I Love Trash!

Oh, I love trash! Anything dirty or dingy or dusty; Anything ragged or rotten or
rusty. Yes, I love trash... (Oscar the Grouch)

Well, up to a point, of course. When my husband takes a truckload of stuff to the dump, he looks around for useable, or actually REuseable stuff to bring back to the farm. We have a collection of wire baskets from freezers and I just found the ultimate use for them.

Each birthing stall in the new goat nursery will have its own individual, shiny chrome hay rack!

I'll put up pictures of the progress soon.

I save a lot of glass containers that are reuseable, including wine bottles, which I sterilize and use for homemade brambleberry wine. Plastic bags are reused as much as possible, and I'm thinking of always keeping a bunch in the trunk of my car and taking them into the grocery store and asking the baggers to reuse them for my groceries. There are lots of things I reuse, but I know I can do better.

Here's a good article about post holiday recycling from today's New York Times.

Christmas Eve Will Find Me...

Christmas Eve morning found me in the barn, as usual, raking out stalls and moving “wasted” hay into them. The Lessons and Carols from Cambridge soared throughout, thanks to the radio. My barn became a cathedral or symphony hall for the morning while I worked.

I do not listen for the religious content, but rather for the hope that choral music gives. It is awesome to think that humans can cooperate in a group effort to create such majesty.

“Away in a Manger” -- I wonder if city dwellers know what a manger is. Wasted hay is something goat keepers know about. Goats pull hay out of the manger to eat. What falls on the ground and is stepped on, they will not eat. Goats are pretty careful about that. Good thing, too, because they would be ingesting dirt and parasites otherwise. Now cows -- cows are a different story…

I walk back and forth, dumping buckets of the truly dirty hay and manure raked out and returning with forks full of the relatively clean waste hay. I make the stalls cozy for cold nights and the kidding which I anticipate next month.

I think about the other side of the human coin of cooperation and of how humans can cooperate beautifully to do terrible things. Genocide, religious and ethnic cleansing, for example. I wonder what it is in the human psyche that makes so many want to belong to an exclusive group -- even at the risk of losing their humanity in so doing. I think about the willingness of so many to give up individuality and the ability to do just what I am doing -- questioning man’s place in the universe.

Redhen's Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day

Good morning.

It's 16 degrees F. here this morning, with strong wind and snow flurries. It will be a bit trying to do the farm chores this morning. Yesterday, I did anticipate the cold and did some last minute fix-ups in the barns to minimize the drafts. I'm hoping it will be a sedate day despite the extreme cold.

Normally, I just block out the negative things that happen, but the day before yesterday is worth mentioning, if only to "exorcise" it from my consciousness.

On Wednesday morning, the first thing I noticed when walking to the goose house, was that the cattle ball waterer was leaking a LOT from the base, creating a small river. Next, I became aware that there was no water in the hydrants in the greenhouse and chicken house. No water in the old farmhouse -- so no easy way to deliver water to the chickens.

I drove around and checked waterers and hydrants in the outbuildings on other parts of the farm. The water problem was only in one area. I called my husband at work and let him know that something was wrong. He suggested that I turn off the well pump at that area.

I then drove down the hill in my Mule to do that, and saw the entire goat herd walking down the driveway. They had chosen that moment to discover a breach in the electric fencing and were checking out other areas to browse! The Mule's motor just made them panic and I could see that the farm gate, open to the road, was where they were headed!

Anticipating tragedy, I jumped off the Mule and proceeded on foot. The goats turned toward me and I was able to lead them uphill. Just as my breathing became labored from the uphill climb, one of the ringleaders noticed an open gate to one of the large pastures. The goats, followers that they are, all went through that gate and I shut it and hoped for the best.

I went down and shut the main farm gate and then turned off the well pump. I took buckets in the bed of the Mule and went to one of the big barns to haul some water to the chicken house. Mostly, it sloshed out, so that by the time I got there I had only about a gallon of water.

Things just continued to go from bad to worse as the day wore on. I won't bore you with the details. As it turned out, the original water problem was caused not by freezing pipes, but by a worn out float valve. We managed to lure and drive the goats through three pasture gates toward their domain and all was back to normal by the end of the day.

'Just so those of you who crave the rural life know: we get our share of excitement, too.

Progress

We chug along in the cold. It's uncomfortable to work outside too long. There are now three propane wall heaters installed in the greenhouse -- one in each section. The sole exception is the long end, which will be kept as a cool room.

I planted some bulbs in pots yesterday and started the clean-up. The Old furnace is out on the grass, waiting to be disposed of. Today, I'll put down new gravel on the floor and work on organizing the potting room a little better.

We bought bamboo flooring for the old house. It was on sale; is environmentally friendly; pre-finished and very attractive. It supposed to be harder than oak flooring and doesn't require adhesive. We'll just nail it in a room at a time, as I complete the painting and trimwork.

Next project plan: a goat nursery in the green dairy barn. Since I've abandoned plans for a dairy, it makes sense to set up "jugs" (little stalls) for kidding during the winter. It will be an annex to the big barn to reduce crowding. Since there is concrete on the floor, it should be easier to keep clean and to heat when the weather is brutal. I'd like to set up a warming crib (perhaps an empty Rubbermaid trough) with a safe heat lamp over it, for emergency warmth for newborns.

Well, it's good to have goals, I suppose. I envision a row of small stalls made with cattle panels and with old carpeting attached to the sides to keep down drafts. Each stall would have a place for a hanging feeder and a water bucket. We already have hay bales in that barn, so the wasted hay could provide soft bedding and extra warmth.

I'll let you know if we actually accomplish this before kidding starts.

Ta ta.

Charlie

Mamma Sophie has a brand new boy as of today. I knew she was close, because yesterday she lost her mucous plug and her udder is huge. He seems fine. He let me touch him and check to make sure he is all right.

I've been a bit remiss in making birth announcements. Baby Binky is about a month old. He is Dinky's.

I spent the weekend finishing up the painting of the old farmhouse living room. For those of you who like to see "before and after" pictures, here it is all clean and white and waiting for carpeting and furniture:

A Better Mouse Trap?

This will be the last of three beautiful days with temperatures in the seventies. I've been able to work outside without a jacket, or a raincoat, or ten pairs of gloves... But predictions have us back in the reality of late Autumn by tomorrow morning.

We've had a taste of cold weather, but then bounced up and down for a while. It would be a miracle if we don't now settle down for a long winter's nap. The trees are rapidly losing all their lovely bright leaves, although there are still some left.

The plastic "storm windows" are all up in the chicken house. All the hay is cut for this year and most is under cover. We may get a chance to put the new hay elevator together today and get all the square bales up in the lofts.

I've inadvertently managed to discover a simple way to trap mice in the chicken house. Just place an empty five-gallon bucket somewhere near the feed containers. Leave it upright and don't put any feed in it, so you don't catch chickens. The mice are so curious that they climb down into it, but they can't climb back out if the sides are straight. Perfect. I just empty the bucket of dead mice every few days. It's even cheaper than glue boards. Poison is too risky, as the chickens may eat it.

I'm still pulling out the dried weeds in the garden. They are taller than I and I'm building up a huge pile. I dump buckets of goat manure on asparagus beds each day after raking the barn.

I've started a Cow/Calf course given by the Extension Service through VA Tech. It comes through the mail in monthly installments and is accessible online. Perfect for me. This will be ongoing through the winter and is good information to store up in my brain. It covers pasture maintenance as well as practical learning about bovines.

Autumn Color

We are at the height (or just slightly past) of autumn color on the leaves. Wind has blown some trees "naked" already, but the majority of the woods I'm viewing from my desk this morning are in full, glorious reds, oranges, and yellows.

There are black walnuts on the ground. They need to be harvested and put out on the driveway for hull removal when the truck drives over them. I don't know if that will happen to any great extent this year, but I'll work on it a little. If not hulled quickly, little worms invade the hard outer shell and the nuts are ruined.

I haven't seen any shagbark hickories this year. 'Good thing I shelled and froze some last year.

As I looked out the window this morning, I thought my eyes were "seeing things" as the white fog bank between the dark mountains and the bright line of trees was moving fast downward. Careful watching revealed that the fog is actually rolling down the valleys, over the ridges, and into the next valley from North to South, quickly as the sun rises. It rained yesterday and last night, so there must be a lot of moisture that is burning off. It was totally foggy up here on the hill for a few minutes, and then totally clear as the fog migrated down to the lower part of our farm. It must be interesting to observe this from airplanes in the early morning.

Right now, the wind is moving the fog bank from West to East, creating occasional high plumes of cloud. It is like a moving river quickly exiting the valley as morning progresses.

Renovations on the greenhouse are progressing. Glass-paned doors are now installed between greenhouse sections so that we can maintain heat zones. We need to replace the broken furnace this coming week before the colder weather comes in. Slightly below freezing nights have made little impact on the plants inside, but soon we'll need some heat to keep the plants alive through the winter nights.

On today's agenda: continue cleaning out the vegetable garden so that it can be tilled sometime during the winter. Start putting the "storm windows" in the chicken house. We'll have a warmer week coming up but it wouldn't be wise to slack off on winter preparations.

Full Harvest Moon

We didn't get to see the full harvest moon last night. It is gray, cloudy, cold, and rainy. I covered most of the brooder top with plastic and a beach towel, so that the babies are basking in 90 degrees out in the chicken house, despite the fact that it is in the 50s today.

There is one tiny quail chick in with the baby quail and chickens. It hatched out extra early and was the only quail to survive. You'd think it would be trampled by the much larger chicks, but they seem to be pretty considerate and it seems to think it is much bigger than it actually is! They are all beginning to grow feathers, which will help them deal with the cold.

We "wasted" this morning picking up building supplies for the interior of the greenhouse re-vamp and going to the Fall Festival in a nearby town. Carhart clothing, which many farmers around here wear regularly, was on sale at the clothing store in town. Live bluegrass music is a part of this festival. The bands were playing inside the tiny movie theater because of the cold. Normally, they'd be out in the midst of the crowds. We sat down in the last row for a few sets to get out of the wind. Speakers were set up to be heard in the street, where we looked at wares set out by intrepid local vendors.

This is bluegrass music country, for sure. There are so many very good groups, which include young and older musicians. It always amazes me how precise the playing is and how the players seem to enjoy themselves. This is still a unique American art/craft.

Two parties of bow hunters have been out in our woods today, the first day of hunting season.

We have about 500 square bales put up in the barn loft, thank goodness, and will cut more if the weather permits.

Teddering

That's "teddering", not tottering, although at my advanced age, you might expect it to be the latter.

A tedder is a whirly-thingy that goes behind the tractor and fluffs up the cut hay.

I learned to drive the new tractor and tedder the hay after my husband cut it. We are hoping that it will be dry enough today to rake and bale it. We only cut a portion of our hay field so that we'd be able to learn without risking the whole supply.

There are entirely too many buttons, levers, gears, and gadgets inside the tractor cab. Although I drive a standard shift truck, I have to think REALLY HARD about what to push, pull, or step on to accomplish whatever it is I'm doing at the time. Hopefully, there are still enough brain cells left and the connections between them that I'll get the hang of it soon. In the meantime, it's a good thing there's air conditioning, because I'm doing a bit of sweating under pressure.

More trees are turning color this week, and the temperatures are cool enough at night that I am slowly taking plants that have summered outdoors down to the greenhouse. I've cleaned up a bit down there, and have plans to replace the ailing furnace and to upgrade some of the interior spaces.

There's a cardboard box brooder full of chicks down in the old house. It's too cool at night to put them out in the chickenhouse brooder until they get some feathers on them.

Summer's End

A few trees have already begun to change color in the back pasture. Cows call like foghorns in the early morning in the pasture as densely gray and misty as the ocean. It is cool morning and evening and the windows can be open in the house.

Goldenrod is blooming and green nuts are visible in the thinning leaves of walnut and hickory trees.

The garden was just totally stunted after prolonged drought and intense heat. Once we turned the corner toward Fall and some rain came, lettuces sprang up and the chard has begun to grow again. The pepper plants did all right in the heat and seem to have a new lease on life now.

What is the farmer doing now? She is tying up loose ends and catching up on apple processing, winemaking, bottle washing, house cleaning, and herb gathering.