Celebrate your successes

Even when they are small. In last week's post Planting Season, we briefly described the process that Lynn used to store the Dahlia tubers over winter. I am happy to report that we are seeing sprouts in the pots! This aids in our pursuit of sustainability. How do you ask? Money! The Benjamins. In years past when we wanted a dahlia we bought a blooming plant. Always with the disclaimer that in warmer zones they are perennial but in the colder zones, annuals. Each plant had a price tag between $30-$40. Last year we bought a couple of tuber packs. Each tuber cost approximately $3.00. We started them early in our hoop house and we got wonderful, beautiful, and healthy plants.

It is nice to have a pay off such as this. Lynn's gardening bills add up quickly so I am thrilled that she was able revive these beauties. And not just revive but splice them to get more plants. Perhaps she has earned the nickname "Frankenstein".

I can't wait to see the bloom. Three cheers for Lynn and her Dahlias!!

And the winner is...

a lovely, little patch of snow bells. They are the first flowers to fully bloom and greet the spring.

Nora and I had a wonderful, sun-filled day yesterday.  I spent the morning pruning the small fruit trees and blueberry bushes, and turning our recently frozen compost piles.  Then, once it warmed up a bit, Nora joined me outside to give our older (and excessively overgrown) apple trees a much needed pruning.  That effort required some ladder and tree climbing and fancy angling with the large pulley pruner (the pulley pruner is a marvelous invention and everyone with sizeable fruit trees should have one), but we managed to prune out about 1/3 of the overgrowth.  Reshaping old fruit trees is a 3 year process, and we’re on year two.  To avoid injuring the tree, you should only remove 1/3 of the unwanted branches per year; slowly opening up the overgrown crown to allow more sunlight on the lower branches. 

After the pruning, I started cleaning up some of my numerous perennial beds.  We closed out the afternoon sitting on our back steps, soaking up the sun, chatting, and watching the various birds flit about.  Many of our summer birds have returned to the area – robins, mourning doves, red-winged blackbirds, starlings.  Thanks to Nora’s keenly observant eye, we also spotted several deer walking along the wood line on the far side of the pasture.  The day was topped off with a delicious dinner of beer-butt chicken slow roasted on the grill (I know it sounds very red-neck - although we used a Canadian lager rather than Bud - but it was remarkably tasty) and wild-grained rice.

A wonderful spring day to be sure.

Good Morning Moon

Kudos to Lynn for pointing this out to me minutes ago. Happy Day to all

Peek-a-Boo

I SEE YOU!!!  Cheers for Spring!



Planting season 2013

Has officially begun! Man, it seemed like this would never get here. Today we planted the seeds that should be started 8-10 weeks prior to the last frost, and for this area that is now. From this point forward, we will more than likely be starting trays every week for everything that will not be direct seeded.

So we filled two trays today: each tray has 50 individual cups, 5 rows of 10. We put up a table and hung a fluorescent light above the trays in our dining room. I guess it might be considered cruel to start them in the very room where they will meet their end. Another way to look at it as the cycle of life. Yeh, that's what I meant, cough,cough.

The seeds sowed today are as follows: Annie's Sweet Pepper Collection, which includes California Wonder, Golden Treasure, Orange Bell, Buran, Quadrato Giallo D'asti (a mix of orange, yellow, green, and red peppers); John Scheepers' Country Taste Beefstake and Orange Pixie Large Cherry tomatoes; marigolds ("Red Gem") from Annie's; and last but not least, we have some Old Spice Sweet Peas from High Mowing Organic Seeds.  No offense but that name is not really appetizing for me.

If we haven't said this before, all seeds are non GMO (genetically modified organisms) unlike most of Hollywood (and California for that matter), and most are heirloom varieties.

Pictured below are the trays and some pots containing our dahlia tubers from last year that we brought inside in the fall.  This was our first attempt at wintering-over the dahlias.  We chose to do this by wrapping them in layers of brown paper bags inside a cooler, stored in the basement (there are numerous other techniques). Keep your fingers crossed. I can't wait to see them pop up. They are so damn beautiful.

Here's to the official beginning of our planting season. I think this warrants a glass or two of scotch.

Victory

Today's pic is in honor of a friend who recently broke free of a personal prison. Here's to becoming a butterfly again! Cheers!

High wire performance

Yesterday I returned from lunch to discover a flock of birds whirling about. They would swoop in as a group, and just as quickly leave as one and place themselves elsewhere on the property. They grazed the coop area. Next, atop a tree in the yard. Then up on the electrical wire that crosses our yard. They were lined up so well I was expecting music to start and some high-kicking to ensue.

But alas, there was no kicking. Just flight. Regardless, I enjoyed the show.

Winter Pasture

Today is the first day of spring.  The weather outside is still chilly and a light snow persists.  Yesterday, we received 4-5 inches of wet, heavy snow.  But it's mid-March and yesterday's snow storm seemed like the huffing and puffing of Old Man Winter running out of steam.

Nora took a farewell (I hope) photo of the winter pasture.

I have to admit that the snow-covered pasture with its skeletal berry frames has a stark beauty.  I will miss it to some extent, but I'm eager for spring.  I'm anxious to get outside and clean out the perennial beds, get the cold crops in the ground, say hello to all the marvelous new plants that will be arriving in early May, and just savor the warm air and green grass.

Each season has its beauty, but winter is beginning to over-stay its welcome.

Live for today

No thanks. We are expecting up to a foot of snow today so I have decided to focus on tomorrow.

Weekly cardinal shot

Yeh, I am obsessed with him. What of it?

Sanity and Safety

If you have been following this blog than you know that our two younger hens, Daisy2 and MadeIt, have been free to roam about the property. Their choice, not ours. Yesterday we put an end to that. We clipped their wings.

There is no pain with this procedure and it is a relatively quick process. I held them while Lynn cut off portions of their wings. We made this decision for sanity and safety. Their coop is surrounded by a cage. Outside of the cage is a fenced in area that is about 60’X60’. A good size for two hens. The issue is/was if you didn’t want them to fly out; you had to keep them in the caged area which was not pleasant for them at all. And I would hear about it. Believe me.

Once out, they would ALWAYS head for the areas that were off limits. While amusing to no end, it was becoming increasingly difficult to manage. I would feel horrible if something were to happen to them. I have this extremely powerful protective streak that covers all living creatures on our property. (well, maybe not all. Many bugs are excluded from said protection)

So our decision was a sound one. Better for them, better for us. We can manage when they go out of their area. In the late spring when we begin planting we will have them out with us in the field. We can keep an eye on them. Of course they will assist with insect control and aerating the soil. No free rides on the farm. J And we will be careful not to allow them near seedlings to prevent damage from digging or from eating them.

Although we are justified for doing this, I couldn’t help but to feel sad. (A classic example of “projecting” on my part.) Freedom and independence have always been at the core of who I am. And I just took their freedom away. I feel like a jerk and a hypocrite. I worked long and hard to reclaim my freedom. I will have to work on reconciling this one.

Do you ever feel like your wings have been clipped?

Life is good

When you have a giant chewy

Spinning

I can’t quite recall when the desire to learn how to spin struck me, but I suspect it was 4-5 years ago when I started to read more about modern homesteading.  Not surprisingly, many of the folks who are interested in living a more self-sufficient life, also find themselves learning one or more traditional or “heirloom” crafts. 

I pondered a couple of different crafts.  Blacksmithing was out of the question since I’m afraid of fire.  My mother tried to teach me how to sew, knit and crochet (I had to admire her tenacity) when I was a child, but I was hopelessly inept at all of it.  Soap-making sounded fun, but I lacked the requisite goat.  Spinning, however, seemed to have a lot going for it: the tools needed were fairly small and easily acquirable; I could find skilled spinners in Connecticut who were willing to teach me; although it involved fleece derived from the very types of farm animals that I seemed obsessed with – sheep and angora goats – I could buy the roving needed to spin without having to have my own sheep and goats (at least immediately); and the act of spinning seemed like meditation.  The perfect stress reliever for a busy life.  So I started taking spinning lessons in Connecticut, learning to spin with a drop spindle.  As life would have it, I started lessons a mere two weeks before accepting a job in Massena and relocating 3 weeks later… 

Fast forward 18 months to this past fall.  I finally located a local spinning group only to discover that they met every Thursday from 11am-3pm;  not exactly conducive to my work schedule.  But, being unwilling to let the idea go when I was this close, I asked one of my contacts if she would be willing to give lessons.  She agreed, but before we could even set anything up, another woman in the group, Sandy, emailed to say the group had agreed to meet one Saturday a month if I was still interested.  I was thrilled! 

So began my journey into the world of fiber.  If you haven’t met a spinner or a weaver in your travels, let me just tell you, these folks are serious about their craft!  At least ¼ of the women in the group raise their own sheep.  All of them spin, weave, knit, and crochet daily.  Many of them do quilting as well. Those who raise sheep, also clean, card and dye their own fiber.  They pour so much passion and creativity into everything they create.  They’re a wonder to behold, really.   

I’ve not spent as much time spinning over the winter as I had hoped, but I’ve made some progress.  If you’re searching for a hobby that is simultaneously productive, creative and relaxing, I highly recommend spinning.

I know. I need new jeans,but Nora cut my clothing allowance.

The wheel is a Majacraft Suzie.  Originally I was gravitating toward one of the more traditional looking Ashford’s, but after using this wheel I fell in love with it. (It belonged to one of the women in the group, Vernice, who was kind enough to lend it to me at my first meeting.  I bought it from her last month.) It’s compact, beautiful, and easy to use.

Sunrise, sunset

Nature’s circus

Last summer, Lynn and I decided to check out the walking trails at the Nature Center (located in Robert Moses State Park in Massena).   It was a beautiful day and we wanted to take full advantage of it. I, of course, was armed with my camera (unfortunately, not with enough bug spray).

While there we were treated to an unexpected performance. We were first greeted by the Ringmaster. A welcoming face introducing us to the acts to follow.

There were three acts that day. The first was a terrific aerial performance by a portion of a flower just shy of the size of a dime attached to a single piece of spider silk.  She gracefully swayed on her rope, twisting and turning as the wind shifted.

We moved on to what appeared to be a tight rope tumbling performance frozen in time. One above the rope, one under.

Last but certainly not least, the Diva of the Woods. Unfortunately we did not get to see her perform as she was engaged in a heated argument regarding her lighting. I don't see what her problem was, I thought the spotlight was dead on.

All in all a beautiful trip. We stayed as long as we could, but the mosquitoes were swirling about us like paparazzi on the Royal Couple.

Random pic

Lynn asked that I start putting up some pics that I have taken over the course of whenever. I guess she likes to look at them. More than likely, she just wants me to work. lol  Some I will caption, some I may explain, who knows?


Even when you may feel like it, you are never really alone.

Bye bye byIcicles

That's right biotch, it's time for you to go. Melty, melty.

A murder mystery at the farm

When you live in the country or on a large plot of land, or work in a law or marketing firm, you often bear witness to the predatory behaviors of animals.  Such was the case Friday morning.

It was a cold snowy morning. Fresh snow blanketed the grounds giving the appearance of tranquility. But nothing could be further from the truth. For, just a few paces from our deck lay a once very alive and hopping bunny. Now a crumpled heap partially frozen on the ground.

Who could have done such a thing? Why kill and leave the body? Shameful!  Lynn and I sequestered and questioned all of the animals. No one was talking. Not even Ruby. Not even under the threat of no more chew treats.

We circled the corpse in an effort to see the prints of the elusive and vile killer. AHA. We saw prints. First we recognized the markings of the deceased. Running to the deck and out from the deck, where, he met his untimely demise. And one other set of tracks. A pair of them side by side, in a group of three. We widened  the perimeter of our search to determine the point of entry into the yard. Yet there were none.

“How could this be?”, Lynn asked. “Where did it come from? Who was here? And why leave the body?” So many questioned being fired at me prior to coffee. Not cool, even under the gravest of circumstances. But alas, my keen and brilliant mind immediately surmised the who, the where, and the why. Have you figured it out?

Well, I was privy to a little more information than you. Last week, while outside at night, I heard the who. No literally, it was a hoo, hoo, hoo. Apparently we have a Mr. or Ms. Owl lurking about the property. More than likely the predator got interrupted at 4:30am by Lynn and the dogs and had to leave the food. Nothing worse than sitting down for a good meal just to be disturbed.

And although we were sad for the deceased, we understand. And now, more than likely I will obsess over wanting to spot our new owl friend. A chance to use my new night vision monocular that Lynn gave me for Christmas. Too cool for words.

Sign of hope, uh, I mean Spring

Yet another visitor at the feeders in the last few days. Say hello to , Mr. or Ms. Chipmunk. It is hard to determine gender from afar. LOL as if I even know how to determine it up close.

Anyhoo, what I do know is that these little guys hibernate for winter and come out at the first sign of Spring. A welcome sight.

If you can't escape the snow...

You can at least rise above it.

Daisy2 and MadeIt, our little adventurers

Finally, March has arrived...

We’ve been terrible about keeping up this blog. I blame Nora. She has oodles of free time, while some of us have to continue to work for a living. Just kidding. Actually, there just hasn’t been anything that exciting to report while deep in the doldrums of this seemingly, never-ending winter.

But March has finally arrived and things are looking up! Even if it has been snowing off and on for the past 48 hours, and the world is still white. The days are getting longer and the temps are staying a little more consistently in the 30s. In the North County, that’s progress my friends!

In another couple of weeks I’ll start some of our seedlings inside under the grow lights. With a little luck, and some warmer temperatures, we’ll be able to move the seedlings outside to the hoop house by the end of the month. Come the 1^st week of April, if the snow is gone and the soil is unfrozen and not swamp-like, I’ll get some of the cold crops in the ground under hoop covers. The berry bushes and other bare root plants should be arriving around that time as well. Although I know where they’re all going, I still need to till up and amend the soil before planting.

Sigh. Longing for green…