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Yesterday I was treated to being able to get out of the house a bit (Paul is almost fully recovered, aside from restrictions on lifting) and see Susan, who was home for literally ONE day between trips, and also to see my animals, who I’ve been missing terribly.
We’re making headway in our efforts to bring them home, though. Trees are coming down, cleaning up is underway, plans are in process. It’s very exciting! I can’t wait to be able to look out the window again and see my flock.
Sophie and Adelaide’s baby-daddy, Jack – who may or may not be the future baby - daddy of kids that Milkshakes may or may not be already carrying. She’s been sneaking into his pasture to spend some “quality time” with him.
I got to see Coconut, who is 18 kinds of adorable, and I just want to rub those ears! But, aside from nibbling at Susan’s fingers, he’s a bit skittish still.
Mr. Jefferson here gave me lots of nice, wet cow kisses.
Sophie and Adelaide are almost as big as Milkshakes, and they won’t let me near them. On the plus side, unlike Frodo and Finnegan who thought they were lapdogs, these little ladies know they are goats.
Wren! She’s gotten just about too big for me to be picking her up and snorgling her now.
As for Jerry, he likes to make it difficult to get a decent picture. Once he knows your game he’s either INYOURFACE or lurking just behind you.
This way you either get NO pictures, or ones like these:
I miss that crazy llama!
This weather here is crazy, y’all. Two days ago there was snow and ice (well for us, crappy rain. For people a mile up the road and points north, snow. For all of us, ice overnight). We were shivering in our beds from the cold.
Today it’s been practically t-shirt weather. And since a lot of the eggs Emily has been bringing in from the coop have been dirty, I decided I’d use the warm weather to see how coop winterization was faring.
NOT GOOD.
People take care of their chicken coops a lot of different ways. Some people use hay or straw, some people use pine or hardwood mulch. I’ve even heard of people using grass clippings. Personally, I like to use pine shavings. They’re nice and fluffy and comfortable for the chickens’ feet, and they do a great job at drying out all the many droppings that chickens leave behind them and absorbing extra moisture and odor. I’ve used hay and straw but find that the poop doesn’t get dried out at all and the hay doesn’t break down as easily. If you’re going to use hay or straw, you’ll need to clean it all out more frequently. As for grass clippings….I imagine it would be like the hay but even less absorbent. The last thing you want is a moist coop to harbor bacteria and parasites. You’re going to have those anyway, but you don’t need to put out a welcome mat (and you don’t want to chance introducing any droppings from wild birds that might be on that grass).
Anyway, pine or hardwood shavings. You don’t want to use cedar because the aromatic oils are bad for the birds. I really wish that wasn’t the case, because my coops would smell SO much better.
I do a thorough cleaning out of the coop twice a year, in the spring and the fall. At those times I’ll completely remove all bedding materials and the leave the doors all open for a few hours to air it out well. If you’ve had a bad time with parasites or illness this is the time when you also want to scrub the surfaces a bit with some hot water and dish soap. You can bleach it if you’re so inclined, but be careful to dry it out completely and remove any residue before the chickens go back in.
Personally, I like the method that Zac over at Juniper Moon Farm used this past spring after a bout with mites. He used a propane – fueled weed burning tool (read: flame thrower!) and lightly charred the entire inside of the coop.
Anyway, once the coop is aired and dried out I dust it down with Poultry Dust. This is an insecticide powder to ward off lice and mites. Then I add the pine bedding and let the chickens back in to mess it all up.
Like I said, unless we are having an infestation of some sort or there is some major illness afoot, I only do this twice a year. The bedding and the poop break down together and whenever it’s looking more “muddy” than “piney” in there I’ll throw a layer of more pine on top. The composting of the under layer of poop and pine creates some heat and insulation during the winter that helps keep them warm. In the summer, it breaks down a lot faster with the heat and I replace bedding a lot more often.
But back to today. Today I intended to check the bedding and add some fresh stuff on top. That’s not what happened.
The winter this year has been very mild and very, very, very wet. The chickens are spending more time inside trying to stay dry and therefore pooping a whole lot more inside. It hasn’t been cold enough to keep the waste in any kind of deep freeze, and it’s been just cold and wet enough to keep everything gross and damp. No drying. Not breaking down as fast. Gross.
Today I cleaned out the coop.
The good news is that all the “muddy” compost I shoveled out can be used as……. compost. I chucked it all over the area that will be the garden this spring.
And while I was at it I spent time listening to the chickens, observing their behavior and taking stock of their general health and well – being.
Speckles – our Egyptian Fayoumi – just started laying for us. We’re getting the cutest little cream – colored eggs from her. And it took her long enough – she’ll be a year old in about a month and a half.
Miss Harriett, a pretty black Cochin.
Roobert, the resident jack-ass. He likes to attack boots.
ETA: Emily and I have been calling him “Mad – Eye” because he lost an eye a few years back, and that’s when the bad behavior started. Nothing worse than a grumpy one eyed rooster.
This handsome boy was one of the batch we hatched out in August. He’s called “Tevye” and he’s a bit off a mutt.
One of Speckle’s adorable little eggs next to a normal – sized egg.
And speaking of eggs: last summer our hens were on strike. Nobody was laying. For months we were in an egg drought. I couldn’t figure it out. I treated them for every possible ailment, checked thoroughly for any and all problems.
We’re pretty sure they were all in a slow molt. Nobody looked bald or shabby, but there were a whole lot more airborn feathers than usual. So this fall we installed a light into the back coop so that once the molt was over they wouldn’t go immediately into winter mode. ( chickens stop laying in the winter due to loss of daylight, not the cold temperatures. Increase their light, and they won’t stop laying)
Now it’s January and we are overloaded with eggs.
There are no fewer than 6 dozen eggs in my fridge at this very moment, and we haven’t collected yet today.
Anybody want an omelet?
It’s been a hectic, eventful couple of days for us here.
Yesterday morning Paul underwent his neck surgery at our beautiful new local hospital while I waited it out in the hospital lounge. I brought my knitting (and finished a hat for myself) as well as plenty of reading materials and the time flew by. It helped that my lovely friend Sallie brought me lunch and offered a friendly face amid the sea of waiting and worried strangers. Staying connected to the outside world via social media was a great help and I am ridiculously grateful to everyone who wished Paul well.
Maddie stayed with the girls and they got her hopelessly hooked on “Dr. Who”. In fact, they stayed up ALL NIGHT watching it (and eating ice cream).
I got to spend time with Paul as he recovered from the anesthesia and adjusted to having a neck full of staples (seriously – staples. They come out next week, thank GOD). I spent a lot of that time helping him in and out of bed for potty breaks and fluffing his pillows, switching out ice packs and holding a straw to his mouth so he could have water. He does fairly well on his own now for short bursts during the day, but it’s going to be a long couple of weeks for me helping him manage. So, if the winter gods would just smile on me and dump a bunch of snow right now, we’d all be pretty happy since we can’t go anywhere anyway!
I’m doing my best to enjoy the temporary quiet that has fallen around the house as the girls are reading by the fireplace, and Gully is curled up in his new dog Snuggie on my lap. I think it might even be time for a cup of Harney & Sons tea.
For those of you who haven’t seen the story on Susan’s blog already, we had quite a fun adventure a few days before Christmas.
Susan called me one evening and I asked if I would like to help her pick up some baby cows. An hour and a half away. In my truck. The thing about this kind of this is that YES. Yes this is the kind of thing I would say YES to. Also, Susan and I haven’t been on a road trip together in ages, and this mini trip promised the kinds of fun we could talk about well into the future.
So we loaded up our “Ram Cram” box into the back of the suburban and headed out after a quick run through the Dunkin’ Donuts drive-thru for large iced coffees all around. Did I mention Zac came with us? I think he was picturing a fun and relaxing road trip. I think Susan and I were thinking it would be fun to have along someone else to do all the hard work.
Fortunately we had great weather and the drive was easy. Before we knew it, we were there, staring down the reality of cramming 3 calves into the truck.
One cow in place. At about 2 and a half weeks old, these guys are just under 100 lbs each. In a year’s time they’ll each top out around 1,000 lbs or so.
Cow number 2 in place. These two are called “Madison” and “Monroe”.
And cow number 3! This cute little brown guy is called “Jefferson”.
With some trepidation I closed the hatch and we started our drive back to Juniper Moon Farm. They were a bit anxious and had trouble adjusting to the movement at first, but after a bit they settled down (and thought the lights and hooks in the ceiling were teats).
Susan got to hang out in back and get lots of cow kisses. These little boys are very friendly.
We felt quite smug cruising down the highway with our haul.
Caroline was thrilled to come out and help us get them all situated in the barn and nuzzle their sweet faces.
Once they’re full grown it’ll be hard to believe we ever managed this, but we certainly won’t forget how much fun it was.
I can’t wait to see what she’ll ask me to put in my truck next!
I have finished a second set of Super Secret Baby Socks.
Don’t tell anyone, okay?
My friend Theresa got a pair just like this in green, along with a striped hat. This pair will go to my friend Laura, along with another striped hat.
Now that the pre – Christmas super secret baby knitting is more or less done (more to do in January) I can work on some holiday knitting.
On the needles now? A shawl out of luscious Malabrigo for my grandmother. I have visions of warm mittens, socks and Sluggy Bonnets in my head, too, but I doubt I’ll even get close to all that.
If only the weather would cooperate so I didn’t feel like a lump sitting on the couch buried in wool drinking coffee. Alas, the 60 degree – plus sunny weather is killing me in that regard. It’s hard to feel all Christmas-y, and I’m sweating under the wool.
But it’s okay. Maddie put a reindeer bell on the dog.
7:30 am
Paul was enjoying coffee on the couch and getting his computer up and running to check his work calendar for the day. Conference calls and expense reports loomed large, but for at least a few moments there was quiet and he could relax a bit.
Suddenly a black and white blur flew by his feet toward the tree and disappeared underneath it. He could hear the tinkling of ornaments as the cat passed under the lowest branches and settled int he corner behind the tree. He leaned over to get the cat in his field of vision and admonish him for being in what is certainly a forbidden zone when, to his astonishment, the cat wiggled his back end (as cats do) and launched himself up and into the middle of the tree.
The weight of the cat more than halfway toward the top tipped the balance of the tree and in slow motion Paul watched the tree come down, as he helplessly tried to reach it in time.
CRASH!!!
I awoke upstairs to a crashing sound, a yell from Paul, and a moment later, the sound of the cat tearing through the cat door into the bedroom.
I came down the stairs and helped as Paul righted the tree. There was candy cane and colored – ball carnage all over the living room. The pearls hung all cockeyed and forlorn off the branches, the snowflakes in catastrophic disarray.
Water was everywhere; the tree skirt was sopping wet.
It took quite awhile to get the tree somewhat straight again (it’s not ever going to be quite right) so that we could clean up around it.
Luckily we didn’t lose as many of the precious ornaments as I had feared; mostly it was the colored glass balls and candy canes which are easily replaced.
But we weren’t taking any chances this time. Before re-decorating the tree we had to be sure this wouldn’t happen again.
We found a stud in the ceiling, moved the tree under it, and anchored that SOB with wire. Oh yeah, we don’t fool around.
Fortunately the lights are still working; had they not I may have killed the best and cuddliest cat I have ever had. The lights were a total P.I.T.A. (we had to exchange brand new boxes back to the store because they didn’t work – it took forever).
The tree is all fine now and we are back in business.
The cat owes me big time though.
I’ve been desperately trying to follow the example of my friend Marie Grace and make Sundays all about sewing. There always seems however, to be something going on that needs my attention and so yesterday was the first Sunday that I was able to throw down roots in the craft room and say “Sewing Only!”
It went more slowly than I would have liked. This was mostly because I had to clean a path to the sewing machine and neaten up my space a bit. This is problem numero uno with having your craft room in a corner of the playroom.
I managed to finish a dress I had started a month or so ago for Oona (pics later) and I started on a simple throw quilt for the couch in a christmas-y pattern that matches my tablecloth (who doesn’t love a nice red and white toile for christmas?). All that it is composed of is two lengths of coordinating fabric with some wool batting sandwiched between and some top – stitching. No piecing to do, no applique. I am using an old “Favorite Things” pattern called “French Bedroom“.
Which brings me to my second problem with Sewing Sunday. I always seem to have “help”. Especially when working on a cozy wool – filled blanket.
See there in the background? Occasionally a paw will reach forth and grab at my work, making for slow going. Then, this happens:
He makes himself comfortable right where I need him NOT to be.
As “helpful” as all this is, it is still an improvement over his “help” earlier in the day. You see, I started off Sewing Sunday with him knocking a full glass of water into my lap as I sat at my desk getting my sewing supplies in order.
Anyway I got a fair amount of work done on the quilt before retiring to bed, where the cat promptly deposited himself on my face for the night.
The end.
Happy Belated Halloween! Did you all have a spooktacular weekend? We did!
We attended our friend Elizabeth’s annual Halloween party, had a fun pumpkin carving evening with scary movies, spent the school day of Halloween watching Halloween movies, and went out into the night to gather candy with our friends Jessie and Keith and their family. I *may* have had too much Kraken rum that night. But sea – monster themed rum seemed a perfect fit for a creepy night of fun!
There’s plenty of photographic evidence of the weekend’s festivities, but I am starting out here with the fruits of our pumpkin carving efforts. It took several hours for us all to be done, and thankfully Paul ordered pizza or we wouldn’t have had dinner until well after midnight.
Emily’s owl pumpkin. She and Maddie decided to try patterns where much of the design is etched, rather than punched out.
Maddie’s “Flying Dutchman” ghost ship took the longest, but is very impressive. I don’t know how she’ll manage to top it next year!
Oona did not do any carving, but she approved the pattern I used and emptied all the guts out.
Greasy Grimy Pumpkin Guts!
Mine and Oona’s Headless Horseman. I am really happy with how it turned out.
Neve’s Graveyard scene. She did all of the pattern tracing and all carving but the most delicate areas.
Paul did some of the shaded areas on the ghost ship with Maddie.
Oona and Maddie definitely engaged in some pumpkin – gut hijinks.
We set out our pumpkins Sunday night and lit them, and Monday morning found the chickens on the front porch pecking at them. We managed to save them and keep the chicks away (mostly) for the day, but by the afternoon following Halloween they had pecked away all of the designs. Since Halloween had passed we simply threw all of the jack o’lanterns in with all the chickens and let them eat them. They did a fair job of it, exceeded in their efficiency only by the goats last year.
Next up: the annual Halloween party!
Lots of pictures. It was a fun fall day and I wish I had room here to post all 400 something photos we took.
Caroline called me up Sunday morning and invited me to the local(ish) fiber festival that was taking place this weekend. I had been on the fence about going since we’d done Old Farm Day on Saturday and I really didn’t have the cash to be going to a FIBER festival, but I scraped together what I could and we went for it! Besides, how can you say no to Caroline? I love hanging with her.
The weather was very fall – like: overcast and chilly. Perfect for looking at all things wool.
We watched the sheepdog trials for a bit and hit the sheep tent. We both got plenty of photos of the animals in there, and then promptly forgot we had cameras. When you’re focused on wool, well.
We made a point to check in on our friend Anna at her vendor station. I wish I had gotten some pics there, but you’ll simply have to take my word for it that she has beautiful pottery and woven things. In fact, I’ve linked her website to her name. Check it out, y’all (she’s the one that did the awesome Juniper Moon Farm mugs and yarn bowls).
Caroline picked out some lovely hand – dyed yarn from Knitting Notions (who I am thrilled has an online store, so I can order from them in the future), and I got some sportweight Superfine Alpaca (actually I bought one hank & Caroline bought me the other – how awesome is she?) from Delly’s Delights. I’ll be going back to them again as well.
I really had a great time with Caroline. I am hoping like mad I can snag her and take her to Rhinebeck next year. I can’t think of a better travel companion for such an adventure (though all of you Rhinebeck buddies from last year certainly come to mind as well!!)
Anyway, enjoy the only two decent photos I managed to get from the day. One of an Icelandic who was too hilariously like Feenat to pass up and a Cottswald that looked a lot like Ernie.
Enjoy!
