Neighbors
Our dog Beau alerts us to visits from neighbors in two ways. If it’s a human neighbor, he’ll bark, making a racket along with Gracie, but if it’s an animal neighbor, he’ll stand very still, staring out the window with … Continue Reading →
Category: Country Life
Bad Fox
Nothing pops the Disneyland-farm-fantasy balloon like a fox going after the chickens. When I first saw the bushy-tailed rascal on our driveway, I thought, “Ooooooo, its coat is so pretty, how special to see it right here at our house!” … Continue Reading →
Don’t Call it the Dump!
One of the charming chores of country life is taking our trash (and treasure) to the dump. No, no! We call it the “transfer station.” So what’s “charming” about that? First of all, I’m not kidding when I say that … Continue Reading →
Stone Walls
If you ask our dog Beau what the purpose of a stone wall is, he will say that obviously it’s to make chipmunks. Beau is endlessly entertained watching chipmunks emerge from the wall beside our house, scurry about, and disappear … Continue Reading →
Coats Off!
Oh, my! It was shearing day for the ewes on the farm, and also for Russell, the once-imposing-looking Dorest ram. I had never seen this done (except for in the Australian TV drama/addiction McLeod’s Daughters), and I was so impressed. Steve hires … Continue Reading →
The Joys & Dangers of Compost
As spring settles in and it’s time to wash and store the sap buckets, the farm is shifting into full-out gardening mode. A key to the success of a robust organic market garden is rich soil fed by compost. As … Continue Reading →
Country Kids
What do preschoolers at Sandwich Children’s Center do? They walk out the back door of the Center and into the woods to look for animal tracks and scat ~ no “ews” from country kids! They also go into the woods … Continue Reading →
Moose!
I don’t know why it is that when I see a wild animal, an exciting one, my instinctive reaction is to call out its name. (Shouldn’t evolution have eliminated that trait by now?) There was the time, a few summers … Continue Reading →
Maple Sugaring
My local hair stylist called this a “dumb winter,” and I must agree! We had little snow — virtually no sledding, show shoeing, ice skating, or cross-country skiing — and the maple sugaring thaw has been crazy. For the sap … Continue Reading →
Spring Lambs
Are you familiar with the verb, “gambol”? It has nothing to do with Vegas and everything to do with sunshine and friskiness. There are currently nine lambs enjoying life on the farm, often gamboling and kicking up their heels. Another … Continue Reading →