Posts Tagged ‘Brianne’
She’s Not a Little Girl Any More
The sweet little Sebastopol gosling, we picked up on the way to a sheep show last March, is all grown up now. How do we know this? Well, we found this gigantic egg outside the barn yesterday morning. And I do mean gigantic. Poor little girl…the egg measured just over 3 ¼-inches. OUCH! Brianne was so excited when she bounded through the back door clutching Sophia’s inaugural egg.
But, our delight was tempered by the knowledge that even though Sophia is laying eggs there won’t be any goslings running around the farm. Her hatch mate and gander friend (Sebastian) died of unknown causes shortly after we brought them home. They were still in the brooder at the time. When I checked on them in the morning all was well, but in the mid-afternoon I walked by the brooder box and Sebastian was cold and stiff. We talked to the breeder and they had no idea either why he died, but they were kind enough to replace him. Read the rest of the story »
Wild Winds and Disaster Preparedness
The weatherman is calling for high winds, like 60 – 80 mile an hour gusts, and lower temperatures over the next few days. That can only mean one thing… damage… and lots of it. Anytime we hear news like this we immediately go into batten down mode. We’ve been through enough windstorms to know the damage they can cause and the discomfort we will feel if not properly prepared.
Several years ago, on a cold January night, a storm blew through our area with the force that can be described as a gale. Brianne and I were living on the ranch at the time and the fierce winds uprooted over 500 trees, which knocked down power lines, broke the well pump, smashed windows, tore the roof partially off the barn and damaged a corner of our house. One tree even fell, front to rear, over my truck crushing it 6-inches. Needless to say, it was totaled.
We were pretty well stocked and prepared though. Living in an earthquake zone is a constant reminder that Mother Nature can strike unexpectedly. But, it was this particular storm with its power outage that lasted for more than a week that convinced me even more that we should never be without stores, water, light and a source of heat.
With the weatherman’s prediction we set about preparing.
Wild Winds and Disaster Preparedness
The weatherman is calling for high winds, like 60 – 80 mile an hour gusts, and lower temperatures over the next few days. That can only mean one thing…damage…and lots of it. Anytime we hear news like this we immediately go into batten down mode. We’ve been through enough windstorms to know the damage they can cause and the discomfort we will feel if not properly prepared.
Several years ago, on a cold January night, a storm blew through our area with the force that can be described as a gale. Brianne and I were living on the ranch at the time and the fierce winds uprooted over 500 trees, which knocked down power lines, broke the well pump, smashed windows, tore the roof partially off the barn and damaged a corner of our house. One tree even fell, front to rear, over my truck crushing it 6-inches. Needless to say, it was totaled.
We were pretty well stocked and prepared though. Living in an earthquake zone is a constant reminder that Mother Nature can strike unexpectedly. But, it was this particular storm with its power outage that lasted for more than a week that convinced me even more that we should never be without stores, water, light and a source of heat.
With the weatherman’s prediction we set about preparing. Read the rest of the story »
Preparing for Winter
Yesterday was a day of winter preparations. Brianne and I were out the door while the day was still cool. We headed to grandpas for a load of seasoned and split firewood, the first of four cords we will lay up for winter. We backed into the massive pile spanning at least a hundred feet and measuring four feet wide. We slid into our leather gloves and began tossing wood into the bed of the truck. No matter what anyone says, 2 cords of firewood thrown into the back of a half-ton pick-up is an awesome sight.
Back at home we hauled and stacked our winter warmth on the south side of the house. Dutch investigated the stack, looking for lizards that found it to be the perfect home, but no luck.
By the time we had finished, the sun was high overhead. It was hot. We stopped for a cool drink, to wipe the sweat from our faces and to rest in the shade of the Sycamore tree. We’ll need four cords to get us through winter. I know this isn’t as much as colder areas require, but it will help keep the house warm and the heater off.
So, today we have a big chunk of winter under our belts. Firewood is no small thing at our house. As long as I’ve lived in California I’ve had forced air heat. I hate it; with a passion. The hot air dries out the house, your skin and causes Brianne and me to develop sore throats. I much prefer the warmth that an open fire brings.
By late fall there will be warm fires in our little farmhouse, and it’s soothing white smoke will rise from the chimney, greeting the long days of winter. Before any of us knows it winter will be here. I can now look forward to that time with a little less stress, with a little more anticipation.
Let’s hear it for seasoned wood and strong women!
photo: Ryna Tir
Dining Out
The past few months have been a crazy ride of unpredictable weather, sheep shows that seem to never end, baby chicks brooding, new geese, and a high school senior year fraught with fear and excitement about the future.
But tonight it’s the middle of June, Brianne and I have managed to make it through all this chaos without killing each other and we two girls deserve a night out!
So tonight we will go out to our favorite café, sit at our favorite table – French bistro draped in a mustard colored cloth and laid with rustic plates featuring hand painted chickens. The best part is this favorite spot of ours is under a lumbering shade tree just 50 feet from our back door. Most nights we don’t feel like driving anywhere or paying someone to cook a calorie laden mediocre meal.
Tonight’s menu: marinated grilled lamb chops, BBQ baked potatoes and a big salad of crisp greens.
The lamb was home raised and butchered last fall (the last of the lambs Brianne showed in the spring), potatoes are from the farm stand down the road and were dug fresh today, and the salad makings were picked moments before the whole feast was laid on the table. For dessert there’ll be blueberry cobbler with organic vanilla ice cream.
The final course: stargazing to the sound of harps and classical guitars drifting out from our quiet little farmhouse. My favorite tunes to relax to on a lazy summer night.
The Marinade:
4 shoulder or leg lamb steaks or 8 loin chops
½ cup low salt soy sauce
½ cup teriyaki sauce
1 Tbsp fresh garlic minced
¼ cup brown sugar
1 Tsp fresh ginger, minced
½ Tsp red pepper flakes
1 Scallion, sliced thin
6 Ounce can crushed pineapple
Directions:
To make sauce, mix together all ingredients, except lamb, and pour into a lidded storage container. Give a few vigorous shakes before adding lamb. Turn several times to coat lamb thoroughly. Marinade in the fridge all day. Remove about 30 minutes before cooking. When grill is ready, remove lamb from sauce, cook until about medium, but still pink in the middle.
This is an Asian style marinade and goes well with Asian slaw or a salad with Asian dressing.
Eating Well @ Home!!
Rainy Saturday
I just heard on the radio it’s going to pour all weekend. Usually, this is good news; I am a big fan of rainy Saturday mornings. I get to wake up and face a wet and chilly farm then after all the animals are fed and I’m back inside my little house all is right with the world. I get to relax. I can leisurely cook the breakfast of champions (scrambled eggs with diced ham and cheese), start a fire in the living room, and curl up on the sofa with a dog and a good book or maybe watch a movie or work on my latest quilt project.
It could be a perfect morning, but not this Saturday. This weekend is a sheep show weekend. We leave Friday after Brianne gets out of school and will drive the three hours up the coast to the show grounds. We would never consider skipping a show on account of the weather. We’re not those kinds of people. Weather never gets in our way. We will unload and set up shop in our assigned pens. We’ll wash and groom four unwitting lambs who would rather be anywhere other than in a cement wash rack being doused with cold water, then sheared slick of all their warmth holding fleece. I have to admit it does take its toll, standing around in a cold damp show barn for hours on end.
But, come rain or shine it’s what we do, folks, show sheep, raise chickens, grow our own food, make our own way and deal with what ever Mother Nature throws our way. I’ll hope for the best or at least hope for a warm rain, but we’re ready for the worst; raingear, muck boots, hats and gloves. We’ll play it by ear, but personally I’m gonna take a move out of Gene Kelly’s playbook…
I’m singing in the rain
Just singing in the rain
What a glorious feelin’
I’m happy again
I’m laughing at clouds
So dark up above
The sun’s in my heart
And I’m ready for love
Let the stormy clouds chase
Everyone from the place
Come on with the rain
I’ve a smile on my face
I walk down the lane
With a happy refrain
Just singin’,
Singin’ in the rain
Think warm thoughts for us, folks, and, if you don’t mind have a hot toddy for us – we’ll need it.
photo credit: rustyfrank.com
A Thrifty Thanksgiving
It’s November 2010, the elections are fresh in our minds and everywhere we go there are the reminders of the coming holiday season. But, the economy still looms heavy on our minds. Fears about jobs, price increases and shortages have us feeling uncertain about what this season will be like.
BUT – here on our little homestead we’re determined not to let this air of uncertainty affect our love of fall and one of the two biggest holidays of the calendar Thanksgiving. We have however decided to make this a budgeted holiday with plenty of memory making activities like free concerts, walks through the decorated areas of town with a mug full of warm apple cider and holiday programs.
So, how does one have a thrifty Thanksgiving dinner? By using what you have on hand, that’s how.
We’ll start a few days before Thanksgiving by thawing out a 9-1/2 pound roasting chicken from a batch we raised last year. I’ll make a few fresh loaves of bread (saving enough dough to make dinner rolls) with herbs from the garden baked in, as a base for our stuffing. When it’s cooled enough I’ll cube it and let it dry out.
On Wednesday I’ll prepare a brine of coarse salt, spices, herbs, apples and cider. The chicken will soak in the brining bucket, submerged in its flavorful concoction for 24-hours.
On Thanksgiving morning, once the animals are fed and morning chores complete, and the chicken is thoroughly rinsed and set out to come to room temperature, we’ll pack up our gear and head to our favorite hiking area. While most people are frantically trying to get their turkeys in the oven by mid-morning we’ll be trekking the hills breathing in fresh air and reveling in the colors of nature. Home by noon and with a light lunch of soup and grilled cheese sandwiches, on home baked bread, we’ll be fortified enough to put our energies into our evening meal.
Brianne will peel and cube homegrown potatoes for our cheesy herb infused mash, while my sister slices a newly harvested Butternut squash that will be baked with brown sugar, butter and spices. Greens will be washed and prepared for a wonderful fall mixed green, pecan, blue cheese and cranberry salad with Blueberry-Pomegranate dressing, all from ingredients in my pantry.
The stuffing, squash and dinner rolls will go into the oven and cook along with the bird.
Once the turkey – I mean chicken – is finished roasting I’ll whip up some gravy from the drippings and all will be laid out on a festive table as a grand feast.
The whole meal will be finished off with individual Harvest Pumpkin cakes, made from our own successful pumpkin patch, and topped with a cream cheese frosting and pecan halves.
There you have it, a wonderfully filling homegrown, homemade Thanksgiving feast.
For the rest of the evening we’ll settle into a roaring fire watching some of our favorite movies. I’ll take comfort in the fact that this years celebration was made mainly from ingredients we grew ourselves or already had one hand, with only a few items purchased at the Farmer’s Market for just a few dollars. I can now rest easy that what had caused me concern will turn out to be a wonderful and intimate celebration of the harvest.
That’s the perfect ending to a perfect day.
photo credit: Alanna Kellogg
Spinners & Weavers Festival and the Suburban Woolen Mill
I am so excited. I found a booth at the county fair for a spinners and weavers guild in our area. I had a great time visiting with the ladies and talking about sheep and wool and spinning. As it turns out they are having a fiber festival this coming weekend, not too far from where I live. There will be workshops and demonstrations, spinning contests and all kinds of vendors with just the right supplies for the new and experienced spinner. I guess you know where I’ll be come Saturday.
Brianne and I are sheep girls, pure and simple. From early morning feedings to shearing to lambing, even lamb on the BBQ, we love it all. It’s been a long time since we’ve had flocks that graze and ewes that lamb, but we still have sheep – market lambs and freezer lambs at least. But what we miss the most is the bi-annual shearing; long days spent relieving our flock of their long woolen coats. When our flock was at its peak we could shear the whole group (45 rams and ewes) in one day. Not quite a record that will land us any kudos at professional shearing competitions, but still respectable, I think.
As we peeled fleeces off each ewe we inspected it for quality. We primarily raised replacement ewes and market lambs of the Suffolk breed. Not the best for wool production, but still useful enough for homestead needs. Select fleeces, those with enough crimp and color, were set aside to either be exhibited at fleece competitions or processed into yarn.
At first it seems intimidating, the processing of wool into yarn. It seems like such a complicated process. But, it’s really not. In fact, the process is pretty straightforward. It may take several hours from start to finish, but once you master your own routine you’ll be able to create yarns to your liking. And, when you knit or crochet a hat or scarf from your own hand processed wool you’ll know every twist of the process.
To learn more about turning fleece into fiber check out these useful links:
http://www.blackberry-ridge.com
For New Englanders wanting a whole weekend of fleece and fiber indulgence check out the Dutchess County (NY) Sheep and Wool Growers festival in Rhinebeck New York, October 16 & 17, 2010.
And, this step-by-step video
Call Me Crazy and the County Fair
Well – leave it to two crazy livestock girls to cram as much showing as possible into the shortest period of time. Our county fair starts today and rather than concentrate on the local scene Brianne and I decided to drive two hours north to attend a one-day livestock show on Saturday.
We left before dawn and arrived shortly after 7am. The weather was quite warm, but the show was fun, Brianne did well, and it was great seeing everyone one last time before heading to our own county fair. One particularly fine friend took our biggest lamb to the sale yards along with his, so that is one less trip we have to make. After that, we empty the barn of sheep to make room for the meat chickens that will be raised to Cornish game hen size then processed for the freezer; and with any luck we’ll also have a feeder pig to raise and butcher before Thanksgiving.
With our busy show schedule I just wanted to drop a note that posts for the next week may be a bit sporadic. Brianne shows in the market and breeding sheep classes on Tuesday and if I’m not too tired I’ll let y’all know how she did.
As much as I love our life of livestock, shows and running around together, I’m looking forward to rolling into my favorite time of year – Autumn – with it’s cool days and warm evening glows. I’m already beat and we’ve haven’t even gotten to the fair.
For now I’m just putting one foot in front of the other. Wednesday I can collapse.
State Fair and Searing Heat
We’ve finally returned home from our hectic week at the state fair, so I thought I’d bring you all up to date on what’s been going on.
We arrived at the state fairgrounds about 7:30 last Tuesday morning, having left home at midnight. The drive up the I-5, through the center of California’s agricultural region, was easy and uneventful. It was oddly serene and calming being on the road in the middle of the night, just our truck and little trailer full of lambs sharing the open road with hundreds of semi trucks on their way to somewhere.
We hit Sacramento and its tangle of freeways. This country girl hates big cities and big city traffic even more! The spider web of interchanges coupled with rush hour traffic resulted in a few missed exits. But, after a short tour of town we finally made our way to the back of the fairgrounds where the livestock entrance is located.
Trailers had been arriving since daybreak, lining the small dirt road leading to the livestock barns. Areas were set up for each species so animals could be vet checked before entering the barn. It only took a few minutes before a group of vet students from a local university came to our trailer.
One…Two…Three…Four…Five, one at a time we unloaded lambs so the students could check them over for contagious livestock diseases or conditions. The final word – PASS – on all five. Brianne and I let out a huge sigh of relief. I think this is the most stressful part of the whole affair. Read the rest of the story »
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