Millie
Posted on February 20, 2010 - Filed Under animals, babies, birthday, goats
This is Millie, the birthday goat. She’s not quite one month old and she has blue eyes just like me. As you can see, she’s quite the mix!
Green Eggs and Ham
Posted on February 20, 2010 - Filed Under animals, chickens, eggs
Please sing along with me…Which of these things are not like the others?
After months of waiting and wondering, we finally plucked our first “easter” eggs. We’ve had a bounty of brown, a few pink, and now finally GREEN! I was so excited I jumped up and down and screamed like the girl I am! I’m such a geek.
These easter eggs are compliments of our Ameraucana chickens. Apparently they have a “blue” gene that makes their eggs come out various shades of green and blue. It’s just what they do.
And no, they don’t taste different because they’re easter colored. The only thing that makes a difference in egg taste is what they eat. Whatever goes in, comes out in the egg (both good and bad). So technically, you could have slightly herbed or garlicky eggs if you fed them those things. I’m told our eggs taste better than store-bought and I’m sure it’s because of what we do (and don’t) feed them.
Chicken Check
Posted on February 18, 2010 - Filed Under Activism, chickens, cooking, diet, food safety, ick!, this sucks!
I have not eaten any commercially produced chicken product since the line was drawn (in my mind) in October 2009. Nothing. Nada. Tempted? No. The only chicken that has been in my mouth came from our backyard. Shhh, don’t tell them. And be careful what you say around Jett! I have, however, continued to eat commercially produced turkey. Mmmm, turkey bacon. Sigh. I’m sure that pleasure could easily be ruined any day now.
Shrimp is now officially ruined for me. I love shrimp. Despite the mercury and other toxins in our local waters, I continue to eat local and wild (although like everything else, it seems that also has its negatives, but I’ve got to eat something!), but forget anything farm-raised or out of the country. Did you know the majority of the shrimp sold in the U.S. comes from Asia and Central America? Next time you buy shrimp, ask where it came from. I know, I know…but you might be really surprised by the answer, especially if you live near supposed shrimp territory. If you want to be totally grossed out by shrimp, lol (but really so not funny), click here.
Hmmm, what’s (left to eat) for dinner?
Farm update
Posted on February 18, 2010 - Filed Under animals, babies, birthday, chickens, farm maintenance, planting, seeds, vegetables, weather
- Freezing! Temperature was 24 degrees. It actually snowed last Friday night for about 20 minutes. Everyone inside is bundled in blankets. Everyone outside is bundled in hay.
- New Baby goat born on my birthday! Her name is Millie. She’s multi-colored. Photos to come, promise. She had a twin brother, but he mysteriously disappeared one night. No sound, no tracks, no signs. Maybe the Skunk Ape wanted a pet. That’s the best I can hope for.
- Rooster has finally perfected his crow. He now officially sounds like a textbook rooster. We were worried there for a while.
- Hens are actually still laying eggs. Have 3 dozen eggs in the fridge right now. Frittatas (see recipe area) are now a large part of our diet.
- Ordered new seeds. This year will focus more on tried and true family favorites and less on “ooh, that looks cool, let’s try that!” That sounds boring, but really, do you know how many types of different beans, melons, tomatoes, etc. there are? Alot. Which is cool, but not always successful or tasty or practical. But believe me, we’ll still have plenty of variety. I still haven’t even planted all the different types of melon seeds we ordered last year! Plus since I hurt my shoulder hoeing last October, I want to put all my efforts into more compact garden areas. I’m worried I’ll re-injure it so the less ground to cover, the better. HA, right!
- Have several types of gourds in different stages of drying: 5 dipper gourds, 3 bottle gourds, and 1 medium sized bushel basket gourd. Considering what I will do with them if they successfully dry. They’ll definitely be sanded and polished. But what will they become? Ah, the possibilities.
Skunk Ape Sighting!
Posted on February 17, 2010 - Filed Under just for fun, products
LOL…two of our favorite things: precious metals and the mysterious Florida Skunk Ape. Click Here to Support Your Local Skunk Ape!
I’ve gotta crow
Posted on December 15, 2009 - Filed Under animals, birds, chickens
Our rooster is just now coming into his own at almost 8 months. He’s big and bulky, and testing out his fertilization techniques and his crowing capabilities. Finally! We’ve been waiting and waiting for him to let loose. Since he is technically just an adolescent or cockarel, he may have been quietly practicing in his room in front of the mirror prior to taking it public for all we know.
Only problem is most of his cock-a-doodle-doos take place between the hours of 2am and 5am, when the sun hasn’t even though of rising yet. Luckily he’s not super loud, and our neighbors are not super close.
I thought the rooster crow was break of dawn activity. Is our rooster time challenged? Does he need an alarm clock? Was there a break in the time continuum? Turns out roosters crow all the time. Oh.
They’ll crow when they feel threatened, when a hen lays an egg, when a neighboring rooster crows, when there is lots of activity. In other words, whenever they feel like it. It’s associated with dawn as that’s when most birds are most active, and when most farmer types are waking and most likely to actually hear the crowing.
We’ll be getting a 2nd rooster soon just to keep things interesting. Something tells me we’ll be hearing a whole lot of crowing then.
I’ve gotta crow!
I’m just the cleverest fellow
‘Twas ever my fortune to know;
I give the sign and the sunlight will shine
And the forest will grow
And the rivers will flow
I’ve gotta crow!
– Peter Pan
You Can’t Keep A Good Garden Down
Posted on November 15, 2009 - Filed Under Activism, cabbage, farm maintenance, planting, sunflowers, tomatoes, vegetables
Despite my best efforts to ignore it, the garden just will not go away! I haven’t hoed or sown or watered in months (just don’t ask), yet still hot peppers, green & yellow bell peppers, chinese eggplant, sunflowers and even tomatoes are still popping up. Amazing.
I also have bottle gourds and one, just one, giant round basket gourd hanging on the vine. And chinese cabbage was getting ready for harvest before the goats broke into the garden and ate it all.
It just goes to show you, it really isn’t that hard to grow your own food. To paraphrase a current, trendy author who I won’t name ‘cuz although I agree with much of what he says, his (so not self-aware) arrogance annoys me: Anyone can afford “organic” food.
Pickin’ And A-grinnin’
Posted on November 15, 2009 - Filed Under dog, goats, pecans
Our yard is once again carpeted in pecans thanks to the blustery winds of non-hurricane Ida. Dogs, goats and chickens are eating them faster than I can pick. But luckily, there seems to be plenty to go around.
I have a new-fangled contraption to help pick this year and it is Awe. Some. It’s basically just a round wire cage on wheels and it pops the pecans off the ground and into the cage. I’d post a picture, but our camera broke. There ain’t no technology in country.
In any case, get out your cracker of choice, pecans are coming your way!
The Gospel According to Chicken (yeah, it’s a lil preachy)
Posted on November 15, 2009 - Filed Under Activism, animals, birds, chickens, food safety, ick!, nutrition, ridiculous city girl
This morning I woke up to the smell of stewing chicken. It drifted through the house, all the way back to the bedroom, and permeated my dreams until I woke thinking “what is that smell”? Honestly, it didn’t smell that good so early in the morning. I thought someone farted. Since both John and Jett were in our cramped bed, that was a very valid possibility.
I know the smell of chicken cooking isn’t that unique. But what makes this particular chicken special is this was our chicken: home-raised, home-butchered, home-cooked. I finally got up the nerve to march out to the storage freezer, grab one of those poor chickens and cook it without over-thinking it’s previous cackle and cricket-filled life.
What finally pushed me over the brink? Nasty chicken farms. Everywhere around here. But mostly chicken trucks. Seems like every day I pass a huge, open semi stocked with cages filled with the most pathetic and dirty, but huge, white chickens you’ve ever seen in your life. They’re smushed into these cages. More often than not you’ll see several with feet in the air like a cartoon only not so funny. These trucks and their sad chickens taunt me as I drive along the highway trying to pass them as quickly as possible. Pass enough of these and you too will take a pass on store-bought chicken.
No more industrial chicken for me. I don’t care how many buy one get one sales the freakin’ grocery store has. I decided only chicken from our farm or a friend’s — or none. So I came home, got out the crock-pot and after a small give of thanks to my formerly fine-feathered friend, started stewing. This chicken will become white chicken chili and quarts of canned chicken stock. I don’t know if I will actually eat it, but I might.
That is the next hurdle. I’m honestly not that big a fan of eating any meat in general. Just a personal thing. And I wouldn’t be eating chicken at this point anyway if it weren’t for my mom harping about protein and basically guilting me into it many years ago. Ironic. Guilt for not eating it; guilt for eating it.
Whether I eat it or not, the boys will. Well, Jett will if I don’t tell him where it came from. But that would be wrong. Especially for a boy who sees the dreaded chicken truck and wants me to let him out of the car so he can pick the locks on the cages and set them free.
I guess it comes down to this. Whatever you choose to eat and however you choose to eat it, although you may not want to know its history, health and demise — it’s better if you do.
The Tony Hawk School of Horseback Riding
Posted on September 20, 2009 - Filed Under animals, bitless bridle, children, horse, horseback riding, pasture, skateboarding
So I’ve been trying to work with Beautiful horse more since I’ve been pretty negligent over the past year. Yes, it’s been over 1 year since we brought these horses home and I’m not even riding! My feeling is, as picturesque as they are running around the pasture, if they don’t do more than eat a lot (which they do), then they might be better off elsewhere. Sigh. I’m becoming a hard ass when it comes to animals.
In any case, I’ve been trying to hook up with someone locally who could come out and help me a bit, but to no avail. So I’ve been trying to spend 1-2 hours per week actually saddling up, leading around, etc. Today, I led Jett around on Beautiful!
He was pretty freaked out at first: afraid he was going to fall off, that she was going to move to fast. None of which happened as we were just standing there, tied up to a post, wearing his skateboarding helmet for protection. I even through in a few skateboard metaphors: a horse is like a giant, breathing skateboard with no wheels…yah, not really. After a few minutes, he allowed me to lead him around. Then there was no stopping him. I couldn’t get him off. And when I finally did, he asked if we could do it again tomorrow. Which is good! Maybe he will get me motivated ‘cuz lord knows there’s nothing like a persistent, 7 yo know-it-all to get you off your butt if only to make it stop!
I also “rode” Beautiful. Notice the quote marks. I’m trying to get her to use this bitless bridle, but she’s fighting it and I don’t know why. We really didn’t get very far as a result. At one point, I actually thought she was going to roll me so that kind of ended our session. I was also wearing Jett’s skateboard helmet. Tony Hawk has been such an influence on my life lately. I wonder if he knows anything about horses?
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