share of rainstorms in the Rogue Valley this year! Since early afternoon the air had the oppressive feeling of a thunderstorm. It was hot with a slight, warm breeze. This evening, there were threatening clouds on the horizon. Off to the east, the clouds were pink and there was a rainbow. Later, I was talking on the phone when I heard pitter-pattering on the roof. I couldn't believe my ears.

Of Mice and Cat

2007-08-01T21:47:00.000-07:00

On Monday evening, my dad witnessed Kitkat catch and kill a mouse by the chicken coop. Yesterday, Kitkat caught one in the yard by the patio. Sophie came running over and stole the dead mouse from Kitkat. We made Sophie give it back, but Kitkat seemed uninterested in it afterward. My dad, Lisa, and I were so happy with Kitkat. The other evening, I saw 5 mice dart by me in the barn. There are so many of them!