This Little Lambie Went to Market

Before.

After.

This is one of my least favorite part of our farm; where we convert animals into meat.  In this case, they are being processed for us at Jones Farm Meats in Saranac so we are removed from the actual process.  But I dread leaving them in the receiving barn.  They were born here and have never been anywhere else.  They are not happy about it and neither am I.

But I like meat and while these two aren't going in our freezer, I encourage people to eat more meat that is well-raised.  No feed lot or assembly line handling.  No antibiotics or growth hormores.  Good for the animal, good for the people.

Thank you to our buyers!

The Great Potato Harvest of 2011

After the great tomato fiasco in May, I had forgotten I planted anything.













Until, one day in September, I remembered the potato plants! The three surviving plants gave us enough potatoes for two meals. We will definitely put potatoes on the list for next year's garden!

. . . to your regularly scheduled animal antics.

We found this snapping turtle trying to migrate out of the pasture. We aren't sure if she(?) was coming or going to her nest or even how she got in the pasture. The gaps in the sheep fence are not large enough to accommodate something this large.

Snapping turtles aren't nice and they don't want your help but I didn't want her hanging around in the field where we run dogs. The Governor convinced her to go for a ride in the snow shovel to the other side of the driveway. After much hissing and snapping, she agreed.

Automotive August Part V

To close out Automotive August, The Furrin Group hosted an autocross in conjunction with Metro Cruise. The test and tune event on Friday night was a fund raiser for the Grand Rapids/Wyoming Chamber of Commerce and Bikers for Babies.

The Saturday event was huge success until the site withdrew their support based on pressure from a non-local law enforcement officer on a power trip. If the event returns, it will be held on private property and Johnny Longarm can suck my big toe.

(On a side note, the Sept 17 event at My Auto Import Center in Muskegon, hosted a law enforcement grudge match with a $300 donation being made by My Auto to the winning agencies charity of choice. Congratulations to the Fruitport Police Department and their lucky charity!)

Automotive August Part IV

After a week off to recuperate and mow the loan, The Governor was off again. This time it was to the VSCDA event at Grattan Raceway August 19-21. This is a long-standing tradition and I think he has only missed one time in the last 20 years.

The Furrin Group provides workers to staff timing & scoring, grid, control and corners. This is a chance for members to get a front row view of some of the finest vintage race cars around.

(Photo Credit Ricky del Rosario)

Automotive August Part III

I had better wrap up AA before September is over.

Freshly recovered from his MIS adventure, The Governor was off to The Furrin Group autocross in East Lansing on Aug 6 & 7.

Here's some video that is not recommended for those of you prone to carsickness: In Car Camera

Here's something a little tamer for those of you that are: Highlights That might even be Himself making an appearance at :15

Yours truly even gave it a try and all I can say is, "Wheeeeeeeeeeeee!".

(Photo credits Matthew Huizing)

Automotive August Part II

So there was a great Groupon for a DriveTech racing school at MIS. You know the Governor was all over that so we headed down to Brooklyn on August 5. After a brief drivers' school, they got suited up and ready to go.

Of course, he picked the Tony Stewart Home Depot Pontiac Grand Prix since his daily driver is a Grand Prix.

After three laps with the pace car, they went to green for twelve hot laps with passing allowed. He tells me it is harder than you would think to keep up enough speed to stay up on the banking.

That's one happy husband!

Automotive August Part I

This will be the first installment on The Governor's crazy month of Automotive endeavors.


First up: Learn to drive a Model T at a driving school offered by the Gilmore Car Museum in Hickory Corners, MI.














After a brief drivers' school taught by Gary and his wife, Rosebud, from the Grand Rapids Chapter of the Horseless Carriage Car Club of America . . .











And vehicle familiarization . . .

They were off. That is some serious automotive generosity right there. While these are not rare or exotic cars, they aren't cheap and thousands of hours have gone into their restoration and upkeep.

This car is a 1924 Depot Hack from the Gilmore's Collection and it's available. The other two cars belonged to Gary and Rosebud.

But these beauties are also prone to mechanical failure. This one started to lose the bolts that held the wheels on so the session was cut short. And no, The Governor wasn't driving it when it happened.











There was enough time to have lunch in the diner and tour the collection. This is another Gilmore Car that The Governor has had the pleasure of driving. It is a 1956 Packard Executive 2-door Hardtop and it was donated by our dear friend, the late Sherm Williams.

Publish Post

My first post from my new phone. Hopefully having better camera will allow me to post more often on the fly.

Here we have my gloves on the right and a certain someone's on the left. I am sure he, er, they will say it is because he prefers last year's pair (they are padded/lined) and not because he doesn't do any dirty work around here.

Since I have worn a hole in mine, don't mind if I do!

Hoop Coop Update 2011

I am amazed that the Hoop Coop pages remain the most popular of all my farm drivel. You can read earlier posts here:

http://beaconbayfarm.blogspot.com/2007/06/hoop-coop.html

http://beaconbayfarm.blogspot.com/2008/05/hoop-coop-update.html

With my return to the real world workforce, we reduced our number of laying hens to around 12 which is how many can fit comfortably in the barn coop. The Hoop Coop went to another family in our neighborhood co-op and was put into service as a duck shelter.

We had a doozie of a storm in the fall of 2010 and it did not end well for the Hoop Coop. A strong wind sent it tumbling down a hill. No ducks were harmed in the making of this blog post. There is structural damage on the door end and the jury is out if it will be rebuilt. I think the tarp acted as a giant sail so I would recommend anchoring your coop if your area is prone to high winds.

P.S. Here is why you should not keep your hoop coop in the same field as your cow.