Saturday, May 31, 2008
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Spring greens
I spoke to my aunt in Vermont earlier in the week. She and my uncle, Lily's Godparents, are raising "meat birds" again this year. Two years ago when they did it the first time they specifically chose chickens that are not bred for meat because they had read that conventional meat birds (aka broilers) are not good foragers and have all kinds of diseases and health problems bred into them.
The experiment, though very tasty, proved not to be cost-effective as it took more than double the amount of time for them to grow to slaughter weight. So this year they have 60 baby broilers that they will soon put out on pasture, supplemented with organic grain, for eight weeks.
While we were talking she mentioned that her chicks, which are about a month younger than our's, have been devouring dandelion greens and worms that she brings out to them in the evening. She joked that it has become their nightly entertainment - much more entertaining than tv!
Hearing that got me thinking abour our chicks who are living in our barn eating mashed "grower" pellets made of soy and corn and I decided that I want to begin offering them greens, insects and worms and I also want to get our chicks outside into the sunlight where they can scratch for food they are biologically programed to eat as soon as possible.
For the last couple of days, Lily and I have enjoyed bring fresh salads (grass and weeds picked in the yard) to the chicks each evening and we are thrilled to observe that they too love their fresh greens!
The worm part of the feeding plan is going to be a little bit tricky as my daughter has recently devolped an affinity for worms and has been adding any that she finds to a container of soil on the back deck, which she created for her "pet worm", Squirmy.
The experiment, though very tasty, proved not to be cost-effective as it took more than double the amount of time for them to grow to slaughter weight. So this year they have 60 baby broilers that they will soon put out on pasture, supplemented with organic grain, for eight weeks.
While we were talking she mentioned that her chicks, which are about a month younger than our's, have been devouring dandelion greens and worms that she brings out to them in the evening. She joked that it has become their nightly entertainment - much more entertaining than tv!
Hearing that got me thinking abour our chicks who are living in our barn eating mashed "grower" pellets made of soy and corn and I decided that I want to begin offering them greens, insects and worms and I also want to get our chicks outside into the sunlight where they can scratch for food they are biologically programed to eat as soon as possible.
For the last couple of days, Lily and I have enjoyed bring fresh salads (grass and weeds picked in the yard) to the chicks each evening and we are thrilled to observe that they too love their fresh greens!
The worm part of the feeding plan is going to be a little bit tricky as my daughter has recently devolped an affinity for worms and has been adding any that she finds to a container of soil on the back deck, which she created for her "pet worm", Squirmy.
Saturday, May 24, 2008
Bloom where you are planted!
I spent the morning, which started early with a chicken hand-off (yay!), dividing and moving perennials in the front yard.
I didn't wake with the intention of doing so, but while out handing off the trouble-maker chickens, I spotted a plastic grocery bag containing Bearded Iris rhizomes that I intended to plant last fall but never did.
Despite being left out in the snow and freezing temperatures all winter, I saw a beautiful Iris flower bud about to open.
Remembering the beautiful Irises that I had just admired the previous day at my daughter's nursery school, I set to work to find a great spot to display these beauties, which needed only a little propping to straighten the stalk.
As I planted them I spotted another place that was calling for the tall, beautiful light purple flowers near the front door. So I decided to go out to my (long-neglected) mailbox garden and dig up some more.
While there I dug some Siberian Irises (small dark purple flowers), daylilies, creeping thyme, and lavender and found places along the stone path leading up to the house to show them off and give visitors some points of interest along the path!
Next I decided to relocate two small azaleas that have not been thriving where they are planted. Inspired by a recent visit to a beautiful azalea garden (photo left) -- a private garden that is made open to the public every spring -- I grouped the two azaleas on the edge of the woods in front of our house. At some point I will add a sitting bench tucked into them.
It was SO fun to work out there this morning, swiftly molding and shaping a new feel to the entrance to our house - and all using already existing plants!
Later this afternoon I got out into the garden for a half an hour to do some weeding. Quinn, and eventually Lily, joined me and had a blast creating and playing in a giant mud puddle. (Didn't have the camera with me and by the time John came out to see what we were up to, two mud covered kids were on their way in for a bath!)
I didn't wake with the intention of doing so, but while out handing off the trouble-maker chickens, I spotted a plastic grocery bag containing Bearded Iris rhizomes that I intended to plant last fall but never did.
Despite being left out in the snow and freezing temperatures all winter, I saw a beautiful Iris flower bud about to open.
Remembering the beautiful Irises that I had just admired the previous day at my daughter's nursery school, I set to work to find a great spot to display these beauties, which needed only a little propping to straighten the stalk.
As I planted them I spotted another place that was calling for the tall, beautiful light purple flowers near the front door. So I decided to go out to my (long-neglected) mailbox garden and dig up some more.
While there I dug some Siberian Irises (small dark purple flowers), daylilies, creeping thyme, and lavender and found places along the stone path leading up to the house to show them off and give visitors some points of interest along the path!
Next I decided to relocate two small azaleas that have not been thriving where they are planted. Inspired by a recent visit to a beautiful azalea garden (photo left) -- a private garden that is made open to the public every spring -- I grouped the two azaleas on the edge of the woods in front of our house. At some point I will add a sitting bench tucked into them.It was SO fun to work out there this morning, swiftly molding and shaping a new feel to the entrance to our house - and all using already existing plants!
Later this afternoon I got out into the garden for a half an hour to do some weeding. Quinn, and eventually Lily, joined me and had a blast creating and playing in a giant mud puddle. (Didn't have the camera with me and by the time John came out to see what we were up to, two mud covered kids were on their way in for a bath!)
Friday, May 23, 2008
The making of a meadow
A few nights ago I was out working in the garden -- my favorite retreat at the end of the day -- when I noticed that the grass is (already) getting very over-grown.
I started feeling annoyed and discouraged, but fortunately remembered fairly quickly how useless those feelings are and started searching for some better-feeling thoughts.
As I pondered ways to make peace with the time and energy-consuming task of mowing the lawn, I started thinking about my desire to create a flower garden that will attract butterflies and bees, which also feels like a time-consuming task.
And then, just like magic, as I looked up towards the barn I saw a beautiful meadow of wildflowers with a wide path through the center connecting the barn and the garden.
In the meadow is a mix of weeds, grasses, wildflowers, sunflowers -- all of which are enjoyed and appreciated by many varieties of butterflies, birds and bees!
I mentioned it to John and he thought it sounded like a great idea (read: less grass for him to mow) and so I set to work.
Lily has been joining me out in the yard in the evening while John puts Quinn to bed. While I weed and water and plan, she picks buttercups and dandelions and visits with her chicks, collects eggs from the nesting boxes and waits eagerly for the bats to descend from the barn rafters.
"Is it time yet, Mama?...When are they coming, Mama?...I think I hear them, Mama!"
It's actually still a little cold for the bats, but in a few weeks, there should be plenty swooping through the air, gobbling up bugs, to entertain her (and me)!
Last night the two of us spent some time digging up beautiful flowers (a.k.a. weeds) out of the path and moving them into the meadow. We also planted several packets of sunflower seeds and scattered several packages of "wildflower mix".
It's SO fun to share my vision of the farm with Lily because she is so receptive to all that I can imagine and is happy to join in with her own ideas, like a pumpkin patch and pear trees.
Very fun indeed.
In other news, I posted an ad on Craig's List this afternoon to re-home two of our Araucana hens. I'm tired of chasing these two escape-artists out of the garden and watching them tear up our sorry attempts at a lawn. Within a couple of hours, I had several offers to take them.
John is out catching them now and tomorrow they can move to their new home where they can happily free-range with a bunch of other hens and duck -- and I can plant flowers and vegetables without worrying about them being scratched up!
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Piglets!
When we arrived at Barbara's farm today for our first official visit with our lamb, Heather, we spotted something new - piglets! Four of them!
They were as curious about us as we were about them and we had a nice time visiting with them while we waited for Barbara.
Barbara's husband, Gary, stopped over to visit with us and was (thankfully) happy to answer our many questions about them.
Here's what we learned...
~ They got the piglets two days ago and will have them until the Fall. And then they will have pig roasts.
~ Pigs are FANTASTIC at rototilling gardens and clearing land. They "root" around for, you guessed it, roots, and chop up everything else in their way to get to them.
~ Gary said if you have an old tree stump, partially pulled out, you can throw some grain under the stump and the pigs will clear out all of the roots for you.
~ Barbara said she will turn the pigs out in her flower garden (but not her vegetable garden because the fresh manure is too strong for the vegetables) this week instead of using a rototiller to turn the beds.
~ After that they will move the pigs around the yard in a portable pen.
~ In the fall, they will turn them out in the vegetable garden so they can till and fertilize the garden for the coming year.
Fascinating though I'm still not fully comfortable interacting with animals that I know are destined to become food.
I was a vegetarian for 17 plus years, until I became pregnant with our second baby, while still nursing our first, and my body called (loudly and clearly) for meat. I found a local farmer who sells grass-fed beef and stocked up our freezer.
That was two years ago and I am still thoroughly enjoying cooking and eating meat.
But I remain uncomfortable about the whole process by which a pig, or a cow, or a chicken become my dinner.
I'm happy to know another compassionate, animal-loving farmer who is raising meat animals. I look forward to getting to know more about the process, and hopefully getting more comfortable with it so we can incorporate small meat animals at Nadalada Farm in the near future.
They were as curious about us as we were about them and we had a nice time visiting with them while we waited for Barbara.
Barbara's husband, Gary, stopped over to visit with us and was (thankfully) happy to answer our many questions about them. Here's what we learned...
~ They got the piglets two days ago and will have them until the Fall. And then they will have pig roasts.
~ Pigs are FANTASTIC at rototilling gardens and clearing land. They "root" around for, you guessed it, roots, and chop up everything else in their way to get to them.
~ Gary said if you have an old tree stump, partially pulled out, you can throw some grain under the stump and the pigs will clear out all of the roots for you.
~ Barbara said she will turn the pigs out in her flower garden (but not her vegetable garden because the fresh manure is too strong for the vegetables) this week instead of using a rototiller to turn the beds.
~ After that they will move the pigs around the yard in a portable pen.
~ In the fall, they will turn them out in the vegetable garden so they can till and fertilize the garden for the coming year.
Fascinating though I'm still not fully comfortable interacting with animals that I know are destined to become food.
I was a vegetarian for 17 plus years, until I became pregnant with our second baby, while still nursing our first, and my body called (loudly and clearly) for meat. I found a local farmer who sells grass-fed beef and stocked up our freezer.
That was two years ago and I am still thoroughly enjoying cooking and eating meat.
But I remain uncomfortable about the whole process by which a pig, or a cow, or a chicken become my dinner.
I'm happy to know another compassionate, animal-loving farmer who is raising meat animals. I look forward to getting to know more about the process, and hopefully getting more comfortable with it so we can incorporate small meat animals at Nadalada Farm in the near future.
Sprouts!
There are sprouts in the garden! From seeds that I planted! I am SO excited - and a little surprised.
I planted them with the intention of them sprouting but I only half-believed it would happen. I have planted many seeds in the last several years that have not sprouted. Or they sprouted and the squirrels gobbled them up. Or they sprouted and I was too busy to notice.
But this year there are sprouts. And the squirrels are busy up by the house eating the peanuts Quinn and I have been leaving out for them. And I am VERY much noticing. (Actually this year I am very much noticing everything that is sprouting and growing - even random trees and plants that I used to label "weeds" or "scrub brush" are catching my attention.)
In the garden right now we have strawberry patch bursting with big beautiful flowering plants (something I have been dreaming about for the last 10 years), potatoes that are starting to sprout roots, sunflower sprouts, green onions, garlic (that John planted a couple of years ago), morning glory sprouts and pea sprouts.
We also have poison ivy, which I am, unfortunately, allergic to. And it is very close to the bean-pole hideout that I'm making for the kids so it really needs to go. I tried pouring vinegar on it tonight, which I've read is a good, non-toxic way to kill an unwanted plant.
When I poured the vinegar on the unwanted poison ivy, I saw how quickly it trailed through the dirt towards the very much wanted sunflower and pea sprouts. As I diverted the stream of plant-burning vinegar, I thought about a bumper sticker I've seen in the past that says, "We All Live Downstream."
Meanwhile Lily came out to help me (and collect worms - her new passion). I showed her how to weed, which is kind of funny because tomorrow I am starting my work-share job at our Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) Farm and I am nervous because I don't really know how to tend a garden.
When I went last week to meet my fellow cutting-garden-tenders, who have been doing the job for a couple of years now, I felt way over my head. I hadn't even seen some of the tools they were using and had never used a garden hoe.
I'm excited to start my work-share job tomorrow. I know I am going to learn so much that is going to help us as Nadalada Farm grows!
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Spring Peepers: Week five (or maybe six??)
The chicks are now out in the barn in the extra stall next to Roosty and the "big girls". Cleaning out the stall was quite a project (one I opted to do without any "help" from kiddos :-).
The chicks seem to have adjusted pretty well and are enjoying the extra room to move and practice flying. They were a little freaked out at first by the rooster's crowing and the squawking of the hens as they lay their eggs, but they seem to be settling in to the new sounds.
I hope, at some point soon (if the weather ever gets warm), to start putting them out in the yard in a wire dog crate so they can start scratching for bugs and eating grass.
The stall before I cleaned it out:
The displacement factor outside the barn (which I'm still working on cleaning up):
The chicks check out their new digs:
Lily and Sarah:
The chicks seem to have adjusted pretty well and are enjoying the extra room to move and practice flying. They were a little freaked out at first by the rooster's crowing and the squawking of the hens as they lay their eggs, but they seem to be settling in to the new sounds.
I hope, at some point soon (if the weather ever gets warm), to start putting them out in the yard in a wire dog crate so they can start scratching for bugs and eating grass.
The stall before I cleaned it out:
The displacement factor outside the barn (which I'm still working on cleaning up):
The chicks check out their new digs:
Lily and Sarah:
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Visiting the Sheep
As I think I mentioned earlier, we used to have two Shetland sheep. It was a lot of fun and we really enjoyed them -- until we had kids. Then it became just work and at that time the last thing we needed was extra work, so we gave them away.
I do still dream of dusting off my spinning wheel and getting back into fiber arts some day, and I really do feel a special connection to sheep, especially Shetlands, so when I saw an ad on Craig's List for an on-farm "Adopt-a-Sheep" program, I jumped at it.
The way it works is that we adopted (technically "sponsored" is a more accurate term) a lamb, that will stay with its mother on a farm about 20 minutes from our house. As the lamb's benefactors, we are entitled to visit her once a month, and receive photos and letters from her (translated by the farmer of course).
Next April we will be invited to shearing day at the farm and since I chose a "spinner's adoption" we will also get to bring the raw fleece home with us.
For me the best part of the experience is that more than half of our visit there was spent sitting quietly, waiting for the sheep to come to us.Barbara, whose farm we were visiting, was very clear about the rules that she has around her animals and no amount of toddler/preschooler cuteness or tantruming was going to change that.
And for the hour or so that we were there, Lily, who is almost four, rose to the occasion. She sat so patiently taking deep breaths to calm herself down, with her hand extended, hoping that the sheep would come to her. And they did! And it was wonderful! 
Even, two-year-old Quinn, was able to feed the sheep. (For a short time. His attention span required that he and I left and took a little walk while Lily, Barbara and our mother's helper, Ila, continued to visit with the sheep.) But he still very clearly enjoyed his first contact with the sheep!One of the things that I think is so special about a program like this is that it really gives children (and adults) an opportunity to experience the animals and get to know them in a way that visits to petting zoos and public shearing days just can't do.
We'll be heading back for our May visit soon, hopefully next week, and we'll be able to share photos of "our" lamb, Heather.
Friday, May 9, 2008
There was not much gardening this week. In fact, I can't actually recall spending any time in the garden since the weekend, though I think I may have visited briefly with the kids to show them the beanpole hideout I made to (hopefully) get them excited about working & playing in the garden with me this summer!
It was a wild ride of a week, heart-lifting joys - a bus ride, a zoo trip, savoring a two year old's birthday, and Blessing the Way for my dear friend's homebirth midwifery practice - juxtaposed with the gut-wrenching sorrow of the death of my friend's newborn niece.
There was a nice steady rain yesterday and today, and I believe it's predicted for tomorrow as well, which will add to the intense sorrow that will be expressed tomorrow at Audrey's Memorial service.
The seeds I planted last weekend (peas and sunflowers), and the Morning Glory seedlings I transplanted, should hopefully be pretty happy.
I look forward to getting my hands back in the garden this weekend. In fact, I think that is what I would like for Mother's Day - a nice chunk of uninterrupted gardening time.
Alone would be lovely, as would being assisted by willing helpers. The key word for me is uninterrupted (as in not stopping what I'm doing every other minute to help someone else with what they want to do ;-).
Actually, that's what I would like, not just for Mother's Day, but as a valued part of our family's weekly rhythm -- regular blocks of uninterrupted time to relax and be creative...with my children, with my husband, with family and friends, and (at least occasionally ;-) totally alone!
It was a wild ride of a week, heart-lifting joys - a bus ride, a zoo trip, savoring a two year old's birthday, and Blessing the Way for my dear friend's homebirth midwifery practice - juxtaposed with the gut-wrenching sorrow of the death of my friend's newborn niece.
There was a nice steady rain yesterday and today, and I believe it's predicted for tomorrow as well, which will add to the intense sorrow that will be expressed tomorrow at Audrey's Memorial service.
The seeds I planted last weekend (peas and sunflowers), and the Morning Glory seedlings I transplanted, should hopefully be pretty happy.
I look forward to getting my hands back in the garden this weekend. In fact, I think that is what I would like for Mother's Day - a nice chunk of uninterrupted gardening time.
Alone would be lovely, as would being assisted by willing helpers. The key word for me is uninterrupted (as in not stopping what I'm doing every other minute to help someone else with what they want to do ;-).
Actually, that's what I would like, not just for Mother's Day, but as a valued part of our family's weekly rhythm -- regular blocks of uninterrupted time to relax and be creative...with my children, with my husband, with family and friends, and (at least occasionally ;-) totally alone!
Monday, May 5, 2008
Spring Peepers: Week three
It's been quite an adventurous week with our basement-dwelling chicks!
One day last week (Wednesday, I think) I went downstairs to get, ironically enough, chicken out of the freezer for dinner and discovered one of our little chicks hanging upside down with its leg stuck between two metal bars (firewood rack holding the heat lamp).
Lily was upstairs putting our her boots, which I've made mandatory for visiting with the chicks as the wood chips are not quite as fresh and clean as they were last week.
I scanned the plastic wading pool and realized that it was her beloved friend, Cocoa, who was injured, and I thought possibly dead.
I yelled up to Lily to please wait at the top of the stairs and as I did that Cocoa moved a bit. And that is when my first official chick rescue began.
Well, almost.
I kind of hopped around in a circle for a minute or so trying to figure out what the heck I was supposed to do, wanting to call someone (I have no idea who) to help, but realizing, once again (though it still never ceases to amaze me), that I am the Mama. I'm the one in charge who is supposed to remain calm and know what to do in emergencies.
I stopped hopping in place and flailing my arms and took a deep breath.
I was able to slip her leg out (without really looking at it because I was afraid it was going to be broken and horrible to see) and she snuggled right in to my chest. I brought her upstairs and explained what happened to Lily who suggested that we needed to give her Rescue Remedy and lots of love energy, which we did.
Lily examined Cocoa's leg and reported that it was not broken, just badly sprained and that she needed to be snuggled by her best friend Lily.
After about a half an hour, we brought her back down with her friends, where she hopped around on one foot for the rest of the day.
By the next morning she was walking, gingerly, on the leg and within a couple of days, there was no sign of the injury.
All was quiet with the chicks for a couple of days. I started noticing that taking care of them (fresh water and food twice a day) was becoming a bit of a chore for Lil.
But then they started to change. Virtually overnight, they went from cute fluffy little chicks to awkward teenager chicks, which apparently Lily finds even more beautiful than the fluffy babes.
They have lost most of their soft fuzzy feathers and their new feathers are showing their distinctive markings.
They are starting to attempt flying more regularly and are beginning to take interest in what is beyond the blue plastic walls containing them.
This weekend we will move them out to an empty stall in the barn where they will have even more room to roam and partake in their teenage chicken antics!
______________________
Spring Peepers: Week Two (I was writing about the chicks on my other blog, before I started this one, so now I'm just copying to 'catch up'.)
I thought I was going to report that "Mother Hen" was losing interest in the chicks, but I was wrong (as you will see when you get to the last two pictures).
As I had anticipated, raising chicks in the living room ran its course in a week. When I walked in today the odor of wet bedding nearly knocked me over. And then there was the small detail that our little birds learned how to "fly the coop" and were roosting on the arms of our chairs (!).
So this afternoon I set up their new home, a cracked plastic kids' wading pool with our firewood ring holding the heat lamp, all of which is located in the basement!
It's a pretty good set up if I do say so myself! ;-)
Over the week, Lily has connected with two chicks in particular, Sarah and Cocoa. She really doesn't acknowledge the other four fuzzy babies in the group. Just, her best friends, Sarah and Cocoa.
Here's a shot of Lil pulling Sarah around in a tiny wagon. (I'm telling you, I was there, I really think the chick was okay with this.)
Cocoa, of course, wanted a ride too!
And then after not really paying much attention to the chicks the last few days, here is Lil *in* the chick's new swimming pool home (I had just put the fresh bedding in so it was nice and clean in there ;-).
___________________
And the night John brought them home...
John surprised us Friday night by coming home with six, week-old chicks. (He had to stop by the tractor supply store to get a new wheel for our lawnmower cart and couldn't resist the cute little peepers!)
I have to dig out my chicken book. It's been a couple of years since we've had chicks. I think they'll hang out in our living room for another week or so, then move down into the basement for a week or so, then out to the barn (separate from the "big girls") for a few more weeks.
Lily, of course, is totally loving her role as "mother hen". She's been doting on her chicks -- making sure they have fresh food and water and lots of love. And Quinn (who is turning two in a couple of weeks!!) is doing very well learning how to be "gentle-gentle" with our new friends.
One day last week (Wednesday, I think) I went downstairs to get, ironically enough, chicken out of the freezer for dinner and discovered one of our little chicks hanging upside down with its leg stuck between two metal bars (firewood rack holding the heat lamp).
Lily was upstairs putting our her boots, which I've made mandatory for visiting with the chicks as the wood chips are not quite as fresh and clean as they were last week.
I scanned the plastic wading pool and realized that it was her beloved friend, Cocoa, who was injured, and I thought possibly dead.
I yelled up to Lily to please wait at the top of the stairs and as I did that Cocoa moved a bit. And that is when my first official chick rescue began.
Well, almost.
I kind of hopped around in a circle for a minute or so trying to figure out what the heck I was supposed to do, wanting to call someone (I have no idea who) to help, but realizing, once again (though it still never ceases to amaze me), that I am the Mama. I'm the one in charge who is supposed to remain calm and know what to do in emergencies.
I stopped hopping in place and flailing my arms and took a deep breath.
I was able to slip her leg out (without really looking at it because I was afraid it was going to be broken and horrible to see) and she snuggled right in to my chest. I brought her upstairs and explained what happened to Lily who suggested that we needed to give her Rescue Remedy and lots of love energy, which we did.
Lily examined Cocoa's leg and reported that it was not broken, just badly sprained and that she needed to be snuggled by her best friend Lily.
After about a half an hour, we brought her back down with her friends, where she hopped around on one foot for the rest of the day.
By the next morning she was walking, gingerly, on the leg and within a couple of days, there was no sign of the injury.
All was quiet with the chicks for a couple of days. I started noticing that taking care of them (fresh water and food twice a day) was becoming a bit of a chore for Lil.
But then they started to change. Virtually overnight, they went from cute fluffy little chicks to awkward teenager chicks, which apparently Lily finds even more beautiful than the fluffy babes.
They have lost most of their soft fuzzy feathers and their new feathers are showing their distinctive markings.
They are starting to attempt flying more regularly and are beginning to take interest in what is beyond the blue plastic walls containing them.
This weekend we will move them out to an empty stall in the barn where they will have even more room to roam and partake in their teenage chicken antics!
______________________
Spring Peepers: Week Two (I was writing about the chicks on my other blog, before I started this one, so now I'm just copying to 'catch up'.)
I thought I was going to report that "Mother Hen" was losing interest in the chicks, but I was wrong (as you will see when you get to the last two pictures).
As I had anticipated, raising chicks in the living room ran its course in a week. When I walked in today the odor of wet bedding nearly knocked me over. And then there was the small detail that our little birds learned how to "fly the coop" and were roosting on the arms of our chairs (!).
So this afternoon I set up their new home, a cracked plastic kids' wading pool with our firewood ring holding the heat lamp, all of which is located in the basement!
It's a pretty good set up if I do say so myself! ;-)
Over the week, Lily has connected with two chicks in particular, Sarah and Cocoa. She really doesn't acknowledge the other four fuzzy babies in the group. Just, her best friends, Sarah and Cocoa.
Here's a shot of Lil pulling Sarah around in a tiny wagon. (I'm telling you, I was there, I really think the chick was okay with this.)
Cocoa, of course, wanted a ride too!
And then after not really paying much attention to the chicks the last few days, here is Lil *in* the chick's new swimming pool home (I had just put the fresh bedding in so it was nice and clean in there ;-).
___________________
And the night John brought them home...
John surprised us Friday night by coming home with six, week-old chicks. (He had to stop by the tractor supply store to get a new wheel for our lawnmower cart and couldn't resist the cute little peepers!)
What's in there?
Wow!
Settling them in to their temporary home (a recycling bin in our living room!)
Lily is in love!
I have to dig out my chicken book. It's been a couple of years since we've had chicks. I think they'll hang out in our living room for another week or so, then move down into the basement for a week or so, then out to the barn (separate from the "big girls") for a few more weeks.
Lily, of course, is totally loving her role as "mother hen". She's been doting on her chicks -- making sure they have fresh food and water and lots of love. And Quinn (who is turning two in a couple of weeks!!) is doing very well learning how to be "gentle-gentle" with our new friends.
Saturday, May 3, 2008
The Garden
As I said in my intro, this is the first year that I am putting my energy and creativity (and sweat and labor) into the vegetable garden located at the bottom of the basin that is our side yard.
I have always enjoyed harvesting the fruits of John's labor and admiring everything as it grew but I have never been involved with the planning, planting and tending of a garden.
This year I have decided that I would like to have this experience and let John and the kids enjoy the fruits of my labor and admiring everything as it grows!
In the future I look forward to planning, planting and tending as a family!
What I have done so far is:
~ Transplanted raspberries that I dug (with permission ;-) from my friends' yard in a row that runs parallel to (but outside of) the garden.
~ Planted three rows of onions - yellow and red
~ Planted three rows of potatoes - red, yellow and blue
~ Planted strawberries (last fall)
~ Bought pea seeds and green bean seeds
~ Planted carrot seeds in containers to keep on the deck
~ Transplanted two blueberry bushes - one a gift for Lily's birthday last year and one newly purchased this year - on the hill leading from the house to the garden.
~ Raked LOTS of leaves and pine needles and dumped them in the chickens' pen so they can scratch for bugs and eat greens and so we can hopefully grow a decent lawn for the first time since sheep and (formerly free-range) chickens moved onto the scene.
~ Bought seeds and begun dreaming about a beautiful butterfly garden in the middle of the basin - one of the few places in the yard that receives direct sun nearly all day.
~ Picked and scattered dandelion seeds so that we can hopefully have lots of tasty dandelion greens to eat next spring.
I have always enjoyed harvesting the fruits of John's labor and admiring everything as it grew but I have never been involved with the planning, planting and tending of a garden.
This year I have decided that I would like to have this experience and let John and the kids enjoy the fruits of my labor and admiring everything as it grows!
In the future I look forward to planning, planting and tending as a family!
What I have done so far is:
~ Transplanted raspberries that I dug (with permission ;-) from my friends' yard in a row that runs parallel to (but outside of) the garden.
~ Planted three rows of onions - yellow and red
~ Planted three rows of potatoes - red, yellow and blue
~ Planted strawberries (last fall)
~ Bought pea seeds and green bean seeds
~ Planted carrot seeds in containers to keep on the deck
~ Transplanted two blueberry bushes - one a gift for Lily's birthday last year and one newly purchased this year - on the hill leading from the house to the garden.
~ Raked LOTS of leaves and pine needles and dumped them in the chickens' pen so they can scratch for bugs and eat greens and so we can hopefully grow a decent lawn for the first time since sheep and (formerly free-range) chickens moved onto the scene.
~ Bought seeds and begun dreaming about a beautiful butterfly garden in the middle of the basin - one of the few places in the yard that receives direct sun nearly all day.
~ Picked and scattered dandelion seeds so that we can hopefully have lots of tasty dandelion greens to eat next spring.
Friday, May 2, 2008
Welcome to the farm!
The first time I mentioned "our farm" to our almost-four-year old, Lily, she said, "But Mama, we don't live on a farm."
"We have chickens? And a barn, don't we?" I asked. "And we grow vegetables in our garden, don't we? And we even have baby chicks who live in our basement, right?"
"Well, yeah, we do. So...wait. That makes us farmers? Cool."
From that moment on she has been happily referring to "our farm", 1.5 acres on the rural edge of suburbia on which we are slowly creating a sustainable homestead, as often as possible!
So what does it look like at Nadalada Farm right now?
I recently took some photos, which I will share once I get them from the camera to the computer, but until then, I'll describe it.
It is what many might refer to as a "diamond in the rough" and at the same time what others lovingly see as one of the most beautiful places on Earth.
I have long been observing and dutifully making note of all that our two-bedroom, woodstove (only) heated, closet-lacking, tiny bathroom-having, doorknob-missing house and it's mangy, overgrown, pine-needle covered yard is lacking. (Until recently when I discovered the Law of Attraction via the movie The Secret and I started observing and noting all the wonderful features of our beautiful space. And let me tell you I cannot recommend this switch in perspective enough.)
Long ago my boyfriend-now-husband, John, and I used to love to spend hours dreaming about all the possibilities of our home, which we rented for several years before we purchased, and it's oversized yard and barn.
One of our favorite things to dream about was the children we would share this beautiful place with.
We began shaping some of what we thought we wanted our family life to feel like with the addition of chickens several years before our first child was born.
The chickens quickly went from hobby to passion (one that the birth of our first baby quickly re-prioritized back to hobby) and we have been raising chickens (RI Reds, Plymouth Rocks, Arucaunas, Black Sexlinks and Red Stars) ever since.
In the fall of last year, we got our first rooster (a gorgeous Dominique), who Lily named "Pretty", then "Susie" and, more recently, "Roosty", because we (read I) decided it would be a lot of fun to let the hens hatch out babies so we can have a self-sustaining flock.
Up until two years ago (when our second baby was born) we also kept two Shetland sheep for companionship and wool (that will some day be spun into yarn on the wheel collecting dust in my basement) because we (read I) thought it would be fun to have the (future, imagined, extremely helpful) kids grow up around animals.
A few weeks/months (it's all a big blur) after Quinn, who is now two, was born, I ran an ad on Craig's List and sent our sheep to live on a farm that has much more land (and fewer young children) than ours. (The children who were sent to us require significantly more attention than the ones I used to daydream about. ;-)
In those days, it felt like running a marathon to just put food on the table and (relatively) clean clothes on our bodies, and there was just NO energy or patience for fence-hopping, loudly-bleating-during-napping, toddler-charging woolly beasts.
That's it for animals (other than our loyal but neglected canine companion, a black lab mix named, Gilligan).
Chickens are generally cooperative and require very little effort on the part of the humans -- other than modest shelter, drinkable water (and believe me drinkable has often been a very subjective term around here), a hopper full of food, and access to bugs, leaves, grass, worms.
That and the frequent consumption of the most amazing, deeply orange-yolked, energy-charged, nutritionally-packed eggs you could ever imagine.
John and I are both always talking them up to people. We really think that everyone who lives free of "homeowner association regulations" should consider keeping a couple of hens (but never just one) in their backyard. They are really that much fun!
In addition to the chickens, we have a large (20' by 60') garden in which we (read John) have annually grown tomatoes, basil, peppers, zucchini, summer squash, butternut squash, green beans, hot peppers, hops, and a couple of sad looking ears of corn.
My husband has always been the gardener in our family but since the kids were born and free time and extra nurturing energy have been in short supply, he's let it slide.
Last summer we grew some fantastic looking weeds -- but not much else -- in the garden. We did, however, grow some lovely green beans, peas, and carrots in containers on the front deck that got watered almost daily by the kids emptying out the wading pool.
This year, with the help of a wonderful Waldorf-inspired preschool for my daughter and an equally wonderful Waldorf-inspired home daycare for my son and our amazing circle of family and friends, I am bringing my creative and nurturing energy into our the yard and garden (soon to be gardens), which I think I will write about tomorrow.
Time for sleep. There's nadalada sleeping-in that happens here at Nadalada Farm and it has nothing to do with Roosty. Our 6 a.m. alarm comes in the form of a super-snuggly, but not especially graceful, toddler bounding into our bed.
"We have chickens? And a barn, don't we?" I asked. "And we grow vegetables in our garden, don't we? And we even have baby chicks who live in our basement, right?"
"Well, yeah, we do. So...wait. That makes us farmers? Cool."
From that moment on she has been happily referring to "our farm", 1.5 acres on the rural edge of suburbia on which we are slowly creating a sustainable homestead, as often as possible!
So what does it look like at Nadalada Farm right now?
I recently took some photos, which I will share once I get them from the camera to the computer, but until then, I'll describe it.
It is what many might refer to as a "diamond in the rough" and at the same time what others lovingly see as one of the most beautiful places on Earth.
I have long been observing and dutifully making note of all that our two-bedroom, woodstove (only) heated, closet-lacking, tiny bathroom-having, doorknob-missing house and it's mangy, overgrown, pine-needle covered yard is lacking. (Until recently when I discovered the Law of Attraction via the movie The Secret and I started observing and noting all the wonderful features of our beautiful space. And let me tell you I cannot recommend this switch in perspective enough.)
Long ago my boyfriend-now-husband, John, and I used to love to spend hours dreaming about all the possibilities of our home, which we rented for several years before we purchased, and it's oversized yard and barn.
One of our favorite things to dream about was the children we would share this beautiful place with.
We began shaping some of what we thought we wanted our family life to feel like with the addition of chickens several years before our first child was born.
The chickens quickly went from hobby to passion (one that the birth of our first baby quickly re-prioritized back to hobby) and we have been raising chickens (RI Reds, Plymouth Rocks, Arucaunas, Black Sexlinks and Red Stars) ever since.
In the fall of last year, we got our first rooster (a gorgeous Dominique), who Lily named "Pretty", then "Susie" and, more recently, "Roosty", because we (read I) decided it would be a lot of fun to let the hens hatch out babies so we can have a self-sustaining flock.
Up until two years ago (when our second baby was born) we also kept two Shetland sheep for companionship and wool (that will some day be spun into yarn on the wheel collecting dust in my basement) because we (read I) thought it would be fun to have the (future, imagined, extremely helpful) kids grow up around animals.
A few weeks/months (it's all a big blur) after Quinn, who is now two, was born, I ran an ad on Craig's List and sent our sheep to live on a farm that has much more land (and fewer young children) than ours. (The children who were sent to us require significantly more attention than the ones I used to daydream about. ;-)
In those days, it felt like running a marathon to just put food on the table and (relatively) clean clothes on our bodies, and there was just NO energy or patience for fence-hopping, loudly-bleating-during-napping, toddler-charging woolly beasts.
That's it for animals (other than our loyal but neglected canine companion, a black lab mix named, Gilligan).
Chickens are generally cooperative and require very little effort on the part of the humans -- other than modest shelter, drinkable water (and believe me drinkable has often been a very subjective term around here), a hopper full of food, and access to bugs, leaves, grass, worms.
That and the frequent consumption of the most amazing, deeply orange-yolked, energy-charged, nutritionally-packed eggs you could ever imagine.
John and I are both always talking them up to people. We really think that everyone who lives free of "homeowner association regulations" should consider keeping a couple of hens (but never just one) in their backyard. They are really that much fun!
In addition to the chickens, we have a large (20' by 60') garden in which we (read John) have annually grown tomatoes, basil, peppers, zucchini, summer squash, butternut squash, green beans, hot peppers, hops, and a couple of sad looking ears of corn.
My husband has always been the gardener in our family but since the kids were born and free time and extra nurturing energy have been in short supply, he's let it slide.
Last summer we grew some fantastic looking weeds -- but not much else -- in the garden. We did, however, grow some lovely green beans, peas, and carrots in containers on the front deck that got watered almost daily by the kids emptying out the wading pool.
This year, with the help of a wonderful Waldorf-inspired preschool for my daughter and an equally wonderful Waldorf-inspired home daycare for my son and our amazing circle of family and friends, I am bringing my creative and nurturing energy into our the yard and garden (soon to be gardens), which I think I will write about tomorrow.
Time for sleep. There's nadalada sleeping-in that happens here at Nadalada Farm and it has nothing to do with Roosty. Our 6 a.m. alarm comes in the form of a super-snuggly, but not especially graceful, toddler bounding into our bed.
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