Harvesting

As summer comes to an end we begin preparing to store our harvest for winter.

The hurricane left us lots of firewood...

Onions braided....

this sunflower actually survived the mice, hiding it in with the asparagus worked!

potatoes drying...



the melons didn't get big but...

they were delicious!

Always lots of little helpers

Happy Harvesting

All families welcome

Even in the animal kingdom all family types exist.

This family group, a rooster, a hen and two chicks can frequently be seen spending time together....

...and this family group of two hens and a chick are inseparable. Read more about theses hens here.

Baby chicks second week

The chicks are a week old now. They are coming out of the coop with mom every day.

She keeps a watchful eye on them and rushes them away if she thinks anyone is getting to close.

They have the "alert" pose mastered.

She has been teaching them to forage since the third day.

She has escorted them as far as about 50 yards from the coop. You may also notice how they colors have changed since birth. The black one is getting a yellow chest. The yellow one is getting more black strips.

We love our chickens. There is the obvious, eggs and bug control. But they are so much more, they have such personality and ability to communicate...with each other and with us. If you pay attention you learn they have an extensive language.

These are our two Sussex light sisters. We had five, these two watched their three sisters get eaten one morning, by what we are not sure. We heard the commotion in the yard , when we got out there the sisters were gone. These two barely walked away from the coop and NEVER left each others side for months. One of them recently became broody (sitting on eggs). We let her have the eggs to hatch. After about a week her sister joined her. They sit in that box, together, all day and night. Such commitment to their eggs and to each other.

This is one of our Americana's, they lay blue eggs. I returned home during a heavy wind storm. Normally the chickens will pay no attention to my coming and going. This day, one of the Americana's, came racing toward me, at full speed and squawking madly. It was obvious she was asking for my help. I found that the gate to the coop yard had blown shut in the wind. Some of the chickens were inside, not able to free range. She wanted me to open the door for them. I not only find it amazing that she knew to ask me for help, but she was concerned for her sisters/friends. Her name is now Lassie.

The chickens and the roosters are so gentle. They are wonderful pets for children (not all roosters are good pets, some can be very dangerous....RUDY).

While filling the horse's water one of the roosters came over. He clucked softly at me then looked into the lid that was lying on the ground near us. He wanted me to put water in there. I did and he drank. They are very smart. Like all the rescued animals I also believe that these chickens, many who I rescued from deplorable conditions, appreciate their new home and know I am here to help them. I hope the chicks hatch soon!

The Garden April 2011

The weather is finally turning to spring and we spent it preparing the garden!

This is one of our compost piles, the one we are currently dumping in. We dump the manure and kitchen scraps into the pile, which is built on the side of a hill. The chickens scratch through it, but we don't turn it, it just sits, usually for 12-18 months.

This is the pile we are using for dirt. It has finished sitting. We are using it to make the new garden beds. After we dig out all the usable dirt it will become the new dumping spot. The other one will be covered with mulched leaves to cook until next year.

Beautiful and full of earth worms.

Murph spreading the black gold into the new beds. He moved more then 100 sq feet of dirt this weekend!

Some fresh dirt in the new beds. Potatoes and onion sets went in, peas, beans, lettuce, spinach already in place.

I love art in the garden. This was salvaged from the dump. The back says it was collected on the beach in 1967, I presume it was painted back then too. It was just tossed away, thankfully it now has a new life.

Soon the fruit trees will go here. They lay in the basement, dormant. The nights are still below freezing so they will wait a little longer to find their way here.

I decided to plant the asparagus. I have never planted it before. I have researched it and we prepared the beds correctly. Still, when the time came to put it in I wasn't exactly sure which way was up!

The asparagus on the right was my first attempt. Were the tubers the asparagus? I thought so. As I looked at them, after I planted them, I could see they were roots. Then I read the directions more closely, "spread the crowns". Spread, okay, take them out and start over. The bed was exactly the right size for the asparagus we ordered...how did that happen!

It was warm and sunny all weekend..the piggies came out!

Life is good!

Fun in the spring sun!

For the first time since last year we had a warm, sunny day for horsemanship.

The day starts early with Scout and I feeding the horses.

When the kids start showing up we have a surprise, caught in the barn over night.

Thos little guy ate ALL the lettuce that I had growing in the greenhouse! He had to go. We took him out to "the meadow" to let him go.

On the trail, heading out to "the meadow", we found this fox scat. It is located in the same area I found fox tracks over the winter. We inspected the scat and it looks like his last meal was a mouse!

Working hard cleaning up the paddock.

Horses come out and the brushing begins. Tonto has lot's of riders.

Satinka is doing so well. She doesn't like being separated from her little man Frodo. She was very calm all day and ignored Frodo's cries. Her rider was doing awesome. She knows her horse will always react to her feelings and emotions.

Little is always a good boy..unless he senses an insensitive rider. His partner has learned this and understands it well. They have become a great team.

Tonot's older riders help the little kids first and then each other. Tonto is such a good girl. So patient.

Tonto knows when she has the tiniest riders on board and is extra slow and careful.

The kids start out with quiet time with the horses, brushing and walking. They are communicating mentally with them, sharing feelings back and forth. They are working on their breathing and body language. They know they must be able to communicate everything from the ground that they want to on board their horse. Next they asked their horse `permission to get on. Their horses moved next to the mounting spools to get into position. This lets us know the horses want to ride, they are mentally and physically ready to ride. I lead them through the trails while they practice stretching exercises and work on communicating, subtily, with their seat and legs. They all did very well. They even worked on some trotting.

No one wanted to do much art today. The weather was too nice! Instead all the ride on toys came out and the races began.

They raced for over an hour.

Ten kids from 18 months - 14 years old. All playing beautifully together.

I love having a house where all the children love to gather and have fun together.

Enjoying the last days of winter

Spring/summer is coming. That means the crowds are heading back to the Cape. We definately spend more time at the beach from fall to spring...we stay home more in the summer, away from the crowds and traffic.

This is the Sandwich boardwalk during low tide. It leads you across the marsh to a beach. Notice the lack of crowds.

Scout had asked to go to the beach. Seamus came along for the walk.

During high tide the water comes right up to the boardwalk.

You can paddle here and, during high tide, jump off the boardwalk.

The boardwalk was built by selling planks. Everyone was sold.

Notice the bump out. During the summer these are needed for carraiges and people to get by each other.

Looking across the marsh into the bay.

One tired little girl...

one happy dog!

Life is Good...enjoying the last of winter.