Category Archives: Uncategorized

Unknown's avatar

The Buddy System

by

I had a lovely and touching post written out about the healing power of friendship  but it got blown up by my internet connection.

So instead I will say I had a lovely and much needed beach weekend with some of my best girlfriends and I feel refreshed and ready to take on the world!

The weather was beautiful, the water was beautiful and there were dolphins swimming close to shore.

The view from our rooms!!! Just feeling and smelling that ocean breeze is a healing tonic in itself.

Live music all weekend under the statue of Neptune didn’t hurt, either.

Yes, I brought my knitting to the beach.  I did work on it for awhile but couldn’t quite remember the pattern so I had to give up. Then my ipod died, but it was pretty old.  Now I am craving a iphone to replace it.   I also managed to get a wicked sunburn on my knees, of all places, despite scrupulous applications of sunscreen.

We had our normal book discussion (by the infinity pool!) and had some heavy moments but  also found time to laugh, like when we  spotted a man at the restaurant wearing a thick fur coat; he was telling everyone it was chinchilla.  It looked and felt more to me like he’d shaved some gross shaggy acrylic stuffed animals and sewed together a coat.  Are there shaggy chinchillas???

I don’t know what’s up with my strap.  It wouldn’t stay up.  I’m sure it had nothing to do with the cocktails we had with dinner.

How lucky do I feel right now?  I have a great family, some wonderful adorable animals, and incredible friends, both in book club and out.

Add to that the fact that fall is just around the corner and my heart is brimming!

Unknown's avatar

My Drug, and The Bad News

by

This is how I get through my days.  Iced coffee with whipped cream on top.  In a mason jar.  Because Mason jars make awesome juice glasses, that’s why.

I gave up drinking soda a few weeks ago.  It wasn’t easy, but it’s so unhealthy and I figured maybe it would help with the 15 lbs that won’t go away.  I also have been more mindful about what I am eating during the day, I’ve been drinking a lot more water, and Maddie and I have been running.  We’re doing the Couch 2 5K running program, hoping to get fit.  So far I’ve managed to gain 3 lbs.  *Sigh*.  Hopefully it’ll all work out in the end.  (Um, I would like to point out that the iced coffee pictured has HALF the calories of a can of soda, I only drink one of them a day, and it’s a whole serving of non fat milk.)

Besides the zero weight – loss progress, there is other bad news as well.

I know, I’ve been told no one wants to hear my bad news.  But, I feel like it would be a lie to make it look like everything’s all peachy and rosy here all the time.

Our house is worth way, way less than what we owe, thanks to the great economy and the several foreclosures and short sales in our area recently.  This means we are stuck where we are indefinitely.  We even considered renting the house out so we could still move, but our mortgage payment is apparently twice the going rate for rentals in this county so we’d be losing money.

I am not really sure how to proceed.  It’s been “gently” suggested to me that I give up on the idea of having animals.  That they’re too expensive and not a worthwhile endeavor and that I am being financially irresponsible.  I am sharing this because I think it’s not uncommon.  I think a lot of people don’t “get” why anyone would want to be a farmer / shepherd.  They don’t understand why anyone would want to work so hard for so “little” reward, and I know I am not the only one who has had to face these prejudices.

For now I am at a stand still , with a giant, gaping hole in my life that a lot people cannot comprehend.  I imagine the feeling is not unlike a balloon with all of the air having been let out.

Next week I get a small vacation and I’ll be working hard on sewing and knitting projects.  Until then, when I have progress and fun things to share, things may be kind of quiet here.

Right now? It’s time for more iced coffee.

Unknown's avatar

First Try at a Logo

by

I am a bit rusty at sketching as it’s been a few years since I’ve been able to do any drawing or painting, but I like the kind of “handmade” feel of my sketch of Frodo and the artwork around it.  It’s kind of rough and dirty but I also kind of like that – as if you’d find it on a hand – painted sign way out on some dusty country road in front of a pasture full of goats and sheep and chickens.  I don’t want anything that looks too “polished”, if you know what I mean.

At any rate I scanned in my sketch and opened a cafepress shop so I can get some mugs, etc.  I’ll be using this artwork in the future on tags for any etsy products I sell.  One day we’ll have a real working farm with actual farm products!! and I’ll be ready.

You like?

Unknown's avatar

We’re Down to Two

by

Ok, so it’s either “Merry Magpie Farm” or “Patchwork Llama Farm”.  It’s a really, really tough choice!!!!

It’s hard to do much thinking or deciding when it’s 800 degrees outside.  Today’s high was 104.  Too hot to even make use of the pool.  How’s that for awful?

I’ve spent the better part of the week painting the living room and the kitchen.  They were formerly a beige-mauve color, which was nice enough, but I wanted more of a colonial kind of look, and I wanted to get it looking cleaner and nicer in the process.  I chose a “light amber” color, which is basically yellow.

Nice?  I like how much it brightens the rooms.  It also compliments my Martha’s Vineyard painting quite well, no?

Aside from the painting and cleaning I’ve spent the week fretting over the animals and checking the water frequently to be sure they have plenty.  I’ve also been taking extra fruits and vegs out to them.  They love watermelon and apples.  I am thinking I need to keep a bag of apples on hand for them at all times.  I chop them up a bit, put them on a plate and they snort them right out of my hand.

Some days I get side – tracked on my way out with the fruit.  Like days when my mother points out that my tomato plant on the patio is under attack by some nasty green horned tomato worms.  HUGE ones.  We plucked off three and stuck them with the apples to take out for the chickens.

The chickens fought hard for these juicy fellows.  One hen swallowed the biggest one whole; I was afraid she’d choke!  Alas my tomato plant has not recovered.  Thank goodness our neighbor’s tomatoes are doing well, and they like to trade for fresh eggs.  Speaking of which……

Benny laid a double yolker.

Ouch.

Unknown's avatar

In Which I Make You Decide

by

I’ve been struggling with naming our farm here for quite awhile.  I had decided on a name I love – Chanticleer Farm , last fall.  We are over – run with roosters, and I though the lovely old – fashioned French word for rooster would be the perfect name.  Problem is, the dot com is taken already.  Worst of all, it’s not even a farm, but “luxury rentals”.

For the last several months Emily and I have been mulling this situation over.  Do we say “Screw the dot com” and keep the name anyway?  That would require finding some available variation for website purposes which would be less than ideal.

Then we thought maybe “Belle Chanticleer” sounds nice, but it is grammatically incorrect since “Chanticleer” is a male noun and “Belle” is a female adjective.  It would have to be “Beau Chanticleer” which just doesn’t sound as nice.

We also really like “Magpie”.  Magpie Farm is taken.  But what about “Merry Magpie Farm”, “Magpie Hollow Farm” “Magpie Meadow Farm” “Magpie Creek Farm” or “Magpie Morning Farm” (that’s a little nod to a Neko Case song, btw).  There’s also “Wooly Magpie Farm” which strikes me as somehow hilarious.

We’re stymied.  Every time something sounds right we second guess ourselves.  So we’re putting it to a vote.  Leave a comment here or email me.  Even you lurkers that never comment (and I know there are a lot of you) – we need some input here!

Unknown's avatar

Magical Mini – Donk Mountain

by

I tagged along with Susie, Erin & Jenny today out to Castleton,Va (beauuuutiful!) to look at mini – donkeys.  Susie is thinking they might be a nice addition to her farm, since they are effective at removing harmful parasites from sheep pastures.  Personally, I had no idea there even were mini – donkeys.

There is nothing “mini” about their ears.  Their soft, fuzzy, furry ears.

This little one looks just like a fox to me.

As you can see they are not “mini” as in “tiny”, but much smaller than other equines.

Here is one next to Susie for size comparison.

The gentleman who runs the farm had a nice hammock out in the pasture with them.  Isn’t that lovely?  You can relax with a book or your knitting surrounded by nuzzly little inquisitive donkeys.

Erin playing with an ear.  It was impossible to resist those velvety things.

It was exactly eleventy- billion and four degrees out there in the shade and yet the adorably pregnant Jenny never looked any worse for the wear.  I, on the other hand, would have swelled up like a giant red beach ball and collapsed.  Even when not carrying a fetus around I don’t manage heat well.  I was drenched with sweat petting these guys.

We were given a few buckets of carrots to break the ice.  Once they decided were were ok peoples they were very sweet and almost cuddly in as much as an animal like that can be.

Then we met the mini – horse.  I am pretty sure his name was Silver.  He was magical.

Yes, he was this hazy and soft and blue in real life.  Ok, not really, I softened him up a bit to add to his mystique.  I did find myself wondering where the fairies and goblins and princesses were, though.

At that point we were ready to hit the road since Susie and Jenny had a fabulous date ahead of them with the county dump, but our hosts offered us respite from the heat in their AC and set out bowls of cherries and sliced tomatoes and cold water and it was absolutely wonderful.  They told us great stories and we saw the collection of “mistake” wooden bowls he had made.  They were stunning, as was the wooden farmhouse-style dining room table we were sitting at that he had likewise crafted himself.  We were all sent home with one, happy as larks (and those bowls will all be forever known as “Donkey Bowls”).  But before we left, we met Sid Vicious,and got his picture in Susie’s Donkey Bowl.

For more info about the Mini-Donkey Farm check out Susie’s blog; if you don’t see what you’re looking for in her post from today, you can contact her through the blog-site and she’ll hook you up.

Unknown's avatar

So Hot and Crispy

by

Jerry would like to register his complaint over the heat.  It’s been brutal so far this year.  Normally we do expect some oppressive heat here in Va, but it’s usually later in the summer, and when it does get to be around 100 degrees it certainly doesn’t stay there for weeks end.  In fact, I don’t think it even stays in the high 90’s for prolonged periods.  Generally what makes it oppressive is the heat/humidity combo.  This year has been something awful special in that regard.

I know it’s not just us.  Everyone’s having crazy weather.  Susie mentioned something about how it should be called “Climate Chaos”, and this year has fit the bill.  The coldest, snowiest winter in years followed by the most brutal summer.

Everyone’s gardens are burning due to the excessive heat and lack of rain, and mine are no exception, even with daily watering.  My poor corn, which looked to be on the cusp of readiness, seems  about to spontaneously combust and all of my flowers are in danger of sizzling into nothingness.

Aside from the heat I have had a heck of a time with little Frodo, who has decided that the shock of the electric fence is nothing in comparison to getting at the green weeds beyond it.  It’s gotten to where I am going to have to lock him in the barn if he keeps it up. He’s gotten a little too “bloaty” looking for my liking.   He’s also decided he no longer wants to be petted.  If I try to touch him , he runs.  This happened about the same time he started breaking out.  It’s sad.  At least little Finn is still like a puppy with horns.  He even let me vaccinate him yesterday and still came back for hugs after.  I have yet to successfully vaccinate Frodo.

I also confirmed that the problem with Berry’s foot is Bumblefoot.  It’s fairly common.  It’s a staph infection that gets in their feet through little cuts and then causes swelling and grossness.  I removed much of the infection last night and packed the wound full of antibiotics.  He’s hopping around with vet wrap today and hopefully he’ll be fully recovered before too long.  I also feel like I have passed the “grossness” and “bloody” requirement of being a farmer/goatherd/whatever I am.  If I could just get the fencing thing right, I might have a chance.

Unknown's avatar

The Good, the Bad, and the Worse

by

Let’s start with the good.

The pool is almost done.  We hired some workers to come complete the base level and then we spent the weekend setting it up the rest of the way.  All that needs to be done now is the water delivery and and the chemicals.  The girls are beside themselves with excitement and are hoping for a very “swimmy” 4th this year.

The sky was gorgeous last night while we were out there, though it was hard to capture because the lens on my camera kept fogging over from the humidity.

I also managed two other feats last night.  I pulled a decent crop of red potatoes out of the garden:

And I made a blueberry pie.

Oona won’t eat the pie and she’s mad that I used all the blueberries to make it.

I wasn’t sure at first I wanted to share any bad news here, and I haven’t been sure how to write it.  Then I decided there’s nothing for it but to simply get it all out.

One of our roosters, Berry, is suffering from some form of foot injury that has been preventing him from walking properly, and because of this he has become the object of much harassment by the other birds, and he has lost all of his tail feathers as a result.  To go with the theme of rooster rivalry, we discovered another rooster, my formerly favorite “hen” – Roobert, suffering with a grossly enlarged eye socket and copious discharge.  I do have photos, but they are pretty nasty and I am not sure you all really want to see them.  We’ve kept him separated and have been treating him with two kinds of eye medicine.  He seems to be improving, but his eyeball is completely black and I don’t know what to make of it.  What is very obvious to me, however, is that we simply have too many roosters for the land we have them on.  I need to find a way to reduce by at least 3 roosters, and Emily simply will not allow it.  (Nevermind the fact that we also have those 5 chicks that hatched recently, and at least 3 of those are boys).

On top of all of this rooster drama, I am at a loss with the bigger animals.  The fenced area in which they live has been completely decimated by all of the critters I have in there.  The land will simply no longer support them, and nothing will grow.  Even worse, it means I have a muddy, manure – filled area that is quickly becoming a breeding ground for flies and whatever other parasites that  decide they may want to take up residence there.  Ideally Jerry and the goats needs to have fresh pasture and weeds to roam and browse to avoid illness and complete destruction of the land.  I simply can’t afford any more fencing and I cannot leave them outside the fence perimeter – there are too many predators here and I can’t risk them wandering into  the neighbors’ yards.  I am faced with a dilemma.  I have to find a solution to keep my animals healthy soon or I am afraid I cannot keep them.  I can’t  risk their health just because I desperately want to keep them.

I did find a farm very nearby that is for sale at a very reasonable price that would be perfect – large barn, large fenced pastures, pool.  Unfortunately, due to the poor condition of the housing market (and a few other factors) we would never get enough from the sale of our current property to be able to buy it (or really anything, for that matter).

Accordingly I have  been rather down lately, and therefore I haven’t wanted to post much here.  There is a lot going on, but I simply haven’t the interest to post it.  I need to get past this bit of current misfortune and hopefully will have some more cheerful news soon.