Handful of Sunshine.

Why is it that, after bearing through the endless winter up here, with the only thought keeping me going is that of "Spring"?  Glorious "Spring".  Then "Spring" arrives and it almost kills me.  I apologize for the paltriness of posts on this site.  I literally have just enough time in the day to get things partially done.  I have not given up my purge - seven more victims will be forthcoming - but, between the yob, sheep, llama, chickens, ducks, Nuggets, house problems, dogs, cats, chicks, it has been...well...tight.  However, there are bright spots.

Such as my one and only - but, what a beauty - Meyers Lemon.  There were and are plenty of blossoms on the tree, but I have been too busy to put my bee costume on, so only now are those blossoms out there for the real thing.  The fig tree, unfortunately, which was going gangbusters, has apparently been shocked by being outside.  I need to repot the thing - which is on The List.  This would be the BIG List - the one in volumes on 3-ring binders.

Only one week stands between high stress and medium stress.  The Nuggets go off to 'camp' a week from tomorrow and I will be so happy not to have to slog through that creepiness every day.  The grass was growing up under their netting and I could not find the time to weed trim under it.  What to do...SHEEP!  I pulled the netting down last night at dusk and swaddled the hoop house (thinking - what?  That something would be kept out by UN-electric netting?) and let the sheep into the middle paddock.  This morning, the whole area was trimmed for me.

We are taking time to celebrate three birthdays tonight.  Scrappy Doo is 16, the Pepperoni (who resembles a bratwurst in a black angora sweater) is 12 and Lovey is 4.  I had been saving a small, local, grass-fed ($$$$$) steak for just such an occasion.  The Pepperoni is, however, on a diet, so he will be getting a lean smidgeon.  I'm sure I will hear about it.  If the stars are aligned, I will get a video of them.  Here is a (sorry - very dark) clip of Mr. Bunny (Scrappy) mixing it up with Lovey.

I will try to do a garden update soon - it is mostly planted, but there is still a raised bed that needs dealing with.  And then, there are the weeds.  Lawsy.  I am putting the sheep in the back of the house, so need to clear a swath for their netting.  And I need to do it before I am knee-deep in grass.  Due to a series of unfortunate events, my handyman has not finished the Duck House - I am hoping he is back next week.  If not, I will finish it myself.  Much clean up is still needing done, I need to get some flowers planted around here soon to get me through the bleaker moments. 

Speaking of weeds, the chicks are growing like crazy - I did lose one.  I think the stress of almost five days in a box, being hurtled around the country was just too much for it.  The remaining bunch seem to be fine.  Another pair were a little peaky but I gave them a tiny dollop of honey and that seemed to do the trick.

It's an interesting group - Salmon Faverolles, Partridge Rocks, Araucanas, Jersey Giants, and a Free Exotic Chick (Murray McMurray speak for 'rooster').  I have yet to look up breeds to find out what he may be - he's got a Cleopatra Eye-thing going on.  I am also scheduled to pick up six Cayuga ducklings soon.  Maybe I should just go out back and flog myself?



I admit it. I am shallow and regressing quickly.

It dawned on me, as I labored away this past weekend - trying to get my tomatoes planted - that I am shallow.  I read gardening posts about plants chosen through careful and thorough research; making sure that money is well and wisely spent on plants suited to flourish in the correct Zone and all.  I, however, choose my plants strictly on how their name strikes me at the time.  Mountain Magic, Big Mama, Black Krim, Bloody Butcher.  I choose my wine the same way - by label.  If there's poultry or livestock on it, it's in my basket.  It may taste like pelican piss, but oh, that label!

As to regression.  During the usual hysteria of trying to transform from barn slob to reasonable working person this morning, I lost precious moments as I went through the gamut of skirts (garb strange enough on my person that it causes the hair on Lovey's back to stand straight up).  I started with a knee length number, but realized it accentuated the large skinned patch on my knee.  I switched to a below-the-knee version, but realized I had a large, crusty scratch on my upper shin.  I swished out of the house with an ankle-length skirt in hippie tie-dye.  What the heck, the clowns are still in session and no one will notice.  It was like rocketing back in time to when I was 8 and continually sported bruises, scrapes and cuts.

I shudder to think what comes next.

This week's entries into the Out File

I am still amazed that I am easily finding seven things a week to punt out the door.  I'm finding it harder to find the time to document them!

This week's pile:

155

156

157

158

159

BORING BLUE SWEATER

 

160

 

 

 

PILE O' POTS

 

161

 



155- I can chop, mince and shred faster by hand.  And I don't have to store my hands in my limited pantry space.

156- I find that I use Mason jars for everything.  Plus, this may be glass, but it has a plastic top.  PLUS, I drink more iced tea in a day than this holds.

157- Since they found PFOAs in surrounding areas, I have not been able to bring myself to use this nice, non-stick pan.  I know it's not Teflon-coated, but....

158- Yes, it's charming.  And exceptionally awkward to use unless you have a very large hand.  Which I don't.  Have.

159- I struggled with this - it was my first large knitting project and I love the idea of ponchos.  But, it seems, not the actual wearing of ponchos. 

160- Yes, it's so boring I didn't even photograph it.  Not surprisingly, I didn't wear it, either.

161- Time to winnow out the 5 million pots and recycle them to a local grower.

**********

I have decided not to raise the Nuggets again.  They are just too...too...creepy.  I know they grow from 0-6# in eight weeks, but there is something so completely unhappy and unnatural about that, that it is really getting to me this year.  I have lost two Nuggets so far - only two weeks to go.  One was my little poopy patient that got the worst of a pile up and never recovered.  The other was a seemingly healthy and large male that I found bottom-up this morning.  He had been a little "off" the past couple of days. 

I still think it's essential to grow what I can of my own food, so I won't give up raising meat chickens.  However, I am going to go the more natural route next year - the Reds (Red Rangers, French Reds, whatever the latest 'hot' label is).  It will take longer to get them to weight, but I am also going to stop raising them for others, too.  That will bring it down to a more manageable project.  So I hope, knowing as I do that I seldom listen to my own good advice.  I've got the system down pat - little brooder to big brooder to hoop house.  I have the feeder set-up that works, a waterer that's large enough, and a way to regulate air circulation.  I bungeed a small fan to the inside this morning, as it is supposed to be hot and humid for the next few days.  So much for spring.  I believe, this year, we got 15 hours of spring weather - then winter came back and we leap-frogged spring right into summer.

I had the chance to clean out the duck house for the first time this morning and it worked like a charm.  I can swing the side up, prop it on a board and rake it out.  I am looking forward to having the project finished (except for my bit) on Saturday.  Then I can put up some fencing and let the (LARGE) ducklings out to waddle about.  They seem quite happy in their house, but I am sure they will be thrilled with their kiddie pool!  I am waiting to hear from the post office - I have 15 chicks on their way and it is taking longer than normal to get them here.  That does not bode well.  Six are for a neighbor and the rest are mine.  Since I never seem to listen to myself (lalalalala - see reference to my blatant lack of good sense), I ordered five Salmon Faverolles and four Partridge Rocks.  And a "Free Exotic Chick", which means my replacement rooster.  Did I need more chicks?  Why, no, I did not.  But the minimum quantity for shipping was 14.  And I don't like even numbers.  That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

Where to begin....

I was very mentally healthy this weekend.  I took both Friday and Saturday and worked through a big list.  On Friday I:

Did morning chores
Set up the electronet on the hillside
Tore down old duck house
Cleaned work site
Weed trimmed back garden beds, sided of house, half of garden
Washed and hung up four loads of laundry (I was OUT of clean undies.  Geez.)
Finished cleaning out small chicken coop
Made granola
Bone broth on the stove
Made yogurt

Did evening chores

Happy!

The old gal is getting better!

On Saturday I:

Took three rhubarb plants down to local library for their plant swap
Picked up a pound of local coffee and treated myself to a chai latte
Drove to Home Debt to pick up my part of the duck house project
Weeded two and a half raised beds
Planted edible pod peas
Planted romaine
Planted four types of potatoes (even though I had vowed to only plant two)
Raked the sheep yard
Moved manure
Planted my primroses
Walked the dogs
Cleaned up after the builder
Collapsed

They had lots of supervision

 

Built better than my house

 

Duck House!

The skies threatened all day Saturday, but we were lucky.  The Duck House is not quite finished - it needs the tin roofing (recycled from my neighbor's barn) and a ramp and an end board for the inside of the nesting box.  I also need to stain the front, back and sides of the nesting box.  It's a very clever design - the nest box 'dormer' (you can tell he builds houses) roof is hinged and lifts up.  The right side of the A frame is hinged as well, so that the interior can be raked right out.  Very important when housing ducks.  I have put a hardware cloth screen over the door for now.  They have plenty of room and seem to be very happy with it.  There is a screened vent covered by the door in the up position.  I liked it so much that we have decided to make a Duck Village!  I'll be clearing out a pile of old firewood and moving the small coop.  Another Duck House will go perpendicular to this one some time before winter.

This was a good opportunity to see this builder/handyman/carpenter in action, as I am using him to roof my house.  He brought his 15 y/o son along and I was impressed with the way father and son worked together.  Jeff (father) treated his son's ideas with respect.  Ryan (son) worked right alongside him all day.  They started at 11 and worked until 6:30 with no break.  I had run out to get them sandwiches - they stood and ate them and kept working.  Of course, they had LOTS of supervision hand help from the chickens...  We ran out of time (honestly - if I could have carted them to their truck on my back, I would have.  I was ready to S.T.O.P.) and he/they will be back next Saturday to put the tin roofing on and finish the ramp and other bits.  But the main thing - NO DUCKS IN THE HOUSE - was accomplished.  I am celebrating the fact that I will have, maybe, three and a half days with no poultry in my laundry room.  Woot!

In! Over the wire...

I had meant to post these last week.  As usual, I kept thinking I had plenty of time.  There's an example of faulty logic.  On Friday night, I thought, "Hey!  Saturday is still part of the week!"  Saturday morning?  "Hey!  Saturday night is still legally the same week!"  By Saturday night, I couldn't muster the energy to lift a finger....

148-150

 

151

 

152

 

153

 

154

148-150  The Baby, Mama and Papa of waterers.  Of the three, only the middle one works well (IMHO) but is a citch to blean, if you catch my drift.  And why do I have 25 poultry waterers?

151- Another one of those "read description before you buy" things.  It fits nothing I own.

152- Okay, really reaching here BUT a) it's an item and b) it's going out.  I'm counting it.  So there.

153- Part of the PP (plastic purge).  I found this waaaay back in the top pantry cupboard and I don't think I have ever used it.

154- I love the looks of this, but it is not a functional purse for me.

I am starting to feel hopeful - I'm closing in on the halfway mark!

How does my garden grow?

It grows....hardly.  This has been a very cold spring, with multiple frosts or near-frosts, so nothing much has been done.  The onions are in, the garlic and shallots are doing well and I did manage to plant my new strawberry plants.  I got peas in, but they are just starting to break ground - two weeks later!  The biggest obstacle in getting my 2016 garden underway (besides the weather and general lack of time) has been dealing with the viola epidemic.  I had planted two tires, two years ago with the pretty little things.  They have taken over my world.  I had two raised beds FULL of them.  They are growing in the grass.  They are here, there and everywhere.  And I can't bring myself to throw them in the compost, so I have them in window boxes, pots, tires.  I have given them away by the wheelbarrow-ful and I still have half a raised bed full of them.  Lord help me.    This weekend I will move the remainder to somewhere or other (I think I have an empty window box or five), plant potatoes, weed the rest of the beds and plant my yellow edible pod peas.  I would also like to plant my sweet peas, but that would mean weeding yet another bed.  This is also the weekend that the duck house gets built - halleluiah! - so that the little darlings will permanently move out of the laundry room.  They spend the day outside in a temporary pen and the nights in their laundry room pen.  All five of us will be very happy, come Sunday.  However, I will miss toting those squeezy little bodies every morning and evening.  Sort of.

 

Gardening "helpers"

Violas/Johnny Jump-ups gone wild!

Onions in

Garlic and shallots (and Lovey-bomb)

New strawberry bed
 

Of course, before the duck house can be built, I need to deconstruct the old one and clear the building site.  I also have to have a tree cut down in the chicken yard.  And I have to set up the electronet fence so the sheep can start mowing the parts of the property machines can't handle.  Speaking of sheep, Juno was shocked this morning when her usual molasses drench held straight wormer.  I wish I could have photographed her face.  But she is doing much better and I am relieved.

The Nuggets are doing well in their hoop house and, with warmer weather being forecast, I can open the door and let them lumber around outside.  The hoop house is surrounded by electric poultry netting, but I didn't have enough of the poultry netting to completely surround it; the back is regular sheep netting.  This, apparently, will be problematic, as I came out yesterday morning to find a rabbit completely ensnared and tangled (and dead).  It most likely slipped through the larger openings in the sheep net and then tried to leave through the poultry net.  It took me almost 15 minutes to untangle it.  I will have to move the whole set up back about 10 inches and offset the sheep netting with the permanent fencing so that the available openings are too small for rabbits.  Wait...is this becoming a math problem? 

A mental health day will be taken tomorrow so I can fill it full of activity.  You know that makes me happy.  I will try to remember to take pics of the goings-on (including the measuring of the roof for metal roofing).  I tried to get a video this morning (too dark) of the Geezer (aka Scrappy) tear-assing around with his favorite toy, Foxie.  It's hard to believe he is 16 this year, the old darling.

Equal parts

It's interesting how exhilarated I get when my weekends get jam-packed with 'must-dos' on the list.  Maybe it's the fact that I am connected to the world again - or at least the parts of it that mean the most to me.  It sure wasn't due to the weather.  It was a weekend of equal parts frustrating activities and satisfying activities.   Without further ado - recipients of the satisfying part of the weekend:

Ducklings at 1 month out for
the first time.

 

Apria, or LaLa seems happy
to be on grass again.

Norman - always photogenic, my
Cormo/Pony cross.

 

Juno - my problem child
for the week.

 

Linden - my problem child
the rest of the time.

 

The Patient

I thought you'd like evidence that the LLF dependents are still alive and kicking.  I spent most of last week wringing my hands over Juno, my elderly ewe.  She has struggled with a parasite load and seemed to be doing okay, when I came home from work Monday to find her with Bottle Jaw.  A quick message via FB to my friend, AnnMarie - my sheep/goat/llama guru, brought her down for a conference.  We wormed Juno again, then she gave me her secret recipe for an iron-building drench.  I have been drenching Juno twice a day, every day since.  It seems to finally be working, as she has perked up.  Since the drench is packed with molasses, I no longer have to wrestle her to the ground to drench her.  She sees the red drencher comes running - I dose her through the fence!

I got a new phone.  It only took most of the week and the threat of tears.  My carrier is Verizon and there are all these rules - contracts, blah, blah.  The phone my dear sister had sent was too outdated and they didn't even carry chargers for it.  With all kinds of finagling and my quivering lower lip, I was back in business Thursday night.  What a relief.

Saturday consisted mostly of my fanny in the driver's seat.  I put the ducklings out for the first time and then drove to VT to make a written report on the theft.  I then zipped back home to meet my roofer and duck house builder.  Then I drove south to get my hair done (thank God), then I drove an hour and a half to pick up a quarter pig for me and a baby beef share for my other sis, had an interesting conversation with the woman, then drove the hour and a half back home.  I did half my chores and tore out of the house to a neighbor's for a couple of glasses of wine, then back home to finish chores and feed my dogs.  That last bit was carried out under the withering beams of three sets of stink-eye.  Not one thing got done on the homestead.  Not one.

Soooo (as I am wont to say....) Sunday started at 7:30a and ended at 5:30p.  I made sure I had a lumberjack breakfast because there was going to be no lunch break.  I got the ducklings outside for their second time.  They are getting so big!  Then I started to work on the hoop house so that I could move the nuggets out of the two brooders.  This involved re-tarping it, cleaning it out (note to self: next time, don't wait a year), running electric (frost predicted) for a heat lamp, hanging feeders, finding and cleaning the big waterer and last, but not least, transporting all 30 of the fat buggers.  This was comprised of plopping a bunch of them into a box with handles, walking across the chicken yard, up-over-down the deck, across the back, through two gates and into the hoop house.  I repeated this process seven times.  I also discovered one dirty, sad, beaten down Nugget.  He/she had been smooshed, pushed and rolled in poop.  Sigh.  After I had gotten the rest in their last home, I put up the electronet and charger and focused on my patient.  I gave it a warm bath and a blow-dry.  Then I set up a little brooder in the - let's say it together: LAUNDRY ROOM (which, please note, saw no laundry done this weekend) - and let it recover.  It is a sorry thing and I don't know if it will fully recover.  But, it's warm, clean, dry and is eating and drinking.  I let the sheeples out into the back paddock for grass and managed to feed the dogs before 6P.  Not quite before the ... snow ... began.

In between, my sister and mother stopped by for her beef share.  I would usually be horrified for my mother to witness the state my house was in.  This time?  Didn't care.  I also lost a hen in a very mysterious way.  When I got back from the police station, my neighbors were hiking by and wanted eggs (and to see the ducklings), so we went into the chicken yard.  There, dead center (pardon the pun) was one of my Welsomers, neck broken, one foot pointing skyward.  There was no visible cause of death, but it looked to be violent.  She was not an old hen.  It was a shame.  (And very traumatic, apparently, for my neighbors.)  Let's hope they do not sue me.