Thursday July 29

Some basic work has started on the VA house.   The 200 year old stone foundation is being regrouted.

This is one wall with the old grout removed:

And here it is with new grout:

The critters are going to have to find a new place to call home!  The chimneys will be sealed up next, then the fireplaces.  This is what happens when a house is vacant for a number of years.  Too many animals make themselves at home in the cool basement during the summer and the warm attic during the winter.  Fortunately, there have not been any incursions into the main living area, well except for a mouse or two.  Once Spooky relocates to VA, the mice will move on as well, one way or another!

Tuesday July 27

My effort to rid the PA farmette of the current raccoon infestation seems to be working.  In the last week, I have caught 3 raccoons.  Each morning, I load the trap containing the handsome though ornery raccoon into my car, drive about 5-6 miles away then release the bugger into the woods.  I must have made a dent in the population because last night, I caught a medium sized skunk!  Not wanting to agitiate him, I took a towel out to cover the trap while I opened the door, keeping everyone calm.  But that skunk did not see that the door was opened.  Ten minutes later, I made another trip to the trap.  This time, I removed the towel and tilted the trap.  But that skunk was convinced his end was the place to be.  Ten more minutes went by, until I decided food was the best way to show him the way out.  I put a can of cat food a foot from the opened door.  Two minutes later, no skunk!  This time, I did not attempt to touch the skunk, lesson learned (at least for now)

Monday July 26

Hb and I, along with my daughter and son-in-law, saw Willie Nelson in concert in Charlottesville Saturday night.  The venue is awesome, an outside pavilion that is small and right in the center of the town.  Willie put on a fantastic show, and his son Lucas opened for him and then played on stage during Willie's show. Lucas is a really good guitarist.  After the show, Willie walked along the stage signing autographs.  I had bought a Willie Nelson baseball cap and was able to take it to the stage.  Willie not only signed my hat but he actually made eye contact and smiled at me!  Perfect end to a wonderful day.  I plan to buy more Willie music,  being a serious fan now!

The weather was so hot, over 100deg most of the day.  The four of us saw Inception at the theater in the afternoon, then took care of Sissy before heading into Charlottesville.  We ate at a tapas restaurant near the venue, all within walking distance although the heat made the walk seem longer than it actually was.

Check out my new Farmette Store on CafePress: FarmetteLife Store

Tuesday July 20

The canoe float on the James river was really fun!  We originally planned a 6 mile float, but the launch we planned to put in at was closed for construction. Having already dropped the first car, we drove further upstream to the next launch, increasing our float to 12 miles! We were on the water over 6 hours, stopping once for lunch. Sissy did amazingly well, and enjoyed the outing as much as we did.  Both hb and I caught a number of beautiful small mouth bass.  Well I actually caught more but hb was doing the canoe steering so I had the fishing advantage.  The skies were mostly overcast with a couple of small rain showers, perfect weather for fishing. With the high temperature in the mid-90’s, the rain felt really good.  Full sunshine all day would have been intense.  I used a small umbrella to keep both the sun and the rain off of Sissy.  She is such fun to take along! 

The banks of the James are mostly farmland. At one point, there were cows resting in the shade of the trees:

Further down, there was a flock of beautiful white herons:

Today hb and I stopped at a small restaurant, The Griffin Tavern,  in Flint Hill VA.  The place is a converted old mansion on the main street with seating inside and outside on the wide front porch.  Hb asked if we could have a table on the porch and let our dog rest under the table while we ate.  Not only did the restaurant allow Sissy on the porch, the waiter brought her a bowl of water!  Sissy felt and acted like a princess.  And the lunch was amazing!

Saturday July 17

Hb and I are making progress on the VA farmette.  We took down an unused telephone pole and added some raccoons, our new sentinels!

We have also been working on the new garden.  We found a supplier of horse manure and added 5 loads to the garden.  After spreading and tilling, the soil looks fantastic.  I hope to move the blueberry bushes down this fall.

Guess who is going canoeing on Monday? 

Wednesday July 14

Sad chicken week at the northern farmette.  First, about a month ago, I decided to give away the hens.  I have been traveling so often between the farmettes that the poor hens were having to stayed locked in too often.  Hb takes good care of everyone when I am away, but the list of every day animal chores is rather long.  In addition, with all of the predators at the VA farmette, we will have to build a really well protected outdoor run.  I decided life for the hens would be better in a more settled home.  One of our friends knew of a young couple who were recently married and just starting out on their own farmette.  The woman really wanted the hens but they lacked a coop.  So hb and I sold them our coop too.  Last Saturday, the couple and her father loaded the coop, hens inside, on to a trailer using a come-along, trailer jacks and blocking.  Hb and I helped as much as possible so we had not time to take pictures.  The move went smoothly and the hens are now at their new farm. 

Then last night, a raccoon got Junior, the rooster.  I found his remains, basically feet and feathers just 5 ft away from his and Puff’s coop.  Poor Puff was unhurt but traumatized.  He wandered about aimlessly all day, forlornly puck-ing every now and then hoping Junior would answer.

Tonight, I set the live trap baited with wet cat food.  And I locked Puff inside his coop so he won’t be bothered.  I really hope I catch the raccoon who has been terrorizing my chickens!

I miss my hens and I miss Junior.

Here is the latest picture of Frodo.  He will be celebrating his 7th birthday this August.  Isn’t that amazing?  He does seem to be aging a bit, and he limps on his right foot.  I spent some time last week looking at his leg and could not find anything wrong.  My guess is that he hurt his leg jumping off the bale of straw and it never healed properly. 

Monday July 12

We had a 3 bear day today! I know, this is only ten days out from my Skunk Event.  Here I am , trying to be careful, trying to stay away from close encounters with wildlife, planning a simple hike in the national forest, and we see not one, not two, but three bears! 

On the drive to the trail head, a small black bear wandered onto the road, bear #1.  Seeing  the car, he turned back into the woods, before we had a chance to take a picture.  The hike up the trail went smoothly.  The views at the summit were excellent in spite of the threat of rain later in the day.  We were the only people at the summit and passed just one other group coming up as we headed down.  About a mile from the bottom, we saw bear #2, standing in the middle of the trail!  As soon as he saw us, this bear also headed into the woods.  We saw him stop and watch us from about 100ft in the woods.  He was just curious, nothing more so we moved on down the path. 

Then, about one half mile from the car, hb spotted bear #3, this one larger, walking right up the middle of the trail straight at us.  We stopped so hb could take a few pictures expecting him to dart into the woods as the other two had done.  But this bear kept walking straight at us.  He was within 80 ft, still walking and looking right at us when we knew we had to do something other than just stand there.  I did not want to make the local news as being the first people attacked by a black bear in 100 years!  I just know my recent brush with rabies would somehow be woven into the prime time news flash.  Fortunately, in this forest there are numerous large rock formations, so hb and I slowly turned, slowly walked away from the still oncoming bear and then slowly climbed onto on of these rock piles on the edge of the trail.  That bear came within 30 ft then stopped and meandered around the immediate area for about 10 minutes.  We were stuck on that rock!  Finally, the bear decided to walk further up the trail, passing within 15ft of the rocks were we sat. We held out breath, took pictures and encouraged him along with clapping and saying “Go Bear” in strong voices.

I was never really scared but kept thinking that if that bear decided to be ornery, we had very few options.  Thank goodness he moved along peacefully!

Now for a fox update . . . These are hb’s fox pictures that he took this past weekend.  Aren’t they fantastic?

Friday July 9

Yesterday, Sissy was exploring around one of her favorite trees when I noticed small sprigs of poison ivy everywhere.  The first chore was to spray poison ivy weed killer on all of the ivy.  Actually, the first task was putting Sissy on the porch.  After spraying, I turned my attention to Sissy, because poison ivy on her means I will have it shortly.  Bath time.  Sissy is not fond of bathing and took a couple of hours to forgive me.  Her fur is so soft afterwards, and she smells like a flower!  I would bath her more often if only she enjoyed it more. 

Sissy and I drove back from VA today.  She and I spent a few days alone there, while I received the second shot of the rabies series.  Each evening, the foxes would show up in the yard under one of the mulberry trees, to eat the mulberries from the ground.  During the day, crows crash about in the top branches eating and dropping mulberries all day.

The foxes are a family of a mother and two juveniles.  One of the younger ones seemed to show up every night, I think it is a young female.  I took a few nice pictures of her Tuesday evening, eating the mulberries in the front yard, and a couple of Mama Fox eating the backyard mulberries.

Tuesday July 6

Apparently skunks, even baby skunks, are one of the more common carriers of rabies.  After a number of calls to the local health department and the local hospital, I gave in and decided to sign up for the series of shots.  Step one was to drop by the emergency room.  All of the people working at the Culpeper Regional Hospital were very nice and helpful.  A short time later, having received shots in both arms, both thighs and at the scratch site on my finger (this was particularly painful), I was sent home with a chart scheduling the next 4 shots.  Not a fun end to the Skunk Event.

The hospital visit was not all uncomfortable. I met Angel, one of the hospital companion dogs. She was a large hound dog, very sweet and gentle. She came into my room to visit just as I was getting the particularly painful finger shot. Angel took my mind off of the pain as I scratched her soft head. Dogs are such good friends!

My advice to anyone encountering wild animals . . . DO NOT TOUCH!  Let them live, walk and play wherever they choose. 

Saturday July 3

Hb and I had a very productive day on the southern farmette today.  After driving here in the morning, the first chore after settling Sissy into her room was to buy food.  By the time we stocked the fridge and cabinets with needed supplies, it was almost mid-afternoon.  Hb fired up the tractor and moved all of the branches and collected wood to the side of the garden area.  Then we pulled an old tire, that had been used as a flower bed, out of the yard.  The tractor went away and out came the dr bush mower.  We cleared the fenced area between the stables and the garden.  I added all of the tree limbs and rotten logs to the pile in the garden area.  Since the time was past 4pm, we built a small starter fire on the bare earth on one side of the garden area.  We had all of the wood burned in a couple of hours, even with keeping the fire on the small side.

Once the fire was burned down and smoldering, hb and I sat on the front porch swing resting and enjoying the peace and quiet.  Suddenly, hb points out towards the stable and jumps up to get his camera.  Here comes a skunk family, Mama and two babies, walking through the yard.  I grabbed my camera as well and we both started to quietly trail the skunks, snapping pictures.  I went to the fence by the lilac plants, and hb headed to towards the garden.  Suddenly, here can the three skunks, headed straight towards me!

I climbed up on the fence, still snapping pictures and hoping Mama stayed calm. The three of them walked right under me!

All of a sudden, Mama started running.  The two babies followed for a few steps, then stopped and came back towards me.  By now hb was next to me, and we both took pictures of these adorable baby skunks, playing by the lilacs.  Everything was going smoothly until Mama got spooked and took off running.  The babies did not follow her.  Instead they decided to explore the stables.  Not wanting a skunk family taking up residence in our stable, I tried to discourage them.  I grabbed a rack to push then out but they would not move.  So I relocated them by hand.  The first baby, now known as the Nice baby, was fine.  But her brother scratched my hand!  Just a very small scratch but it did break the skin.

So today, I am searching for info on rabies in baby skunks in VA as well as rabies vaccinations.  Sigh.  If only those darn babies would just have followed their Mama.

Thursday July 1

Last night, the temperature dropped to 45 degrees overnight and the same is predicted for tonight.  The beets and tomatoes are doing well but the peppers, corn and beans are chilly!  We planted the corn just two weeks ago, very late.  This year, I bought the seeds loose at Apollo Milling.  I was not sure how much to buy as the seeds were sold by weight.  I decided on 6oz which ended up being about 2oz too much.  I bought silver queen with each seed already covered in fertilizer so they were red.  Every seed germinated.  This evening, I thinned the seedlings as hb watered the rows.

With all of our traveling between the two farmettes, I have decided to give away our flock of hens.  The hens like to be out during the day so they have to be locked up at night.  And then there are the eggs which should be collected each day.  One of my coworkers has a brother and sister-in-law who are young and starting out on their own farm.  The sister-in-law grew up raising hens and jumped at the chance to inherit my small flock.  We also decided to sell them the coop as well since we will not need one in VA.  I will miss the girls, and their daily gifts of eggs, but in a year or two I will get peeps again.  Coop moving day, tentatively scheduled for July 10th should be an event!  I will take pictures.

Sunday June 27

We had a great weekend working on the Virginia property this weekend.  As usual, both hb and I spent a few hours mowing grass.  Hb mowed one of the large fields while I tackle the few acres around the house and down to the pond.

On Friday, hb picked up a scrapper blade that he had ordered a month ago for the large tractor.  While he was waiting for me to arrive, he sat on the deck enjoying a nice summer evening. 

First, a Mama doe and her baby came into view.

Next, from under the deck, trotted a young fox. 

The fox sniffed around the fence line for awhile,

Then he stopped, and looked into the distance,

Suddenly, the fox turned and ran in the opposite direction,

Because a skunk was walking up the same fence line!

For some reason, one of the lilac bushes I bought early in the spring was shipped this past week.  So I spent some time on Saturday morning planting three lilac bushes, the one new arrival and two that I had temporarily planted in the garden.  There are two more lilac bushes that I will move from PA to VA in the fall.  I am planting all of the lilacs around two electric poles and 3 tree stumps left from when the power company removed trees from the lines.  The lilacs will hide the poles and stumps but will not grow high enough to interfere with the lines.

Yesterday, we cleaned up around 3pm and headed to a local antique shop to look around.  I saw a couple of things I really liked, one was a cast iron girl angel figure with small birds around the base, that would look perfect in the gardens.  But I decided not buy anything as the VA place is still in the beginning stages of renovation.  Not quite ready for decorations yet.  Then we headed to dinner at a small Italian restaurant we both really like.  The meal was amazing, and ended with a light, delicious piece of chocolate/amaretto cheesecake that we shared.   Later in the evening, there was a full moon so we sat on the deck enjoying the cooler temperatures.

This morning, after a breakfast of hb’s blueberry pancakes, made with our own, fresh blueberries, we headed outside for some more yard work.  hb fired up his new scraper and began clearing the garden.  He has lined up a source nearby where we can get a few loads of horse manure.  By this fall, the garden will be perfectly ready for perennials and vegetables.

I watered all of my plantings, including a brand new butterfly bush that hb bought me yesterday.  The petals are a deep purple and a butterfly landed on it as the bush sat in the wheelbarrow waiting to be planted. Then, I finished mowing the field next to the pond, which has been nicknamed the fairway field because it would make a great golf hole!

I had a very, very enjoyable weekend.

Sunday June 20

This was a weekend for gardening for us.  We have neglected our poor vegetable garden for weeks.  The tomato and pepper plants were absolutely hidden by the weeds.  Both hb and I spent all day yesterday and today catching up on the work.  I managed to mow the yard grass Friday night, while hb mowed the field around the garden.

Yesterday, I spent hours pulling weeds from the vegetable rows.  By early afternoon, the tomatoes and peppers were free and clear.  Then I completely cleaned Homer’s coop and gave everyone fresh water.  Hb restored an old push mower and tackled the front bank and actually mowed the empty half of the garden.  Then he finished mowing around the lower field.

We started the day today by picking blueberries and wild black raspberries that hb used to make berry pancakes for breakfast.   The first pancakes of the season and very, very good.

hb joined me in the garden fun today.  I started by continuing my weeding chore to free the beans, beets and collards.  By the time the weeds were gone, my gloves had two holes, there was a blister on my finger and my legs were sunburned.   Hb tilled the half of the garden he mowed yesterday and planted three long rows of silver queen corn.  We should have corn by mid to late September . . . better late than never!  After weeding, I fertilized all of the plants by side dressing with delay released 12-12-12 granules.  Finally, hb and I put down newspaper topped with straw around the tomato plants and laid the soaking hoses around the corn.

I took a long soothing bath this afternoon to ease my sore back muscles, listening to the latest Willie Nelson - Country Music cd.  After a good meal of grilled chicken, yellow rice and a large salad, hb and I watched the final round of the US open.  Hb had picked a large bowl of strawberries so we each enjoyed vanilla ice cream with strawberries in the evening.  The strawberries were excellent this year!

Saturday June 19

Most people wash their cars. I let the rain take care of my car, but wash my lawn tractor. This John Deere tractor is the most versatile piece of equipment on the farmette. It mows, tows, roto-tills and hauls, has a 24hp diesel and is small but very powerful.

I uploaded a number of pictures to the Petals portfolio page of the Mimosa tree in VA. The blooms are beautiful and the fern-like leaves open in the morning and close at night. They also close during a rain.

And on the Farmette South page, there are new pictures of the old outbuildings. The old chicken coop is nearly fallen down, so I asked hb to take pictures before we lose it. I love the picture of the smokehouse door. Neither of us realized the door had old red paint until we saw the picture. Good art shots.

Friday June 18

Hb bought me something that I have wanted since I began mowing the yard in Virginia.  He was going to give it for me later in the season for use in fall. But then hb mowed the yard around the house for the first time last week and realized why I thought we needed this.   He bought me a Husqvarna pole saw, or as I call it, a “chain saw on a stick”.  It is a 12” chain saw on a pole that extends up to 16ft.   The trees around the yard in VA are old and beautiful but have not been trimmed for years.  Mowing became an annoying dance around and under low hanging branches.  The cedar trees were the worse.  Every time one would brush against me, dozens of pine needles fell down my back.  Each one felt like a tick or some other bug. Once we assembled my gift,  I spent an entire morning lopping off branches.  Not only does the yard look better but mowing is much more pleasurable. And I am building excellent arm strength.  Hb is so good to me! 

Sissy continues to improve, although I did have to get a refill of her stomach antibiotics this past week.  She had the squirts on Wednesday and wanted to eat grass so I knew she was not well again.  The medicine worked almost immediately.  In addition, I started her on probiotics to help her digestive system.  And, with all of the extra cookies iced with dog jelly, she is gaining weight and looking good.  This makes me happy!

We discovered that one of the trees on our Virginia property is a Mimosa tree.  It bloomed these wonderful flame-like pink flowers last week.  Hb took lots of great pictures that I will post this weekend.

Thursday June 10

The strawberries are ripe!  My strawberry patch, which has not been weeded this entire spring and has thistles growing everywhere, is producing beautiful, sweet strawberries.  Hb and I picked at least a couple pounds tonight.  Pies and cobblers are good but we both like the berries on vanilla ice cream the best. 

Sissy is still doing well.  I bought some dog “jelly”, Nutri-Stat in a tube to supplement her meals.  It is a high calorie supplement for added energy in dogs (and cats, but none of my cats are in need of extra calories!).  I put a small blob on every treat Sissy eats, and she LOVES her cookies!  I think she has gained 2 lbs back.  The antibiotic ended yesterday so I am holding my breath hoping she is all better.  So far, so good.

Yesterday, we had rain all day.  Fortunately, today was warm and sunny so I was able to mow the grass after work.  

I have started designing the garden for the VA farmette using MacDraft.  I used to use powerpoint, but decided to invest in a real drafting software package for the VA project.  In VA, we are going to build raised beds on several of the fenced sides for the perennials like asparagus, strawberries and rhubarb.  Along the fenced edges but not in raised beds, we will plant blueberries and raspberries.  The in the middle will be the annual beds with grass walkways just wide enough for the lawn mower.

Monday June 7

Baldy's Saga and a few pictures of her are posted on the Memorial page. Unfortunately, neither hb or I took a very recent picture of Baldy before she died. Before the other hens went after her, Baldy's head had healed and was almost completely covered with new skin. She looked just like the other hens, well, almost like the other hens.

Sunday June 6

Amazing thunderstorms this week!  As I have written before, I just love thunderstorms, especially when they happen at night.  This spring, we have received plenty of rain, with hot and humid days giving the garden a great start.

There are a number of new pictures that I uploaded today.  Checkout the beautiful peonies and dutch irises in the outhouse garden on the petal portfolio page.  On the Farmette south page, hb took two really good pictures early one foggy morning of the house and the silo.

And of course, there are a couple new ones of Sissy on her page.  This picture is one of my favorites.  Sissy has not been up for long walks, so she waits for us close to the house when hb and I walk to the pond.  The original picture is on the left, and a close up is on the right.  Sissy is always alert and happy to see us return!  Her health is still improving.  I hope she stays well once the medicine ends.

Thursday June 3

 Sissy seems to be feeling better!  Yesterday, her vet called to ask how she was doing.  I told him not so well, she was getting weaker and still had the squirts.  So he prescribed an antibiotic specifically for the digestive system.  Today, Sissy looks so much more like her old self!  She is eating more, has normal poop and was even jogging some on our walk tonight.  The first part of this week, she would not take more than a few steps in the yard, then turn around and look back at the door wanting to get inside.  Maybe she has a bacterial infection in her intestines and this medicine will cure it!  I really hope so.

Mama was in good form tonight as well.  Check out what she found to play with in the outhouse garden. 

There are two more pictures on the cat portfolio page.  She is either brave or silly, but definitely curious.

Last night after dark, we had a strong storm system move through the area.  For a couple of hours there was thunder, lightning with a good, soaking rain.  I love to lie in bed in the dark listening to the thunder and rain and watching the lightning light up the night sky.

Tuesday June 1

Sad news from the hen house.  Baldy did not live through the weekend.  She was getting terribly pecked on her head by the other hens, and twice I found her hiding,  squeezed behind the water bowl.  Since we were going to VA for the holiday weekend, I did not wanted to leave her closed up in the coop with the other hens for three days.  Anytime she would try to eat or drink, her head would be pecked.  So on Friday afternoon, just before leaving, I decided to set her up in the pen next to the chicken coop.  hb and I put the dog house in there along with food and water.  On Sunday when we came home, she was gone.   Sadly, some critter must have gotten to her during the night.  But at least she had a chance.  Staying in with the other hens, she would have been helpless.  Soon, I will add a page to the Memorial page to remember her.

Here is a picture of me and Sissy walking into the VA house. 

Sissy is doing just ok, not great.  On Friday, she had an accident in the house after I had left for work.  hb Hb took care of the clean up but I was worried as I had thought Sissy was better.  So I made an emergency appointment at the vet for Friday afternoon.  The vet was very good, checked her over and reviewed all of her past blood work.  Nothing was terribly wrong that he could see, except that poor Sissy has lost another 1.5 lbs.  He put her on some steroid medication, to calm her intestines and boost her appetite.  Since she has been on the medicine, her appetite has increased but her bowels are still an issue.  Her weak hips and back legs are making the situation even worse, she often goes in her sleep.   I have been adding rice to her food without much improvement. All I seem to be doing is washing dog beds and dog butts.

And as I sit writing this journal entry, Sissy came into room to get me but too late. She trailed a path of loose poop from her bed in the living room, through the hallway, and into the tv room. I think the time has come to limit her to one room during the day, with no carpets and no cats. With an old sheet on the floor, her bed and a bowl of water, everyone may be able to cope better with this watery situation.

Seem like we are experiencing the more difficult side of pet ownership.  Sigh.

Thursday May 27

Finally, we are getting summer weather!  Sunny, hot days and there will be a full moon tonight. 

Poor Baldy had a setback this past weekend.  Her head was nearly covered with new skin, and she looked great and was doing well.  And then, for some reason that I will never understand, the other hens attacked her, re-opening the wound and undoing all of the healing.  She hung out alone inside the coop for two days.  Last night I put first aid crème on her head and today she made an appearance outside.  I caught one of the hens going after her again, but she stopped as soon as I yelled.  I could separate Baldy from the flock but she will not be happy being alone.  Hens can be very mean to each other.  Poor Baldy.

Here is a picture of the dessert I made tonight from the mulberries that I picked in Virginia.  There were enough mulberries, along with a few sticks of rhubarb to put together three individual cobblers.  The mulberries were so sweet that even with the rhubarb, I hardly had to add any sugar.  Hb and I split one after dinner.  Along with some vanilla ice cream, the cobblers turned out really well and were very yummy.

Sunday May 23

We did have rain yesterday, so hb was not able to mow the fields.  Instead we both planted the bean and collard seeds, in between rain showers.  Good day to be planted for the seeds, warm temps and wet ground.

Sissy and I drove to VA yesterday afternoon while hb stayed in PA.  The rain followed me south and continued through the night.  Today was just beautiful, in the high 70’s with some clouds and a good breeze.  While hb went food shopping to restock the fridge and freezer for the upcoming weeks in PA, I planted sunflowers along some of the fences, took Sissy for several walks and picked mulberries in VA. Poor hb :-) 

On the VA farmette, we have at least 3 mulberry trees.  These are a first for me, trees covered with berries the size of blackberries.  Only the mulberries are sweeter than black berries and do not have the seeds.  All three trees are covered with these amazing berries! 

There are pictures of the trees, berries and leaves on the Southern Farmette page.

Sissy was so dirty after our last walk that I had to give her a bath.  She rolled in the red clay, walked into poison ivy and then under the mulberry tree, which left 3 purple spots on her back.  She doesn’t love being bathed so I decided against taking pictures.  Taking pictures during every bath would be mean.

This morning, I went for a walk in the woods alone and got a couple of good pictures.  The morning was sunny and damp after the rain so there was a mist around the mountains.   A rather large raccoon was still up and about at 9am.  Not particularly normal as they tend to be nocturnal.  I was very careful in case this one was aggressive, but after the initial sighting, he did not reappear.  When I was around the pond, I saw something very small moving in the grass.  I could hardly believe the size of this frog, no more then ¼ inch big!  Both the frog and the raccoon pictures are fuzzy.  I just did not have the right camera or lens for either shot.  But the foggy mountain and the forest mushroom pictures came out rather well!

Friday May 21

After a very long week for both of us, hb and I completed some over due tasks tonight.  Hb planted 24 tomato plants, 12 jalapeno and 12 sweet peppers while I mowed the couple of acres around the house.  The grass was tall so that there were a lot of clippings.  I raked up three bushel baskets of the clippings then dumped them into the chicken pen.  The hens love fresh cut grass!  Tomorrow hb an I will swap chores.  While I plant beans, cucumber and summer squash seeds, Hb will mow the lower part of the field.  At least that is the plan.  The skies are cloudy and the forecast is calling for rain tomorrow and Sunday. So the plan may have to be adjusted.

Sissy had an equally difficult week.  The poor thing had to sleep in the mudroom every day because hb and I both had whole day schedules.  Neither of us could be home at lunch to put her out.  I was attending a class on the other side of Pittsburgh, over an hour and a half commute each way.  We left an empty boot tray near the door that Sissy used every day.  She is such a good girl that having to pee in the boot try actually seemed to depress her. Last night she did not want to eat and kept looking at my car, begging for a road trip to VA.  Happily, tonight Sissy was seemed to sense the week had ended.  She ate a good dinner and was very smiley and energetic on our walk. 

Right now, everyone is relaxing in the tv room watching Cesar, The Dog Whisperer.  TGIF!!!

Monday May 17

I finally took a few videos of Sissy. The only video camera I have is my little Canon point and shoot camera. Sissy is very shy when things are pointed at her, so the point and shoot works well. Check out the two short clips on the Sissy portfolio page.

There was another topic the ladies discusssed last Wednesday that I thought was amusing. When they were younger, the communities would hold a fish fry every summer. In addition to the fish, there would also be groundhog! Yes, that is right, groundhog. Well, as Tricia clarified, just goundhog hind quarters because the rest was much too smelly. The recipe went something like this . . . obtain and prepare the hind quarters of several (or many) groundhogs. Boil them. Dump out the water, cover with clean water then boil again. Repeat a third time, adding garlic cloves during this last boil. Supposedly, the three boils and garlic cloves removed most of the stink and strong taste. Finish cooking the groundhog by dipping in flour, eggs and bread crumbs, then fry. From the faces the ladies made, I am sure those hind quarters were never considered tasty. My guess is the fish disappeared first, and the late comers to the gathering got plates of groundhog.

Honestly, I never suspected groundhogs were ever actually eaten, now I know better!

Sunday May 16

I uploaded a few pictures of Sissy hanging out in her favorite spot in VA.  She loves this garden island that is surrounded by the driveway.  There is a large maple tree that shades the area most of the day.  My intention is to make this my hosta garden.  Sissy can see most of the yard in the front and side of the house from this vantage point.  She will sit there for most of a morning, keeping an eye on me while enjoying the country sights and sounds.  Sissy is pretty good about not wandering too far, although I check on her often.  There are occasions when she decides a walk in the field would be fun.  With the field grass taller than Sissy and tics plentiful, I never let her wander in the fields, especially unattended.  Mostly, Sissy hangs out under the maple tree while I garden.  She watches me and I talk to her, we keep each other company.

Wednesday May 12

This is only the middle of May and I already have my 4th case of poison ivy.  The first three times were not too intense but this time it is really nasty.  I think this batch came from when I was clearing the inlet stream to the pond.  The inlet is filled with rocks, which are covered with weeds.  I spent about 2 hours cutting and clearing last Thursday and now have an ugly, itchy covering my arms, legs and torso.  Once I get in contact with even a little poison ivy, the rash spreads everywhere.  Maybe I am somewhat allergic or at least very sensitive to it.  Every year I seem to suffer worse, and of course, clearing long unused farmland does not make avoidance easy.  Especially n VA, it grows everywhere and anywhere including on trees and on the ground.  Sissy was responsible for giving me the previous case.  She must have rolled on some, I kissed her on top of her head, and ended up with poison ivy on my face!  Horrible!

I had my dinner date with Isabelle and the ladies tonight.  Everyone is well but tired of the cold, wet weather.  What happened to spring!  Tricia started seeds in cold frames and nothing sprouted.  First time in 50 years she ever had that happen. Tricia’s newest project is making purses from placemats.  She has gathered the supplies and patterns but has not made a sample yet.  She and her husband spent an entire day making pierogies last week.  She said making them were a lot of work but the were very good to eat.

Rose is going fishing for a week in July with her son.  They went to Cabelas for fishing supplies last week.  That sounds like a great vacation. in March, Rose got a new puppy, named Abby, after losing her long time dog friend last fall. This will be Abby’s first fishing trip so she got a life vest for on the boat. 

Isabelle is hoping she can drive her tractor this summer.  She broke her foot 2 years ago and although she mows the yard with a small riding mower, she would like to mow some of the surrounding areas with her Allis Chalmers.  Her weak foot may finally be strong enough to work the clutch. 

Our discussions often focus on gardening and cooking.  Tonight I learned that Elderberry wine is the perfect cure for summer ailment, which no one could quite define.  The ladies felt that Elderberry jam would be just as helpful, but given the choice I would pick wine.   Isabelle has an amazing bed of rhubarb.  She wanted to share some with her older sister who lives out of state, so she packaged a bunch up and sent it off!  Her sister was surprised but very pleased with the gift.

I really enjoy our dinners together, the ladies are good company and we always laugh a lot.

Sunday May 9

Happy Mother’s Day!

Sissy and I spent a long weekend in VA, from Wednesday through today.  My daughters joined me on Friday to celebrate Mother’s Day.  We had the best girls-only weekend!

On Friday, we bought shrimp, chicken and zucchini to grill for dinner, and hung out at the farm.  My youngest daughter had not visited before, so we walked to the pond and around the property.   After the sunset, we sat on the deck for while to enjoy the stars.  The nights are so dark at the VA farmette that on clear nights the sky is covered with stars.  Then we headed inside to watch the Johnny Cash movie, “Walk the Line”. 

Yesterday, we decided to go for a hike in the Blue Ridge Mountains.  I found a good, 2.7 mile trail to the top of Old Rag, 5.4 mile round trip.  We started around 10:30 in the morning and finished by 1:30.  The views from the summit were amazing.  For lunch, we found a very nice vineyard, Sweely’s where we enjoyed a cheese plate with local white wine.  The girls took me out to dinner in Culpeper at one of our favorite places, It’s About Thyme, then we headed to a sports bar to watch the second half of the Pens game. Thankfully, the Pens beat Montreal 3-1 otherwise we would have be depressed. 

Here are two views from the summit of Old Rag:

For Mother’s Day, my younger daughter gave me a vintage elephant stool that I had seen in Boston and really wanted but could not take home on the plane.  She went back to the shop, bought it and then repainted it in my favorite color, blue.  She also gave me an iron rooster door stop which is very useful in my old house. My older daughter gave me a silver necklace of a bird, engraved with their initials on the back.  Just a beautiful piece of jewelry!  The gifts were so thoughtful and creative.

Elephant table:

Today, we walked around the property in the morning before the girls headed home.  The skies were sunny but the winds still strong keeping the temperature cool.  Sissy enjoyed having the quiet company and a whole cat-free house for 4 days.  The weekends with my daughters always go by much too quickly.  We have so much fun and they are good company.  I adore my girls.

Sunday May 2

We had another eventful weekend at the VA farmette.  Sissy had a very fun time too, including her first swimming lesson.  On Saturday, hb and I put the lilies into the pond late in the afternoon when the outside temperature was well into the high 80’s.  We had spent the entire day working outside. hb mowed some of the fields and trimmed around the pond while I moved around the house and dug up some of the rocks that impede our mowing efforts.  After lunch, Sissy and I took a long walk around one of the large cleared pasture.  Because I always seem to be hurrying Sissy during weekday walks, I promised her a long walk at her pace, without any rushing from me.  She and I walked for almost 45 minutes.  Then Sissy went into the house for a cool drink of water and a nap.  By late afternoon, we were ready to get into the pond and decide where to “plant” the lilies.  Sissy came along along for the event, having gotton a second wind after her nap.  The pond water was cool and we discovered the bottom was clay, solid and clean.  We put the three lilies 2ft deep and spaced about 10ft apart. With hb’s encouragement, I picked up Sissy, waded into the pond and set her into the water.  Those 4 paws started the doggy paddle immediately!  Once she got to the shallows, I let her stand for a few minutes before helping her onto shore.  After the first seconds, the tight lips were gone and she was smiling. Sissy loved the water!

Only a couple of pond scenery pictures. We were focused on planting the lilies and did not take the camera so missed Sissy's first swim. I will make sure to capture the next one on film, or rather, in pixels.

Wednesday April 28

Guess what hb came home with yesterday?  Three water lilies for the pond!  He went to a pond store near his work and picked out one white, one pink and one mixed white and yellow.  We put all three in a large container then covered them with well water.  Hb talked to the pond guy who had all kinds of good advice for our pond project.  Seems the water lilies will spread on their own once in the pond.  Each one comes in their own pot that you just sink in the water at a depth of 2-3 ft.  The lilies will put out runners, just like strawberries, that will take root in the pond bottom.  I can’t wait to have flowers in our pond!

I mowed the grass this evening.  The weather was beyond cool, with a breezy wind and mostly cloudy sky.  I put on long underwear under my jeans and was still chilly by the time I finished.  Before mowing, I always remove the plastic mulch rings from around the trees.  When I lifted the ring from the base of a red bud, look who was living underneath, a flame belly salamander.  She is about 4 inches long and has a nice hole in the ground where I assume she lives.  What a beautiful creature!

More pictures are on the Wildlife portfolio page,

Hb took some pictures of the house and on this one, he captured Mama on the walkway.  She is doing so well, and looks year younger with her fur smooth and clean.  This spring, Mama has taken to following along with me and Sissy on our walks.  Nice to see her feeling so lively and happy.

Sunday April 25

This weekend was Pond Weekend at the southern farmette.  We had a fantastic day on Saturday.  Hb cut down trees around the pond, cut down the briars and small trees with the DR brush mower and mowed the tall grass.  The end of the pond closest to the house looks spectacular.  Then hb took the canoe down and we all had a nice ride all the way around.  I tied a rock to the end of some string to test the depth.  At the deepest point, our pond is about 6.5 ft.  At the shallow end, the depth is about 2ft.  We are going to put in some water lilies in the shallow end, which is the end hb cleared this weekend.

Sissy loves the time we spend in Virginia.  She is off lead often although she tends to wander so when I am busy working, I keep a lead on her.  While hb was dealing with the pond, I weeded the stone wall behind the house and planted a wisteria and a small rhododendron. 

We took a break after lunch and drove to the base of Old Rag mountain.  The countryside is just beautiful!  On the way back, hb and I stopped by a small vineyard, Sharp Rock Vineyard and bought a bottle of local white wine for dinner. 

By dinner time, which is always late on the weekends, hb and I were both starving.  I made deviled eggs, zucchini and onions sautéed in butter and white rice while hb grilled a couple of steaks. The local wine was really good. Since there is no tv reception yet, we listen to music during dinner and then put in a movie afterwards.

Weekends go by much too quickly!

Wednesday April 21

Long days the last few weeks at work for me.  By the time I get home, we eat dinner and clean up the kitchen, the sun is going down.  I close up the chicken coop and then catch up on paperwork and work on the websites.  Before long, it is time to get ready for bed.  Until the overnight temperatures warm up, Sissy sleeps in her pink fleece jammies.  In the evenings, Slick and Spooky always sleep on my chair nest to me.  Well, Slick is next to me while Spooky like to lay on top of the chair behind my head.  Sissy does not enjoy so many cats in one room, so when the cats join me out she goes to sleep on her auxiliary bed in the other room.  At bedtime, the cats run out to the kitchen (waiting on their bedtime snack) while I wake up Sissy for one last trip outside.  Then on with her jammies, snacks for everyone, and then finally, bedtime.  Sissy heads back to snuggle up on her orthopedic bed, Spooky sleeps on one spare bed, Mama on the other spare bed and Slick on a chair in the living room.

The weather has been nice recently, although the cold mornings have slowed the asparagus growth.  We have not picked any yet because the few that have grown tall have been wilted by the frosts. 

Last Wednesday, I had my dinner party with Isabelle, Tricia and Rose.  We always have such a nice evening.  Isabelle cooks great meals and I enjoy the company of the ladies.  They know everyone in the whole township so we catch up on marriages, births and deaths.  I hear the funniest stories from Isabelle’s younger days, and learn tips for gardening, canning, pest control and other such topics.  But last week, I had to leave early to get back on the computer that evening for work.  I miss Isabelle and hope to visit her again soon.

Sunday April 18

Another weekend spent at the VA farmette.  We mowed the grass in PA on Thursday, and then mowed the grass in VA on Saturday!  I have this feeling that many of our free hours this spring will be spent on lawnmowers and tractors.  Both farmettes look great!

I planted a few perennials over the weekend.  The smaller island of lawn, closest to the house that the driveway circles, is my first gardening project in VA.  On the left side of the island is a beautiful maple tree and a walnut tree with three trunks.  The walnut tree was late in getting buds so hb cut it down on Saturday.  The trunks were hollow and filled with carpenter ants.  Under the maple tree, I planted a hydrangea, a pink azalea and three grasses.  hb brought the azalea home for me as a suprise on Saturday. The soil is very shallow under the tree and poor so I amended the planting holes with compost, root starter and added mulch.  In the holes, I also added these terra-sorb crystals that absorb water, then release it as the roots dry.  I needed a way to keep my new plantings watered and found this product at Gardener’s supply company. 

In the back yard, I planted a rhododendren under another walnut tree next to the rock wall.  And along the side of the house, hb helped me separate an old clematis from a lilac bush.  The roots came up rather well, so I transplanted the clematis next to the trunk of a  tree that hb grew up calling a flame tree.  The flame tree's trunk is growing mostly horizontal about 5ft off of the ground.  I plan to add a wisteria to the other side of the tree.  How beautiful will that flame tree be if both the clematis and wisteria take hold and spread! 

I promise to take pictures of my new gardening efforts and will report back on the terra-sorb crystals next trip to VA.

On Sunday, hb and I drove to an EcoTulip farm in VA.  The Tulip man grows organic tulips of every color imaginable.  There are rows and rows of tulips in the middle of the beautiful VA countryside.  You can pick buckets of tulips and daffodils to take home or order bulbs for fall planting.  I decided to order 100 mixed bulbs.  There were many folks picking tulips, picnicking on the grass among the flowers and enjoying the great spring weather.  Very nice outing!

Here are two pictures of the VA farmette in the morning sun,

Thursday April 15

Sissy had her one year vet appointment this evening.  Everyone in the office doted on her.  She has been deemed to be between 13-15 years old, which is old enough not to need vaccinations anymore.  I think that is on the high side, I think of her more like 11 years old.  She did get the kennel cough dose even though I have no plans to leave her anywhere, as well as a pedicure.  The vet techs giggled when they saw her hobbit feet.  Sissy’s fur has stopped growing everywhere except on her feet, leaving them furry.  The vet did some blood work on her as well.  All of her numbers are great except for two liver enzymes, which are both in the high zone.  But the good news is that while one number increased, the other decreased so the net result is about the same as last year.  The vet gave me some milk thistle supplements to aid the liver functions and suggested I put her on puppy food as she has lost 2 pounds.  I knew Sissy looked thinner, seems that in old age the body does not absorb nutrients so well.   Puppy food and more of those yummy liver cookies should help add a few pounds.  I think I saw Sissy smile when she heard that advice!

Monday April 12

Over the weekend, I finally finished painting the bathroom door.  Two coats of white semi-gloss on each side then back on with the hardware.  Just took me two weeks, no make that three weeks, longer than I planned. 

The Penguins played their last game of the season on Sunday.  Crosby scored 2 goals with 3 assists!  A fantastic 5-point game that gave him a tie for the most goals of the season with just one other player.  The playoffs begin on Wednesday and this is the last season for hockey in the Pittsburgh Civic Arena.  I have lots of great hockey memories in that arena, I will miss it.

One of my daily goals is to live mindfully.  To be in the present, experiencing both the large and small moments of every day.  There are some days where this comes easily and other days not so much.  For me, Mondays are the most challenging.  I feel the gloominess start Sunday evening as I setup the coffee maker to automatically brew, set the alarm clock to ring and finish the laundry.  Sleep is never sound for me Sunday nights, and pulling myself out of bed in the morning difficult. The better the weekend has been, the longer Monday seems to last.  Slowly, as the hours of the first day of the week pass, I begin to feel Tuesday approaching, the cloud lifts and my mood moderates. Remembering to be mindful Tuesday through Sunday is hard enough, tying to be mindful on Monday alludes me. 

Sunday April 11

I have added lots of new pictures on the various farmetteLife pages.

Check out the daffodils on the Petals portfolio, cat pictures on the Cat portfolio page, the beginnings of our 2010 garden on the Garden page, tractor pictures on the Lifestyle page, a new farmette view on the Scenery page and here is a picture of Sissy, enjoying an evening walk up the hill.

Saturday April 10

Hb and I accomplished a lot of small chores today.  We started the day working on the garden.  Hb tilled and built up rows using the mantis tiller.  I planted four rows of onions, one for spring and the rest for large onions, two rows of beets and one row of lettuce. 

After the garden work, we fixed the garage door.  During one of the heavy snows, the door stuck along the bottom and pulled the track loose.  A couple of new screws and all was working again. We had a minor near miss when hb climbed off of the ladder, and I began folding the it up. Crash! hb had left the toolbox tray on top of the ladder, and I did not realize ti was there. The tray was full of sockets, screwdrivers and other such things, and on the way down, missed hb's head by an inch. Everything in the tray scattered across the garage floor. The good new is that hb escaped without injury and now the toolbox tray is neatly reorganized!

Finishing with the garage door, we turned our attention to the house.  Each summer for the past two years there have been bees making themselves at home around the windows on the front of the house.  So hb and I climbeed out onto the front porch roof to add more caulking around the windows.  Hopefully this will discourage the bees this year.

After making a run to the grocery store for supplies, we put up the deer fence around the garden, and then planted some grass seed in a few bare spots around the yard.

All in all, a complete day’s work.  Hb took a lot of pictures of the garden, the daffodils and jonquils and of course, the animals.  I will sort and post some tomorrow. For dinner we made one of our standard and favorite meals, baked salmon fillet, kale served with raw onion and vinegar and yellow rice. Excellent meal!

News about our farmette website! I just received an email that Backyard Poultry has added a link to FarmetteLife.com!  Great magazine with lots of good information about raising birds and living in the country.

Also, I recently added a super cute page to the Ginger the Happy Cat site.  Mary visited an elementary school in February to read the Ginger book to a second grade class.  The children each colored a Ginger page and wrote than you notes to Mary.  All have been added to the new page.  Check it out, the pictures are great!

Thursday April 8

I am typically a very healthy person.  Not many complaints except for my summertime plague of poison ivy and a touch of asthma now and then.  But for the last few months, I have had the most annoying abdominal pain and digestive issues.  Food creates such havoc with my system that I feel better not eating and have already lost 5 lbs.

So, about a month ago I made my way to the doctor.  It was time for my yearly visit, and since I usually need to have multiple reasons before making the time to see my doctor, I made an appointment.  I mentioned my problems to him and he suggested checking to make sure there is nothing terrible going on, like cancer.  That test is scheduled for May.

But this week I have felt just awful.  I am tired and have no energy mostly because I am avoiding food.  And when I do eat, I feel sick for hours after.  Today, I did some searching on WebMD.  One diagnosis that caught me attention is giardiasis, a parasite that comes from infected water.  Now the water at the VA farmette is straight from the well without any treatment.  I have never drank the water there but we do use it to brush our teeth and for showers.  I contacted my doctor’s office, spoke to the nurse and picked up a prescription for lab tests.  I should find out if my diagnosis is correct by early next week.  Until then, I am avoiding food and losing weight, not the most fun diet but very effective.

Sigh.  At least giardiasis is treatable and then avoidable.  But if this is not my problem, then I will worry until the May test happens.

Easter Weekend

Hb and I spent the long holiday weekend at the VA Farmette.  The weather was perfect, highs in the 80’s and cool in the evenings. 

Hb’s new tractor was put to good use, along with the 10ft cutter that was delivered on Friday.  Hb mowed three of the fields that had been neglected for years.  All of the scrub brush, multi-floral rose bushes and broom straw vanished.  The tractor and cutter are huge but a perfect fit for the Farmette work.  All of the 35 acres are completely usable, with gently rolling hills, flat fields and of course the pond and woods. We took our smaller lawn tractor, Kermit, to VA with us which I used to mow a few acres around the house.

Here is one picture, more are on the Farmette South portfolio page.

There were hundreds of frogs in the pond, croaking and hopping around the edges of the water.  So we named our pond, Frog Pond.  In addition, we saw an 18” wide snapping turtle hanging around.  I want to get a few ducklings but won’t be able to put them in the pond until they are full grown, or they will become turtle snacks.  After spending a decent amount of time around the pond, I have chosen the location for three weeping willows that I will plant this fall.  I also located two perfect spots for benches on the edge of the pond.  One will be at the end of the path from the house, and the other will be reached from the path through the woods.  I think we will name our woods the Little Woods.  I think the area is about 2-3 acres, and it sits on the west side of the pond.  There are a number of rocky outcrops, a couple of feeder streams to the pond and great places to put viewing platforms (just like tree stands for hunting except lower to the ground and used as a place for viewing/meditating/resting, not hunting).

Sissy had a fantastic weekend too.  She spent as much time outside as she could con me in to with her big, begging eyes.  We went for walks at least three times every day. When I was working in a stationary spot, like grading and reseeding a spot in the yard, I let her stay out off lead.  She smiled every day, and snored every night of the weekend. 

More pics are on the Sissy portfolio page,

Sissy does tend to wander, just following her nose where ever the good smells might lead.  I took her with me to finish trimming the Leland cypress that line the driveway.  I let her off lead, and by the time I made two cuts, she was near the end of the lane.  Funny how slow old dog steps accumulate so fast!  So I brought her back closer to me, and tied the leash to a nearby tree.  Sissy was not happy about that and got all tight-lipped.  So, I stopped my trimming chore, took her for a nice walk down to the pond and then Sissy went inside for a nap so the lane trimming could finally be completed.

On Friday, hb and I were so excited to work on the yard that neither of us took care to apply sunscreen or wear a hat.  We both got way too much sun!  That evening, we drove to town for dinner and stopped to buy supplies, including sunscreen.  We were much more responsible about sun protection on Saturday.

The turkeys were in full springtime celebration as well.  Every morning we heard a symphony of Toms from all directions.  Around dusk, we saw deer running and grazing a couple of times.  In the evenings, after a late dinner, we sat on the deck enjoying the stars.  There is very little secondary light around the area, making for amazing views of the constellations and planets.   I am so happy with the VA Farmette!  It is a beautiful place, private and quiet with tons of nature to enjoy. 

As we were packing up the car on Sunday, Sissy had a visit from a couple of her friends, Lady and Benny.  Sissy is very good with other dogs, and seems to really enjoy being with them.  After a few sniffs and a little play, Lady and Benny headed off to continue their walk and Sissy headed back to PA.  She was so exhausted from enjoying the VA farmette that she slept the entire trip home!

Here is one, there are a couple more on the Farmette South page,

Sunday March 28

We made a trip to the southern farmette this weekend.  The weather was beautiful, very sunny with a daytime high on Saturday in the mid-50’s.  After taking care of some family business, we returned to the farmette around 3pm with a few hours left of daylight to work.  We trailered down the dr brush mower intending to start clearing the paddocks and woods around the pond.  I led the way while hb followed with the dr.  We cut a path through the woods, down to the pond, across the dam and then back up to the field.  The path turned out perfect!  Even though we will have to mow it now and then to keep it clear, I love walking through the woods, especially on a nice path. 

After clearing the walking path, we decided to mow one of the fenced pastures.  The land has not been maintained for a number of years, so there were a number of cherry trees growing wild.  Hb brought out the new tractor, Animal, and pushed down the trees by the roots.  This particular pasture is between the stables and the house, not too far or too close.  When the tractor’s tires exposed the underlying dirt, hb and I immediately decided this was the best place for our garden.  We suspect this spot was either used as a manure pile or a pig pen at one time.  The fenced area is about 70ftx100ft, perfect for a vegetable garden,  perennial plots for the asparagus and rhubarb, berry bushes along the fence and walkways separating each of the areas. 

Sissy has turned out to be a Southern Belle!  She LOVES the southern farmette.  I let her off of the lead to wander about on her own, while keeping an eye on her whereabouts.  She loves the walks, the cat-free house and sleeping on her bed in our room. 

Back at the northern farmette today, I re-refinished the hardware for the bathroom door.  Hb helped me carry the door in from the studio.  Tomorrow I plan to hang and paint on the first coat of semi-gloss.

Weekends just fly by!

Thursday March 25

My photographer has been distracted the last couple of weeks.  Hb’s Dad had a stroke about a month ago and since then poor Dad has been in and out of hospitals and rehab centers.  We think he has finally reached a stable point but hb’s mind has not been in the right frame for taking photographs.  Our week days have been busy as have the weekends so that we run out of hours before the work is done.  The crocuses are blooming in full force and the daffodils and jonquils about to pop as well.  Maybe this weekend I can get some nice pictures to post.  Even Sissy is feeling a little ignored.  She hasn’t had her picture taken since her birthday party.  Hmmm . . . I just had a good thought!  Maybe we will combine Sissy and the crocuses for a spring time photo shoot.

My bathroom door is still sitting in the studio, having just one coat of primer.  I was not pleased with the stripper I used on the hardware so plan to re-strip them using the toxic stuff.  So much for the one day project.  Now I am just hoping to get the door hung and painted some time this month!

Two nights ago, I was awakened about 3am by a loud noise.  Not loud enough to frighten me, more like a small crash or sharp thump.  Hb being a deeper sleeper than I am, didn’t stir so I fell back asleep quickly.  In the morning, I found the source on the living room floor.  The cats had caught a mouse and proudly left the remains for me to admire.  Because we live in an old farm house in the country, catching mice is one of the cat’s jobs. So I congratulated everyone, cleaned up the remains and poured myself a cup of much needed coffee.   

Monday March 22

Yesterday, I started the chore of refinishing the bathroom door.  Before tackling the door, I removed the hardware, then set it into an empty coffee container with a covering of organic paint remover.  Taking the paint off took much longer that I anticipated.  Because I planned to repaint the door, I used a heat gun.  The door is solid wood, over 100 years old with 5 panels on each side.  It took me half of the first side to get my technique sorted out.  That side had only been painted, while the other side had varnish under the paint.  Both were difficult in their own ways.  After finally getting the paint off, I sanded both sides using two different palm sanders.  One nice square sander for the flat surfaces, then a smaller sander with all sorts of attachments to get along the panel sides and decorative edges.  With the sanding completed, hb helped me plane off about 1/8 inch from the height.  We have an electric planer that makes fantastic cuts but is super scary to run.  The sound gives me chills!  Tonight, I primed both sides and removed the hardware from the paint remover.  The organic strippers work well but take longer.  I hope to hang the door tomorrow, then paint two coats with a brush.  The bathroom is at the top of the steps, so is the first thing you see walking upstairs.  Getting the bathroom door refinished  will be a nice improvement to the Farmette.

My new Miele vacuum cleaner stopped working on Saturday!  It is only a month old, and the power sweeper head will not turn on.  I called the place where hb bought it and they said to bring it in.  There is a full 2 year warranty so no worries, but these Miele vacuums are supposed to be super dependable.  So much for that!  So tomorrow, we plan to make the hour drive to the sweeper dealer to have it fixed, or replaced.

I woke up this morning to the sound of fat raindrops falling on the metal roof.  The temperatures have been warm enough for the windows to be left open so rain makes a loud, soothing sound on the roof.  I could have stayed there for another hour just listening to the splats, dozing on and off.  For me, night time rains on a metal roof are definitely one of the small pleasures in life that I really enjoy.

Saturday, March 20

The first day of spring, and the temperature almost hit 70 this afternoon!!  WooHoo!!!  After some much needed food shopping in the morning (the only items in the fridge were condiments, old soy milk and limp celery), hb and I spent the day outside working on a number of spring cleaning chores.   Hb worked on all of the power equipment, the tractor, lawn tractor, dr brush mower and the power washer.  After fueling and oiling, he started each one.  Then he roto-tilled the garden and washed the cars.  Nice day’s work!

The first chore I took care of was cleaning the cat litter area in the basement.  After strapping Sissy into her halter and safely anchoring her in the side yard, I headed to the basement.  Both litter boxes were emptied, then moved outside where I scrubbed and hosed them clean.  While they dried, I shop vac’d the entire basement  floor and steps.  

Then, I decided to finish up indoors by vacuuming the carpets.  Half way through the job, my wonderful, 2 moth old Miele vacuum stopped working!  The power brush refused to turn on.  Rats!  There was still cat hair on the carpet.  I called the vacuum store and after being told how many things I could have done to break it, the sore guys said it would have to be seen by a professional.  Sigh.  All I was doing was vacuuming a rug for goodness sake!  So, sometime next week, my new blue Miele will have to see the vacuum doctor.  Good thing the warranty is for 2 years.

So I headed outdoors to clean the Homer’s coop then the chicken coop.  Everyone was happy to have clean straw, fresh and clean water bowls and full food bowls.  Remembering the morel patch, I dug up a bucket of good, black compost, added a gallon of water to the bucket and then fed the mushroom bed.  Last year, we had 2-3 morels.  This year I am hoping for a bumper crop.

Back inside, I took down the bathroom door.  Being an old farmhouse, the door has many layers of paint, covering not only the door but the beautiful hinges as well.   The handle are the old glass knobs, and are in perfect condition.   Tomorrow, I plan to strip the old paint, plane ¼” from the top , repaint the wood and leave the hardware plain.  That door has never closed easily and has finally come to the top of my to-do list. 

Dinner was easy, strip steaks on the grill, mashed red potatoes and a simple salad of mixed greens, sweet onion and pickled beets from last summer.  Nice meal!  Perfect Saturday.

Wednesday, March 17

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!  I am just a little bit Irish, but I celebrate this holiday ever year because March 17 was my Grandmother’s birthday.  She would have been 104 today. 

I think about her often, as she lived just a block away from my childhood home. Growing up, she fed and cared for me on nearly a daily basis.  My Grandma was an amazing cook.  For breakfasts she would make either oatmeal, cream of wheat or poached eggs on toast.  Lunch might be Monkey-tail sandwiches, Spanish rice, tomato soup or a bbq chipped ham sandwich.  Dinner was always awesome.  My mouth still waters when I think about her chicken soup with homemade noodles, roast beef with potatoes, gravy and crescent rolls, baked flounder or the best macaroni and cheese ever made.  There was always a dessert for after a meal or just as a snack.  Cherry pies and pumpkin pies at Christmas, sugar cookies in cut-out animal shapes at Easter, gingerbread cake with lemon sauce, toll house cookies, peanut butter cookies, tapioca pudding, apple strudel, or jello with fruit in individual cups. 

And she cooked like that every single day that I knew her . . . and I never told her nearly often enough how much I appreciated her efforts, or enjoyed the food, or how much I loved her.

Happy Birthday, Grandma!

Monday, March 15

The snow is almost all melted, yahoo!!  There are deer everywhere, so happy to see grass and easy to reach food.  Turkeys too, big groups of hens and gobbling toms.  Puff is in rare form.  He paces around the coop, listening to the wildbirds, strutting and gobbling like nothing else.  And just a few steps behind him is his shadow, Junior.  Too funny.

Hb and I headed out to visit the southern farmette.  I saw my first flock of turkeys and a herd of deer there too.  Nothing makes me happier than seeing wildlife wandering about, happy and relaxed.

Sissy had not been on a road trip in a couple of months.  She enjoyed VA, but was a little restless the first night.  After that, she settled in and enjoyed the cat free environment. 

Mama cat is doing very well.  She looks beautiful and has completely healed fromt hat unfortunate clipping disaster.  This weekend, I hope to give her another trim and a bath.  She will be a beauty queen!

Hb trimmed the fruit trees two weeks ago.  I hope we get nice apples and pears this year.  Tons of crocuses are starting to bloom and the daffodils and jonquils are a few inches tall now.   I ordered three purple lilac bushes for the southern farmette.  I hope to make a Lilac Lane section of the garden.  With the two lilacs here that I can move down as well, these will make the perfect start to the new garden.  My first garden purchase for the new farmette!!

Tuesday, March 9

Enough snow has finally melted to reveal the power cords to my Christmas lights.  Into the second week of March and I just took down the lights today.  Amazing!  Actually, I felt a little sad putting away the lighted snowflakes hanging from the red bud trees and the icicles dangling from the Tetons.  Evenings will not be the same without the decorations to look at from the kitchen window.  But I suppose the farmette was one of the last homes in the area to have lights on every evening!

I spent the last several days visiting my daughter in Boston.  We spent one day antiquing, ate lobster and crab legs for dinner and then spent another day on projects.  We installed a new kitchen faucet, replaced the garbage disposal guard, hung a kitchen chandelier with a dimmer switch and replaced the hallway light in her condo.  Fun to do such projects with my daughter! 

Today, I saw the first crocus popping up in the yard.  Sissy and I were out for a walk when I spotted the bright orange color next to a tree stump.  Spring is almost here for sure.  Crocuses are always a good sign of warmer temperatures and longer days.

We had to buy fuel oil for heating the southern farmette. For now, the house is heated with oil from a 500 gal tank.  We are so used to the free gas in Pennsylvania that the $800 cost for the oil was very painful.  Wish we could share that gas line between the properties!  I am anxious to visit the new farmette again.  I want to walk the property and look for deer sheds.  The bucks will probably shed earlier in Virginia.  I also want to see if the pond has fish in it.  Since the climate is warmer there, I have been shopping for magnolias and other such perennials for my new garden.   Once I spend some time getting to know the land, my ideas for the gardens will start to become clearer.  Creating gardens is always a lot of work, but this will hopefully be my last, new garden.  My hope is that the southern farmette will be my forever home.

Sunday, February 28

Today is Sissy’s one year birthday!  She has been with us here at the farmette for one whole year.  She is like a brand new dog compared to when we found her just 12 months ago.  Hb and I gave her a small party.  The cats did not feel like celebrating so they did not attend, which suited Sissy.  She is not overly fond of their company anyway.

We had planned to spend the weekend at our farmette in VA, but the snow and wind on Friday kept us here.  I was really looking forward to walking around the property, looking for the perfect spot for my tree stand (for watching, not for hunting).  Of course the weather in VA was beautiful, sunny and temps in the 40’s.   Here in PA, another 8 inches of snow fell with high winds and not even one ray of sunshine.

Thursday, February 25

During the week, temperatures have been above freezing enough to thaw about 50% of the snow pack.  But today, another storm is blowing through threatening to dump more snow.  So far, the high winds have stopped anything from sticking to the ground.  The remaining snow pack has frozen solid so Sissy can climb up and walk on top of it.  She seems to enjoy the view.

Amazingly, the compost pile is hot and steamy!  I cleaned Homer’s pen yesterday.  When I added the bucket of bunny droppings to the bins and stirred, there was steam rising!  Very nice to see our hard work saving those kitchen scraps and collecting coop dirt generating fertilizer even in the depths of winter.  The garden this summer will do well.

Saturday, February 20

Finally, a sunny day with the high temperature almost to 40F.  The snow has been melting steadily, but not without leaving behind some damage.  This morning I noticed that the snow and ice have pulled of most of the gutters along the front of the house.  Looks like those are the only ones pulled away, from those that I could see.  There are still a number of heavy icicle packs on different roof sections, hopefully the gutters are hanging on.

We discovered another snow damaged item later in the morning.  The garage door was inoperable and upon closer inspection, broken.  I think what happened was when the snow and ice froze the door bottom, we tried to open it, breaking the arm broke loose from the door.  We succeeded opening the door in manual mode, gathered the loose screws and removed the dangling connector.  Fixing the door will have to wait until we have more of a thaw.

Hb ran errands in the morning while I stayed home and organized and straightened up.  Something I need to do every now and then for my own sanity. I put away paperwork, washed the covers on the guest beds, threw away old magazines, put items back in the attic and did a few small repairs. When hb came home, he offered to help fix Puff and Junior’s gate.  Resetting their gate was a summer project that we never got around to doing.  And now, with the frozen earth covered by multiple feet of snow, the gate has lifted almost completely off of the hinges.  I worried that the project would be too difficult in the cold and wind, but life would be so much easier having that gate operational.  So we decided to get it done.  Happily, the task only took an hour, and went very smoothly.  We reset the hinges three inches higher and moved the latch down on the gate to fit.  Good to have that done.

Wednesday, February 17

Hb and I have decided to begin a new adventure.  This past fall we started searching for a farmette with more useable land and yet closer to basic amenities.  Sure enough, after picking a target area and looking at a number of properties, we found another project.  Our new farmette is south of the Mason-Dixon line, on the front range of the Blue Ridge Mountains.  Of course, there is an old farmhouse, circa 1799, that sits on the 35 acre property.  With two smaller mountains to the east and the Blue Ridge mountain range to the west, the views from all of the windows are amazing.  We decided Virginia would suit both our lifestyle and hobbies very well, with the Shenandoah National Park just 20 minutes away and milder winters.  In the immediate future, our plan is to begin renovations on the southern farmette while still living in western PA.  Having lived through several old farmhouse renovations, neither of us are anxious to live through another.

The 35 acres more than doubles the size of the northern farmette and includes both a pond and a small stream on the land.  The pond is about 1 acre in size and the land is primarily fenced pasture with about 5-7 acres of woods surrounding around the pond.  One of my favorite features is the black wood rail fencing that divides the pastures.  There is a small, tobacco barn with run throughs on either side, perfect for storing equipment.  For the animals, there is a nice 8 stall stable that opens into one of the front pastures.  The house sits towards the back of the property and there is a tree lined lane leading to the front walkway.

The house is amazing and in very good condition.  The oldest four rooms of the house, two on the first floor and two on the second, were built in the late 1700’s.  There is an L-shape, two story addition built in the late 1800 and/or early 1900’s.  The exterior was originally wood slats, but was stucco-ed in the 1930’s.

Front of house	House from back field	Pond with old dock	Stable

Hb and I have made a number of weekend trips to the southern farmette, trying to determine what to renovate, restore or replace.  For sure, the exterior color will change and the yard is in desperate need of flowers, trees and general care.  I can not wait to build gardens, flower beds, plant trees and make paths.  All in view of the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains!

We are both excited!

Sunday, February 7

Finally, all of the snow has been shoveled!  The cars are cleaned off and we can get out of the driveway with relative ease.  Hb finished the driveway this morning while I tackled the front walk and steps.  The UPS guy and mail lady used the front steps for deliveries so keeping those clean is a priority.

Yesterday, we walked some through the woods on the lower 8.  I discovered that trekking through 25 inches of new snow is really hard work.  With no plowing done between our homes, there was no way I wanted to walk the half mile to Isabelle’s house, except of course in an emergency.  I called her first thing yesterday morning to check, and she was fine, and said her chickens would be ok as well.

By this morning with our driveway finally cleared adn the dirt road between our places having seen one pass of the plow, hb and I took the jeep and headed to check on Isabelle.  I packed two shovels, chicken food and a gallon of water.  The son of one of her friends had made it to her place yesterday, driving his truck to the start of her lane and then walking the remaining distance to the house.  Hb and I followed the same path, leaving the jeep near her barn where the snow had drifts reached well over 3 feet.   At least the walk was through broken snow, somewhat easier than fresh 25 inches. 

Half way up the lane, we ran into Isabelle, making her way to her chicken coop to take care of the hens.  She uses ski poles for balance and puts treads on her boots but still, the 40 yards from the house to the coop is a lot of effort for her.  After feeding and watering her hens, I walked back to the house with Isabelle while hb shoveled a nice path for her to the chicken coop.  We visited for an hour or so, and then her son showed up.   He planned to extricate the tractor from the pole barn and plow the driveway.  After giving him a hand shoveling a path to the barn, we headed home.  I will stop by again tomorrow to help with her hens if the weather stays cold because the path to the coop will be slippery. Although, if I were to place bets, my money would be on Isabelle taking care of the hens herself. Even at 91, she is such a cowgirl!

Last night, hb took these pictures of the Tetons and the nearby bush, still sporting their holiday lights.  Except last night, all were covered with several inches of snow.  Looks like some kind of outer space landscape!

More pictures from this huge snowfall are on the bird portfolio, scenery portfolio and of course, the Sissy portfolio.

Saturday, February 6

25 inches of snow!!!  The biggest snowfall I have ever experienced.  This morning when we first went outside and measured, there were 23in.  By the time the snow stopped falling around  noon, two more had fallen.

First thing this morning, I had to shovel a path to Puff and Junior.  They were shut inside their coop with food, but no water.  It took me an hour to shovel a path, free the gate and then shovel a path to the coop and  a path for then to reach their water.  The snow was way too deep for a turkey with only 10 inch legs and an even shorter rooster.

While I made my way to the boys, hb started shoveling out the sidewalk, and a path around the patio.  Eventually, we realized that Frodo’s roof, made from sections of chicken wire, had partially collapsed.  Fortunately, Frodo did not escape.  Once we shoveled a path to his coop, I cleared off the mountain of snow that had fallen from the pine tree above and done the damage.  Then I grabbed a handful of plastic zip ties and reattached the panels together.

We shoveled paths to Homer and the chickens and then spent the next three hours shoveling out the driveway and the jeep.  Sadly, the tractor was unavailable because the shed door had frozen closed. 

By the time we completed the shoveling, the snow had ended and the sun came out, blue skies and all!  So, we took a short walk in the woods and then cross country skied for a little.  Both were difficult given the depth of the snow.  But hb really wanted to cut our skiing path for tomorrow, when the skiing should be perfect.

Of course, we took pictures through out the day . . . here are a few,

Friday, February 5

The snow began around 2 this afternoon and we have about 3inches so far with no end in sight.  However this is Friday night, so no immediate need to shovel or clean cars in the morning, yahoo!!!  The snow is beautiful, and the forecast is now calling for over 10 inches total accumulation by tomorrow evening.  Hb and I are hoping to get some sled riding in tomorrow and then skiing on Sunday.

Mama cat is like a new cat.  She can groom herself, even on her belly and legs.  She is eating 200% more food, and seems to bounce instead of walk.  I  even think I saw a smile on her face today.  The cut on her belly is healing very well, with no redness or swelling.  And she seems to have forgiven me for that unfortunate incident.

Tuesday, February 2

Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow today, which was no great surprise.  I just knew we were in for 6 more weeks of winter.  The cold and snow has been continuous since December, there is no end in sight.  Winter has always been close to my favorite season, but this year has been difficult. Having to deal with bitter cold and snowy mornings five days a week gets harder as the years pass, I suppose.

Finally, I managed to wash my car this afternoon.  I had to use the self washing station because the dirt was so thick the automatic drive through would not have done well.

Mama cat is doing very, very well.  Better than I had expected, hoped or imagined.  Not only has her wound started to heal well, but she is loving the shaved fur hair-do.  She has been grooming her belly and legs, something she has not been able to do for years.  So my horrible guilt of cutting her during the shave is somewhat relieved by her happy demeanor.  I have been brushing her everyday in the morning and evening.  Mama looks like a new cat!

Sunday, January 31

The sunset last night was amazing!  I can not ever remember seeing the sky so pink.  Hb took a couple of pictures, maybe the cold temperatures had some affect on the beautiful colors.

This morning, after a really good breakfast of steel cut oatmeal, with fresh blueberries, I was determined to catch up on tasks from my to-do list.  Number one was to shave Mama cat.  Mama’s fur was a mess and she had started to shed, making her terribly uncomfortable.  She always wanted outside, but then would want right back inside.  I think she was too hot indoors, and too cold outdoors.  Her fur was so matted that all trimming or combing was hopeless.  Each spring, I trimmed her back and sides, but her backend, belly and legs remained 100% matted and yucky.  A month ago, I bought a premier trimmer with a just-for-fur blade.  Today was the day I would rid Mama of those horrible fur clumps.

I took Mama into the bathroom, shut the door and set her on a towel.  Amazingly, all went very well at first.  She seemed to enjoy getting those matted, dirty fur clumps removed.  About 30minutes into the session, I started shaving her thighs, and Mama became restless.  As I was attempting to hold her and trim clumps, something went terribly wrong, and I cut a 1.5in tear in her thigh, close to her belly.  I knew the cut bad as she started to bleed immediately, not a lot of blood but enough.  I felt sick, and called for hb.  He took a look at Mama’s wound and said, “She needs a couple of stitches, the cut is not deep but the wound has to be closed.”  He grabbed a needle and thread from my sewing box.  By then, Mama actually went to sleep from the stress, so hb and I were able to get 4 stitches in to close the wound.  We topped the stitches off with a generous amount of antibiotic ointment.  I was a wreck from the guilt of hurting Mama but Hb was so calming and matter of fact, I could have not done that alone.  Mama seemed better after about 5 minutes, so with hb’s help, we finished the shaving job.  After another 30 minutes, every single fur clump was gone, except on her legs.  Job done.

Before:

After:

Obviously, I closely monitored Mama for the rest of the day.  She ate well and seemed to move around without any pain.  Actually, she is really loving being clean and free from all of that fur.  I will keep the wound clean and put the antibiotic ointment on regularly.  What a start to the Sunday, for everyone!

After the Mama incident, I again had to ask for hb’s help in cleaning out Puff’s coop.  Actually, I do the cleaning, while hb keeps Puff from pecking or spurring me. 

With that done, I turned my attention inside where I used the amazing new Miele vacuum to clean all of the rugs.  Then I gathered the laundry while hb hit the kitchen to make spaghetti sauce to freeze for week day dinners.

Mama is now sleeping peacefully on her bed beside the baseboard heater, and I am having a glass of wine, trying to focus on the positive of getting Mama’s fur shaved, and to not feel guilty about hurting her.   Hb tells me to relax because Mama is fine, and now I have the experience to be able to stitch up any future pet incidents.

What a Sunday! 

Saturday, January 30

Check out the picture hb took of Slick. The view was from hb's chair at the dinner table, with Slick was sitting on my chair, looking hopeful. Sadly, Slick was disappointed, no dinner at the table for him just a photo shoot! There are a couple more pictures on the cat portfolio page.

Today, hb and I went shopping for supplies. We hit Sam's club, Walmart, Tractor Supply, Giant Eagle and the wine store. We had not done a decent supply run in several weeks, or maybe even longer, so the cupboards were nearly bare.

For dinner, we bought two tuna steaks that hb marinated. The outside temperature never rose above 18 degrees today, so he decided to grill them indoors. I made risotto with mushrooms and asparagus, and cooked the remaining asparagus on the side. Nice meal, so I took a picture!

Wednesday, January 27

I managed to clean out the chicken coop and bunny cage on Monday.  Neither had been cleaned out since before the holidays.  Homer is too funny, he just loves new straw.  I put half of a flake on his potty spot, and another half scattered around his space.  He jumps around in the fresh straw, pushing his head under and practically rolling in it. 

The hens were pleased with their fresh bedding as well.  The poor things have spent so many days inside I have almost lost count.  Even this week, they have been in the last two days.  The temperatures are still below freezing with strong, biting winds and snow flurries. 

Frodo, Puff and Junior are all outdoor guys.  Frodo only sits inside his coop when the wild birds are bothering him.  Otherwise, he is out in the weather 24/7.  Junior and Puff hang out inside their coop during the day, even with the door open.  Neither likes the wind and I suppose keep each other company.  Birds are amusing.

I was out of town this past weekend leaving hb in charge of the Farmette.  On Saturday, he decided to drive to a nearby John Deere dealer to look around.  Across the street was an appliance store, so hb stopped by to check out vacuums.  Guess what he brought back to the Farmette?  A new Miele canister vacuum cleaner!!! How cool is that, and it is even blue, my favorite color!  We have been using those horrible, cheap vacuums for years.  Finally, the Farmette has a chance at having fewer dust bunnies and cat hair tumble weeds.  The thing works so well, practical sucks the carpet off of the floor.  And it is so quiet, the cats hardly move, even Sissy does not seem too afraid.  The canister is super lightweight, making cleaning the hardwood stairs easy.  Honest, I am completed thrilled with that new vacuum cleaner . . . funny! 

Hb and Sissy never quite got in step over the weekend.  With the cold weather, Sissy spends as little time outside as possible.  Unless you pay attention to her, dog logs are likely to end up on the tile floor of the mudroom.  By Sunday, hb described her as a four legged salad shooter.    Thanks goodness for tile flooring and Clorox wipes. 

Thursday, January 21 2010

I have been so consumed by various happenings these past two weeks.  Hb and I drove to Virginia last weekend, and I am going to be away this weekend to spend a couple of days with my oldest daughter.  She and I plan to go on a day hike on Saturday, do some antiquing and then have a nice dinner out.   We both want to be back home before football on Sunday.

Being gone two weekends in a row is hard.  The chicken’s and Puff’s coop both need cleaned, the old straw removed and new put down.  As does Homer’s pen.  Looks like I will be spending either Sunday afternoon or Monday evening cleaning coops.  The new 5 gallon chicken watering container is working very well, and will provide water for the hens for at least 5-6 days.

Baldy is still hanging in there.  A month or so ago, the other hens had begun pecking at her head, drawing blood around her skull.  But that behavior seems to have stopped, her head has mostly healed and Baldy continues to be a normal hen.  Well, normal except for her looks.

Monday, January 11 2010

Yesterday, the temperature at 7am was -4F.  When I went to Puff’s coop to let him and Junior out, the snow under my feet was crunchy.  My fingers momentarily stuck to the metal gate and my breath nearly froze on the still air.  The moon was high in the sky and nothing was moving.  On these bitter cold winter mornings, I am glad to have a reason to be outside so early.  There is something magic about a quiet, snow-covered morning.  Then I am equally glad for a hot cup of coffee when my chores are done and I am back inside, looking out.

By mid-morning, the temperature was near 20, so hb and I grabbed our skis.  We followed our trails from yesterday, making the skiing faster and more challenging.  At the bottom of a downhill, I took a fall when I lost an edge turning but did not do any serious damage, just a sore shoulder.  We had too much fun!

During the hideous, pathetic football games Sunday afternoon, we made nachos with our canned jalapenos and yummy, unhealthy cheese.  To makeup for such a poor lunch,  Hb made an awesome chicken soup for dinner. 

After more bad football, we watched the very first episode of SNL.  We were intrigued by the entire show, it was just like watching a time capsule from the 70’s.  We are watching the next episode tonight.  Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel are the hosts.  The music is beautiful, the clothes and political satires era appropriate and many of the comedy acts really funny.  What is so also so amusing is that hb and I sit there watching a SNL episode with our computers open on our laps.  So whenever we have a question like, “Whatever happened to Art Garfunkel?” or “Who was Janice Ian?”, we Google it!  Sort of like interactive movie night.  I am so glad we bought these!

Saturday, January 9 2010

Finally, the sun came out today!  After another 6 inches of snow over the last 48 hours to add to the previous 10 days of constant snow, we finally had a nice day today.  Of course, the temperatures stayed in the 20’s, but the blue sky and warm sun made the day very enjoyable. 

Hb and I started the day running errands.  Hb had ordered new tires for his truck at Sam’s, so while they were being installed, we went food and supply shopping.  Then we stopped at Petsmart and bought a spring collar for Sissy, some dog food, treats and milk for the cats.  Whiskas makes a special milk that is good for cats.  Mama’s lack of teeth makes it a good meal every now and then.  Actually, all of the cats enjoy it.  Best Buy is next to Petsmart, so we stopped in to look for a cd hb had been hunting, Delbert McClinton. We came out with not only a cd, but also dvds of the first 4 years of SNL! I loved Gild Radner and John Belushi.

After getting back to the farmette, I let the hens out of their coop for some fresh air.  Everyone was happy to play in the snow. 

Then, happily, hb and I grabbed our skis and went cross-country skiing for a couple of hours.  The first loop around the fields was slow because we were cutting our trail, but the second loop was great!  The snow was powdery, the temperature cold but not bitter, there was no wind and the sun stayed out all afternoon.  Cross-country skiing is one of our favorite pastimes.  The work out is good and low impact, and being outside on a peaceful winter day is fantastic. 

Amazing how my outlook on a snowy day changes depending on the day (Saturday versus weekday) and activity (cleaning off my car at 6am versus skiing)!

Our stealthy visitor has been cleaning the food bowl I set out every night. I caught a glimpse once and think he is Bob the Cat but I am not really sure. I am just happy that whatever cat is eating the food, he or she is getting much needed nourishment during a very cold winter. One morning last week, I captured evidence of a visit. Cats are so funny, they will always walk where a path has been cleared whenever possible.

Tuesday, January 5 2010

Snow, snow and more snow!  Everyday this week, at least 1-3 inches of new snow have fallen.  The high temperatures have been in  the low 20’s and the wind has howled constantly.  Horizontally blowing snow, yikes.  I have been cold for a week now.

The hens have not left their coop (my decision not theirs).  Their 5 gallon water metal water container with heater has worked well.  Amazingly, the hens have kept the water clean.  I think when they are cold and kept inside, they conserve energy by just sitting around.

Baldy has been getting pecked about the head.  I think the bald skull finally attracted the attention of several of the other, full feather-headed hens.  They have been pecking poor Baldy’s scalp, mostly when she is in a box laying her egg.  She seems fine, but her head looks rather rough.  Believe me, the  “pecking order” is real.

The mystery cat is back again.  I have been setting out a bowl of cat food in the evenings and by morning the bowl is empty.  The tracks indicate a cat, not a racoon and I caught a glimpse of the visitor last night.  I am thinking it may be Bob the Cat, but am not sure yet.

Sunday, January 3 2010

On our recent trip, hb and I watched a fox early one morning. Hb took a few really nice pictures. Here is one and there a more on the wildlife portfolio page.

Temperatures today never reached higher than 21. With the howling wind, the wind chill temperature had to stay near zero. The hens were doing well inside the coop keeping each other warm. I gave Homer a treat of carrots and half of an apple. Frodo was inside his coop, which is very rare as he almost always stays outside. Puff and Junior only ventured outside their coop to get water.

I put away most of the Christmas decorations today. How sad. A full week of work begins tomorrow, guaranteed to be a long five days. I retreived my briefcase from under the guest bed, reset the coffee time for 5:20am and filled my day planner with January's pages. Sigh. We had too much fun these last two weeks.

Saturday, January 2 2010

Happy New Year!

Hard to believe another year has ended and a new year started.  Time certainly flies by . . . faster and faster every year.

Hb and I were away for the last few days.  The place we stayed had no tv, internet and limited cell phone reception.  Very relaxing and a lot of fun!  We took several walks along trails in the woods, listened to music and watched movies every night. 

About three months ago, Hb took the boat to a local boat repair shop for a maintenence check up and to fix an electrical issue.  So, just before our trip, the boat place left a message that the boat had to be picked up as soon as possible.  Seems the boat guy was having some sort of surgery and needed to clear out the shop.  So I headed home while hb gathered up the boat. 

So began Homecoming Event Number 1. When I opened the door, there was no heat on inside the farmette.  The three indoor cats were shivering, staring at me like I had condemned them to life in a freezer. I could see my breath and the thermostat was pegged at the lowest reading, 40F.  After testing the gas burners on the stove, I knew we had gas coming to the house so the furnace pilot had to be out.  Having paid attention to the furnace guy last fall, I knew how to light the pilot.  Success!  Soon the radiators were warm to the touch.  I lit the gas logs in the fireplace for additional BTU’s, and put Sissy’s fleece clothes on her.  I fed the cats canned food in an attempt to make peace with them, which seemed to work.

Now, Homecoming Event Number 2 began to take place.  Take note . . . never pick up a boat in western PA on January 2.  Especially when temperatures are in the teens, there are 3 inches of icy snow covering the driveway, howling winds have dropped the wind chill temperature to below freezing and the towing vehicle has bald tires. 

All of this leads to a long ordeal.  When hb arrived home with the boat in tow, he could not make it up the driveway.  I grabbed the kitty litter and we succeeded in moving the truck and boat only a few more feet before everything got stuck again.  Hb and I decided the jeep would do a better job of towing so we unhitched the truck, blocked the tires of the boat trailer and blocked the back end of the boat since it was on a slope.  Of course, every cement block around the farmette was frozen solid to the ground.  We ended up taking two from Puff’s coop that I use to support his roost.  Finally, with the boat and trailer were securely blocked. The task of unhitching the truck and then hitching up my jeep went smoothly.  Two hours after the boat got stuck in the driveway, I put my jeep in 4L and pulled it up into the yard. 

Welcome home!