Brambleberry Blog

Drippy

2012-01-21T13:26:00.000-05:00

Yep, that describes the current weather pattern. It is mild for January and we are in a rain cluster for the next few days.

I'm not complaining, don't get me wrong. I just have a nagging worry about global climate change. Still, I know that weather patterns are not climate patterns, and I hope for the best.

I'm creating a cold room in the greenhouse for growing the more cold tolerant crops which could not be put outside until early Spring. Usually, I miss the deadlines. So, in big wooden shipping crates, I've placed tons of soil and compost in the section of the greenhouse which is not being heated, except by passive solar means. I've planted four containers and so far the mixed lettuce which I planted first on January 10th is up.

Over the Hump

2011-12-22T12:55:00.000-05:00

Happy Solstice!

The sky was pale pink this morning and we are having very mild weather. I'm making progress with the pruning and outside clean up. I've got plans for the greenhouse when it gets wet and cold. That's when I'll attend to inside tasks.

Inside the greenhouse this morning, I noticed Spring-like activity. There is the start of new growth on some of the plants which died down at the end of Summer. Jade trees and klanchoe are ready to bloom just as the Christmas cactus has just about finished. Odd, as this is the first day of Winter here.

Something I witnessed this week that touched me deeply: an octogenarian was getting out of the motorized shopping cart and stood up with the aid of her aluminum walker. Her husband extended his hand and they slowly exited the supermarket hand in hand. Everyone around was patient and gave them room. I walked to my car, wiping away a tear.

Hey, Moon!

2011-12-10T06:31:00.000-05:00

Rosy fingered dawn, my eye! 'More like a burglar's flashlight shining in to my window at 5 a.m.!

The moon's sitting out in the northwest in the blackness staring at me while I type at my desk. Soon, the sun will make an appearance and take away some of the chill.

Yesterday morning, I noticed (for the first time in my life?) that all the shadows cast by outbuildings on the farm were frosty. What a revelation.

I've continued my manure hauling each dry day, placing the non-hot goat manure around trees and in flower beds. All the buds are already on the trees prefiguring the Spring to come. Nature is an optimist.

December: Bright and Chilly

2011-12-02T15:28:00.000-05:00

There was a heavy frost this morning, but the sun was shining as the geese walked on water briefly. They broke through the ice and by mid-afternoon the ice was gone.

Suddenly, most of the trees are leafless.

Tomorrow, we will work on winter-proofing the big barn by covering the gates with plywood to keep the drafts down.

I've been hauling buckets of half-composted goat manure up the hill to act as mulch and fertilizer for the fruit trees. I've got to transplant some of the many butterfly bushes which planted themselves in my vegetable garden. There is also, mysteriously, a beauty berry bush.

It's good weather for this work.

Weather See-saw

2011-11-21T12:46:00.001-05:00

Today I raked the barn in a T-shirt, no jacket. It is 68 degrees F. and the weather will be mild for the next week. It's overcast, but there hasn't been much rain since last week, when it was also much colder. We are on the weather see-saw for now, so I'll try to take advantage of the milder temps.

The cows moved to the next pasture, fence repaired.

There are less and less leaves visible on the trees.

Golden Days

2011-11-09T07:32:00.000-05:00

This is one of those posts made to tuck away for frigid winter days or blazing hot summertime.

These Autumn days are golden, with warm, sunny daytime temperatures and cool nights.

The goats race out of the barn in the mornings to see what yummy leaves have fallen since yesterday. The views are spectacular and it is possible to do as much physical work as I can in a day. The cows seem content to graze and rest with their little calves. They need to be moved to the next pasture soon, but some fence repairs need to get done before that. I'm confident that this will get done this coming weekend.

Crisp and Cool

2011-10-20T07:20:00.002-05:00

Click on photo to enlarge.

Rain last night and cooler temperatures this morning -- I pulled out my camera to capture some of the views from my window. It was almost impossible to take a bad picture.

We've made some progress repairing a couple of old outbuildings this past week, getting the foundations re-poured in preparation for shoring up the walls and re-roofing to keep out the rain and snow. This will provide more efficient animal housing and storage space.

Dinky, our little Hereford cow had a calf a few days ago. We drove the mule out into the field to check on cows and came upon the newborn snoozing in the sunshine. The first day or so, newborn calves do not run away, so we were able to pet and admire her. I looked up to see Dinky steaming over. If I hadn't noticed her, she surely would have knocked me over -- she was that agitated over our handling of the new baby! She's moved the baby into the high brush and is hiding with her for now. I expect we'll see the baby running with the other calves in a few more days. There are three others frolicing in the crisp Autumn weather.

Autumn

2011-09-25T14:33:00.003-05:00

The Autumn Equinox occurred on September 23rd this year. We've turned a corner. It's been raining a lot, thankfully, although it's more humid than cool.

Leaves are just beginning to turn color. It's a very subtle change.

We have a bumper crop of figs ripening. I picked a big bowl today and am looking around for recipes on the Internet. There are quite a lot of intriguing ones. For today, I'll peel and cut up the last of the apples and mix in some chopped figs, cinnamon, and maybe a little sweetener with vanilla, although the figs will likely add all the sweetness you'd want. The mix will go into a casserole and in the microwave for as long as it takes to soften up the apples. After it cools, I'll freeze it in pint sized containers. It will be a lovely applesauce for wintertime or an ingredient for cakes and other desserts or an accompaniment for pork or chicken.

Something tells me I'll also be canning some fig chutney during the cold months, as there are many containers of dried and fresh figs in the freezer.

We said goodbye to six prime young breeding goat does today. They will be the start of a new herd for someone in the area. Our herd is getting thinned out a bit before winter sets in.

Cool and Gray

2011-09-17T07:37:00.000-05:00

It barely got up into the 60s yesterday. Today looks like it will be rainy. It will warm up a little next week, but I'm enjoying the cooler weather. I can get more physical work done.

Fat green walnut pods are dropping onto the ground in all the pastures. The goats are munching some acorns and we are mowing and cutting the stupid, useless stickweed that is taking over.

I'm picking the last of the apples and lots of nice red tomatoes.

We are definitely on the last days of summer.

It's Been an Interesting Year

2011-09-10T06:42:00.002-05:00

Yesterday afternoon, I drove through a pasture to our cabin to do some general clean-up outside and pick up a load of old wood.

Overgrown bushes beckoned. I was pruning a forsythia when something caught my eye. I turned and looked at the path to the cabin and saw what I first thought was a black heifer ambling up the path.

"What the h...?" I said aloud when I realized this was not a heifer.

The big black bear looked startled to see me and turned to run into the woods.

Another first.

September -- Relief!

2011-09-06T17:48:00.000-05:00

Today is the first cool day we've had for months. I wore a sweater all day. It's been raining pretty much steadily since yesterday. The parched earth is absorbing all the moisture and things are already greener and less crunchy.

The cows seem relieved. The goats are bummed because they do not like to get their feet wet. Some of the braver ones were on the hillside this afternoon.

Our ponds are getting refilled, which, naturally made the geese happy. I am happy, too.

Whew! Ahem.

2011-08-30T13:27:00.000-05:00

So, we had an earthquake and a hurricane all in one week. Well done.

Actually, although the kitchen shook a bit, it wasn't a big deal. I was listening to my Ipod with earphones while cutting up apples, and stopped momentarily when it happened. I did make a mental note to call the FAA about the MedEvac helicopter flying too close to our house, however.

It wasn't until my mother called from New York State that I learned that it was "the" East Coast earthquake centered in a small town in the general area. There's been a lot of talk about it since, so I thought I should mention it.

Hurricane Irene barely caused some wind and, unfortunately, very little rain. We were at the outer edge of the path. I'd say that New York and Vermont got much more effect than we did.

That's the big news.

The little news: sizeable flocks of birds touch down to rest and refuel on their way to somewhere. The daytime temperatures are now in the low eighties. The late-planted red tomatoes are starting to ripen. A bumper crop of figs have eluded consumption by critters, so I'm drying and freezing them. There is a cow nursing twins -- a first for us.

Nooks and Crannies

2011-08-22T06:05:00.000-05:00

I heard a radio announcer refer to "late summer" and I became aware that we are nearly through the sweaty time of year.

There have been some lower humidity days, but it's up and down. I'm waiting for weather conducive to weeding and pruning. Rain has been elusive for us. It's evidently soaking nearby areas, but we are either in a nook or a crannie of the Blueridge which is being overlooked by the rain fairy. The lawn crunches when you walk over it.

If you go down the hill early enough, there is a contingent of wild turkey that walks the lower hay field. They are pretty bold, knowing that it's off-season for hunters. A gray crane flies to the goose pond each morning. There is so little water that frog gigging must be a breeze.

The geese, who ate little feed during the mating and nesting season, now wait expectantly at the gate in the late afternoon. They are fattening up for winter already.

Apples and figs are ripening quickly and I am straining to keep up with the processing.

August

2011-08-09T12:27:00.001-05:00

Today is the day the heat and humidity is supposed to break.

We got a little rain over the weekend, which was most welcome. Many July Bugs are lying on their backs with their legs up in the air. Is their life cycle over for this year? The blackberry bushes have suffered from the intense heat and lack of rain. Most are browned with shriveled berries.

I've got two carboys of blackberry wine brewing. There are enough berries in the freezer to prepare a third. 'Not bad, considering that there was NO blackberry wine at all last year.

I planted three cucumber seeds in July and have picked far more cucumbers than we really need. I hope to restrain myself from trying to make cucumber wine!

Meanwhile, I'm looking forward to more rain, reduced humidity, and lower temperatures. I've got plans for outdoor jobs that need attention.

On Picking Blackberries in July

2011-07-18T09:42:00.000-05:00

(To be tucked away for December reading.)

Three days of low humidity and relative coolness allowed me to concentrate on picking for wine. I was able to pick late into the mornings and since the blackberries are at the height of ripeness, I pulled in gallons which are now in ziploc bags in the freezer. This morning, the humidity and heat are back and we are in typical July weather.

I was drenched with sweat by 8 a.m. and hadn't really accomplished all that much. By ten thirty the animal chores were done and I'd cut down weeds and picked another gallon of berries. I was aware of the scent of catnip as I picked around the goose pond fence. A big old bull frog was sounding the alert: "Watch out, that berry picking lady is at it again! She might take a notion to gig for frogs -- so watch out!

I moved to patches up higher where bergamot abounds and its distinctive scent dominated. There are also places where the honeysuckle is the predominate scent. The crazy July bugs were hanging all over the brambles. Occasionally, I picked one along with plump berries and it gave the impression of one of those trick hand buzzers, startling me and making me jump with surprise!

The dopey July bugs are harmless and I guess after years of observing them, I'd miss them if they didn't show up to announce that the berries are ripe and ready to pick. It's the gnats and stinging insects that are irritating. I'm covered with insect/sunblock spray in order to survive. Even so, I'll have to spray anti-itch stuff on insect bites by early evening. Bugs fly in my eyes and ears. Brambles grab at my skin. Berry picking is not always fun, but worth it anyway.

This is prime time to pick. Blackberries will be done by mid-August and the window of opportunity will close.

June Bug Report

2011-07-09T19:20:00.000-05:00

Today, I picked a decent amount of blackberries for wine. However, they are less abundant than in years previous to last year. The drought last year pretty much decimated the crop. I'm hoping to get at least one carboy of blackberry wine. The heat, even early in the morning, made me feel sick.

As I picked, I had to deal with the drunken June (or July) bugs. They are now bombing the house roof. At times, it sounds like a steady rain. They are definitely connected with the ripening of blackberries. I also saw them milling around the fig tree, which has started producing.

We got an actual heavy storm yesterday. We got wet in the evening while tucking in the goats. No complaints there.

Guests did me a favor by picking more purple beans, chard, rhubarb, and shallots -- all of which were volunteer crops.

July

2011-07-01T06:14:00.001-05:00

It will be hot and humid today, although we've had some low humidity days this past week. I managed to do some outside work, like pulling weeds and checking for berries.

Wineberries are ready and I've picked a bunch. Unfortunately, we don't have large stands of them. The blackberries are just starting to ripen, but so far most are bitter. If it rains some more, we may have some sweet plump ones. I noticed that, probably due to last year's drought conditions, large stands of blackberry have disappeared or significantly shrunk.

Blooming now: Rose of Sharon, daylilies, hosta, butterfly bush, larkspur, soapwort. and lavender. Chard, fennel, beans, and shallots are ready to harvest. Asparagus are done for the most part.

Biting and stinging insects are active in abundance, but not a single June bug was spotted last month -- just for the record.

Summer Solstice

2011-06-21T18:27:00.001-05:00

The sun is up around 5 a.m. and so am I. It stays light until around 9:30 p.m. Today is the longest day -- meaning the day with the most light -- of the year.

Lucky for us, the day started with thunder and light rain. It appears it will end that way, too, although the middle of the day was overcast and dry.

Happy with rain yesterday, I quickly plugged in tomato seedlings in the plastic garden. Two more blueberry bushes which had been sitting on the porch were also planted in the garden. I'm thinking I'll concentrate on perennials and self-seeding plants. Shallots and fennel are prominent in the garden. Yesterday, I processed a big pot of purple beans. I didn't plant a single bean. I've already got enough frozen to last about two years.

The apricots are ripening at a rapid rate. I'm racing the birds and other critters to get my share. Processing is tedious but well worth the effort. I'm freezing the peeled and pitted fruit until the day I'll make jams.

Here is an idea of how the landscape looked after the recent rain:

Click on the image to enlarge.

The Good Life

2011-06-06T19:24:00.003-05:00

We're easing into Summer. We've already had a few days in the high nineties and then gotten a little rain with impressive lightning and thunder which took us back to lower temperatures and less humidity. It seems we're in for more hot days this coming week.

This is all fine for the continuing haying. High temps bake the grass dry and little rain doesn't really affect the process of raking and baling.

I'm in my normal Summer mode -- getting out early to do chores and whatever gardening I can manage and then retreating to the house until evening. I got my own battery powered chainsaw, so can cut small trees to neaten up the landscape. I cut up much dead pussywillow and wild grapevine this morning.

During the day yesterday and today, I bottled the 2010 wines which were stored in carboys in the basement. I taste a small bit of each one before bottling so as not to waste time if the wine isn't up to par.

Not a single wine was spoiled. Some are very good, others just good. Those of you who might be wondering about the yellow tomato wine: It has a slightly tomato-y taste with lemon and ginger supporting. It's what you'd call an "interesting" wine and one that may improve with age. It's a lovely golden color. 'Not something you'd normally expect in a wine. It does pack a punch, however!

The tomato wine made me think of the potent peapod wine made by the Goods in the PBS series, "The Good Neighbors." It was a 1975 series about what we now call Urban Homesteaders. They lived in a middle class neighborhood and when Tom Good lost his job, they decided to become self-sufficient by raising fruit and vegetables and even acquiring chickens, a pig and a milk goat named Geraldine. Tom managed to figure out how to generate power using the methane from animal manure.

Everything old is new again.

Scorcher

2011-06-01T05:52:00.000-05:00

"May" rhymes with "Hay" and every year it's a game of dodge the raindrops while surviving extreme heat. Today is June 1st and the heat is on!

All around us, farmers are making hay. The weather may cooperate this week, but dealing with equipment malfunctions is trying and delays progress. Same old same old.

The first golden daylilies are blooming. Asparagus is plentiful and requires daily picking. I blanch and freeze as quantities require. I never got around to planting the vegetable garden, but chard, tomatoes, and beans have volunteered. The beans have grown to the top of the trellis. There is much fruit on the trees, but the black raspberries are late this year.

The cows are happy to be in deep grass and the goats are fat and finding plenty of browse under the grass. Baby goats are growing. Some are already half the size of their mothers.

"It ain't over till it's over"...

2011-05-08T15:50:00.000-05:00

...the immortal words of Yogi Berra.

Yes, folks, just when I "graduated" the last class from the maternity barn and we started getting back to normal (whatever that is) I found a little orphan screaming her lungs out. No tag. This was two days ago.

Was someone playing a joke by dropping off goat babies in our barn? No. I found her mother that evening. She'd had the baby and gone off to graze for the day. They are now in the maternity barn and yard.

Today -- you guessed it! Baby boy. Baby #111. This defies my understanding of gestation since the buck wasn't here longer than a month. Are there more to come? Stay tuned to this channel for the answer to that and other perplexing questions.

Happy Mother's Day!

Tempus Fugit

2011-05-04T17:08:00.000-05:00

It seems impossible that my last post was in early April. It is now May. Iris have just started to burst through their paperlike buds. Spring rains grow grass quickly and it is nearly time for the first mowing of hay. The lawns have been mowed several times already.

Tiny apricots, pears, peaches, figs and apples are on the trees, foretelling a good fruit harvest. I've been picking and freezing asparagus and eggs are plentiful.

We ended up with well over a hundred little goatlings. Today, I "graduated" the last bunch from the maternity barn to graze the pastures. I decided to put the four bottle babies in that enclosure, as there is a refrigerator and microwave in that barn and it will be more convenient to keep milk there and warm it up. There is also soap and water and I'll be able to de-gunk when they splatter me with milk. Since it will be in the 30s tonight, that is a good warm place for them to stay.

I call them the gang of four, AKA the howling banshees. Bottle kids can be thugs, especially the males. Their cuteness makes them tolerable. They guzzle milk like it is going out of style. They run to greet me and trip me by winding around my feet. Little goats seem to have the impression that humans have milk somewhere in their legs, but it is not precise just where. They love, love, love milk and they love, love, love attention and cuddling.

We've achieved a sort of system and I actually manage to cook meals and am catching up with cleaning in the house. The vegetable garden is unplanted. I've considered just seeing what I can glean from the perennial crops and berries this year, as we have plenty frozen and canned from last year. I'll likely relent and get things in the ground soon.

Redbud in Bloom

2011-04-07T10:23:00.001-05:00

I saw one redbud ready to bloom in the woods on Saturday. Today, they are prominent on the edges of the pastures.

We're having a little respite from goat births for the past few days. I think there will be another wave before the end of the month -- and then it will be over, because the buck was only here for a month.

All is pretty copacetic in the barns. In the big barn, which is maze-like, fifteen or twenty babies will play a breakneck game of follow the leader. They race through the barn from end to end and through the fenced pasture. Sometimes, they are so intent on the game that they run into me as I try to make my way to do one task or another.

Baby goats are happy to be alive and full of energy. Mothers' milk is making them strong and heavy to pick up! The life force is strong. They can now leap atop tall buildings in a single bound. Well, at least they are jumping up onto the top of the little plastic dog house in the hallway. Eventually the sudden need for sleep will hit and they will pile inside for a nice, warm nap.

March Went Out Like a Lion

2011-04-02T06:50:00.000-05:00

We even had some snow flurries yesterday morning -- April 1st -- no joke. I am UDDERLY (and utterly) exhausted. We are up to well over 70 new kids, but it seems to be nearly over. We had a single newborn yesterday afternoon.

To think that I was under the impression that kidding would just be starting about now! I guess I need to be a little more careful about counting days. We were caught a little off guard and the small pastures need fence repairs before we can turn them out on a dry day. I'm hoping that will be addressed today while we have our Saturday helper. Now, if we could just have a dry, warm, sunny day...

I sold one of my last Nubians with her two fat baby doelings yesterday. There are two Nubians left. We are nearly all white with brown heads now. 'Get 'em while they're hot. By the way, Brambleberry Farm will be a good place to purchase new breeding stock this year.

I hope to start tagging, worming, and wethering, but need courageous and strong helpers.

Speedy (Goat) Delivery Service

2011-03-26T18:44:00.001-05:00

When you've survived another day on this goat ranch, you know it by the back pain, extreme fatigue, and inability to string sentences together.

I've been working pretty much twelve hour days for the last week. My little UTV is outfitted with two vented plastic picnic baskets, lined with clean towels and a dog leash. I bought those picnic baskets many years ago in a Big Lots in Orlando, Florida. I had no idea what they'd be good for, but at five dollars apiece, it seemed like a good buy.

My little UTV travels uphill and down and all around the pastures, picking up mothers and babies who have been born al fresco and delivering them to the barns where mothers get food, hay, and water and semi-private digs. Mothers are usually tied onto the handhold of the UTV and I slowly proceed with them in tow. Babies naval cords are iodined; the date, mother's tag number and the babies new herd numbers are entered in my little notebook; paper collars containing the same information are placed on little baby necks and kisses and congratulations are given all around.

There are also a good number of overnight births in the barn. This morning, my husband and I worked to sort out a dozen new births, clean out the biggest space in the bottom of the barn and figure out a strategy for housing all in some sort of orderly fashion.

I've just done a count from my notebook. We have had 64 live births so far. Many sets of triplets and two sets of quads so far. Most births are twins, but today we had a couple of singles -- all bucklings.

So, those of you who love baby goat time at Brambleberry Farm and want to help out for a few hours (you know who you are), come on out or give me a call or email to set up a time. I figure we are only about half way through.

The picnic baskets were a great buy and the UTV was a great buy in terms of useful tools.

Spring Sprung

2011-03-18T06:44:00.001-05:00

The apricot trees are in full bloom, as is an early Magnolia. I decided to "Spring Up" the blog in celebration. There is some rain in the forecast, and I'm glad of it.

The briar project continues, but I'm nearing the end. Huge piles of cut brambles have been generated and await removal by tractor or truck.

Jonquils are blooming, but not all yet. Restraint is good. I see tulip leaves up, but no buds yet.

Much of the pre-baby work is done in the barns. Maternity checks are daily events.

Meanwhile, I struggle to learn to use Open Source Software on the theory that exercising the brain is good. Mostly, I get a mild headache and smoke comes out of my ears, but some progress is being made.

I Love Puzzles

2011-03-03T07:32:00.000-05:00

My current project is cutting down a large stand of brambles near our front gate. It is a complicated and treacherous puzzle. You could really get hurt unraveling this puzzle.

It's not the first time in fourteen years that I've done this, but I swear it will be the last time! I've got plans to keep this stuff in check. There are lovely perennial bulbs planted there which, some years, are never seen and appreciated.

I work for an hour or just a half hour and then need to rest. This is not for the faint of heart. I'll work outside as long as I can each day and tackle the pruning and cleaning of flower beds during Spring. When the Summer heat comes it'll be all over!

I planted some peppers in the greenhouse yesterday.

The newborn calves run like crazy when I drive down the hill. The interesting thing is that they run to Papa Tom, our horned Dexter bull. He's been known to lay in the pasture with a group of young calves all around him. How do they know he's the pater familias? Is it instinct? He is a lovely boy and I am fond of him

March Came in Like a Lamb

2011-03-02T06:47:00.000-05:00

Will March go out like a lion? Stay tuned.

Severe thunderstorms and possible tornados were predicted on February 28th. It kept me on edge the whole day. Thankfully, they never materialized. We did get some nice rain.

It was up in the 70s F. The next day, March 1st it was 20 degrees cooler. Good. That's more normal.

I'm aware that France near the Swiss border is experiencing much the same Spring-like weather, with daffodils and tulips starting to bloom. The drive to prune and weed was strong yesterday. I tired myself out just calculating how much work needs to be done. I managed to plant some tomato seeds in the greenhouse -- but I would have done that no matter the weather outside.

Meanwhile, the logistics of goat kidding is taking up some brain space. The maternity barn is pretty well fitted out, but it won't hold all, so I must start strategizing how we will use the big barn stalls.

'Bet you city dwellers didn't know that farmers have to do so much thinking and planning. Don't plan and you'll reap the consequences in terms of chaos.

I'm reading Bringing It to the Table, by Wendell Berry and just at the point where I may learn the secrets of large herd management of sheep, which are close enough to goat herd management. I'm hoping there will be some gems of wisdom included.

False Spring

2011-02-21T07:27:00.001-05:00

It is predicted that we'll be in the 70s today. Spring bulbs have begun to emerge and I am getting nervous. If the fruit trees blossom out, we are sure to get zapped when winter returns.

Rain is predicted again, although we've seen precious few raindrops this February.

All in all, this is the strangest February I can remember.

Two new baby cowies were born last week. It was good that they were born in temperate weather and got to see some sunshine for their starts in life. There is no grass growing to speak of and big round bales are being delivered to the pasture daily.

We've been hard at work in the goat maternity barn, getting ready for Spring births. We put three new storage cabinets together and moved the refrigerator to the upper area near the sink and cabinets. It will be good to be able to find things with the expanded storage. If you need a towel or a rag or meds quickly, it will be possible to get hands on stuff.

Today, I'll sweep up and maybe even put sawdust in the birthing stalls. We'll get some help and move square bales in so that we are ready. I am fully expecting snow in April -- that will demonstrate that Mother Nature will not be thwarted.

Flying

2011-01-21T12:57:00.001-05:00

We were watching a movie last night where someone was dreaming that he was flying. I know that dream has all sorts of positive interpretations.

I said to my husband, "I've never dreamed that I was flying, have you?"

"No," he said, "but I've dreamed I was trapped in a sleeping bag."

That should tell you all you need to know about us.

If you'd like to search for the meanings of dreams on a site where you can actually type in the dream, go to http://www.dreamforth.com/ . I cannot vouch for its reliability, but it is a fun site.

New Year

2011-01-01T07:17:00.001-05:00

Here in Gringolandia the glacier seems to be receding. I may get my car back up the hill and tucked into the garage. The White Christmas storm kept me up here for lack of a four wheel drive vehicle which could actually get up the ice covered driveway. My husband graciously took care of the farm animals because he drives a heavy four wheel drive truck.

I got to read The Lacuna, a book I highly recommend. It concerns many things which I am interested in: politics, Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo, class struggle, Mexico, Appalachia, and the dark side of human nature which will manage to destroy reputation by bullying. Luckily, some of us have a lacuna through which we can escape. The leisure to read was a great Christmas present.

Now, I'm on toThe Jungle, which purports to be about the evils of the meat packing industry in the early 1900s, but which will, I think, give me more insight into the lives of immigrants who came to the major cities on the Great Lakes from Europe and struggled against exploitation and deprivation. Class struggle figures in again, as does the dark side of human nature. Although my grandparents didn't live in Chicago, Buffalo was close enough. My grandmother told me some stories of what it was like to be a child in those times, but perhaps I was less aware of the desire of the rich to exploit masses of workers for their own selfish gain. This seems to be the aim of the current would-be "Masters of the Universe."

The stories of unlimited opportunity in the New World were also sold to the peasants in Europe by agents of the meatpacking and steel industries to lure a nearly unlimited supply of workers so desperate to make a living for their families that they were willing to work for wages so low that many suffered and died while their employers got richer and richer.

Of course, Cortez mercilessly exploited the Azteca for much the same reasons. Tell, me, will we ever learn enough from history to break the cycle?

It's Winter

2010-12-21T09:36:00.000-05:00

The Solstice has occurred, spectacularly, with a full lunar eclipse. Cloud cover prevented me from seeing it with my own eyes, but there are plenty of images online.

We are on the upside -- although a frozen driveway is a little inconvenient. We're expecting more ice and snow.

We recently viewed a movie, Agora, which was about life in 4th Century Alexandria, Egypt. Hypathia was the main character. She would have been able to predict the eclipse, as she was a preeminent astronomer, mathematician, and philosopher. Respected among the elite, she didn't hesitate to consult with the politicians and intellectuals in the cosmopolitan city. She taught at the Museum of Alexandria, which housed the written treasures of the world prior to being burned down in a struggle for political dominance. Although history is somewhat debatable when it comes to the details of Hypathia's life, there is no debate that she was influential. She seemed to be indifferent to religion and is usually considered to have been a Neo-Platonist (philosophy) rather than a "pagan" in the sense that she probably did not worship any gods in the true sense. Nevertheless, she was murdered by a mob of Christians -- that is not debated. although some have claimed that the reason was more political than religious.
If you are interested in history and especially history which concerns women, you may enjoy this movie. At any rate, it would be good entertainment while you are cooped up inside with the snow building up.

I Can't Remember a Worse December

2010-12-15T08:22:00.001-05:00

I can’t remember a worse December.

Just watch those icicles form!
What do I care if icicles form?
I’ve got my love to keep me warm.

For those of you too young to remember this song, you can go to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0677H1EPdB0&feature=related and listen to Billie Holiday sing it.

Well, anyway those lyrics were rattling around my brain yesterday -- I've got some strange ability to remember song lyrics. I figure my brain is full of song lyrics where math ability would normally be. Sadly, there's just no room for trigonometry.

Those lyrics express the current weather conditions in SW Virginia. The wind is blowing the cold inside. We take extra care to feed the animals and give them some comfort, although the goats normally can't wait to be let out to roam the pastures. Our llama is in his element.

Besides the cold, the indiscriminate use of banjos in the Bluegrass Holiday tunes is an irritant. Silver Bells sung with a snazzy banjo chorus is NOT my idea of a Bluegrass Christmas and Christmas Time's A-Comin' is NOT authentic, but certainly IS irritating.

Meanwhile, I'm accutely aware of the waning daylight. We're almost at the solstice, at which time day length will begin it's reverse cycle.

So, bundle up. Hunker down. Put another log on the fire or turn up the thermostat a degree or two.

Into the Deep Freeze We Go

2010-12-04T16:00:00.000-05:00

As of December 1st, the mild weather ended. It was abrupt, but we knew it was coming. The forecast for the next five days is that temperatures will not go above freezing and it will snow. As I type, the ground is getting whiter and whiter...

'Good weather for staying inside and reading and writing.

I've just finished reading Lies My Teacher Told Me and I highly recommend it to all who continue to learn. If you are or were a teacher, do not be put off by the title. This is a book about how history is taught in U.S. schools -- full of legend and nationalism, but short on factual information.

As a student of the current political scene, I realize that it is important to understand the past.

A People's History of the United States is similar in subject matter. I read it several weeks ago and am glad I did.

I've got a stack of books waiting for me, including quite a few on my Kindle. So, time to fire up the heated throw and settle down in my nice soft chair and get started.

Not Everyone Can Sweep Their Garden Clean...

2010-11-14T16:09:00.000-05:00

...but I can! It's covered with black plastic.

Our Saturday helper and I pulled out all the tomato vines that covered the plastic yesterday. He shook the vines to collect all the little yellow and big green tomatoes. Once the vines were smushed into our little cart and dumped, I used a broom to sweep the tomatoes into piles and he shoveled them into five gallon buckets.

We took a bucket to the chicken house, where they were almost immediately devoured. We also picked up buckets of freshly mowed grass from the lawns. Chickens like fresh grass, too. It's good for them and it supplements their grain-based feed.

I've got buckets of tomatoes to dole out for next week. Planting tomatoes late worked out well this year, as I did not have the drought problems that others had with tomatoes. There is still a lot of chard left growing. If we don't have more hard frost for a couple of weeks, the chickens will get buckets of chard, too.

The Almost Great Escape

2010-10-20T07:06:00.002-05:00

It took a day for me to recover from my efforts in thwarting the Great Escape. Now that I've had a whirlpool bath and taken massive amounts of Ibuprofen for joint and muscle pain, I can look back on the event and laugh. (Sure.)

If you've followed this blog for any time at all, you know that we own a big bovine called Tinkerbell, who is the ringleader of our cow herd and has an adventurous spirit. She's the one who was found under a big round bale after breaking into the hay shed one year and the one who somehow got into the woods for a summer vacation another year.

On Monday morning, I heard loud mooing coming from the area near the lawn of our house. This is fairly unusual, as cows only moo when they really need to. This time, it was excitement which was responsible for the noise. Tinkie was pushing down the pasture fence to munch on the uncut grass and was threatening to completely mash down the fencing to get onto the lawn. Other cows were cheering her on and starting to anticipate the security breach. It was a riot -- literally.

The pastures have been chomped down to the ground due to the lack of rain and we'd let the cows roam over three so that they'd have a chance to eat grass as it grew slowly. The lawn, however, has been neglected as far as mowing is concerned, and it was just too tempting.

I quickly got dressed and ran out to yell at the cows to stop. They did not stop entirely and when I went back inside to figure out what to do, they just kept on trying to get onto the lawn.

I picked up a stick and opened gates that would lead to the now harvested hayfield where there are sections of lush grass regrown. I tried to drive the cows out of the pasture near the lawn, hoping they'd see the open gates and circle round to the field. They were confused. Why was I upset with them? Weren't they using ingenuity and initiative to take care of their own needs?

So, realizing that they wouldn't leave off the attempt to free themselves of the pasture fence, I started walking from the pasture they were in through the other three, calling "Come on cowies!" over my shoulder. Eventually the brighter ones began to follow and, well since they are herd animals, the whole forty-five or so cows followed. Once they saw the final gate into the hayfield open they began to run through to the lovely green grass. Our little Hereford, Dinky, kicked up her heels in delight.

Okay. I shut the gate and began the uphill climb back through the pastures, closing gates behind me as I went. Then, I saw the five calves.

Cows "park" calves in safe places while they graze, periodically checking on them and nursing. These were the smallest herd members and became aware of the ruckus, grouped together, and timidly tried to figure out what the heck just happened and, just where were the mammas?

So began a second herding. Calves are instinctively shy of human contact and tend to run away, rather than follow or drive in front of you. It took patience and many arthritic trips up and down those hills before they finally caught sight (and hearing) of the herd. When they grouped near the gate hours later, with their mothers looking anxiously for them, I was able to reunite all herd members in the same pasture.

If you've ever thought you'd like to be a farmer and enjoy the quiet pastoral life, I think it is in the spirit of complete disclosure that you know that some days are like this.

Playing "Beat the Freeze"

2010-10-16T07:54:00.005-05:00

Potted plants are being ferried down to the greenhouse each time I drive down the hill. I'm loading the Mule from the porches around the house.

Overnight temperatures are flirting with a freeze in the high thirties and low forties.

Yesterday, I spent some time cleaning up the sunny end greenhouse and the potting room. Today, I'll continue in the middle and shady end.

We pulled massive wisteria vines down last week off the middle and shady end greenhouses. There was so much material that it still hasn't been disposed of.

The idea -- and it works well -- is that the plant will naturally shade the greehouses in summer and then, when the leaves fall in the winter, sunlight can again warm those sections. Except that it has been growing for ten years and the branches have become so massive that less and less sunlight has been able to penetrate the sections. Wisteria began to grow INTO the greenhouse through whatever small openings it could find. Talk about a scary Halloween tale!

I doubt we killed the wisteria. It'll be back -- like Jason, or any other zombie. I'll just make it my business to cut it down drastically every autumn. Hey, it beats placing shadecloth over the large greenhouses!

It's noticeably brighter in the sections which were covered in vines. I'm hoping that I can motivate myself to continue upgrading and cleaning. The propane tanks were filled last month and small electric heaters are at the ready. There'll be no heating until the bitterest weather, and that will be just to keep the potted plants alive until Spring.

I'm cutting down big weed/trees and throwing them into the goat pastures, where they are found with great glee and eaten with gusto. We had a day and a half of rain only this week, and there isn't all that much weedy material in the pastures. So, I'm killing two birds when I attend to the "neatening up" around the farm.

Buckets of small yellow tomatoes and any distressed larger tomatoes go to the chickens along with excess chard. This provides them with extra, tasty nutrition which they seem happy to have. We are still eating Cherokee Purple, which finish ripening in the house.

The last of the hay was cut and baled last week. It was trucked over to the barn and placed under the overhang just before the rainstorm. Today, a helper will assist in placing it on the hay elevator and stacking it in the loft.

Sailors Take Warning

2010-10-06T18:18:00.000-05:00

This morning started out with fluffy pink clouds which quickly took on bright coral bottoms. Moving quickly from North to South, Light grey clouds followed, gaining charcoal accents.

Not a drop of rain all day or yesterday, but it was a bit chilly and windy.

Tonight, looking out the same window, black altostratus clouds sporting small brownish puffs, are strung across the grey sky over a lemon colored sunset.

Rain

2010-09-26T06:07:00.002-05:00

When I heard the rain beating down on the roof in the middle of the night, it was with a profound sense of relief. The land will heal now. Grass will grow again and the cattle will have something to eat besides precious hay bales meant for the dead of winter. The springs and wells will replenish themselves and the constant worry over water for the animals can recede somewhat.

I'm still recovering from several hours at the Farmers' Market, where I prepared apples for baking on the grill and oversaw making "apple piggies." It was much hotter than I anticipated and it really caught up with me by 2 p.m.

In the meantime, back on the farm, husband managed to get the square baler fixed and his Saturday helper helped him get the bales on the trailer and into the barn for stacking. Our new set-up, where hay elevators are now under roofing and placed in openings into the lofts is working well. The helper then stacked the hay neatly in the loft. We have more hay to cut if there is a dry spell later on in October.

Today, supposedly the temperature will plunge into the sixties and we'll have more seasonal weather all of a sudden.

Last week, it rained hard for less than ten minutes. I got soaked and so did the entire goat herd. We were pretty happy for the seven or eight minutes despite our sogginess.

Now, we're looking for days of rain. Hurrah!

First Day of Fall

2010-09-22T13:06:00.002-05:00

'Uneventful. Hot, humid, with a chance of rain that won't materialize. All is dry. The trees have started to change color.

The pond in the pasture, which had overflowed its banks and taken over a lot of the field in the Spring is now nearly a mudhole. When I let the geese out of their night shelter, I noticed something moving in the middle of the pond. Looking closer, it was a giant snapping turtle with smaller ones on its back. Turtle Island?

Migrations

2010-09-16T07:20:00.003-05:00

Early this morning, I watched several large flocks of birds against a pale pink sky. They were traveling toward the NW. I am not sure where they are going. I noticed the first large group yesterday morning.

The pale pink sky is "bluing up" but there is a thick cloud cover. My eyes are hurting, so I think it is going to rain. None of the forecasts are calling for rain and we haven't had any in the past two weeks, despite predictions for rain over the weekend.

There should be a special forecast run by old people with arthritis and dry eye syndrome. We could keep statistics on accuracy and challenge the meteorologists on TV.

I've used up all the wine making vessels available to me for the present. There are standard wines from Concord and Merlot grapes; experimental wines, like peach and white peach champagne; and crazy wines, like yellow tomato with ginger and lemon.

I've made yellow tomato jam, hot and sweet and there are still tons of yellow pear tomatoes needing to be picked. I was going to label the jars "Toe-Jam" but then I reconsidered. The purple Cherokee are also coming on strong enough that I've been dicing and freezing them. -- Don't make me pull out the quart canning jars!

September

2010-09-07T06:13:00.005-05:00

The goldenrod is blooming. Blue morning glory is climbing over fences and old trees. Cooler temperatures make it a little more pleasant working outdoors, although we're still flirting with 90 degrees for highs this week. The drought has done some damage to fruit trees and garden plants, although some things seem to have loved the hot dry weather: yellow pear tomatoes and the dreaded stickweed.

Each morning, I'm cutting down the stickweed that has invaded the berry and asparagus beds. I'm hoping that by not allowing it to go to seed, I'll get it under control. But the tough, firmly planted roots tell me otherwise. I may need to establish new beds elsewhere.

We're making hay this week. I'll rake later this morning and hopefully we'll make square bales.

Winemaking continues. I've now got five carboys bubbling along in the basement. All the white peaches are processed and the yellow tomatoes are next.

I peeled and sliced some of the apples I picked yesterday morning. We had "fried apples" for dinner, which were delicious.

This year's giant magnus opus hornet nest is on the end of the greenhouse. Luckily, I noticed it just before leaning the ladder on it to pick apples. Tragedy averted.

The chickens are getting all the peels and pulp plus some damaged chard and the Cherokee Purple tomatoes which are bug infested. We're still picking enough undamaged tomatoes to have nice sandwiches and salads -- storing up the Vitamin C for the coming winter.

Summer Winding Down

2010-08-24T18:33:00.004-05:00

There was a good sized flock of canary finches at the top of the hill today. I was very happy to see them in larger numbers than in year's past.

The Jimson weed is blooming and wild turkeys have been strolling through the fields for about two weeks.

Today it was just around seventy degrees all day long, so very pleasant to sit outside in between winemaking sessions.

Purple and Gold

2010-08-23T19:40:00.004-05:00

My kitchen is full of Concord grapes and small yellow pear tomatoes. I'm making wine. The carboy of peach wine is chugging along. Today, I started the grape wine, while some apple is fermenting nicely. I fully intend to try making yellow tomato wine, so cut up about a gallon to freeze while I finish the grape.

You can probably imagine how good the kitchen smells.

The Cherokee Purple tomatoes I grew from seed and put in the garden in June are now ripening. They are intensely purple-red and meaty inside. 'Tasty, too.

The grapes were a gift from friends. They are so ripe that I can't let them sit in the cooler too long or they'll go moldy. I hope to finish processing them tomorrow. We took over a peach pound cake as a thank you gift and sat and talked for a while after picking.

Rain has come and greened up the fields and lawns. It looks like we'll get another cutting of hay, thank goodness.

The big barn is getting all dug out and cleaned. Tomorrow promises rain and much cooler temperatures. At last.

Long Dry Spell

2010-08-10T07:17:00.004-05:00

I hate to seem obsessed with the hot, dry weather -- but I am! It creates a tension just below the surface of my consciousness that is irritating. During the few one-time only rains that we've had these past two months I could feel that tension melt away. But as the dry days build and build, I feel the tension building as well.

In other parts of the country and the world, people are suffering from too much rain.

Ah, well, perhaps Mother Nature is displeased with some of the folly of mankind messing with oil in oceans or genetic engineering...

We picked the peach trees to thwart the crows, the groundhog, and the deer, all of which were snacking on the fruit and the leaves. I guess it's hard to find a square meal in the dry fields.

My kitchen looks like a scene from The Attack of the Killer Peaches. I've made peach jam, peach chutney, and fresh peach poundcakes. I think I should make some more small cakes and freeze them for winter. Something tells me that peach wine will substitute for the blackberry wine which will not materialize this year. Apples are next. It's a good thing I held off planting tomatoes. They are just starting to ripen. There are lots of heritage yellow pear which might even make some good, interesting wine.

The workers are almost finished extending the rooflines of our big barn. It will be great to have shelter from RAIN (when it finally comes) and snow where I park my UTV. There is nice shade for the cows when they are in that pasture and a place to put large round bales for them without worrying about it getting WET.

So, I better get down there and do the chores before the heat kicks in. The guy on the radio seems to be taking delight in forecasting temperatures "near 100 degrees" for today.

We're Done!

2010-07-25T06:52:00.003-05:00

All right, Mother Nature, we're baked. You can turn off the oven now.

I don't know about official temperatures, but our thermometer on the kitchen door has been wearing out the 100 degree mark. Enough is enough.

Rain is forecast for the next week or so. We'll see if it materializes. In these hills and ridges, rain is a hit or miss proposition. We didn't get much the last time rain was forecast.

On the bright side, the tomatoes are developing nicely. I didn't put them in the ground until June, but think they'll be ready to pick before long.

The goats are venturing out even at midday. You'd think they'd stay in the big shady barn, but no -- they have plans as they've progressed to pastures new to them. There must be enough yummy stuff out there to give them the incentive. They don't come back to the barn until it starts getting dark.

I heard a cow in labor two mornings ago and see her with her new calf. Cows have been switched over to the pastures near the houses and barn, where much standing hay is available. They're doing a moderate job of chomping it down. My husband took the opportunity to try to mow the stickweed and dried grass in some of the resting pastures. Stickweed is a nasty plant that NOTHING eats. As far as I know, it has no use at all except to take over where it can succeed against other plants.

Peaches and pears are on the trees but we really need some rain so that they do not just dry up on the trees.

Okay, Mother Nature, you've got your orders. Now, come on and deliver.

July

2010-07-06T05:18:00.005-05:00

July is a month, like February, that you just want to get through -- preferably in one piece.

We're expecting temperatures up near 100 F. this week. I don't even care much about temperature. Just give me the humidity forecast. There is no chance of rain for many days.

My husband was getting in as much of the neglected hay as possible this past weekend. His round baler could not make bales because the hay was too dry. Picking up square bales and putting them in a hay wagon is not something to look forward to in the heat.

I found one lone sunflower out in a field when looking for nearly nonexistent blackberries. Every year has its own unique agricultural yield. This is the first year that blackberries have been scarce on our farm.

Beans, on the other hand, have been extremely prolific. The freezer is full of them and some are in the dehydrator, cut up small, for vegetable soup in the winter.

The wasps are as mad as hornets! I've been bitten twice so far and travel with a can of spray in the cup holder of my UTV. I even had to spray inside the mailbox, as wasps were building a nest inside.

So, I'm up early. The daylight is already full out. I must drag myself down to tend to the animals while I can still breathe. The vegetable garden needs a little bit of water so that it can get through the heat of the day. I can hear the bulls in neighboring fields getting their daily rage out of the way before the heat builds.

Relief is on the Way...

2010-06-29T19:49:00.002-05:00

...or so they say.

It's been hot, hot, hot and the promised rain has missed our road. I heard it poured a short distance away.

When I walk on the lawn, it crunches. The humidity could bring you to your knees and take your breath away.

My son in Pennsylvania called today and told me it is in the 70s there today with record lows predicted overnight. It could get down into the 40s!

We've been promised similar daytime temperatures, starting tomorrow. But, then, they've been promising rain "tomorrow" for days now.

There's a deer with a newborn fawn trapped in one of our fenced pastures. I guess she is jumping over several times a day to nurse the baby. I saw a newborn calf today, three tiny bantam chicks newly hatched from one of the secret nests and a cute yellow gosling sitting up straight next to Mom, who is still setting on a big bunch of eggs.

The days are so long now. It is almost 9 p.m. and the sunset is just getting into full swing with beautiful streaks of orange and pink on a purple-blue background. Red sky at night - sailors' delight? Well, I think the chance for rain is over for now.

Surprises

2010-06-14T05:41:00.001-05:00

What surprised me yesterday as I did my gardening rounds? Well, it turns out we have not one, but two apricot trees. The younger of the two has begun bearing fruit this year -- not a lot, just a little. I picked some slightly under ripe fruit to put under a dome and let ripen inside the house to foil the bugs.

When I went in the vegetable garden just to monitor the newly climbing bean plants, I found, to my amazement, that there were lots of fully mature beans ready to be picked. I filled a bag with beautiful purple beans, which I blanched and froze. Since these were mostly self-planted from last year's crop, it was especially surprising. Slow food isn't just a catch phrase around here, and I wasn't in a big hurry to start harvesting in the heat.

Two long cucumbers were ready for picking, and eating, evidently.

Much chard must be cut, cooked, and frozen. Some of the fennel is ready for picking. It is all self-seeded. Black raspberries are abundant in certain parts of the weedy lower yard. The cherries are all pitted and in the freezer. Zucchini is shredded, the recipe for muffins open on the counter for later today.

So, continuing my voyage of discovery, I'm out the door to do the chores before the sun gets too high in the sky. I'd like to trim some goat hooves early and start to catch up on their maintenance.

June is Also Cherry Month

2010-06-12T06:26:00.001-05:00

'Got a chance to pick some tart cherries yesterday. A neighbor invited me to help myself. If I get a chance I'll pick some more today, as the window of opportunity closes quickly on ripe cherries. I'll need to get them pitted and either frozen or preserved before they get moldy or rotten.

I don't want to jinx the deal, but I think I found the breach in the goat fencing last Sunday. It was behind the greenhouse, so hidden from human view, although, evidently, not from goat view. Crossing my fingers -- no visiting goats on the lawn checking out the developing peaches and pears for the past week.

A mysterious bag of summer squashes showed up on the kitchen counter yesterday. Hmm... wonder where that came from?

Yesterday, I pulled some beets, boiled and skinned them, made a harvard sauce and froze a container for our winter enjoyment. There is much chard to be cooked and frozen. That will be a task for later in the day.

I made lavender and thyme salve yesterday. It promises to be a useful concoction.

So, now to go down to sort goats in the barn for an early morning customer before the heat builds and the day becomes sticky.

June is Berry Month

2010-06-06T06:17:00.000-05:00

The little band of renegade goats was at it again yesterday afternoon. They have found a way to get out of the fenced pastures and up on our lawn to browse on developing fruit. It's probably nearly irresistable for them.

Chasing them on foot is fruitless (forgive the pun.) I must run down and get my motorized Mule and vroomvroom them. They know exactly where to go. They wait in front of the back gate and I unlatch it and let them through, lecturing in a stern voice about "bad goats" and how they have plenty to eat in the legal fields.

At least I learned that the red raspberries are ready to pick, as are a few of the black raspberries and gooseberries. Boy, it was just the 5th of June, which, after all, is Berry Month, and already berries are ripening. These guys go on schedule.

The hayfield is mowed, raked and baled, so I'll be driving up to the areas where black raspberries grow to gather some. My husband is already out gathering the round bales to get them under cover before the next rain comes.

It's hot and humid and I dread having to walk the fence line to find the breach that allows bad behavior to thrive. But, let's face it: this is a priority and if I can thwart the behavior there are peaches in our future.

End of May -- Rain Roulette

2010-05-31T06:47:00.000-05:00

It seems it's always like this for the first hay cutting. The threat of rain looms and area farmers are consulting crystal balls to decide when to cut. You don't want hay laying on the ground in wet weather if you can avoid it, because it will rot or mold. It needs to be dry before baling or you risk poisoning your livestock or burning down your barn.

What to do? What to do? I guess you "bite the bullet", make a decision and keep your fingers crossed.

We're now into the weather in which you slather on some sunblock and spritz on some mosquito repellent before venturing out to do the morning chores.

The humidity is sometimes notable and we've been all the way up to 90 degrees recently, although sometimes 80 seems like the new 90 in terms of humidity. It's muggy and buggy.

On the bright side: plants in the vegetable garden have experienced a growth spurt in the heat. There are already baby cucumbers forming. Chard is big and beautiful. Fennel has self seeded and already formed nice hands. Bees are in the borage; snow peas will be part of today's dinner; beans are climbing right up to the sky.

Geese set on massive nests in both flocks. In the chicken house, a goose is minding lots of guinea eggs laid in a ground nest along with goose eggs. It's unlikely anything will come of it - but if it does, I'll let you know.

Foggy

2010-05-13T06:04:00.000-05:00

Fog covers our hilltop this morning. It's been raining off and on for a couple of days and will continue the pattern for at least a couple more. Wonderful. It is greatly needed to make things grow.

I'm surprised that my last post was so long ago. Most of the iris is finished blooming already. Peonies are in full glorious bloom. The fruit on the trees is visible from a distance. It's looking good for pears and peaches. There are even some apricots and lots of plums. Apples abound. The raspberries are forming, blossoms done. Multiflora roses exude that lovely rosy smell.

We tinker with the trimmer and I am slowly managing to trim around the fruit trees. I'm hoping it will manage to stay together until I can get it down the hill and neaten up the area around the old house.

Yesterday, I spent about an hour weeding the vegetable garden. Lettuces are coming up. Chard and kale are big enough to harvest.

Iris Time

2010-04-21T05:46:00.000-05:00

How quickly plants develop in the Spring! Iris is about to burst into bloom, as are peonies. The lilac bushes are fragrant. Sweet William now makes its appearance and adds to the purple-pinks -- the first blooms of the season.

Grass needs to be mowed again and the light rain will help it grow. Of course, that means hayfields, too, thankfully.

Life is busy, busy. I'm losing the race against time and will soon accept that I cannot keep up with the pace of Mother Nature. So, I do what I can do and try to be philosophical about it.

Asparagus Time

2010-04-14T05:19:00.000-05:00

It's hard to believe, but I picked the first asparagus on Saturday and took them to the market. Many more are coming up each day.

I pulled the turnips and harvested their tops, as well as kale.

Eggs are abundant. That is an understatement. I'll need to make time to bake eggy poundcakes for the market tomorrow or Friday. The geese are especially productive and those are the best eggs for baking.

The peas, greens, and even beans and cucumbers are up in the garden. Some of the beans planted themselves, so there will be a good variety in addition to the new varieties I planted. Shallots and garlic are looking good.

In the greenhouse, tomatoes, peppers, and cabbages abound. It's time to start ferrying the overwintered plants up to the porches and courtyard.

Other tasks are taking up my time. Today, I'll try to finish painting the baseboard in a bedroom in the old farmhouse so that we can move the furniture back in to prepare for visitors. I painted the floor last week and paid for it in terms of muscle pain -- but it's done!

The roof that fell in on the shop ell is being rebuilt. Hopefully it will be enclosed before the rains come again. I'm looking forward to reclaiming the space.

The Whole Bloomin' World

2010-04-06T07:04:00.002-05:00

A loud crack of thunder woke me at about 3 a.m., then the pounding rain started. Yay, I thought: all the seeds I planted in the vegetable garden can start growing now.

As it is , even though it's been dry for more than a week there are tiny chard and beet seedlings. The pea plants are up. Overwintered kale and turnips have been doing well and the rhubarb looks splendid.

In the greenhouse, the tomatoes and peppers have emerged. They'll stay inside until all danger of frost is gone and the nighttime temperatures stay above fifty. We can be lulled into a false sense of complacency because we've had sticky near-90 F. temps during the daytime already, but I see some cooler weather coming on the weekend.

The weeping cherry is loaded with pink blossoms and all the fruit trees are now in bloom. I've mowed the grass once already, dodging the bees busily pollinating pears, plums, peaches, apricots and apples.

Daffodils are declining and tulips are in full bloom. Blue pulmonaria is blooming and the lilacs are ready to open their blooms.

The two day fly swarm is over. I'm not sure what that's all about, but think it some mass mating ritual. It's yucky, so am glad it's short term. I see that wasps are already making nests in sheltered places.

If it rains some more, I'll transplant Cannas which I was given last year. New growth has emerged in the pots in the greenhouse. The fig which looked like a dead stick has not only developed leaves, there are tiny fruits at the ends. It needs transplanting outside too.

Unexpected Linkages

2010-03-25T15:07:00.002-05:00

The apricot tree and one of the peach trees are blooming today. I am nervous that we will have a hard frost which will destroy the fruit. I guess there's nothing to do but wait and see.

Because I have a project or two in the works, I wanted to finish up the books I've been reading so that I can go on to the next. Yes, I read two books simultaneously -- 'not sure why -- but they seemed totally unrelated when I started them. By the time I was finished this week, however, I found that their subject matters converged in a most unexpected way.

The Poisonwood Bible
is by Barbara Kingsolver, one of my favorite authors, and is a fictional account of a family which went to the Congo to "man" a mission outpost with the father, who was a Minister.

The Family is a history of the Fundamentalist Organization which has managed to infiltrate the US government.

So, I was thinking I was reading one book on politics and one novel, not realizing that both books cover religion and politics. The role of the US in undermining democratically elected leaders around the world and replacing them with dictators willing to exploit their countries is central to both books. Both contained historical information, as Kingsolver did massive amounts of research on the Congo and lived there briefly as a child.

Both books taught me what I hadn't known before and both books presented challenging ideas regarding religious belief and its effect on politics.

I've read The Shock Doctrine, so I'm aware of the pattern of US involvement in regime change, but the reign of Mobutu didn't get much press here. I do remember the name Patrice Lumumba from my younger days, but didn't quite understand what happened in the 1960s in the Congo.

Coincidentally, today I listened to a podcast which related the story of an American girl who corresponded with Manuel Noriega, of Panama, before he was jailed and deposed through an American invasion in the late 1980s.

Now, if you can figure out the linkage of the first sentence of this post to the rest, you will have given your brain a workout which will serve you well.

Herd on the Move

2010-03-22T12:22:00.002-05:00

Spring Has Definitely Sprung

2010-03-21T07:50:00.001-05:00

On Friday, the daffodils were in full bloom on the farm and in the town. Forsythia is blooming and there are small pools of crocus in color. A small variety of magnolia tree is in flower. I see narcissus buds ready to burst open.

The goat herd now goes to the pastures in full force. I took some video to post when I get a chance. I think they are most impressive. There are three little black calves racing around joyously celebrating Spring.

On Friday morning, I looked out the barn window to see a white creature up on the hilltop. It wasn't moving and I anticipated a dead goat. I hiked up, my contingent of bottle baby goats in tow, nipping at my heels. It turned out that one of the adult does had been climbing cedar trees to get some of the green growth. Her foot, to the first joint, was firmly clamped in the cleft of the tree. She was laying on the ground with her foot up in the tree, evidently expecting to die. I lifted her up enough to get her hoof out and massaged the leg. Goats need to rest with their legs folded underneath in order for their rumens to work. They don't last long if lying on one side. When she seemed recovered enough from the trauma, I managed to pull her up onto her feet, where she stayed for a long time, waitng for the blood circulation to come back.

The leg wasn't broken, just swollen, and she eventually was able to move down the hill to the barn. In the video, you'll see her at the end of the group limping back up that same hill with the rest of the herd. She had probably spend the night in her predicament and it was good to have been able to intervene in time to save her. Goats are always doing goofy things like that. My back still hurts from lifting her, though.

My seed order arrived yesterday while I was out yesterday. Today, I'll try to beat the coming rain and get some more in the ground.

Large piles of brush are building up around the yard. I'm pruning and gathering up old vines and sticks as the clean-up continues. Life chugs along.

The Geese are Laying

2010-03-12T07:19:00.001-05:00

The geese are laying. It must be Spring.

Things are winding down to a steady routine in the goat barns. I managed to get out to do a number of errands yesterday.

We are back to light rains and warmer temperatures. I imagine that any greens alive in the garden will benefit. I planted some peas and hauled a little compost to the garden beds. Three of the chicken coops are cleaned out. Big piles of pruned material are on the lawns and most of the asparagus/berry beds have been cleaned out and raked.

Most of the ag records are "spreadsheeted" and I'm ready to plug them into the tax software.

I've made half-hearted attempts to begin cleaning up the greenhouse to start seedlings. I guess I think that direct seeding works best outdoors for most crops. Still, I'll start some peppers and tomatoes and see what I might plant out in the plastic garden.

Life Goes On

2010-03-06T15:56:00.001-05:00

The mud has dried up and the driveway's been evened out. I am (potentially) free to drive away in to the wild blue yonder.

All the baby goats, except for the last set of triplets and mother, are out enjoying the sunshine. A big cedar bough that broke off during one of the ice storms was dragged out to the pasture and a large group is enjoying it. I'll go up into the cedars later with my lopers and hack off limbs from trees that are too crowded. Won't they be pleased to find some limbs down where they can get to them! All the cedars and pines on the hill have been neatly trimmed by goats into lollipop shapes because they eat everything they can reach standing up on their tippy toes. Only the topmost greenery survives. Actually, they are providing a good service where the pines are concerned, because they will grow straight and tall if the under branches are kept trimmed -- and they are!

There are two new black calves born in the last couple of days. The cows are lounging in the sunshine.

Roosters are acting amorous -- if you want to call it that -- eggs are getting more plentiful. I've shoveled out a couple of coops and am mobilized to dump pine shavings in the cleaned coops and nest boxes.

There are turnips and some chard and kale growing in the garden. The snow cover must have helped. Seeds are ordered. The pruning has begun. We're getting a preview of Spring, and life goes on.

Mud Age

2010-02-21T07:41:00.000-05:00

Okay, so, it's in the 40s for highs the last few days and the snow and ice are beginning to melt. I can actually see a few areas of brown in the landscape. The runoff of melted snow is considerable, having created little streams where none have existed for the past ten years.

The driveway is rutted mud, as most of the gravel has been plowed off during the big snows. I'm hoping my little UTV will continue to cope with the mud until it gets a chance to dry off and a new coat of gravel can be applied. Because larger four wheel vehicles are driving the route from the house to the barns, I must cope with the large ruts their tires leave.

Things are winding down in the goat barns. We have 60 new kids and have been playing "musical goats", moving the largest (and heaviest, and fattest) babies and their mothers in with the general herd and keeping the smallest in private quarters for bonding and individual attention. Much of the ear tagging is done and now the little male kids are being sorted to determine which will be wethered.

The poor herd has been cooped up in the barn for a month during the big snows. This is unprecedented on this farm. I'll open the gates today, but doubt they will go out, as it is wet and there is nothing to eat in the fields. Our store of hay is dwindling, so here's hoping that the temperatures will hold and that the melt will continue.

Oddly, where ground water is seeping up around the maternity barn, there is green grass growing. The ground water is about 50 degrees and was steaming when the air temps were below freezing. It is a strange winter.

Ice Age

2010-02-12T07:11:00.000-05:00

We welcomed the 50th newborn goat kid into our barn yesterday afternoon.

The barns are packed. The constant bombardment of snow and ice make it difficult for the adult goats to go outside. We're expecting more snow on Monday. If we can get through this and Spring ever comes, we'll all be happy.

A sure sign of Spring: the hens have begun laying again.

End of January Update

2010-01-31T08:07:00.000-05:00

Incredibly long, hard days spent mostly in the barns are how I spent January this year. It's not over. I'll be spending much of February the same way.

We have 46 live newborn goats as of yesterday. They are tucked in with their mothers everywhere we can devise. All mother goats need feed, hay, and water twice daily. Babies need a chance to exercise and learn their baby goat dances. We have three little kids who require bottle feeding three times a day. Two were abandoned by their mothers, most likely because of harsh weather conditions.

One was bottle fed "temporarily" while here mother was being treated for massive engorgement. When the mother goat's udder and teats are painful, the babies cannot nurse successfully. Once the engorgement was resolved, one of the twins re-learned nursing from her mother. The other refuses and yells for a bottle.

Mother goat does not want her baby to drink from a baby bottle. She chews at the bottle and tries to nudge the kid off it. I'd like to get the kid to revert to Mom, too. The danger is that the baby will decline and literally die of starvation -- they can be that stubborn. So, for now, I milk Mamma goat and put her milk in a bottle to feed her little Sarah Burnheart. We'll resolve it when the kid is old enough to be eating hay and grain and there is more leeway.

This year, weather is a huge factor. I don't remember a colder Winter since we moved to Virginia. On some days it has been so frigid that kids froze to death as they were born. This, even though we've provided shelter inside, out of the wind. It is heartbreaking.

Yesterday, we had a foot and a half of snow dumped on us, which really impacted on the ability to travel to and from the barns. Thankfully, it was on a weekend and my husband has been driving me up and down and helping tremendously.

There is a lot of barn clean-up that is being done as energy and time allow. Last week, little Hillery people and their Mom materialized to do a multi-hour clean-up, with vigor. For that, I am truly thankful.

Thaw

2010-01-20T07:52:00.000-05:00

Most of the snow is melted, except for shady pockets up high. We've had rain, mud, sunshine, and are back to expected rain and freezing rain in the forecast for today. I guess the temperatures are on the way back down.

Kidding started on Sunday afternoon with triplet doelings. We have only one buckling in ten births so far. I don't know if it has something to do with the buck or if it is a statistical fluke. If you're looking for me, I'll be down in the barn for the next month, or so. We'll need names that start with "B" if you want to make some suggestions -- and a lot of female names, please. I'll let you know how things shake out.

'Am typing with one eye -- and two hands, of course. Scotch tape is better than an eye patch. It is the rain in the forecast that makes my eyes so dry and painful. Anyway, that should cover me for typos in this post.

'Talk to you when I get a chance...

Big Black Crows

2010-01-14T18:54:00.003-05:00

For the first time since we built this many-windowed house, big black crows have been coming to the windows and pounding on the glass during the day. I think it is a group of three. They've been here since Christmas.

Is it a sign, a symbol, a metaphor? What do they want? Do they want me to fly away with them?

'Sorry. I'm busy right now.

The goats are ready to start kidding. We're having a little warm spell after brutal cold days. I just need to keep my strength up.

Go away, crows!

The Sun Stood Still

2009-12-21T12:15:00.004-05:00

Today is Winter Solstice and the first day of Winter. It is the shortest day of the year, but tomorrow the day will be a little longer. We are now traveling toward the longest day, June 21st.

Hope is restored as we come out of the dark tunnel. Burn a yule log, celebrate Saturnalia, Christmas, or Hanukkah!

We got about two feet of snow over the weekend. This is unusual or "historical" as reported by the media, for this area in December. It was hard going through the snow to get to the chickens and goats.

The first thing I did was to pour four jugs of warm water into the heated buckets in the goat barn. It was gone within five minutes and only a few goats got a drink. I started to collect snow in a bucket to refill the heated bucket. Little lightbulbs appeared over the heads of the goats, as they realized that they could eat snow to quench their thirst.

Some would only eat snow out of buckets. The higher IQ goats made the connection and began to eat the new snow off the ground. They were VERY thirsty and ate snow for a long time.

After the Ice Storm

2009-12-14T08:02:00.005-05:00

Avast!

After yesterday's ice storm, the runnoff got to be a torrent, and the geese and I sailed off down the James River in the wooden goose house.

But only in my fantasy.

Due to the resultant power failure, we had to settle for giving CDT shots and not trimming goat hoofs because there was not enough light in the barn to see what I was doing. We spent the afternoon bundled up in the house reading until the electricity was restored.

This morning, amazingly, there was a small newborn black calf running around happily. I don't know if it was born during or after the ice coated the trees and grass. Can you see why hope is such a tenuous thing and requires signs to keep it alive? I caught a few shooting stars during the night. Shall we call the baby Star? or Meteorite?

Water, Water Everywhere

2009-12-11T17:57:00.003-05:00

The goose pond has overflowed its banks and there is shallow water all the way to the goose house. Run-off continues to trickle down from the surrounding hills -- that is, when it is warm enough for water to trickle.

We've had some pretty cold temperatures this week and it's slated to get down below 20 degrees F tonight. There was a freaky snowstorm last Saturday. It started snowing at about 7 a.m. and continued steadily for the next twelve hours, leaving several inches on the ground. During the week, it rained a couple of times so that the snow is gone, but the ice is keeping the livestock from drinking freely. I had to haul water from the greenhouse to the chickens this afternoon.

My bulgy eye is hurting and extremely light sensitive, so my husband is buying me an eye patch at the drugstore today.

Oh, boy. Now I can add to my normal winter farmer ensemble of old Army fatigue jacket, possibly purple pants (I have a pair of nice thick fleece ones), wild greying hat hair and AN EYE PATCH!

Arrrgh! I'll be a fierce pirate/soldier/farmer woman navigating the frozen goose pond. Ahoy, geese!

I like it. Who'd have thought I'd end up such a colorful character. Too bad it's not close to Halloween. I'd probably win some sort of contest for original costume.

December

2009-12-03T07:17:00.003-05:00

As I sat down to the computer this morning, it was still dark. The silvery dime of a moon appeared in the upper right side of the window by my desk. Because the dark clouds were being chased away by morning winds, it looked like the moon was falling to the earth.

Of course, it was no such thing. Now that it's light, I see that the moon has maintained its position, although newly formed dark clouds periodically rise to cover it.

The landscape is decidedly December: brown trees and dark grey clouds overlaying a light grey sky.

It's coolish, but not terribly frigid. Yesterday it rained all day, today may be dry.

There is still much work to do inside and outside. I'm on a mission to clip all goat hooves and give booster shots and vitamins. I'm also repairing and washing goat collars, cleaning and sorting spaces and still working on that long job list. I'd better get to it.

First Week of November

2009-11-06T18:51:00.002-05:00

'Taking stock:

We thoroughly pressure washed the maternity barn last weekend. It has a concrete floor which hadn't been washed in a couple of years. It's been swept many, many times, so it was surprising how much dirt came up.

It's stocked with bales of pine shavings and hay, clean old bath towels for catching and cleaning off newborns, vet meds in the refrigerator, and new packs of paper baby collars to keep track of when they are born and who their mothers are are in the cabinets along with a sharpie marker.

Mr. Buck Man has gone back home, so our big barn smells okay now.

Most of the red hot peppers have been dried, frozen, made into apricot/jalapeno jam, or given away to friends. One basket remains on the counter. There are still some hot peppers in the garden, but I'm ignoring them.

The chickens have been feasting on the last of the bell peppers and green squash.

It's getting down in the 30s at night and a coyote pack is howling and roaming at 4 a.m. each morning.

We sold off most of the bull calves on Monday. There are probably a couple of small babies, but they need to stay with their cow mamas. I sold one little one and had to listen to Dinky mourning all Monday night and part of Tuesday. I could hear her even with the windows closed.
She's calmed down now, but I'll never do it again. (I promise, Dinky.)

I hope her little fella is doing all right on his new farm. He went to friends.

I've done a lot of cleaning and sorting in the house. This is the time to do it -- before kidding season.

All the brown, limp squash and tomato vines are pulled out of the garden. There is still chard, kale, lettuce, beets, and turnips growing.

The propane tanks attached to the greenhouse are filled, but I'll try not to use propane until it is very cold.

The very long list on the white board has two major items crossed off. Ten more to go.

Last Week in October

2009-10-25T06:48:00.005-05:00

The Fall colors are at their height now and this morning's 42 degrees feels crisp.

We've had some colder days and some hotter days and a little rain and wind in the last two.

On the farm, clean-up continues in the barns, the chicken house, and around the yards. The lawns are mowed for the last time this season. All the hay has been baled and put under cover. I'm feeding whatever freeze damaged vegetables are in the garden to the chickens.

In the houses, I am cleaning and sorting, too. The freezers are full enough to get us through without having to do a lot of driving in ice and snow this winter. After more than ten years since the last move, I've finally gotten down to the last parts for furniture, like teak book shelves and a corner computer desk which have been leaning up against a wall in the basement. Once these find their places and are put together, I'll be able to do a thorough cleaning and re-organization of the basement. Gee, it feels like I've just completed a giant jigsaw puzzle.

I had the propane tanks for the greenhouse filled to provide emergency heat if it gets too cold for the small electric heaters to keep the temperature above freezing. All the potted plants are tucked in, but there remains clean-up and organization for those days when it's raining or too cold to want to work outdoors.

We also maintain a little propane at the house in case the electricity goes out. For now, electric is cheaper than propane. I finally caught on last year, when we did not need to use propane at all, that the company was routinely charging us for delivery of propane, even when the tank was full. I don't know how many hundreds of dollars -- probably more than a thousand -- were charged for propane not delivered. Although I made a complaint to the Department that regulates utilities in Virginia, nothing could be done because the Propane Industry is unregulated in the State of Virginia!

As you can probably tell, that still burns me up.

At the time I had finally caught on (I'm slow, evidently, and too trusting) there was a series of articles in the Roanoke Times about similar problems that others were having. I think the State Legislature should be doing something about regulation, but am not aware if they are. So, for now I'm monitoring the gauges on the tanks which show only the percentage left inside. There is no system of reporting usage other than the initial ticket saying how many gallons they delivered. You must more or less know the capacity of the tanks and try to extrapolate from there.

So, I'm trying.

Ta ta.

October

2009-10-03T06:41:00.003-05:00

The winds of Autumn showed up just as we changed seasons. I forgot how windy it gets up here after Summer's over. We had a little rain in-between hay harvests. Yesterday's efforts filled the big loft with square bales. There's one more cut field, which will be round-baled, because our old bodies could not take another round of picking up square bales and getting them up in a loft.

Other signs of Autumn: the neighbors are dumping buckets of black walnuts on their driveway to be run over by the pickup truck and hulled.

The local vineyards are picking grapes. I bought some Cabernet Franc yesterday and have already started in on them. The Chardonnay is bubbling along nicely and the Blackberry Wine is almost ready to be bottled.

It's nice and chilly in the mornings and the leaves are just beginning to turn. Yesterday, I watched about twenty five Canada geese fly over the house on their way to somewhere.

Red sweet and hot peppers await processing in the kitchen and the cooler is full of Hubbard squashes and grapes.

I've made some progress in the old house, lugging furniture and accessories out of our basement to furnish it. Windows are getting washed in both houses and we have some plans for improvements on the farm.

I have the impression that we are beginning the preparations for a long, cold winter. Today, I'll begin to clean out the greenhouse and from now until frost, I'll be loading the Mule with plants that have summered on the porches to transport them down the hill to the greenhouse.
-------------------------
Thought for the day: "Be Yourself; everyone else is already taken." Oscar Wilde

September

2009-09-10T10:46:00.002-05:00

We have come to the season of beautiful sunsets and sunrises. I seem to be up to see both each day. They are changeable and beautiful, giving my brain the message to step back and just look and appreciate.

The temperatures have cooled down. We've had cloudy skies for days, but no rain on our farm.

I'm picking mixed salad greens, hot and sweet peppers, tomatoes, a very few summer squashes and amazing winter squashes. A brave watermelon plant decided to begin growing a couple of weeks ago and there are actually watermelons on the vine. The fig tree has recovered from a late frost and little green figs hang on the branches. Will these fruits make it before the first frost? Stay tuned.

There's been a little time to begin cutting down the gigantic weedy poke and brambles that have invaded the lawn areas. The goats have finished their breeding season, as far as I can see. It's time for Mr. Buckman to go back home.

I've already started cleaning out the Maternity Barn and stocking it with hay and pine shavings for the kidding season in the winter. There are ambitious plans for cleaning out all barns and outbuildings before winter. Will we make it? Stay tuned.

There's actually a long list of "to do" jobs on the white board. We'll just chug along and do what we can. That's what September brings.

Caniculares Dies

2009-08-17T05:54:00.004-05:00

The dog days are here. We've had a pretty good summer, with abundant rain and relatively low temperatures, but right now it feels like it's blazing hot during the day. It's not conducive to heavy physical labor. The sun is coming up later in the morning and I think I'm seeing Sirius* before dawn.

Some of the cows have gone camping under the large shady trees. They only come up for a drink of water when necessary. There is an army of little calves. They saunter up with their mothers and look at me over their shoulders as they leave.

Still, I have Late Summer Cleaning Syndrome. I guess not everyone gets it. It is a reaction to the things that had to be ignored during the intensive gardening and harvesting/processing of the summer. Now, I'm determined to catch up and the heat is an excuse to work inside the house during the day.

Early, I'll go out and attend to the animals and vegetables and fruit. Yesterday morning, I cleaned out three chicken coops without ever intending to do it. As soon as it cools off a little, I'll get into the flower beds and do some serious weeding.

There are still berries to pick. I've picked and processed the peaches and pears. One tree is full of small white apricots or peaches. I'm not sure which. But they are still hard and unripe. Red raspberries and a few asparagus are coming again.

Zucchini are still producing, as are pole beans. Winter squash are coming on bigtime. Tomatoes are starting to ripen and peppers have just begun to get red. I pulled out the bush beans and fed the plants to the chickens. Beautiful lettuces and other greens are up and looking like they'll provide for nice salads in the month to come. Beets will need pulling.

The drunken July bugs were much decreased this year and only bombed the roof once for a few hours. I find one or two in the blackberries. Large flocks of birds are resident. I don't remember seeing them in the past few summers, so I wonder if there's a connection.

Today, I'll try to get organized with herb collection and processing. 'Time I got started.

*The Dog Star

The Pumpkins Have Wanderlust

2009-08-04T11:11:00.004-05:00

This is a picture of the infamous plastic garden on August 1st. As you can see, the Seminole squash is trying to escape. As of today, three days later, there are a couple of vines which have made it all the way into the driveway and some trying to get over the fence on the side of the bed.

For those skeptics out there who saw the garden in early Spring, you can also see that stuff actually grew! It was looking a little sparse, as I left room for the inevitable expansion of squash plants.

The cucumbers and beans have been producing prodigious amounts. Baskets, bags, and buckets of produce is going out into the kitchen every day to be rinsed and refrigerated. Peppers are on the plants, as are tomatoes. Beets are being pulled weekly. Some Seminole winter squashes are ready to be harvested. I'll take a few to market on Saturday.

I'm still picking wild blackberries. The thornless are also getting ripe. Red raspberries have re-appeared. A big crate of peaches is on the counter in the kitchen waiting for processing and wine is bubbling in the basement. I've threatened to make cucumber wine, but so far have only made jars and jars of bread & butter pickles.

For some reason, I'm having good luck with summer squashes this year. I think its the weather and the rain.

So, if you don't hear from me for several weeks at a time, at least you know I'm too busy to get into much trouble.

Ta ta.

Harvesting

2009-07-22T11:18:00.003-05:00

This has got to be a quick post. There is much work to do during this time of year and not enough hours in the long days to do it in.

Blackberries are producing so I pick early in the morning every other day, picking enough so that I can continue the winemaking on a daily basis. On alternate days, I pick beans, cucumbers, and squash and wash and package them for marketing. Tomatoes and peppers have begun to develop on the plants, as well as winter squashes. I harvested mini blue hubbard squashes already and fed the vines to the chickens.

Of course, the animal chores must be done daily and herbs picked and dried, some attempt at yardwork and maintenance, eggs need to be gathered -- and a little baking for market -- pickling and preserving -- keep the house(s) fairly neat -- buy supplies occasionally -- well, you see how it is. 'Not much time to chat, much less sleep.

But that's the way the seasons go, and Winter will make up for Summer's hustle bustle. I am thankful that we are getting some rain this Summer and that the temperatures are not as high as last year.

Planting Days

2009-06-17T05:45:00.004-05:00

It is cool and rainy until tomorrow, when we expect the heat back. I am planting intensively, trying to clear out the seedlings in the greenhouse.

Since Saturday, I've had some visits from friends bearing plants. My plan to restrict my pepper planting to two types has been quashed. Last night, I tucked pepper plants into beds until it was too dark to see. There are at least six types of peppers that will grow in the plastic garden this summer.

Nearly all the tomato seedlings have been planted. Squashes are coming up. Beans are flowering, and little cucumbers are formed. I can see the beets have begun forming. Chinese greens are big enough to harvest, as is spinach.

The plastic garden liveth!

In the meantime, red and black raspberries are ripening and need to be picked daily. Plums have begun to ripen.

There's a new batch of tiny chicks under a tiny chicken and a brand new calf in the pasture.

There is not enough time in a day to do everything that needs to be done on the farm.

Here Kitty, Kitty...

2009-06-12T09:26:00.003-05:00

When we Americans reference a "sitting duck" we are speaking of someone who is vulnerable. The correct term is probably "sEtting duck" and has its origins in the agricultural understanding that most fowl will set on their nests for the 21, 28, or 31 days necessary to hatch young.

Setting fowl will bear with heat, cold, rain, lack of food and water in order to incubate those eggs! They also have to fight off wild predators of all kinds which are trying to get their eggs or newly hatched young. I've seen some pretty tough mamas, willing to fight literally to the death to protect their young.

Last night, my husband walked in to just such a scenario in the goose house.

Every evening, we feed the geese and close them up for the night. Yesterday, there was a black cat attacking a setting goose in order to get her goslings. The goose was killed.

Now, when it is a fox you know that it is probably going to feed its kits with the livestock or fowl it kills. I know that cat wasn't particularly hungry, nor was it going to feed its young. It, like skunks and possum, just enjoys killing newly hatched birds and fowl.

Geese are lovely animals with tons of personality. Sure, I know that cats can be lovable pets as well. I don't dislike them. We tolerate neighbors' cats in our barns and fields. However, I sure wish they'd be aware of the destruction cats can do to songbirds and poultry and waterfowl. I wish they'd keep them inside their homes so that they can enjoy their company without endangering our livestock.

I'm not shy to tell dog owners to keep dogs away from our goats. There are clearcut laws regarding the killing of livestock by dogs. Of course, the first thing I hear is that "Fluffy would never hurt a flea" or some such. Every year, goats are run and killed by packs of Fluffies who are just doing what nature dictates.

Is it time to make laws that will impose a financial penalty on cat owners as well?

June is Berry Month

2009-06-07T18:09:00.003-05:00

I picked the first eight red raspberries today. I ATE them all. They were very refreshing, and full of antioxidants.

All types of black raspberries and blackberries are loaded with blossoms.

Fruit hangs on all but the fig tree. It got zapped by the last surprise late frost.

There is a little spinach and some snow peas which I can pick tomorrow morning. The asparagus continue to bear.

If poke and Virginia creeper were cash crops, I'd be rich today. That stuff grows so fast that you could probably sit and watch it. 'Don't have time.

Beans and cucumbers want to grow right now. The cucumbers have started growing and have flowered and there are tiny fruits on the vines. I forgot how swiftly the plants grow and develop in June. Even an overwintered pepper plant has little fruits developing.

Life is very entertaining

2009-05-27T16:17:00.002-05:00

and they say that we'll have fun if it stops raining.

'Not complaining; just explaining.

I just changed my socks for the second time today. The first time, I actually changed all my clothing, as I'd done the morning rounds on the farm and walked through the tall grass, which is nearly up to my waist.

It was mercifully cool with light rain this morning, so I was able to do a little transplanting in the vegetable garden. If I didn't have to deal with arthritis, I'd have done a lot more. However, every day I plant something and it adds up.

The first daylily bloomed on our farm today. Multiflora rose is blooming, as are blackberries. Wild grapes are loaded with tiny grape clusters. Too bad they are inedible to most humans. It's great asparagus growing weather.

I picked a couple of nice sized "hands" of fennel, which I'll saute in some tasty dish -- perhaps Italian sausage and pasta.

When the humidity is high, I feel sick and can't do much physical labor. We are sliding into summer and this will be a consideration. I'm getting out earlier than in Winter and Spring and doing all I can manage while it's reasonably cool.

A huge snapping turtle greeted me at the goose yard. He turned and headed toward the pond, thankfully. I wouldn't want to tangle with him.

We need the rain, but also need to cut the majority of the hay, which requires about five dry days in a row. Only about a third of the big field got cut and baled this past weekend.

Boys With Puppies c. 1978

2009-05-17T14:26:00.005-05:00

I originally made this movie with a Super 8 movie camera. Recently, I needed to learn to make digital movies for another project. I decided to learn to incorporate live movie footage. These are my sons interacting with our Akita puppies.

They are not just regular puppies, however. They are super duper shoelace-untying puppies -- which make it hard on a kid who had just recently mastered the art... Notice that they work in teams. One puppy distracts the mark and the other attacks the shoelaces, successfully untying them.

Old House Progress

2009-04-28T17:44:00.008-05:00

I've been working on the old farm house and am posting these photos mainly for my parents and interested friends and relatives. I'll post more as I get rooms finished.

90 Degrees

2009-04-25T19:51:00.002-05:00

Yep. It was 90 degrees F. today. We zoomed right from Winter past Spring and into (hopefully) temporary Summer.

I'm exhausted from the Market and whatever farm chores I managed to get done.

Tinkie is back with the herd, having voluntarily walked through a gate held open for her. She's had her annual adventure. It's out of her system and she's back to normal.

Asparagus grew up during the hot day and I picked a good sized bunch this evening. We set up sprinklers in the vegetable garden area. After I rest up tonight, I'll probably feel like doing some outside work, but the grass needs to be cut again already.

The old house is shaping up nicely. Now that the interior plaster is repaired and rooms painted, I can clean and put furniture back. Soon, it will be ready for guests.

Tinkerbelle's Adventure

2009-04-23T07:25:00.005-05:00

Spring marches on relentlessly.

Lilacs fill the air with fragrance. The peonies have their little ball buds and amazingly, flag iris are ready to bloom.

It's been cool and rainy. Fine with me. Seedlings are safe and sound in the greenhouse, developing nicely, thank you. I can see peas, beets, and spinach coming up outside. I transplanted some Oriental greens outside and also scattered seeds in small beds

Baby bucklings have all gone to new homes. The goats were stuck inside much of yesterday because they don't like rain and mud. Again the barn needs raking and new shavings in stalls and hallways.

Of course there's a clutch of little chicks with their determined mommie chicken. You can't get through Spring without chicks, whether you want them or not. She tricked me!

On the cow front, Tinkerbelle -- one of the six belles I received in a trade for an old tractor one year -- Lulubelle, Annabelle, Jezebelle, Clarabelle... -- well, anyway, somehow Tinkie, as I call her, got on the other side of the fence. She has access to the pastures the goats are in and is chomping grass with reckless abandon, ignoring her cow buddies who are somewhat concerned about her independent spirit.

Yes, Tinkie was the cow rescued from under a round bale one year when she managed to get into a hay shed. She recovered and hasn't learned any lesson at all from that experience. Evidently, she doesn't have a new calf currently or there'd be a lot of bawling -- as when she managed to get into our fenced woods on one of her other adventures.

Tinkerbelle's girth belies her name, as she is not fairy-like at all, except for the fact that she has magical powers and can, evidently, fly over fences.

Ah, Tinkie, you embody the non-conformist explorer. You are the symbol of independent thought and innovation. May you grow and prosper.

...but I'll get you yet!

Easter Eggs

2009-04-12T05:42:00.003-05:00

While admiring a random basket of mixed turkey and chicken eggs (baskets of eggs fill refrigerators here at this time of year) I had to admire the beautiful mix of colors, sizes and textures. Brown eggs, green eggs, speckled eggs -- who needs dye?

I wonder if city folks started coloring Easter Eggs as a result of longing for the country and the time before the identical "factory eggs" they buy in the supermarket? Perhaps they had some memory of Springtime on the farm?

It's certainly easy to understand why eggs became part of the whole Easter celebration. Eggs are a plentiful part of Spring after Winter's decreased production.

The grass needs to be cut already, due to the rain we've had lately. Redbuds and lilac are blooming, as is the blue pulmonaria. Daffodils and narcissus are "over" already, looking shabby and worn. Tulips have created jolly groupings here and there.

Cabbages and oriental greens came up in the greenhouse in a matter of two days. They need to be transferred to multipack containers already. It's a little too cold to plant most things in the garden this year, but these will get out there soon. Rhubarb is doing great outside and I probably should pick some already. I saw the first asparagus tips peeking out of the ground.

Another class of baby goats has graduated from their safe maternity barns. It was time for the mother goats to get out in the pastures to get the nutrition from browse. The babies seem, with the exception of occasional stragglers, to be following the herd. The little ones who miss the "goat boat" cry in vain, as the mothers know they will learn soon from the experience. Mama goats pick up the little ones when the herd comes back down to the barns to get a drink mid-day. The babies are in goat kindergarten, a little disoriented but learning a lot about the world at large and life on the farm.

Lunchtime on the Farm

2009-03-24T06:40:00.002-05:00

Fifty-two seconds in my day.

Spring, Sprang, Sprung...

2009-03-24T06:15:00.007-05:00

I know, it's been a while since I last posted.

We've been through cold weather, hot weather, rainy weather... since. Right now, we are in a period of lovely Spring weather: cool nights and warm days.

As you can see, the fruit trees are in bloom at the top of the hill and the apple trees down below are budding.

Things have calmed down in the goat barns and we are in a routine. The herd is currently divided into three parts (like Gaul?) as the little kids are too small to successfully follow up the hills and down into the valley. I'd have to send out searching parties every evening to make sure they all got back home safely. In the past, I've had to locate small groups of babies who evidently were taking a group nap when the herd began returning to the barn.

The garden still awaits planting, although my tractor has been outfitted with the scoop to get compost from the big two year old pile. I still need the tiller to be put on so that I can get things ready.

It's been hectic. The weekend before last we did ear tagging and castrations. Last weekend we had an impromptu cattle round-up. It took six adults to cut one large Angus heifer out of the herd and down to the barn and into the trailer. Hopefully, Fran's bred and carrying a nice black calf.

When we got to the barn, there were neighbors delivering a trailer load of square bales. Thankfully friends pitched in and helped by arranging the bales in the loft as they came up the elevator. Thanks, Ginger and Rachel.

Thanks also to Lindsey, Maggie, Rose and Nora for all your help with the baby goats in the past month. It is really appreciated.

We are inundated with eggs: chicken, goose, and turkey. So it's a sure thing that Spring is here.

Snow Today

2009-03-01T07:52:00.002-05:00

'Just a quick note as I look out on snow covered fields this morning:

It will be snowy and colder for the next few days. That's good, because I'm not so worried about getting the garden(s) in order.

We're getting back into routine after 35 new kids and 5 calves have been born in the last two and a half weeks. Goat kids and dams are tucked into every available stall in two barns. We want to keep them dry and safe so they can get a good start in life.

Record keeping has been a chore, but I think it's under control. Barn cleaning is the most pressing problem. Chickens are suddenly producing a lot more eggs, so the Spring rush is right around the corner.

'Guess I'll just keep on keeping on.

It's Kidding Time Again

2009-02-17T07:09:00.003-05:00

In case you're trying to reach me without success -- I'll be down in the baby goat factory, where production has gone into overdrive.

As I said to a friend who came by last week, "They'll start kidding when the weather gets bad again."

Am I a prognosticator of goat behavior or not? It is cold again with some precipitation forecast.

I'm doubling up does in the maternity barn. We could use two.

I should come up for air again sometime soon.

Oh, by the way, daffodils are up and budded.

High Winds, New Kids

2009-02-13T07:01:00.003-05:00

We're experiencing some very high winds all day long. Although the temperatures are relatively mild, it feels chilly.

We had the first two kids of the current "batch" born yesterday morning. I'm guessing the rest will be coming along soon, judging from the number of does who are waddling around the pasture. I'm grabbing one big round doe each time I get a chance and getting them inside the maternity barn. That's so much easier than going up to the pastures and retrieving cold, wet babies and mothers.

The last fourteen, fat little babies "graduated" to the big barn and are staying with the herd. They are almost half the size of the adult goats and looking good!

Who Needs Punxsutawney Phil?

2009-02-06T08:25:00.006-05:00

Who needs Punxsutawney Phil to predict when Spring will arrive when you have Sophie the cow? In about nine degrees F, she had a new calf out in the middle of the pasture on the ice. I say Spring is right around the corner, and if the baby can hold out until tomorrow, it will be about 60 degrees and sunny.

What a wild ride February can be.

Sophie is a Holstein cow that I was given as a cute little calf. She was raised on goat milk in a bottle and is now the largest cow in our herd. She's had a calf a year, usually in February, since she was three years old. Holsteins are those commercial dairy cows whose offspring are routinely taken away early so that the milk produced can be pooled and sold. Seldom can people appreciate their wonderful mothering instincts and grasp how sad it is to deprive them of the experience of raising their own young. I will give Sophie a big kiss and perhaps take a picture later today.

Other signs of impending Spring: the Embden gander is escorting individual geese to the goose house to start the egg laying season. He sits outside and waits until they re-emerge.

Currently Reading

2009-01-16T07:24:00.015-05:00

It's four degrees this morning. I won't be lingering out in the barns today. It'll be a matter of doing the basics quickly and getting back inside somewhere.

I've knitted a pair of socks (pink) which I'll try out today to keep my feet warm. 'Been writing, reading, sorting, and catching up on little computer- and telephone-related jobs for the Farmers' group. I'll probably also work on lesson plans for the semi-advanced cheesemaking workshop which I'd like to offer in the next couple of months. Some baking is in order. That'll warm up the kitchen.

Anyway, it's come to my attention that there are actually people in this world who care to read about what I'm reading currently. I've just finished John Grisham's, The Innocent Man which I highly recommend. John Grisham's books are books I read in a matter of a few days. I'm sure I could read one in a day if I did not have other responsibilities.

If you read The Innocent Man, you'll probably become aware, quickly, of the widespread injustice in our "justice system." It'll make you mad. That will make you warmer. This is true crime, not fiction.

Right now, I'm reading Frank McCourt's, Teacher Man: A Memoir. This book will warm your heart. There is something so engaging in McCourt's humor and intelligent writing that makes it enjoyable. He manages to inject a bit of pathos while making you smile. Would this be a wry smile, then?

I was a teacher for many years, and I relate to some of the comments about the strange system of American education and the little regard the public has for teachers. It's ironic that good teachers are so little appreciated. Actually, I was surprised that teaching is something I'm good at. I find that I'm learning as I'm teaching. I dream about it sometimes, but would hesitate for a long time before considering taking it on again.

The most hopeful thing I found in this book is that McCourt did not publish his first book Angela's Ashes: A Memoir until he was 66 years old. His second book, 'Tis: A Memoir was published three years later. There's time for me yet!

Well, as I finish writing this, I notice it is up to 8 degrees. Time to suit up and get out to the barn. Today, I think I'll wear one of every color and make sure nothing matches.

Ta ta.

Winter Update

2009-01-13T15:16:00.003-05:00

Since the Solstice, I've been surprised by a few blooming plants in the greenhouse. Angel begonias and one of the stranger succulents (name unknown) have flowers.

The chickens are also laying more eggs.

The baby goats in the maternity are now almost too heavy for me to lift. They seem nice and healthy. That's a good thing, because udders are growing in the big barn and I anticipate another population boom in the next month.

We're expecting some single digit nights starting on Thursday. I'm not looking forward to it. So far, no snow to speak of.

I'm reading, sorting files for taxes, and doing other indoor jobs because it's so uncomfortable outside. We ordered garden seeds on the weekend. I'm taking time each day to learn some new software.

That's all the exciting news for now.

New Year and Life in the Slow Lane

2009-01-01T07:51:00.007-05:00

Yesterday morning, I sat at this desk looking out on a sky filled with pink tinged clouds. Those clouds stayed all day and into the night. The wind was howling and blowing so much that the goats decided against venturing outside the barn.

This morning, the sky is clear and it is fifteen degrees outside with no wind at all.

I amused myself by reading some of my favorite blogs, shopping online, knitting on my second pink sock of the series, and watching the Forensic channel while doing inside chores.

Becky, at Peevish Pen, featured a quiz on Quizzila: What Druid Animal are You? She was an Earth Dragon! Exotic. Anita's comment was that she came out a Wise Salmon. That's pretty neat. So, I took the quiz.

Dog. Dog! What an insult. How un-exotic. Dog?

But, when I went back and read my profile, it suited me, I must admit.

Dog... Man's best friend and also an animal of guidance, loyalty and protection. You are a companion to friends in this life and in the next. You are a guardian of the Mysteries and can lead us over the threshold into the Goddesses realm. Protect all you hold sacred and share your experience with those who need it most.

Yep, that's me all right. Woof.

Over the Hump

2008-12-21T06:49:00.004-05:00

We've made it to Solstice, and now the days will gradually get longer and the nights shorter.

I can understand why so many civilizations worshipped the sun.

"It's winter now. The night will be a minute longer. A lot can happen in a minute. Even hope." Kevin Rolly

However the change will be so subtle that most people will be unaware. We're having a very "precipitous" day, with clouds, slippery mud, and chills.

It's hard to keep the barns decent in this weather. Yesterday was the only dry day we've had lately. I'm raking and shoveling while baby goats jump and play all around me. It's nearly as bad in the big barn, where delegations of adult goats keep checking to make sure no food is being given out.

I've been grabbing a goat or two to trim hooves and generally check for problems. So far, so good.

'Guess I'll finish putting plastic on the big windows in the chicken house today to make it as cozy as possible. The ducks and geese are happy for the foul fowl weather. Cows are a worry, but they got a nice, big roll of hay yesterday and seem to still find grazing in the hay field.

The Dying of the Light

2008-12-10T06:36:00.003-05:00

I don't know why I'm so aware of it. We seem to be speeding toward the Solstice, but the truncation of daylight has such a weird effect.

Yesterday, we were doing ear tagging in the barn and taking pictures of each little goat with its new numbered tag. Once four p.m. came, it was difficult to take pictures, even with a flash.

I will be glad when the days get longer. Ironically, this will happen on the first day of Winter in the Northern Hemisphere. In the meantime, I'm not going to fight the temptation to settle in for a long Winter's nap.

Post Thanksgiving Post

2008-11-30T07:43:00.002-05:00

I deconstructed the turkey yesterday, sorting meat and stuffing into casseroles to freeze and placing bones and skin in the soup pot. The simmering broth smelled great. It will be strained today, herbs, vegetables and noodles added, and voila! Turkey soup.

One thing I was thankful for was that my dryer is now fixed, no thanks to Sears Repair. I waited by the phone for an entire day. They did not show up. I tried calling the local store and was routed to the Phillipines, or where ever their "customer service" is located. (They are not allowed to say what country they are in.)

I called a local repair service that afternoon, late. He actually called back! A real person. Local. The actual repairer of appliances.

We discussed what was (or wasn't) happening with the dryer. He looked up the model and CALLED BACK. He said he'd be over at my house between ten a.m. and noon. I almost cried.

He did, indeed, arrive at ten. It took about fifteen minutes to figure out that it was a simple plastic part on the door latch which had disintegrated, probably from age, and that the "fail safe" system had kicked in. The dryer won't start unless the door is fully closed.

He had the little part in his van. He replaced it. The dryer started. I paid him. We had dry socks and warm, dry farm clothes. I have a new friend and repair person.

The fourteen little goat kids are doing fine in the maternity barn and we're having a little break from birthing. This is very good, as it allows the babies and mothers time to bond and be looked after closely. They are all allowed out of their "jugs" during the day and they went outside for the last two days with their mothers. We have a fenced yard around the maternity barn for that purpose.

The first, traditional, group game was: all babies meet on the concrete step, then race through the barn to the yard as a small herd! What fun, fun, fun. Let's do it again. Again. Again.

Next: Let's all take a little nap in a pile.

It's raining today and chilly, so baby goats will stay inside.

First Snow

2008-11-18T07:27:00.001-05:00

There isn't too much: like a shaking of confectioner's sugar over the earth. Hopefully, it will melt this morning and won't cause too much trouble. It looks pretty.

Stop Me If You've Heard This Before...

2008-11-17T06:29:00.004-05:00

Yesterday was like a vacation day with no new goat babies born. I just did the normal chores, baked a cake, made a nice Sunday dinner, etc.

The day before, we had two new sets of twins born before six p.m. I did all the tasks listed in my last blog entry for each baby and cleaned out the pens, placing clean, dry bedding before sighing a sigh of relief. It was pitch black outside and I was looking forward to a hot bath to ease my aches and pains and wash off some of the farm.

I left the maternity barn to go to my UTV when I heard the unmistakable cry of a baby goat. I listened again. Yes. It seemed to be coming from up on top of the hill somewhere, but I couldn't see a thing and didn't have a flashlight handy. It had been raining on and off all day and cloud cover obscured the moonlight.

I drove to the garage and struggled in the dark to get some gas, in case I needed to do a lot of driving to find the baby. I went up to the house and got a flashlight and my husband (who also had a flashlight.) We drove to the top of the hill and walked through the brambles and trees, looking for the baby.

My husband located a doe with two kids behind the fence. I could not locate him. He struggled to carry the kids, get over the fence and walk them down to the barn with mama goat following. He slipped in the mud, but got down to the maternity barn where I met him.

We got them in and dry. The third set of twins in one day. Did the whole new baby routine, and hobbled back up to the house.

I'd done two loads of wash that day in-between goats. Our thirty-plus year-old dryer decided to give up the ghost. So, there was the problem of lots of damp clothes sitting in the washer and dryer. Before I could take the long awaited bath, I hung clothing on a rack in the basement and on hangers around the room.

On Sunday morning, my husband was really in pain from the slip on the hill. He needed a low impact job, so took the still damp clothes to the nearest laundromat, armed with quarters and the Sunday paper.

I did the animal chores. Later, he called Sears to arrange for a repair person to come out and fix the dryer. The phone came to me to discuss the day and time.

"We will send someone out on Thursday between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. The repair man will call to make sure you're home. If you don't answer the phone, he'll assume you aren't home."

"Wait a minute! I'm a farmer and am in and out all day. But I'll be here, just give me a definite time, and I'll make sure I'm at the house at that time. Cell phones don't work down below. It's a wireless dead zone."

"I'm sorry, Mrs. ... That's the way we do it."

"Let me speak with a supervisor."

CLICK. (He hung up on me.)

Could this have been my "no good very bad day" of the month?