tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29588073585128984842024-03-13T04:06:13.518-07:00amysflockOne girl's transformation from city slicker to farmer in
Tenino, Washington.Amy L.http://www.blogger.com/profile/17013013895577702357noreply@blogger.comBlogger202125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2958807358512898484.post-27973645077482986202013-10-06T09:23:00.000-07:002013-10-06T09:24:47.419-07:00ResurfacingWow, I can't believe it's been over five months since I last blogged. So very much has happened...all good! Rather than bombard you with a 7000-word post (never a good idea), I'll recap in pictures instead.<br />
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Asher Paul, born 6/21 after 4 weeks of modified home bed rest, weighing 8 lbs 3 oz, and measuring 19" long with a 15" head. He is perfectly healthy and a total joy!<br />
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Handsome boy! He was born with reddish hair, but he seems to be turning blonde for now.<br />
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And then there were 9 (and a half). From left: Xoe, Roxy, Esther's face, Bestla (Esther's mom), Xaralyn, Arianna, Elodie's backend, Ferdinand (2-year old steer out of Bestla), and Buster (Xara's bull calf) peeking out from behind the tree. (Not shown: Alban "Albie", the bull we bought with another farm in June. He lives most of the time in Winlock.)<br />
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Bestla, Esther, Ferdinand and Xoe hanging out on the hayfield.<br />
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We remodeled two rooms in our 1978 ranch-style house, the nursery and the guest room. Paul and my uncle scraped and retextured the ceilings (bye, popcorn!), and they and our brother-in-law replaced windows, doors, closet doors and trim, we got new carpet and family and friends painted...all while I laid around on modified bed rest. :) This is the nursery. Next year we'll tackle our master bedroom and bath, rebuild the well house, and hopefully paint the barn. We may do some landscaping, too.<br />
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Paul and our brother-in-law repainted the house, something that's needed done for a very long time. We chose Sherwin-Williams "Ethereal Mood" (color-matched to Behr Premium Plus Ultra paint in satin finish; that's a stripe of it on the garage wall) with an off-white trim. It looks so much better!<br />
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We replaced the gutters and downspouts, too, but obviously not soon enough! This was one of three major downpours that happened in the 2 weeks between removing the old ones for painting and having the new ones installed. Yikes! We've also had a lot of thunder and lightening, which is odd for Western Washington. Fall has definitely arrived, and a bit strangely, too.<br />
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<br />Amy L.http://www.blogger.com/profile/17013013895577702357noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2958807358512898484.post-84559347166938342462013-04-20T16:52:00.001-07:002013-04-20T16:52:22.444-07:00Growing and changingSkookumchuck Farm is growing and changing, little by little!<br />
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As mentioned in my last post, our youngest cow, BEM Xaralyn ("Sara"), delivered her first calf, a beautiful, bouncing dun bull, on March 4th, her due date. The little guy continues to be one of the cutest calves we've had. We may keep him intact as a future herd sire. To that end, naming the little bugger has been a challenge. Paul and I have yet to come up with a name befitting a potential bull, and one that we both agree on. We're calling him Bullet for now, but it's not feeling quite right. (If you have any suggestions for names that start with either F (our farm's 2013 letter) or B (our national association's tatoo letter for 2013), please leave them in the comments!)<br />
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On Easter Sunday (also my birthday), we headed over to Blueberry Meadows Highlands' leased pasture in Covington, WA to check out BEM Arianna, a coming yearling heifer. We wanted a friend for Elodie, Xoe's October 2012 calf, as a bull was coming soon and Elodie needed to be separated, something not easily accomplished on our leased pasture, where the big girls (and the little bull calf) were. Plus, we would like to grow a little bit! I was enamored with Arianna's personality...she's a very calm, gentle girl, plus lovely to boot! We bought her for my birthday, and have called her my "birthday heifer" many, many times since. :)<br />
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Arianna was delivered to our place on April 7th, about an hour and a half after Paul retrieved little Elodie from the leased pasture and brought her back to our house. Poor little Elodie...not only was she separated from the rest of her herd for the first time, but she was also, unbeknownst to her, beginning the weaning process. True, she was only 5.5 months old, a bit early, but we wanted Xoe to maximize the grass she was on (she looked like she could struggle a bit to keep up condition, like Bridgit did years ago as a first calf heifer), and while it's not likely she could cycle while the bull was here, it is possible, so better safe than sorry.<br />
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Arianna and Elodie's introduction went fairly well, although Elodie pouted for a few hours and seemed to take it out on Ari (bashing into her side, etc., even though Ari is quite a bit larger and several months older). Elodie's bawling for her mama began in earnest by that evening and lasted about 48 hours.<br />
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Today, though, the two are good buddies, spending all their time together whether grazing or napping. Elodie still doesn't care to be touched. We're hoping that'll change for handling purposes (at this point she'll likely be beef rather than breeding stock). However, I must confess amazement at the fact that she apparently jumped right into the trailer for Paul on the 7th when he went and picked her up from our leased pasture, only her second time ever in a trailer (and the first, while she was a pretty good girl, was probably a little scary!). Maybe she won't be so bad after all. We'll see.<br />
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Last weekend the leased bull, Bitterroot Lord Morac, came for a 45-day visit. It was almost an anti-climactic introduction. The girls were interested but calm, and Morac, being a gentleman, didn't wig out, either. They're all happily co-habitating on the nice spring grass, and, fingers crossed, we'll have three nice calves next March!<br />
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BEM Arianna ("Ari"). She's a pretty girl!<br />
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Skookumchuck's Elodie, mid-bellow (missing mama). You can see her brown top coat starting to shed out, leaving her black undercoat. She'll be all black eventually.<br />
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Xara's bull calf at 1 month, 3 days old. Isn't he adorable?!Amy L.http://www.blogger.com/profile/17013013895577702357noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2958807358512898484.post-78859708708854740602013-03-05T18:54:00.004-08:002013-03-05T18:54:47.118-08:00Babies!This space has been difficult for me to write in for awhile, but I'm turning a corner. Paul and I have been farming and caring for our cattle daily, but there have been so many things going on that there just hasn't been time to write about it, as you'll learn below...<br />
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Yesterday, our gorgeous red heifer, BEM Xaralyn ("Saralyn"), who we purchased in May 2012, surprised us with her first calf, a healthy, bouncing little dun bull! She was artificially inseminated (AI'd) around Memorial Day weekend last year to a lovely dun bull from Michigan, <a href="http://www.leawhitefarms.com/learaleigh.htm" target="_blank">LEA Raleigh</a>. Yesterday was actually her due date! I caught a glimpse of the calf from the road as I stopped at our mailbox before turning into the driveway. At first, I thought it was Elodie, Xoe's heifer calf, who is now (oh my gosh!) over 4 months old. By the time I parked the car, let the dog out of her kennel and turned back to the pasture, holy cow (bull!), it was a new baby!<br />
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The little guy surprised me because when I drove up, he was checking out the oat haylage with Roxy, many feet from his mama. I would have expected him to be instead glued to Xara's side. I changed my clothes as fast as I could and went out with a comb and my cell phone to snap pictures.<br />
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Xara was as calm as could be, lying down, chewing her cud with her new baby tucked tightly beside her, his head under her chin as he checked me out. I was able to (cautiously) approach Xara for some combing, which she clearly relished. She eventually stood up, and baby came around to my side, where I was able to give him some pets. (This is a relief, because we STILL can't really get our hands on Elodie, who just doesn't want much of anything to do with either Paul or me.)<br />
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Paul called my phone while I was outside, since I'd texted him that we had a calf. He was working late and was none to happy that I was in the pasture by myself with not only the new mama and baby duo, but the rest of the fold. (Never mind that the other three girls were all lying down, chewing cud, too!) I assured him I was being careful...<br />
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Careful, because I am currently 23 weeks pregnant myself. Paul and I are expecting our third child, our second <a href="http://ourtinyangels.blogspot.com/2013/02/it-a.html" target="_blank">baby boy</a>, the "<a href="http://ourtinyangels.blogspot.com/2011/09/trying-for-rainbow.html" target="_blank">calm after the storm</a>", on July 2, 2013. He was conceived through IVF and we are very, very blessed and lucky, not only that we conceived him at all after 5 years of infertility and the <a href="http://amysflock.blogspot.com/2011/08/broken.html" target="_blank">loss of our twins</a> to a second trimester miscarriage in August 2011, but that this pregnancy, while scary, has been largely trouble-free. It's a whole new experience for us to not have our worries validated by reality (nope, they're just remnants of our first horrifying experience).<br />
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We have plans in place to move the herd to summer pasture, hopefully by mid-April (weather-dependent), and will bring in a leased bull in May to service Xara, Xoe and Roxy. We're aiming for March 2014 calves, timing it so (knock on wood!) they all calve at home, where we can closely watch them without fear of predators, and so their calves will be 1.5 months old (give or take) before they hit the large, slightly wild summer pasture (hoping that cougars and the like will be less of an issue by that time). It's a new year for Skookumchuck Farm. :)<br />
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BEM Xaralyn and her bull calf.<br />
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Our baby boy to be. Photo taken on February 25, 2013 at 21 weeks 6 days gestation.Amy L.http://www.blogger.com/profile/17013013895577702357noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2958807358512898484.post-68761153971956218822012-10-27T18:23:00.000-07:002012-11-04T11:49:07.174-08:00New arrivalOn Monday night, October 22nd, our little black heifer, Xoe, triumphantly delivered - without assistance (but not without a lot of observation!) - her first calf. It took a few days for us to determine the sex of this little one; mama is a good Highland mama, and true to the breed, she was a little antsy each time we got too close. (Navel dipping and towel drying was a very quick endeavor!) We now know, after watching it pee a few times, that we have a heifer!<br />
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After what happened with Roxy's calf in August, I'd been checking Xoe frequently. Here in Western Washington, an 80+ day drought took a toll, finally, on our lush green leased pasture, so we brought Roxy, Xoe and Xaralyn home to our place in mid-October, a month earlier than planned. This was a bit of a relief; at least I could easily keep my eye on Xoe and check her every morning and every night.<br />
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She had me fooled, many times, but when I drove up after a long day of work on the 22nd and saw Xoe's behavior, I knew this was it. Girlfriend was standing off by herself, watching the road intently, very alert. I quickly changed my clothes and checked on her, and I saw a big, long mucus string, nearly to her hocks. By the time Paul arrived home, she was pacing a circuit from midway down our north fenceline, back across the western cross-fence, to the middle of the outside paddock fence, and back again. She'd stop occasionally to eat a few apple leaves or a couple of bites of hay, but she had that intent but also absent-minded look. By dusk, it was clear she was having contractions. We sat in a dark house with our binoculars, waiting and watching.<br />
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After a bit, she stook outside the paddock gate, as if willing it to open. I went outside and opened it, and all three girls entered (Xaralyn kicking up her heels, having never been in this space before). In and out, in and out...it was exhausting to watch Xoe's progress. Finally, when she appeared to be pushing and made her way to the paddock once again, I went out and shut the gate, locking all three girls inside. (It was raining lightly, anyway; they have shelter in the barn.)<br />
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At 6:00, I e-mailed my Cattlewomen to let them know I wouldn't be coming to our monthly meeting. Sometime after 7:30, I started checking Xoe with the flashlight every 20 minutes or so. After what seemed like her trying to push out a watermelon (and me wondering if she was trying to deliver a butt and having flashbacks to Roxy's posterior calf), I called Paul out and he arrived in time to see her forebag break. (It's crazy to see before it comes out, because it's really dark, almost purple, and is actually filled with yellow fluid. Freaky when it bursts.) By 8:00, we finally saw first one tiny hoof, and then another, inside the amniotic sac. They were upright, thank God!<br />
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By now, I was checking her every 15 minutes. Time went by with no real progress, until finally the end of two toes appeared. I consulted my cattle books, and read that if an hour went by with nothing other than feet, it was time to intervene. It was just after 8:00.<br />
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I increased my watch intervals to every 10 minutes, and wondered how quickly any of the Cattlewomen could make it to our house from East Olympia, where the meeting was in progress, if we needed help. Just before 9:00, I saw two forelegs and a pink, moving tongue! Woohoo! I called Paul out and we watched awhile, Xoe pushing with her own mouth open and tongue out, poor girl. We left her for one last 10 minute interval, but I, worrywort, only lasted five.<br />
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And when I came out with my flashlight - BABY! The calf was already sitting up and Xoe was ignoring it, busy slurping up birth fluids. I flashed Paul the signal (he'd said earlier, "Three means hooktender needed in the brush," ever the logger!) and he came out. We wondered what to do because Xoe was not interested in attending to her baby, but didn't want us there, either. She couldn't pull herself away from the fluids on the ground, and it was raining and 49 degrees, and her calf was sopping wet.<br />
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Finally, we grabbed our supplies, a halter and some grain (a pan for each of the big girls), and Paul tied Xoe's horns and held onto her while I manhandled the baby (who by then was on its feet and sticking close to mama...I didn't really want to get kicked in the head!). I ended up having to pull the calf backwards by its hips and push it to the ground to dry it off (not really, because all that hair is super wet and soapy-feeling, but I at least got one towel-full and dried the ears and head well), and I dipped the umbilical cord in iodine for protection.<br />
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The next morning, we both independently checked on Xoe and her calf, and both found them curled up in the small barn stall, baby lying behind mama, fully protected from the entrance. Good Xoe!<br />
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The calf was a joy to watch that evening when we arrived home from work, and like our previous calves, she was bouncing and running and kicking up a storm by her second day outside the womb. She's chocolate brown in color with black feet, nose, eyelids and tail switch, and her undercoat has black in it, too. After consulting <a href="http://bairnsley.com/Colour%20-%20calves.htm" target="_blank">my favorite Highland coat color article</a>, I was able to easily confirm that this little one will grow up to be black like Xoe (and like her dad's dad).<br />
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(Interestingly, Xoe "cleaned", or delivered her placenta, some time later the first day, because she left it intact next to our fence, rather than eating it as Sheila and Bridgit had done. We'll compost it.)<br />
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We still haven't named the calf; not knowing the sex for a few days didn't help that endeavor! Hopefully she'll have a name by the end of tomorrow. Until then, we'll keep calling her Baby!<br />
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Baby, day 1. (Xoe has a really nice udder, by the way!)<br />
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Look at that cute little tail switch! You can see the black in her undercoat, too.<br />
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Mother and daughter.Amy L.http://www.blogger.com/profile/17013013895577702357noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2958807358512898484.post-17643276143085569412012-08-31T15:12:00.000-07:002012-09-01T11:41:36.735-07:00Still (a.k.a. highsight is always 20/20)Last night Paul and I experienced our first tragedy in four years of farming: Roxy's heifer calf was stillborn.<br />
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I still cannot fathom how it all went down. First, we didn't think she was due until October 1st, but given the size and completeness of the calf, there was no question she was due now. In hindsight, what with her being a giant barrel with legs, and me noticing her pin bones feeling a little looser and her udder a little firmer on Tuesday, and Paul saying, "I think she'll calve within two weeks," we should have known.<br />
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We went for dinner last night, and decided to drive by and check the cattle on our way home, stopping first so Paul could fill a 5 gallon bucket with apples for them. It was sometime after 7:00. As we pulled into the long gravel driveway, we noticed we could see four animals, not five. Who was missing? Roxy. Where was she? We got out and called and called and called...and then noticed that while Clyde, Xoe and Cowboy had all come up to the gate, Sara stayed behind, and kept looking back toward the creek. Uh, oh. Finally, Roxy's head appeared in the tall grass, but she seemed to be busy, possibly with a new calf. We thought, then, she'd calved already. We dumped the bucket of apples and then entered the pasture and walked across the creek bridge to where she was. Paul saw her contract (I missed it). We walked toward her, and then she started walking toward us, stopping periodically to push. Oh, shit!<br />
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We had nothing with us...no calving supplies, no halter rope, not even binoculars. I saw a hoof sticking out and an alarm bell went off. We drove up the driveway to the house, asked for binoculars and then Tom jumped in my car and came back with us. By then, she'd crossed the creek on the other side and was booking across the hayfield toward the tall grass along the road. I whipped down the driveway and around the corner to park so we could look. I grabbed the glasses: one hoof, upside down. Holy crap...this baby was turned around backward!<br />
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I left Paul and Tom there to figure out how to get her to the corral (back across the hayfield, back across the creek, and a long way through the pasture) while I raced home for our supplies. I grabbed towels, our vet kit (which includes obstetrical chains, lube and iodine), my homemade manual (and then two cattle books once I realized the "pulling a breach calf" diagram I was looking for wasn't in my manual), but forgetting a halter rope. <br />
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By the time I returned, the guys had Roxy almost to the corral, but had to stop often so she could push. Hindsight, we should have staubed her to a tree in the hayfield and pulled the calf right then and there...what were we thinking, wasting all that damn time?!<br />
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We did finally get her into the corral, tied her off at the opening of the wooden chute (after realizing she was going to do her best to kick me each time I touched her vulva). Paul had already pinched the calf's foot and gotten no response, but I tried it, too...the calf was not moving, and even though Roxy appeared to be pushing hard each time, only the one foot was visible...nothing else was happening.<br />
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I lubed up my hand and arm and slid it in alongside the calf's foot, and several inches in, found the other foot. The right leg was crossed under the left and wanted to stay there. I felt up further a few times to make sure what I was feeling was two rear legs and a butt (and a tail, which I should have pulled down and under the legs instead of leaving it up over the back, again, hindsight). It was extremely disorienting...thank God I'm a visual person and had seen many different calf birthing diagrams, so sort of knew markers to check for.<br />
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I finally got those legs uncrossed and the right foot nearly as far out as the left, and held on with all my might as Roxy continued to push. Finally, I started to pull, and oh, my God, was it hard. It took Tom and Paul, finally, to pull the calf out, but not before Roxy laid down, making the angle in our tight quarters very difficult. Backwards is an awkward position for a calf to be in, especially when it's already dead.<br />
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She was beautiful, Roxy's little red heifer. Long eye lashes, pretty red Highland coat, no hint of brindle from either parent on her nose pad. We thumped her chest and pinched her and held her upside down, but it was no use. She'd probably been dead some time.<br />
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Roxy cleaned (i.e. passed the placenta) right away and ate the placenta, then turned around and started cleaning her dead calf. We stood there, covered in meconium (baby's first stool, passed during stress), Roxy's poop, mucus and blood, stunned, devastated and completely unsure what to do next. <br />
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After cleaning up at the house, we decided to pull the baby further into the corral, then open the gates so the other animals could witness and also help Roxy fend off any predators overnight. All five animals were very quiet, which, especially for the boys and sometimes Xoe, was unusual.<br />
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Tom buried the calf this morning in their calf graveyard up by the barn. (See, they ran cattle for years...when you do this for years, you inevitably have hard times. They had five.) I called the vet this morning to verify that Roxy is fine and doesn't need antibiotics or anything. We do need to watch her for mastitis, since her body doesn't realize the baby won't need it.<br />
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On my way home from work today, I drove the long way and checked on everyone. It was quiet; the calf had already been buried, and all five cattle were under the trees near the creek. As I stood on the deck, Roxy started to moo, and pretty soon all five animals were back in the corral. I left then, stopping by the gate to say hello, Roxy mooing softly, sniffing the spot in the grass where her baby had been.<br />
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The hardest part for me about this entire ordeal is that I feel responsible for it. I dutifully wrote down each heat cycle for Sheila, Roxy and Xoe last year in my dayplanner. I noted that Roxy was close to heat the day we brought her and Sheila home to be with Eiger (November 19th). If I had noted her earliest possible due date, I would have seen that we should have started watching her in late August - she was due around August 27th. Instead, I held steadfast to the vet's prediction - based on rectal palpation of the calf - of an early October due date. (I forget he's made that mistake before...Highland calves are smaller than he's used to.) If I had noted both dates, I would have been checking her physically much more frequently, noting changes. If I had been paying attention to that date, Tom would have thought much more of Roxy going off by herself a couple of times, and would have let us know that he saw her doing that...but heck, we should have had another month or so, so he didn't. <br />
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And...if I'd kept my wits about me for two seconds, I would have remembered that posterior-presented calves need to be delivered right away or they can either drown in the amniotic fluid collecting by their little mouths, or suffocate as their body pinches off the blood supply from the umbilical cord they're likely to be lying on.<br />
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But no...and so, where we were expecting three calves this time, we're now hoping for two. You can bet I'll be all over Xoe when late September hits. After all, her earliest due date is October 8th, two full weeks before the October 22nd date predicted by the vet.<br />
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From now until Xoe's calf is safely on the ground, our orange vet kit will remain in the back of my car, along with both books, my manual, a halter rope and some clean old towels (as soon the meconium-stained laundry of last night is clean). I won't be caught unaware again. This is too pricey a mistake for both farm account (in lost beef, live sale or breeding stock income) and heart.Amy L.http://www.blogger.com/profile/17013013895577702357noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2958807358512898484.post-89156239102245050492012-08-26T07:49:00.002-07:002012-08-26T07:49:42.685-07:00Fall's a comingI love fall. It's always been my favorite time of the year...something about dressing in cozy layers, smelling woodsmoke on the air, seeing leaves changing color and fog in the mornings brings me contentment. It could just be that living in Western Washington most of my life, where it rains 9 months per year, I'm more accustomed to gray, cool days than to the heat of summer...and certainly by late February/early March, I'm so tired of the constant drizzle and rain that I long for a change. <br />
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The same goes for the transition of summer into fall for me. Most people have heard we don't get much of a summer. What most people don't know is that the month of August in Washington state is drier than in Arizona. That's certainly been true this year. Our summer was very late in coming, much like last year's, but we did have a string of days where it was over 90 degrees. This girl really doesn't appreciate that! (Anything over about 74 and I start squirming, and anything over 80 brings outright whining!)<br />
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It's been really nice, therefore, to wake up each morning the last couple of weeks to ground fog and cooler temperatures. On Friday morning, it was only 45 degrees out on my way to work, cool enough to warrant a jacket. Whee! The sweet gum trees around Olympia are starting to show a little fall color, and the apple trees appear to be ripening their fruit already, more than a month ahead of schedule. (I fully intend to preserve apple sauce, and maybe even apple butter and apple pie filling, this year with our trees' bounty, but we'll be sure to let the cows snack on apples, too.)<br />
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The bad part of the ripening apples is that the deer - a doe and a 2-year old buck with a fork on one antler - have been spending a lot of time on our property, and our garden shows it. Someone (we think the buck) has "trimmed" our Caroline raspberry canes and tomato vines twice. (Is it just me, or does anyone else find it odd that all the lettuce and other greens have survived unscathed?) Paul just about blew a fuse a few weeks ago when he discovered that his prized 'Brandywine' tomato - one of his only veggie requests this year - took a hit (albeit slight). We moved the portable greenhouse over top of the tomato bed earlier this week after I pruned all the plants to remove the jungle-like, non-productive growth, so they're happily zipped in and protected from deer mouths. Hopefully we'll get some ripe tomatoes...next year, they'll be covered all summer. It just doesn't get warm enough here to grow a bumper crop otherwise.<br />
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The cattle are doing very well. Sara has settled in and while she still hangs back from the other four (and who can blame her, with two annoying steers in the mix?), she does generally go where they go. We haven't been able to comb her yet, but with the boys going on their last "appointment" at the end of September, things should calm down even more.<br />
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In other news, we've seen a beautiful bobcat in the hayfield on our leased property twice in one week! He's hard to get pictures of because it's been as the sun is nearly gone from the valley in the evening, but we have taken the time to stand on the side of the road and watch through binoculars. Friday evening, Cowboy and Sara caught wind and treed him! I guess I really don't need to worry about Mr. Bobcat harming a calf...Highlands can hold their own.<br />
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Speaking of calves, Roxy feels like she's bagging up (filling her udder) already, more than a month from her October 2nd due date. She's very gentle and forgiving, so I am free to feel her udder and check her pins for loosening. Paul thinks her calf will be here in two weeks...I'm not so sure about that, because we know the earliest date she could have been bred. Still, girlfriend is so wide that Paul's started calling her "House Mouse," as in wide as a house (and definitely not small as a mouse!). She barely fit through the wooden chute when we vaccinated the girls earlier this month; at this point, there's no way she would. I have to wonder whether her baby is lying transverse (cross-wise) in there, and if we didn't know better, we'd suspect twins! She does have "very nice spring of rib" (i.e. a round girth through the ribs) unbred, so likely her pregnancy is just exaggerating her natural features. :)<br />
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One call out to readers - we still have a couple of quarters of grassfed, grass-finished Highland beef for sale! Contact me if you're interested...<br />
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Clyde with Roxanne behind.<br />
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Caution: wide load.<br />
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Xaralyn is such a pretty girl!<br />
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The "red on green" show.</div>
Amy L.http://www.blogger.com/profile/17013013895577702357noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2958807358512898484.post-83174463150109129672012-08-05T08:16:00.001-07:002012-08-05T08:16:21.121-07:00OverdueNow that the one-year anniversary of the <a href="http://amysflock.blogspot.com/2011/08/broken.html" target="_blank">worst day of our lives</a> is here, my mind is free to think about other things...and there are lot of other things going on!<br />
<br />Our garden is finished, and man, oh man, is it productive! We've eaten a few zucchini and heads of cauliflower already, and lots of lettuce. We currently have three ginormous broccoli awaiting picking and a pile of zucchini and yellow summer squash on the kitchen counter awaiting processing (mmm, zucchini bread!!). The dahlias my mother-in-law gave me are almost ready to bloom, and we have tomatoes on every plant. The winter squash have started setting fruit, too. Our beets are almost about ready to pull and process. Yay!<br />
<br />The garden hasn't been without issue, though. We've had a problem with cabbage aphids in the Brussels sprouts and cauliflower. The Brussels sprouts are growing well and I'm not terribly concerned, but the cauliflower has been a pain. Nothing says "ick" like raising a forkful of steamed cauli up to your mouth and seeing a bunch of previously hidden, dead brown aphids. Soaking the heads in strong salt water does help, but it's not getting every last aphid. I bought some neem oil to spray, but even though the label says safe to use up to harvest day, Paul's skeptical. We've only got a few of the 12 cauliflowers left before that bed is emptied. We really need to start thinking about success crops or cover crops, because our summer veggies will probably peak quickly, and even though summer has FINALLY arrived (93 yesterday, 90 today, in the 80s most of the week), we awoke to a heavy ground fog this morning, so I know fall is right around the corner. (As an aside, it's amazing how quickly formerly gorgeous petunia baskets can look pathetic, isn't it? Ugh.) We're also not loving the evening watering chores...next year we hope to get water to that side of our property and install drip irrigation and/or soaker hoses to make life easier.<br />
<br />On the farm front, our newest female Highland, <a href="http://amysflock.blogspot.com/2012/05/introducing.html" target="_blank">BEM Xaralyn</a> ("Sara"), was confirmed bred via Biotracking and is coming home this morning! She was AI'd 67 days ago to a lovely dun bull named <a href="http://www.leawhitefarms.com/learaleigh.htm" target="_blank">LEA Raleigh</a> from LEA-White Farms in Michigan. The pictures of his daughters make me drool!! Sara should calve around March 4th, giving us our third calf of the season after a very, very long dry spell. The rest of the herd has been delightfully peaceful. Paul helped clean out the creek and fix the fences so Roxy, Xoe and the steers could go to the hay field by the road. We plan to repair fences across the driveway in his main hayfield so we can let them over there, too. That land hasn't had animals (or fertilizer) on it for several years and could really use it. The boys are looking good. They're scheduled to go to the butcher on September 29th. (If you're local and looking for <a href="http://www.skookumchuckfarm.com/beef" target="_blank">beef</a>, we only have two quarters left!)<br />
<br />Summer chores have been put on hold, but some things - like replacement of our rotting (and ugly as sin) pump house - are starting to feel urgent, because we know winter will be here before we know it. (It was in poor condition when we bought this place in 2008, and hasn't been helped by our first calf <a href="http://amysflock.blogspot.com/2010/04/go-forth-and-procreate.html" target="_blank">T-Bone's remodeling</a> [a.k.a. punching holes in the sides] and a wicked, windy winter storm that ripped part of the tin roof off. It's a hot mess.) I've given up on the weeds in the flower beds and driveway (they got too much of a head start), but I've got plans for next year! (I'm also trying to get ahold of a woman who organizes an amazing permaculture-for-home-gardeners project to see if she'll come down to Tenino, so there may be bigger plans in the making!) Other than that, there are fences <a href="http://amysflock.blogspot.com/2012/04/walkabout.html" target="_blank">to replace</a>, some home winterizing to undertake...sometimes the list seems overwhelming. Repainting the barn (or adding metal siding) will have to wait for another year, and so will getting power and water out to the barn. Oh, well.<br />
<br />It's been one heck of a year, one that we do not ever want to feel the likes of again. Here's to moving forward...<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Clyde: "Do you have treats?"</td></tr>
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</div>Amy L.http://www.blogger.com/profile/17013013895577702357noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2958807358512898484.post-24648816024787345292012-06-23T09:24:00.001-07:002012-06-23T09:24:40.843-07:00Veggie progressIt took a while to get our new garden bed project completed, but we finally managed. Well, almost...one more little load of playground chips and we'll really be done! Um, well, after I plant my dill seedlings in the broccoli bed and the zinnias somewhere, <em>then</em> we'll be done...except I might divide my chives and plant them in the tomato bed...hmmm.<br />
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Gardens are really a work in progress all the time, aren't they? I'll let the pictures tell the story of where we are today (this very rainy, possible thunderstorms first Saturday of summer).<br />
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Broccoli (starts) interplanted with lettuce (from seed).</div>
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'Detroit Dark Red' beets (seed) - an entire 4'x8' bed of 'em!</div>
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Never mind my crooked rows. They'll look better once I thin them. These are the ones we grew in our fabulous 2009 garden...they're great for pickling and eating fresh (or from frozen).</div>
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'Rhubarb' Swiss chard (seed) and Brussels sprouts (starts). Paul told me the other day that each sprouts plant can produce 80-100 sprouts. Um...yikes. Six seedlings times 100 = I don't really even <em>like </em>Brussels sprouts. I'm going to have to get used to them, I guess! The chard didn't germinate that well, but I know from experience that a few plants go a long way, so we'll have plenty.</div>
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'Snow Crown' Cauliflower...yes, an entire bed of them, twelve in all. I caved to Paul's wishes and planted a whole bed of broccoli and one of cauliflower. </div>
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Ed Hume 'Gormet Lettuce Blend' from seed. I interplanted this with the tomatoes, broccoli and peas/strawberries. What looks like a ton of lettuce actually won't be, once I thin to the recommended 10" spacing. Boo! Live and learn.</div>
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We bought some sad-looking, very leggy pea seedlings - two kinds - and planted them down the center of a bed with old fencing for support. Now we know you're not supposed to separate entangled pea vines - oops! Several don't look too good, and yet are regrowing from the bottom. This bed also features strawberries on one side and lettuce and alyssum on the other, with bird netting over top of everything.</div>
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Overview from the greenhouse. In the immediate foreground, the edge of a 2'x8' bed containing four dahlia tubers. The tomato bed is next. Something's up with the 'Brandywine' start I bought (back corner tomato in that bed)...I need to look into that lest it's something catching.<br />
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'Caroline' raspberry growth! Three of our five canes have fresh growth. We can expect a nice crop of berries next year.<br />
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My hanging baskets hiding out in the greenhouse. The temperatures have been cool so far, and I got a late start on these, so they need help. Well, that and my overzealous, too early pinching on the fuschia starts. Again, live and learn! I have to be careful, though, because this greenhouse can get wicked hot inside even on cool days.<br />Amy L.http://www.blogger.com/profile/17013013895577702357noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2958807358512898484.post-12740288303080158932012-06-21T18:45:00.000-07:002012-06-21T18:45:02.013-07:00Peace reignsA couple of weekends ago we finally did the deed: we had Sheila slaughtered. We interviewed a new butcher and visited their little shop, and took the plunge. This butcher - a former logger and his wife - runs a tight little shop north of Montesano, out toward the coast. Since they are in the process of having a slaughter truck built, they preferred to haul her live to their own place, let her mellow with hay and water overnight, and then slaughter on site the next day. It was a relief to have it all handled out of our sight.<br />
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Catching her wasn't any trouble, although that early on a Saturday morning, the entire herd was waaaayyyy in the furthest back corner of the pasture, not interested in coming to say hi. Paul and I walked out there with a bucket holding a bit of grain - mistake! Nothing quite like having a crazy excited running group of horned cattle following right behind you. We know better, too. Duh. Sheila and Eiger brought up the rear and couldn't help but stop a couple of times for some head-butting sessions. (According to the landowner, that occurred every single day. Geez.) We opened the gates to the paddock and in they went.<br />
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She loaded like a dream, we said goodbye, and they were off. I didn't shed any tears - I'd used them up in the days before - but the rest of the weekend was pretty somber. We went back and loaded Eiger, then hauled him home to Yacolt.<br />
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Amazingly, a quite peace fell over the remaining four once Sheila and Eiger were both gone. I'd wondered if that would be the case and was thrilled that it was indeed. Paul and I have walked among three other Highland folds lately and are clear now that we covet a quiet herd, one where folks can walk amongst the cattle without getting the stink eye or having someone spook and run off. With Sheila the Watcher and Eiger the Ever-Head-Butting out of the picture, we seem to be on our way.<br />
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Case in point: a few days into last week Paul and I drove out with our scotch combs to give the girls a good combing. They're shedding but looked like they could use a little help, and it's an enjoyable task for both us and them. I got to work on Roxy while Paul worked on little Xoe. Soon, I heard, "Babe, look!" I turned around and there was Clyde, nose nearly to the ground, getting a full body combing from Paul! Well, I never! Cowboy still isn't interested so he'll probably go into the summer looking like a yeti again, but oh, well. He can be ratty if he's calm about it!<br />
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By the way, if you're local, we are <a href="http://www.skookumchuckfarm.com/beef" target="_blank">taking orders</a> for fall beef!<br />
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Loved you, Sheila girl...Amy L.http://www.blogger.com/profile/17013013895577702357noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2958807358512898484.post-46312944152645066742012-05-29T05:56:00.003-07:002012-05-29T05:56:56.058-07:00Put to bedOur garden beds are finally in! It's true, the scheming and planning and wishing for something to happen the last couple of years has paid off, along with a <em>ton </em>of really hard work this weekend. We now have six brand-spanking new raised beds in our garden space. They look fantastic and are truly a sense of accomplishment, the first we've experienced in nearly 10 months of trying to find motivation through our grief. They're not perfectly level, and the rough-hewn wood isn't perfect, either, but they're <em>good enough</em>, and that's just fine by me!<br />The prep work was daunting, but my husband is a hard worker (well, and he had the tractor to help!). It turns out there was a lot of material underneath those old concrete beds, ranging from lots of weed barrier (easily ripped out by the rotovator and picked up in pieces by hand), to asphalt roofing shingles, to metal-covered press board. Awesome.<br />
<br />Each bed is 4'x8' and lined with hardware cloth to keep out tunneling animals. The rough-hewn cedar is cut to a true 2" thick by 12" wide - unlike the 2"x12" boards available through regular suppliers, and while there were some flaws in it (it was cut out of logs from the woods, after all), we think it'll last a good long time, and it looks nice, too. We added three pairs of 1" PVC sleeves to each bed so that we can make hoop houses out of any of them, using shadecloth, bird netting or plastic, whichever is needed. We love this flexibility.<br />
<br />We filled the beds with about 1.5 yards each of Garden Mix blend from <a href="http://www.greatwesternsupply.net/" target="_blank">Great Western Supply</a> in Tumwater. This dark brown, somewhat pungent soil is 1/3 topsoil mixed with 2/3 mushroom compost. We applied straight mushroom compost to our beds and big garden in 2009 with fantastic results, so we're hoping these beds do well with the mix. (Thank God we have a tractor, too. It made that 10 yard pile much less daunting. I'm trying to remember why I resisted buying a tractor so badly. That thing is so useful!!)<br />
<br />By Sunday evening, we were too wiped out and short of time to really go crazy buying seedlings, so we opted for just six unlabeled heirloom tomatoes from a Burpee seed packet, along with some peas, from a nearby nursery. Yesterday I drove out to <a href="http://www.raintreenursery.com/" target="_blank">Raintree Nursery</a> (in the rain!) and picked up five 'Caroline' raspberry canes and six 'Tristar' strawberries, and then went seedling crazy at <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Kaijas-Garden-and-Pet/80894787196" target="_blank">Kaija's</a> in Chehalis (the only place I was able to fulfill Paul's wishes for broccoli, cauliflower and a 'Brandywine' tomato).<br />
<br />Last night we got started with planting, adding the peas and strawberries to one bed, tomatoes to another, and filling two more with the broccoli and cauliflower. We still have Brussels sprouts seedlings to plant, along with salad greens, Swiss chard and beet seeds, plus yellow summer squash, green zucchini and two hills of 'Carnival' acorn squash. I'll add dill, petunias and nasturtiums here and there to attract beneficial insects and try out some of the <a href="http://ghorganics.com/page2.html" target="_blank">companion planting</a> tips I've read.<br />
<br />We're undecided on path material at this point. Playground wood chips, which are relatively splinter-free, are probably our top choice right now (Paul wants to be comfortable barefoot). We'll put weed barrier beneath whichever material we choose.<br />
<br />We have yet to site our seasonal greenhouse and permanent garden shed in the space, but that will happen soon (along with a much-needed paint job for the shed). We also plan to add blueberry bushes at some point. Paul's already scheming about additional raised beds for squash in the back corner, rather than planting in the ground. Not this year, though...we have other fish to fry on our project never-ending project list! It does feel really good to have this one nearly done, though. I can't wait to taste our garden-fresh produce!<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-26KUvL1CGcI/T8TF2sX5RaI/AAAAAAAABEE/Nv8syqB11yU/s1600/prepwork.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-26KUvL1CGcI/T8TF2sX5RaI/AAAAAAAABEE/Nv8syqB11yU/s320/prepwork.png" width="320" /></a><br />Prep work goes much faster with horsepower!</div>
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Four beds done. Look at that soil!<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--8LMxsX3gtA/T8TF-3awQPI/AAAAAAAABEU/8LKEXMiueyo/s1600/sixbeds.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--8LMxsX3gtA/T8TF-3awQPI/AAAAAAAABEU/8LKEXMiueyo/s320/sixbeds.png" width="320" /></a>Nearly finished! You can see the PVC sleeves here.</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bZOl8G7_Xb0/T8TGFvnsv3I/AAAAAAAABEc/wMXfaSGI9b4/s1600/planted.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bZOl8G7_Xb0/T8TGFvnsv3I/AAAAAAAABEc/wMXfaSGI9b4/s320/planted.png" width="320" /></a>As they appear this morning. The two back beds are empty, awaiting beets, chard and Brussels sprouts. The lettuce seeds will be planted in front of the peas and amongst the tomatoes. Dill will go amongst the broccoli. (And yes, we did have a light frost overnight. Figures!)</div>Amy L.http://www.blogger.com/profile/17013013895577702357noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2958807358512898484.post-3542728253222028302012-05-13T12:18:00.001-07:002012-05-13T12:18:19.372-07:00Introducing...BEM Xaralyn "Sara"! She's a lovely, well-conformed, very gentle 2-year old who is currently being AI'd to a handsome dun bull out of Michigan, <a href="http://www.leawhitefarms.webs.com/learaleigh.htm">LEA Raleigh</a>. As soon as she's confirmed bred, she'll be heading from her current location in Covington to our summer pasture to join the fold. We're very excited to add her to our herd. Thank you, Bonnie McLarty of <a href="http://bemhighlands.blogspot.com/">Blueberry Meadows Highlands!</a><br />
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Such a pretty girl!Amy L.http://www.blogger.com/profile/17013013895577702357noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2958807358512898484.post-14191225028076711812012-05-13T10:51:00.000-07:002012-05-13T10:58:54.772-07:00Garden Redo 2012: The PlanYesterday's supply-gathering foray in Portland was only partially successful. Why is it that any time we have big plans, there's a glitch? This time, we weren't happy with the cedar boards we found (they had long grooves routed in, apparently "the thing" for decking boards), so instead are having a cedar log custom milled into true 2" x 12" boards, 12' long. (This is actually cheaper, will take less lumber, and is special because one of Paul's co-workers is doing it.) Paul will pick them up today.<br />
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We're building our raised beds using <a href="http://www.sunset.com/garden/perfect-raised-bed-00400000039550/">these plans</a> from Sunset Magazine. I've been a devoted Sunset reader for years (from a line of devoted readers!) so always trust what I find there. These beds are super simple and should be easy for Paul and I to pull off despite pretty limited carpentry skills. (I was trying to remember the table saw safety I learned in 7th grade shop class...but given how many years it's been since those fun, noisy, productive days, I realized I'll have to rely on Mr. Google to help me out.)<br />
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Now, for the overall garden plan - the bones and layout. This is a large, nearly square space. The actual size was much easier to see once all the concrete was removed (by my strong hubby) and the soil tilled. Overall, it's over 1100 square feet! We plan to build a 6' fence and/or plant some tall shrubs along the southern side (and beyond) to screen the view, noise, dirt and rocks the obnoxious folks next door hurl our way when they race their quads and go carts around their pasture (which butts up against the front third of our southern boundary). We plan for 3' paths all around and between each of the beds or other items in the garden so we can easily move a wheelbarrow or garden cart through. We will also fence the northern and western sides to keep the critters out.<br />
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Six 4'x8' beds only take up half the space arranged this way. Yikes!<br />
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We want room for our 6'x8' greenhouse and 4'x4' shed. This seemed awkward...<br />
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But then again, what would we do with that big blank area? Stumped, I went outside with my work and showed it to Paul...
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Winner, winner, chicken dinner!<br />
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My man is so smart! Not only will our greenhouse and shed still be easily accessible, but we'll have TWO areas in which to plant in the ground until we come up with any future permanent beds! This is the best, too...not only do we finally have a home for the raspberries, strawberries and blueberries we've been itching to grow, but we can also have a small plot for corn and/or pole beans, which will help screen our back patio from another neighbor's view. Cool!<br />
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I'll continue to post updates as we make progress. Obviously, our first plan of attack is to get these beds built and filled with the perfect soil/compost mixture, and then plant our veggies, herbs and beneficial insect-attracting flowers as soon as our first frost is over and the soil is warm enough. We may need to wait on the berries - at least the raspberries and blueberries - until next spring, and that's ok. We have <em>plenty</em> to keep us busy this year!Amy L.http://www.blogger.com/profile/17013013895577702357noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2958807358512898484.post-61114372232910909422012-05-12T16:10:00.001-07:002012-05-12T16:10:14.792-07:00Garden progressWe're finally getting our new raised bed-featuring garden underway! (Time is of the essence, since our average last frost date, May 15th, is Tuesday. Eek!)<br />
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More to come, but here's what we're working with: 31' x 36.5' of blank slate, and lots of good ideas! We're headed to Portland for supplies (and maybe a little dinner, too, because who can pass by Sayler's Country Kitchen?)<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hz1VDKzapQM/T67thS5QEII/AAAAAAAABB4/fCfFFWXmjYE/s1600/soil.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hz1VDKzapQM/T67thS5QEII/AAAAAAAABB4/fCfFFWXmjYE/s320/soil.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Amy L.http://www.blogger.com/profile/17013013895577702357noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2958807358512898484.post-27575862384226235482012-04-20T13:21:00.001-07:002012-04-23T18:23:04.406-07:00Green reliefWe spent part of last Saturday moving the cattle to our leased pasture. As much as past experience had taught us to over-plan - because moving cattle can fluctuate between annoying struggle and full-blown mini-rodeo - the animals behaved loaded and moved like buttah'. You'd think the knew where they were going!<br />
<br />Originally, we planned to haul Roxy, Eiger and Xoe first, but Sheila practically caught herself, Eiger followed suit, and Roxy all but jumped into the trailer after them! It made for a slightly heavier load, but with the pasture only 10 minutes away, we felt comfortable making the trip.<br />
<br />Cowboy, Clyde and Xoe were a little riled up, so we were relieved to find them still contained when we returned with the empty trailer. Cowboy was really our biggest loading concern; he's always been skittish and doesn't like to be handled or combed. Imagine my surprise when he held still for me with only Paul holding the rope around his horns, while I removed the hairy beast's myriad dreadlocks on his hind end and belly and a giant mat from his tail switch! It was definitely a head scratching moment. (He later let me scratch him - unconfined - barehanded at the leased pasture. Incredible!)<br />
<br />Everyone has settled in. The land owner reports the seem to recall last year's preferred movement patterns, which included swinging by the hay feeder around 7 p.m. in hopes we'd stop by with apples. (Paul has them well-trained. Or, maybe it's the other way around. Sucker!)<br />
<br />It's a relief to know they're all safe and happy, and not planning a repeat breakout at home!<br />
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<a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-Sy65haUnWPI/T5HFK3RhqdI/AAAAAAAABAw/8vhm1BkD7sM/s640/blogger-image--1302785670.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-Sy65haUnWPI/T5HFK3RhqdI/AAAAAAAABAw/8vhm1BkD7sM/s320/blogger-image--1302785670.jpg" width="320" /></a>From left: tussling (Eiger and Sheila), scratching (Roxanne) and eating (Cowboy)...all their favorite pasture pasttimes!</div>
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<br /></div>Amy L.http://www.blogger.com/profile/17013013895577702357noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2958807358512898484.post-28737610187501778322012-04-03T18:41:00.000-07:002012-04-03T18:41:09.088-07:00WalkaboutWhoever said bovines are stupid must be...daft. In reality, having learned from personal experience, bovines are a lot smarter than we give them credit for!<br />
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Case in point: getting what they want.<br />
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Sunday was nasty weather...rain, rain, rain. Our neighbors' fields have big lakes in them from all the rain the ground hasn't soaked up yet. (It's alarming, really, but that's a discussion for another time.) I mentioned to Paul that we may want to let the herd into the sacrifice paddock (which we have not been sacrificing this year, therefore <a href="http://amysflock.blogspot.com/2009/05/are-we-there-yet.html">Skookumchuck Pond</a> hasn't developed!) so they could seek shelter in the barn stalls if they wanted. Taking further pity, and realizing the rain had caused the grass in the backyard to shoot up, he decided to let them <a href="http://amysflock.blogspot.com/2010/06/all-tucked-in-and-tuckered-out.html">graze in our backyard</a>, something we've done many times before without issue. They happily munched their way around the yard, stopping to beat up the pine trees we have yet to remove. No biggie. We had to run family to Shelton so we put them back in the paddock, set the turkey in the oven to time bake, raced to Shelton and came home to finish the turkey dinner before our family got back.<br />
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And who was in the yard? The cattle. Hmm. Apparently giving them green grass and rudely taking it away means they can and will find a way to unlatch the gate and come back in to finish snacking. We rounded them up in the dark - Sheila and Eiger in the middle of an ill-timed head-butting match and all - and finished dinner. We latched the gate well by wrapping the chain all the way around the post. There's no way they'd unlatch that sucker.<br />
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So, imagine my shock at driving home late yesterday to find Xoe contemplating the road from the edge of our driveway! COWS OUT!<br />
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I pulled in, threw the Honda into park and jumped out, calling, frantic, "Xoe! Xoe! Come here, girl!" Then, crap, I caught site of Clyde and Cowboy in the side yard over between the old raised garden beds and the dog kennel. MULTI-ANIMAL BREAKOUT! This day went from good to full-blown, one-woman circus immediately!<br />
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I bunched my slacks into my muddy, poopy rubber boots, opened the gate to the backyard and tried to coax Clyde and Cowboy through with grain (and caught site of Eiger behind the garage, <em>great)</em>, but they wouldn't go. Thinking fast, I ran into the garage to grab the fence pliers in case I needed to cut the baling twine that holds part of our Clampett-style, cobbled-together chain link fence closed, only to see Xoe's backend disappear behind the trees that are between our driveway and the road. "Xoe! Xoe!" I called and at least got her attention.<br />
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Thankfully the baling twine was looped, not tied, so I threw the loop off, yanked the fence panel open, and called to the boys, shaking my grain buckets by my sides. They loped into the yard in hot pursuit as I led them across and through the gate into the north pasture. To heck with the grain...they wanted the green grass, and the north pasture had lots. Just then, Eiger and Xoe came running in, too, happy to have the grass. <br />
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Eventually, I located the hole the boys made in the fence between the sacrifice paddock and the (unfenced) side yard...right beside the opposite gate post and the compost pile. Nice. (How do I know it was boys? Because both Clyde and Eiger - and two other bulls we've housed on our property - have messed with that fence. It's twisted hogwire...totally unacceptable for keeping cattle in - or out of - anything! We plan to replace it this summer.)<br />
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Right now the entire herd is housed in the north pasture. We drove out and visited the folks we lease summer pasture from to get a sense of when the cattle can go back. Funny how I had <em>just </em>responded to their e-mail earlier in the day saying this weekend would likely be too soon for us (because we haven't preg checked yet), and now we're thinking, "Can you take them tomorrow?!" This week is crappy, weather-wise, but there's a drying trend predicted at the end of the week, so we may be hauling everyone out Saturday and figuring out the preg check shenanigans later.<br />
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All I know is, these animals want GREEN, not hay, and we're fast running out!<br />
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<div align="left" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1djymuy0RUM/T3umUqRxhLI/AAAAAAAABAk/et2m8xNjXdg/s1600/photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1djymuy0RUM/T3umUqRxhLI/AAAAAAAABAk/et2m8xNjXdg/s320/photo.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Grazing in the backyard. From left: Xoe, Cowboy, Eiger, Sheila, Clyde (detail man, like his mother). No more backyard grazing for these crazy kids! Besides, you can't have a nice back yard when it's filled with rose-eating, flop-producing, hoofprint-making cattle.Amy L.http://www.blogger.com/profile/17013013895577702357noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2958807358512898484.post-56273386918578677722012-03-30T18:16:00.001-07:002012-03-30T18:19:10.288-07:00Love gets in the wayWhen Paul and I <a href="http://amysflock.blogspot.com/2008/05/ranchers-to-be.html">first decided to buy Highland cattle</a> and start <a href="http://amysflock.blogspot.com/2008/05/name-game.html">our little farm</a>, it was for the sheer joy and fun of it. What's not to love about these gentle, shaggy, horned cattle? We had some grass - too much, at the time, to handle (armpit-high before mowing, those were the days!) - and they ate grass. We both love animals, and I wanted to experience true country life. It was a match made in Heaven. I loved on our two pregnant cows, combing them blissfully after each horribly stressful day at work and terrible commute to and from. We both really, really fell for the two girls.<br />
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Later, we realized pasture pets don't really make a lot of sense. Highlands are, after all, beef animals. We like beef. Others in our lives like beef. We wouldn't <em>ever</em> eat our first two cows, but their offspring? We could handle that. Boys would be beef, girls we'd sell as brood stock. It seemed like a good plan, and soon, a business was launched.<br />
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After a while, the younger of our first two cows showed an attitude we didn't like. She didn't have the best conformation for beef or for show. We fell out of love with her and off she went to the freezer (and others' freezers). It was business, not personal.<br />
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But Sheila? No way. True, she can be a bit of a butthead sometimes (except from about 7-9 months of pregnancy, when she's a dream), and her feet aren't the best ever (but so many Highlands around here don't have the best feet, that's what trimmers are for, I rationalized), but she has an awesome beef body, throws nice, big calves, looks amazing, etc. I (half) joked about wanting to give her a middle name, much like another Highland-raising woman we know does, so that she'd be deemed forever off-limits for slaughter...she'd have to die here of old age. I loved her, loved her, loved her. She was my favorite.<br />
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Oh, my, how love obscures common sense and gets in the way of business decision-making!<br />
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The fact is, Sheila is not a profitable animal. In her (nearly) 8 years of life, she should have, by now, produced 5 calves. Instead, she's produced 3, two for us, and one before we bought her. Instead, she's <em>failed to breed back for us</em> three times - confirmed - and now we suspect a forth...to productive bulls, not duds. We have no idea why. The vet told us (during her second disappointing pregnancy check last year) that she felt healthy, and while her cervix seemed a little "meaty," he was able to pass an artificial insemination (AI) pipette through it without issue. Being open when she should be bred back is a cardinal sin for a cow.<br />
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The sad, simple fact is our (my, really) love for Sheila has not only prevented us from making a reasonable business decision in a timely manner, but also cost us extra money in feed (eaten by bulls we hauled in and housed at our place at the wrong times of year), vet bills (for negative pregnancy checks - plural), stud fees ($125-$150 each service), and income (an open cow means no calf to sell or raise for beef). Anyone else in their right minds would have culled her no later than the <em>second</em> time she came back open (which would have been this past spring). Lord knows Paul and I weren't in our right minds then, being still in the thick of <a href="http://amysflock.blogspot.com/2011/08/broken.html">grieving our twins</a>. But "real" cattle people would have culled her <em>the first time</em>, not the second...which would have been back in (gulp) 2009. Sigh. If we'd been thinking, we could have used the money we would have gotten from selling her beef toward another, more productive female of our choice. It sort of makes me sick to think about it rationally.<br />
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So, that brings us to now. We're a little behind, as usual, in taking care of business. Our plan is to haul our two cattle panels home from the leased pasture, set our v-squeeze back up and <a href="http://www.biotracking.com/">Biotrack</a> Sheila, Roxy and Xoe to confirm who is and isn't bred to Eiger. All bets are placed on Roxy and Xoe being bred, and Sheila being open, but we'll let the results of the blood tests confirm our suspicions. I realized today I've been procrastinating tracking down the vacuum tubes, needles and needle holder-thingy (which I'll have to buy from a vet) because I don't really want that truth confirmed. But dang it, I also had to face up to the truth of Sheila's costliness as I gathered documents and receipts and spreadsheets for our accountant to use for our 2011 taxes. It was a difficult reality to see, but I did.<br />
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If by some off chance Sheila is bred, we'll let her have her calf and wean it before beefing her. But the bottom line, she's destined for the freezer*, and soon. Believe me, I will be still be sad to see her go. She was our first, was my favorite, and I never wanted this fate for her. This has been a hard lesson learned. I'm sure it's only one of many more to come.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-57FaYssA8fA/T3ZXzMv7WSI/AAAAAAAABAc/xKN2FLMEajY/s1600/cattle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-57FaYssA8fA/T3ZXzMv7WSI/AAAAAAAABAc/xKN2FLMEajY/s320/cattle.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Part of the fold, as seen through our living room window last Sunday morning. From left to right: Roxanne, Eiger the visiting bull, Cowboy, Sheila.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">*If you're hankering for some healthy, grassfed Highland beef, be sure to check our <a href="http://www.skookumchuckfarm.com/">farm website</a> soon for the order form. :)</div>Amy L.http://www.blogger.com/profile/17013013895577702357noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2958807358512898484.post-32392430646154565882012-02-26T18:26:00.002-08:002012-02-26T18:36:07.990-08:00Who's in your garden?I <a href="http://rowangarthfarm.blogspot.com/2012/02/say-no-to-monsanto-seeds.html">read a post</a> this week from one of my fellow farm bloggers that troubled me, and got me really thinking about where we buy our seeds and seedlings, and where those actually originate.<br />
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Would I know the difference between a seedling grown from stock owned by Monsanto and seed grown by a company who signed the Safe Seeds pledge? Of course not. No way. What <em>is </em>the Safe Seed Pledge, anyway, and what's the big deal with Monsanto?<br />
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Monsanto happens to be the world's largest producer of genetically-modified seeds. Some are bred to withstand applications of herbicide, specifically, their own product, Roundup. Others have been fiddled with so nutrient content is increased, plants are more drought resistant, or taste will be improved. From Monsanto's point of view, as I understand it, they're helping the world's food problem. But, I've also read that as, say, genetically-modified alfalfa seed spreads from one field to an organic farmer's field through natural seed spread, those organic companies lose their certification. I've also heard accounts of farmers being sued because Monsanto-bred seed cross-bred with their own, and now belongs to Monsanto (that's a gross paraphrase of what I remember, so please forgive me...I just remember being truly horrified by the thought). (I do happen to know someone who works for Monsanto, and I hold nothing against him or any other Monsanto employee personally...it's more the company's business that bothers me.)<br />
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To combat the increase of genetically-modified seed production, many seed companies, large and small, have signed the Concil for Responsible Genetics' Safe Seed Pledge: <br />
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<em><span style="font-size: x-small;">"Agriculture and seeds provide the basis upon which our lives depend. We must protect this foundation as a safe and genetically stable source for future generations. For the benefit of all farmers, gardeners and consumers who want an alternative, we pledge that we do not knowingly buy or sell genetically engineered seeds or plants. The mechanical transfer of genetic material outside of natural reproductive methods and between genera, families or kingdoms, poses great biological risks as well as economic, political, and cultural threats. We feel that genetically engineered varieties have been insufficiently tested prior to public release. More research and testing is necessary to further assess the potential risks of genetically engineered seeds. Further, we wish to support agricultural progress that leads to healthier soils, to genetically diverse agricultural ecosystems, and ultimately to healthy people and communities." (from the Council for Responsible Genetics, </span></em><a href="http://www.gene-watch.org/"><em><span style="font-size: x-small;">www.gene-watch.org</span></em></a><em><span style="font-size: x-small;"> )</span></em><br />
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Kevin Lee Jacobs, a blogger I only just discovered this week (I'm currently obsessed with his gardening posts!), wrote a <a href="http://www.agardenforthehouse.com/2012/02/forewarned-is-forearmed-veggie-varieties-owned-by-monsanto/">great post</a> listing the varieties of vegetables acquired through Monsanto's $1.4 billion <a href="http://newfarm.rodaleinstitute.org/features/2005/0205/seminisbuy/index.shtml">purchase of Seminis in 2005</a>. If you're like me, used to buying what looks or sounds good at the nursery, you'll be disappointed, too. (I'm also disappointed I'm just now getting educated on all of this and what it means to the food WE grow...I mean, hello, this purchase happened <em>7 years </em>ago!!) He remarks that he'll print the list and carry it with him in his wallet so he won't be suckered in while he shops for his garden this year. I think I may do the same. No more 'Early Girl', 'Lemon Boy', 'Beefmaster', 'Better Boy' or 'Patio' tomatoes; 'Packman' broccoli (formerly our favorite); 'Cheddar' cauliflower; or 'North Star' peppers for us.<br />
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Be sure, too, to check out <a href="http://www.councilforresponsiblegenetics.org/ViewPage.aspx?pageId=261">this list</a> of all the seed companies who have signed the CRG's Safe Seed Pledge for 2012. I know I'll do my very best to buy only safe seeds for this year's garden. (Note that two fairly local companies, <a href="http://www.territorialseed.com/">Territorial Seed Company</a> and <a href="http://www.humeseeds.com/index.htm">Ed Hume Seeds</a>, are on the list!)<br />
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<em>Where do you buy your seeds?</em><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6j-HpT6Qyfg/T0rr8u90GZI/AAAAAAAABAM/QXnn8nZqqLE/s1600/Picture+020.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6j-HpT6Qyfg/T0rr8u90GZI/AAAAAAAABAM/QXnn8nZqqLE/s320/Picture+020.jpg" width="320" /></a>Our first veggie garden, 2008.</div>Amy L.http://www.blogger.com/profile/17013013895577702357noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2958807358512898484.post-21683020652368169072012-02-26T17:27:00.000-08:002012-02-26T17:27:23.535-08:00The great garden re-doWe've talked about it, I've blogged about it (more than once!), and now, finally, it's happening: The Great Garden Re-Do of 2012!!<br />
During the nearly four years we've lived and gardened on this property, we've had a so-so vegetable harvest, an amazing harvest, and two "bummer, man" years. When we moved in, we were greeted by a perfectly-maintained, weed-free, somewhat free-form-but-overall-square raised garden lined with broken concrete, nothing but a small patch of peas and two rhubarb plants growing in it. (We learned the following year that we also inherited a tiny asparagus bed.) Paul grew up in a family that gardened <em>big,</em> so he promptly used his dad's borrowed tractor to carve a new 30'x40' veggie plot out of a corner of what later became our sacrifice paddock. Between the two, we grew corn, pole beans, cauliflower, broccoli, summer and winter squash, beets, herbs, radishes, cucumbers, etc. That big garden, though, was really a pain to weed. As I researched and read blogs and books, I learned that raised gardens were much more efficient, easier to weed and water, and didn't waste real estate on paths like traditional gardens do, with their 1-3' soil rows between each row of plants. (There's also the fact that we accidentally brought club-root fungus home on some broccoli or cauliflower seedlings purchased from a local nursery and then, without thinking, managed to spread it throughout the entire flat garden with the rotovator. Oops.) <br />
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Then there's the broken concrete chunks lining every bit of our raised garden beds and ornamental beds. Paul's convinced the ants love it, since we've had minor (or sometimes major, depending on species) battles with those little buggers, a lot of which seem to run their network of paths underneath the concrete lining our driveway and part of our front lawn. We have concrete in the front yard, concrete along the driveway, concrete throughout that old raised bed system, an unused, unloved long raised bed along the backyard-side of the flat veggie garden, and a very neglected, unused (and probably unwisely placed) raised bed next to the side of the garage. We've both tripped over concrete five million times, stubbed our toes, struggled to cultivate the soil in the raised beds due to all the weird angles on the pieces lining the garden, and while the rough-textured concrete walls and borders do look nice when the yard was tidy and weed-free so you could see them well, we've simply grown pretty tired of it and are ready for a change.<br />
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So, today, despite the very chilly/hail-y/sometimes-sleet-y weather, Paul, also inspired, fired up the tractor and got to work! We now have a pile of broken concrete (from the raised garden beds) close to where our driveway meets the road. As he continues to remove chunks from all around, I'll post it as free fill on Craigslist. (If you're local and would like some, let me know!!)<br />
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While he was at it, Paul also hooked a chain around the pear tree, which was shading a portion of the garden and has some kind of systemic fungal disorder for which we'd have to spray (no thanks!), and yanked it out of the ground. It's now on its side in the paddock, where, last I checked, Cowboy was proceeding to thrash on it with his horns. The only things I want saved from that old garden is the two strawberry plants I found that had made it through a summer and winter of neglect and attack by overzealous oregano, and my sole surviving rhubarb (which I thought was dead last year, which is why I hacked a piece of it off...the piece fizzled and died after the summer, and the original "dead" parent plant appears to have a bunch of new growth starting). (Note to self: do not EVER plant garden oregano straight into a garden bed. That stuff is unstoppable. In fact, if you must plant oregano, put it in a patio container where its roots can't get into surrounding soil. That oregano - which also found its way into the front garden (did I do that on purpose?!) - may torment me forever.)<br />
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I think we both feel a little giddy at this solid burst of progress after planning to do it for the past two years. Two neighbors have already tilled their traditional garden plots, right on schedule. They'll probably till one more time before planting in mid- to late-May (depending on how our spring goes). We have a lot of work to do between now and planting time; we have lumber to buy, beds to build (probably six 4'x8' beds out of rot-resistant untreated cedar), <em>maybe</em> drip irrigation to install (that'll likely have to wait until next year), and a planting scheme to plan, but I have faith we'll get it all done. <br />
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<em>What gardening projects are you working on or scheming about this year?</em><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-V7LpvdZjP3M/T0rZ5mgXU6I/AAAAAAAAA_0/YXci5-6oBsU/s1600/IMG_0011.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-V7LpvdZjP3M/T0rZ5mgXU6I/AAAAAAAAA_0/YXci5-6oBsU/s320/IMG_0011.JPG" width="240" /></a></div> My hard-working man.<br />
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<div align="left" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bfT3Op9i03E/T0rbCapYhUI/AAAAAAAAA_8/LHcIZnQOq90/s1600/IMG_0012.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bfT3Op9i03E/T0rbCapYhUI/AAAAAAAAA_8/LHcIZnQOq90/s320/IMG_0012.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>That concrete is heavy! As of posting time (quitting time for Paul), he's only gotten 1/4 of it removed. We really do have a lot of concrete!<br />
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Paul enjoys tree removal, even when it's snowing!Amy L.http://www.blogger.com/profile/17013013895577702357noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2958807358512898484.post-3027605183850789862012-02-19T15:02:00.000-08:002012-02-19T15:04:23.754-08:00Clean-up dayFinally, <em>finally</em>, we have a break in the weather that coincides with Paul being home and available! Today turned out to be the perfect day for building a brush pile and burning all the downed limbs from our January ice storm.<br />
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Boy, howdy, it's a big pile. Paul and his brother's young nephew-in-law have been at it all day. There are still greens on the ground under the big fir, but all the limbs are cut and either burning or smoldering right now, depending on where in the pile they lay. The pile is much larger than I expected, which really brings home just how massive a mess that storm made of our county. I'd read that county road crews would be working on clearing all the limbs and brush from the sides of the main roads through the end of the month, and if my daily commute to and from Olympia for work is any indication, they have a long way to go yet. Highway 99, which runs north and south from Tumwater straight into the middle of Tenino (and then southeast toward I-5), had some road work done last year that ended up narrowing the driving lanes as the shoulders were widened, presumably for the hundreds of bicyclists who travel through. Well, all the limbs that fell, especially up and over Chein Hill, outside of Tenino (the scene of a massacre, supposedly, back in the 1800s), are cut right at the white line, so that if you're not <em>really </em>paying attention, you might find the side of your car scratched as you traverse the narrow driving lane. It's especially hairy if you happen to be passing someone coming the other direction at the same time. (Not speaking from personal experience or anything...and no, that's <em>not </em>a scratch on my windshield.) :)<br />
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We have so many projects to catch up on this year. I'm busy scheming about a bunch of decorating/remodeling projects around the house, and while we don't have any huge interior plans in the works this year (save maybe for some painting), we have many for our outdoor spaces. We will be tearing down our crumbling, oversized well pump house and replacing it (not a cost we want to undertake, but it must be done), gathering up all the broken concrete lining every flower bed, the driveway and the raised garden beds and getting rid of it all (if you're local, contact me if you need fill!), and - in the next month - building brand new raised garden beds in preparation for a smaller but hopefully more productive and easily managed vegetable garden. (I plan to repurpose a metal hogwire trellis from flower gardening in the front to pea and bean growing in the veggie garden, and also plan to try growing potatoes in a cage. Wonder how that will work?) I'll be sure to document all of that here...but if you'd like a visual peek into where my brain is at, you can peruse my ever-growing <a href="http://pinterest.com/amy_lagerquist/gardening-ideas" target="_blank">Pinterest board</a>. We're also planning a memorial garden in the backyard for our twins, but I'll likely document that on our <a href="http://ourtinyangels.blogspot.com/">other blog</a>. There are some maintenance projects that must be done, too, including tightening up the insulation under the house, correcting some wacky porch roofing issues left by previous homeowners, and hopefully replacing some of our old metal-framed windows, too.<br />
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So much to think about...but for now, I'll focus on the little things, like laundry (ick!), housecleaning (super ick!) and getting pour-on Ivomec on the other half of our cattle herd (Sheila and boys won't hold still!).Amy L.http://www.blogger.com/profile/17013013895577702357noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2958807358512898484.post-19320630215197400202012-01-28T11:30:00.000-08:002012-01-28T11:30:51.545-08:00AftermathThat storm of ours really was a doozy. We ended up finally getting our power back on Monday morning at 3:30...a full 90 hours after we first lost it. Some folks didn't get theirs back until yesterday, and for others, a rogue windstorm mid-week knocked it out again. We're grateful we have no damage to report to insurance, unlike some. Thurston County, along with the cities of Olympia, Lacey and Tumwater (to the north of us) were all declared disaster areas in the event federal funds will be needed for cleanup help. Some of our capital city's oldest trees were badly damaged, which is a shame. I've passed entire stands of alder trees where the tops broke out of each and every one, leaving what looks like hillsides of toothpicks. The folks we lease our pasture from reported they've lost about 1000 evergreens from their managed land, and it took them three days to clear a path for the power company to reach their lines.<br />
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The air quality hasn't been great, and all the burn piles everywhere aren't helping. I feel badly for those who have asthma or other breathing difficulties. It's not a good place to be right now. We ourselves will be burning, probably next weekend, once Paul collects all the broken and downed branches from our property and makes a proper burn pile. Some of the damage came to trees we intend to remove eventually anyway, so there's no love lost there. Other things, like Cousin It, the Japanese maple next to our driveway, suffered no damage at all, and I'm grateful for that.<br />
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The cattle, of course, fared fine through the entire ordeal, probably thinking we were crazy for panicking so much about their water supply. (Funny aside: wouldn't you know that the power finally returned less than 12 hours after we drove home with a 150 gallon Rubbermaid stock tank full of water from Paul's brother's house, 20 miles away? If I'd thought about Murphy's Law before we filled the tank, I probably could have predicted when the power would return!)<br />
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For now, with all the branches left where they fell, the cattle are enjoying themselves pushing things around and beating them up with their horns. There are several branches hanging in the big fir that will need to come out somehow...but there were branches higher up that were hanging when we bought the property in 2008 and are STILL there, even after all the ice and wind! Figures.<br />
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I'm not alone in hoping that was the worst winter weather we'll see this season. Today is cloudy and cold, perfect for doing a few clean up chores outside (like taking down our Christmas lights...don't judge!), with our normal rain predicted to return tonight. Sounds appealing to me!<br />
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The big fir, looking like someone took a big bite out of its side. Ignore the apple tree in the foreground (yes, that's an apple!)...we let the cattle beat it up and plan to rip it out. It's an annoyance during lawn mowing, anyway.<br />
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<div align="left" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kKodU9mSfDY/TyRMzHJHfJI/AAAAAAAAA_k/AOJffdHgRAA/s1600/IMG_5686.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kKodU9mSfDY/TyRMzHJHfJI/AAAAAAAAA_k/AOJffdHgRAA/s320/IMG_5686.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>Clyde messing with the downed limbs. Typical boy!Amy L.http://www.blogger.com/profile/17013013895577702357noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2958807358512898484.post-78034146572728762812012-01-21T12:30:00.000-08:002012-01-21T12:30:46.456-08:00Weather maniaYou've probably heard it on the news: Western Washington is in the midst of some pretty horrible weather. Those of us in the south sound received 12-20 inches of snow Tuesday into Thursday (14" at our house), followed by freezing rain and temperatures that wouldn't rise sufficiently. Tree limbs - or entire trees - broke into power lines across the region. At this point, we've been without power for 50+ hours and it may be a few more days before it's restored. Paul ingeniously collected melting snow (once the temperatures started to rise) from the downspout to keep the cattle trough filled. Our giant fir in the pasture, the one you've seen in so many photos here, lost so many limbs it's essentially bald on one side. We'll be cleaning debris for awhile. But, our generator is keeping us warm and fed (by microwave), the cattle are fine, and we have family 20 minutes away who DO have power so we can shower (and use the Internet!). We know now that our home's wiring needs attention - we can't figure out why the wired-in generator won't run the well pump, an annoying development - so we'll have to modify our to-do list for summer. Life could be worse, though. We plan to work on a more thorough emergency plan and kit, something the experts always recommend and something we've rolled our eyes at a bit (given we're so resourceful...note the sarcasm). Really, we're faring fine, but it could be worse, and we don't want to find ourselves there. If the cities to our south didn't have power - and therefore, working gas stations, at least until the Thurston County residents take it all - this would be a very different situation.<br />
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Hopefully power will return by Monday so I can return to work (our agency was closed county-wide Wednesday and Thursday, and I took Friday off). I look forward to our lives returning to normal. A hot shower in my own house will have never felt so good!Amy L.http://www.blogger.com/profile/17013013895577702357noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2958807358512898484.post-47911724452845421832012-01-18T05:47:00.000-08:002012-01-18T05:47:14.739-08:00They weren't kiddingI awoke at 4:00 this morning to run to the bathroom, and against my better judgement, I put on my glasses, pulled back the edge of the bedroom curtain and peeked outside. Not sure what I was seeing, I padded down the hall to the kitchen, where the light outside the garage illuminates the view. Holy crap. Everything is covered in a LOT of snow!<br />
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Unable to turn my mind off back in bed, I put on my robe and slippers, started a pot of coffee, and took the tape measure outside. Eight and a half inches at 4:45, and still snowing.<br />
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I'm waiting for my agency to update the emergency hotline so I can find out whether THEY think I'll be driving the 20 miles to the office this morning, but I'm pretty certain I won't be going, regardless. Paul's not even up yet to <em>tell</em> me I won't be going. His work was shut down yesterday due to too much snow, and that was before THIS storm happened! He said last night he'll probably be shut down all week, given his job is up in the hills. They're calling for the up to 10" total here, south of Olympia, but it's supposed to taper off later today and then turn to rain/snow mix tomorrow.<br />
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I'm anxious to see where the cattle are. Often they prefer to lay in the snow, but this is excessive, and now a breeze has picked up (bad combination). Thankfully, we fed a fresh bale of haylage last night, so they should have plenty to eat. We'll just have to keep their water trough full.<br />
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If there's snow where you are today, please stay warm and safe!<br />
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Our (large!) picnic table, covered!Amy L.http://www.blogger.com/profile/17013013895577702357noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2958807358512898484.post-26732249948566438782012-01-15T10:15:00.000-08:002012-01-15T10:19:45.249-08:00Snow dayThis winter is so weird! It's been very mild, almost too mild, with below-average snowfall in the mountains and warmer than normal temperatures with below-average rainfall in the lowlands. The weather folks had been warning about a snowstorm brewing all last week, but reports conflicted about how much, where, and for how long. I took it all to mean that we'd see little to any white stuff falling in our area.<br />
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Wrong! We drove to Portland yesterday for a little shopping and dinner, and stopped just south of Chehalis on our way down to meet my uncle so that Paul could borrow some sausage-making equipment (they're cutting up another elk today). During the five minutes we were stopped, it snowed at least 1/4 inch, blowing big fluffy flakes sideways. I looked out my windshield and thought, "Whiteout." Paul swept snow off the headlights with his hands. Once underway again, we emerged under cloudy skies with a tiny bit of drizzle just a couple of miles south! Portland itself was snow-free.<br />
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On our way home, we hit snow again around Woodland, just north of Vancouver, and Castle Rock. We stopped in Centralia and they had even more...not a lot, but definitely enough that the drive home from there was a slow, careful one. And this morning? We awoke to about 2 inches total, with additional flakes falling periodically in the last couple of hours. Paul drove to Centralia this morning to process that elk and called to report the roads are as slick as a skating rink.<br />
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My daily <a href="http://www.accuweather.com/en/us/tenino-wa/98589/weather-forecast/341371">Accuweather e-mail forecast</a> today gave me pause. This isn't quite what they'd been <br />
predicting in last few e-mails!<br />
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Looks to me like we might get even more snow, followed by a healthy dose of that rain we've been missing. Yikes.<br />
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The cattle do just fine in these conditions, unless it's below freezing and the winds are blowing. They have good feed and plenty of water. (They actually eat more when it's really cold out to help their rumens produce enough energy to keep them warm...and more feed means more water consumed, too.) The snow does make caring for our two jailed bovines - Eiger the bull and his girlfriend for the weekend, our young Xoe - since we have to bundle up to feed them their hay, but this is nothing like the winter conditions of <a href="http://amysflock.blogspot.com/2009/01/whoa-mama.html">January 2009</a>, when my outdoor chore-wear included insulated Carhart bibs over long underwear, leaving me so bundled up I couldn't freely bend my arms, and I also had chickens to care for then, too, and their frequently frozen eggs to deal with.<br />
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I will be curious to see whether the rest of the Acuweather forecast comes true. I hope not. I start a new job on Tuesday and will have to drive the back roads - two lane, curvy with deep ditches on both sides - from Tenino to Lacey. My vehicle has all-wheel drive with some fancy computerized mechanism that changes which tires spin how fast if one hits a slick spot, something that really freaks Paul out (he has almost too much experience driving - and correcting for - hazardous winter road conditions...and misses the ability to have full control!). I'll be taking it easy and giving myself more time for the commute for sure.<br />
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If you're curious about our strange Western Washington weather, check out the link to Cliff Mass's weather blog in my sidebar. Sometimes he's a little too techy for me, but he really knows his stuff.<br />
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I know I have readers from all over the world now, and some of you probably don't often - or ever - encounter snow. But for those of you who do, especially folks in the Midwestern U.S., I hope you're staying warm and safe where ever you are!<br />
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Clyde, 22-month old steer.<br />
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Eiger the bull, locked in the paddock with Xoe (who's sleeping in the barn, out of the snow!), and staring down Clyde, who's NOT locked in the paddock!Amy L.http://www.blogger.com/profile/17013013895577702357noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2958807358512898484.post-82112993958754541062012-01-07T12:22:00.000-08:002012-01-07T12:22:16.177-08:00Cow timeThe past month has really flown by! The holidays were difficult for us this year and took a lot of emotional energy, leaving me with nothing left for blogging. Sorry about that...I've made another pact with myself to blog at least once per week this year. After all, there are things going on here at the farm!<br />
Eiger the bull had a good 45 days with Sheila and Roxanne. After Roxy's first heat, we've never seen her cycle again, nor has Eiger shown any interest at all. We're keeping our fingers crossed that she's settled again. She's such a delight...I would love to have a nice 2012 calf out of her!<br />
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Sheila is another story. Her behavior has continued to be odd. She still acts bullish, and still spends a little too much time by Eiger's side. We're pretty certain her days with us are numbered. Really, though, that's ok...it's life on the farm, and sometimes hard decisions have to be made.<br />
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We left Xoe, Clyde and Cowboy on our leased pasture for an extra 45 days so that we could easily keep little virgin Xoe away from Eiger a bit longer. We brought everyone home on December 31st, New Year's Eve day. The kiddos loaded like buttah', no mishaps or misbehavior or anything! The drama started up when we pulled into our pasture with the truck and trailer full of youngters. Sheila started up with similar behavior as what she displayed when Eiger arrived...bellowing so loudly I could only ask her to shut up (like that works!). Once everyone exited the trailer, though, things settled down for the most part.<br />
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Oddly, Clyde had some extra sort of hutzpah we've never seen out of the little guy, and took it upon himself to challenge Eiger repeatedly the entire rest of the day. I was so afraid one of them would get shoved through the fence. They head butted and wrestled from one side of the pasture to the other, around the apple trees, in the burn pile, by the feeder. It was exhausting to watch...and even while being T-boned on the shoulder and pushed sideways, Clyde STILL wouldn't give it up! He ended up panting so hard, with his little pink tongue sticking out, it scared me a bit. Once he caught his breath and had a drink of water, off they went again. Obnoxious! In the end, he had blood in his dossan at the base of his left horn, and a bloody left nostril (it had dried and clotted), but seemed content. Today he's just fine and all "proving himself" has stopped.<br />
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The funny thing is, Cowboy, who was always the boss of Clyde and Xoe, has neared the bottom of the heirarchy. We're wondering if perhaps he lost some self confidence after we took his mother, Sheila, off the leased pasture. He seemed pretty needy througout the summer, always sticking close to Sheila and refusing to cross the creek for the longest time to where the rest of the herd was enjoying the hay field. Clyde looks more filled out than Cowboy, leading us to surmise Cowboy lost a bit of weight in the last 45 days. He looks healthy, but certainly acts much less confident. He avoided Eiger like the plague those first few days, and then finally got the courage to head butt him a couple of times...and you wouldn't believe how quickly Sheila got into the fray, as if to protect Cowboy and stop the insanity. It is so weird. But, given how both Cowboy and his older half-brother, T-Bone lacked the shining personality of our other calves, that helps us with our decision to butcher Sheila. She's done a fair job, not great, but it's time to replace her with someone who fits here better. We'll be in the market for another female probably Spring 2013.<br />
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Until then, we'll enjoy watching this bunch interact together until Eiger goes home and the rest of the fold returns to the leased pasture in late April or early May (depending on how much rainfall we get).<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="300" mozallowfullscreen="" src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/34711329?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="400"></iframe><br />
<a href="http://vimeo.com/34711329">Fracas in the pasture</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/user3668669">Skookumchuck Farm</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.Amy L.http://www.blogger.com/profile/17013013895577702357noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2958807358512898484.post-55871563850778050812011-12-13T17:00:00.000-08:002011-12-16T18:01:54.863-08:00Deja vu all over againIt's winter here at the farm, and we're once again grumbling as we get back into the swing of raising cattle in the winter. Things we promised ourselves in early 2011 we'd get done by winter - like running water to the paddock and pasture and installing frost-free yard hydrants - didn't get done due to our Summer/Fall of Mourning. And now we're paying the price.<br />
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The weather has been dry but cold here the last couple of weeks, with several overnight temperatures dropping well below freezing (say, 21 degrees). Given our method of watering the cattle involves the outside hose bib and a 150' garden hose, let's just say it's been tough to keep the water trough filled for Sheila, Roxanne and Eiger. Last night the hose was frozen through the middle section, so Paul hauled 50 gallons of water by the 5-gallon bucket-full to get the trough reasonably full. See, cattle tend to drink more when it's cold, and we've been feeding the first haylage bale of the season, which also tends to make them want more water.<br />
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Thankfully, the hose was a little less frozen today. I had a tough time getting the water to flow, but finally realized that I <em>could</em> take the copper fitting off the end and whoosh, out came about a quart of cylindrical ice pieces! I filled the trough in no time and added the trough deicer for good measure. Those overnight temps are supposed to warm up a little bit through the next week (still in the high-20s to low 30s), but I suspect the deicer will be out for the long haul...and so will those darned buckets.<br />
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I told Paul that next year, I don't care *what* we have going on, we have GOT to get water lines installed! We are making this so hard on ourselves...and I shudder to think what it's going to be like next month when we bring Xoe home and have to manage two troughs as we separate her and Eiger from the rest of the herd. Oy.<br />
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Hose ice. Hoser ice? Would you like some ice with that, hoser?<br />
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<div align="left" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZMQOQZgVL4w/Tufv6GJSICI/AAAAAAAAA9k/Yn2t7tTIKCg/s1600/IMG_5516.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZMQOQZgVL4w/Tufv6GJSICI/AAAAAAAAA9k/Yn2t7tTIKCg/s320/IMG_5516.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>See what I mean?Amy L.http://www.blogger.com/profile/17013013895577702357noreply@blogger.com6