Novitiate Homesteader

frustrated

2012-01-11T17:37:00.001-08:00

Well, it looks like I've mis-managed things a bit. I don't know if I'll be able to get my goats bred in time to have a consistant supply of milk this year. Goats generally only come into heat from September to December...sometimes a bit later if you're lucky. I picked up a small billy goat for free (pass the buck lol) though I'm afraid he may be too small to successfully breed Carissima. Basically, it's all a mess. So I'm rather frustrated. I hate making mistakes. I'd like to beleive that I can perfectly manage every micro-detail successfully. Rather arrogant I suppose.

So what's going right? Our friend, who is helping us locate a milk cow, has a lead on an older Jersey cow who's 6 months pregnant. That could be a huge break on the milk front. It would be nice to get a pregnant heifer, but a pregnant older cow might have the advantage of being more docile and used to being milked.

Who knows what the future may bring our way. It's all a grand adventure.

One of my meditation books suggested adding "my relationship with my God" as something to be grateful for. And I am grateful. It is wonderful to know that no matter what happens God is with us. We are truly cared for and carried whether times are easy or tough.

Having a cow II

2012-01-06T11:20:00.000-08:00

Well, after much prayer and deliberation, we decided to wait on the raw milk license. The license itself is not particularly expensive, but the vet visit to test the herd would be. One of our goats will be drying off soon, and they all need to be re-bred. The heifer won't be bred for another few months as well. We decided to wait until the goats are all fresh and the cow is closer to calving.

I've been pretty worn out after some long days of working on the farm, raising a child, and a touch of insomnia. I've got another few days of extra work. I may take a break and do a little goose hunting though. The weather has been mild and sunny which is great for getting work done on the farm. Not so good for goose hunting though. The geese are still all up North as the lakes havn't frozen yet.

I've been shoveling a 1/2 ton of gravel out of the back of a pick-up truck. The tractor is still down with a flat tire, so I've had to get it out by hand. We are building a gravel and earthen ramp into the barn for the heifer.

Our enjoyment and satisfaction with our prayer life continues to grow. It is an integral part of our daily routine. I don't think God tells us what the right decisions are, but he can certainly help calm my heart, mind, and soul which, in turn, helps us come to the come to the right decision. I don't like waiting once I've decided to move on an idea, but in the case of the milk license waiting seems like the best course.

We are feeling so incredibly blessed with our farm, family, and friends. Happy New Year!

Having a cow...

2012-01-03T16:27:00.000-08:00

We have been doing our homework and shopping for a Jersey dairy cow. We've got a heifer picked out and should be going through with the purchase soon. We are just waiting on some blood tests. Assuming they come out clean we will be picking up our girl in a couple of weeks.

We'll be having to re-arrange some areas of the barn and fix up some of the fence on the pasture. We'll be doing some major barn cleaning, some fencing, and some barn fixing. When spring eventually comes we will be pouring a concrete floor for a milking stall and running electricity and water out to the barn. I'm not much of an expert at major electrical and plumbing projects, but it sounds like this is something I can do if I just take my time and breathe deep.

We are in the process of applying for a license to sell raw milk from the farm. Both from the goats and eventually the Jersey. We would also be able to sell butter and cheese products as well.

It's all an amazing adventure. I have been feeling so truly blessed lately. Blessed to have the family that I have, all the friends that I am close with, and this wonderful farm to live and work on. It is truly through God's grace that I have been saved from the scrap heap to lead a life like this. My life is beyond my wildest dreams and expectations.

soapmaking

2012-01-01T17:35:00.000-08:00

I made a batch of goat’s milk soap yesterday. It wasn’t rocket science, but the chemical reaction produced by the lye and the milk was kind of scary. Lye can burn the skin and do much worse than that in the eyes. It goes without saying that swallowing it would be a really, really bad idea. Anyway, when I mixed the lye with the goats milk it produced a boiling, bubbling reaction that filled the pot with orange foam. There are many recipes available in books and on the internet. The one I used was from the Storey’s Dairy Goat book. Besides the basics of fat, lye, and liquid, I added oatmeal and lavender essential oils. I used pig lard for the fat and goats milk for the liquid. There are number of options for the fat, lard being the most obvious. Goose fat tallow sounded like an intriguing possibility.

I canned a large batch of applesauce too. We like to use applesauce for moisture in bread recipes. The applesauce turned out wonderfully. Naturally sweet with no added sugar.

We are contemplating selling the soap at the local food co-op and farmers market. We are also going through the process to get a permit to sell raw goats milk. We are really hoping to make a few extra dollars this way.

And, of course, a happy new year to all. It has been an amazing year for us. Ups and downs to be sure, but so many blessings. A helicopter ride to the children’s hospital for breathing problems for our newborn son and several other trips to the emergency room for stitches for the other boys. I think we are going to have to learn to stitch them up ourselves. How hard could it be?

Among the many blessings: My beautiful son was born in our kitchen in an amazing home birth; Jenny and I were married and she moved out to the farm with the boys; the animals are all healthy and productive; the pigs were successfully raised and turned into pounds and pounds of delicious bacon and chops.

There have been many, many opportunities to learn. We’ve learned about how difficult it is to make any money on a small farm. We’ve learned to live on an almost non-existent income, We’ve learned to count our blessings.

We are so truly blessed. We wish all the very best for you in this new year.

Merry Christmas 2

2011-12-24T02:37:00.000-08:00

From all of us here at Wandering Moose Farm, we wish you a very Merry Christmas. May this season find all of you blessed with all the love, happiness, and joy that you could wish for. Blessed be.

Merry Christmas

2011-12-20T17:24:00.000-08:00

Christmas is almost upon us. We will be taking a little break in Oregon. A few days with family and a few days away from the farm. As much as I love the daily chores, it is nice to get a break from milking the goats in the cold and dark.

Little Russell is growing like a weed. He is becoming more and more alert and socially present. What a blessing in our lives. Life is an amazing thing.

We'll be trying to do $100 Christmas this year. The general concept is to opt out of the consumerism of Christmas by only spending $100 during the season. We will not be going to Disneyland. We will not be spending $500 at Macy's...or Walmart...or anywhere else for that matter. We will be giving homemade gifts or inexpensive books. We will be giving our children a small gift and a coupon book filled with coupons for "one free back rub" or "one free day off of homeschool."

Now, of course, the gasoline to Oregon to visit family will be about $100 so we will break the hundred dollar mark by a little bit, but the spirit is there. And that is really the key isn't it. To approach the holidays with a consciously spiritual attitude. Christmas is NOT YOUR BIRTHDAY. Gifts occupy an intentionally small part of our celebration. We are trying to focus more on Love, and Service, and Family, and Worship.

As a result, we are not dreading the Christmas season as something to "get though". We are not worrying about paying off the Visa bill or giving gifts that are more extravagant than what the neighbor's kids are getting. We are not worried about surviving holiday office parties. We are not fighting the crowds at the stores. We are simply spending some time together as a family.

I hope this season finds you well. Blessed be.

The Kingdom of God

2011-12-09T11:44:00.000-08:00

“The Kingdom of God is within/among you” Luke 17:21

“Jesus himself goes into silence, into nature, and usually alone when he prays” Richard Rohr

I’ve been going into our field to sit in the goose blind lately. Usually alone. Funny thing, it is too early in the year for the geese to be flying over the Palouse with any regularity. That doesn’t seem to matter much. I just like to sit in a frozen field alone and watch the sun rise. Sitting with a shotgun on my lap just seems like a good excuse to be out there. I wake up at four or five and start getting the animal chores done. The sun doesn’t really rise until 6:45 am.

The sun rising on these cold December mornings is glorious. It is still and quiet. And I try to be still and quiet too. Both externally and internally. “Be still and know that I am God.” When I’m in a good place spiritually, I can sometimes get there. Sometimes I can let the clutter in my mind slowly pass leaving me at peace and alone with my God.

I wanted to go steelhead fishing alone today. Turns out the section of river I was thinking of is partially iced over. That’s OK. I have a ton of chores to do today. We are getting a ton (literally, 2000 pounds) of alfalfa delivered on Saturday morning.

I will be applying for a “small herd exemption” to sell raw milk here in Idaho soon. We don’t really have enough does in milk to make it worth the trouble…yet. We plan to get a diary cow in the spring. We also will be breeding Carissima soon. We will be hoping for a couple of doelings when she gives birth. We already have more milk than we need, but any additions to the herd will put us way over the top. It could be a nice addition to our tight finances. On the other hand it could be another farm fiasco too. Never know until you try. That’s one of the things I love about our approach to life on the farm here. Leap before you look. Half the time it doesn’t work out the way we had planned. But on the other hand, we are having a great time trying and learning along the way. We may never get it right within this lifetime but that is not the point. The kingdom of God is here and now among us. We are indeed blessed.

Yours in faith, Russ

Thanksgiving

2011-11-22T16:51:00.000-08:00

We hosted our "Orphans Thanksgiving" Sunday. We invite friends and acquaintances who do not have family in the area over for a Thanksgiving feast. I enjoy being able to cook for and serve others a big meal.

We are having family over on Thursday for another Thanksgiving feast. We butchered the turkey this morning. It was a job for the whole family. Tim held the legs, Jenny held the head, and I was in charge of the hatchet. We eventually got the job done and ended up with a very, very large bird. I hope he is not too large. We'll see how he tastes on Thursday.

I use a 1st edition "Joy of Cooking" for many of my holiday dishes. One wonderful trick I've learned is to drape the turkey in cheesecloth soaked in melted lard while you roast it. It works great and gives the bird an amazing golden skin.

We have so much to be grateful for this season. Being able to host friends and family. Being able to raise our own food on the farm. Having everyone in the family safe and healthy.

Craig Mountain

2011-11-15T15:34:00.001-08:00

The Craig Mountain area is a roadless, non-motorized area in which I elk hunt. I prefer to hunt using my own two legs. Or the four legs of a horse if necessary. It is wonderful to hunt in an area which prohibits motorized access.

This canyon stretches down about 4000 feet to the Snake River.

In the wilderness, I find Nature's Cathedral. In the mountains I feel closest to God.

"In God's wildness lies the hope of the world - the great fresh, unblighted, unredeemed wilderness." John Muir

It was a blessing to have the time to get out into the mountains. It is even more of a blessing to come home to my wife, my children, and my farm.

elk hunting

2011-11-14T16:16:00.000-08:00

I just got back into town after 3 days in the mountains elk hunting alone. I stayed in my little pup tent and managed to stay reasonably warm. The last night there was a little bit of a blizzard. I was more afraid that a tree would fall on me than I was of freezing. I saw one elk, 6 mule deer, 4 grouse, and some wolf tracks. I had a great time. I didn't manage to shoot an elk, but it was amazing to just hike around in the mountains with my senses in hunting mode. Hyper-aware of all the sights and sounds around me.

I spent plenty of time sitting in front of the camp fire writing in my journal, meditating, and praying.

It was great to push my body a little bit. See what I could do in the mountains. I've had a knee injury bothering me all fall, so I was a little unsure of how I'd do. I hiked about 8 miles on the first day and 3 or 4 miles the next couple of days.

To me, my time spent hunting is incredibly spiritual. Time spent in the mountains is incredibly spiritual. Especially when I am alone. But I am never really alone.

In the words of the psalmist,
"I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help.
My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth."

In the mountains, in the stillness, I hear whispers. Underneath the rocks there are words. When I am still I can hear them. And I know that God is there.

I am so blessed. Blessings to you too.

Too much fun...

2011-11-06T11:15:00.000-08:00

Duck hunting the other day was wild. It was about 32 degrees with rain, sleet, and snow. I got to the lake before dawn and launched my little boat in the dark. There used to be beacon lights marking the boating channel in the shallow lake, but turned out they were mostly gone. I should have waited for first light, but decided to try to get to my hunting spot anyway. What a long, dark, scary ride that was. I pretty much felt my way across the lake, but finally made it to my spot an hour later. I got the decoys out and set up a little blind.

At first light, nothing was flying. Usually if there are going to be birds you can tell in the first 15 minutes after shooting light but not this time. The birds showed up a half an hour later and they showed up by the thousands. There were almost no mallards and only a few geese but thousands of teal. Teal are small and fast, but great eating and fun shooting. What a morning. I only got a few and should have gotten a few more, but it was a great morning.

Tomorrow I am going back to the lake hunting with Tim. I’m either going to buy a high powered spotlight, or I am going to have to wait until after it gets light to get on the lake. Either way, it promises to be a great morning.

On Tuesday, I am going to a conference to see Temple Grandin speak on Autism. I’ve had my registration for almost a year. She is an amazing woman with severe autism who not only succeeded in coping with her disability but got a Ph.D. to boot. She designed the modern cattle slaughtering techniques used all over the United States. It should be an amazing talk.

Then on Wednesday I’m packing and heading out to elk camp. Phew. A lot of fun stuff this week. I still don’t know how my knee is going to do, but I sure plan on trying to hunt. If not, I guess I’ll have a nice little camping trip in the snow in the mountains.

It’s sometimes tiring to be crazy busy, but at least it’s all really fun stuff. I am so blessed.

Hunting

2011-11-03T01:38:00.000-07:00

I finally got my outboard motor back from the shop. I'm hoping to go duck hunting on Friday. The forecast is for a little bit of snow which can be a problem at the boat launch. I had to junk my four wheel drive truck. My small truck, with tire chains as a backup, should do the trick in a light snow though.

I have an elk hunt coming up in mid-November. I've been looking forward to it all year, but I have an injury in my knee and I'll just have to see how it goes. I plan on going up to the mountains and setting up camp. Then just seeing how it goes. If I get an elk and can't pack the quarters out on my back, I can call Jenny's father and he can bring up some horses to pack it out. I'm hunting in a roadless/non-motorized area which I prefer, but you kind of need to be healthy to do a good hunt there. I've never shot an elk, but I sure am looking forward to the opportunity. If nothing else, it'll be a good opportunity to camp in the snow for a couple of days.

So many wonderful things to do, so little time. I feel like I'm booked solid through November.

"All I have seen teaches me to trust the Creator for all I have not seen." - Ralph Waldo Emerson

gratitude month

2011-11-01T18:42:00.000-07:00

It just doesn't get any more grateful than this. I have so much to be grateful for. I'd like to meditate on something I have to be grateful for each day this month. Starting with my child, my wife, and my family. Here's hoping we can all maintain an attitude of gratitude this month.

The list

2011-10-29T15:47:00.000-07:00

We have lots of chores around the farm. Doing dishes, washing diapers, milking goats, collecting eggs. The list is pretty much endless. Every morning I generate a list on the computer of all the tasks I want to get accomplished that day. As I go through the day, I highlight, on the computer, each of the chores I complete. Of course, more ideas are added throughout the day. It’s a great way to keep track of my day-what I want to get done, what I have gotten done. Anyway, it works for me.

I was reading a blog yesterday that really shook up my way of thinking about my list. In the blog, SteadyMOM, points out that the most important chore of the day is to provide a sense of peace in the home. When all is said and done, our children will not remember whether the dishes were always done or whether the goats got milked on time. They will, I hope, remember that our home was a place of peace.

So, I have begun putting some new chores on my list. “Practice Peace” has taken a place at the top of the list. Cuddling with my wife and child has been dedicated some time. There are items which are no longer just things I want to do if all the chores are done. They are priorities. They are on the list and at the top of the list.

I find that when my attitude is one of peace and acceptance my day seems a lot less overwhelming. Nothing has changed; goats still need to be milked, dishes need to be done, diapers need to be washed, but these tasks can be joyful and prayerful times. Instead of dreading milking the goats in the cold and dark, I can look forward to some peaceful alone time in the barn. Just me and the goats.

Attitude is everything. Blessings.

Midnight Meditation

2011-10-28T16:45:00.000-07:00

After a little diaper changing and baby rocking, I am up doing a little reading, meditation, and prayer. Just reading Thomas Merton and listening to a little rock and roll playing softly.

“My intention is to give myself entirely and without compromise to whatever work God wants to perform in me and through me.” - Thomas Merton

Wow! “Entirely and without compromise.” That’s a tall order. I am I really willing to let God change me? Can I really let go to being a vessel to carry God’s peace? Can I really turn my life over to a God I can’t understand. If I do, will I still be allowed to smoke cigars and eat ice cream?

That’s one thing used to have a lot of confusion about. I used to think that if I accepted God into my life that I would become as pure as the driven snow. I didn’t think I wanted that much purity. I realize now, for myself at least, that I can give myself to God and still have a great time on this earth. And yes, that really does include smoking cigars, duck hunting, telling tall tales around the campfire, and listening to a little rock and roll.

God is there in all of it.

So, anyway, I’m excited to go duck hunting tomorrow. That is, if the motor for my boat is ready and I have the money to pay for the repairs. When I say “boat” and “motor”, it might make it sound luxurious. My “boat” is a 12 or 14 foot rowboat, spray painted camouflage, outfitted with a nice but hardly reliable 9 horse outboard. It gets me where I want to go…most of the time. I just try not to go so far that I can’t row back to the launch if I have to.

Tim and I are planning to go to a little bit bigger lake this time. I can be a really fun place to hunt, but not always consistently productive for me. I always see lots of birds, but sometimes they are pretty cautious. Either way though, I always have a wonderful time. Sitting in the duck blind, a half an hour before sunrise, waiting and hoping that the birds will fly.
Jenny’s rocking baby Russell. He’s quiet and happy…for now. We are so blessed.

Apple Cider

2011-10-27T18:19:00.001-07:00

We enjoyed pressing apple cider today. The boys had a blast. The antique cider press we received from my parents as a wedding gift worked great. The press is like a work of art. Hardwood and cast iron. The cider is great. Despite some disappointments in the garden this year, the Lord has been good to us. We’ve harvested about 300 pounds of apples. The refrigerator is full of carrots and beets. I think we will eat through the carrots and beets quickly enough to avoid using the root cellar. We made a great pork rib roast last night that had been marinated in apple juice. The garlic is planted for next year. Life is good.

We will be shoveling the manure out of the pig pen and the section of the barn that had housed them. We will be using the space to house Carissima and a buck goat for breeding. The kind folks at Little Bear Dairy will be loaning us the buck. I’m not sure they want him back although we don’t particularly want him as a permanent resident either. Pass the buck.

There is a constant flow of dirty dishes, laundry, and cloth diapers around here. We are trying to get a little bit ahead of the daily chores. Not really happening. Hopefully Tim and I will have a chance to go duck hunting this weekend or early next week. Recreation is an important part of life on the farm too-as important as keeping on top of the chores. One of my favorite things in the world is to be sitting on a lake waiting for the dawn to come. Waiting for the birds to fly. We enjoy eating duck, but duck hunting isn’t really a cost effective way of filling the freezer. Nevertheless, It is important to keep up with the things you are passionate about and duck hunting is one of them.

From passion comes creativity.

Little Russell continues to enjoy good health. What a blessing.

Carry the message...

2011-10-25T15:41:00.000-07:00

I have just begun to read an amazing book by Richard Rohr. “Breathing Underwater: Spirituality and the Twelve Steps. In it, Rohr explores the parallels between the twelve steps of Alcoholics Anonymous and what St. Francis calls the “marrow of the Gospels.”

In skipping around the book, I was particularly stuck by Rohr’s comparison of the twelfth step and two biblical passages.

The twelfth step in Alcoholics Anonymous reads, “Having had a spiritual awakening as a result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to alcoholics and practice these principals in all our affairs.” The original wording of this step took it a little further and encouraged recovered alcoholics to, “carry this message to others, especially alcoholics, and practice these principals in all our affairs.” I prefer the older version of the step. The reason I prefer to carry the message to others, especially alcoholics, is that the message is not just about the recovery from alcoholism. It is about Redemption for all of us through Grace. It is a message about being welcome to “Come to the Feast” (Fr. Richard Fragomeni) at God’s table. God invites us all to be transformed. We are all capable of having a “spiritual awakening.” Redemption, through Grace, is available to us. Whether our “fall” comes in the form of alcoholism, consumerism, lust for wealth or power, greed, false pride, or of any number of other common failings healing is available to all of us. Alcoholism just seems to be a particularly public type of catastrophe, much more outwardly apparent than other “addictive” behaviors.

So, winding my way back to my starting point…

“What was given to you freely, you must give away freely.” Matthew 10:8

“Simon, Simon, you must be sifted like wheat, and once you have recovered, you in your turn must strengthen your brothers.” Luke 22:31-32

What then do I have to freely give to others? How may I strengthen my brothers? What part of myself do I have to give?

In the example of alcoholism, I can certainly offer my experience, strength, and hope to other suffering alcoholics. But there is so much more. I am so much more than just an alcoholic. I am a teacher, parent, brother, son, husband, friend, musician, thinker, writer, farmer, homesteader, Christian and so much more. There are so many ways I may be of service to God and my fellow man.

Today’s challenge is to think of how you may be of service. What can you give to strengthen your brothers and sisters? What part of yourself do you have to give to others?

Thanks for reading. Blessings.

2011-10-17T18:41:00.000-07:00

This is our beautiful son Russell. I am most truly blessed. Through grace alone I have been granted a life beyond my wildest imaginings. We are all recovering from our little adventure to the hospital via helicopter. Russell seems as happy as a clam. Jenny and I are recovering, albiet a little more slowly.

I took Matty on a duck hunt this morning for a few hours. Nothing out of the ordinary, just an average day in the field. The boat motor wouldn't start, cut my hands trying to start it, stumbled around in the cattails trying to find a shore blind, froze my tuckus off waiting for the sun to rise, and shot no ducks. It was glorious. I love being in the field waiting for the dawn to come.

I've still been meditating on redemption. My own redemption came through grace. Unmerited good favor. I am so truly blessed.

sigh, back again

2011-10-12T23:49:00.000-07:00

I don't know if there is anyone out there still reading this. I got rid of home internet bacause of the satelite cost. Hard to blog too much at the local library.

I'm thinking I might try to get back into it.

Anyway, Jenny and I did eventually get married. Our son was born in our kitchen. It's been a beautiful time.

Our son is 2 weeks old and was just airlifted by helicopter to a childrens hospital in a city in another state. He seems to be stable and alright. We hope to go home tomorrow. Having insomnia in a hospital room in a strange city is a bummer.

I've been meditating on the idea of "redemption" lately. I have met a friend who thinks he is beyond redemption. He has lost hope. Just so happens today's reading in psalms covers the subject quite well.

R. (7) With the Lord there is mercy, and fullness of redemption.

Out of the depths I cry to you, O LORD;LORD, hear my voice! Let your ears be attentive to my voice in supplication.

R. With the Lord there is mercy, and fullness of redemption.

If you, O LORD, mark iniquities, Lord, who can stand? But with you is forgiveness, that you may be revered.

R. With the Lord there is mercy, and fullness of redemption.

I trust in the LORD;my soul trusts in his word. My soul waits for the LORD more than sentinels wait for the dawn.

R. With the Lord there is mercy, and fullness of redemption.

Blessed be!

everybody's having fun

2011-08-13T18:02:00.000-07:00

I'm back again. Jenny and I hosted family and friends for an "engagement" party. I liked this picture with the dogs wrestling in the background while the baby is trying to walk.

It was good to see my family again. We see each other far too seldom.

Our baby is due in October. Right on opening day of waterfowl season. Just kidding. I suppose the birth will take precedence. We will be having the baby in the home with a midwife. It will be a mighty time.

The garden is finally shaping up. We've been putting in an hour or two of weeding time every day. Some of the tomatoes and possibly the corn were adversely effected by the substantial weed growth. Still, we made a curry stew tonight with onions, potatoes, and zuchinni from our garden. And pork from last year's hog. It was fabulous.

We are finishing our hogs this year and hope to get them butchered in October. Boy those pigs can eat. The field corn and sugar beets we planted for the pigs to eat is coming along too. At least we'll be able to start supplementing their diet with them soon.

I'm at the local food coop playing on the internet and drinking tea. I'll be meeting with some friends soon. Good friends, good food, good fellowship. I don't know what more I could ask for.

I'm back...

2011-08-05T11:29:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since I wrote. We cancelled our home internet, so I am only online at the library or the coffee shop. We have implemented draconian austerity measures. Internet, cell phones...Simplify, Simplify.

The baby goats are growing at an amazing pace. We were blessed with two healthy goat kids. Both of them were boys though. We are trying to sell them as purebred Saanen herd sires, but if that doesn't work we'll have to sell them for butcher goats...or butcher them ourselves. They are painfully cute.

Jenny and I took a trip to Oregon and spent some time swimming in the Grand Ronde river. The puppies got a little wet too. The puppies are cruising along and we will be able to hunt with Oberon by the end of the month. It'll be his first time out. We are hoping for his hunting and retrieving instincts to kick in. We're a little worried about whether he will bring the birds back to us. He might just think they are his lunch. It'll be all good.

Jenny's pregnancy is progressing beautifully. What a blessing.

As always, we are completely in awe of how blessed we are living out on our farm. The animals are all healthy, the garden is booming, the boys are growing like weeds. We have family coming in to visit this afternoon. What a mighty time.

Pressing Cherry Juice

2011-07-04T01:10:00.000-07:00

We harvested 60 pounds of cherries at a friends orchard the other day. We are frantically trying to process them all. We frozen some, made cherry pies, dried some, and used the new cider press to make some cherry juice.

The boys and I went on a backpacking trip in the mountains. The rivers and creeks were a little high for fly-fishing. Tim cut his foot pretty badly and we had to pack up and hike out then drive to the emergency room in a town 3 hours away. He is all stitched up and fine. I have to go back and hike in to get some of the gear we left behind tomorrow.

I have another job interview on Wednesday. I'm looking forward to it. I am at peace with the job situation. Of course, I need the money, but I've done some writing and praying and feel serene about the whole situation. God will provide. God will bring the perfect work into my life. At the moment that work is on the farm and there's plenty of it.

We've been harvesting and processing the early crops. Most of the veggies seem to be coming along. Everything is late, of course, but we should still get a harvest of most things. Some days I feel completely overwhelmed by the magnitude of the farm work that needs to get done. Some days it just feels like we work all day just to keep the animals cared for.

Whisper should give birth any day now. It'll be a mighty time. God has blessed us with such abundance. Sunshine and rain have brought food and fun and family.

All I have seen teaches me to trust the Creator for all I have not seen. Ralph Waldo Emerson

God's creation leaves me so full of wonder. Blessed be.

Cider Press

2011-06-26T03:14:00.000-07:00

A couple of days ago we picked up a new (used-new to us) cider press. It was given to us as a wedding gift. We're really excited about it. Got a great price on it.

Speaking of great prices. Since I got laid off, we've been living in a little bit of financial denial. Well, yesterday we started really working some good old fashioned frugality. Got rid of one cell phone line. Cancelled the home satellite internet in favor of surfing at the library or coffee shop in town. Decided to make and bring all of our food for backpacking from home. No fancy freeze dried meals for us.

"Simplify, simplify" "A man is rich in proportion to the number of things he can let alone." - Henry David Thoreau

No more new animals...

2011-06-24T18:02:00.000-07:00

No more new animals until Whisper has her kids. Except for this Labrador Retriever we rescued from the shelter. She is only six weeks old and is completely adorable. She and Oberon are (more or less) getting along. They sleep together anyway. Her name is Titania.

Speaking of baby animals. Whisper is very, very pregnant and should be kidding within a week or two.

Hopefully she will wait until after I return from a backpacking/fly-fishing trip I'm taking with the boys. We are going up to a place called Kelly Creek to spend a few days. We plan on hiking in a few miles, setting up a camp, and doing some fishing. If the water is low enough, which is a bit dicey this early in the summer, the fishing is usually great. I can't wait. It'll also give Jenny a few days off from parenting.

The garden is booming along. We grew enough radishes to do the farmer's market, but the lettuce that was supposed to go along with it got eaten by the chickens. So, we have hundreds and hundreds of radishes that are getting ready to bolt and go "woody." I guess you can't complain about having too much food, although it's hard to do too much with a zillion radishes.

The good Lord has blessed us with a beautiful garden this year. We are enjoying it's bounty. We are truly, truly blessed.

Birth Class!

2011-06-12T21:07:00.000-07:00

Oh my, spent all weekend in a Bradley Method birthing class. It's really starting to sink in that Jenny is pregnant. We spent the whole weekend talking about birth and babies. We covered a lot of topics in sort of a whirlwind. We will be having a natural home birth. It sounds like an amazing experience.

Came home late this afternoon and got some squash and tomatoes planted. The weeds are taking over, so it's time to spend a few days weeding, mulching, and fertilizing. We have a ton of stuff growing in the garden but with the weeds an general disorganization it looks pretty ramshackle.

We will be having over a hundred children and their parents over to tour the farm and learn about "where food comes from." They are coming from the Methodist Vacation Bible School. Pretty cool, but a little scary.

Well, it's off to say bedtime prayers with Jenny and then I'll probably spend a little more time housecleaning. Blessings,

Craig Mountain

2011-06-08T00:35:00.000-07:00

I went on a solo hiking/scouting trip in the Craig Mountains yesterday. This is the area where I hope to be elk hunting this year. It is a roadless/non-motorized area in which only foot and horseback travel are permitted. I will be hiking or backpacking into the area to hunt.

The puppy has landed

2011-06-02T03:37:00.000-07:00

We picked up our new puppy on Monday! His name is Oberon and he is a German Short-Haired Pointer. He should make a great bird dog. Believe it or not we located a pure-bred Labrador Retriever at the pound too. We'll be picking up that puppy in a few weeks. They'll have each other to chew on and maybe they won't eat quite so many shoes.

We got him into a real pheasant wing today from a bird I shot last season. He really enjoyed playing with that. I'm going to start breaking him to gunfire as soon as I can pick up some .22 blanks. He's showing some great instincts already. He will "point" song birds an chickens. As always, keeping him away from the chickens may be a problem.

I'm bringing Caspian, the goat, in to the vet school (it's practically free) today. Maybe we can get a better idea of what's wrong with his ankles. I'm worried about him. I would be heartbroken if there was nothing we could do for him.

I think I may make a little cheese today. And we are making sausage on Friday. Probably feta cheese today and just bulk venison/pork breakfast links on Friday.

The weather continues to be a gardening challenge. It's also a challenge for everybody's patience as well. We are having the barn restoration day on Saturday. My friend Jason and I poured some concrete footings today. We are going to jack up the barn a couple of inches, put down the footings and brace the foundation with 4x6 beams. Of course we will be cooking up a big farm lunch and dinner for folks who show up to help. What a blessing it is to have such good friends and community.

Life is so wonderful. I am just amazed at how beautifully things are going. I just feel so blessed that I want to keep thanking God every chance I get. We are truly blessed.

Garden Trouble

2011-05-29T19:44:00.000-07:00

Two days ago it frosted. Today we had a big hailstorm. The warm weather vegetables are not happy. The basil is history. The squashes will need to be re-planted. The tomatoes are half-dead. Spring on the Palouse. Well, life goes on. We will just have to re-plant.

We've got some friends visiting us for the memorial day weekend. They have four boys under the age of thirteen. That makes for a total of seven young boys in the house. The energy level is high. That's an understatement. It has been loud and rowdy. But really, we are having a great time. The boys are most certainly having a great time.

Our oldest boy has been taking on an increasing amount of responsibility for the animal chores. He's really doing great.

Caspian, the male goat, is getting worse. His front legs are in really bad shape. I have no idea what to do or even what exactly the problem is. I was really having a lot of...emotions...about possibly having to put him down. I don't really know when that decision might have to be made. Not today certainly. Prayed about it a little bit with Jenny. I can't really justify taking him to see a vet...but it is tempting. We decided to call a vet on Tuesday and what they could do in the way of a short visit if I can put Caspian in the back of the truck an bring him in for just a quick look. I was unprepared for how troubling I found the notion of killing him is.

Well, sitting here thinking about how precious each of God's creatures are. They are indeed a blessing. Each and every one of them.

loose goats in the garden

2011-05-22T01:34:00.000-07:00

Jenny and I were hiking up at Kamiak Butte today. The wildflowers were blooming and it was a glorious spring day. When we got back though the goats had escaped and were roaming in the garden and barnyard. They didn't do much damage although they did chew on the cherry trees a little bit.

Spring is such a glorious time on the Palouse. What a blessing.

Farm at the end of the rainbow

2011-05-20T20:49:00.001-07:00

A beautiful rainbow leading right to our farm, where we capped off a hard day's work with a strawberry-rhubarb pie. We poured concrete for the base of the clothesline. After meeting some friends for lunch we planted about thirty tomato starts. I don't think all of them will survive. Some of the starts were getting pretty "leggy". That's alright. We should get a fair number of plants out of the deal.

Planted a second planting of greens yesterday. Salad greens, lettuce, and spinach. Also about 100 row feet of beets. The garden is starting to take shape after another long, late spring. Tomorrow we are going to take a day, or part of a day, off and go for a hike. We're going up to a little place called Kamiak Butte. If the weather is right you can see the green Palouse hills and wheat fields for miles around.

I may try to till about an 1/8th of an acre for animal feed. Field corn and sugar beets. The field corn can double as corn for cornbread too. It is a new project for this year. I'm praying for success, but whatever happens we will be blessed. We've got lettuce and radishes almost ready to harvest already. The pigs are looking great. I've never had such healthy, happy looking hogs. I'm really pleased with the piglets we got. Purebred Berkshire hogs from Rocky Ridge Ranch. We are in the planning stages to expanding their pigpen into more of a pastured operation. They need to be contained in a pen anyway until they get a little older, so we're not in a huge rush.

I have been really been feeling so blessed and so close to family, friends, and God this last week. My feelings of connection to God wax and wane. Part of my faith is the act of questioning. As much as I question though, I still always come back to the knowledge that we are all children of God. That this good Earth is an example of his handiwork. That we are so very blessed to live out this life in such a beautiful place. God bless.

Taking a break

2011-05-13T15:10:00.000-07:00

Taking a little break from working in the garden. Between teaching, co-parenting, animal care, and trying to get the garden started, I am overwhelmingly busy. I just don't have enough time to get everything into the garden when I'd like to get it planted.

I was thinking about the educational philosopher John Dewey last night. John Dewey writes, among other things, about the role of experience in education. Experience, writes Dewey, is the cornerstone of a meaningful educational experience. Sure we can learn a lot from books. We can even memorize tidbits of information. But in order to really learn something we have to have an experience with it.

When I was 18 I wanted a car. My friend had been given a broken car by his grandmother. Having given up on fixing it, my friend, in turn, sold it to me. For $500 bucks. I knew nothing about working on cars. I could have read the shop manual, and sometimes I did, but I didn't learn how to work on cars until I got underneath one with a wrench. I fixed that car and drove it for another 5 years. Best $500 vehicle I've ever had. It usually ran, and if it didn't, I could make it run within a day or two. I worked on that car in some memorable places.

So, back to the original point, it was the experience of working on cars that taught me how to work on cars. There was no better way to learn than to buy a broken car and possess a strong desire to make it run.

So back to John Dewey in a roundabout way. One of my favorite quotes for my life right now is,

"To find out what one is fitted to do, and to secure an opportunity to do it, is the key to happiness"

I am fitted to do more than just teach in a classroom. I can garden, I can hunt, I can fish, I can care for animals. I can teach on the farm, I can teach at the food c0-0p, I can teach the boys, I can teach my friends. Teaching in a classroom is just one of the many things I am fitted to do. Perhaps another way of saying that would be that I am called to teach. But I can be called to many types of teaching. That calling can change over time. If teaching is my calling, then God will find a way to present me with an opportunity to teach. It is not my place to know how and where and what I will teach. Only to know that when I am called, I must serve.

Don't get me wrong. A salaried job as a school-teacher sounds like it may have some clear advantages, but whatever happens, I will be put to use if I am willing. God, show me how to be willing to serve in whatever way you see fit.

So, I pray that I may open my mind to see how I may serve as a teacher today. Whatever form that may take.

I am so blessed. Time to go plant some snap peas. Blessed be!

OK, this time for sure....

2011-05-10T21:23:00.000-07:00

I am 99.9 percent certain we will actually get a puppy this time. We've picked out a specific puppy and put a deposit on him. We've had quite the series of misadventures trying to get a dog, but I think we've got one this time. Matty helped me pick out a German Short Haired Pointer. He is super cute. He should be a good upland dog as well as a waterfowler.

On another note, there are teaching jobs starting to open up for next fall. I guess the future is in God's hands. Just pray and take the next right action and leave the results up to God. Regardless of what happens, we continue to be so blessed.

Take a kid fishing day

2011-05-07T02:54:00.000-07:00

The boys and I had a great day fishing today. We didn't catch much. I caught a catfish which stung me as I tried to release it. The fish were winning the day.

We are trying desperately to contain the chickens so we can finally get the garden in. We let them free range for most of the year and then put them in a large run during gardening season. We've got them all in, but the same four chickens keep escaping somehow. I'm going to work at it in the morning after morning animal chores.

We're going to confine Carissima to her birthing stall on Sunday. I believe she is pretty close to kidding. We are sure hoping everything goes smoothly. We are not experts at this, and I would hate to have to perform any serious interventions. Well, animals give birth all the time without my help.

I just want to keep sharing and sharing how blessed I feel. Having Jenny and the boys here on the farm is amazing. What an amazing gift from God.

Goat kids any day

2011-05-05T00:31:00.000-07:00

Carissima is due any day now. We've fixed up a nice birthing stall for her. The boys have decided to sleep out in the barn to let us know when she birthing. Not that they need to. In all probability she will do her business without any one even knowing.

The school year is winding down. I'll be sad to be leaving this job, but it is time to move on anyway. I'm feeling much more comfortable with the layoff. I'm sure that God will provide. Even if it is in a way that I do not expect. I hope it is via another teaching job, but who knows. I am open to all possibilities. I've been meaning to get an application in at the local food co-op as a bread baker. That sounds like lovely work.

We are currently struggling to contain the chickens. They have a huge run, but they have been totally free ranging all fall, winter, and spring. We put them in the run for the summer months to give the garden a fighting chance. The run is in disrepair, and they keep escaping. More work on the run in the morning. They ate a bunch of the new lettuce transplants. We need to get them locked up soon before the other veggies start coming up.

Just a short check-in. I'll get out with the camera soon. Blessings.

pigs and turkeys oh my!

2011-04-30T03:25:00.000-07:00

The pigs have landed. The turkeys have arrived. Spring does seem to be coming although it feels like it coming about one degree at a time. Moving the pigs out of the truck and into the pen was a loud and frantic operation. The pigs are getting used to their new home. The turkeys are settling into their tub in the grow room.

I've been laid off from my teaching position for next fall. I've been surprised at what an effect that has had on my pride and ego. I didn't realize what a large part of my identity has been wrapped up in teaching. In addition to teaching jobs, which are in short supply, I've been considering looking for other work as well. I've done other work besides teaching, but I've always thought of myself as a teacher. Even when I was working as a handyman, I always thought that I was just between teaching gigs. I've been filled with doubt tonight, but it will pass. I have so many blessings maybe I should take a moment and count them in my journal.

We had some friends and their children out for dinner and a play-date last night. Now that's a real blessing in life. Breaking bread with friends and family. Venison chili on baked potatoes with all the fixings. Mmmm. Life is indeed good.

I'm sure I'll be checking in with a lot of animal and vegetable adventures in the next couple of weeks. Blessed be.

Sunshine

2011-04-23T21:20:00.001-07:00

The Sun made an appearance here in N. Idaho today. It was most welcome. It was a lovely gift on this Easter weekend. The long slumbering farm is re-awakening. The goats will soon be giving birth. The chickens are producing an ever increasing number of eggs. Piglets will be coming on Friday. Baby turkeys will be coming soon too.

Usually at this time of year we start corralling the chickens too keep them out of the garden area. Unfortunately that cannot happen right now due to septic construction. Therefore, the garden will be late going in. Sigh. We've planted some new cherry and apple trees though. Along with some raspberries. I'll be putting in an asparagus patch soon too.

Life is mighty fine here on the farm. We are truly blessed. I'd love to be planting more, but it will happen soon enough. By next weekend the construction on the septic will be done and we will be in a whirlwind of gardening activity. I hope your gardens and critters are all coming along. Whatever vegetables and animals we end up with will be a gift. God bless.

Quick update

2011-04-12T19:50:00.000-07:00

I don't have anything profound or philosophical to say tonight. I've discovered that caffeine and lack of sleep make my mood wonky. I took Tim, the 12 year old, out for his first turkey hunt last week. We went on two separate days. Both times we had a beautiful morning, but did not come home with a turkey. 12 year old boys have a hard time sitting still for too long. We saw several deer and an owl up close and personal. We heard lots of turkeys and managed to see a couple as well. Nothing close enough for a shot though. We've been hunting on the Youth Hunt. Regular season opens on Friday and I will be going out. I imagine Tim will join me. Bear is also open. I'm toying with the idea of Tim carrying a shotgun for turkey and me carrying a rifle for bear. We'd cover our bases that way. Who knows.

Caspian is feeling better, but it still walking pretty tenderly. I'll just keep an I on him. Our Sundays are very busy with church activities and I've been feeling socially worn out by the end of the weekend. I'm not really an extrovert. Either way, I've made a decision to take it easy on Mondays to recover from my family and social calender over the weekend. It's not that it's not fun, because it is. It just takes a lot of emotional energy for me to be social all day long.

Life is so full. Spring is on its way. Gardening and Spring hunting is taking up a huge amount of my time. The family life is wonderful. The farm life is wonderful. What a blessing.

Injured goat update

2011-04-02T21:51:00.001-07:00

Caspian is still on the injured list. In this picture he is sort of leaning against the wall to take weight off his hurt leg. Poor guy.

He did get some exercise today. I'm less worried. I think he's going to be alright.

Everybody else is doing great. Had a busy day with the kids. Took the middle one to a 4-H event. Had a nice lunch at the food co-op. Cleaned out the goat barn. It's much easier to clean the goat barn if you do it every few weeks. Big church day tomorrow. Some farm chores too.

Taking the boys fishing on Monday. I'm looking forward to that. I am feeling so blessed.

Injured Goat

2011-03-30T22:53:00.000-07:00

Caspian is injured. I can't figure out what it is. He will not put any weight on one leg. He is limping almost to the point of not walking. I've cleaned and trimmed his hooves. Dipped the injured one in Iodine. Poked and prodded his leg. I just can't figure it. He's always been the most rowdy of the goats, so maybe he just pulled a muscle really badly. I can't see an infection anywhere. He is still eating. I'm so worried about him. I know I can't take a male goat to the vet. He has no monetary value. But he is a good friendly goat nonetheless.

I'm just waiting and watching and cuddling and nurturing.

The plastic blew off the hoop house in a storm and the chickens got in and ate the young lettuce. On the bright side, the indoor plants all look wonderful.

I know I can't complain in the grand scheme of things. I have so much to be grateful for. But there it is. Some days just feel crazier than others.

Blessed be!

Retreat

2011-03-28T12:09:00.000-07:00

Jenny and I just got back from a retreat at the Benedictine monastery of St. Gertrude's. It was an amazing experience. The theme of the retreat was "Valuing Your Life, Living Your Values." It was a perfect topic for me.

I needed to reflect on how valuable this life is to me and to God. I reflected on what I could continue to do to take care of my physical, mental, and spiritual health. I also had the opportunity to reflect on how I could live out my values, Christ's teachings, in my everyday life. Love, Tolerance, Social Justice, Care for those in need, Honesty, Integrity. We focused on the "Sermon on the Mount" and it seemed like a pretty good job description for living a life in Christ.

Jenny's pregnant. We got to hear the heartbeat for the first time on Friday before the retreat. I think that helped make the whole weekend more spiritual and emotional. It's amazing. What a blessing. I've never been a father before. I'm extremely excited. We will be getting married shortly. I will have gone from a childless, life long bachelor to a parent and co-parent of 4 children in a fairly short amount of time.

Life is truly a mystery. I am truly, truly blessed.

Spring break is ending

2011-03-21T06:15:00.000-07:00

Spring break has come to a close and it's back to work teaching. There were way more projects on my list than I could have possibly gotten completed. We were going to go for a hike yesterday, but the March weather did not cooperate. We will go in a week or two and maybe get up into the mountains to do some scouting for elk. Tim and I will be going wild turkey hunting soon. We will also be putting in for an elk unit that lots of people have success in. I'm looking forward to getting up into the mountainous area and talking a hike around.

Life is really exciting with the boys here. Sometimes it is overwhelming. Teaching is not the same thing as co-parenting. Either way, I feel so very, very blessed.

Forgiveness

2011-03-14T20:48:00.001-07:00

We got twenty five beautiful baby chicks in the mail today. It was just as much fun to watch the boys play with the chicks as it was to watch the chicks. I'd forgotten how much fun baby chicks can be.

I was talking with some friends tonight about forgiveness. Sometimes we may feel that we've done something that is unforgivable. Sometimes we may not be forgiven by those we have harmed. Whether or not we are forgiven by others is not the point really. Of course we try to make the situation right. Of course we try to change our behavior. But ultimately we are forgiven by God. Ultimately, forgiveness is always available to us. What a blessing.

We are so truly blessed.

Kids and goats

2011-03-11T18:19:00.000-08:00

What lovely day. I've been hanging out all day with the boys. We started the morning in the goat barn. Fed and played with the goats. We trimmed Caspian's hooves and the boys were a great help in keeping him calm while I worked. Later we shot a little skeet. Then we unloaded the antique chicken plucker out of the truck.

Tomorrow I am hauling some large items to the dump, putting an electric motor on the chicken plucker, checking the old dryer vent, and hopefully a few other things. Spring break is a great time for spring cleaning and spring projects. I'm going to build some hoop houses and a better hay feeder for the goats.

Jenny is out with some other moms tonight. I'm staying home and keeping an eye on the boys. They are mostly entertaining themselves so far.

If you see to it each day that your conduct is impeccable, the following day will be completely clear, and you will be free to carry out your plans, always vigilant that you leave no loose ends. In this way, each new day will find you free and well disposed.
Omraam Mikhael Aivanhov

I love this quote. The better my conduct each day, the less worry and anxiety I bring into the next day. The less worry I am carrying around, the more freedom I have to live the following day to its fullest.

I am so truly blessed.

Spring Break!

2011-03-11T02:19:00.000-08:00

Doing the spring break dance here! No I'm not going to sunny Daytona Beach to drink with girls in bikinis. I'll be here with my honey and the boys doing a long list of farm projects. And looking forward to every minute of it. Topping the list is trimming Caspian's hooves. I didn't realize how badly he needed it, poor boy. I'm anticipating him being feisty. Definitely a leather glove kind of job. Sharp tools, rowdy goat.

I'll be going around to local food merchants to look for a source for donated pig feed. Old loaves of bread, wilted produce, anything that might help. We should be getting the weaner pigs in a little over a month. And chicks on Monday. We gave the boys a choice of one variety each. Of course they chose the weirdest looking chickens they could find. We'll be getting five of each chosen variety for a total of 25 chicks. I talked to the feed store about getting 5 turkey chicks too. I don't know exactly where we are going to put the turkeys yet though. Something to give some thought too soon.

Tomorrow will bring photographs. I promised the boys I would go and take pictures of their latest fort in the barn. I'll also take some time to get some other fun pictures as well.

We went to Ash Wednesday service this week. We also went to a wonderful community dinner at the church on Thursday. We are also getting more involved in a homeschool network. There is a field trip to the Science Center next Friday.

We've got some fun things planned too. Contra dancing, hiking, and maybe some steelhead fishing if the rivers come down. All in all we are looking forward to a wonderful week of farm and family. We are so truly blessed.

Awakening

2011-03-09T01:29:00.000-08:00

"Springtime is the land awakening. The March winds are the morning yawn."
- Lewis Grizzard

Well we've had a little sun, a little wind, a bit more snow, an evening of hail, and some rain. Spring is here. Jenny and I went hiking in a local canyon and it felt like spring. We saw some wild turkeys and a couple of grouse. There are bulbs coming up in the garden. Following the receding snow. There is a whole bunch of mud. And spring break is here next week. I have 10 days off of teaching, but not off of farming. We've got a list of chores a mile long.

We are going to plant some cherry trees, build a hoop house, maybe do a little tilling (under the hoop house, clean the chicken barn, spring clean the barnyard, order more seeds...and on.

I'm looking forward to the spring chores, but we will also try to do a little hiking and some steelhead fishing. The baby chicks arrive on March 14th as well. That will be a lot of fun for the boys.

Teaching is going great this week. It is a blessing to be able to be of service to my students. Spring is coming, March is yawning and stretching. What a gift it is to witness another beautiful spring on the farm.

Big egg, little egg

2011-03-03T23:46:00.001-08:00

Oh yes, it's the classic big egg little egg picture. Every egg farmer has one. But dang, you gotta wonder how a hen did that.

I made venison picatta tonight. 2 out of 3 boys liked it. Both of the adults loved it.

I was excited to come home from teaching and see Jenny and the boys. It was a great day of teaching. I love it when it just "clicks" with a student. One of my students who has autism is really learning to read...finally. Sometimes it just takes a long effort with little sign of success followed by a cognitive growth spurt. It's great to watch. Earlier in the week I had another student leap ahead in mathematics. What a blessing.

Carrissima is looking more and more pregnant. I'm still sort of assuming she is, as I have not done a blood test on her. It'll be so exciting to add baby goats to the menagerie. The baby chicks are due to arrive the 15th of March. Yay. We've already got enough eggs to fill our standing orders, feed our family, and sell a few dozen to the food co-op. I believe we are coming out a little bit ahead on the eggs which is hard to do.

The house is getting unpacked. Jenny has been a hero in that regard. I've been too busy teaching and trying to make up for all the snow days. Times are tight, but I still feel so very blessed to have everybody here. I know that everything will continue to work out. There's certainly no chance that we will starve around here. What a blessing. The plants are taking off in the grow room. I'm hoping for a banner garden year. Who knows, maybe the farmer's market will be a go this year.

I feel so truly blessed. What an adventure. I still marvel at how quickly life can change. What an amazing gift.

moving day in a blizzard

2011-03-02T00:34:00.000-08:00

Wow, we couldn't have picked a worse day to move Jenny in. There was a blizzard complete with 40 mph winds. The driveway drifted shut with 4 foot snow drifts! Both of my trucks were buried. Then Jenny showed up with a truck and trailer and couldn't get in the driveway to unload.

I began plowing with the tractor at 6 am, and we didn't finish unloading until 6 pm. I couldn't get to work, but I was able to meet with a few students via Skype (video conferencing over the internet). I'm teaching in the morning, but it will almost be a nice break from the moving chaos.

Everybody was pretty tired and grumpy by the end of the day. I was ready to call it a day at about 4 pm, but we powered through and got all the vehicles unloaded. It all worked out and Jenny and the boys are finally here to stay. Yay! What a blessing.

First we must dream

2011-02-27T02:16:00.000-08:00

"To accomplish great things, we must not only act, but also dream; not only plan, but also believe."
Anatole France

I believe in my dreams. I believe that dreams can come true. If I act as if those dreams can come to fruition, I set myself up to succeed in attaining them.

Grace. Unmerited favor. I have been blessed with a life that is beyond my wildest imaginings. It is through Grace that I have been saved from the scrap heap and rocketed into the fourth dimension of existence. I am living a life that I could have could have hardly dreamed of at one time.

It is hard to pinpoint an exact moment at which the dream began to come true, but if I had to it would be when I began to take night classes to re-assemble my teaching career ten years ago. I had destroyed my career, and my life in general, by excessive drinking. I had completely failed as a human being. I took a job as an assistant in a classroom, a job I was vastly over-qualified for, and one at which I was hardly confident that I could succeed at. I struggled to wrap my brain around one night class at a time. Slowly, one class and one job at a time, I began to climb up and out of the deep hole I had dug myself into.

There are a lot of "I's" in that paragraph. I did this, I did that. But really all I did was begin to show up for life. From one moment to the next, it was all I could do to just try one more day to do the things that were laid in front of me. As several years passed, I started to believe that, with God's help, I began to believe that there was something out there better than the way I had been living. Really, anything was better than the way I had been living.

Yes, I acted. Yes I planned. But more importantly, I came to believe. To believe that through God's grace I might be restored to sanity. I do dare to have dreams today. I do believe that they can come true. I have been so truly blessed. I don't know what God has in store for me, but anything is better than the way it was.

Am I prepared II?

2011-02-25T21:56:00.001-08:00

There are so many things to consider when thinking about being prepared. I have great friends and a great spiritual community, but they are all a 15 mile drive away. My closest real neighbors are a mile or two away, and their kids are all grown and gone. I've been thinking of asking them over for a dinner, but haven't gotten around to it yet.

It's -6 degrees tonight. I'm a little worried about the chickens getting frozen combs and wattles. I wish I had put some Vaseline on their combs. The goats are probably fine. I gave them some straight alfalfa tonight before bed which they devoured. I'm really hoping Carrissima will start to obviously show she's pregnant soon. I'm a wimp about drawing blood from the goats. But I suppose I just need more practice. Whisper will be far enough along for an accurate blood test soon. Maybe I'll just draw blood on both of them at the same time.

I was looking at my self-sufficiency/sustainability "wish list". There are certainly things that would be important to have that I don't have yet. I'd like to figure out a way to pump the well without electricity. The windmill that used to pump it is still there, but whatever mechanism that it operated in the bottom of the well is long gone.

I'm planning on growing some of my own livestock feed myself this year. Field corn and sugar beets. I know this is not all that is needed for a balanced feed, but it is a step in the right direction.

I am still reliant on a "hay for shares" arrangement to get my field hayed. I just can't justify a larger tractor and hay equipment for just 9 acres. My hay field is not of the highest quality, but it is still useful. What I should really do is have someone till it and replant it in alfalfa. I'll have to mull that over for the future, although if I start grazing cattle on it I would just leave it as grass hay.

I'm strongly considering adding electric pig fencing to my wish list. What's on your wish list. Both essentials and for fun. I'd really like a cider press. I know a person can live without cider, but it sure would be fun to press some apples.

We are going to add cherry trees and try the raspberries again this year. Maybe I'll add another young apple tree or some younger plums. The plum trees I've got have gotten a little wild.

I saw a great quote the other day.

By saying grace, we release the Divine sparks in our food.

Rabbi Herschel

Stay warm and may God's blessings find you wherever you take your meal and lay your head tonight.

Am I prepared?

2011-02-24T17:18:00.000-08:00

About twenty years ago, when people talked about "being prepared" we all got the same image of the paranoid survivalist with a bunker full of guns and ammunition. Not that there is anything wrong with guns and ammunition, just that that isn't really what the "Prepper" movement is about today. To me, and to many others I connect with, it is about having a plan for sustainable living-should political, economic, or physical circumstances warrant.

I wrote a while ago about being physically, mentally, and spiritually prepared. Well, I lost those 40 pounds I talked about although I've gained 5 of them back. My body is much more physically prepared for hardships and challenges. I just more physically prepared to do anything-fun or not so fun.

I talked a while ago about how I would run my farm should fossil fuels become prohibitively expensive or unavailable. I had a funny conundrum yesterday. I needed to plow the driveway. I needed (or wanted) the tractor to do it. Only the tractor needed diesel to run. So I needed to drive to town to get a big can of diesel fuel only the trucks were already both stuck in the snow. Which was why I needed the tractor in the first place. So, in the end, despite owning a bunch of big machines, I still ended up digging the truck out with a shovel, so I could go to town to go get diesel for the tractor to plow the driveway. Sounds like a Dr. Seuss rhyme.

Rambling back to my original point, can I live sustainably in a long or short term political, economic, or physical (back to the ENERGY issue) emergency. I could, but it would be hard. Imagine having to till an acre or more by hand. No tractor. Imagine haying 9 acres by hand. Sure people have done it in the past, but I sure never have.

I've been thinking about this a lot. I'm not going to create a 100 item survival list on my blog, but I have one on paper. And I have a lot of the stuff on it. There's a lot more stuff I would love to have that I don't.

Hand tools, propane back-up stove, generator, pressure canner, lots and lots of mason jars, bulk foods, animals, breeding pairs of animals (yep, just like Noah), physical gold and silver, guns, ammunition, freezer full of food, root cellar, 55 gallon drum of drinking water...the list goes on. Some of these things I have already, some I don't.

I don't really think there is going to be gasoline one day and none the next, but if you're old enough you can still remember the lines at gas stations in the 1970's. Even last year folks panicked when gas hit $4.00 a gallon. What would it be like if gas were $10.00 a gallon. $15.00? Will the dollar continue to be the king of currency? Maybe not. What happens if $10.00 doesn't buy a loaf of bread.

OK, OK, enough of the rant. But how prepared are we all for general weirdness? How prepared am I? Things seem a little weird all over right now. I just want to be able to ride out a storm should one occur.

Blessings

Is it Spring yet?

2011-02-23T20:40:00.000-08:00

Wow! Lots of snow. How do you get a 3/4 ton Ford F-250 4x4 stuck? By sliding sideways off my driveway and into a three foot snow drift apparently. It's hard to imagine with tomatoes, peppers, basil, and lettuce coming up in the grow room that Spring is far off, but when you look out the window it seems impossible that it will ever get here. I fell in a waist high snow drift carrying the goat's hot water this morning in a 10 gallon jug. Blech.

Well, enough of that. Shall we count blessings? I'm warm and snug in my little farmhouse. Jenny is moving in with the boys this weekend. I've got great friends. Wonderful family. A faith and trust in a loving God. A bunch of great animals. A job in which I am able to be of service to families who want and need my help. A freezer and pantry full of wonderful, wholesome food. A princess of a house cat. Reasonably good health. Ahhhh. Not much to complain about really.

Spring will come in due time and summer will follow. Turkey and bear season are on the way. Planting season will come soon after. There will be plenty to keep me busy and fulfilled. I might even wistfully wish for a night of being snowed in.

Jenny and the goats

2011-02-22T02:31:00.001-08:00

Jenny and the boys are going back to Oregon today. They will finish packing and be moving in next week. Wow! We had a great time taking care of the animals, cooking, playing games, sledding, shooting, just hanging out.

Carissima is looking more and more like a pregnant goat each day. We really are hoping she is. I should probably test her and Whisper as soon as Whisper is able to be tested.

We ordered 25 baby chicks yesterday. They'll be coming in mid-March. We got a couple of different types. Some goofy looking ones that the boys picked out, and some practical birds that Jenny and I picked out. They'll all lay eggs. Just some of the might look funnier wandering around than others.

What a blessing this all is. I was talking with some friends about expressing gratitude last night. How hard it can sometimes be to let people know you are grateful for them. How hard it can sometimes be to keep an attitude of gratitude.

I am so grateful for the life I've been given. What a blessing.

Getting ready for turkey season

2011-02-19T12:35:00.000-08:00

Well, one can wish can't they. Despite the fact that there is a foot of snow on the ground, it was beautiful, warm, and sunny today. The sun shining through the snow and ice on the trees was lovely.

We got out Tim's 20 gauge and practiced a little bit on a turkey target. Just getting ready for the youth turkey hunt in early April. Now, I am by no means an expert at turkey hunting, but I do know the land pretty well and I know where we'll at least see some turkeys. Finding a gobbler and getting a shot may be more of a matter of luck than any skill I possess.

The goats are loving having the boys here. We are hoping that both Whisper and Carissima are now pregnant. Carrisima is due, if she's pregnant, in May, and Whisper a little later. Still have to do the math on that one. In any event, I've been avoiding doing the blood tests hoping that they will start showing soon. I can't do the blood test on Whisper for another few weeks anyway as she was only bred in the last week or two.

It is such a blessing to have Jenny and the boys here. They are moving in full time next weekend. It is a huge transition for all of us, but we seem to be handling it with a little grace. Each day I feel more and more blessed for the wonderful life I've been given.

Hope

2011-02-13T18:32:00.000-08:00

"Hope begins in the dark, the stubborn hope that if you just show up and try to do the right thing, the dawn will come. You wait and watch and work: you don't give up."

Anne Lamott

" May your unfailing love rest upon us, O LORD, even as we put our hope in you."
Psalm 33:22

Sometimes waiting is the hardest work. Waiting for Spring. Waiting for love. Waiting to see if the goats are pregnant. Waiting to give God's love a chance to manifest itself.

But waiting is not the same as doing nothing. While I wait, I work. I pray with my hands. I plant seeds indoors, I care for the goats, I feed the chickens, I collect the eggs. I clean up the barnyard and make a burn pile. I try to do the next thing in front of me. I don't begrudge the present. Even when the present can feel like an endless February day. There is still plenty of farm work to be done, even in February when it seems like the world is still asleep.

The goats need to be fed and brushed. Carissima is starting to look pregnant. Either that or she is getting a beer belly. We're hoping Whisper is pregnant as well. The chickens are laying more and more eggs daily. A load of straw needs to be picked up and loaded into the barn. Bedding needs to be cleaned. Baby chicks need to be ordered. Starts need to be planted and watered.

And wild turkey season is right around the corner. And maybe a few more steelhead fishing trips. I love turkey hunting. I walk into the woods in the dark. Listening to owls hooting and turkeys gobbling from the trees in the pre-dawn. Finding a place to set up where I think they might fly down off their roosts. Waiting for the dawn to come. Waiting and more waiting.

February is like the glimmer of dawn before the sunrise of Spring. It's too early to really hope that Spring is here, but you can see a glimmer of it. You act as if Spring will actually come one day. You work, preparing for Spring for the dawn. And it does come. Dawn comes, the seasons change, Christ is resurrected, and the world is reborn.

What a blessing. We had a nice, sunny, warm late winter day today. The kind that reminds you that February does not last forever and that Spring is on its way. Blessings,

Ouch!

2011-02-12T19:48:00.000-08:00

I promise pictures soon! Really!

Whisper is home from "goat camp". Hopefully she is nice and pregnant. The other goats were kind of head butting and shoving her around. I think they smelled the strange male scent on her.

I drove 300+ miles there and back to pick her up. I fell asleep at the wheel, pulled over and slept, then took some "No-Doz" to finish the drive home. They are 200 milligrams of straight caffeine each tablet. Now I am wide awake and feel awful. Oh well. I don't think I've taken a No-Doz in 25 years. Ouch!

Jenny and the boys are away for a week and a half. I miss them terribly. Only a couple of more weeks until they move in permenantly.

I'm sorry if the blog has been off track the last couple of posts. I'll get back on topic. Homesteading adventures with lots of fun pictures.

It is nice to have the goat family all back even if they are acting weird. The extra 20 chickens have really ramped up the egg production. I've got several orders that I fill weekly, but I'll probably have eggs leftover to sell to the food co-op anyway. With the boys here soon I'll need plenty of eggs and goats milk anyway. I've got tomatoes, hot peppers, and basil coming up in the grow room. Spring feels like it is finally on its way. What a blessing. The circle is coming back around to the growing and gardening time. The sun will return and the earth will again renew itself. New plants, blooming apple trees, baby goats, and plenty of eggs.

Blessed be

A nice visit

2011-02-10T01:22:00.000-08:00

Jenny and the boys have been here and gone again. It was a great week long visit, but now it is back to being the bachelor. They'll be moving in permenantly on March 1st and I can't wait. It was wonderful to have them here for an extended visit. A grand experiment.

We did a lot of everyday stuff. It was interesting for me to work all day and come home to a house full of kids. It was great really. I still made some time to take a little personal space and also to spend time with some friends.

I took the boys steelhead fishing. The conditions were not great and we didn't catch anything. Better luck next time. Tim, the oldest, finished his hunter safety class and got his card. We shot a little bit with the .22. We were going to shoot some skeet but never got a break in the weather. He and I are going to go out on the Youth Turkey Hunt in early April. We are both really excited.

Whisper is coming back from goat camp this Saturday. It will be nice to have all three goats back. The chickens are laying up a storm and I have plenty of eggs to sell. The boys were a great help with the farm chores.

We planted some tomato, pepper, and basil starts in the grow room. Spring must be on its way soon.

Jenny and I watched the move "Collapse" which I would recommend. It is a documentary about "peak oil" theory. It is a little alarmist and a little short on proof, but thought provoking none-the-less. We are going to watch a more uplifting documentary called, "The Power of Community-How Cuba Survived Peak Oil" next week. It is supposed to be good.

Our retreat at the Benedictine monastery got canceled, but we are planning to go on a different one later in Spring.

The circle continues unbroken. Winter into Spring and someday into summer again. Planting starts, fishing for steelhead, turkey hunting, ordering baby chicks, birthing goats. All signs of springs imminent arrival. What a miracle. What a blessing. I feel so truly blessed.

New hens

2011-01-30T19:27:00.000-08:00

No pictures today. Jenny was in for a short visit and it's been crazy busy. She'll be returning in just a couple of days with the boys for a week visit. I am so looking forward to that. As a life-long childless bachelor it's going to be quite a shock. Jenny and I worked hard moving stuff in, organizing, lifting, and assembling.

The other thing we did was acquire 20 free laying hens! It was more work in cramped quarters to get them caught, loaded in the truck, and released in the hen house. They've already started laying in their new home. Sometimes new chickens will be "off" for a couple of days, but these seem to be settling in fairly well. I don't think they are used to free ranging because they haven't left the hen house yet. I need to get them eating a little more calcium. There egg shells are thin. Oyster shell for starters and then bugs and weeds when they decide to venture outside. In any event, the extra eggs will be a big help. I've been struggling to meet some orders and with the boys moving in would have been short some eggs. This will definitely solve that problem.

I met with some friends briefly after Jenny had left. Good friends are such a blessing. Having Jenny and her boys moving out to the farm is a blessing too even if it is a little scary sometimes.

Goat Camp

2011-01-24T21:43:00.000-08:00

Well, Whisper is off to goat camp. Which is a nice way of saying that I'm getting her bred. Hopefully I will end up with two goats in milk with a handful of kids. We'll need it to supply milk for three growing boys and Jenny and I. I also plan to continue to make cheese. I picked up an antique "Viking" cream separator as well. We can use this to make cream for butter and of course cream for the coffee. When I manage to get the cream separator re-assembled I'll be sure to post a picture of it. It is quite the contraption.

Here is a picture of the fort the boys made out of hay and straw bales in the loft. Unfortunately I'm going to have to partially dis-assemble it to feed the goats.

It was a lot of driving to drop Whisper off, 300 miles round trip, but I was able to combine it with running some other errands up North. Although Moscow and Lewiston are fairly close by, there are still things I can't get here. I either have to drive to Coeur d Alene or order online and pay shipping. It was a nice trip, but tiring.

Grace-revisted

2011-01-21T02:45:00.000-08:00

"Few souls understand what God would accomplish in them if they were to abandon themselves unreservedly to Him and if they were to allow His grace to mold them accordingly." -- St. Ignatius Loyola

Why is it that I sometimes think that accomplishments are achieved by force of will. My will. When I'm spiritually fit, I ask for God to guide me and my actions. Then I act with all the strength I can muster. It is by abandoning myself that I accomplish great things.

Of course I am not always spiritually fit. Lost in selfishness, self-pity, and remorse. Sometimes I forget all about God. Forget all about serving my fellow man.

When I abandon self, I allow God's grace to mold me, and then I am truly blessed.

Grace

2011-01-19T01:26:00.000-08:00

"And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee:
for my strength is made perfect in weakness.
Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities,
that the power of Christ may rest upon me."
2 Corinthians 12:9

I visited a man in the hospital the other day. He had found out he had cancer and had relapsed on narcotics. He had overdosed and almost died. I wanted to help him. To reach out, to console, to encourage, to lift up. I don't know if I was able to be of any help at all. I don't know if I had any of the right words to say. What I did say was that I had been there. That I knew what it felt like to wake up in a hospital bed, alone, in a strange town. Bewildered. Lost. Terrified. Knowing that I had drank too much, to often, for too many years. But not quite being able to piece together how I had come to find myself in this particular hospital, on this particular morning, in this particular town.

What I could say was that I had been where he was and that there was a way out. That, although he couldn't see it, there was hope. That in that moment of weakness and infirmity, strength might be found. I didn't think I could get to where I am today from where I was then. In fact I couldn't even see here from there. I have found a life beyond my wildest imaginings. I am living in a dream. Not because I "made" it happen. Not because I deserved it. But because of Grace. The mystery of grace is that it, "finds you where you are but doesn't leave you where it found you." Through grace I have been given a new life. A second chance. Because, you see, God does forgive. And the more beaten, the weaker, the more infirm you are the greater the strength you will be given. God's strength truly is made perfect in weakness.

I don't know if anything I said will help this friend. I don't think any human power can help in a situation like that. What I can do is be a witness that in weakness and infirmity there is a power. Just over the horizon. Where you can't quite see it yet. There is strength. There is a way up and out. There is Grace. It is waiting for you.

And today I feel truly, truly blessed.

A Happy gang on the farm

2011-01-17T02:21:00.000-08:00

What a happy crew on the farm. We played with the goats, collected eggs, played in the hayloft, made an apple pie, and made French stuffed pumpkin for dinner. We are having a ball. I'm sure the goats are too.

Jenny and the boys go home for a couple of weeks today. We'll try to go steelhead fishing net weekend as a family. Then Whisper goes to "goat-camp" to get bred. We will be looking forward to multiple goat births in early summer. That'll be a wild time.

The stuffed pumpkin had mashed potatoes, onions, and venison/pork sausage in it. Along with traditional pumpkin spices. Nutmeg, cinnamon, allspice, and ginger. It turned out great and so did the apple pie.

We are having a bit of a windstorm. It must have knocked the power out sometime in the night.

What a wonderful time we all have had. We made a lot of connections at church this weekend. We are looking forward to getting involved in 4-H. We are looking forward to getting involved in the youth activities at church.

It is going to be pretty lonely this next couple of weeks out here on the farm. Plenty to do though. With teaching and getting the house prepared for Jenny and the boys to move in, plus all of the regular chores, I'll be pretty busy.

Well, as usual, I am feeling blessed. Blessed to have such wonderful new adventures coming into my life. Cheers.

pleasantly exhausted

2011-01-15T15:02:00.000-08:00

What a wonderful weekend it is turning out to be. Jenny is visiting with her boys. Today we cleaned the chicken coop. Ten willing (well, various levels of willingness) hands made it much easier a task. Nonetheless, it was still a backbreaking chore. It was really messy.

With the chicken coop cleaned, Tim, the twelve year old, and I went partridge hunting. No birds today, but yesterday he shot one. His first bird on his first time bird hunting.

We are having a game dinner of partridge, pheasant and mallard. It should be wonderful. We are going to perform a science experiment on the canned sauerkraut later. We will be testing the acidity of the kraut with litmus paper. Canned kraut is supposed to have a ph of 4 to be safe. (I actually tested it myself earlier and it looks to be right at 4.)

Although I have been teaching for almost 20 years, I have never had children of my own. I am not used to having them in the house 24 hours a day. It's been wonderful but exhausting. I have the utmost respect for parents everywhere.

I have lined up a "farm-sitter" for Jenny and I's retreat to a Benedictine Monastery. It will be wonderful weekend of prayer and togetherness. The retreat is over Valentines day and is focused on praying and meditating together as a couple. We are both looking forward to the weekend immensely.

We went as a family to a "Farmer's Mixer" last night. It was organized by the local food co-op and was a chance for local, small, sustainable farmers to meet and network. It sounds like there is quite a market for local, pasture raised beef and pork. Something to think about for the future. Both of those are possibilities for us. My property is fenced for cattle and it is possible that it could be modified for pigs as well.

Everything about this weekend has been such a blessing. Even my sore back and exhausted muscles. It feels good to get some good hard chores done. God is being such a "show-off". I am feeling truly, truly blessed.

Pipes thawed

2011-01-12T23:22:00.000-08:00

Yay! The pipes thawed out. In fact we are going to get a big January thaw. 35-40 degrees all week. This should bring the geese up from the valley for one last shot at hunting them. Season closes Sunday I think.

Jenny and her boys are coming to visit tomorrow. This will be the boys' first visit to the farm. I think it will be a ball. I'm sure they will love it here. The oldest boy and I will do a little partridge and bunny hunting. There is plenty to explore for the younger boys too. It will be fun to introduce them to the animals. We may even clean out the chicken coop. Oh what fun that will be! It would have been quite an adventure to have a full house with no running water.

I'm really glad the pipes have thawed and that they don't appear to have burst anywhere. I did a quick crawl under the house (Oh what fun that was) to check, and I didn't see anything out of order.

We have a "small farmers' mixer" to go to on Friday. And Church on Sunday. Other than that it will just be exploring the farm and exploring the town.

What a blessing this all is. So unexpected. I feel so truly blessed.

frozen pipes

2011-01-11T08:09:00.000-08:00

Well dang, the pipes are frozen. The faucets were on, but they froze anyway. It was only about 12 degrees. Not even that cold. I had to melt snow to get water to the goats. I could use a shower before I teach, but maybe I'll just melt a little water and wash my face.
I had a splendid weekend at Jenny's. Got to spend some more time with the boys. Three little boys can really wear you out. Jenny and the boys are coming out to visit on Thursday. It will be their first visit to the farm. I am praying that all goes well. They are excited to see the farm and meet the animals.

When they move in we will be getting baby chicks and weaner pigs so that will add to the excitement. Then will have goats giving birth. And maybe a puppy by mid-summer. It'll be a lively time. All hands on deck! Carrissima is starting to look a little pregnant. I may or may not do a blood test in a few weeks. I am really not that good at drawing blood from goats.

Well, I'll try to get out and about with the camera. I am really feeling incredibly blessed. I get to go to work today and be a good teacher.

Sausage Making

2011-01-06T01:08:00.000-08:00

Finally got around to making more venison sausage. I usually mix 1/2 venison and 1/2 fatty pork. I used breakfast sausage spices for this batch. Ginseng, nutmeg, white pepper, thyme, and salt. I accidentally added more Ginseng than I had planned on. Unfortunately I was tired and didn't want to take the time to stuff it into sheep casings. I like links more than bulk sausage, but there it is. Jenny and I are going to make some more sausage on one of her visits soon. Maybe bratwurst. Those we'll stuff into casings for sure. Everything is more fun when you're doing it with a friend.

I've been crazy busy the last couple of days. I forgot how emotionally draining it is to teach special education. I came home last night, called Jenny and fell asleep for an hour. I have so much to do before Friday. I'm headed to Jenny's house for a visit. It's about 4 hours away. I have to get the chicken coop cleaned before I leave, but I teach tomorrow and have an administrative meeting as well. I'll either end up cleaning the coop at night by the headlights of the tractor or doing it Friday morning before I leave. Neither option sounds great. Nobody likes to shovel poop. Especially on a dark, winter night. I also have to deliver eggs and check on a friends cat early tomorrow morning before work. Poor me...LoL.

I'm actually loving this week of teaching. It's been going great. Both the kids and I have a lot more energy after the Christmas break. I am so blessed to have a job that I love. And a farm that I love to take care of. And a beautiful woman in my life. Life is good, I feel truly blessed.

Teaching quote for the day: "To stimulate ... untrained minds is to play with mighty fires." W.E.B. Du Bois

Late night on the farm

2011-01-05T03:24:00.000-08:00

Sorry about the lack of pictures lately. It's been so darn cold outside I haven't wanted to spend an extra moment out there. The pipes on the washing machine froze the other day. Thankfully, the rest of the pipes are still clear. I fell asleep early on the couch last night, so of course I am now awake in the middle of the night. Well, early, early morning I guess.

I was going to make sausage, but the meat is still frozen. I guess I'll have to wait until tomorrow. I'm over booked tomorrow already. Teaching, phone calls, cleaning the chicken coop (ugh!). I suppose I will find time.

The goats are happy despite the cold. Carissima is back from "goat camp" and hopefully is pregnant. I'll do a test in a couple of weeks. I will be bringing Whisper up to get bred soon too. There could be a lot of goats around here this spring! I was debating whether to breed Whisper this year, as she is a little small, but Jenny is moving in with her three boys and the extra milk would be wonderful. Whisper has also hit a growth spurt in the last month, so I think she is big enough now. That could mean anywhere from 4-8 new goat kids. 95% of the time goat births happen without any trouble at all. I'm not so confident of being able to handle a troublesome birth, so I hope it doesn't come to that. Jenny seems more confident than I that we would be able to handle the situation.

The thought of having Jenny and the three boys move in is amazing. The boys sound excited about baby chicks, piglets, and goat kids. We are planning to raise heritage breed pigs this year. It will be a little more expensive for the weaner pigs, but hopefully it will be worth it in the end. The meat is supposed to be amazing. We are looking at two breeds. Pure bred Berkshires or a breed called the Red Wattle. Either one sounds great. The Red Wattle is a threatened breed, so it would be nice to encourage the continued viability of the breed. We'll just have to see how it pans out with the breeders.

I'll try to take some pictures tomorrow and get something more interesting posted than my musings. Have a blessed day.

Let it snow, let it blow

2010-12-28T21:42:00.000-08:00

It is snowing again. I love snow. Unfortunately, I need to drive 400 miles to pick up Bella, the new puppy, on Thursday. I really want to pick her up, but I may need to drive the big truck (10 mpg) in order to do so. Or I could wait a few days and drive the small truck. (20 mpg) Hmmm. What to do. I also will need to plow the driveway so that a) I can get out with either truck, and b) so that the propane guy can deliver. Heat is a good thing. I've been trying to figure out how and where I could put a wood stove for supplemental heat. It would be good in an emergency and would be cheaper as well. I also need to figure out how the stove pipes would work so as to not catch the roof on fire. I may need to talk to a professional about that one.

The seed catalogs have already started to arrive. It seems a little early. I've already seen some new things I'd like to grow. I'm going to get a big bag of corn seeds to grow corn for the pigs. I really need to cut my feed costs for next year. Folks are already selling weaner pigs in the paper and online. It seems a little early for that too. It is supposed to be bone chilling cold later this week. After we get a foot of snow tonight, that is. It's hard to pretend that spring is near.

Jenny and her three boys have plans to move in later this spring. It will be a mighty time. Having children in the house will be a big change of pace for me. But a welcome one. What an adventure. What a blessing. I have been so truly blessed. I don't know how I can fully express my gratitude for the grace I have been shown to me. What a gift.

A prayer for guidance

2010-12-25T00:42:00.000-08:00

MY LORD GOD, I have no idea where I am going.
I do not see the road ahead of me.
I cannot know for certain where it will end.
Nor do I really know myself, and the fact that I think that I am following your will does not mean that I am actually doing so.
But I believe that the desire to please you does in fact please you.
And I hope I have that desire in all that I am doing.
I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire.
And I know that if I do this you will lead me by the right road though I may know nothing about it.
Therefore will I trust you always though I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death.
I will not fear, for you are ever with me, and you will never leave me to face my perils alone.

- Thomas Merton, "Thoughts in Solitude"

And to all a good night...

2010-12-24T23:18:00.001-08:00

Well, it's Christmas Eve and I haven't written much this month. A wonderful new woman in my life has proved to be such a blessing. At some point in the future, she may move out to the homestead with a crew of three young boys. What a blessing. What a gift.

I am in California for a rare weekend away from the farmstead to celebrate Christmas with my family. What a blessing.

Tomorrow morning I hope to attend Mass at a local Catholic Parish with family. What a joy.

I hope this holiday season finds you and yours well and at peace. Blessed be.

Prayer for the day

2010-12-04T01:17:00.000-08:00

"Take my memory, my understanding, my imagination, my body, my will, my entire self. God, I give it all to you. Give me only your grace and your love. That is enough." - Saint Ignatius of Loyola

My tractor was buried in a 5 foot snow drift in the driveway. I spent an hour digging it out enough to move it. Then I put the chains on, which I should have done before it snowed, and began plowing. After clearing about ten feet of drive, I have a 50 yard driveway, the tire fell off and shredded. I sat there in shocked silence. Snowflakes drifting peacefully down around me. I shut off the tractor...and laughed. God, I am truly getting the gift now. I really mean that it is a gift. The gift of humility. The gift of practicing serenity. The gift of facing overwhelming adversity with a little grace. Of knowing my small little place in God's universe.

That is not to say I never blow my top at broken shoelaces. But this particular instance was so completely "not funny" that it was funny. What else can you do but laugh. The driveway will get plowed. Or maybe it'll melt away in spring. Whichever comes first I suppose.

Grace and love. That is enough. And I am given those things if I ask. If I let go of anger and self-pity. If I let go of my entire self. If I even let go of everything I hold dear. God, I am willing that you should have all of me good and bad, root and branch. Just leave me your grace and love...that is enough.

I have been truly blessed. Everything I "have" is such a gift. Except that I do not really have it. It is not mine. It is all temporary. Like the tire on the tractor. One minute it is a tire, the next it is shredded rubber. In the end, all I really have is God's grace and God's love. And that is enough.

Snow

2010-11-30T23:55:00.001-08:00

I went to Oregon to spend Thanksgiving with my girlfriend's family. I ended up getting snowed in. It was a scramble to find people to watch the goats, but I am so blessed that I was able to find friends and neighbors to pitch in for a couple of days. I ended up spending a couple of extra days and it was wonderful.

There was a one day break in the storms and I was able to make it home. All the animals were safe and sound. Then a new round of storms hit the inland Northwest. I got more snow and high winds. Still have electricity though.

There are four foot drifts in the driveway. I got the tractor stuck trying to dig them out. I am practically snowed in again here. It was much more fun being snowed in with a beautiful woman than it is being snowed in all alone except for the animals. I'll have to chain up the tractor, get it unstuck, and plow the rest of the driveway tomorrow.

Geese are flying over the Palouse. Pretty soon I'll be out to set up a hunting blind and decoys in the hayfield. I can hardly wait.

What a gift it is to be living in such a beautiful, wild place. Despite a touch of cabin fever, I wouldn't trade it for a million bucks. Hope you all had a blessed Thanksgiving with friends and family.

Seasons changing

2010-11-22T20:01:00.001-08:00

It's steel head season. Especially now that I've filled the freezer with a deer. I'm still waterfowl hunting as often as possible too though. In fact, it won't be long until the geese and mallards will be flying over my hay field. At that point in the season I just hunt in the back of the house. It's not quite as exciting as going up to the lakes, but it's a whole lot easier.

We are having a huge blizzard right now. The highway is closed and I am snowed in. I managed to get out to town to go to the hardware store this afternoon and the roads were pretty bad. I'm not surprised that they closed it.

I nailed up some plywood over the old windows in the barn to keep the worst of the wind out from where the goats are. They seem to be keeping warm enough by curling up together. In fact, the barn cats were sleeping with the goats when I went out to check on them last night. I'm just feeding them lots and keeping them out of the wind. I've been going out every couple of hours to break up the ice in the water trough. There is no power out at the barn to hook up a heating element for the trough. If anybody knows of a solar powered heating element for a watering trough let me know.

I'm going to have to haul hot water in 7.5 gallon jugs out to the barn in the morning in the tractor. The water trough will be frozen solid by then. That will not be a fun chore in -20 windchill weather. The chickens usually do OK, although I haven't checked them since this afternoon. I may put a heat lamp in their coop tomorrow when the temperature really dips.

I have been blessed to meet a wonderful woman. She is such a gift in my life. She, and all my other great friends, are such a blessing in my life. Stay warm everybody. Winter is here.

Wind Storm

2010-11-17T20:58:00.000-08:00

I had a huge wind storm here the other day! 85 mph winds, lightning, rain, and hail. Wow! It was scary. I had a window blow in, a tree come down, and power lines across the road. I had no power or water for almost two days. It was a couple of long and sleepless nights. The neighbor's barn roof blew off and pieces of it are scattered all the way to my property a mile a way.

The intensity and stress and lack of sleep really knocked me out of commission. I am finally getting back to a more regular sleep schedule, hopefully, and trying to get caught up. I had to miss teaching for a couple of days.

I was fairly well prepared and the event helped me see a few areas where I'd like to be a little more prepared. I'd like to have an extra propane tank on hand for my outdoor stove. I'd like to have a generator to power the freezer for a couple of days. And I'd like to actually have put water in my 55 gallon food grade emergency water barrel. That's right, I have an emergency water barrel, but I had been wanting to clean it out with some baking soda to make it smell a little fresher. So when the storm hit, the barrel was empty. Now that the power and water are back on I'll make sure to fill it.

I am so grateful that the power is back on, that the big tree fell away from my house, and that all my critters are safe. And I am truly blessed that I have such good friends who helped me and prayed with me during this stressful time.

Love never fails

2010-11-14T01:18:00.001-08:00

"There are in the end three things that last: faith, hope, and love, and the greatest of these is love."
1 Corinthians 13

I realized that I hadn't posted very many pictures of Maggie the princess. She is queen of all she surveys.

I had a splendid day yesterday with a new friend. We walked around the mountain artist community of Joseph, Oregon. Had a leisurely lunch and hiked to a waterfall in the first snow of the year. It was stunning. I am filled with hope, and faith, and love. Hopeful that our friendship will continue to grow and flower. Full of faith that God will guide us. I am feeling so truly, truly blessed. I am filled with gratitude for all the love and grace that I have received. What a truly wonderful day. Have a blessed Sunday.

Sauerkraut

2010-11-12T20:14:00.000-08:00

I canned the sauerkraut last night. It spent about three weeks in the crock fermenting. It is amazing. In the last three years I've only had one successful batch of sauerkraut. This is my best kraut ever. It's crispy and tangy. I had sausage and sauerkraut for dinner. What have you canned this year that has gone particularly well?

Pickled sprouts

2010-11-09T00:35:00.001-08:00

Up close and personal with some pickled Brussels sprouts. Yum! I've never pickled sprouts before. I think they will be good. They certainly look good. As much as I have grumbled about my garden this year, I have been blessed in the brassica department. Lots of cabbage, broccoli, and sprouts.

Cowboy guns

2010-11-08T22:01:00.000-08:00

I'm not personally into assault rifles although I don't mind if you are. I do like "cowboy" guns though. Here are three lever actions in classic calibers. A Marlin 45-70, a Winchester 30-30, and a Henry .22. I've hunted with all three at various times.

So many hunters are using guns that are scoped to shoot at 300 yards, but I've rarely shot at game more than 50 yards. Only this year's deer at about 125 yards and that was barely within my comfortable range for an ethical shot.

I'm doing some late night cleaning and may even get around to canning some pickled Brussels sprouts. I enjoy them in some V-8 juice. Minus the vodka please.

I had a major gas leak last night. I couldn't get in touch with the propane company, so I eventually called the fire department. They said one spark would have blown the whole place up. I was pretty stressed out. I usually don't stay stressed for long, but last night just threw me for a loop. Luckily I was able to talk with some good friends both last night and this morning. Said a few prayers. A little "please" and a lot of "thank you."

I calmed down by this morning and was able to go and teach for a while. It was good to get out of myself and focus on helping someone else. Nothing like being of service to get your head on straight. It is such a blessing to have a job that allows me to be of service to others in such a clear-cut way.

I am so blessed to have such good friends that are there for me when things are crazy. And trust me, things were pretty crazy last night. Well, back to cleaning and canning.

A new friend

2010-11-06T19:00:00.000-07:00

"Each friend represents a world in us, a world possibly not born until they arrive, and it is only by this meeting that a new world is born." Anais Nin

Well, I have made a new friend. It is a fresh, new, exciting time. Meeting her has been such a blessing. Wondering what new world will be born.

Fall in the barnyard

2010-11-06T15:21:00.001-07:00

After what seems like a whole week of clouds and rain, the sun came out. The barn cats were out and playing. The chickens looked less forlorn. The goats seemed pleased with the change. And I was loving it. I'd rather it was either sunny and hot or cold and snowy. Cold and rainy is just not my favorite.

I cleaned out the goat barn today. I always let the goats wander around the farm while I clean. They don't seem to get into too much trouble. They climb on the tractor, eat evergreen trees, chase the cats... They just act like curious goats on a new adventure. Carissima has been getting out occasionally, but she doesn't go far. She is just there waiting to get her treats and get put to bed in the evening when I go out to do chores.

Colleen is going to come over and sight in her rifle to go deer hunting Sunday night on the property. It will be nice to see both Colleen and Luna. I haven't seen them much lately. I plan on going duck hunting on Monday unless I am up late skinning Colleen's deer.

I spent a relaxing day working on the farm today. Just puttering around going from one task to the next. I picked up some windows to put on the goat's side of the barn. They'll need them come winter. Which is probably right around the corner. Tomorrow will be a busy day with Mass, meeting with friends, more farm work, then hunting with Colleen. I am so blessed.

To love all things

2010-10-31T19:08:00.000-07:00

From today's scripture reading at Mass-

For you love all things that are
and loathe nothing that you have made;
for what you hated, you would not have fashioned.
And how could a thing remain, unless you willed it;
or be preserved, had it not been called forth by you?

I found this reading really valuable. How can I hate or loath someone or something when it is just another example of God's handiwork? I may not understand some people. I may not enjoy their company. I may not agree with their political convictions. But does that give me permission to hate them? In this political year, tempers are running hot. I've deliberately left politics out of this blog, and I'm not going to insert them now. But in a general sort of way, I've been disappointed at the inability of us as Americans to have a civil dialogue.

I have a very good friend whose political views are different from my own. We've consciously decided to either have a pleasant dialogue or not to talk politics at all. We have plenty of things in common. We don't need to discuss politics to have something to talk about.

So, back to the scripture. It gave me pause today on two levels. On the one hand, as I mentioned above, how can I hate someone else when they are creations of God. On another level, how can I get down on myself when I am a creature of God too? I may not like everything about myself. I may wish to change. I certainly hope to grow on this journey through life. But to hate myself is unacceptable. I am exactly who God made me to be, and God doesn't make junk.

So my thought for the day is to love thy neighbor and also to love thyself. I need to remember to treat myself well. Take time to pray and meditate. Eat well. Sleep enough. Do something I love doing. Have a blessed night.

Doing the impossible

2010-10-30T01:31:00.000-07:00

Start by doing what's necessary; then do what's possible; and suddenly you are doing the impossible.
- Saint Francis of Assisi

By keeping my heart where my hands are I find that I accomplish the impossible. By doing the next necessary task, by doing the next right thing, the thing that is right in front of me to do I move from the necessary to the impossible.

When I started working on my teaching certificate in special education I was able to take one night class a semester. I worked during the day teaching severely emotionally challenged teens in a locked psychiatric ward. Not how I envisioned my teaching career going, but it paid the bills. At the time it seemed like and impossibility that I would ever get my degree. Five years later I finished that degree. In my last semester I was helping a professor teach her class and she asked if I needed a part time job. The job started at 6 hours a week. It grew and grew as I added more students and 4 years later I still have that job and it is the most amazing job I've ever had. All I did was the next thing in front of me and very slowly the pieces all fell into place.

Now I find myself living all the dreams I dreamed 25 years ago when I was just 18. I've always known that I wanted to teach part time and live on a farm. I just couldn't see how that was ever going to happen. At times during my life it seemed like I couldn't be any farther from that goal. Now that I am here I can see that everything I went through, both good and bad, was just another necessary step on the path that lead to this farm and this life. At the time I couldn't see how what I was doing had anything to do with getting here. Now I see that it was all part of the journey.

I have been truly blessed. You can't get here from where I was. It's impossible. In fact, you can't even see here from there. But in God all things are possible. By taking the next necessary action, God has led me here. By doing the next necessary thing, the impossible has been accomplished. What a beautiful, beautiful thing it is.

Sausage Making

2010-10-29T00:50:00.000-07:00

The first of many rounds of sausage making. With the venison from this years deer and some pork fat I had in the freezer I made a simple breakfast sausage. I'm on a mission to finish processing the harvest and cleaning the house. Oh, and cleaning the barnyard too. I've vowed to stay home all weekend. No hunting or fishing. The second picture is one of Luna playing after the ducks had finished flying. She is such an amazing dog. Unfortunately there were no ducks for Luna to retrieve that day.

I have just been amazed at how blessed I am to have such a wonderful job. I had a great meeting with the parents of one of the children I work with. To watch a student go from a non-reader to a reader in such a short amount of time. He begs me to read with him when we are supposed to be doing math. It is hard to resist such a request.

I'm also going to spend some time with friends this weekend. Probably go to Mass with a friend too. I've been thinking a lot about my spirituality this week. Bouncing ideas off a friend of mine. Trying to find my way on that spiritual journey I am on. It has been a long and winding road, that's for sure. Until next time, stay mindful. Mindful of the beauty of every moment and every thought and every action.

memories of spring

2010-10-25T04:41:00.000-07:00

Mama Carrissima enjoying the spring greenery. I've been thinking about watching the Palouse go through the seasons. Spring, with the wheat sprouting and turning green. Things coming back to life. The garlic coming up 1st in the garden. Excitement as each new variety of plant makes its arrival. Summer, with the vegetables coming in. Some fly-fishing in the rivers and creeks. The hummingbirds returning. Fall with the brown wheat stubble. The ducks and geese take wing and pass through from the north. Winter with a long hibernation. Even the chickens are starting to lay fewer eggs now.

I was only gone for one night, but I guess the goats didn't like missing their treats. They broke out of the pen for the first time. They didn't go far. I guess they just got bored and were looking for something to do. A couple of the chickens have moved permenantly from the hen house to the hay barn with the goats and pigs. I think they are surviving by eating the pig feed. I don't know where they are roosting or laying.

Winter is a time of contemplation for me. The world seems asleep and dreaming. Dreaming of spring. Saving it's energy to burst out in a torrent of verdant growth. Soon I will breed Carissima and maybe Whisper. This spring's rebirth will include goat kids! Ah, what a mighty time it will be.

I am so blessed. I am being gently cradled and cared for by a gracious and loving God. By good and loving friends. By bountiful Mother Nature.

Blessed with a deer

2010-10-21T22:51:00.000-07:00

Hi all, I was blessed with a deer tonight. It was 15 minutes before the end of shooting light and I heard a rustling in the wheat stubble. About 200 yards away I saw a deer running. Then another, then another. Six deer emerged all told. I glassed them through my scope, but they were still too far. They ran a little then stopped. Still too far. They ran a little closer. Then a little closer. I didn't think they would stop, but one stopped and looked behind her. I took one shot at 125 yards. About my maximum distance. She ran about 50 yards and crumpled up. I found out later I had shot through the shoulder and into the heart. A perfect ethical shot.

It took me almost an hour to find the deer. She blended in perfectly with the wheat. I was getting worried that I wouldn't find her. I finally backtracked to a creek bed and found a couple of drops of blood. I was then able to follow the blood trail through the wheat.

I gutted her out. I almost threw up while gutting her. I always feel that way. Sad and elated at the same time.

I'm resting for a little bit and then I have to hang and skin her.

Luna puppy in the blind

2010-10-19T02:17:00.000-07:00

Here are some photos I took of Luna in the duck blind the other day. I am going hunting with her and a friend next weekend too. We are renting a cabin in a state park on the lake we hunt on. The cabins are pretty cheap and worth the time and gas saved driving out there early in the morning.

I am going to the cabin with Colleen, my ex. One might think it is not a good idea to spend the weekend in a one room cabin with your ex-girlfriend. Especially with a handful of shotguns around. Actually, we are getting along quite well now that we don't live together.

I contacted a breeder about getting a new puppy. Colleen got custody of Luna, although I have visitation rights. I love Luna so much, but I want a puppy in my home all the time.

Well, struggling to get the farm ready for winter. There's garlic to plant, harvest to process, apples to pick, ground to till, hogs to butcher...the list goes on and on and on. Teaching is going great. I just seem to be relaxed and at peace even when the pace is hectic. Funny how that works. Sometimes the smallest things seem overwhelming. Other times the place can be falling to pieces and it all seems alright somehow.

I feel so truly blessed that Colleen and I are getting along in a situation that might cause tension and resentment for many people. Life is just really, really wonderful.

What I have to give.

2010-10-15T20:26:00.000-07:00

"Each one of us here today will at one time in our lives look upon a loved one who is in need and ask the same question: We are willing to help, Lord, but what, if anything, is needed? For it is true we can seldom help those closest to us. Either we don't know what part of ourselves to give or, more often than not, the part we have to give is not wanted. And so it is those we live with and should know who elude us. But we can still love them - we can love completely without complete understanding."
- Norman Maclean

I am going duck hunting with Luna in the morning. I have a friend in need, but what I have to offer them is either not the part they need or not the part they want. I know how to still my torment. I find peace in God. And I find God in the forests, waters, and farms of the beautiful land I live in. I take time to see the divine in the world around me. My peace and my serenity are a priority. Above work, above money, above pleasing others, above being "liked". It is only by making myself whole that I am able to fit myself to be of maximum service to God and my fellow man. And maybe that is where my peace and strength really come from. From being of maximum service.

So I am going hunting. My friend will not, or thinks they cannot, go with me. Maybe they can't. Maybe it is not what they need. But it is what I have to offer.

Luna's first duck!

2010-10-08T16:24:00.001-07:00

Happy puppy! Luna retrieved her first duck this morning. There were hardly any birds flying this morning. It was warm but raining. A few birds right at dawn, but nothing to take a shot at. Then, an hour after dawn, a flock of about 20 mallards bowed up and were looking to come into the decoys. They flared away at the last moment. I managed to shoot one, but it went down in a big patch of cattails. "Oh no!", I thought "we're never going to find that bird." Luna had heard the gun and seen the bird go down, so she knew it was around somewhere. She searched for about ten minutes before finding the bird, a hen mallard. She was a little hesitant to pick it up at first. She pointed at it which was kind of amusing. I had to wade out a little bit into the cattails and tell her to, "get the bird" which is the command for retrieving. She was just about the happiest puppy I've ever seen.

Tomorrow morning I leave for deer and elk camp. I'm feeling a little worn out from all the teaching and early morning duck hunts. I'm actually feeling a little lonely here in this big old house by myself. I'll have friends coming up to camp on and off, so I won't be totally alone out there. Colleen is coming up to hunt one afternoon.

This morning hunting and even driving home I felt at peace. Not worrying about goats or pigs or teaching or home repairs. Just enjoying the morning. I am so very, very blessed.

ducks with Luna

2010-10-05T04:35:00.001-07:00

Duck season opened last weekend. I went two days. One alone and one with Colleen and Luna. I shot two ducks the first day and, sadly, none the second. We still had fun. Although Luna retrieved the decoys...a very bad habit to start.

I arrived at the lake at about 3:00 or 4:00 am. I paddled in to the duck blind by moonlight. The stars, the mist on the lake, the moon. It was just so beautiful. Sitting and waiting for the dawn. It is just about one of my favorite things in the whole world. So peaceful and serene. And then, at dawn, if you're lucky, the ducks start whistling through the air. Ahhhh.

This weekend I am going up to set up deer and elk camp. I'm leaving Saturday right after I milk the goats. It is always a wonderful little getaway. I fill the truck with firewood, lanterns, guns, tents and tarps...and a million other things. Colleen will come up for a day to hunt. A couple of other friends will come up and spend some time. One will be bringing his 10 year old nephew. I will be taking a couple of days off from teaching and farming. I have a 4-H family coming in to watch the animals.

I will be hunting primarily for deer and elk. Although if I get a shot on a bear, I'll take that too. I look forward to a splendid long weekend. I am so blessed. God has been so good to me. I hope that God will help me fill my freezer with healthy wild game this weekend.

I'll be sure to post pictures.

Dawn on the homestead

2010-10-01T23:33:00.001-07:00

Dawn on the homestead. I took these pictures on the way out to the fields to hunt partridge with Luna. She really needs some more training and discipline. At least in her partridge hunting. She seems to do better with pheasants. I am going duck hunting this morning without her. Then Luna and Colleen and I will go on Sunday morning.

I am so excited for opening day of ducks I can't sleep. I'm supposed to wake up in two and a half hours to get ready and drive out to the lake. I'm not sleepy at all. At this point I think I'm just going to stay up. It's been so hot here I don't know if the ducks will even be at the lake yet. I guess I'll just have to see.

It's supposed to cool off starting Monday. Which will be good because I am setting up deer and elk camp on Saturday the 9th. Season opens Sunday. I will be gone for four days. I have a farm-sitter that I found through 4-H. I'm really happy to get a couple days break from the farm. I've been setting up deer camp on opening weekend for years. It is a really relaxing time. I don't drink or play cards, so I just get time to hunt and to sit around the campfire meditating on the stars or on the flames flickering in the fire. It is truly a blessing to have the opportunity to get out into the woods in fall.

Peace in your heart and mind

2010-09-30T04:15:00.000-07:00

And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.(Philippians 4:7)

How do I find peace in my daily life? In my heart and in my mind. I haven't had as much peace this last couple of days as I would like. I think the key, for me, is to approach my actions with mindfulness and prayerfully. Milking the goats, feeding them their treats, collecting eggs, feeding the pigs, even cleaning the farmstead.

I've had Luna, the puppy, living with me the last couple of days. She's been a handful, but we've also been able to get out and get some partridge hunting in. Do I get frustrated when she makes mistakes, or do I laugh and accept that she is a 9 month old puppy?

How am I approaching my work as a teacher? Am I waiting for the hour to end, so I can get home to other things? Or am I being present for my students?

When I am milking Carrissima at dawn, I look out the small barn window and see the sun rising above the Palouse hills. I usually say a little prayer. Instead of thinking about how I'd rather be sitting inside with a cup of coffee, I try to be present with the animals, with myself, and with God. I try to remember how blessed I truly am for everything I have been given.

I took Luna out this morning at 3 am. The stars and moon were so beautiful. I just stood and marveled at the glory of the night sky.

Have a blessed day.

A day with the critters

2010-09-24T22:41:00.000-07:00

I got to spend a couple of afternoons after teaching just communing with the critters. Caspian, the little boy goat, is almost as big as his mother. He's into head butting everything in sight. Including me. The barn cats were playing with each other. The goats were happy to get some cuddling from me. The pigs aren't very cuddly, in fact I try to avoid getting my tasty fingers anywhere near their mouths. I was trying different weeds to see what they'd eat. They prefer expensive pig feed. But they will eat windfall apples and cooked zucchini.

Had a wonderful dinner with friends. Homemade tortilla chips, beans, homemade salsa, and spicy ground beef. Just an evening of good food and fellowship. I am feeling at peace tonight. I "aced" a really challenging week of teaching, spent time with friends, and spent time with my animals. All is well. I am truly blessed.

How prepared are you?

2010-09-21T01:22:00.000-07:00

I am borrowing, and expanding, on a topic I read on Small Farm Girl's Blog. How prepared am I really for an emergency. Many of us in homesteading circles talk about "being prepared" by growing a garden, canning the harvest, raising animals, hunting, survival skills, owning firearms, but what about being physically prepared? Can I walk a mile to a phone if the car breaks down on a country road? Can I walk ten miles?

What about if the energy supply is interrupted? Can I do all of the work on my farm without the help of gasoline powered machinery? I currently haul water in a tractor loader from the house to the barn in 7.5 gallon containers. Those suckers are heavy. (62.55 lbs to be exact) Could I haul it without the tractor? Can I haul the 50 pound feed bags? Buck hay bales?

I had some injuries a while back. I broke an ankle really badly. Then, when I recovered from that, had knee surgery for some torn cartilage. I was off my feet for a year and gained 35 pounds. For the last few years I never got serious about getting back into shape. Now I have gotten serious and it is a challenge. I've lost about 20 pounds and would like to lose another 20. I'm definitely much stronger. It feels great. I've lost the weight and gained the strength by hiking, walking, biking, hunting, and working on the farm. That coupled with moderate, sensible dietary changes. Changing a burger to a salad for lunch. Eating one pork chop instead of two for dinner.

Being prepared for life, for hardship, for disaster is something I consider important. Why ignore the physical? Being prepared means just what it meant in Boy Scouts. Be prepared physically, mentally, and spiritually. God has given me a beautiful body, it is up to me to take care of it to the best of my ability.

I was blessed with the opportunity to work on all three aspects of fitness yesterday. Physical work on the farm, intellectually work on a teaching conundrum I was having, and spiritual work being of service to some friends. Life is so wonderful. I have been so truly blessed.

A splendid day in the field!

2010-09-19T03:49:00.000-07:00

What a glorious day! Luna and I spent the entire day together. We hunted partridge and quail all day. We hunted my property and the property of the neighboring farmers. I have permission from all of the big farms around here.

The stubble on the wheat fields was perfect for partridge. The day started out flushing a covey of partridge almost right away. They flushed far out and flew about 150 yards. We followed them through two barbed wire fences, across the dry creek bed, and up a steep hill. We flushed them a few more times, each time flying 100+ yards, and eventually got a couple of shots. No birds yet. This went on for most of the morning. Eventually Luna and I bagged one gray partridge. Luna made an excellent retrieve of the lively, wounded bird.

Worn out from hiking up and down hills all morning, Luna and I came home and took a nap together.

We went out again when it cooled off in the afternoon. We bagged one more bird, a beautiful crossing shot, and called it a day. We came home exhausted and sore. After Mass and chores tomorrow, Luna and Colleen and I plan to hunt again.

What a splendid day in the field. I am so blessed. The fall air, the dew on the wheat stubble, the exercise, a dog and a gun, smell of gunpowder, working the birds, just everything was perfect. Tomorrow promises to be just as wonderful. I really needed a good weekend of rest and recreation. What a spiritual blessing.

Take counsel

2010-09-17T15:52:00.000-07:00

"Do everything with counsel,
and you will not repent when you have done it" (Eccles. 32:24).

I have made plenty of bad decisions in my life. Most of them without talking things over with another person. Or worse yet, ignoring the thoughts of others. In the end a person has to follow their heart, but it is still better to take counsel with friends, family, or a spiritual adviser.

I have a handful of good friends and family members that I go to for counsel. I don't know that I'm seeking advice so much as just another person to go over the scenario with.

In addition to seeking counsel, I want to reach out to be supportive of others. Not to give advice but to comfort, to listen, to care, and to share my experience, strength, and hope.

I'm spending the afternoon again today working hard on the farm. Getting as much done as possible so that I can relax this weekend without feeling so overwhelmed. I'm getting a ton of things done.

I met with some friends over lunch today. I am so blessed to have such wonderful, open, caring friends. Stay well.

Another work day on the farm

2010-09-16T15:24:00.000-07:00

I work everyday on the farm, but it seems I need to dedicate at least one day a week to just getting down to it and working ALL day on chores. Today I am making goat's milk cheddar cheese, cleaning the kitchen until it's spotless, cleaning the mud-room, getting caught up with all the animal chores, cleaning the goat barn, and maybe harvesting a little. Tomorrow I'll be more focused on the outdoor work. Harvesting especially.

The animals are doing great. None of them starved while I was going through my stressed out, overwhelmed phase. The pigs are getting huge. They still have some time to go though. I'm feeding them as many garden leftovers as I can. Just trying to find what they'll eat. They loved the corn stalks.

The tobacco plants are stunted, but they look like they are healthy. Healthy tobacco, now that's an oxymoron. I should be able to process them into a usable product. I've lamented the rest of the garden enough, so I guess I'll just let it go.

I've been starting to tie steelhead flies in the evening. I'm by no means an expert at tying flies, but practice makes perfect. Fishing season is starting to ramp up. The steelhead should be moving into the smaller rivers soon. I've spent a lot of time grouse hunting without a great deal of success. I've bagged a couple. Partridge opens on Saturday and I've seen three coveys of about 20 birds each on the property. I plan on hunting for them Saturday and Sunday with Luna. I'll be sure to post pictures.

The teaching year has been going well. I am so blessed to have such a great job working with such wonderful families. I feel like I'm being cradled in the arms of a loving God. Safe and cared for. I have everything I need. I have been blessed with a life beyond my wildest dreams.

Well, back to work. :-)

Work smart

2010-09-11T04:51:00.001-07:00

I'm feeling a lot more comfortable and confident on the farm today. I dedicated a whole day to farm chores. I also am doing a more conscious job of scheduling my time. Instead of trying to do everything all the time I'm working on a manageable schedule that includes teaching, farming, recreation, AND time to sit and do nothing.

Yesterday I got a ton accomplished on the farm. Built a new hay feeder for the goat kids, fixed the chainsaw, bucked up a downed tree, got all the feeding in order, cleaned the goats' water troughs, and more. I was able to meet with friends in the evening and not be worried about the farm.

Today I am watching Luna all day. I'm going to do just a couple of things on the farm, then go grouse hunting, then meet with some friends. There should be plenty of time to relax. The only major thing on the farm agenda is cleaning out the goat barn. Yuck.

I feeling much better. More at peace. Less overwhelmed. I've got a bunch of fun stuff planned with friends this weekend. Some target shooting, some grouse hunting, and Colleen is treating me to dinner at a restaurant for my birthday. I'm going to attempt to tie some steelhead flies too. I'm not an expert fly-tier but I find it fun and relaxing.

Well, I hope this fall weekend finds you all well.

Overwhelmed homesteader

2010-09-08T00:24:00.000-07:00

Phew! Things have been overwhelming here on the homestead. Colleen and I separated a while back and this is just not a one person job. The school year started and I am back to teaching a full load - which is actually about 20-30 hours a week for me.

Between the goats, pigs, chickens, garden to be harvested, fruit trees to be harvested, canning, and garden prepping for next year I am really, really busy. I look around and I don't feel like I have time for all the tasks to be done.

My recreational and spiritual time, which are often the same, are starting to suffer. I went steel head fishing for two hours after work last night and all I could think about were all the farm chores I was neglecting.

On a lighter note, here is a picture of Luna with her first forest grouse. Fish and game lumps all of the forest dwelling grouse into one category, but this one is a ruffed grouse. She doesn't quite have the concept down, but she was definitely helpful in the process.

The picture above is of the pigs eating apples from a friend's tree that blew down in a storm. I've got bushels of them and the pigs love them.

I'm looking forward to harvesting my trees and making apple butter and apple sauce. Also...APPLE PIE!

Hunting season is heating up. It is one of the most spiritual and fulfilling times of the year for me. Of course, it is nice to replenish the freezer, but more importantly it is a time when I can get out into the woods and just focus on being in tune with the natural world in a special and intense way.

Walking slowly through the woods and looking and listening for signs of game. Calling in ducks and geese. Thanking God for the animal whose life I have taken to feed myself and my friends.

Well, looks like I have some praying and meditating to do. Find a way to approach my tasks with a little grace instead of a feeling of irritation. There simply will not be time in the day to do everything I want to do the way I want to do it. But, I guess, that is life. Time to count my blessings and be grateful. It's not what I HAVE to do, it's what I GET to do, and for that I am truly blessed.

fall bird hunting

2010-08-31T23:35:00.000-07:00

Luna and I have been hunting up a storm lately. We hunted pheasants on Sunday and grouse on Monday. The pheasant hunt was successful. Luna flushed five pheasants and we, Colleen and I, shot four. The grouse hunt was a little different. Luna has never been grouse hunting and wasn't completely clear on the concept. She did flush two grouse, but neither one offered an opportunity for a clean shot.

She loves hunting but seems to burn out after a few hours. Me, I'd hunt all day.

I love the fall. The hunting seasons are opening. The hot weather is subsiding. It's harvest time in the garden. The school year is starting fresh and exciting. Steelhead season is just around the corner.

I've arranged an animal-sitter for deer/elk hunting camp this October. I am so excited. I found a local family through 4-H that should work out well. I will go up into the foothills where I hunt and set up a camp for about four days. Various friends come up to camp each year to hunt or just hang out around the fire. It is one of the highlights of my year.

Colleen and I had pheasant piccata for dinner last night. It was great. I imagine you could also make it with chicken. I've also used venison for the same recipe.

1. Cut your pheasant breast into 1/4 thick fillets and soak in milk for three hours.
2. Coat the breast in flour and brown in three tablespoons of butter.
3. Pour in a cup of white wine and simmer for an additional 2 minutes.
4. Remove the fillets to a warm plate and add a handful of fresh, snipped parsley, three tablespoons of capers, and three tablespoons of lemon juice.
5. Simmer the sauce down until it is thick and serve over the warm pheasant breasts.

It is such a pleasure to enjoy a wild game meal with friends. I am so truly blessed.

Vision Quest

2010-08-24T15:53:00.001-07:00

I went backpacking alone in the Seven Devils Wilderness Area in central Idaho last weekend. It was amazing. What a spiritual adventure.

In the words of the Psalmist, "I look up into the hills, from whence cometh my help. My help comes from the Lord, creator of all heaven and earth." My spiritual help comes from the mountains. It comes in God's own cathedral.

After hiking each day, I had plenty of time to pray and meditate with no distractions. No phone or internet, work or meetings. Just the wind playing in the tree-tops.

I caught a few trout on the fly-rod. Saw some beautiful mule deer. A few different kinds of birds. Just a relaxing time.

I was able to hike with a 50 pound pack for almost 20 miles in 2.5 days. It felt great to get out and push my body a little bit. Yes, age and old injuries slowed me down, but I did better than I had expected. If I keep up with the diet and exercise I should be in great shape for this year's hunting season.

I am so grateful to the friend who watched the farm for me. All the animals did just fine. It was good to see all the critters again but a little overwhelming to get back into it. I am working to set up a couple of possible farm-sitters so that I am able to do some of the trips I traditionally do each year. I usually take a few days off for the opening of deer and elk season, so I'll try to do that again this year.

I am so blessed to live in such a beautiful place, with such wonderful friends. God has been so good to me, I just want to share it with everyone I meet.

What's a 100 year old barn without...barn cats

2010-08-15T19:23:00.000-07:00

The latest addition to the barnyard is two kittens. I hope they earn their keep by catching some of the thousands of mice that live in the barn. They seem to get along with the goats well enough.

Taking care of the animals and the garden as well as teaching a few hours of summer school is keeping me pretty busy. I still have time to spend a couple of hours with friends each day though. My days have gotten into a peaceful rhythm of caring for the animals, gardening, seeing friends in the heat of the day, and then putting the animals up for the night.

Is anybody else having a banner year for flies? I've got them everywhere. Not just in the barn but in the house too. I'm sure it will taper off as the nights cool off a bit which should happen soon. Right now though it's about 90 degrees. It hasn't rained here in 6 weeks.

I'm going to get the opportunity to go backpacking in a mountain range called the Seven Devils. I'm going to hike 20 miles in two and a half days. I should have time to get some nice fly-fishing in as well. I'll be stopping the first night along a large creek and the second night will be at one of three possible lakes. There are rumored to be plenty of trout. It'll be nice to get up into the mountains for a few days before the regular school year starts. A friend will be farm-sitting for me.

Each day, at the end of the day, I take some time to pray and meditate and gratefully reflect on all my blessings. I am truly blessed.

Novitiate Homesteader

frustrated

Having a cow II

Having a cow...

soapmaking

Merry Christmas 2

Merry Christmas

The Kingdom of God

Thanksgiving

Craig Mountain

elk hunting

Too much fun...

Hunting

gratitude month

The list

Midnight Meditation

Apple Cider

Carry the message...

sigh, back again

everybody's having fun

I'm back...

Pressing Cherry Juice

Cider Press

No more new animals...

Birth Class!

Craig Mountain

The puppy has landed

Garden Trouble

loose goats in the garden

Farm at the end of the rainbow

Taking a break

OK, this time for sure....

Take a kid fishing day

Goat kids any day

pigs and turkeys oh my!

Sunshine

Quick update

Injured goat update

Injured Goat

Retreat

Spring break is ending

Forgiveness

Kids and goats

If you see to it each day that your conduct is impeccable, the following day will be completely clear, and you will be free to carry out your plans, always vigilant that you leave no loose ends. In this way, each new day will find you free and well disposed.Omraam Mikhael Aivanhov

Spring Break!

Awakening

Big egg, little egg

moving day in a blizzard

First we must dream

Am I prepared II?

Am I prepared?

Is it Spring yet?

Jenny and the goats

Getting ready for turkey season

Hope

Ouch!

A nice visit

New hens

Goat Camp

Grace-revisted

Grace

A Happy gang on the farm

pleasantly exhausted

Pipes thawed

frozen pipes

Sausage Making

Late night on the farm

Let it snow, let it blow

A prayer for guidance

And to all a good night...

Prayer for the day

Snow

Seasons changing

Wind Storm

Love never fails

Sauerkraut

Pickled sprouts

Cowboy guns

A new friend

Fall in the barnyard

If you see to it each day that your conduct is impeccable, the following day will be completely clear, and you will be free to carry out your plans, always vigilant that you leave no loose ends. In this way, each new day will find you free and well disposed.
Omraam Mikhael Aivanhov