a tale of cowboy boots and high heels

taking the good with the bad

2008-10-27T10:33:00.000-07:00

After a month of fighting we lost our Targhee Crystal. I understand every Sheperdess or Shepard goes through this but damn - it is not easy. For a month I moved her side to side, gave shots subQ and IM, gave probios, gave molasses, gave drench, gave blucote, gave sleepless nights but in the end she couldn't give anymore. I went out one morning to find her gone - it looks as though (from signs I won't go into) she suffered from an embolism, had a seizure and died. Crystal was purely a pet - 5 years old, unable to breed and had the best next to skin fleece. I miss her.

Before she got sick she was pretty solitary - only wanting me when it was feeding time. The past month she became so friendly I knew all the scratching spots and when she was tired she would rest her head in my hands. Between the vet and I we couldn't find an easy answer - one day she was alert, trying to get up and baaaing, the next day lethargic and depressed. It always remains a question in my mind of when to let go - when is the exact moment euthinasia should come into play? This for me continues to be a struggle and yet understand it is what I have taken on as farmer, animal lover or however you phrase it. No matter which side you look at it from I despise it.

On a happier note leaf piles have become jumping targets here lately. Almost all the leaves have fallen and the mornings chilly and foggy. The pastures in early am when the fog is still around remind me of Ireland when I was there this past August and make me want to be back. Grapes still hang on the vine waiting to be turned into juice and jam and my kitchen is being overtaken by carrots, kohlrabi and the last of the swiss chard.

The cellar holds pumpkins, squashes and potatoes for winter use and hubby has done an amazing job of getting wood cut and split for heat this winter. He even managed to drop trees for use next year.

We are getting the pastures ready for winter. This year the girls (along with Able our son stomping in mud puddles) have been a huge help. They come out to the barn on weekends to help pick up and then spend the rest of the time chasing each other around.

Knock on wood we have had no foxes or coyotes show up this summer. The poultry has been free range but come early winter they will go into chicken tractors. At this point the chickens are game for skunks, coyotes, foxes and owls poor things.

We carved pumpkins last night and hubby toasted the seeds (great pumpkin seed toaster) - he also wins first prize this year for creativity with Mr. Blowfish who later on the sheep will also enjoy eating.

I'm having a love affair (with our Kubota)

2008-09-30T12:08:00.000-07:00

Mornings are turning cold, the leaves have begun to fall already here and we received our first frost on the grass last week. Spare time is spent splitting for the fireplaces and wood boiler used to heat house. I love fall. The nights are chilly, days still warm - a melting pot for summer and winter. Perfect nights to open a bottle of wine and sit in a blanket with hubby next to the firepit. I have frozen and canned almost everything in the garden and planted seeds in the solar bed for winter sprouting. I butchered more than enough chickens to get us through the winter and 2 spring lambs are at the slaughterhouse now. (Sorry if I have made some of you cringe) The only thing left is cleaning up garden of debris and throwing manure on top to winterize.

Working on new fields for pasture rotation and cow addition in spring. Our land is lined with stone walls - beautiful, old, mossy stone walls that you look at and can't help but feel whatever you are doing is nothing compared to what these people that built the walls went through. Here I am, Ipod on and coffee in hand on the Kubota giving the field one last york rake. A job that would have taken many hands and many more days now took 5 hours.

The pastures are lovely-open fields surrounded by these monolithic walls of hard work and lives long gone, yet they still live on in the stones that are in the same place they were put a hundred years ago -

It happened again just as it has for years - that twisted mouth and look of "no way" when asked what I do for work. It is always so hard to describe. First I am a Mom, second a wife and third a farmer. Reaction is usually hesitation then something like "get out" or "yeah, right" . Acceptance eventually sets in with "Wow, that is cool" or my favorite "Your a keeper." I suppose the stereotype of dirty overalls, muck boots always on and male is still predominant in society today. I fit none of these bills with a half sleeve of tattoos, nose ring, high heels and a way too large wardrobe that is pushing hubby out of the closet.

This all brings me to the point that what I am doing is as old as time itself and although the machinery may have changed ( I heart my Kubota) the reasoning behind it hasn't. So many people have the same reaction then admit jealousy. At the end of the day I go to bed happy. Why someone shouldn't want the same for themselves I don't understand. Next summer get your hands dirty, plant some seeds or even just a tomato in a patio pot, either way you will have your own little bit of peace and if you have any time left over you can come on over and help me milk the cow :)

messy kitchen, happy Mom

2008-09-18T10:46:00.000-07:00

Wow, I have such a cool kid, honestly I have no idea what we did to deserve this little girl. Moira and I were having some alone time Wednesday when she said "Mommy, I want to do something unique. I want to learn how to make pies, sell them and donate the money to Habitat for Humanity." After my double take and having her repeat it we started to make plans. Who am I to say no to a great idea like this - it will not only teach her about all that real world stuff regarding responsibility but also about sharing, sharing what we have with what someone else may not.

Our superfantastic friends Elia and Greg donated the apples and we set to work forming an assembly line. Mom making and rolling out the pie dough, Moira and Miranda peeling, coring and adding fresh ground nutmeg (mmmmm), cinnamon and sugar (with some cranberries and raisins thrown in) and Able our 3 year old chanting deeeelisccciousssss.

The kitchen - well, we won't talk about that - just picture an 8 and 7 year old baking 12 pies and you get the idea but at the end of our first night when hubby and I were cleaning up and the last 6 pies are cooking bubbly delicious in the oven what's a little flour on your ceiling ;)

We have more orders for pies this weekend and a child has never been so excited about spending the day in the kitchen...imagine that.

4am + Barack Obama = amazing

2008-09-13T20:54:00.000-07:00

Honestly, I gave the girls a choice - rally in Manchester, NH or the Johnny Appleseed Festival - the screams of Yes We Can filled the house and I had my answer. Awoke bleary eyed at 4am, I think the girls moved faster than I did that early in the morning. Arrived at 5:00 to the stage already set up and work crews buzzing around. There was complete darkness except for spotlights shining on a Change banner being used as a backdrop for the stage...that itself was pretty moving, the stillness set against what was about to happen.

I have never experienced such an amazing sense of joy, spirit and cooperation in such a large crowd. The 2 guys I was between let my 8 and 7 year old go right upfront to the barrier for a better view and after five and a half hours of waiting Barack arrived. If you have never attended one of these before put it on your list of things to do - the energy is out of this world. My daughter grabbed the rally sign out of my hand to start waving it herself...a nice start to politics for an 8 year old. Best of all I was able to shake hands with him and say Thank You.

Due to Ike Obama decided to curb the speech length. Looking around while he was speaking, seeing people with tears in their eyes, smiles glued on their faces and hands waving in tempo with cheers I thought this is what politics should be - about hope and what can be. I will be canvasing in New Hampshire a couple weekends in October and helping out where I can...although very small I want to contribute however I can, too much is at stake this election.

I am exhausted from the days events so I will instead let the pictures speak for themselves. You can view the collection on Flickr http://www.flickr.com/photos/30490878@N06/

get the hell outta here…

2008-03-07T19:20:00.000-08:00

Life gets crazy especially for someone like me who has a hard time saying no to helping out. So many projects right now, so little time…running for school committee at large in district, cramming for state EMT exam in April, trying to learn a jig that is kicking my ass and I just can’t get my fiddle around, maple syrup time (boil, boil, boil, boil etc.), late nights in the freezing barn during lambing season, fullfilling soap orders, CSA planning, planting, planting and planting (I will spare you any more) - the short of it is my mind is tired. The house would be a disgusting mess if not for hubby picking up the pieces right now. After the EMT exam I plan on being completely fried, 3rd degree burns.

I used to take getaway weekends with friends to Canada when I was pregnant with Miranda and bring Moira (just a baby then)…that was 7 years ago. It is time, as my husband says, to get the hell out of town. The conversation went something like this:

“Go hun.”
“No, I can’t go.”
“Hun, get outta here, get away.”
“What about the kids, the animals, the food, the house?”
“Hun, you are making excuses.”
“I can’t, I am going to miss you.”
“It’s fine, it’s only for a week. Get the hell outta here, have some fun.”
“Okay, are you sure?”
“I am sure sure.”
“Am I sure.”
“You are sure, if you don’t by the ticket I will.”

So, here it goes, I bought the ticket and in May boarding that plane to Ireland once again. No kids, no diapers, no computer (well maybe), no responsibility, just a backpack, tent, a fiddle, a cell phone, a camera and a writing journal. Among the places to visit: Rockfield Ecological Estate in Westmeath, Durrus Cheese in Durrus, Co. Cork, The Organic Centre, Rossinver, Co. Leitrim, Jampa Ling Buddhist Centre in Co. Monaghan and Skellig Michael Island and of course a farm in Co. Wicklow called none other than Carraig Farm.

The pangs of guilt are starting already but the ticket is bought, the car is rented and the only thing left is to buy the carbon offsets to cover the roundtrip flight and driving ; www.carbonneutralireland.ie

It is the best time to go before CSA kicks into full gear. The barn animals are being taken care of by a friend. It has all fallen into place. The new camelback is on its way from LL Bean and it all seems to good to be real.

Last time we went we had pretty sketchy plans and getting lost was half the fun. It will be that way again. I stay away from tourist spots, anything with shamrocks and most definitely won’t be wearing any green. I hide on St. Patricks Day from all the silly wearing green, talking in stupidly fake brouges and getting pissed. Instead I make a breakfast of rashers, eggs, warm scones and tomatoes. Lunch is lamb stew with lamb from the farm…don’t come near me if you are wearing green March 17th.

So now I count down the days before I jump on a plane, get lost in a country I love and see old friends I haven’t seen in too long. Cramming for the EMT exam doesn’t seem so hard anymore..hubby is a genius.

Get me outta here…

2008-02-21T19:05:00.000-08:00

She couldn’t wait until it was at least 20 degrees… she wanted out now. Last night after running errands I came home to a baby lamb screaming in the barn…no signs or symptoms from Mom earlier in the day of labor, I think it took Mom by surprise also. Another ewe and Mom helped lick off the baby as I prepared as much as I could (being completely unprepared) and got new family into the jug. Little icicles hung off her fur…what to do…give her a blanket.

I ran into the art studio, grabbed a sweater I was going to unravel and reuse, cut out and presto, a nice purple hued baby lamb blanket - a pretty fashionable blanket for this little Diva. Later on in the night (too tired to remember what time it was at this point) always sweetly concerned hubby let me shred one of his fleeces. She now has a designer ribbed blanket with white stitching and partial collar… maybe this should be a new venture…baby lamb blankets for the sheperdess. Her name is eclipse since last night was the eclipse… although few of us had the chance to see it with the clouds.

The syrup taps have been frozen for the past week and we are xpecting a foot of snow Sat night into Sunday. We have run out of cut wood at this point, still in a learning curve of how much we need with the new wood boiler for heat.

There is a light ahead… a summer trip to Yellowstone. I haven’t been camping (real camping) since I was 7 months pregnant with my first daughter. Now we will have 3 kids, 2 tents and roughing it all the way. Yea baby… hiking, sweating, hiking some more, bugs, hiking some more then at the top of the peak just when your legs are going to fall off…amazement. Priceless.

Ashby CSA has filled up in half shares and almost full in full shares. Dedham is almost full in half shares and like Ashby very close to full in Full shares. Waiting lists have started for both already…the waiting lists are earlier than they were last year…a good sign that many people are realizing eating local is a good thing (to use that too popular phrase from that know it all woman)

The meat chicks came in day before yesterday, Delaware’s and have already sold out. I am looking forward to these in April…they have good reviews on taste and quality along with a winner of the Slow Food Arc of Taste.

EMT training/testing coming up soon… I have been strapping, stretching, buckling, harnessing, wrapping and tying many things around many people. It all comes down to timing and the state exam, more on this after I get my exam date. For now I can only shadow on the rig.

Wishing you all warmth in this cold… or at least a warm body to snuggle next too

recipe for a no school party…

2008-02-13T19:11:00.000-08:00

7 inches last night + a topping of ice = no school…what to do, hold a party of course.

First: start with a silly lunch: fruity bootie, a banana, warm vanilla milk, strawberry yogurt with coconut and almonds. (No, I really didn’t feel like cooking)

Second: dig out some olde school music (that music you wouldn’t think to listen to now) I choose C+C Music Factory and House of Pain (Echo and the Bunnymen just didn’t do it), turned up the sound and we rocked the house. (yeah, I know completely cheesy)

Third: Build a house tent and hide inside with flashlight… they wouldn’t take my ghost stories serious… “Mommy, you are silly.”

Fourth: A special treat because it is a special day (we are supposing the last snowstorm of the season) Being Valentines Day heart lollipops seemed a must. Somehow the girls still manage to get it on their face more than in their mouth ;०)

Fifth: coffee for Mom

Sixth: laps around the house to work off sugar and then of course

Seventh: dance again (this time to Biz Markie)

Happy Valentines Day to all xoxoxoxoxo

happy valentines to me

2008-01-25T19:02:00.000-08:00

Hubby doesn’t believe in Valentines Day…says it is a day made up by Hallmark. It’s not that he isn’t romantic but just against commercialism so I decided to treat myself to a Valentines present…I must have done something good for it - a new violin. While it isn’t exactly true to the Irish fiddle genre I can really whack some sounds out of this baby, plus it’s candy apple red- how can I say no? It has all the fixings: output jack for amp or mixing board, and a headphone amp so I can practice without waking kids up.

Between seed ordering, garden planting, spinning, garden planning, training for my next 5K, CSA questions, CSA subscriptions, goats getting into the feed stall and chasing 3 kids I have yet to sit for 5 minutes without thinking of what I have to do next. This always seems to be the busiest time of year and there isn’t a thing in the ground. I miss the soil, the sun and working in the dirt…I don’t miss the weeds however. We have an intern here now who has been fantastic…a life saver when it comes to those late nights when the animals won’t be put away until 9 or so…Katie is right there at 6:45 taking care of everyone. Not to mention this college student has been able to drag herself out of bed at 5:30 each morning to get here for 6:15, now that’s dedication.

new years resolution…

2007-12-31T18:55:00.000-08:00

We all make em’ and break em’…those New Years resolutions we swear we will keep but by February they are out the door. I have been working on mine the past couple summers with success so I though maybe I would pass it on along to you (and maybe influencing you to do the same) canning and freezing.

Granted with our CSA it has been easy to access the veggies and herbs. I can and freeze all summer. Some older recipes out of my great grandmother’s cookbooks, some off the web and others purely by experimentation. I am amazed at the amount of money you save buying at the grocery store (and that the food of course tastes better because you grew it). I am a pureaholic when it comes to food, one of those annoying label readers that are in the way when someone is trying to reach a box in front of me but I don’t see because well, I am too busy reading. I don’t buy it if I can make it.

For New Year’s Eve tonight I have ready a turdurken, homemade cranberry sauce, wild mushroom soup, fresh swiss chard and spinach from greenhouse, egg rolls risen next to the fireplace and for dessert cranberry bread pudding or homemade apple pie with fresh whip cream. Everything is local except for the rice (don’t know of any rice farms in the US) and the wine from Spain.

It may seem at first a bit challenging but once you start an assembly line going (this is where husband comes in) you will get a rhythm going…

Happy New Year

be the change you wish to see in the world…

2007-12-26T18:59:00.000-08:00

Working in the barn Chrismas Eve morning I was brought to tears listening to stories about child soldiers taken hostage in Uganda, interviews with widows of a war we shouldn’t be fighting and those who haven’t lived to see another Christmas waiting for transplants.

I look around me at the barn animals, our land, our house and though I never try to take these things for granted sometimes in day to day life I do. I am so lucky to have a roof, clothing, a family…shoes on my feet. Trips overseas, charity and volunteering have changed my vision on many things. This morning as I leaned against the horse stall with freezing wet cheeks I went through a barage of emotions. First the anger, then the feeling of I’m here,what can I do? Lastly came the feeling of an emotion so strong I would suffocate if I didn’t do anything…a feeling we should all feel more often…the need to lend a hand, anywhere, anyhow, anytime.

The horse stall can wait. I went into the house, grabbed a wallet and left. A couple hours later I and the kids were bringing 9 coats, 6 blankets, soap, laundry detergent and towels to the local shelter. I will never meet the people these blankets will keep warm but next time I am driving and see a person walking in a blue woven blanket with yellow stripes you can bet I will be smiling.

I can’t help those child soldiers or the widows and those waiting for transplants directly but I can make at least a dent in this crazy world. We have supported many charities which I list in the end of this post and are legacy members of our 3 favorite ones but the point is - this isn’t enough. Charity isn’t a once a year before tax deduction cross it off your list sort of thing. It is an all year everyday must…it is that feeling of needing to do something before you burst…

Give up a dinner out and take that money instead to your nearest second hand store, purchase a warm coat, a blanket, sweaters and please donate them. If one person can make a difference for another just imagine what many of us can do…

Some of our favorite charities:
Save the Children
The Smile Train
Doctors Without Borders
Oxfam
The Heifer Project
MSPCA

thankful for…

2007-11-21T18:46:00.000-08:00

a noisy house with 3 children running around
a husband who makes me laugh even when I don’t want to
watching my husband read to the kids
my childrens drawings
bubbles in the wind
fresh roasted ethiopian coffee
early summer tomatoes
canned food in January
Irish bread with caraway seeds warm with butter
my spinning wheels
a house that kids can run circles in
an art studio
a hubby that warms my side of the bed
fireplaces
homemade hot chocolate with lots of marshmallows
mommy nights out
strangers who help strangers
the smell of my hay loft stacked with new hay
wool
spending the night crafting in my studio
blaring music in the car without kids
watching my kids dance to a funky drumbeat
fresh eggs and milk each morning
snowflakes
warm dirt
a full greenhouse of seedlings
a frothy pint of cold guiness poured just right
watching my son play air guitar
fall colored leaves
maple syrup from our trees
the lambs and chickens that have given their lives to feed my family
that we are surrounded by woods
listening to my daughters voice as she reads this post

illiac crests, femur and tibula oh my…

2007-11-17T18:47:00.000-08:00

so here I go… I have signed up for the EMT course and have discovered the rush of espresso. Along with heavy duty medical the anatomy and physiology is killing me (no pun intended) It has been 25 years since I had to study and my brain not only has to concentrate on medical terminology but also in the background supper plans, grocery shopping, activities with the kiddos and getting farm chores done…how did I manage this in college and party too?

Snow flakes fell today for the first time this season. My instincts take over and I start to concentrate on cooking, making christmas presents and hauling firewood. Today I picked the last of the stubborn Chinese eggplant left in the garden for a red curry. Still some onions and carrots left in the ground but all else is bare. The greenhouse is abundant with beets and beet greens, bunching onions, lettuce and arugula. The hay bale garden bed is kicking butt, you just have to put your hand under the soil to feel the warmth generated. I don’t expect it to make it through 10 degree whether but will take what I can get.

Planning meals the other day I was struck by how little I needed for a whole weeks worth of food…wine, flour, sugar, milk and some artichoke hearts. All else including lamb, 14 newly butchered chickens and veggies were either in the freezer or canned. Hard to explain but it is a really good feeling cooking with what you have grown. We (as a society) have come so far away from our food sources, I am glad to be back at the root of it all.

With extra time on my hands (yeah, right) I am going to spend time in the studio…my next project, this great retro dress and then onto some spinning and pottery. I have a pile of clothing I have been meaning to rip apart and transform into something else…who knows, perhaps BCBG and Old Navy were meant to be together after all. All is fair in love and recycling.

strikin it rich…in compost

2007-10-03T18:41:00.000-07:00

All of us have it who own farm animals…poop. It’s free, happens everyday and seems to gather faster than you can remove it. I have spread it on pastures, front yard, back yard, used it to fill holes in lawn, put in garden beds, spread along forest paths, under trees and given away but still there is more. The other day looking at the pile watching steam roll off the top as the pile heats up and wondering where else I could put it to use a lightbulb went off…use the natural heating of compost breaking down to help heat the greenhouse in the colder months. Then came the problem of a barrier for the garden bed. Looking around we have plenty of rocks (Carraig means rock in Gaelic) but honestly hauling 5 or 6 Kubota loads to build a stone wall was too time consuming. When a small leak formed in our hayloft roof I noticed that when I open up a bale of wet hay the inside was warm…again the natural breakdown of the grass gave off heat. Two lightbulbs above my head in one day doesn’t happen very often but that day I was pretty bright if I say so myself (sarcasm)

The end result was a self heating and insulated winter greenhouse bed filled with 4 bucket loads of compost (the pile is a little smaller now). Arugala, bunching onions, beets and kale have begun to sprout their roots. On top to help insulate further is plastic with blown pockets of air inbetween to keep heat in during night. Wet hay from a farm here was purchased for a song and was soaked down with the hose before filing with compost. It is its own perpetual heat maker. Will it last into December, with luck. I will keep you posted.

This weekend we celebrated our sons 2nd birthday in traditional Ethiopian style - coffee ceremony, frankensence, music and fire. Frosting was everywhere and very hard to get out of little dreadlocks. The same night hubby and I went to see the Either Orchestra at the Somerville Theatre…a great fusion of jazz meets traditional Ethiopian music. There isn’t much in music that can make me tear up but to hear a Masinko with a brass section, singer and piano - get out the kleenex.

Yeah! Carraig Farm was chosen has one of the 3 farms in Massachusetts in the recent issue of Cookie magazine. http://www.cookiemag.com/food/2007/09/CSAdirectory.

Please check out their living green guide and support your local farmer. You will not only be helping to support green living but also your community and agricultural land. After all there isn’t any more land being made, lets’ save it while its here.

puttin’ up, packin’ in

2007-09-25T05:52:00.000-07:00

Days lately are filled with canned applesauce, apple slices canned in syrup, apple pies, apple turnovers and applebutter. Next in line in canned peppered tomato sauce, storing the last of the potatoes and planting the winter bed…not enough hours in the day and I wouldn’t trade it for anything.

Twinkle, after sleepless nights, hyperventilating and some scary moments is in the clear I believe. Pnemonia set in from fluid left in the lungs and treated with combipen. Now it is mom’s turn with an infection starting. We have decided to make Cinnamon a pet, this will be the last of her milk. She shouldn’t have been bred in the first place after 2 complicated pregnancies (something I found out during her labor from the breeder but lets not get into that!) and after some research and talking to other breeders this is best for her health and happiness.

The last of the CSA pickups are approaching, the garden is turning into a weedy mess and I am already looking at seeds for next year. The past month I have been collecting seed from those crops that did well to plant again next year. Looking back at the garden I can say the no-till method did, well, absolutely nothing. By not turning the soil the weed seeds have a harder time sprouting laying on the topmost hardened layer (in theory). I pulled, tugged and swore (so the kids couldn’t hear) just as much as before. I did treat myself to a propane torch to weed between rows (good way to get out aggressions );-)

I always think of my sins when I weed. They grow apace in the same way and are harder still to get rid of. ~Helena Rutherfurd Ely

twinkle, twinkle little star…

2007-09-20T05:56:00.001-07:00

At 3am last night in the stillness of the dark you could see every star in the sky…a million lights in a clear, brisk black night. Today Cinnamon, our Nigerian Dwarf, gave birth to one of those little white stars…at the same time the light of 2 other stars didn’t get a chance to shine. There were 3 in the litter, only the middle one survived. A jumble of feet, heads and legs made the delivery complicated, long and no doubt painful. The breeder came over to lend a hand along with later the vet.

I have never lost an animal, never had a stillborn so it came as not only a shock but also the unanswerable question of what else I could have done differently. The breeder says to get use to it, it is part of the business except I am not in this for the business, I am in this for the milk and the joy of the animal, not the the money, the breeding or the showing. I don’t ever want to get to the point of getting used to it. Even when I am slaughtering poultry I say a silent Thank You…today I wasn’t able to say anything.

I will look into some research on breeding problems since I found out today the last 2 breedings had complications. Perhaps it is time to retire her and let her live out her days as a happy lawn mower. In my world a death toll of 2 to 1 plus the pain the animal has to go through doesn’t seem to add up. Twinkle, Twinkle will be kept with Mom where she belongs for now. I don’t believe in bottle feeding unless absolutely necessary, nature has provided Mom with the necessary tools and can do it best.

I will re-evaluate my practices - this gives me a chance to look closely at my feeding program, organic and sustainable, make changes, additions, subtractions but most of all make it better for my animals.

There will be 2 more stars in the sky tonight…

overide passes

2007-09-05T18:32:00.000-07:00

It has been stressful to say the least, sleep deprivation, paperwork up the wazoo and questions on questions but alas it tearfully passed…how such an important thing as funding our childrens’ education can be questioned is beyond me but today I am as happy as when I first laid eyes on my Husband… the last 3 months have paid off, no more teacher layoffs, world languge, art, music, library and computers will continue along with some fantastic teachers at Ashby Elementary School. With promise this will also pass in Townsend. It takes a village to raise a child and right now I am so happy to be living in this village.

I could not have held in there without our fantastic committee and the support of many, Thanks so much again for all of your emails. From meeting to working the polls to holding signs I have a new insight into politics 101 and although I wouldn’t want to continue the course further I do have a new respect for it.

time to tuck in

2007-09-02T18:33:00.000-07:00

It has been an incredible, stressfull, lazy, wet, successful, creative, unusual, challenging, crazy and happy go lucky summer. Our theme this summer was close to home. We discovered new (and revisited old) places within and hour and a half of the house. Between swimming, camping, fishing, festivals, state parks, beaches, whale watches and museums our schedule was fantastically full. Best of all no long car rides, traffic congestion or pushy crowds.

The CSA has been gangbuster…we are plowing new fields to add on 10 new shares next year. With the unpredictable weather of wet cloudy weeks, hail and dry as a bone heat some heirlooms haven’t done so well while others such as amish pumpkin and dragon tongue bean have done excellent. I am starting to save seed from everything - lettuce to eggplant to tomatoes, squash and peppers. The birds attacked all the mammoth sunflowers before I could get to those seeds and our dog has taken a liking to broccoli, collards and kale. Extra herbs are cut and frozen for use in winter. Unfortunatly I won’t be able to include bread next year with a higher number of shares. I will have some for sale on pickup day though for those interested.

Blueberries, strawberries, rhubarb and gooseberries have been made into jams, dessert sauces and frozen for winter use. I also canned peaches in cranberry juice along with making a batch of peach chutney. Next are apples, hmmmmm, apple butter, pies, jam, champagne cider.

I am training for a 5K ( I know, its not huge) but it’s my first and I will be happy to make it to the finish line without an asthma attack. Prop 2.5 override has also been a looming issue around here. I started a committee called C.A.R.E. (Concerned Ashby Residents for Education) and have been helped along by fantastic parents and residents trying to get an overide passed for school funding before 33 more teachers are laid off…I won’t even get started on this one…will give you an update if it passes. Thanks to all of you sending emails…they keep me going.

The goats are due this month anytime. One I am sure has at least 3. The best part is milk again in a month or so just in time for winter. If anyone is interested in learning more about dwarf nigerians please send me an email…

We sold 235 pounds of fall lamb along with 2 shipments of poultry. The next shipment due 9/30 is also sold out. This has all taken me by surprise and at the same time been a fantastic eyeopener that so many people care about eating locally. I have begun butchering all poultry by myself (not too terrible a job after all) and in the end I know everything that bird has eaten, I know it is healthy for my children to eat, isn’t this what it is all about?

The leaves are starting to turn and I am starting to look forward to colder weather. Christmas presents are being planned (this year I am making again or we give to charity), wood is being cut and bathing suits are changed out for sweaters. Look around, take a day to yourself and take in the scenery…live in the moment because it will be gone tomorrow along with the fall colors.

Cheers….Tamara

little wide eyed faces

2007-06-02T05:47:00.000-07:00

I had the joy yesterday of talking to nine classes of 2nd and 4th graders at Floral Street Elementary School in Shrewsbury. Nine classes of adorable wide eyed faces listening about solar, recycling, our vegetable growing and farm animals. I heard ohhs and ahhhs. Children touched and smelled sheep, rabbit, ox, llama and camel fiber. I said to my friend before hand I will be happy to get one child interested in learning about farming, where their food comes from really (not just the grocery store) and I succeeded four fold. Parents were coming to me later that night to tell me their child kept talking about the farm lady. The best compliment was from a little boy who said to his Mother, “She’s a farmer, she is a woman and she even has tattoos!” It’s always nice to hear a stereotype broken, especially for a child who’s mind is so open.

It also brought up some concerns…some if not most of these children will never see a farm, pet a farm animal or help out in a vegetable garden. We need to make an effort as a society that vegetables and meat aren’t grown in cellophane and foam trays or even that canning produce isn’t those aluminum cans on the store shelves. Most of these children until the biodiversity day put on by some wonderful, talented and giving teachers had never planted a tree so I gave some of them a baby pine. They asked where they should plant it if they didn’t have a backyard…my answer was to make me a promise to ask their Mom or Dad to take them to a forest and take a walk in the woods. Hopefully the parents will…I will be sure to ask them when I return for next years biodiversity day.

For now I will go and finish planting my own trees.

tree hugger and sheep shearer

2007-05-29T05:08:00.000-07:00

They will be here Wednesday, all 200. Ash, cedar, fir, pine walnut, arrowwood, american cranberry, hazlenut and dogwwod. 200 trees that we will plant within the next few days…whew! My wonderful husband bought a arbor drill bit for the holes rather than having to hand dig. I don’t think I could pick up the baby after that much digging. This past year we cleared 6 acres for new pasture rotation (an ongoing project it seems) and to replace those lost trees we will replant what was removed while also adding new species for wildlife habitat improvement.

In some places on our land the undergrowth is struggling while other places it is choking itself out. Species such as the red maple are taking over in prone areas…cutting, pruning and new species planting will help solve this. The land for years (in early 60’s - 80’s) before we purchased it was badly taken advantage of by loggers, the healing has started spotting more new species each summer and we will help it along. Luckily we have a good logger 2 houses down from us.

I am stubborn to the point of driving myself mad…I will admit it. When I brought the llamas home 4 years ago I took it upon myself (bad news for the llamas) to shear them. They where my animals, it was my responsibility. I am happy to say I am now fantastic at it. The sheep…well that is another story poor things. I bought a brand new shearing set, studied, read, watched and memorized. I have tried the New Zealand method and stand method but those shearing guys make it all look too easy! I once saw Andy Rice shear a perfect fleece with almost no second cuts in less than 5 minutes. Practice makes perfect if only I could get the girls to stand for more than a half hour…will get back to you on this one.

Went camping with the girl scouts this weekend, amazing what you see when you slow down and look around… we should all do this more often.

R.I.P.

2007-05-25T05:26:00.000-07:00

Chips was put to rest yesterday…it was quick, it was painless and now I know it was the right thing to do. The vet listened to his heart and said it was horrible. If I didn’t put him down he was going to take care of it himself soon. The tears fell and I went into the house while a friend buried him (Thank You Bruce).

Living in New England is ledge, rocks and boulders. I wanted to bury him in our front pasture where he spent most of his life here. Expecting to find ledge surely and having to dig many holes surprising the first hole went fine. He was meant to be placed here.

The barn seems so empty now and his stall looks huge and dark without him. This morning cleaning out his stall a last time I heard noise above me, a new nest of a barn swallow and her babies atop the light socket. New life, a new beginning and a new spring. I will hang his horseshoe above the barn door entry.

saying goodbye…

2007-05-17T05:45:00.000-07:00

I have been agonizing over this for years now and the time has now come…my heart tells me one thing, my brain another. Most of the time my brain wins but it is hard when my heart fight back…I am putting my sweet old horse chips down this week.

Going blind, deaf and unable to keep weight on he stands in one place for hours to help the sore legs. A former Boston police horse he has seen his share of work that is sure but it has come down to quality of life, not quantity as a friend said.

As owners if there isn’t any outright pain it is hard to sometimes just go on instinct. I hear the creaks in his joints when I clean his hooves or when he walks yet I don’t really know if that means pain. For the past 4 years he has been on heart pills and bute and according to the vet not in pain…until now. I can write all this, see the signs yet I am going to miss him…this is the hardest part. Friends will be there and help with the burial something which I am sure I can’t watch without turning to pieces on the ground.

If the rain lets up I will give him a last bath and get him ready to wow the ladies in horsey heaven but until then I will spend time with him in his stall hugging him.

time for some rest...baaaaa

2007-04-22T04:42:00.000-07:00

Lambing is officially over…time for some rest, well at least until the new pastures dry off a little and it is time to grind down the stumps. All are surviving and thriving. We are switching the entire herd over to organic grain and planting new pastures of clover, alfalfa and timothy. In the early fall I will plant turnips as I have read that they are good food come winter. I am currently reading over some old info I had saved on rotating pastures but came across a great book “All Flesh is Grass” by Gene Logsdon. Most of you may know of his writing from the Contrary Farmer. A good read if you are planning on switching over.

We were lucky enough to get hit by the Noreaster, snow, hail, freezing rain then flooding in areas I have never even seen wet. Oddly enough it was beautiful in atire.jpg strange way. We have a new stream through our pasture and with the turn in weather (it is now 80 degrees) a nice algae (sarcasm) is forming on top of the small pond.

I will be treating myself next weekend to the Connecticut sheep and wool festival…fiber heaven. I expect to come home with no less than at least 3 fleeces…so much fiber, so little time.

enough already

2007-04-10T04:50:00.000-07:00

The greenhouse is ready and the seedlings are overtaking the grow lights…with the noreaster heading our way Thursday they won’t be making it to the greenhouse any time soon. Snowflakes are falling now and I don’t believe the calendar when it says April 10th.

Good news…finally a lady in the house - the barn that is - born Friday morning. A surprise since there were no signs from Mom. A cute little thing but putting up with getting mounted by the other 3 rams…along with the rams mounting each other. What is the controversy over nature vs. nurture? Nature rules here.

Baby is sick and pedi prescribed some nasty cough medicine (along with using nebulizer). Hate giving any medicine but when it comes to his asthma and breathing I will suck it up. There is one plus to this medicine…long naps. Two to three hour naps - almost like a mini vacation to catch up in the studio…

I bought this slinky yarn - fire red, orange, browns and purples here and there - an in your face kind of yarn. Mixed up some roving this morning to spin with the attitude yarn… will add some noils and black merino locks to the blend. Best of all I will be able to get it all completed before baby wakes up… maybe I will even be able to get some wash done…naaah, studio trumps cleaning.

it's raining men

2007-04-04T05:05:00.000-07:00

Well, rams that is… signs of the delivery began at 5pm on sunday night. At 7 pm the ewe was still laying there in the jug, no stress, noises or get this lamb out of me now sort of attitude, just laying there eating alfalfa. This is her first year so thinking she is a newbie and there were no signs of stress I gave her another hour. At 8 I got on my hands and knees and went in. I found a huge head right there misrepresented, no legs showing. How the ewe could have been so relaxed I have no clue…managed to get a leg out and pulled. a huge hulking ram, ouch.

Regrouped and ran inside for coffee, it was going to be a long night. Back in the barn in 5 minutes and she was presenting another water bag…oh $#@! was my first thought. The second with a little help again came out easier, a brother.

The whole time birthing the twin rams (431a and 431b or thing 1 and thing 2) not a peep out of the ewe, just looking at me as if to say what are you doing back there, something feels funny… I was always wondering what my reaction would be with my first misrepresentation of a lamb. This former city dweller is pretty happy, now if i could just get a couple of ewes… and maybe a coffee maker in the lambing pen

free paint job

2007-04-04T05:03:00.000-07:00

I never understood the need for people to line their garden beds with blood red mulch but at least now their dye splattered cars will match their mulch…

LittletonÂ (AP/WBZ Newsroom) — State police partially re-opened a stretch of Interstate 495 in Littleton that had been closed early Wednesday morning because of a liquid dye spill.

A tractor-trailer dropped several containers of the dye used for mulch dying on the roadway Tuesday night, splattering several vehicles.

State police re-opened one travel lane and the breakdown lane shortly after 6 a-m.