I don't have a lot of photos for this post. And here's why. Those crazy animals in my backyard barnyard are too smart for their own good. Over this time of deep freeze, I've been trying to be extra nice to them. Like humans, sometimes the shortest way to a goat's—or a pig's or alpaca's or chicken's— heart is through his/her stomach. So I've filled my pockets full of animal crackers and … [Read more...]
The Deep Freeze
January 3, 2016 by
The gear is the same, over and over again. Wool socks, fleece-lined jeans, hoodie, cap, scarf, coat, insulated muck boots, gloves. Two gallons of warm water. And I head out to the barnyard. We have been in the middle of a deep freeze. Single digit nights and 20's during the day. It's not horrible, just relentless. And not pretty. The snow, still deep in spots, is now crunchy with a crust … [Read more...]
A Simple Happy Holiday
December 24, 2015 by
We've been busy around here, like everyone else, but not over-the-top-busy. We're going minimal on the decorations this year, and I gotta tell you it feels good. Big tree, greenery, stockings, holiday knick knacks—nope. All those boxes are still in the garage. The wreath, window lights and a Charlie Brown tree are the only things that made the cut. Very Excellent Husband Don started … [Read more...]
Just Another Day In The Barnyard
December 11, 2015 by
Sometimes, not much goes on around here. As usual, I've been taking my camera out into the barnyard to capture a story, but one didn't really materialize last week. I'd go out, the animals would clamor for treats, then wander off and do their own thing again. Frankly, kinda boring. But me? I love it. Here's what got to see in one uneventful afternoon... Tia likes to be up close and … [Read more...]
Feeding Time Frenzy…And A Good Friend
December 1, 2015 by
It has been an icy cold, gray week here. Ugh. It snowed over Thanksgiving (we had a great time with family and friends, hope you did too!) and it has barely been above freezing in days. I've been hauling warm water out to thaw the water buckets multiple times a day. Even though one of the buckets is heated, it still freezes over during single digit nights. Mostly, I love going out and … [Read more...]
Where Oh Where Have My Pretty Eggs Gone?
November 23, 2015 by
What's up with these hens? I've collected at least one egg every day for the past four years. Now...nothing. Not one single egg in the past three, almost four weeks. I talk to the ladies, whisper sweet nothings into their ears. I implore. I cajole. I beg. No eggs. Not. One. This is not totally uncommon. Hens don't lay much when they are molting their feathers. The girls … [Read more...]
Last Tomato, First Snow
November 12, 2015 by
On Tuesday, I sat down on the patio in the blinding sunshine, all by myself, and ate the last homegrown tomato of the year. I ate it on a big slab of toasted ciabatta bread from Moxie, a new bread place down the road that has THE BEST BREAD EVER. It was slathered in olive oil and dusted with salt and pepper. It was unfortunately just a good, not a great, tomato. I think I should have eaten … [Read more...]
Pickles and Pepper
November 10, 2015 by
Well, while winter has definitely arrived in the barnyard—we've had a couple of nights drop into the teens—we had a glorious weekend. I cleaned out the garden beds and threw the tomato plants with the last of the fruit over the fence to the animals. Yum yum! I continue to clean feathers out of the coops on a daily basis. It's mind numbing how many feathers chickens can lose. The molt has … [Read more...]
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