Cat House Most barn cats are somewhere between feral and friendly. Ours, because they are friendly, qualify as pets. This means visits to the vet and medications and surgeries. As a result, somehow all three barn cats have worked their way into the house for a night or two. (If we weren’t allergic to cats, […]
Changing Buckets This is a biannual event, and one that goes MUCH smoother than it used to. During the spring, summer and fall, the tractor’s hydraulic loader carries a 4-foot bucket for moving dirt, etc. But in the winter, it’s time for the big boy, an 8-foot bucket capable of scooping up LOTS of snow. […]
Idea Girl and Action Girl One of the joys of my partnership with Melissa is when we work as a team and make things happen. Building the farm was a series of small moments in which we made things happen. I love to come up with ideas. I like to sit in the warm house […]
Smashing Pumpkins (no, not the band) For most people, Halloween means carving pumpkins. For us, it means smashing pumpkins. A local farmer raises pumpkins for the season, but what does he do, post-Halloween, with the ones that don’t sell or the ones that are blemished or oddly-shaped? We back our pickup into his pumpkin patch, […]
In Memory of Oliver Tame barn cats are independent souls who love to hunt and explore, yet will curl themselves around your legs for a scratch or allow themselves to be carried around like a baby. It’s been four months, so I think I can write about it now. Our beloved barn cat Oliver, the […]
Lamb Tram (or Donkey on the Lam? Lambs on the Donkey?) CUTENESS ALERT!! If you can’t take ‘cute’ today, cover your eyes. Shut off your screen. Run from your computer. If you’re strong enough, here’s what the Italians (and apparently some shepherds in northern Colorado as well) do to ensure that when the flock is […]
Going up?The end of summer means many things on a farm, but to us it includes buying hay for the winter. We usually buy at least 200 small square bales for the little barn, but since we’re still goatless in Goodhue County, we only need 50 or so to have on hand for an emergency. […]
A Rainbow of Roving A few months ago I sold some yarn and roving from our wool, and said I’d love to see what you’ve done with it. Renee Cox of San Clemente, CA sent me these photos of our white roving, which she’d sun-dyed. (For those of you who aren’t fiber fanatics…excuse me, fiber […]
Report from a FarmsitterOur new friend Bonnie calls herself a ‘farmaholic.’ The best way for her to get a fix is to take care of our farm now and then so we get a break. Her last stay was typical—lots of quiet time, and a few exciting times. She left us a fun report and […]
Just What I Needed Sometimes the farm totally mucks up my day. Sometimes the farm gives me just what I need. I’ve just finished ten intense days of writing from 5 am until 8 pm, trying to finish a draft of my next nonfiction book. (Writing a book is messy and terrifying because you don’t […]