Beacon Bay Farm & Kennel

This Little Lambie Went to Market

2012-01-12T05:37:00.000-05:00

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

2011-09-26T18:47:00.000-04:00

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!

2011-09-24T17:55:00.000-04:00

. . . 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

2011-09-22T16:56:00.000-04:00

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

2011-09-20T16:36:00.000-04:00

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

2011-09-18T15:58:00.004-04:00

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

2011-08-28T10:10:00.010-04:00

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

2011-08-20T15:54:00.011-04:00

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

2011-08-10T18:26:00.001-04:00

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

2011-07-04T17:56:00.006-04:00

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.

Houston, we have a problem

2011-04-21T20:23:00.006-04:00

I am pretty sure these are the last of our 2011 babies. I think. These twin goats were born last Saturday and you can see it didn't take them long to find their way out of the fence.

I think we have them contained and now they need names. It's our sixth year on the farm so this year's babies have names that start with the letter F.

They boy has the cutest wattles on his neck. You can almost see them in this picture. They serve no purpose but are fun to look at.

Leave your name suggestions in the comments and I'll let you know what we decide.

Minimalism For the Rest of Us - Getting Mugged

2011-02-26T16:29:00.005-05:00

Before:

Riddle me this - why do two people who don't drink coffee need thirteen coffee cups?

Clutter is funny that way. It doesn't arrive all at once. It just slips in an item or two at a time and before you know it, there you are, surrounded by stuff you don't need or use.

After:

We kept the blue mugs because The Governor likes to use those for basting and once in awhile people are known to show up looking for a cup of coffee or tea.

I kept the big mug because, 1. it was a gift from The Governor and 2. I like me a big ol' mug of cocoa while I am sitting on my heating pad awaiting the arrival of spring.

Another week, another box to Goodwill.

Baby steps.

Random Farm Shots

2011-02-26T02:49:00.000-05:00

Grace expressed disbelief at the delivery of a new round bale of hay!

Here is our 2011 retained ewe lamb named Fran.

Some of the flock. That is Forrest on front left. We are watching to see how he grows and may consider keeping him for our breeding program.

This good ol' gal is a joy to have around. She is more like a dog than a sheep. She is older than dirt and doesn't have a tooth in her mouth but she's a good eater.

Down in Front!

2011-02-23T02:43:00.000-05:00

Gratuitous shot of The Governor's dog, ROYL, watching television. Our dogs do not generally react to the television other than the occasional door bell or knocking noise.

But ROYL is another story. They boy likes his TV! Here he is carefully studying a dog training video I was watching. He is drawn to the TV when there are animals on even if they are not making any noise.

If this keeps up, we may need to add the dish so ROYL can watch Animal Planet.

Liar, liar, pants on fire!

2011-02-20T14:22:00.005-05:00

Neighbor Chuck knows me too well.When I promised to be sitting on a heating pad and drinking cocoa until March, he expressed disbelief. It would appear he was correct.

In my defense, it was 40 degrees that day and we were running out of time to try snowshoeing for the first time. We made a trip to the Wittenbach/Wege Center in Lowell. Rental is only $4 and they have some great trails. We will likely make another visit in warmer weather to explore some of the other trails.

One Week

2011-02-13T09:17:00.003-05:00

What a difference a week can make! I made a quick trip to Northern California to visit The Chef. The weather was uncharacteristically mild and sunny. It didn't rain once while I was there. This may become a midwinter tradition!

I love my state. I love my state. I love my state. But this time of year I mostly enjoy it from inside. On my return, we received record snowfall during a one day blizzard and were snowed in for the first time in the five years we have been here.

I am going to sit on a heating pad and drink cocoa until March!

The F Troop

2011-01-31T20:29:00.004-05:00

Here is our 2011 lamb crop!

In the front we have the two brown boys, Frick and Frack. In the back we have Fran and Forrest.

Llama Grace keeps watch over their antics and the rest of the flock tolerates them pretty well.

I will try to get some better pictures soon. I lost my camera charger in California so am getting by with The Governor's camera for now.

Round Three

2011-01-24T04:30:00.000-05:00

Another set of twins! Both boys this time.

The red boy likes to lie in the hay.

While his big brother is never far from the milk wagon!

Please leave your F name suggestions in the comments.

Upgrade

2011-01-23T04:00:00.002-05:00

The John Deere riding mower has been put out to pasture. Our new-to-us workhorse is a Craftsman Garden Tractor. We have had it for a few months but had to wait to use its best feature.

Our previous snow removal options were clearing the 300' driveway with the push snow blower or paying the neighbor $30 to plow us out. Now we (and I use the term loosely) can clear it ourselves in no time flat!

Name Game Round Two

2011-01-19T04:00:00.002-05:00

Lambing season has begun! I was greeted by a set of twins this morning: a white girl and a brown boy. They are both doing well and should have some more company very soon.

Feel free to leave a comment with your name suggestions. All baby names this year start with the letter F and while we are partial to botanical names (trees, flowers, spices, etc) we will consider all offers.

See Meg Run

2011-01-17T04:00:00.001-05:00

Some recollections of my first 5k, The Portland Winter Run whose motto is, "Race will be run even if the weather is nice."

I did not fall down and stop breathing which is always a good sign.
I did not throw up.
I did not quit.

I did miss running with my dog.
I did get passed by a baby stroller.
I did get smoked by two power walkers.

I was content shuffling along at a pretty decent pace for me. But when the lady in the yellow passed me AT A WALK, I gave myself a talking to and stepped it up a bit.

I will probably continue running (and I use the term loosely) a few days a week but don't see myself doing much beyond the occasional 5k.

Results Here: http://www.runningfoundation.com/files/PORTLAND_WINTER_RUN_RESULTS_11.HTM

Pictures Here: http://timeframephoto.exposuremanager.com/g/11_portland_winter_run

Introducing . . .

2011-01-16T08:45:00.002-05:00

Frosty!

Stay tuned for the next round of The Name Game.

The Name Game

2011-01-09T17:20:00.003-05:00

Here is an updated picture of our new buckling. He is a week old now and full of vim and vigor. He's going to be quite a character as he is already bouncing around and trying to stand on top of everything, including his mother!

~~I have created a poll with all the suggested names. and it should appear over to the right.~~It looks like there is a problem with the Poll Gadget. If you can't get it to work, please leave your vote in the comment section and we'll announce the winner next week.

Minimalism For the Rest of Us

2011-01-03T20:15:00.002-05:00

Today is a momentous day. There was nothing on the calendar today and it is the only such day this month! Not that *one* of us didn't have to go to work today, or do barn chores or brush our teeth. But there were no out of the ordinary obligations or appointments, just a quiet evening at home.

I have been exploring minimalism. It's not just about having a stark house or few furnishings. I am not enough of a housekeeper for all that white space! It's more about clearing out the clutter from your life and simplifying. Not just clearing physical space but clearing time for what's really important, finding personal space/quiet time and having the freedom to do those things you love.

While I have cleared out a few drawers and closets, there is much more work to do. Starting with the calendar. I had been considering taking a class of sorts a couple of nights a week. I hate staying in the city after work and everything in me just wants to be in its jammies once the sun goes down. Rather than fight it, I'm not taking the class. That creates two free days in February and four in March.

Baby steps.

Just Kidding!

2011-01-02T06:48:00.002-05:00

We had a bit of a New Year's surprise. I wasn't expecting goat babies (kids) until later in the spring.

It's a boy, or buckling, and he is doing well so far. He picked the coldest day of the year to be born so he is curled up under the heat lamp. Mom is very attentive and protective.

Since this is our sixth year of birthing on the farm, all babies will have names that begin with the letter F. We are especially partial to botanical names - plants, flowers, trees, spices - but will consider all reasonable suggestions.

Poopkin Update

2010-10-20T11:16:00.001-04:00

We harvested six volunteer pumpkins from the manure pile. The Burman Bunch has transformed them into some super cool jack o' lanterns!
Way to go Connor, Caleb and Samantha!

Day is Done

2010-09-09T20:51:00.000-04:00

--
Meghan Rosenstengel
www.beaconbay.cc

How to Grow a Pumpkin Patch

2010-08-29T20:50:00.002-04:00

1. Feed your sheep leftover pumpkins in the fall.

2. Clean out the barn in the spring.

3. Find a pleasant surprise in the manure pile in late summer.

The Culprit

2010-08-27T08:19:00.001-04:00

Bad Ram!

2010-08-26T20:00:00.001-04:00

Great Start

2010-08-19T09:44:00.001-04:00

The Governor is on his way to Daytona to visit his dad and The Clown Car and I are on the way to visit the mechanic.
But at least *I* didn't have to hitchhike!

Steamy

2010-08-10T06:38:00.001-04:00

Welcome to August in Michigan! It's gonna be a hot one.

Billiam

2010-08-04T18:33:00.001-04:00

I didn't name him but his cuteness almost makes up for his naughty streak.

Billiam came to us with three goat girls with the intention of producing goat kids for us. It would seem he is not, shall we say, up to the task. The ram has been giving him pointers but it may be a lost cause.

Just Do It

2010-08-03T07:09:00.001-04:00

Mission Accomplished

2010-08-02T19:16:00.001-04:00

Move summer visitors to fresh pasture. Check!

In ten words or less, what did you accomplish today?

My World - The Dog Show

2010-07-10T06:01:00.009-04:00

I spent 4th of July weekend at the dog show. No surprise there. If I have a free weekend, that is usually where I am.

PRNDL was entered in agility and the puppy girls - Ketch and Juice - were entered in conformation. Puppy Boy who still needs a home, Wrigley, was along for the ride. I was meeting up with my best buddy Chris at the show.

The first order of business is setting up camp. These little tent cities pop up all over the campground. We had four groups around our little shanty town.

When we bought the camper, we were going to nickname it The Love Shack. We have had it over a year and The Governor and I have yet to spend a night TOGETHER in it. I think The Dog House might be a more appropriate name since it spends most of its time at shows.

It was a hot one so shade was very important. My dogs are on the left and Chris' are on the right. I groomed at home and was only showing puppies so left my grooming table, doggie blow dryer, etc at home.

The agility trial was held in the covered arena. It was still hotter than all get out but at least no one suffered sun stroke.

That's our setup in the lower right corner. We had five runs on Saturday and four on Sunday so it helps to have to dog close by rather than running back and forth to the campsite.

There are three kinds of agility runs:
Jumpers - all jumps and tunnels and it is usually very fast
Regular - jumps and tunnels plus weave poles and contact obstacles
Gamblers - all obstacles but you choose your route to collect enough points to qualify and you have to do a specified sequence at the closing. Very challenging if your dog prefers to work close to you like mine does.

There are three levels: Novice, Open and Elite. PRNDL runs in Elite Jumpers and Regular but still in Open Gamblers.

This is one of PRNDL's elite jumper runs from Saturday.

This is where I would put the pictures of me showing the puppy girls. If I had taken any. If you have ever seen the Westminster Kennel Club show on television, it is a lot like that. Except without the green carpet or formal attire or climate control. Ketch was Best Opposite Sex puppy which means only one puppy beat her. Juice won her class one day.

My World

2010-06-30T21:38:00.021-04:00

I thought I would mix things up in case you are tired of seeing pictures of chickens, sheep and cows. I totally stole this idea from Neighbor Chuck. I think My World is part of a larger organized effort but I'm not sure.

For the last couple of years, I spend my weekdays working in the city of Grand Rapids. It's about is far from the farm as I can get. Lunch is a chance to get some fresh air and I try to get outside most days. This time of year, my favorite place to walk is the RiverWalk.

Come along!

This is the ramp down to the RiverWalk. It's cool and shady and the sounds of city quickly fade away.

At the bottom of the ramp, we turn north to follow the boardwalk.

After a couple of blocks, the RiverWalk returns us to street level. This is the promenade behind the convention center. I have no idea why the man in front of us is wearing a race number. He is either way lost, way in the lead or way behind.

Those are my walking buddies, Donna and Kim, who are a little camera shy! They are pointing out a brick The Firm purchased along the promenade.

We continue along the promenade and turn left on Bridge street to cross the river.

That takes us to Ah-Nab-Awen Park where you can find Lorrie's Button. It is a kid-friendly sculpture and somewhere I have a picture of the Woman Child as a wee tot taken on the Button.

The next stop is the grounds of the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum where we pause to pay our respects to President Ford.

No trip to the Ford Museum is complete without a a visit to the astronaut sculpture..

Donna and I ran to the top of one of the Indian Mound sculptures while Kim (wo)manned the camera.

Then it is just a short walk to the Public Museum. No time for a carousel ride today!

Then we re-cross the river on the aptly named, "Blue Bridge". This will take us back to where we first entered the RiverWalk.

And before you know it, it is back to reality. Our firm occupies the sixth floor of the building at Fifty Monroe. Our department is located up in the corner there.

Thanks for coming along on my daily walk!

Emancipation Day 2010

2010-05-10T19:54:00.004-04:00

The chicks are afield! The weather finally cooperated long enough to get the eat birds in the Chicken Tractor without the fear of them freezing to death or drowning.

This will be their home for another three and a half weeks. The tractor gives them access to fresh grass and the ability to engage in happy chicken behaviors like pecking and scratching the ground. They get plenty of sunshine and fresh air and I get plenty of exercise moving the pen around.

Chicken processing day is Saturday, May 29 and chickens must be picked up at the farm that day. It is a $5/bird deposit to hold your chickens and the balance of your room and board bill is based on the finished weight of the bird at $3/pound. There are only ten chickens available so don't wait too long.

Happy Mother's Day

2010-05-06T09:04:00.004-04:00

Our moms have been very busy lately!

Here is an updated picture of Brie Cow and her calf, Maybelline. they are both doing well. Hopefully milking will commence this weekend!

We had another lamb born last night. We are behind in our lamb naming so keep those suggestions coming in the comments section. Names should start with E and we are partial to botanical (plant, tree, flower, spice, etc.) names.

Another Drought is Ending!

2010-04-28T17:41:00.001-04:00

The milk drought is almost over! Brie Cow blessed us with a lovely Heifer (girl) calf yesterday. Mom and baby are both doing well.

We will let the still unnamed suckling have all the milk to herself for a week or so but then she will have to learn to share! The time of cooked milk is almost over!

Ice cold milk, sweet cream butter, ice cream, sour cream, mozzarella are on the menu. I may have to take up marathonning to maintain my weight loss!

Baby girl's name will likely be a type of cheese and/or start with the letter "E". Feel free to post your suggestions in the comment section and I'll let you know what we end up naming her.

And feel free to stop by for a visit. If you bring the cookies, I'll provide the milk for dunking.
Meghan Rosenstengel

The Drought is Over

2010-04-10T19:07:00.000-04:00

The lamb drought, that is. And this is our first ewe lamb of the year, too.

With only three lambs born so far it has not been one of our better years. When we lost one of the three lambs to an accident, it became safe to say it is our worst so far. At least as far as having a prayer of the farm breaking even.

We were beginning to think the ram wasn't up to the job. Hopefully it was just a virus that caused a delay in the lamb crop. Lambs pay a chunk of the winter hay bill so cross your fingers that is the cause and more lambs are on the way.

We'll need a girlie name that starts with "E" so feel free to leave your suggestions in the comments section and we'll let you know when we pick one.
Meghan Rosenstengel

The End of the Line

2010-04-07T17:43:00.000-04:00

2,000 miles, 4 days, 1 driver.

Whew! It is good to be home!
Meghan Rosenstengel

Leavin' on a Jet Plane

2010-03-25T18:39:00.000-04:00

I'm having a quick dinner with The Governor before I catch a flight to Phoenix to drive the elders home.
Meghan Rosenstengel

The Beginning of the Beginning

2010-03-10T20:53:00.003-05:00

I was going to call this post the beginning of the end. But, while it is the end of our time together with PRNDL's litter, it is the beginning of the puppies' new lives and the beginning of some fun times for our puppy buyers.

The first to go home is Stuart. That's him on the left with his new owner, Lynn. Stuart is now known as Brim and he makes his home with Lynn and Chas in the Metro Detroit area. Brim will be hanging out with his Daddy, Chuf, and Lynn's other Aussie, Dyna.

On the right is a real good lookin' gal! - my puppy, Marge who is now known as Ketch. She is being held by Lori who came along with Lynn for the ride. Lori doesn't look half bad herself.

That's momma PRNDL in the middle there. She is relieved the see the pups move on to their new digs!

Outnumbered and Surrounded

2010-03-03T20:55:00.003-05:00

The puppies have consumed our lives and we couldn't be happier. It is hard to believe this is our last week with the whole litter. Stuart will be the first to go to his new home on Sunday.

They love going outside and had great fun helping with chores tonight!

Farm news: lost one ewe and one lamb this week. Count so far is two live lambs and no calf yet.

More later.

Puppy Central Part III

2010-02-12T20:43:00.004-05:00

The whelping box served its purpose well but was becoming obsolete. The puppies could climb out into the "yard" area but weren't very keen about climbing back into the box. That would result in much wailing (theirs) and gnashing of teeth (ours).

Agility Kelly lent us another exercise pen so we could expand the yard enclosure around their entire area. This will also make it easier for the puppies to see what is going on outside the bedroom.

But, they couldn't see the TV from in there and everyone know puppies love the Olympics so . . .

They expanded their territory into the living room. This is where they will spend most of their time when we are home so they can be in the thick of things. They will become accustomed to (ab)normal household noises and the other dogs.

With even easier access to puppy breath, my productivity is likely to drop below its already abysmal level. You may expect even less regular posts if that is even possible.

The puppies were tuckered out by all the activity. It's nice to see they aren't light sleepers.

Exhibit 1. Stuart Not So Little.

Visitors are always welcome so just give me a call or drop a line if you would like to get on the puppies dance card. And pretty please, I'm begging you, bring newspapers!

Bored

2010-02-03T08:32:00.000-05:00

PRNDL - that's her nose peeking around the corner - loves her puppies and is a very good mother. But I think sometimes she gets a little bored.

We've start working on some rally obedience exercises to get ready for Memorial Day. She is very happy to have a paying job again!

She's back!

2010-02-02T08:24:00.000-05:00

Saturday was the first day PRNDL really asked to go do chores since the puppies were born. They can go an hour or two without eating so I let her go. It was good to have her along.

The sheep were not impressed. That's them, refusing to come in the barn if *she's* there. They were finally won over by some grain but not before little Miss Thang reminded them who's the boss around here.

My two best chore buddies headed back up to the house.

Puppy Central Part II

2010-02-01T08:21:00.000-05:00

Now that the puppies' eyes are opening, we know it won't be long before they are on the move. We have added a "yard" to the whelping box. This will encourage them to leave the box to eliminate and give them a head start on housebreaking.

My comfy rocker had to go to make room for the expanded puppy area. I may have to bring my lambing bucket up from the barn so I have a place to sit!

Puppy Central

2010-01-31T20:10:00.001-05:00

((Another long lost post))

It's almost time for the puppies to arrive. Here's where they will be getting a start in life. Our former guest room has been transformed into the puppy room.

Please ignore the bare bulb and plastic covered ancient window. The to-do list got away from us. Again.

Here's the "puppy station". On top is a heated box where we can keep the puppies warm while mom is busy or if they need a little extra care. I have commandeered the postage scale to weigh the little monsters to make sure they are growing big and strong.

Lest I confirm anyone's suspicions of my obsessive tendencies, I'm not telling what's in the drawers. Suffice to say, we are well supplied medically.

Visitors

2010-01-31T08:10:00.001-05:00

Saturday, the puppies had their first "non-core team" visitors. They spent the afternoon in the living room getting loved on by Becky and Larry.
(Check out Wrigley's big yawn.)

Found it!

2010-01-30T20:07:00.003-05:00

The long lost picture of Agility Kelly with newborn Marge and Chobani. Kelly is our agility coach and our puppy nanny. She's a pretty darn good cook, too!

Eye see you!

2010-01-30T12:03:00.002-05:00

Chobani was the first to start opening her eyes on Friday. The rest of the puppy pack immediately followed suit. Things are about to get pretty lively around here!

Pupdate

2010-01-27T19:26:00.003-05:00

The puppies have pretty much taken over our lives.

They are growing like weeds and pend most of their time eating, sleeping and pooping. They have all doubled their birth weight and the largest puppy, Harley, is over two pounds. Their eyes and ears should start opening in the next couple of days. And it won't be long before they are ripping around at speed.

We are using Dr. Battaglia's Early Neurological Stimulation program with the puppies. It is five simple exercises we do each evening to hopefully give the puppies a head start in their mental and physical well being. They don't mind it much except maybe the upside down part.

Puppies

2010-01-17T19:53:00.006-05:00

Yes, the pupies are here. And it has promptly sent us into a technological black hole. The internet goes down, the camera goes down, CBS goes out on the TV, I can't barely post a photo to the blog or the website without crashing AND I have no idea where this underlining is come from. But yes, the puppies are here.

Their (hey, look! underlining gone!) second visit was from Dan, Cicelie, Neighbor Kelly and Corky the Llama Lady.

Neighbor Kelly and Corky will be tag teaming the puppy nanny duties when Agility Kelly has other obligations.

Agility Kelly, our puppy nanny, was their first visitor but her picture got sucked into the previously mentioned technological vortex.

I totally stole the "everybody gets their picture taken" idea from Hula's mom.

Signing off before I crash again. More updates soon!

Lamb-E

2010-01-10T20:37:00.003-05:00

We're just teeming with the prospect of new life around here. First out of the, er, gate is this handsome boy.

Since this is our fifth year of lambing, all lambs will have names starting with the letter "E". We are partial to botanical names - trees, flowers, spices, etc. but will consider all suggestions.

There are eight more moms to lamb so we're going to need quite a few names this year. Leave your suggestions for names in the comment section and will do our best to match up them up with a lamb.

The Belly

2010-01-03T20:06:00.003-05:00

Two weeks to P-Day and The Belly is progressing nicely. It is hard to get a picture that shows how big she is getting. She is a small dog that doesn't carry an ounce of extra fat and she is still carrying them up in her ribs. But from the top, it looks like she has swallowed a basketball.

A special shout out to Hula's mom for letting us come over for a puppy fix today. There is nothing like eight cute golden puppies to put us fully in puppy mode. Thanks for the pep talk, Aimee!

Denning

2009-12-27T10:41:00.004-05:00

We are expecting PRNDL puppies mid-January and the blog will likely be taken over by all things puppy over the next couple of months.

Before.

PRNDL had some false pregnancies in the past where she would hole up under the bed with her pretend puppies. She has already started insisting to be let into the bedroom. But since the bedroom is now a dog-free zone due to allergies, we had to come up with an alternative.

After.

This will eventually become the puppy room when we finish the office remodel and get that furniture out of the former guest room. The Governor hurt his back over the holiday so the trim work is on hold for now.

For now, she is content to lie in her "den" and wait for her real puppies to arrive.

I Can't Explain

2009-12-26T11:22:00.001-05:00

There are somethings that go on here that defy explanation. The only defense I can offer is sometimes you have to make your own fun!

Happy New Year!

Ouch!

2009-12-15T12:00:00.001-05:00

I'm not sure what is going on with the poor chicken who laid this egg but I hope she is feeling better soon!

The Latest Project

2009-12-14T20:24:00.015-05:00

Or rather, the project we just can't seem to finish. The Office. All that is left is replace the flooring, add baseboard trim and buy shades for the windows. I think it has been three years since we started working on this room and by golly we are going to finish it in 2010!

Here are the before pictures:

The helpers are at the ready!

Here we, and I use the term loosely, are pulling out the old tack strips, staples and assorted large nails.

We, there I go again!, hope to start laying Pergo by next weekend.

Testing 2

2009-12-13T19:09:00.001-05:00

Take two.

Testing

2009-12-13T19:05:00.001-05:00

Just trying out the Blogger app for Blackberry.
Meghan Rosenstengel

Blame Facebook

2009-12-13T15:55:00.002-05:00

For the lack of blog postings, I mean. It has become so easy to keep in touch on FB and I can post a picture to FB in just a couple of clicks. My lazy self has taken over. There must be a similar app for Blogger. I'll have to see what I can find.

Here's what you missed . . .

November - Drove my grandparents to Arizona. In four days. Flew home. Tried Reiki. Joined Weight Watchers. Ran a road rally and won our class! Started allergy shots. Had far too much fun with friends at a Wii party. The Governor had a birthday. Put some puppies in the oven. Took our nephew, Caleb to the movie. Saw the Rockettes with our niece, Samantha. Quiet Thanksgiving. Throw in working full time and various doctor's appointments and there went November.

December - Drove to Louisville in a weekend to pass The Finn to his breeder for awhile. Flunked Allergy Shots 101 - we'll try again next year. Started to finish the office remodel project - carpet coming out, Pergo going in. Voice back for three days now!!! Christmas spirit has finally arrived. Along with keeping the sheep in hay and keeping the stock tank from freezing and that's about it so far this month.

I'm now off to find a Blogger app for Blackberry. I will try to do better at posting.

Monthly Update

2009-10-25T19:45:00.005-04:00

I haven't been good at keeping the blog updated. I have been sucked into Facebook and you can look me up there if you have a burning desire for more frequent updates.

So, I took a little trip to Colorado for the ASCA Nationals with my friend, Chris. We set aside a day to go sightseeing in Rocky Mountain National Park. Dogs weren't allowed off the pavement in the park so we didn't do any hiking. We survived the drive to the top though there was much wailing and gnashing of teeth.

One of my favorite spots was this turnoff which offered a nice view of the Gore Range which was about 5o miles away.

We did OK at the show. Not great but respectable. We had a good time and made some new friends. Chris and I were anxious to get home at the end of the week so we drove straight through on the way back - 21 hours!

I went for allergy testing to see if that could be the cause of my voice problems. It turns out, I am allergic to everything including the dogs. Some changes around the house are coming and I may final win the long running hardwood or carpet debate. I have also been exploring some holistic/alternative options that have offered some relief.

This year's lambs have all been sold. Thank you to our buyers and we hope you enjoy them!

We kept Dill from our triplets to use as our ram this year. That's him on the right. We are breeding nine girls so could have 9 -20+ lambs next year. Our goal is to get our keeper flock up to about 30 sheep.

The cow is still on hiatus but she will be returning in the next couple of weeks.

And I leave on Friday to drive my grandparents to Arizona and then fly home. We are meeting up with my aunt and uncle in Oklahoma City for a brief visit. I am looking forward to the time with grandparents and seeing another part of the country. This is a busy time at work so I have a lot to get done before I leave.

We have some exciting plans in the works for when I get back but more on that later.

King of my Castle, this week

2009-09-29T21:25:00.004-04:00

As Sean Morey states in his song, "The Man Song", "I'm the King of my Castle! When you're not around". With Meg some where west of the Mississippi, somebody has to keep up with the blog.

On September 24, Meg and the other woman, aka Reedy Chick, hooked up the travel trailer, threw a bunch of dogs in the van, and headed west in search of mountains, margaritas, and letters to add to the end of their dogs' names. They were in such a hurry to get out of the driveway that they left skid marks!

The marks were caused by an overactive brake controller unit that Reedy's husband had installed on their full size van. I mentioned that she needed to wait until they got the van onto the dirt road before calibrating the unit. They didn't quite get that far.

So far, it's been a productive week on the farm. I've been doing some work in the barn. I put down a thick layer of sawdust for the grazing animals, dropped the nest boxes so the hens can reach them (I think they are prissier than the last hens), and some other chicken coop stuff. We are only getting an egg here or there, nothing on a regular basis yet. I think I had my first nest box egg today!

The sawdust came from a friend of ours in the big city. He's one of those guys who wants to live in the country and the city at the same time. You can't say you live in the country if you are living in a subdivision; even if your back yard has chickens and tractors. Anyway, the moral of this story is always check the trailer for valid license plates. As I was securing my load at the top of the M-6 entrance ramp, a State Police trooper and his partner pulled up behind me. I figured they were just making sure I was ok. But in reality, they were checking the plate on the trailer. Not only was it expired, but it was a dealer plate. He was very polite and told me it did not matter who owned the trailer, but who was pulling it. The plate number had been renewed to 2010, but the owner never installed the new plate. But the officer also told me that you cannot put a dealer plate on a trailer. He was very kind and did not give me a ticket. In the end, I gave my friend the third degree for lending out a trailer without a valid plate.

Well, my reign of the household is half over and nothing has been born, and nothing has died (except for a few flys). I just heard a mousetrap snap under the counter, but it didn't catch the mouse. Shucks....

And for your listening pleasure, click the link for "The Man Song"
http://www.seanmorey.com/mansong.html

Signed, The Governor.....er, King....

Llama Walkabout

2009-09-19T08:08:00.002-04:00

It's usually not good news when the neighbor rings your doorbell at 7:30 on a Saturday morning.

"Your sheep are out and your long neck-ed donkey thing is in my front yard."

The good news is only two of the thirteen sheep were out. They were easy to lure back in with some grain. Move that whole bunch to another field and job #1 is accomplished in under five minutes.

The neighbors front yard is about 1/4 of a mile away. So off we go with a rope and a bucket of grain. Me in a bathrobe and muckers and the governor in jammies and barn shoes. Luckily, we average about one car an hour on our road so the chances were good, we would not draw any stares today.

We found Grace, our long neck-ed donkey thing, hanging out in the neighbors yard. She was quite happy to come for some grain. Apologies to the neighbor and we were off for home. Never a dull moment!

Busy, busy, busy

2009-09-16T21:52:00.006-04:00

It is one week until I load up and head for Greeley, CO for the 2009 ASCA Nationals. I will be traveling with my best buddy, Chris Reedy, and her four dogs. I am just bringing PRNDL who is entered in versatility so she will be a busy girl. The Governor will be staying behind to hold the fort.

PRNDL and I are working hard on last minute training and most of my free time these days goes toward lessons, training or reading the rules and trying to remember how not to mess up my dog. I will be updating my Facebook from the road but it is unlikely I will put anything up here for the next few weeks.

All is well on the farm. Brie, the cow, is still on vacation. The lambs are growing well and Grace is keeping on eye on everyone. For our lamb customers, we will probably schedule a field trip to the processor the last week of October. Please let us know if you would like to reserve a lamb and have it added to that trip. We have a few smaller lambs still available.

Now I know everyone is wondering how we pass those long dark evenings in the country. What, with it being just the two of us now. . .

and because I know you are dying to know how it ends for Mr. Mouse:

Ahhh, just another day (night!) at the Funny Farm.

We Remember

2009-09-11T06:54:00.005-04:00

Moo Town Mammoth

2009-08-25T11:00:00.003-04:00

In case you missed it, a Mammoth tooth was found at the golf course around the corner.

The article says they are usually found in swampy areas. There's probably a whole herd of them waiting to be unearthed in the middle of our pasture!

After the Storm

2009-08-22T07:22:00.000-04:00

We had a lovely double rainbow over the asparagus bed.

The Governa' Speaks (or hacks...)

2009-08-21T19:53:00.001-04:00

(Guest blogger hacks into Beacon Bay blog....film at 11)

Editorial Babblings
By Farmer Usinga Dellenstengel

As I sit here in the dark, living the life, as they did in the olden days (no I don’t mean the 60’s, maybe the 1860’s). Fortunately, laptops run off of battery power (and I have many of them), and they create their own light. Consumer’s Energy website says the power will be on 30 minutes ago. So since I can’t watch the latest episode of America’s Top Grocery Chain, I guess I’ll try to churn (a farm pun…get it? Churn, as in butter? These are the jokes people!) out another exciting episode of As the Farm Smells!
City folk often say to us, “you live in the country? That must be fun.” Ya, sure, if you consider fun being covered in hay chaff, animal manure, and/or totally beat from doing so much hay feeding or manure cleanup. We were invited to a little party at the neighbors house, and as I was walking up to the house, I could see the city folk looking at the pasture and pointing, “look at the sheep!”. And I was looking at the city folk and pointing, “look at the city people”. I have friends who think food comes from the store. It’s difficult to convince them that the Porterhouse steak they are grilling to perfection, came from some factory farm in Texas where the cattle are fed preservatives, hormones, and other drugs to make their meat look good at the local meat counter; then wrapped in plastic and styrofoam, which is then filled with carbon monoxide to keep the meat that nice red color that the city folk like.
With the power off, that means the television is off. Oh, I could find a battery backup unit in the house somewhere if I really wanted too, but it would probably run out of juice just before the last five minutes of NCIS: Afghanistan and I’d miss who shot JR. Besides, out at the farm, we don’t need reality television, we have reality reality! Take one of our top shows—”So you think you can Mow”. Today we have Curt “The Governer” using the lawn tractor to cut the field grass….”OH NO! He’s high centered on a rock….that’s gonna cost him some points” “Let’s hear from the judges…..Randy-Dawg! As in you almost ran over the dog!....Paula-(sobbing) The poor grass didn’t have a chance….Simon (cause he’s on all these shows, it’s in his contract)-I hope I’m getting bloody well paid for this gig, I need some new tires for my Bugatti Veyron. I’ll bet you don’t have a Bugatti Veyron. I just love saying that, Bugatti Veyron. Somebody shoot me! (**BANG** It’s about time someone did that…)” And one of our other favorite shows-”CSI: Lake Odessa (insert some catchy Who song here-”YEEEAAAH!! He’s a cow bell wizard, there has be a trick…”)”. “Honey, I found the chicken that’s been missing for a couple of days. She was floating face down in the stock watering tank. No signs of a struggle. It’s hard to tell if she fell in or...dun dun daaa….was pushed!” “I’m going to take some plaster castings of these foot prints outside of the tank. I think they may be llama prints. Hmm...that narrows down the suspects a little….”
Out here, within a few miles of our house, the chickens probably outnumber the State of Michigan population. In our little section of Michigan, we had 70 chickens (which probably outnumbers the amount of people within a few miles of our house). We have the egg layers and the meat birds (otherwise known as the ‘eat’ birds). The egg layers live for about 2-3 years. In that time, each will lay an egg every 25 hours (which starts when they are about 5 months old). The meat birds live about 8-9 weeks. They live in a chicken tractor which is a 10x10 box that my wife moves everyday. This way, we can say our chickens are free range on fresh grass (and the grass areas they were on are some of the lushest grass on the property!). Keep in mind, all those marketing lines ‘free range’, ‘100% organic’, ‘no hormones’, etc., are easier to determine than you think. But I won’t go into that here. This isn’t Hero Farmer’s Journal. At 8 weeks, they are fully grown and ready for eatin’. In the past, my wife has taken the birds for a ride in the country to a nice Amish farm. It’s a two way trip, but the birds never remember the trip back to the farm. This year, we found a processer that would come right to our house. He backed his trailer into the area we are now calling ‘the killing fields’. As the chickens moved from the chicken tractor to the , they passed through many stages that are not necessarily a good idea to mention here. (This is a family newsletter.) One of the stages is a washing machine type of contraption. After the chickens have become...um, deceased, they are thrown into washing machine thingy to remove all the feathers. The defeatherer has rubber fingers around the drum and bottom, but only the bottom spins. As the chicken moves around the drum, the feathers magically disappear! The chickens are then put on a table and cleaned out. We were able to harvest some eggs out of the layers while they were on the table. I guess you could say we saved the baby, but lost the mother. The chickens have moved to a much colder climate (ie, the freezer).
We try not to buy any meat unless we know where it’s been. Whereas some people could care less if their meat grew up in a pen, took a trip to Disney to do a movie, and then ended up in your grocer’s freezer. People always ask, “How can you eat something you named?” We then tell them how tasty they are. Besides, there are too many to name.

Romper Room

2009-08-20T07:18:00.002-04:00

That's Fertile Myrtle on the right with her quads. On the left is our orphan lamb, Danica. Her mom died unexpectedly a couple of months ago. She was old enough to go it alone and has been doing well.

She got hung up in the fence and cut the inside of her front leg pretty deeply. We needed to keep her penned up so we could keep an eye on her. Myrtle & Co, were there to keep her company.

Danica has made a full recovery and the sheep are once again afield.

Pasture Pals

2009-08-18T19:24:00.002-04:00

It's time for the annual snapping turtle migration. The pasture fence always stumps them a bit. We try to help them on their way but they really are nasty creatures. They will turn and come at you, hisssing and snapping.

Keegan thought she was pretty neat. But, for his own safety, we had to take him inside when he started pawing at her through the fence.

New girls, mostly

2009-08-18T19:10:00.002-04:00

Here's a sampling of the new laying hens. The red one is an Isa Brown, the white one is a White Rock and the black and white one is a Barred Rock. There were four of each color but we lost one Barred Rock to illness.

I have been getting one white egg a day on the floor of the coop for about a week now. I am not have any success convincing her to use the nice clean nest boxes. It may be a losing battle.

One of the White Rocks had a suspiciously large comb. Sure enough, I heard crowing this morning. We have not kept a rooster in the past but may consider keeping this one if he doesn't go psycho. We'll put him through the two step program if he starts to give us any trouble.

Two Step Program for Evil Roosters
1. The first time he comes at you, hit him with the flat side of the shovel.
2. The second time he comes at you, hit him with the sharp side.

Mutant

2009-08-09T17:33:00.002-04:00

I'm not sure what is going on with this tomato but I don't think I want to eat it. We will keep an eye on it and see what develops.

Eight Weeks

2009-08-02T07:59:00.003-04:00

The count down has begun for the big trip. It is now, "next month". Lots to do.

I won't be far from the things of home. We'll try to plan a visit to the other Lake Odessa pictured here.

Smitten

2009-07-29T09:12:00.000-04:00

If a cat has kittens in a barn, does that make them sheep?

Windows 2009

2009-07-27T02:05:00.001-04:00

Out with the old (window AND rotted sub-floor)

And in with the new.

Cow Camp

2009-07-26T06:33:00.001-04:00

Brie has gone to summer camp. There is a bull so it's not a G-rated camp, that's for sure. She seems to be enjoying the company of the other cows. Hopefully she won't mind coming home to be an only cow again.

If all goes well, we will be expecting a calf in April 2010. That's a loooong time with no milk. :-(

Vacation

2009-07-24T09:02:00.003-04:00

We finally manage to get away for a weekend so we hightailed it to Traverse City to visit my Grandparents. A big thank you the Deb the house sitter who had to take care of the meat birds and everybody else while we were gone.

The Call of the Nap Couch is impossible to resist!

AND! **MY** lighthouse was open for tours! You may recognize it as the lighthouse pictured in our logo.

It's easy to find!

The last flight of stairs to the tower was a doozie!

There's a view I never thought I would see - looking down from the tower. I can die now.

They even have a lighthouse keeper program. It requires a month stay which isn't in the current time budget. I am hopeful they will reduce the required stay in the future.

Work heard the good news and called to see if we were having fun! They're so thoughtful that way. Always calling to see how the Governor is doing.

Chicken Day 2009

2009-07-22T20:00:00.018-04:00

If you don't want to know how chickens get from the pen to the freezer, here is your fair warning. There is nothing overly gory in the following post but some people have a low "Circle of Life" threshold. If that's you, go here, instead.

For the rest of you, follow me.

You'll remember, we had a pen of birds that were scheduled to retire to a cooler climate. Much cooler.

The basic steps are:
Kill
Bleed
Scald
Pluck
Clean
Chill
Package

This is your last chance to avoid knowing how chickens becomes chicken. Run now!

Still with me? First, the birds are restrained in killing cones. That's what they are called. Really. With a quick and sharp knife, they are killed and cut. It is over so fast, I don't believe the birds know what is happening or feel more than a moments pain.

After the chickens are bled out, you dunk them in a scalder. This loosens the feathers without cooking the meat. I didn't get a great picture of it, but it is the big pot in the background.

Then they go in the plucker which spins.. The rubber fingers take off the feathers without bruising the meat. It was comical in a rather macabre way to watch the birds dance around while shedding their feathers.

Then the feet, heads and innards are removed.

You need to cool the birds as quickly as possible. This is done in large tanks of cold water.

Once the birds are cooled, they are bagged and ready for the freezer.

We hired Brian and Mike to help with the processing and I highly recommend them. I don't know if I should give out their phone number but you can usually find them on Craigslist/Grand Rapids under "Mobile Poultry Processing". The price was very reasonable and the work was exceptional.

The job took about half a day from start to finish. It wasn't hard work but it was very draining. The guys did the worst of the work but the killing got old well before the job was done. And the cleanup? Suffice to say, we now have a winner in the "Grossest Farm Job" contest.

Thank you to all of our 2009 buyers. We hope you enjoy your birds. Eat them in good health!

That Bites

2009-07-10T05:17:00.001-04:00

She's usually the good dog!

The other day, Gizzie stuck her nose somewhere it doesn't belong. It would seem a swarm of ground bees took great exception to the intrusion and unleashed their fury on the side of her face.

A trip to the vet and a few days on steroids and she is as good as new.

New Neighbor

2009-07-08T05:00:00.001-04:00

Neighbor Russ acquired a new goat from Neighbor Kelly.

Can you find the goat?

That's him there. On the roof.

Sheep Dog

2009-07-06T21:10:00.003-04:00

We don't allow him near the real sheep, either.

Big Boy

2009-06-19T06:17:00.001-04:00

Some days, I let him dress himself.

King of the Road

2009-06-12T07:39:00.002-04:00

While the Governor and I have each traveled in our new camper, we have yet to travel *together* in it.

I think our last overnight together vacation was the South Carolina Burke family reunion in 2007.

So it seems long over due that we are making a break for it next weekend to visit my grandparents in Traverse City. Overnight. Together.

Moving Day

2009-06-11T11:33:00.001-04:00

Last Wednesday was moving day for the meat birds.

They had reached critical mass inside and it was time for them to go outside and play. Mother Nature was nice enough to cooperate and give us a few days of mild weather.

They are fed, watered and moved twice a day. They now have access to all the green stuff they want and the pasture will benefit from the extra fertilizer.

Processing day is July 11 and we still have a few birds available. Contact me if you would like more information.

Racing Rosenstengels

2009-06-10T10:50:00.000-04:00

The Governor got together recently with most of his siblings. It's rough being the middle of four children, but somehow he manages.

That's his older sister Cindy on the left and one of his baby brothers, Clark, on the right. The other baby brother, Craig, is in Indiana.

They met at the US 131 Motorsports Park in Martin for a Pinks event. We still don't have anything beyond broadcast TV in Moo Town so I'm not really sure what it's about. But there was quite a crown so it must be a big deal.

There's Clark on the line. And if you're in the Fremont, MI area and need some bodywork done, give Clark's Body Shop a try.

There's the Governor with some drool on his shirt.

All I got to say about that is, "Step away from the car."

Hey, Stella!

2009-06-10T07:24:00.000-04:00

Cross your fingers for these Stella de Oro day lily seeds. I salvaged them from our neighbor's plants before we fled Dorr.

They have spent a month chilling in the fridge and hopefully they are ready to spring forth.

Stella's are a hybrid so I'm not sure what we'll end up with. With any luck, we'll get a few nice ones.

Fail

2009-06-06T07:17:00.004-04:00

We tried using the recycled, biodegradable seed pot idea we saw on the Chickens in the Road Blog to start some seeds. As you can see, we didn't have much luck. I got three pumpkin plants out of them but nothing else.

On the right is my preferred seed starter - egg cartons. They are a little small and tend to dry out quicker but I'll trade more frequent watering for actual plants.

Committment

2009-06-06T07:09:00.004-04:00

There is a reason asparagus grows for 20+ years after you plant them! If we had to do this much work every year or two, asparagus would be extinct!

Making the Bed

2009-06-04T06:20:00.006-04:00

This project would not have happened without Neighbor Kelly's rototiller. Which works out well because the Governor has never met a gas-powered engine he doesn't like.

Our soil is mostly clay and hard as a rock. We were going to dig up the sod to patch the snow plow damage. The shovel wouldn't go in the ground, it just bent. Really.

Speaking of shovels, yes, that is a snow shovel in the foreground. No matter what the project, the Governor brings that shovel. He says it's the best shovel we have but then it just lays there. He's a strange man sometimes.

Unpleasantness

2009-05-28T21:52:00.003-04:00

For everyone who exclaims how fun and relaxing it must be to live in the country - not today. We came home to discover Sweet Cheeks like this in the front field near the the road.

Suffice to say, she wasn't napping. Luckily, we don't get much traffic and hopefully today wasn't a day the school bus driver took a detour past the farm so the kids could see the lambs.

The logistics of the mission are best left to your imagination. She was fat and healthy and there were no signs of trauma. She was one of our older girls so it was probably just her time. Luckily, her 2009 lamb, Danica, is old enough to survive on her own.

Exhibit B. A robin made a nest in the rhododendron bush outside the front door and was sitting on four eggs. The wind got the better of it and there were no eggs left to salvage.

We also lost one of our meat chicks to unknown illness. Losing a few is to be expected but it is still disappointing. We work hard to care well for our animals and it always feels like a poor reflection on our efforts when we lose one.

A bright spot. The irises are blooming!

Chicken Season

2009-05-28T06:35:00.002-04:00

It's that time of year when our chicken population soars to a number that makes townies think we must be a little loopie.

We ordered 70 Cornish crosses this year so we would have a few extras to sell to cover the cost of chicken feed.

The Cornishes crosses grow at an amazing rate. They also eat and poop at an amazing rate. But they will be ready for the freezer in about ten weeks so it's doable.

They represent about 90% of the chicken we will eat over the next year. That one in the front? He's a roast chicken dinner on a Sunday afternoon. That one on the left? Chicken & Noodles on a cold winter day. There is something deliberate about planning your meat consumption for an entire year.

We hope to move them to the chicken tractor this weekend if the weather cooperates.

Special Friend Day

2009-05-15T06:12:00.014-04:00

.

The Burman Boys invited us to attend Special Friend Day at their school.

First stop, Connor's room. We played a word game and Connor interviewed Curt about what things were like when he was younger.

Connor also gave us a tour of the school and we spent some time playing in the gym. I think we need to get these two out for some disc golf.

Next up was Caleb's Kindergarten class. He showed us a cookbook for recipes submitted by kids in his class and we had our picture taken by the teacher.

There he is in the back row. Singing is not his thing. He would much rather be outside playing football.

But, check out the cutie in the front row in the tiara! What a doll.

Connor and Caleb, we had a good time and are glad we got the chance to be your special friends for the day. Thanks for inviting us.
Love, Uncle Curt and Auntie Meg

Our New Neighbors

2009-05-11T21:10:00.003-04:00

Either she's a new mom or there is a housing shortage for birds in Moo Town. She built her nest in the bush right outside the front door. I hope she doesn't become territorial!

Stalking the Wild Asparagus

2009-05-11T21:08:00.003-04:00

This has got to be one of the most magical things about country life - asparagus grows wild!

I was a little reluctant that it wouldn't taste right or that it might be tough since the spears were about a foot long and as thick as my thumb.

Not to worry, they were delicious!

More LambVision

2009-05-10T17:14:00.008-04:00

Devo is our only red spotted lamb this year. He was surprise lamb from Blondie, one of our older girls. He thinks he's pretty tough but he doesn't realize how often his mom has got his back. He benefits greatly from her status with the flock.

In this shot, he thinks he is the one who sent Dharma packing. He doesn't realize mom has come up behind him and *that's* what makes Dharma head for the hills. Silly boy.

What's that?

2009-05-10T17:10:00.003-04:00

Does anybody know what kind of creature makes these mounds? They are popping up down in the soggy

bottom.

I'm hoping for frog or beetle. Please don't tell me it's a snake!