Hoof & Howl Farm

Eggs are a-cookin'

2010-07-09T20:11:00.000-07:00

A dozen chicken eggs from Red Roof Hens are currently in my incubator, and I'm crossing my fingers hoping I'll have a good hatch! Last year, I attempted to hatch a dozen Speckled Sussex eggs, and failed miserably, with not a single chick resulting. I decided to give it another go after the recent predator spree our flock endured.

The incubator is a homemade version of "the real thing", DIY'd from a broken Haier wine cooler bought at a garage sale, a leftover heat panel from the snakes' cages and an inexpensive thermostat control. So far, it's working beautifully and keeping the temperature within 1 degree of my goal.

The expected hatch date will be July 30, give or take a day depending on whether I nailed the correct temperature or not. Fingers crossed for a good hatch!

First ever garlic harvest!

2010-07-08T19:53:00.000-07:00

Today, our garlic was pulled up out of the ground, where it's been biding its time since last October. Such an amazing sight! It's almost hard to believe that the tiny cloves I planted last year have matured into such large heads of garlic. Although there's a range of sizes, several are really huge, and I'm very pleased with the harvest!

The act of pulling, washing, and (crudely) braiding the garlic heads was time-consuming, but well-worth the effort. All of them are now hanging by the rafters in the humidity-controlled basement, where they will dry for the next 3 - 4 weeks. Then, the show really begins! I cannot wait to try out these lovely varieties of garlic in my kitchen.

Bandit insisted on being included in the garlic photos, so here he is... :)

Chicken run progress

2010-07-06T19:48:00.000-07:00

Coop and run redesign

2010-06-29T19:46:00.000-07:00

I'm sad to report that Hoof & Howl is now down to just three lonely hens. The fox came back and took 4 additional hens this week, and we lost some of our favorites: Ameracaunas Chip and Clover, Polish hen Freebie, and our last remaining Black Star.

Apparently our previous attempts at predator-proofing the old run were unsuccessful, so to prevent further losses, we're building the Fort Knox of chicken runs. I spent the day today working on it, and hope to have it completed by the end of the week.

I'm thankful for the 6 tiny chicks that are currently growing in my brooder box: 2 Barred Rocks, 2 Speckled Sussex, and 2 Ameracauna hens. In the coming weeks, I'm also going to give another shot at hatching eggs in my incubator. A box containing Blue-Laced Wyandotte, Blue, Black, and Splash Ameracauna, and Black Copper Marans eggs should be arriving early next week, for a hatching date in late July. With any luck, the flock should be 15 strong again by winter.

Blog writeup

2010-06-20T12:13:00.000-07:00

As I mentioned in a previous post, I had the pleasure of meeting up with Linda Newman of the Hedlund Husky Preservation Project over the previous weekend. Linda posted a small writeup about our kennel on her blog. If you check it out, be sure to check out the rest of her blog - there are wonderful photos and information about her historic lines of freighting dog.

I feel so flattered! I'm thrilled that Linda enjoyed the visit to our little homestead as much as I enjoyed hosting her.

Already wishing summer away

2010-06-19T13:17:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, my fall training rig for the sleddogs arrived at Byron's workplace, delivered by truck in a huge crate. I am ecstatic! The shipment had been delayed for several weeks and I was starting to worry - but as soon as I opened up that crate, I knew it had been worth the long wait.

Fall can't arrive soon enough!

Compare and contrast

2010-06-17T19:04:00.000-07:00

From here on out, no more apologies about not posting to the blog enough. OK, I promise, that was my last one!

Two groups of baby birds are growing up on our property right now. One group: domesticated, entwined with man, part of our farm. Growing under careful loving care in safe conditions.

The other: untamed, mischief-filled and bright-eyed, aligned with the wild. Already engaged in a lifelong quest for survival.

Byron and I have really enjoyed watching the wren family on our front porch birdhouse over the last several weeks. At first, all we'd hear were the brazen, melodious chatterings of the parents as they scuttled across their house, clinging to the sides and scampering up over the roof. At times, the cacophony was so intense that I got the distinct impression they were having marital problems. But as the weeks wore on, more sounds began to emanate from the nest: distinct juvenile chirpings. Each evening, we watched as the parents flew into the woods to gather caterpillars and moths for their young. They would return, we'd hear the young birds cry in anticipation, then like a flash, the parents would be off again to retrieve more food. Trip after trip. Even more amazingly, at times they appeared to be cleaning house. The parent would return from the woods with a worm and deposit it. Then, they would carry debris and waste from the house and neatly place it on a nearby tree branch, creating tidy row after row on the limb.

Watching the wild wrens and the domesticated pullets grow up side-by-side has been fascinating and eye-opening. The young wrens emerged from their parents' nest yesterday, still with downy fledgling fluff clinging to their heads, their tail feathers barely developed, the shafts still showing clearly between thin feathery fluff. Yet, these young birds were already fully-flighted, and took to the sky immediately upon leaving the nest. They made a few errors, but had it sorted out in a hurry and were eager to get on their way. They were already amazingly survival-savvy, avoiding me judiciously even though I had been a presence on the porch throughout their development. They already knew the cardinal rule of wild things: survival is king.

By sharp contrast, the young chicks in my brooder seem painfully slow to develop. Now nearly two weeks old, the chicks can barely fly - even though their wings are fully feathered and their tails as developed as the wrens'. Although they are already showing most of their adult chicken behaviors such as pecking, stretching, flapping, dust-bathing and the like, they appear clumsy and unsure compared to the machinelike efficiency of the wrens. Clearly, these chicks depend on human intervention, or at least some level of care, to survive. It was one of the clearest pictures of domestication I've been fortunate enough to observe.

In other news, were were honored to host a special guest over the weekend: Linda Newman, of the Hedlund Husky Preservation Project. Hedlund huskies are a very special, very rare line of freighting dog from the far North. These dogs are very close to dying out, and are being painstakingly preserved by a group of extremely talented and dedicated individuals. They are a throwback to older lines of working sleddogs, a time when mushing demanded a very large, heavy-coated, tough dog that thrived in uncompromising conditions. Such dogs are decidedly rare in the sleddog world today, with racing dominating the mushing scene. Race dogs are built fast and light, small and efficient. Lightning-quick, the average race dog maxes out at around 45 pounds, and could be a mix of Alaskan village husky, shorthaired pointer, and even sighthound. These dogs are spectacular for racing, but due to their small size, can often fall up short when breaking trail on deep snow, or pulling heavy loads for long distances for camping or adventure expeditions. Clearly, in the mushing world there is a need for both types of dogs to be preserved, and Linda is doing just that by maintaining her very special lines of Hedlund freighting husky.

Speaking of the sleddogs, all of the Hoof & Howl crew is doing spectacularly. Tempo is growing up fast, and quickly proving to be a beautiful, incredibly driven dog with high leader potential. She amazes me each and every day. Of course, everyone else is enjoying the summer off from sledding work, choosing instead to pass their days lounging, going for easy hikes, doing obedience work, and of course, chewing away on frozen yogurt Kongs (everyone's favorite summer activity). We are also waiting on a shipment to arrive from California - our brand-new dryland training cart. Even though it won't be in use until fall, I cannot wait to see the new rig in person.

On the farm side of things, our small garden is growing away, producing huge stalks of garlic and pushing tomato plants up their stakes towards the sky. We have roughly 30 garlic heads growing away under the soft soil, and 12 Purple Russian tomato plants that are waiting to bloom and fruit. We harvested the scapes from the garlic yesterday and made a delicious batch of garlic scape pesto, served over freshly-rolled homemade pasta. Served with fresh-baked rosemary bread and old-fashioned roll butter, and a summer fruit salad, I wondered if meals could possibly get any more satisfying.

I don't think I could trade in the homestead life for anything. All of life's small pleasures are just too good to miss.

The day in pictures

2010-06-06T20:45:00.000-07:00

Simple photo post today.

Byron and I enjoyed a beautiful day at Hinckley Lake, and took Tempo out for an easy canicross, with Bandit learning to carry his new backpack (which he loved - I think he feels important when he wears it).

Bandit proudly shows off his new pack (and ragged old leash)

Stopping for a drink on the shores of the lake

Tempo is getting tired, but still tries to regain her place out front when we turn back to the trail

Beautiful Tempo is growing up so fast!

Bandit and Tempo resting towards the end of the hike. Notice how the energizer bunny, Tempo, is still raring to go, while Bandit seems a little - exasperated - by her puppy energy!

2010-06-04T21:02:00.000-07:00

In all the excitement of Wolf Park and the busy-ness of the last couple weeks, I neglected to post on the blog that sadly (very sadly), we lost four of our hens to a fox in mid-May.

Needless to say, for such a small flock, the loss was devastating; our flock was reduced by 1/3 in a single evening. To find the aftermath of feathers and scuffed grass was just horrific, even when you're mentally prepared for the loss of an occasional bird. The hens taken were Thirteen (my silver-laced Polish Crested), my Turken, and my two Barred Rocks. The loss of the Barred Rocks was especially hard to take. Not only were they great producers of giant brown eggs, but even more importantly, they were the tamest of all my birds. When they were chicks, my stepbrother and I regularly carried them from the brooder out into the yard, where we'd spend lazy, spring-soaked minutes fishing worms out of the gardens and tossing them to the eager little chicks. Even to the end, those two hens would follow Scott everywhere when he visited, and he would still throw them worms. I'm going to miss those sweet, funny hens.

Since many have asked, no, I am not setting any traps for the rogue fox. Instead, my mother and I spent the day in a torrential summer rain, reinforcing the run so that the chickens could be safely put up inside until the fox decided to give up on the hens. Apparently, it worked, because we haven't lost another hen yet. They are still free-range, but their coop is now much more secure at night. We consider our farm here to be predator-friendly. On the philosophical side of things, I have immense respect for wild creatures and understand that just like me, they are just trying to nurture themselves (and this time of year, their young, too). I respect the fact that I am the newcomer here. On the practical side, it does absolutely no good to rid the farm of this fox. Another will undoubtedly take her place, and if not another fox, a coyote may come and enlarge the den. In the end, it will make no difference. Better to live alongside and protect my flock the very best that I can.

This coming Monday, we'll be welcoming the addition of six new chicks to our farm. Two Barred Rocks, two more Ameracaunas, and two new Speckled Sussex will be joining our flock from Meyer Hatchery. I cannot wait to watch the new chicks grow up and become part of our homestead.

Horses

2010-06-02T21:14:00.000-07:00

I have to admit it: My heart aches for horses.

The sight of horses grazing in a rolling field of green takes my breath away. The soft whuuush of their breath on the palm of my hand, their whiskers brushing my fingers in greeting, tumbles into my soul like a comforting hug. My heart aches for them. Horses are one of those things in life that get into your blood - and stay there.

There is a reason why our homestead is called Hoof & Howl Farm. The "hoof" part hasn't come to fruition yet here - and may not for quite some time. Every now and then, I torment myself by browsing the Dreamhorse classifieds, knowing full well that right now is not the time for an equine family member.

But, in the meantime, I do get to enjoy my mother's absolutely stunning Quarter Horse, Wimpy's Master Jake.

Just having a horse "in the family" seems to help dull the ache for now, and for that I'm very thankful.

2010-05-29T19:53:00.000-07:00

I'm exhausted, so just a short note.

Today, myself, my husband, and my friend Mallory helped transport a needy wolfdog across state lines. He was an absolutely beautiful animal named Keeyani - likely a mix of Samoyed and Malamute with possibly a little wolf thrown in.

This beautiful young boy had been found languishing in a shelter in Illinois, a state that bans the ownership of wolfdogs. Without transport out of the state by a reputable rescue group, he would have been euthanized without a second thought (whether he actually had wolf or not). So, we agreed to be part of a relay from Chicago all the way to New Jersey, where he would find safe haven at Howling Woods Farm, a sanctuary for wolfdogs and wolves.

We drove up the highway to meet Denise Kinsey, the amazing woman who had brought him all the way to Ohio from Chicago to save his life. Denise and Keeyani shared a heartfelt goodbye before we coaxed him into our truck and took off for Pennsylvania.

The ride wasn't long, but proved to be eventful; somehow we got turned around in PA and ended up going a little out of our way. Still, before too long, we met up with Dan and Tricia, the dedicated volunteers who were taking the "graveyard shift" to drive Keeyani from western PA all the way to New Jersey.

To say that Dan and Keeyani hit it off would be at tremendous understatement.

Mallory and Keeyani were also fast friends.

There was a distinct sense of comraderie among all of us as we completed the transport; mutual admiration and respect for our involvement in the work. Keeyani seemed to be truly grateful, and that's not something I say lightly. As we parted ways, Keeyani came to each of us in turn, placed his paws on our shoulders, and looked at each of us squarely as if to say, "thank you".

2010-05-26T08:14:00.000-07:00

I'm always shocked when the dogs finish blowing their coat in the spring. They look so different without their warm parka-ruffs of fur!

So far, Jasper is the only one who has finished blowing coat. As you can see, his winter and summer looks are dramatically different.

He hardly even looks like the same animal!

Wolf Park

2010-05-24T22:16:00.000-07:00

I've just returned from an incredible week-long seminar at Wolf Park. My brain is hyper-saturated and I have a notebook filled to the brim with notes and sketches. I have absolutely no words to describe the experience of the whole event - from the incredible seminar topics, all the new information I somehow managed to cram into my mind, and of course, the time spent with the wolves. Truly a life-changing week!

I'm struggling to put it into words, so I'll just share photographs. The shots that include myself were taken by none other than the legendary wolf photographer, Monty Sloan.

Getting wolf kisses from Wotan, my favorite wolf!

More time with beautiful Wotan.

Meeting the adorable new wolf puppies! This was such an amazing experience.

Reudi really enjoyed this backscratch! What a ham!

Randoms of Wotan, taken by myself throughout the week.

Renki and Ayla begging for treats.

Eclipse, the beautiful, shy white wolf.

Pat Goodman working on clicker-training the resident coyotes - this was absolutely fascinating.

My memories from Wolf Park will last me a lifetime.

Transitional times

2010-04-29T22:43:00.000-07:00

Every spring, Jasper sheds his fluffy undercoat all in a rush. Shaking out from under the burdens of the previous year, as if he is emerging from the old life and hurtling into the new.

Like a wolfish New Year's resolution.

It's all very poetic, but in the meantime, he just looks like he sat down in a cotton candy machine.

2010-04-14T09:31:00.000-07:00

Spring is chugging along at full speed here in Northeast Ohio. After some record-breaking warm weather, it seems that we've all been thrown forcefully into spring. The grass is green and lush, flowers are popping up all over, the dogs are shedding down into their summer attire, and the chickens are laying close to a dozen eggs a day.

As for myself, spring means it's time for work. New grass seed went down where it was trampled the previous year. The garden beds were raked clean, given a new topping of compost, and are ready to accept some new plantings. Tomato seedlings are now growing in the sunroom, and the garlic plants are shooting sky-high already. A couple of planters built into our deck are going to be planted with heirloom carrots soon, and the planters on the deck kennel will be growing zinnias.

I'm also trying to find more creative ways to use up all the eggs that the chickens have been leaving for me! On Easter, my family and I had a great time hardboiling and dying the farm-fresh eggs. To everyone's amazement, the brown, tan, and green eggs accepted the color beautifully, and created lovely, deep, muted colors that were absolutely gorgeous. It's definitely going to be an Easter tradition from now on.

This week I'll be trying some recipes from Terry Golson's "The Farmstead Egg Cookbook". Unfortunately, this book is now out-of-print, but a little Internet sleuthing snagged me a copy at issue price. I would strongly recommend that anyone interested in a beautiful little hardback with stunning photographs and delicious recipes, hunt down a copy of this book.

On the agenda to try this week is the Apple, Brie, and Bacon Omelet, Basil and Cheese Tian (like a quiche, but crustless), Peach Chiffon Pie, and also homemade mayonnaise. I've been wanting to try a homemade mayonnaise for a long time, but I've always been a little paranoid about the raw eggs in the recipe. Not anymore - I've been told time and time again how delicious homemade mayo is, and the curiosity has finally gotten to me. So, that will be my big cooking accomplishment this week.

In sleddog news, a new training rig will be arriving here within the next couple of weeks. Since the temperatures are so warm, it probably won't see heavy use until the fall, but it's nice to know it will be waiting for me when the temps drop. In the meantime, I've been going out in the morning, training with 1 - 2 dogs at a time on the Erie Canal Towpath, using a scooter. I'm afraid those days are numbered, though, as the temperatures continue to climb.

It's all for the best though, because as the training season begins to fade, the hiking and kayaking season comes into full-swing. I certainly can't complain about that.

*Edit: So I made that Apple & Brie omelet... wow. I think that the cookbook just paid for itself!

Spring training

2010-03-29T21:33:00.000-07:00

Just a short video compiled from a solo training run today - running just Bandit with the scooter along the Erie Canal Towpath. We worked on on-by, using Byron on the bike as a surrogate lead dog at times. I'm so proud of Bandit for bravely facing the tunnel and working so hard! Good Boy, Bandit!

Buzzard Sunday 2010

2010-03-21T08:54:00.000-07:00

I just have to share these wonderful photos, taken by a friend I made today while out socializing Tempo.

The story is, every year, our quirky rural town hosts the Annual Return of the Buzzards. They serve up a huge pancake breakfast, and then everyone goes over to the park to spot buzzards and chat. Despite the carrion-eating bird theme, it's a great time, and a fantastic oppurtunity for socializing puppies!

Tempo went along, carried in my arms, since her vaccinations are not completed yet. We spent most of the day hanging out at a picnic table. All in all, she met close to 80 people today - kids, men, women, elderly, all different races, folks with weird hats, costumes and masks (all buzzard-themed, of course). She did beautifully and showed not a hint of shyness! She got fed tons of treats, performed her Sits, Downs, and Touches, and licked and wagged and wiggled her way into so many people's hearts!

One of these folks was so enamored with her, that she spent a good portion of the day snapping photos of little Tempo.

This girl was the photographer's daughter. She and Tempest hit it off! I love how they both look like tough cookies here!

How sweet are these two? Look at proud puppy-dad Byron in the background!

She has already grown up so much since she arrived at our home.

This buzzard mascot was downright creepy, but Tempo LOVED IT! She chewed all over the costume and tried to peek into the eyeholes, and even wagged happily when the big, creepy wing-arms descended on her and practically smothered her. She's a brave soul!

All in all, a great day. Tempo's baby blues won her a lot of new fans!

The chair-biting vampire

2010-03-20T09:35:00.000-07:00

This photo series cracks me up.

Overdue puppy photos

2010-03-19T09:28:00.000-07:00

I realize I've been negligent in posting new photos of our little Tempo. This is likely because I'm running on very little sleep - constant puppy supervision will do that to a person!

The most recent pic of her and me, taken by Tempest's breeder, who is also a professional photographer, great friend, and a wonderful musher and mentor.

Willow is just an obstacle to be conquered...

"I love you, Bandit! You smell good!"

"Uh wait, I'm allowed to sniff you, but who said you could sniff ME? Um, you're really big and a little intimidating!"

Fitting right in, playing with the big dogs!

This little puppy is extremely toy-motivated. She is a tennis ball fiend!

Incoming

2010-03-14T09:38:00.000-07:00

If I could pick one photo that perfectly sums up Tempo, this would be it. She is a maniac.

New race photos

2010-03-10T13:39:00.000-08:00

I was fortunate to have these additional photos from the Punderson Sleddog Classic sent to me by a photographer who attended the race, and thought I'd share them on the blog. I am so thrilled to have such great shots of my team blazing down the trail!

Puppy reunion

2010-03-06T20:31:00.000-08:00

Today, Tempo's first mom came by with two of her beautiful siblings to have a littermate play date.

I wasn't able to snap any photos myself, but Shannon took good care of that angle with her wonderful blog post, and video, of the happy event! (Tempo's first puppy name was Bolt, thanks to the bright lightning mark running across the nape of her neck.)

Enjoy!

Spring forward

2010-03-05T19:20:00.000-08:00

Here in Northeast Ohio, the air is charged with the vibrance of spring, and as the snow melts, you can hear the songbirds filling the woods with chatter. I caught a glimpse of some geese returning to the North, and the chickens are beginning to bravely poke their heads out of their coop, after a whole winter spent hiding from the cold snow.

I have some exciting news to post, but for now, here's a little video from TIME that just about made my day. With the snow melting around here, this musher's thoughts are turning from "sled" to "wheels", so this is very fitting.

2010-02-26T21:54:00.000-08:00

Today on the Hoof & Howl Farm blog: A rare glimpse into the life of one very exhausted (but supremely happy!) puppy mother!

Mmm, antlers

2010-02-21T09:26:00.000-08:00

The chewtoy of (future) champions!

The littlest member of the family...

2010-02-20T09:16:00.000-08:00

Has finally arrived!

Meet our beautiful new little Alaskan Husky puppy! She was bred by my good friend and sledding mentor, Shannon Miller of Lazy Husky Ranch. When I found out last fall that two of my favorite dogs on her team, Gwennie and Yeti, would be having a litter of pups, it didn't take much to convince myself to bring home a puppy from her litter.

At just 7 weeks old, she is tiny, sweet, and adorable.

Of course, don't let that fool you; this tiny bundle of puppy fuzz will one day grow up to be an energetic, crazy young dog, just like all puppies do.

But in the meantime, I'm enjoying this time of frequent napping, cuddling her in my arms, and helping her learn about her new world.

More from the race

2010-01-12T10:04:00.000-08:00

My friend Shannon Miller did a writeup about the race on her blog. There's some great shots of her dogs, a shot of me in the starting chute, and the both of us hanging out.

Also, I put together this "highlight reel" of the race - the footage is from my trusty helmet camera. I hope it conveys the fun and excitement of this sport, from the center of the action!

Punderson Sleddog Classic Recap

2010-01-10T09:49:00.000-08:00

This past weekend, my little team and I competed in our very first race, the Punderson Sleddog Classic! We entered the 3-dog Sportsman class - a more casual class for amateurs with small teams.

I've never been more nervous in my life, than I was standing on the runners in the starting chute of the sprint course. The cacophony of barking dogs all around me - the trail laid out bare before me, fast and slick and freshly-groomed. The adrenaline coursing, the fear of the unknown - not knowing how my dogs would perform with other teams on the trail. Being rescues, two of the dogs on my team are reactive to strange dogs; they bark and make a fuss, and lose all concentration when other dogs appear. I knew it was going to affect the way I approached the run, and I had planned for that, but the fear bubbled up in my chest as I stared at the trail stretching endlessly ahead.

It turns out that I had nothing to worry about. When I heard another team coming up behind me, I simply pulled off the side of the trail and hooked down, and let them safely pass while I held my leaders. There were no mishaps and we were able to really enjoy the experience, smiling the whole way.

Even though we came in last in our class, I'm thrilled - I never expected to place, and we accomplished what we set out to do: complete a challenging course with other dogs and drivers on the trail. As an added bonus, I'm a much more confident driver after the race - the trail was quite tricky. Not to mention all the little tricks and tips I picked up from other mushers!

On to the photographs.

My guys were picketed next to another team. They were a little noisy at first, but soon they calmed down and made themselves at home.

Me coming up behind another team. My guys were flying, and I had to ride the brake to keep them from passing. I wanted so badly to pass this team, but I didn't trust my dogs' passing skills.

Just after the finish line - my poor helmet camera is practically hanging off my head! Can you see the thrilled smile on my face?

Hookup disaster

2010-01-05T09:40:00.000-08:00

Have I ever mentioned that Willow is a saint?

The photo is a still from my helmet camera. Byron and I loaded up the dogs and drove them out to Punderson State Park, for a training day with a group of other local mushers. It was their first time training around so many other teams, so they were a little... distracted.

The tangle was sorted out super fast, but this frame made me chuckle. As you can tell, this newbie team still has a lot of kinks to work out!

Learning to camp

2009-12-29T10:52:00.000-08:00

Unfortunately, I received the sad news today that sledding is not allowed on the Hinckley Reservation trail system, which runs right out of my backyard. So, instead of sledding today, I took the time to set up a prototype winter camp, and work out the kinks before the dogs have to camp away from home.

The dogs were surprisingly calm on the picket, considering that they had never been restrained in this way before.

After awhile, Bandit wanted to find out if he could play with Willow while he was on the picket.

The dogs did better than I expected, and they stayed picketed for a few hours while I worked around the farm and hung out in the tent. I tried to make it as close as possible to a "real" camping trip, and I hope it will pay off in the future.

Huskies in their element

2009-12-28T10:47:00.000-08:00

Today marked an absolutely monumental event: I took Loki and Bandit out for our very first sled run today! It was more fun than I ever could have imagined. The sled was harder to control than I thought it would be, but I got the hang of it fairly quickly, and didn't have any spills. Well, unless you count the time that my stepbrother jumped into the basket and tipped the sled off the side of a hill. The good dogs just held their ground and I hooked down while we hoisted the sled back up onto the trail.

I didn't take my helmet cam, because I was too concerned with just staying on, and learning how to steer the sled. Unfortunately, I also didn't have a free hand for photographs.

But afterwards, I managed to shoot some good pics of working with them on line-out, in harness and amidst all the beautiful snow! It has only just stopped snowing here now, and we have close to 8" of white powdery beauty.

Feeders and fenceposts

2009-12-04T14:45:00.001-08:00

You know what, this homesteading and sled-dogging thing is hard work. But wow, is it SATISFYING work.

Last night, I came in from shopping around 9:00 pm, and Byron and I worked on putting up the new chicken feeders, dumped 100 pounds of cracked corn into barrels in the barn, and stacked 14 4x4 fenceposts under the safety of the eave. All this was done by the comforting glow of a little camping lantern. There is just something nice about that. I don't know what, exactly, but it's nice.

This morning, the fence guys showed up, and set the posts for the new kennels that are going in, inside the fence at the far end. So far, the dimensions look great - each kennel is 8' x 16', and should be spacious and very comfortable for my guys. The best part is that it opens straight into the fenced yard, so it'll be super convenient to turn them out for playtime in any combination of groups, or just singly for training, without having to crate the others.

The new kennels should be complete by Tuesday of next week, including gates, and new pea gravel footing. Then, the dog-related work is complete until next year, when new grass will be planted in the fenced yard, and I cross my fingers and pray that it doesn't turn into a mud pit again by fall!

Even in December, work is never done

2009-12-01T15:01:00.000-08:00

I realize I've really been behind-the-game with the blog. I have so many things I want to write about that I've been jotting them all down on a scrap paper beside my computer. These things add up - it's almost insane the amount of odd stories that accumulate living here on this tiny farm.

The biggest news is that the coop has had a major overhaul over the last few weeks. With winter approaching, I knew I had work to do if I wanted the chickens to stay warm, dry and contented throughout the cold months. So, a brand new heat lamp was wired up to the roof of the coop and through the back wall, into an extension cord in the barn. It's been working beautifully. A few of the hens had been roosting outside the coop, in the pine trees, recently, and this has completely eliminated the problem. They just can't pass up the cozy temps now that the nights are getting chilly.

Speaking of roosts, we completely tore out the old ones and replaced them with brand-new "chicken litterboxes". Basically, we have a 2x2" roosting bar across the length of the coop, elevated about 4" above a row of black plastic tubs. Each tub contains a few inches of Stall Dry, and the chickens' overnight waste collects in the tub, dries out and gets scooped a few times a week. The chickens stay cleaner, the coop stays cleaner, and the droppings go straight into the compost pile, with no wasted shavings. I love it!

And lastly, we installed new "hatch doors" on both sides of the coop. I've seen most people call these "pop doors", but someone forgot to give me that memo! These little chicken-sized doors keep the whole coop warmer, and add more protection from predators, since the regular, full-sized entry doors can now remain closed. It's just too cute to see the chickens hopping up through the doors!

The last remaining upgrades include a couple of new wall-mounted feeders, and next year, I'll be ripping out their current run fence and replacing it with something cleaner, better-looking, and safer for the chickens. The run will be about 3' smaller as well. Since my chooks are free-ranging, it will mostly be used to contain them in the event of a predator outbreak, or to raise fragile chicks.

Speaking of upgrades, our dog play yard needs some serious TLC. I've been absolutely heartbroken this year with the way the grass was torn up, and in its wake, the absolutely unbelievable mud-fest that followed the lack of grass. I've thrown down bale upon bale of straw, more times than I can count, and before I know it, it's disappeared beneath the goo. Thanks to the fight between Bandit and Jasper, and their resulting strict separation, Jasper's been spending a lot of time out there, getting very muddy, and looking like a posterchild for an ASPCA commercial. Of course I never let him stay muddy (he gets frequent baths) but you'd never know by looking at him.

So, the plan is to have our fence guys come back within the next couple of weeks, install a partition on the small "L" corner of the fence, and put down a pea gravel substrate there to serve as a tiny, dog-version of an all-weather paddock. It will truly be more like a kennel since it'll have a dog house and little deck, and possibly a roof over half of it. I haven't decided yet. But, I figure that can keep Jazz safely contained while the grass is reseeded next spring, and he can be contained during rainy or muddy days to keep the yard in much better shape. I think it's a good plan, and I can't wait to see it start to take shape. I take the care of my animals very seriously and if there's a problem, I'm going to do anything I can to fix it as soon as possible. I really can't stand seeing a problem like that day after day, so it'll be a huge load off my mind when the upgrade is completed.

Other dog news... we still haven't gotten enough snow to try out the sled yet, but that's all well and good, as I'm still waiting for new harnesses to arrive in the mail. The snow hook, helmet camera and snubbing line (used to tie off the sled during hookup, and safer than the snow hook) are also still in transit to me. I'm kind of hoping we have a few more weeks of scooter weather before it turns to the white stuff, since the dogs really need a refresher of working in pairs before they go out in a group.

That about sums up the goings-on at Hoof and Howl these days. I'll be posting pics of the renovations as soon as I can!

2009-12-01T14:48:00.000-08:00

Last Sunday, Byron and I traveled down to Columbus to visit a few places that we missed down there, and meet up with a friend. It was great to see the city again (and Heaven knows how much we miss the good eats!), but it made me appreciate the solitude and quiet of home that much more.

The highlight of the trip was a completely unexpected wildlife encounter, while sitting in an Arby's drive-thru (NOT the good eats I referenced earlier, just traveling food!). There was a huge raptor circling overhead, and at first I almost dismissed it as a buzzard - but a better look at the wing silhouette, and I found myself exclaiming, "Is that an eagle!?" I had my camera, so I snapped a few shots. To my complete amazement, when I zoomed in on my viewfinder, there was the characteristic white head and tail of a mature Bald Eagle!

I guess it just goes to show that even the most developed of places still keep their "wild side". This eagle was seen just north of Columbus, near Delaware. Certainly not something I ever expected to see while sitting at a drive-thru!

One of my hens is working overtime

2009-11-19T13:09:00.000-08:00

A couple days ago, I collected this monster of an egg. Truly "jumbo" sized! I have no idea who laid it, and I haven't gotten any more like it, but this was really a shocker when I peeked into the nest box.

Apparently, occasionally laying large eggs like this is normal, and not anything to be concerned about. When I researched the topic, I found that they usually contain either two yolks, or an egg within an egg (maybe where the idea of nesting eggs/dolls came from originally?). So, I cracked it open and voila, there were two yolks, just as suspected!

Hens are definitely an odd crowd, that is for sure...

Christmas morning

2009-11-17T15:10:00.000-08:00

At least, it feels like it here today!

Trailbreakers Dryland Challenge

2009-11-14T23:00:00.000-08:00

Byron and I spent last weekend at a local sled dog race, the Trailbreakers Dryland Challenge. We enjoyed seeing all the rigs, from high-tech racing setups, to homemade welded carts. And of course, it was fantastic to hang out with some of my mushing friends again.

A great variety of classes were available to suit any musher - everything from 6-dog rig, 4-dog rig, to 2-dog bikejor, 1-2 dog scooter, and even canicross!

The dogs in attendance ranged from purebred Sibes, to "mix and match" recreational teams, to Alaskan huskies, and even a few hounds. I spent the entire day asking questions, learning about different bloodlines and types of equipment. I also met lots of new friends in the mushing community.

My friends, Don and Phyllis of Husky Hobbies, were in attendance for the event. Here's Don, racing with his rig and 6 of his purebred Sibes.

These two hounds, driven by Johnn Molburg, were incredibly fast. Sinewy machines of muscle, they were off like dynamite out of the starting chute. I have to admit, I had never understood the appeal of hounds in the mushing circuit until I watched these amazing dogs run.

Another new friend, Robin Harrison, ran an amazing team of little racing-bred Sibes, mostly Seppala strain. They were extremely focused dogs, and well-meshed as a team - working like a unit. It was great to see.

Next year, I hope to attend Trailbreakers with my own dog team and rig in tow. It's a long way to go and many hours of training, but the atmosphere at this race was wonderfully casual, and charged with the excitement and energy of recreational and professional mushers all enjoying the fall together. It's something I definitely want to be a part of in the future.

Frosted garlic stalks

2009-11-04T05:59:00.001-08:00

Honestly, when I read my post title, all I can think is that it sounds like a really bad idea for a cereal.

But, jokes aside, I'm happy to report that the garlic in my raised beds is sprouting! I don't remember how many cloves I planted, but I have a variety of Georgian Crystal, Lorz Italian, Georgian Fire, and generic store garlic in the blend. To my shock, right now the generic grocery garlic is outperforming the rest. And of course, garlic doesn't mind a little frost, so I'm not worried about the plants in the slightest. To them, this is all just a rehearsal for the main event next spring, when they'll really take off and develop into mature heads of garlic.

In other news, the hens spent yesterday night on lockdown in the barn. Around 5:00 pm, I was standing outside on my front porch chatting with my neighbor Lois. Suddenly she said to me, "Look at that huge bird! What is that, is that an owl?" She pointed in the direction of the pine trees separating our properties, and I saw the large Cooper's hawk perched there, eyeing the flock. As if on cue, he launched out of the tree and swept towards the ground, disappearing around the side of the barn. I could hear the chickens screeching and Lois and I both took off in their direction. I made quite a racket to scare the hawk off, but he just circled and doubled around to land back in the pine trees. The chickens were, thankfully, unharmed, but very anxious; they were all huddled underneath a dense bush in the woods.

When the hawk continued to hang around, I decided to lock the chickens in the barn for the evening. My thinking is, if he takes one hen, he'll keep coming back until he's eaten every last one of them. On the other hand, if I prevent him from taking any, and hide the chickens for an evening, he should move on to better hunting grounds.

This is the second time a hawk has eyed my chickens, and interestingly, the hawk was perched in the same exact location both times. In fact, I even wonder if it might be the same bird.

Other than keeping my eyes open, there's not much I can do; all birds of prey are federally protected. Not that I would, or could, hurt a raptor anyway. Regardless of their hunting habits, I absolutely love and admire raptors, and they are just doing what comes naturally to them.

Still, I'd rather not see any of my birds harmed. I let them back outside this morning, but time will tell if I waited long enough to turn them loose from the barn.

First frost of the season

2009-11-03T05:53:00.000-08:00

When all the leaves have hit the ground, and the mornings arrive with a thin dusting of ice, in my mind, winter has arrived.

When the frost and the bare trees and that stark, cold light of winter greeted me this morning, about a dozen different Christmas songs ran through my head. I think that this is a more accurate measure of the seasons than any calendar.

If you give a wolf(dog) a frisbee...

2009-11-01T10:07:00.001-08:00

He'll want to destroy it, and then he won't want to give it back.

So, you'll have to give him a cookie to trade for the frisbee. Then, he'll follow you around looking for more cookies.

If you know what I'm referencing in this post, a virtual cookie to you too. I know at least three of you out there will "get it". ;)

A little time off, but I'm back

2009-10-27T19:50:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the weeks of absence - I had a severe writer's block, and nothing really seemed interesting enough to blog about! But, I can feel myself getting back into it again, so to start off, I thought I'd post this photo taken tonight.

Can you even believe that's a chicken? It's Thirteen, my last remaining Silver Polish hen. Tonight, instead of settling down in the coop, she decided to try roosting up in the pine trees on the edge of my property. She looked so adorable, like some kind of rare little owl perching there, that I couldn't help but photograph her before I gently coaxed her onto my hand and lifted her off the branch, back into the safety of the coop.

All the chickens have been pretty antsy the last few days. Walking along the handrails of the deck like circus tightrope walkers, digging up piles of fall leaves, and peering into the front windows (while the cats peer back) have become their favorite pastimes. It must be the weather changing - or they are just getting older, and braver. I'm not sure which.

(By the way, camp photos are still on the way. I still need to finish cropping them and editing them for the Net. I do still intend to post them!)

Kitty see, kitty do

2009-10-27T10:43:00.000-07:00

Isn't it obvious how much Lily adores and idolizes her big brother Bandit?

Back from camping!

2009-10-05T23:42:00.001-07:00

Although I'm too worn out right now for a full post, here's a few photos from last weekend's camping trip. More to come!

I'd say Loki is feeling better

2009-10-01T10:31:00.000-07:00

Wouldn't you?

Another shout-out to Jenna at Cold Antler

2009-10-01T10:29:00.000-07:00

...For her amazing tribute to October posted yesterday.

http://coldantlerfarm.blogspot.com/2009/09/grand-tomorrow.html

And to that, this homesteader says, "AMEN!"

First fire of the season

2009-09-29T08:40:00.000-07:00

Around here, it's obvious that fall has finally arrived. Temperatures are consistently in the 60's, signs advertising straw and fresh pumpkins are popping up all over town, and apple cider has once again appeared in the groceries. The trees on our property are waving golden and red, and scores of huge, beautiful rust-brown beech leaves are starting to appear scattered across the backyard.

Today, the temperatures really took a dive. With a high of only 54 degrees, a steady cold rain, and occasional wind gusts, it's the kind of day that I only want to do one thing: read a book next to a blazing fire.

So, this morning, I fed and watered the animals, then bedded everyone down with fresh straw and shavings. Once they were all set, I retired into the house for a double-helping of farmer's eggs and apple cider, and set to work getting a good fire going.

The leftover logs from last winter are nice and dry this year, and they sure caught fast compared to last year. Within just a few minutes, the fire was busily spreading over the wood. I filled the tetsubin (Japanese tea kettle) over the fire with hot water, whole cloves and cinnamon sticks, and within just a few minutes the whole house was full of Autumn.

Seeing a fire in the fireplace again reminded me that I've only lived here for a year now - almost to the day. Even so, the fireplace already seems so nostalgic. I remember what a wonderful feeling it was to smell woodsmoke and hear the crackle of the fireplace last year - after living in the city with a small gas fireplace, it was absolute heaven (and still is). Byron and I burned wood in the fireplace almost constantly last fall and winter - and the fireplace even got us through a full week without any other source of heat. To say that I have a lot of affection for our hearth would be a severe understatement.

The only thing missing today was a book to read. I'm waiting on a small order of books to arrive in the mail, so the timing was a little off. But there's so much else to work on that it's not such a loss. With any luck, the day will be spent cleaning house, and making homemade pasta to stash and freeze. And if I'm really lucky, I'll have time to take Bandit and Willow out for their first run in over two weeks. I might like the fire and the cozy house, but I like the cold fall weather just as much.

The biggest Collar of Shame ever

2009-09-24T05:43:00.000-07:00

Poor little Loki. This is his 3rd collar... the first one was too short, the 2nd one was too flexible so he managed to get around it anyway. So, now he's wearing the biggest Elizabethian collar I've personally ever seen. Poor little thing has such a hard time getting around, but it's much better than allowing him to get at his injury.

He seems to be recovering well and has more energy than he did, so that's a good sign.

Today I'm planning on getting the garden finished, and then working on getting new, chicken-sized entry doors added to the coop. If I'm lucky, I'll get new chicken-wire doors added to the compost bays, too (the chickens have been getting in there and spreading my compost all over the yard).

On top of all that, I really hope I have time to work in the studio today. I finally got things up-and-running last week and I'm anxious to spend time painting again.

Playing catch-up seems to be a way of life around here these days.

When it rains...

2009-09-23T15:31:00.000-07:00

...well, you know. It pours.

A couple of posts ago, I mentioned Loki, a foster dog, not doing well after his neuter surgery last weekend. The neuter site was very swollen and very bright red, and he was in obvious pain.

So, he was taken to my vet last Saturday morning, where he received painkiller and antibiotic...then the swelling went down, and appeared to be healing fine since then. In fact, it looked like a normal neuter site until yesterday evening, and he seemed to be recovering well, although he seemed pretty tired.

When I finished my work for the day yesterday, I went out to the kennel to bring him dinner and hang out. To my shock he seemed extremely lethargic and depressed. He was lying flat against the kennel door and refused to get up as I entered. As I walked in he started to whine and cry, didn't want to sit down and was in obvious distress. I managed to get him to lay on his back and I took a look at the neuter site.

I had checked it in the morning and it had looked perfectly fine... but that was not the case now. To say I was horrified would be an understatement. The area behind the incision site appeared to be completely burst open, with a huge hole draining with pus and Lord knows what else (I literally got the shakes and felt like fainting after I saw it, and believe me, I have a very strong stomach). Needless to say he was rushed to the emergency vet immediately.

I couldn't believe it when the vet told me what was happening. He explained that it was a freak accident that happens with neuter surgeries sometimes, about a 1-in-1000 chance... could be either from an allergic reaction to the sutures or scrub used, or a blood vessel that wasn't tied off properly during surgery. Either way, the tissue had started to die off around the sutures, formed an infection, and finally burst to the surface and compromised the skin. The area, as I was told, is completely full of necrotic tissue and infection. The only saving grace is that he has been on an antibiotic since last Saturday, so that kept the infection local, and probably prevented it from becoming systemic.

The emergency vet told us he would need to surgery to remove the affected skin, scrape out all the affected tissue, then sew the area back up. The vet assured us that it would be fine to perform the surgery the following morning at our regular vet, and sent us home with a sedative, anti-inflammatory, and instructions to cold-pack the area every 6 hours.

So, this morning, off to the vet we went, running on only two hours of sleep. The good news is, my vet strongly opted against surgery, in the belief that a strong antibiotic and a good cleaning in the vet's office will have the site closed up by the weekend.

Fingers crossed... this has been one heck of a week for vet bills. You'll have this with dogs. They have a propensity for getting into trouble. But still... let's try to keep it to once a year if at all possible, alright, dogs?

Square Foot Gardening is for the birds

2009-09-21T15:04:00.000-07:00

OK, so not really. I'm actually really excited about my new raised gardens. The problem is, apparently, so are my chickens.

So far, I only have one bed close to being finished. It's 4' x 8', and can support the growth of almost 200 garlic bulbs. I don't have nearly that many cloves to plant since I'm starting small, but it's nice to know that the space is there for other crops come spring. The plan is to create a U-shaped garden on the left side of the barn, closest to the house.

Obviously I'm going to have to protect my new bed from the chickens somehow. I can just see them tearing out all my garlic cloves and having themselves a nice little snack.

That said, though, they sure look cute napping in the soft bed. The contented, soft chirping noises they were making were enough to win anyone over to these sweet little birds.

Recovery

2009-09-21T14:28:00.000-07:00

It's been three days since the dog fight, and I've finally calmed down enough to be able to blog about it. That picture is Bandit on Saturday evening, being comforted by Lily, who is probably his best friend in the whole world. She's stayed at his side ever since he got back from the vet.

I have a policy to never turn out dogs together to play when I'm not home and able to keep tabs on things. (The exception is that either Jazz or Bandit can safely be turned out with Willow. Male/female pairs generally get along much more smoothly.) On Friday, I was very glad that I always stick to that policy. After months of playing without any incidents, an empty food bowl that was somehow dragged into the fenceline caused a major fight to erupt between Bandit and Jasper.

It was a bad one, no doubt. Bandit missed having his eye gashed by a few centimeters, and has five staples in his shoulder. The entire right side of Jasper's face is torn up. Both of them have large shaved patches on their faces and shoulders where the wounds had to be examined and cleaned.

To say I was terrified would be an understatement. My thoughts were all over the place as I watched them fighting - I felt so helpless, and it seemed there was nothing I could do to break them apart. The amount of blood was terrifying. After trying everything I could think of to get them apart (yelling, rattling the fence, spraying them with the hose, hitting their rear end with a leash), I had to grab Jasper by the rear legs and wheelbarrow him away from Bandit. This is the technique I learned to break up dog fights, and it's the safest way to do so when all other methods fail. (It's not safe to go for the collar or head - the rear legs are safest.) I pulled him into the catch pen in the yard and slammed the gate between Bandit and Jasper, leashed him and got him into the sunroom. Then I returned for Bandit and got him into the house.

Once again, I have to tell you all what wonderful, exceptional, incredible neighbors I have. I had just gotten Jasper into the catch pen when I saw my neighbor Gregory appear around the corner. A few minutes later, his parents Lois and Don showed up. They had heard the yelling and snarling, and they were afraid that I was being attacked (I don't blame them for thinking so). When they saw what was happening, they offered to take Bandit in their van while my mom and I loaded up Jasper and took him in her car. Lois even stayed with us throughout the vet visit. Their concern and willingness to help meant the world to me and I just can't thank them enough. I baked a loaf of rosemary herb bread for them this morning and I'm taking it over there with a bouquet of flowers and a dozen eggs. You know what, this homestead thing and this dog/wolfdog rescue thing - it takes a village. And I am so thankful to have neighbors who are so caring, unbelievably generous, and kind.

The dogs spent the evening at the emergency vet, then spent the weekend on lockdown in strictly seperate quarters, downing antibiotic and painkillers morning and night. Of course, I always seem to come up one kennel short - so Loki had to spend the weekend bedded down in the sunroom. Willow had run of the fenced yard, Bandit stayed in the house with me, and Jasper had the deck kennel.

This afternoon, Jasper was returned to his usual place in the yard with Willow. I had a lot of trepidation about doing this, but Loki was not doing well in the sunroom (the stress from being in a new place was rough on him), so I decided it was the right time. Jasper's wounds (which were shallow) have already healed over incredibly fast, and they were confined to the right side of his muzzle, so I'm not concerned about re-injury.

When they started to play I just about lost it. Every time they play-growled or jumped, I ran into them ready to break up the pending fight. I don't know how long it'll take to get over this, but it sure is stressful. I never realized how relaxed I had been about their playing before. I think I'll have to be more proactive in supervising their interactions and keeping play to a level I'm comfortable with.

If I can, within the next year I'm planning to build a new kennel area inside the fenced yard. I'd like to do away with the deck kennel entirely; it's large enough for two dogs which is nice, but it also doesn't allow for separation during emergencies like this. It was never really meant to be permanent, but just got to be so convenient that I'm reluctant to tear it down without a replacement. It's also horribly difficult to keep clean (I spend 30 minutes a day mopping it), and all the dog stuff (toys, food, leashes, and of course, kennel cleaning equipment and poop bags) has a tendency to accumulate in the garage. The new kennels would be smaller, but there would be more partitions so that the dogs can be easily seperated if need be, the flooring would be designed for easy cleaning, and there would be a storage area where I could keep the toys, leashes, and other things. Not to mention a dog waste composter, which is high on my priority list!

Right now, though, all I can do is move on and try to get things back to normal as soon as I can. Bandit and Jasper will no longer be spending time together in the yard, but will be rotated so that they each get time to play and free-run. Perhaps in the far future I might try to reintroduce them, but I don't think they were ever a truly compatible match. It might be best not to push it.

Times like this are difficult and put a dark spot on all the joy I get each day from my pack of sled dogs. But the only thing to do is keep moving forward and take each day as it comes.

One of those weekends

2009-09-19T22:17:00.000-07:00

I'm going to make this short because I'm very tired, and still recovering from an awful couple of days, so here is the Readers' Digest version of the last few days:

Thursday afternoon: Loki, a foster dog I am caring for, was neutered
Friday morning: Loki's sutures look terrible and I call the vet, make an appointment for Saturday.
Friday afternoon: The Big Fight. Jasper and Bandit got into a severe fight which resulted in both of them going to the emergency vet. More on that later.
Saturday morning: Loki goes to the vet. By now, 3 of my 4 dogs are downing antibiotic and painkiller cocktails morning and night. Also, none of the eggs in my incubator are hatching.
Saturday night: There are no chicks in the incubator. Instead, all I'm greeted with is a not-so-nice odor... not a good sign. (Although, having chicks hatch right now probably would have been horrible timing.)

A more thorough update to follow in the next couple of days...

Hatch day

2009-09-18T06:00:00.000-07:00

I know I mentioned in a previous post that I suspected all my hatching eggs had failed in the incubator. Well, I just couldn't get myself to throw them away. The way I see it, it doesn't do any harm to leave them in the incubator until hatch day tomorrow, and if I get lucky with even just one chick, I'll be very glad I held onto those eggs! They are really very indistinct and I'm admittedly a chicken-hatching newbie, so I'm just going to cross my fingers and see what happens.

Stay tuned...

Sew what?

2009-09-17T09:11:00.000-07:00

Yesterday night, I tried my hand at a little sewing project. My first real try at sewing in several years. It resulted (amazingly) in the two throw pillows above, which are destined to be Christmas presents for a fellow wolf and wolfdog rescuer who has been a wonderful friend.

I have to admit, I'm not the type to sew. Sewing is incredibly difficult for me - even something "simple" such as throw pillows. Sewing is so precise. And it feels so final - all the cutting, the stitching, there is no trial-and-error here. I'm more the type that would spend my artistic energy throwing clay on a wheel, or splattering paint onto a canvas.

Still, it's incredibly practical, and a good addition to a well-balanced repertoire of homesteading skills. So, I'm going to continue trying to understand my sewing machine, and see how far I can get with it. That's all anyone can ask, right?

Wolfish jam session, take 2

2009-09-16T08:00:00.000-07:00

A couple weeks ago, I was lucky enough to sneak in these shots of Jasper (a.k.a. Jazz Man, Jazz Music, Jazz Master, etc. - all for good reason) singing up a storm on top of the Doggy Duplex.

I was also fortunate enough to capture the Zen-like calm that overcomes him after a good howl session. He just licks his lips and softens his eyes, and basks in the glory of what he's just accomplished. He's usually a nutcase, so it's profoundly odd to see him pretending that he's perfectly calm, cool, and in control of himself.

Things of beauty

2009-09-15T05:00:00.000-07:00

Most people who dine at my house with any regularity (I'm talking to you, Alex and Scott) know that I love garlic. And when I say love, I mean LOVE.

I can't say I exactly inherited this, although my late grandfather was, in fact, an accomplished garlic connoissuer and garlic festival attendee. His collection of books on garlic growing is incredible - I know, because they were graciously passed down to me by my grandmother (thank you Grandma!). All I can think is that my Grandpa must have known his way around the garlic world. How else does one snag a Bible-sized garlic-growing tome, signed by the author with a greeting of "Merry Christmas, Slim!" (along with the sincere reminder that a clove a day will keep the vampires away)? Or a quirky yet informative read written by an authentic garlic-farming hippie (yes, complete with overgrown hair and beard, and a wife named Watershine - I'm not kidding)?

I know that if he is reading this entry from Heaven's internet connection (I'm sure it's speedy), he'd be smiling from ear-to-ear with pride, and he'd also want to tell me stories about how eating too much garlic will make me grow hair on my chest. I wish he was here to tell me in person, but someday I know I will hear it.

Anyway, this love for garlic must have skipped a generation somehow, because I grew up never having seen an actual head of garlic in my life. "Garlic" was synonymous with garlic powder, or in some cases, garlic salt. I was not even vaguely aware that garlic was a bulb. My only clue was pictures I saw at Halloween.

So, my own affair with garlic started soon after I got married in 2004. There I stood over the kitchen countertop, a newbie chef with zero experience and an armful of garage sale cookbooks. I was mulling over my grand plans for Tortellini Carbonara, ingredients spread before me... cheese-filled tortellini, heavy cream, bacon, parsley, Parmesan, and... several heads of garlic.

The recipe in my book called for "two cloves of garlic, peeled and chopped". Never having seen a garlic bulb in my life, and not knowing that it even possessed "cloves", I assumed that each head of garlic was a clove. Dutifully I peeled and chopped over a dozen "Collosal Garlic" cloves. It took a little over an hour; all the while, I was glancing at the recipe's 20-minute preparation time and cursing the innacuracy of my cookbook.

Amazingly, this story doesn't end in disaster. With neither of us none the wiser, Byron and I dug right into the tortellini once it was done. It was absolutely incredible! The flavor of the garlic, sauteed in olive oil and white Balsamic vinegar, was the crown of the dish. Byron isn't even a huge garlic eater, but he loved it too. The truth only came out later when I complained about the ridiculous prep time. Byron looked at the recipe, and we figured it out. We both got a good laugh, but we have never changed the recipe since then. We serve it for company all the time, and they seem to love it, so that little mistake in the kitchen has turned out to be a blessing many times over.

Nowadays, garlic features prominently in a lot of what I cook. Syrian Hummus is a favorite of mine to prepare, as is Crock-Pot 40-Clove Garlic Chicken (with added Yukon Gold potatoes). So, it only makes sense to try growing my own. This year's varieties include Georgian Fire, Georgian Crystal, and Lorz Italian, all from the excellent heirloom seed company Seed Savers Exchange. I'll also be planting a few cloves of my standby "grocery store" garlic from Trader Joe's. All in all, I hope to have roughly 100 - 125 heads of garlic to harvest next summer, plus all the edible greens in the meantime.

I hope that my Grandpa will be proud. I'll be dedicating the garlic plot to him.

The Great Stick Battle of 2009

2009-09-14T08:00:00.000-07:00

Not to be confused with the Great Hinckley Prairie Fire of 2009, of course.

Cardinal Rules of Dogdom, number 42: An ordinary stick that has been sitting in the yard for weeks is completely uninteresting, until it has been touched by Mom, at which point it becomes an object worthy of everyone's attention.

Yes, it's true. This large branch sat in the yard for roughly 2 weeks, during which I neglected to pick it up. Bandit, Willow, and Jasper were in the yard playing, when I suddenly got the whim to grab it and try to toss it over the fence. I had only been holding it for a few seconds when the usual growly dog-wrestling noises stopped, leaving the yard eerily quiet. Next thing I knew, I was surrounded by three dogs, all demonstrating a perfect "Sit" in the hopes of earning this coveted stick.

A strategic stick-battle ensued. I tried to break the stick up into 3 pieces and toss it around the yard, but one piece managed to escape the fenceline, and one piece was too small to be noticed ("Are you kidding Mom?"). It all worked out, though. Nobody (ahem, Jasper) threw a tantrum and I was able to snap some fun shots of the group interacting.

Jasper got the stick first, but Willow wasn't going to give up that easily.

The winning move!

She wrestled it away from him, and enjoyed a short chew before Bandit had to come ruin her fun.

She tolerated it for a bit, but in typical Willow fashion, ended up putting her foot down. Bandit is smart, so he listened.

Jasper was the eventual winner, and converted the stick into a pile of wood debris in record time.

Fall sleddog training

2009-09-13T21:32:00.000-07:00

I mentioned in my last post that fall sleddog training has begun over here, but I haven't gotten around to posting any pictures yet. So, here I am to remedy that!

A small disclaimer. Willow ran in a muzzle the first several runs because she can get very nervous around strange dogs (she has never started a fight, but I was concerned that the speed and excitement of scootering might push her over her stress threshold and cause an uncharacteristic response if we suddenly met up with a dog on trail). So, hence the basket muzzle in the pics. I have since stopped using it, since I usually pull off the trail anyway if I see a dog approaching.

My little team of two is doing absolutely fantastic. Byron and I go on training runs at the Allerdale paved bicycle loop 3 - 4 times a week in good weather (below 72 degrees - mostly evenings), alternating between running the dogs together, or solo, while Byron bikes alongside or ahead, encouraging the dogs to run faster. Mushing can be a bit of a wild ride, but I'm addicted. Hopelessly addicted. This is great fun, seriously.

The scooter is so much fun, but soon the snow will be flying, and I'll need to procure a dog sled. (If Cold Antler's wishlist goes "truck, farm, tractor", my dogsled wishlist goes "sled, scooter upgrade, kennel upgrade".) I've considered everything from a super-light Scandinavian or Canadian kicksled, all the way up to a real sprint or recreational sled. I had my eye on a used, bare-bones sprint sled for quite some time, but the more I thought about it, the more I realized I probably want to buy new. I'd have to install the bar brake, snowhook, runners, and sled bridle by myself if I bought a used sled, and I'm not sure I'm up to the task. Plus, I found out that the one I wanted was bolt construction (as opposed to mortise & tenor), which can cause the sled to break more easily if it happens to hit a tree or boulder (both very likely scenarios - it's the blind-leading-the-blind over here).

I'm still considering, but for starters I really love the traditional look of this sled. That's pretty much what I'm hoping to shell out for, come late October or early November when the snow is about to hit.

Until then, it's wheels for me, and Cordura boots for my pups.

**EDITED TO ADD: In the spirit of this post, I absolutely have to recommend a blog I just stumbled upon. Check it out, if you're anything like me you will laugh until your sides hurt.

A Girl and Her Dogs

All the little things

2009-09-13T21:01:00.000-07:00

It feels good to post to the blog again! It has been a very slow September so far, with very little to write about. It's been full, however, of all the little things that add up to keep this homestead running smoothly (and keep a homesteader very, very busy!).

Little things like realizing that the second shelf of my fridge is always overrun with at least two dozen eggs, no matter how many I am eating (in homemade pasta, in crepes, in French toast, scrambled, fried on toast, with bacon, for breakfast, lunch, and dinner... OK, so maybe it's not that bad). Little things like receiving the final batch of Fly Predators for the season... and realizing that it felt like yesterday that I was first placing that order. The daily hauling of feed and water to the coop, followed by an eager flock of overly-friendly chickens. The moments of sinking my hands into the thick coarse ruff of my happy sled dogs; the moments of listening to Jazz howling in the morning that give me the shivers. Little things like the daily turning of compost, the package of heirloom garlic cloves that will be planted in just a few weeks, the beauty of the fall leaves starting to turn and the sharp crispness in the morning air that puts a smile on my face.

Then, there are the not-so-little things - the failed incubation of my hatching eggs (they were candled several times and showed no veins, sadly), the start of the fall training season for my sled dogs, the contemplation of major fall purchases such as a new furnace.

All these things make up a typical day, week, and month here at the homestead, but by themselves they don't make for much of a story (most days). But I am still here, still plugging along, and still loving every minute of it. In the coming weeks I hope to update a lot more often. Take that as a promise.

Chickens on The Today Show

2009-09-03T08:26:00.001-07:00

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the EconomyPublish Post>

How cool is this!! Only thing I wish they would have covered better is the fact that chickens can't survive on pizza and Thai food... yikes.

Stupid things homesteaders do

2009-09-02T14:58:00.000-07:00

Ever had a raw egg crack in your jeans pocket? Neither had I, until this morning.

On some mornings, the hens put in less than their daily quota. This morning, I only found two eggs in the nest box, and I popped one in each pocket and continued to feed the birds. This really wasn't that unusual - I've carried up to four eggs in my jeans pockets, with never a mishap.

But not today. Somehow over the last several weeks of egg collecting and chicken feeding, somewhere along the way, having an egg in each pocket became old hat. Somewhere along the way, it became routine. So routine, in fact, that I forgot the egg was there.

And as I rounded the corner of the compost bin, I smacked my hip squarely right on the post.

At first there was just an awakening; a sudden realization that the pop I'd heard was not my hip, it wa the egg that I put in my pocket. In that second I looked down at my pocket, and it looked oddly deflated; the shape of a cracked eggshell easily visible. The next second was dread. I wondered if the raw egg would drip through my
pocket. The third second was cold. Just cold. The egg was rapidly advancing towards my knee.

By this time I was hopping briskly back to the house holding my jeans away from my leg, sincerely wishing I could lose them right there in the yard.

So, let this be a cautionary tale to all you homesteaders. I hope you are smarter than I am, and never carry an egg in your pocket.

Today's haul

2009-08-28T11:23:00.001-07:00

2 chickens down

2009-08-27T18:13:00.000-07:00

This is a horrible post to write, but I am now down to 12 chickens. I have no idea what may have happened, but Boots, my little Sultan rooster (who recently discovered his identity as a roo by crowing each morning), and Fourteen, my much-loved little runt Silver Polish, are gone. I waited a full day before making this post in the hopes they would return, but they are definitely gone.

I feel sick every time I think about them missing... the flock seems so much smaller, even with just two birds less. The chickens will be in coop-lockdown the next few days while I work on putting up more fencing to keep them out of the neighbor's yard... they have already figured out how to get around the current 50' of fence, so another 50' will go up tomorrow.

In better news, the Sussex eggs will be going into the incubator tonight. I'm hoping that the joy of raising some new Hoof and Howl residents will help me get through the loss of two chickens that I spent six months raising.

Goodbye Boots, and goodbye little Fourteen... you are very much missed by this softy of a chicken farmer.

A box of live embryos

2009-08-23T12:23:00.000-07:00

I don't know too many people who have had a box like this show up on their doorstep.

The mail lady was ecstatic when she delivered this box. She honked the car horn the whole way up the long driveway, and when I came out of the house to see who it was, I spotted her sitting in her personal vehicle, holding up this box and pointing to it excitedly, grinning from ear to ear. She explained that the instructions for delivery were very clear - no heat and no refrigeration - and she wanted to make sure she delivered it personally.

I was floored. I love where I live. Where else do you get service like that?

Speaking of hatching eggs, though, the Ameracauna mix babies won't be arriving this fall. There was a miscommunication on the part of the seller, and the order had to be canceled. Perhaps next spring?

Doggy Duplex was a success!

2009-08-20T18:53:00.000-07:00

Taking it easy

2009-08-20T10:44:00.001-07:00

I'm really enjoying this nice break from the summer heat today. What started out as a rainy, grey morning has really blossomed into a beautiful day.

Last night brought hours of cooling rain, and this morning the temperature is comfortable, the air is breezy, and the sounds of cicadas and songbirds are filling the yard. The animals are all fed, the dogs are napping, and life seems calm.

After the last three days of working overtime on the doghouse, I'm especially content to just whittle the day away with photo-taking, yogurt-making, and the occasional hammock nap.

Even the chickens have to take it easy today. They are on lockdown in their coop for the rest of the afternoon, after several days of hiding their eggs in the woods. I didn't even get a single white egg the past two days, and I know I have at least three white egg-layers that are producing. Also, I think one of my Ameracaunas is due to lay any day now, and I want her to get in the good habit of laying in the nest box right from the start.

In other chicken news, we officially have a rooster here at the farm. Little Boots turned out to be a rooster, and he gave his first pitiful cock-a-doodle-doo two mornings ago. He's not a particularly loud or mean rooster, but he is the smallest chicken of the bunch, which limits his effectiveness as a flock guardian. I'm not sure yet whether he will stay or go, but if anyone is looking for a young White Sultan rooster... let me know.

A large box of hatching eggs also arrived in the mail this morning! They are Speckled Sussex eggs from a breeder in Georgia. I had planned to set them under my broody Polish hen, but when I moved her nest into the coop, it broke her broody cycle and she abandoned the nest. So, these little ones will be raised in the incubator instead. I should also be receiving a box of Ameracauna mix hatching eggs within the next week as well. In three weeks, this place will be hopping with day-old chicks!

I only want to keep a few for my own flock, so I'll be selling the majority of the Sussex and the Ameracauna-mix babies. If anyone local is interested, again please contact me. If all else fails, they'll be advertised on Craigslist and the Backyard Chickens forum. But like they say... don't count your eggs before they hatch! This is my first time incubating eggs, so I'm not expecting a full hatch. Heck, I'll be happy if ANY of the eggs hatch!

There's always something going on over here. It's a circus, but it's a good circus.

Yellow-eyed dogs

2009-08-20T10:35:00.001-07:00

"And then there were the dogs from Canada... true northern sled dogs... huge, gray-sided, yellow-eyed meat eaters that didn't want anything but to pull, and eat."

-Gary Paulson, Winterdance: The Fine Madness of Running the Iditarod

Some mornings when I go out to feed and get bowled over by the knuckleheads, the quote does seem somewhat fitting... gotta love the crazy ones!

2009-08-19T17:07:00.000-07:00

One girl, two power tools, and three days' worth of elbow grease has finally produced a brand-new Doggy Duplex!

Even though the summer heat has only just arrived, my thoughts are already turning to fall and winter. I know that sounds crazy, but it will be here before I know it, and I want to kick back and relax after a summer of hard labor! Fall is my favorite season, and I want to spend it swinging in the hammock, wearing cozy sweaters and carving pumpkins. NOT wielding power tools. So, first on the agenda was to build insulated houses for the new fenced dog yard.

I wasn't too keen on dropping $150 a pop for new igloo shelters. Although they performed well last winter, there's a big difference between having one of those on a covered deck, and having one on the bare ground with 2' of snow surrounding it. I wanted something raised off the ground, sturdier than plastic, (at least partially) insulated, and with a flat roof for Snoopy-esque dog-naps.

After a lot of Internet sleuthing, I found a sleddog kennel's website, with plans on building a dog house from a single sheet of plywood for $35. I was liking the sound of that! With a little modification and extra materials, I built a double design that incorporates two compartments into one shelter. It's built of 1/2" CDX plywood inside, and 1/2" plywood siding outside, with 1" of foam sheet insulation sandwiched inside the side walls. The floor is raised 5" off the ground and also has a sheet of insulation bolted underneath. The top is removable so I can easily get in to change out straw.

Realistically, before winter hits, I should build another house, but I'm a little burned out after three days of measuring, cutting, drilling, and more cutting... so, on to other projects for the meantime. There's still plenty of winter-prep projects left to do.

My weekend went to the dogs

2009-08-16T12:45:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, Byron and I loaded up Willow and Bandit into the back of the car and headed out to Canine Fun Days, a huge dog-lovers' event that draws about 5000 people and their pooches. It's put on by the Ohio Greyhound Rescue, and features a Rescue Parade and adoption event, and a fun show with silly classes such as Best Tail Wag, Best Eyes and Biggest Smile. For me, though, the highlight was their huge selection of dog sports - events such as Dock Dogs, lure-coursing, agility, and more - all open to any breed, even to dogs who have no experience with the events.

Our first order of business was to try the sled-heads out on the agility course. Well, Willow has no aptitude for agility at all, which really isn't too surprising! Tunnels and jumps and ramps? "Kid stuff, booooor-ing", says Willow. Just take a look at that disgruntled face as she forced herself to amble through the agility tunnel.

Bandit, on the other hand, did quite well, considering he'd never seen the equipment before. I think he'd love agility, and I'm going to try and set up a mini-course in the yard for us to practice on. Here he is going down the ramp on one of the contacts, being steadied and guided by me and an assistant.

Not to worry, though, Willow did eventually find her calling. It came in the form of a couple of white crinkly plastic bags being pulled at high speeds. (Willow's name is written all over it.) The event is known as "lure coursing" and simulates the old-time rabbit chases popular with Salukis and other sighthounds.

As soon as we were within viewing distance of the "bunnies", Willow went nuts, straining at the leash and leaping in the air. She wanted to chase so bad, I'm sure she would've ripped right through the fencing if I didn't have a hold on her. When it was finally our turn, I walked her into the ring and set her on course... unclipped the leash... held her by the collar and waited. As soon as the lures took off, I snapped my hand open and she took off like a rocket.

As you can see in the video, as she rounded the second turn, she got distracted by the corner wheel that holds the lure-coursing line in place. Its high-pitched screeching noise must have been awfully distracting, because she spent a good minute play-bowing and howling at it, before I could cross the field and re-orient (read: chase) her back towards the lures.

Once she realized the bunnies weren't actually REAL bunnies, she was a little disappointed and started trotting off around the field to explore. She wasn't hard to catch, though, and we left the field and headed to the kiddie pools and hoses for a little cooling off.

After that, we spent some time checking out the vendors and the rescue booths, then packed up the pooches and headed home. Willow and Bandit slept the entire evening, and made it look like it was a chore to even get up to have dinner! I love the energy of Northern breeds, but sometimes couch potato dogs are much appreciated.

The nesting instinct

2009-08-16T12:38:00.000-07:00

The case of the disappearing hen

2009-08-16T08:19:00.001-07:00

I know I didn't get a chance to post much the rest of the weekend (more on that later), but as it turns out, Freebie came back Saturday morning (feathers badly ruffled), only to disappear again on Saturday night. I asked the online chicken-raising experts (namely, the Backyard Chickens forum) what might be going on, and they suggested that Freebie was going broody, and might be setting on a nest somewhere in the yard.

Well, this morning, I found the culprit:

Nestled within the hostas growing along the side of the barn, there was a perfectly-formed little nest with 18 Freebie eggs comfortably inside.

It was sheer luck and good timing that I found the nest. I was calling Freebie this morning again, hoping she'd show up for breakfast. I happened to be on the other side of the barn, away from the coop, when I saw Freebie appear in the hostas and trample them on her way towards the grain bin. Following her tracks led me to the nest - to say I was astonished would be putting it lightly! Mostly, I'm sad because that would have made a lot of omelets.

I'm not sure what the correct course of action will be. I don't want to dismantle the nest until I know what to do - should I just dismantle it completely and remove all traces of the dug-up dirt and nest material? Or should I move the eggs into the coop so that Freebie can set them there? I'm asking around, so with any luck, I should have the answer by tonight.

A repeat performance

2009-08-14T20:17:00.000-07:00

Well, here it is Friday night, and Freebie is missing again.

I don't know where she's going or why, but a half-hour of searching the yard with a flashlight and a couple friends turned up with nothing.

Hopefully she'll be back again tomorrow morning...

Lost and ... found!

2009-08-14T07:56:00.000-07:00

I don't think I could be any more cheerful this morning! My missing hen, Freebie, is safe and sound! I am absolutely flabberghasted that a Crested Polish hen, with the worst vision (thanks to that giant feather poof on her head) out of all the chooks, made it a whole night safely "in the wild".

When I walked outside just now to open the coop, there she was, wandering aimlessly around the barn. I have no idea where she spent the night, but she is incredibly jumpy this morning - can't say I blame her!

She followed me back to the coop and ran right in when I opened the run and coop doors. Once inside, she immediately helped herself to a double helping of grains and cracked corn. I guess even traumatic experiences can't trump a chicken's appetite!

A missing hen

2009-08-13T22:02:00.000-07:00

I hate to follow up my last happy post with this one, but sometimes plot twists like this just come out of the blue.

Tonight when I went to shut the girls up in their coop, I noticed Freebie wasn't among them. It was odd, because the hens were already on their roosts by 7:00 pm, much earlier than most nights. I figured Freebie would be back by nightfall, so I left the coop door open for her. When I returned to check after the sun had set, the head count was, sadly, the same. Reluctantly, I closed the door and hoped for the best.

It's possible that she got a little lost and is roosting up in the pine trees somewhere, but I have a sinking feeling that that's just not the case.

I'd be lying if I said I wasn't distraught over this. We did lose two chicks earlier this year to a genetic problem, but there was closure because we knew what had happened. In this case, I'm finding it harder - who knows where Freebie is, or what may have happened to her? Who knows if another one of the hens might be next?

The important thing is to keep reminding myself that this is what I signed up for when I picked up that box of peeping chicks back in March. The good - watching the birds live a natural life under the sunshine, eating grass and bugs and berries - inevitably comes with the bad - a night of scouring the yard with a flashlight, calling the name of a much-loved, little lost bird. That's just the way it is...

Breakfast is on the hens

2009-08-13T19:33:00.000-07:00

My apologies - today's chores literally didn't end until five minutes ago. When homesteading, you'll have that sometimes! I am just beyond exhausted - this morning consisted of walking dogs, harvesting blackberries, doing a full house clean, lots of laundry, cooking and more cooking, and buying supplies to build new houses for the sled-heads this weekend.

So, in retrospect, it was a good thing I had a big breakfast! I cooked up two of my homegrown eggs, one white and one brown. Whisked them with a little milk, sea salt, and fresh-ground black pepper... and scrambled them up on the stove. Followed that up with a pineapple-and-carrot smoothie, courtesy of my much-loved, refurbished Vita-Mix stand blender. (I know pineapple and carrot sounds awful, but believe me, it's actually really good...)

Well, let me back up a bit first. When I first cracked the eggs, I was astonished at the rich, dark yolk color, and firm whites. Just to make sure I wasn't seeing things, I went ahead and cracked an organic, cage-free egg that I bought from Trader Joe's, to compare. This is what I saw:

Homegrown eggs -

Store-bought egg -

It really makes one wonder what the organic, "cage free" birds must be eating to have such pale yolks and runny whites... or are the eggs just not that fresh? My birds are raised on organic whole-grain layer feed, supplemented with cracked corn and oyster shell, and given access to our entire 3 acres of yard, pasture, and woods to forage for greens. I hear it's all the beta-caratene in the greens that give the eggs that dark orange color. Also, apparently studies have shown that eggs from truly free-range hens have 1/3 less choresterol and lots more of the "good stuff" like omega fatty acids.

Anyway, enough rambling, I'm probably preaching to the choir here anyway. Back to today's egg tasting. When I cooked up those little eggs, this is what I got...

For all appearances, a completely normal plate of scrambled eggs. But the taste was just phenomenal! You don't realize what a storebought egg is lacking until you've tasted a fresh farm egg. I'm not even sure how to explain the difference, but it was there and it was significant.

I really can't wait to give these eggs a try in pasta-making and baking... not to mention quiche and souffle. If the results are as good as today's breakfast, all that hard work of raising chicks, building a pen, and hauling gallons of water out to the coop will be more than worth it.

The first dozen

2009-08-13T09:38:00.000-07:00

I'm so excited! My hens have now laid over a dozen eggs for me.

I forced myself to save up a full carton before I was "allowed" to start using them. It took about a week and a half to collect them, but the goal was finally reached! White eggs are likely courtesy of my White Leghorns, brown eggs may be from my Black Star or Barred Rock hens.

My breakfast this morning, of course, came from that little carton. Let's just say that the eggs were phenomenal! Even better than I was expecting. Full write-up (with photos!) to follow, as soon as I'm finished with the day's chores...

Bandit's impression of a Buddha statue

2009-08-12T10:12:00.000-07:00

Unexpected visitor

2009-08-11T21:21:00.000-07:00

Yes, that is a frog on my bathroom mirror. Somehow, I find it hard to believe that any of you would find this event surprising.

About 20 minutes ago, Byron and I were reading downstairs, when I heard one of the dogs bark. Instinctively, my gaze flew to the windows. Imagine my shock when I saw a clear amphibian silhouette plastered there (on the outside of the window, thank goodness - that would indicate a real problem otherwise).

From the other side of the room, I was sure it was a toad, likely clinging to the window screen. But when I got a closer look, the distinctly webbed feet with rounded toes gave the little guy away - here was a true frog! I knew right away it was a Gray Treefrog, from its size and the huge round toes... and I rushed outside to get a closer look. I had never seen one of these frogs in person before. They are extremely elusive and rarely venture out of the treetops, and their camouflauge is so excellent that you'd never notice they were there.

My awe grew even more when I stepped onto the deck and saw that the frog wasn't hanging on screen, but on bare glass! He climbed the slick surface as though it was nothing. Gently, I picked him up and carried him to the bathroom so I could snap a few photos before setting him back on his way.

I'm sure you can all guess what happened at this point. The little frog leaped right out of my hands, and straight onto the wall. From the wall, he leaped to the toilet paper holder, and from the holder onto the bathroom mirror. I laughed from the bottom of my gut - the little clown's antics were just amazing, and he seemed as at-home in my bathroom as he would've been in the yard. If frogs could be good-natured, I'm sure this one would've been.

I don't think I can adequately express how much I adore living here. It's like my second childhood (as if I ever left the first).

They're all grown up now

2009-08-11T11:52:00.000-07:00

Slowly, one by one, they've started laying. A sure sign of chicken adulthood, they have now successfully entered into the productive phase of their lives. They should be proud of themselves.

So far, I'm getting nicely-sized white eggs and smaller brown ones. I almost have a full carton already! I'm saving up for a full carton, and then I'll start using them up. Looking forward to the blue and green Ameracauna eggs still, though!

2009-08-11T11:39:00.000-07:00

And you thought chickens don't have facial expressions.

Many more pics to post later - I went on a chicken photo spree this afternoon.

The view from my computer room window

2009-08-07T14:17:00.001-07:00

Mint is taking root!

2009-07-27T20:41:00.000-07:00

Finally, after 2 weeks of watching, waiting, and changing water, the mint plants are taking root! I'm going to give them another day in the canning jars, and then they'll be moved into an herb garden on the deck.

I'm extremely relieved, because sometime over the last week, the wild mint patch in the front yard just... disappeared. I'm not sure if it was accidentally mowed over, or if it was trampled or destroyed by the contractors hauling equipment this week, but either way, it's gone. The cuttings I'm nurturing on my windowsill are the last ones I'll see of this variety, likely until next summer. There's got to be a good lesson on oppurtunity in there somewhere...

(By the way, that "big dog-related update" will be thoroughly blogged shortly. Yes, blogged. The English language is so crazy.)

Of hummingbirds and bugs of the day

2009-07-27T20:34:00.000-07:00

Seriously, this moth thing has to stop - it's getting pretty bizarre. Is this just the right time of year for moths or something!?

Today I spotted one of these gorgeous creatures sipping nectar from the purple hydrangea in my back garden. (For other photos, see here, and here.) This beautiful little moth looks exactly like a ruby-throated hummingbird, right down to the green fur on its back, white belly and fluffy little tuft that looks like a bird's tail! I definitely wouldn't have recognized it as a moth if I wouldn't have encountered that trapped hummingbird in my sunroom a few weeks ago. I got such a great closeup on a real ruby-throat that this moth was pretty much unmistakable today.

Tomorrow I'm going to try and capture it for a few photos. It showed up several times today to drink nectar, so I'm pretty certain it will be back tomorrow as well!

Jasper would like to say "hello"

2009-07-23T19:45:00.000-07:00

That's his serious face...

...And that's his not-so-serious face.

Silly Jasper! I don't know which I like better.

Oh - speaking of the dogs - I know I haven't blogged about it yet, but I have a fantastic dog-related update to post soon! Stay tuned...

Black-eyed Susans

2009-07-22T22:41:00.000-07:00

Bug of the day, take 2

2009-07-22T22:22:00.000-07:00

OK, what is it with me and moths lately? They seem to be cropping up regularly around here all of a sudden - and so far, both of them large, unusual, and beautiful hawkmoths (Sphinx moths).

This one was absolutely stunning, and when it flapped its wings, they buzzed in the air like a tiny hummingbird! For a little while, it perched on my hand, and its wings were beating so fast that I could feel the air current on my palm. I think it must be some kind of hummingbird moth, apparently a subset of the hawkmoths according to Google.

Like yesterday's moth, this one was found resting in the garage near the kennel. I think that the garage light, left on in the evening while I mop up, is attracting them.

I sure don't mind. They are beautiful, gentle, and a real treat to encounter and photograph. If I'm really lucky, I'll be able to attract a luna moth this way. Now THAT would be worth blogging about.

Bug of the day

2009-07-21T09:17:00.000-07:00

Found this beautiful, huge moth sitting on the kennel door this morning when I was finished mopping. After a little research, I believe it's a Waved Sphinx moth. I just have to say, it was lucky I got him out of the kennel before he became a puppy snack...

I know I said...

2009-07-18T17:10:00.001-07:00

...I don't have time to plan "fancy summer parties", but... apparently I do. As long as I'm not given enough time to actually THINK about planning them!

Yesterday around 1:00 PM, I got a phone call from a friend mentioning that he would be stopping by soon, and would it be OK if we had some additional company stop by later? Sure, I said! I was expecting an additional 3 - 4 people - hardly enough to call a real "party" - but it soon became apparent that we were talking more in the realm of 8 - 9 guests. Needless to say, my friend and I had to figure dinner out - quick. The rest of the afternoon turned into a delightful whirlwind of buying groceries, chopping ingredients, baking bread, and whipping up egg and chicken salad.

We ended up having 12 people over for dinner - which consisted of a "sandwich bar" (lots of lunchmeat and cheese, vegetables, bread, and sandwich salads to choose from) and assorted fruit. As the night went on, we had a blast playing badminton and cornhole out in the yard next to a blazing fire, and when it got too dark for that, we retired inside to play card games and eat cheese fondue with homemade crusty bread. (I can't say we have the most exciting home in the neighborhood, but if you come here, you can be sure you'll eat well.)

Could a Friday night possibly get any better? I think I need to have more impromptu summer parties...

On bread

2009-07-15T05:00:00.000-07:00

I absolutely adore making homemade bread. No, I'm not a disciple of the truly authentic, labor-intense methods - although I have immense respect (and envy) for those who are. I'm more a bread machine, set-it-and-forget-it type of baker.

Ever since my cherished bread machine landed here about a year ago (via a $10 bill at a garage sale), I haven't bought a single loaf of store-bought bread. Now that I can make a custom loaf of any size and ingredients for roughly 25 cents a loaf, paying $3.00 for the premium loaves at Trader Joe's just seems like a waste of, well, dough. (OK, everybody laugh.)

Using my trusty old Breadman machine, I've made everything from spicy herbal breads, cheese breads, hearty rye, Amish sweet loaves, and cinnamon raisin. The best thing is that I only have to fill that little machine up with ingredients in the morning, and while I'm out doing my chores, the bread machine fills up with dough and the house fills up with the wonderful aroma of a bakery. It adds about 10 minutes to my morning, and since we don't eat a ton of bread here, I can get by with making a loaf every 3 days or so.

But, there are some jobs that the ol' Breadman just can't handle - namely, artisan loaves, with their distinctive cracked, bubbly, golden crusts and dense, chewy centers. I long thought that these breads were out of my league, until I picked up a copy of the book "Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day". The title honestly reminds me of watching late-night infomercials, so at first I was very skeptical. But, after a couple of loaves, I am hooked. With a big tupperware, a baking stone, and a shallow pan of water - plus the required five minutes - I'm shocked at the quality of loaves that can be produced. Plus, it's fun to experiment with the free-form dough and various criss-cross patterns cut into the crust.

Since I couldn't possibly eat a whole, freshly-baked loaf at once (although I've definitely been tempted), one of the big hurdles I had to navigate was how to store my homemade bread. Unlike most storebought "breads" (Wonder Bread and equivalents), homemade bread doesn't have all the preservatives that keep those infamous, floppy thin slices from molding up or going stale quickly. At first, this was really hard to get used to - and I lost many good loaves to improper storage.

I wanted a bread box, but really couldn't justify the cost for a well-built wooden one, large enough to hold the quantity of bread I bake in a week. So, I had to explore alternative methods.

At first, I was advised to store the bread in my fridge. Sounds great in theory, but in practice, who really wants to eat their bread cold? The space required for a loaf of bread in the fridge is also a problem for those who have very little storage, or a lot of other bulky items already that must stay cold (bagged greens, fresh fruit, big tubs of yogurt and juice). I also found that despite experimenting, the bread always dried out on top and in the middle, with a soggy bottom crust. Not appetizing at all.

Next I tried storing the bread just out at room temperature, hidden inside a cabinet where the bugs (hopefully) wouldn't get to it. Of course, depending on how persistent (and numerous) the bugs are in the household, they could still get to the bread, which wasn't a problem for us, but could be a problem for other homes. Still, the bread dried out within a day, and became stale in less than a week. Once sliced it was, obviously, even worse.

So, I tried the exact opposite - a plastic Ziplock bag. This was a rapid disaster - within 24 hours the bag had condensation on the inside, and within 2 - 3 days mold was starting to appear. Bad, bad idea. Never again. Yuck.

Finally, I stumbled onto the best method for bread storage I've seen - it's one of those "so simple I should have known this already" things - the homely brown paper bag. Not only is it environmentally-friendly, but it also allows just the right amount of air to circulate and give the bread room to "breathe". It also absorbs excess oils from the bread, keeping it moist but not soggy. Choose a bag that's just a little big larger than the loaf itself, shake the loaf down completely into the bag, and roll the end closed. Store flat in a cool, dry place. If you notice some oil on the bag, just replace the bag to keep the bread fresh. As it gets eaten up, you can just roll the bag back tighter to continually keep storage space to a minimum.

Whew! It's a long post but I've been meaning to discuss bread-baking for awhile now. The most important thing is just to experiment - homemade bread is unbelievably cheap, so don't be afraid to try new recipes, baking times and storage methods. Before you know it, it might be one less thing you are shelling out for at the supermarket.

Quick trick for dirty dogs

2009-07-14T03:00:00.000-07:00

When I brought Bandit inside for the night after roughhousing with his buddies in the kennel for a good part of the day, let's just say he was smelling less-than-zestfully-clean. I don't know what it is about dogs, but if there is a way for them to get dirty, muddy, smelly, or all of the above, you can be darned sure they are going to find it.

Of course, the best solution would have been to give Bandit a bath. He had just been bathed two days ago, though, and frankly the idea of going through all that again so soon was a little daunting. Plus, even though I use a very gentle natural shampoo, I don't like to overdo the bathing frequency and dry out his skin.

So, I hopped over to the kitchen and whipped up a fresh batch of my favorite stinky-dog remedy. If I was trying to market this stuff, I suppose I'd call it something like, "Hoof and Howl Farm's Funky Dog Cleansing Spray". I love it, because it's super easy to make, gets the bad odors completely out of the coat in less than five minutes, doesn't have to be rinsed out, and cuts out the hours of post-bath drying time that my thick-coated pooches have to endure.

So how exactly do you go about making this miracle spritz? It's very simple - here's my current recipe, that uses common herbs and ingredients you likely already have in your kitchen:

1 spray bottle
4 1/4 cups water (roughly equal to one bottle of spring/bottled water, if you prefer)
1 tsp dried rosemary leaves
2 tsp dried mint leaves
1 tsp vinegar

In a small saucepan, pour roughly 2 cups of the water. Add 1/2 tsp vinegar, 1 tsp dried rosemary leaves, and 2 tsp dried mint leaves to the water, then bring to a rolling boil. Boil for 2 - 3 minutes, then remove from heat. Allow to steep for another 2 - 3 minutes.

Pour the liquid into a bowl - through a strainer to catch all the rosemary and mint leaves - then add the remaining water. Once it has cooled to a reasonable temperature, pour into the spray bottle. Add remaining 1/2 tsp of white vinegar, and shake vigorously.

It's ready to use right away - always shake before using. Just spritz it all over your dog and rub dry with a towel. It doesn't smell vinegar-y at all, and has a very mild herbal scent that doesn't "perfume" your dog (it smells stronger in the bottle than on the pooch). It's just the trick for getting out mild bad odors. Oh, and rosemary is supposed to have some anti-flea and anti-insect properties as well.

Oh, and not only does it leave them odor-free, but it also leaves their coat shiny, and feeling very soft. I just spritz them all over and rub them with a towel, out in the garage before they come back into the house. It takes less than 5 minutes per dog, and believe me when I say it is time well-spent.

Gardener's pink lemonade

2009-07-13T12:28:00.000-07:00

OK, so it's actually limeade, but in my mind that makes this even much more of a feat!

I was hoping to use up the purple basil I harvested to make pesto, but it turns out that a medium-sized handful just isn't enough to make a worthwhile amount (oops). So, I decided to crush the basil leaves and make basil lemonade, a popular herbal drink.

Off I went to the store, to get my lemonade. Amazingly, they were fresh out - so I picked up a jug of limeade instead - not much different from lemonade except for a little extra sweetness, and a tart, slightly bitter "bite" to it. I added my entire handful of crushed basil to the jug, and let it steep for the next 24 hours.

To my complete surprise, the once-green limeade had changed to a beautiful rose pink color! After straining out the leftover basil leaves, it was ready to serve. The taste is terrific - very refreshing, and the basil really mellowed out the sharpness of the limeade... this would be a great drink to serve at a summer party, in a big punch bowl with little sprigs of basil as a garnish.

As if I have the time to plan fancy summer parties... :)

No-impact agriculture

2009-07-13T05:00:00.000-07:00

First wild mint, now wild blackberries! I found several blackberry bushes scattered throughout the front woods when I went exploring yesterday afternoon.

I harvested what was ready to come off the bush, but I think there will be days and days of picking yet before the harvest is exhausted. Gotta love that no-impact agriculture...

Chooks on the loose

2009-07-12T22:00:00.000-07:00

For the past week or so, I've been letting the girls out every afternoon to free-range around the barn. Things progressed beautifully the first several days - the hens were content to scratch and peck around the barn, compost pile, and nearby bushes, without straying much more than 50 feet from the coop. Between our neighbor's property and ours, there is a winding little windbreak of pine trees, small decidious trees and shrubbery. Although the chickens loved scratching around in the pine needles searching for snacks, they seemed to respect the treeline and didn't try to pass through.

Starting a few days ago, they started getting a little more bold - too bold for my liking, actually. Suddenly, chickens could be spotted convening in the side yard (driving the dogs bonkers), feasting on berry bushes in the back woods, and, with much anxious hand-wringing from me, actually taking long, carefree naps under the pine trees, just laying there and looking delicious for any hungry fox or coyote that happened to stroll by. Today, they committed the ultimate chicken faux pas - holding a party on my neighbor's lawn. They decided that the windbreak wasn't such a big scary passage after all, and scampering through the woods into the big, juicy yard on the other side wasn't such a daunting task. It's not like they wouldn't come home at night (they would), but I didn't want them to bother my neighbor in any way in the meantime.

I caught them while they were still on the very edge of their property and mine, and approached, armed with a canister of chicken feed and cracked corn. With embarrassingly loud and frantic calls of "Here, chick chick chickies", that were likely heard resounding throughout the whole Township, I was able to lure them back onto the property, where I promptly shut them up in their run. Tomorrow I'll be calling my neighbor to apologize, and ask for her feelings on the occasional stray chicken showing up in her yard. They won't be free-ranging again until I have fencing put up (I have a split-rail and hotwire combo ready to be installed soon), but I imagine that there will be the occasional escapee now and then.

Incidentally, this is the same wonderful and lovely neighbor who was kind enough to gift us that huge jar of delicious raw honey a couple months ago. Their friendship is important to me, so I'd hate to see the relationship bruised over a couple of vagabond chooks.

More on mint

2009-07-12T18:09:00.000-07:00

Remember that wild mint I mentioned? Well, today I read that propagating mint is as simple as taking a cutting and letting it root in water. Replant in soil, and voila - you have just doubled your mint population.

So, I now have a regular army of mint cuttings marching along my kitchen windowsill. (I knew I bought all those canning jars for a reason...) Time will tell if they take root, but if they do - man, if only all things were this easy.

2009-07-11T12:50:00.000-07:00

Yes, snake photos! Story to follow.

One of the things I love the most about living here is the variety of wildlife that I get to see every day. There is nothing to brighten my day more than a chance encounter with a representative of the Great Outdoors.

Usually, these encounters take place in very unexpected ways, precisely when you're not expecting anything out of the ordinary to happen. It was definitely this way when I walked down my staircase last week, and saw one of my cats peering into the sunroom, with an incredibly confused (and maybe, a little freaked out) look on her face. My first thought was that somehow, one of the dogs had finally found a way to break out of the kennel. What else could make my cats look so concerned? To my surprise, though, when I peeked out the sunroom window, I found a hummingbird, rapidly beating her wings against the ceiling and glass doors trying to escape. Somehow, she'd flown in and couldn't figure out how to get back outside.

I sprinted outside and grabbed my good ol' fashioned bug net, and carefully propped myself up on a chair, balancing with the net just underneath the tiny little bird. I could see that it was a female ruby-throated hummingbird, and to be honest I spent a moment marveling at seeing this creature up close before I gently closed the net around her panicked body. She beat her wings against the net in a frenzy until I carried it outside, where she immediately relaxed and perched her tiny feet on the mesh. I reached in slowly, coaxed her to perch on my finger, and as soon as my hand left the mouth of the net, she was gone - buzzed up into the sky like a speeding rocket and soared over the top of the treeline. I don't think I'll ever be so fortunate to see another hummingbird that close. It was awesome.

Last night, when Byron and I were taking an evening bat-watching tour - which consists of walking to the buggiest part of the park at twilight and staying very quiet - we found more than just bats (which are incredible animals to watch, by the way). Coiled precariously on the path was a tiny Eastern milk snake, bravely poised to strike my husband's approaching shoe. I pretty much get beside myself with glee when I see a snake in the wild. It's just one of those things. So, without further ado, I swept in and scooped up the little guy, and carried him the whole way home with a huge dorky grin on my face. I got tagged three times throughout the journey, which is, of course, just a natural part of the game. It was definitely one of those times when I'm glad that I can positively identify non-venomous snakes. When I got home, I settled him into one of my own, pet snake hatchling cages for the night, with plans to photograph and release him in the morning.

True to my word, I set him free today after a few minutes of photography. He was a fiesty little guy and bit me twice more before scurrying off into the woods at the edge of our property. Not quite as friendly a creature as the hummingbird, but to me (at least), every bit as charming.

Summer herb harvesting

2009-07-10T19:02:00.001-07:00

I took the first cuttings of herbs from the little container garden I planted back in June. They had simply exploded since planting - with just a little supplemental watering here and there. I've been checking the soil moisture daily, and to my amazement, it seems that the self-watering planter is actually working as it should! Even in dry periods, the soil has been consistently cool and moist, even the top inch. I've only had to water the planter maybe 3 times since it was planted.

I pinched a small handful of basil and thyme for myself this evening, in the hopes of making an herb bread, and a batch of purple basil pesto. There wasn't much to harvest, but since the herbs will get bushier with every vigorous pruning, I'm hoping to get quite a bit more in a few weeks.

I still have sage and oregano left untouched in the container. I'm a little apprehensive about pruning the sage, since I've read it needs to be harvested sparingly during the first year. And the oregano hasn't really grown large enough yet for me to feel comfortable taking any sprigs for myself.

Meanwhile, in two homemade planters on the kennel, I planted a variety of mints and lemon balm (which were purchased from a friendly group of authentic hippies living about an hour south - definitely an adventure, that). They are growing amazingly well, and have such a nice variety of aromas. Being the mint grower that I now am, I'm now spotting mint everywhere - I found a very healthy patch of wild mint growing along the edge of our gravel driveway near the woods this evening. Of course, I just had to break off a snippet to compare the fragrance. Well, as wild plants often do, it made the cultivated mint pale in comparison. The fragrance was incredibly aromatic and spicy, with a sharpness that the container mint lacked. I imagine the cultivated mint is probably much sweeter and better for cooking, but the wild variety would likely be incredible in candles or steeped for tea. I'm going to snip a few cuttings off tomorrow and get them to root in some water, and replant them in one of my deck containers.

There is much more to talk about other than herbs, but that will have to wait for another day. A girl can only write so much!

Wolfish jam session

2009-07-10T18:59:00.000-07:00

Solar powered

2009-06-29T08:08:00.001-07:00

Found this little guy adorning my chicken run fence this morning, while I was letting the girls out of the coop. It doesn't take much to get me smiling these days.

2009-06-28T09:55:00.000-07:00

Poor Boots.

Boots is my White Sultan hen. Normally, she looks so poofy that she can hardly see out from under her little white crest... I think she is actually a rejected Muppet. But when this photo was taken, she had just come out from the shower, and none too happy about it.

I found a spot of blood in the coop yesterday when I let the girls out in the morning, and being the paranoid chicken mother that I am, I had to check everyone over, toes to comb, for injuries. I didn't find anything definitive, but one of Boots' feet seemed to be a little sore, so I decided to take her inside and give her a bath so I could get a closer look. She has such heavily-feathered feet that it's almost impossible to see clear down to the toes without getting her wet - and I figured if I was going to get her legs soaked anyway, why not do the whole hen?

Turns out that she had an injured feather shaft that was a little bloody. I don't know if one of the other hens picked at her feet, or if she might have injured it some other way - but I got it cleaned up and disinfected, and it seems much better today.

Hopefully I won't be bathing any more chickens anytime soon, but hey, I'll try anything once. I'm not sure that Boots would agree.

The lonesome little garden

2009-06-26T06:56:00.000-07:00

Well, here it is at the end of June, and me with only one lonesome little container garden.

My seedlings met with absolute disaster, and although I have no idea where I went wrong, I ended up with only a few starts of tomatoes, peppers, and melons. All my herbs and several vegetables succumbed right as I was about to begin laying the groundwork for the new gardens.

All is not lost, however. I went out on Wednesday and replaced a portion of my herbs with new transplants from Trader Joe's. OK, so it's not as self-sufficient as starting from seed, but at least I now have a little gardening going on. I'm greatly enjoying the little container, and can't wait to plant its clone next week with the other remaining herbs - dill, parsley, and chamomile.

The other good news is that my dad tilled up a sizable portion in his backyard for me to start my remaining plants in. I can't wait to get over there and get everything put into the soil. There was no way I could have gotten my own gardens built in time, so I'm extremely grateful for the little patch of soil he loaned me.

(By the way, the container pictured is one of the self-watering containers I built back in early May. It's my first time using one, especially a DIY job, so time will tell how it works out.)

They're coming to take me away, hehe...

2009-06-25T20:40:00.001-07:00

Just a little something on the lighter side. This photo absolutely cracks me up! As you can probably guess, that's Jasper, during the long car ride home from the shelter.

He's every bit as crazy as he appears in the photo. I mean that in the best possible way.