Yarn And A Barn

Moving Right Along

2009-11-06T20:35:00.001-06:00

The house construction is moving along so quickly that I can't even get current photos posted before they're obsolete!

I posted on Facebook on Oct. 30th that Dixie mentioned that she couldn't believe how calm I was about the house project. I realized it was because Wausau Homes/Dick Hieb Homes have the process down. No worries. Everything on schedule. The contractors show up on time, right after the last ones have finished their work, and they're all polite and conscientious (they are even friendly to the goats!) We had a single, small concern with one tradesperson - but that was someone we'd insisted on using, who was not part of the usual Wausau crew. We just can't say enough good things about Wausau Homes/Dick Hieb Homes of Black River Falls. If you ever build, check them out if you want a hassle-free house project.

My father was a home builder when I was young, and I remember that there were always problems with the coordination of tradespeople, theft from construction sites, and arguments between contractors (when and if they bothered to show up). I was prepared to have to micro-manage this whole process, and really was not looking forward to it. I have never been so relieved to have my expectations proven wrong. I'm sure that having this house progress on-time and on-budget has saved my marriage and my sanity.

Chef Jeff and I love that this type of "panelized" construction (not modular) is better for the environment, as is the geothermal heating/cooling we chose. We like knowing that the structure didn't get wet or moldy since it was up and roofed in about three days. My good friend Denise sent me this link to share about construction of panelized (different from modular) homes - hope you find it interesting.

To get you up-to-speed, this was the status of the new house on October 2nd:

This was October 27th; the house was up, and they were trenching for the well and the electicity:

And this was yesterday. The interior drywall is almost finished! The UPS man, who is here almost every week, said, "Hey! When did you guys start building a house?!" He was shocked to see it appear suddenly, as if by magic.

The current house is the white building on the right (sinking precariously, day by day, into the hill!)

The 2009 chicken harvest has been deemed a success by Chef Jeff. We experienced only minor losses to a great horned owl and Otter. That would be our dog, Otter - not an otter otter. Let's just say that, for a hunting dog, she does not have a very soft mouth - and apparently has hunted her own vittles in her past life on the run. I learned not to walk her, even on-leash, near the pastured poultry.

If our chickens look oddly bright and yellow to you, that is because that is what natural, pasture-raised, healthy chickens look like. The anemic, chalky chickens one sees in the grocery store are not only devoid of color, they taste as bland as puffed rice crackers. If you haven't experienced the flavor of organic, humanely-raised, free-range chicken, well... you have no idea what chicken is "supposed" to taste like.

Wish I could get Chef Jeff to let me raise a heritage breed hog, because the same is true of pork (and beef, of course). What passes for meat at the supermarket isn't worth purchasing - I'd rather eat tofu. However, seeing as we have an overabundance of guinea fowl at present (25 at last count) and Chef Jeff finds himself unable to take them off to be made into roasters, perhaps a cute pig is not such a good idea.

Most important to us, of course, is that we know that our meat animals lived happy, peaceful lives and didn't suffer - either here, or at our great butcher's shop. Many thanks, Enos Hoover! And thanks to Julie and Vince at Coon Creek Family Farm for recommending him! (Julie's goatmilk soap makes a wonderful holiday gift - she even has bars with a skein of yarn on them!)

The pumpkin crop did not fare as well as the poultry; I grew three, two of which are in this photo. I wouldn't let Chef Jeff make them into pie so he was forced to buy others from the farmer's market. I was pleased to see that though my crop was not abundant, at least my pumpkins were larger than the ones he bought.

Blogless Denise keeps asking about my mitten class at Yellow Dog Knitting yesterday. It was wonderful! Cindi taught me many things I didn't know. I'm so glad I went and got to pick her knitting brain for tips.

As usual, there were plenty of goodies to nibble on during class. It wasn't knit nite (nor was it yet 5 p.m.) so I was good and didn't ask for wine. :D

Michelle and Dianne (the friendly, fearless leader of the CraftLit tour of London, Bath & Wales in 2010!) are taking a class with Cindi for a specific Drops cardigan. It is great to have access to a local yarn shop where one can request a class for any topic! They have some free patterns on their website if you are interested...

My mittens are working up very fast in superwash Garn Studio Karisma. I love the simple pattern that Cindi wrote, and I think these are going to be very comfy and toasty. You can see here that I've made my thumb gusset. Cindi is a great teacher because she knew how to handle my Eastern European uncrossed crazy knitting style and didn't bat an eye when I needed help with the mount of an increase. She told me how to do it my way, and didn't tell me I had to learn to knit like a normal person. How great is that kind of personal attention?

My other WIPs are a Baktus in Garn Studio Fabel sock yarns, and a Multnomah (the Fall-colored yarn, the name of which I can't recall at the moment). I love small projects, especially for gifts!

This is a behind-the-scenes shot of my stylist correcting the layout of the subjects to be photographed. Emma's such a great assistant.

And here she is with the baby sister she picked out herself from the Humane Association - Miss Molly. Molly always looks small until one sees her next to Dobie Emma! My girls - love 'em to bits!

The winners in the contest for the funny Yellow Dog Knitting totes will now be announced! Drumroll, please! They are:

Jen

Linda M

ciuccia

Congratulations! Would you three please email your mailing addresses to me so I can send you your totes? Thanks to everyone who left a comment on that post, and to Dixie for donating the bags for the drawing.

I love to read what you have to say, so I hope you'll always comment, even when there isn't a contest going on. Have a lovely weekend!

Mitten Class!

2009-11-04T19:44:00.001-06:00

Yay, my mitten class at Yellow Dog Knitting is tomorrow! Any locals care to join me? Just call the shop at 839-7272 and I'm sure they'll reserve a spot for you. I am really excited to make some wool mittens with soft alpaca liners. Here is the yarn I've chosen.

Miss Molly was a doctor for Halloween. She was so humiliated that she refused to look at the camera. (Nah, she was really a good girl. We just dressed her up for the photo op - didn't want to freak her out by taking her to the vet for trick or treating!)

So, anyone else get sucked in by V? Between that, Eastwick (on tonight - yay!), and Dollhouse, I should be getting in some good knitting time (which will hopefully make up for the brain cells I'll be losing). At least the current series of Masterpiece Contemporary is addictive as well. I hope that watching it on PBS will ease my conscience about too much TV time. Andreas Viestad is on again in reruns as well - awesome. We love his recipes.

Since the big switch to digital TV, we lost our CBS station. Our flimsy antenna has been broken in assorted walk-by accidents, so now every time we want to watch something, it's a matter of lifting what's left of the asymmetrical rabbit ear up in the air above our heads and moving around as if running a metal detector upside-down over the ceiling. Once a program is tuned in, nobody can move anywhere in the house until the TV show is over; if a person or a pup passes by the TV (even walks over it upstairs), we get snow.

I have a feeling (and a hope) that TV and cell phone reception will be much improved in the new house, as it's up high on a hill. I also have a feeling that the bad juju in this house may have a lot to do with electromagnetic energy!

Comment entries are now closed for the Yellow Dog Knitting tote bag - and Dixie kindly gave me another to give away! So I will be choosing TWO winners and will let you know who they are in my next entry!

Have a wonderful evening, and do some Sudoku or something to make up for any TV watching you may be doing along with me. ;) It'll be our little secret. Along with my current nail polish obsession... what's your guilty addiction?

Ooo, I hear Andreas talking about lingonberries and caviar (NOT together) - got to run while the reception is good!

Selling Something? Use A Kitten.

2009-10-17T20:23:00.004-05:00

It amazes me that, with all the charming and unique animals we have the privilege to care for at Tuppinz Farm, the most popular by far has been the kitten we found under Jeff's tractor, Nellie, when we went to pick her up.

The video of little Yoda on YouTube has been viewed over forty thousand times.

It seems to me that advertisers who use sexy models to promote their wares are seriously missing the mark. If manufacturers are smart, you will see lots of commercials featuring tiny kittens during the Superbowl this year.

Did you see what Steve Leveen, president of my beloved Levenger, tweeted today?

SteveLeveen Tip to shoppers this season: retailers have cut inventory to the bone. Buy early from wherever you shop.

Knitters, you have been given fair warning!

To prepare for any global yarn shortages, I made a quick trip to Yellow Dog Knitting before the holiday rush (and winter road slush!) It was a successful Stash Enhancement eXpedition (subliminal, that phrase.)

You may laugh now, but when I am enjoying the luxury of full yarn bins while others are shoving each other out of the way of picked-over LYS shelves like so many Babushkas in pre-Perestroika GUM, who will be sorry then? (If you can't make it out this week, Yellow Dog Knitting ships for a very reasonable cost!)

So, let's see what we have here...

Trendsetter Tonalita (soft!) for a (soft!) similar-to-Noro (except soft!) take on the Brooklyn Tweed Scarf.

Drops Angora Tweed for a cowl. Word on the street is that Miss Michelle is going to be making a lovely cardigan out of this yarn also.

An assortement of Drops Alpaca and Drops Classic Alpaca (a little heavier weight) yarns for shawlettes and cowls.

Some Fabel Superwash for socks, cowls, and Baktus scarves. I am SO darn addicted to the Baktus pattern! It is just the greatest thing for a mind that needs some Zen time.

And some Karisma Superwash (love this stuff!) for Nordic socks. Which do you like, this, this, or this? All three are so cute, I may have to run back for a few more balls of Karisma; there was some lovely lime green, some red, and a gorgeous deep blue... Hey, since we're not having carpeting in the new house, I'm going to need lots of cozy socks!

I left with a very funny Yellow Dog Knitting tote, which made its hilarious debut at Sock Summit:

I have another of these totes from a previous YDK S.E.X., so... if you would like the chance to win one, just leave a comment below before I make my next blog entry! (And you never, ever know when that might be!)

Funny, seen on PolitiFact.com - we could all use a little healthcare humor about now. Go ahead, lighten up and laugh. It's healthy for you.

In a recent post I'd mentioned I've been into the color orange lately. The lovely Carrie wrote:

Hey, have you seen the website called How About Orange? http://howaboutorange.blogspot.com
It's a design/craft website.

Very cool site, Carrie - thanks for sharing!

I leave you with a view of Miss PaddlePaws (Otter) enjoying a lovely fall afternoon in front of the fire...

Looks to me like she has the right idea.

Of Interest To Goatie Folks; House Progress

2009-10-13T17:04:00.001-05:00

Shepherd's Notebook posted about a new site that discusses treatment for CL in goats.

This will be of interest to goat keepers, particularly those on hobby farms who have come across their pet goats at auctions, from unscrupulous breeders, or as rescues (hint: if you anticipate having a meat or dairy herd, do buy the very best stock you can afford, from a qualified breeder with a proven history of maintaining a closed, healthy herd.)

The website mentioned, CLGoatCare.org, can be found here.

The "top" for the new house arrived today (first and second floors, above the cement basement which was finished last week). It's already up - more is completed than even these photos show! Amazing.

They also filmed a commercial for Wausau Homes here today as the construction was going on.

I do hope the crew was paying attention to their hammers and nails, and not how they were looking on camera! ;)

Yee HA, Back In Business

2009-10-12T02:09:00.002-05:00

Yippee, something got fixed and my entry page is back to normal. Phew! Thanks to those of you who suggested WordPress - I did set a new blog up over there and it was indeed very easy to use. I'll keep it there, just in case Blogspot goes wonky on me again.

Summer on a farm - even a hobby farm - doesn't leave a lot of time for blogging, as you can imagine. Add to that new Facebook and Twitter accounts, and my life took a major detour as I caught up with friends old and new. Sorry - I have missed you and your wonderful comments!

We had many more hatchings of guinea keets than anticipated, the most recent being this week! We are inundated with guinea fowl. They really are the cutest babies - much more adorable than baby chickens. They're like little "scrubbing bubbles" that zip all over the place on their huge, bright orange feet.

We are still awaiting the shearer to clip the Icelandics and the Angoras, both of which must be shorn twice a year. We had snow this week, so I hope he gets a move-on, since I want the goats to get a decent growth on them before the truly cold weather sets in. At least they have a snug barn, and we have heat lamps should we need them.

Speaking of the snug barn, the Golden Laced Wyandotte chickens that Chef Jeff pasture-raised for the freezer are now having a lovely night's rest in the box stall, before their first (and only) car ride to the humane Mennonite butcher tomorrow. They had a week of feasting on cracked corn, carrots, and apples, as I spoiled them a bit. Perhaps I should have fed them garlic to pre-season them? Well, joking aside, they will receive a blessing from Chef Jeff before they make their journey. I hope we have treated them with the respect they deserved, and that they had very happy days here at Tuppinz Farm.

The livestock are all well. The dogs are all doing great.

Otter sleeps very soundly.

Molly stops chewing her cow ear to watch the big machinery pull up the driveway.

We did have to say good-bye to our wonderful kitty Max due to liver failure. He had never been a healthy cat since he first appeared here at the farm. The other four cats are all just fine. Despite our feelings about outdoor cats, we made the decision to move everyone but Abby out to the goat barn. There, they have two levels of room to run about; a large, heated bed; windows to let in sunlight; and no dogs to chase them. Boris and Otter were a little too interested in some of the cats, and the floorplan of the new house will not allow us to keep the cats and dogs separate any longer. Abby is older and keeps to herself - she will live in the studio and loft in the new house, in which the dogs will not be allowed.

The new house - ah, the new house. Did I mention the new house?

Suffice it to say, the old farmhouse in which we now reside is going to fall down soon. Literally. It will cost less to build a new one than to fix up this one, which in all likelihood isn't even possible. We also have five dogs living in this one - can you imagine trying to repair it? So... we have begun building a new house up on the hill and hope to move in in December.

The old farmhouse will be burned - not only to give students in the firefighter program at a local college experience, but also to get rid of all the awful karma, bad energies, and evil spirits which have clouded our lives for the past three years. I wish I could be excited about it, but the fact is, the experience of moving to a place where dishonest folk left so many very, very bad things really took a toll on me emotionally.

Thank goodness Chef Jeff has been up for the task of choosing counters, cabinets, flooring, and fireplace rocks! I never could have made a decision with so many choices, but he narrowed things down very quickly:

The interior will have a warm, Southwest feel to it. We will have geothermal heat, so the puppers will enjoy a heated floor in their rumpus room downstairs. I will have a larger studio in which I will be able to spread out my knitting, spinning, quilting, and painting, and I can hardly wait for that!

It has been a long and troublesome journey but I am confident that moving on up the hill will make all the bad mojo a thing of the past.

Crafting kind of went by the wayside as Chef Jeff's company underwent a "rearrangement" of sorts, resulting in much, much more traveling for him (and many, many more chores on the farm for me - ouch!) Absence - and doing without someone else to haul the hay - really does make the heart grow fonder.

I am almost finished with my Drops sparkly shawl A/K/A "Dixie Shawl" (Ravelry link) - just doing the lower edge border now:

I've done two Baktuses (Bakti?) thanks to the pattern suggestion (Ravelry link) from Professor Nannette. If you are looking for a relaxing, mindless knit that will result in something infinitely giftable and wearable, and will let you enjoy your favorite sock yarn in a new way, this is IT!

Baktus Scarves In Drops Fabel and Koigu KPPPM from Yellow Dog Knitting

I'm loving the Fabel sock yarn's stripes.

There are more colors here than meet the eye initially. Very pretty.

Things I'm Liking:

The color ORANGE.

This Swedish (or Norwegian?) shop's clothing - I wish I could get it here in the US!

I follow a number of Scandinavian blogs and I like their aesthetic. I'm a big fan of Carl and Karin Larsson, white rooms and white furniture with handmade accents, and the simplicity of the Gustavian style. I can't read the text of some of these Scandinavian blogs, but I enjoy them nevertheless.

http://miaslandliv.blogspot.com
She has many more great links in her sidebar!

http://posidriv.blogspot.com

http://shabby-roses-cottage.blogspot.com

http://kathrinesquiltestue.blogspot.com

http://blomsterverkstad.blogspot.com

http://maalaiselamaa.blogspot.com

http://angelattable.blogspot.com

http://mykindofblog.blogspot.com

http://whitecountry.blogspot.com

http://ljo-s.blogspot.com

And now I just realized that my RSS reader isn't working properly; those blogs have some new entries I haven't yet seen. Argh! If it's not one thing, it's your mother...

I'm thankful for Birkenstock Central, who restored my stinky old Birks and kept them out of a landfill!

And so, dear readers, as the chickens go off to market and the "top" of the new house arrives tomorrow by semi truck, we embark upon a new season at Tuppinz Farm - one of gratitude for abundance. We are indeed very grateful.

Have a lovely week! I'm off to listen to the new episode of Electric Sheep!

Google Broke My Blog

2009-10-10T00:17:00.002-05:00

Google seems to have taken over Blogger and my ability to post here is not going to work.
If anyone can recommend a good blog host that will work with Macs, would you please email me? I do still receive comments via this blog.
It looks ok on the outside, but man, you should see the mess they made of it on the inside!
Have a great day!

Hungry For Change?

2009-07-29T16:56:00.001-05:00

PLEASE watch the clip at this site. PLEASE educate yourself about this subject. I can't think of anything more important for me to share via this blog than this information!

If folks in the US were actually aware of where our food comes from and what may be in it, we might not need to be debating expensive health care! (And it will remain expensive, whether the government "provides it" - via taxes - or it stays the way it is now.)

Did you know that the majority of diseases treated in the US - raising healthcare costs ever higher - are PREVENTABLE, simply by maintaining a healthy diet?

But, how healthy is YOUR food really?

Official Food, Inc. Movie Site - Hungry For Change?

Shared via AddThis

Everything I Need To Know, I Learned From My Dogs

2009-07-10T12:32:00.009-05:00

I was reflecting today upon the many important life lessons I’ve learned from my dogs. Here is their advice to you:

“You’re never too old to have a second childhood. Take time to enjoy the finer things in life, like a polo match and a glass of Pimm’s! Keep up with the whippersnappers and they’ll keep you young. Maintain a merry disposition. Share your blessings with others. Don’t let disabilities or aging get you down.” ~ Valentine, age, “Decrepit! But don’t order my urn yet!”; Springer Spaniel.

“Play hard. Get as much exercise as possible. Have a good appetite. Drink lots of water. Enjoy fresh air. Take a walk. Get enough sleep. Healthy living can help overcome illness. Give hugs often. Never pass up the opportunity to take a road trip.” ~ Boris, age two or three; Husky/Cattledog/other mix.

“Be grateful for what you’ve received. Be friendly to everyone you meet. Be curious about life. Be sweet. Don’t be shy. Go with the flow and adversity will pass you by.” ~ Otter, age about two; Labrador Retriever/other mix.

“Remain mindful and focused at all times. Don’t become ensnared by the power struggles of others. Have a sense of humor. Be present and poised for action. Deflect conflict with the strength of your Chi. Don’t abuse your power. Meditate: Om Mani Dobie Hum. Fiber is good for the digestion.” ~ Emma, The Doggie Lama, age three (plus several hundred reincarnated lifetimes); enlightened Doberman Pinscher.

“Take a bite out of life! Be tenacious for what you want. Fake it ‘til you make it. Make a lot of noise if you believe you’re right. A little mischief will often be forgiven if you’re cute. Have enough spunk, and you can stand up to anyone. Be kind to the weak and small. It’s good to have a schedule and stick to it, especially where meals are concerned. Give kisses freely.” ~ Molly, age two; Tasmanian Devil/Wolverine/Karelian Bear Dog/Heinzer

And from all of them…

“A little dust and dirt never hurt anyone. Life is short, so get out there and live it! The things that matter most are right in front of you... take time to pay attention.”

New Arrivals

2009-07-09T13:30:00.000-05:00

There are surprise babies at Tuppinz Farm!

A bunch of "scrubbing bubbles" appeared in the poultry food line yesterday:

"Help, I've fallen and I can't get up!"

We have 18 new guinea keets!

When the guinea fowl go broody, they do it in secret. We never know if a hawk or fox has made off with one of them (we wouldn't mind too much as we love the wildlife also), or if they're not coming home to roost at night because they're on a nest. Apparently this time it was the latter. I think I spy another hen on a nest out in the sheep pasture... we'll keep an eye on her to see if another clutch hatches out.

Our tick population is well under control, and guinea fowl are amazingly loud, so perhaps if all of these grow up to adulthood, we'll fatten a few for the freezer.

Our chicken coop was also home to another hatch of babies - barn swallows:

The parents kept the coop insect-free while feeding their young, so have been quite welcome. Chef Jeff tells me he would give the babies a little pat on their heads each day. Don't they look like they're smiling? Having barn swallows grace our farm with their presence is something we look forward to each spring. They zoom around like tiny fighter jets all summer long, catching bugs on the fly. Beautiful birds. We always sigh and know it's springtime when we see them return.

This is my favorite hen, Pigeon Pie. She is a Quail Antwerp Belgian bantam.

When it's my turn to feed the poultry, she is first in line, and flies up onto my outstretched arm, or onto my head, or right into the feed scoop to fill her little beak and scatter food everywhere, creating a pile of chickens, ducks, guineas, and geese at my feet so that I can't take a step. Today, she thought I had something special for her in my egg basket, and flew up to take a peek. Sorry, Pidge, just my work gloves and camera in there...

Weather is perfect here today - sunny, not too hot, breezy. Baby kestrels are learning to fly and hunt. Dogs are napping. Sounds like a plan. Blogger just ate a complete post I had done with it's "autosave" feature (I hate that feature!) Perhaps they could nix that, and get the autopublish feature up and running again? Sigh.

Holiday Weekend

2009-07-06T10:52:00.002-05:00

It was a beautiful holiday weekend here in Wisconsin. We couldn't have asked for better weather.

The Golden Laced Wyandotte chicks were moved out to their netted pasture. They are about a month old now. They're loving the fresh air, sunlight, grass, and insects. Our broody Wyandotte hen hatched out nine adopted babies, so that little family was also put in the electric netting for "safekeeping".

In addition to moving the chickens around, Jeff and our Farmhand Extraordinaire, Dakota, got us caught up on goat vaccinations and hoof trimming, fencing, yardwork, hay moving, and a billion other tasks. Thanks for all the hard work, guys!

We had a great time at the Altoona fireworks with our friends, Dakota's family. Dakota's brother, Tanner, gave us a private fireworks show in his backyard afterwards. This is his stash. It was quite an impressive display!

We watched Tanner's fireworks from the comfort of our friends' new screen porch, which is the ultimate in summer comfort. What a great area to relax with friends! These guys are great hosts and it's always great to spend time with them.

That's Dakota there in the center of the photograph. We are going to miss him when he goes off to college this fall. Jeff says that Tanner will have a job here on the farm as soon as he is old enough. Two finer young men can't be found!

Knowing of our love for fishing, our friends generously invited us to access the Eau Claire River from their property. Chef Jeff and I had a lovely afternoon there yesterday. Though we didn't catch anything, we enjoyed being out in the woods and seeing the gorgeous scenery.

Afterwards, the Chef prepared the catfish he'd caught last week according to a recipe from this beautiful book, which also included recipes for homemade refried black beans and great guacamole. It was an outstanding meal, though we somehow got our hands on a jalapeño that must have been grown near a nuclear reactor because that thing was HOT - and this judgment from people who use habañero sauce on a regular basis!

We are so glad that Otter is acclimating to her new home. The other dogs love her... well, Molly tolerates Otter, but Molly's coming along (that's just her way - growl first, make friends later.)

Otter has Lyme disease so she's on antibiotics for a little while. She doesn't seem to have had toys or chews before; she's finally understanding that baked cow ears are a good thing:

When Otter was found she was suffering from heat exhaustion. We are so grateful to our wonderful vet for taking her in for us for treatment and boarding, despite her history being unknown. We intend to go to a town meeting to see how we may be able to change the policies and procedures of our township in order that stray animals may receive temporary housing and care in a more efficient manner; we are not served by the County shelter due to the lack of a financial agreement between them and our township. There has to be a better way, and we shudder to think what could happen if one of our own beloved dogs went missing.

So yes, now we are a five-dog family. I would think we were certifiably nuts, except that the entire vet staff said they hoped we'd keep Otter because they knew we'd be good parents. And Valentine is getting up there in years and has Cushing's, so, after all, we may be back to a four-dog family in the not-too-distant future anyway.

But if I had my wish, there would be a loving home for every dog... until there is, we will take in whomever the Creator sends us, sharing our blessings.

In crafting news, I am this close to finishing up my Drops blue alpaca lace shawl... just on the final rows. I started a Koigu "mindless" sock for traveling-to-fishing-holes knitting, and I hope to do some sewing this week before Saturday's MaryJane's Farmgirls meeting, where everyone will ask me if I've made any progress on my current stitching project (not yet, and it's already been three weeks since our last meeting!)

I've seen a cute sewing pattern made up on this blog, and I purchased a copy here. The construction looks super easy, and I think it will be a neat use for some of my Tanya Whelan/Free Spirit or 3 Sisters/Moda girly-girl, flower fabrics.

Have a wonderful day!

Independence Day

2009-07-05T15:53:00.001-05:00

Small town fireworks (Altoona, WI) on a beautiful summer night.

Grateful for life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

This Week In Farming

2009-06-14T23:30:00.000-05:00

Busy, busy week at Tuppinz Farm. Here are some of the highlights...

The sheep and goats were finally shorn! They are so relieved to be nekkid, as the days are starting to get very warm. That's "Fontina" (whom we call "Caribou" for obvious reasons) in the foreground. Need fleece? We have LOTS!

This year's Largest Fleece award goes again to our Jacob ewe Montana. Jeff tells me the Shetland fleeces are again very nice and soft. I'm looking forward to keeping the two badger-faced Icelandics' fleeces for my own use - they are identical in coloring so it will be nice to combine them and have enough matching wool for a big project.

I would have preferred that shearing not take place on the same day the farrier and vet were scheduled to attend to the donkeys, but on a farm, you have to roll with the punches. Farriers, farm vets, and sheep shearers are not as easy to coordinate as the business projects I was used to in my "former life". There simply is no option to have a "Type A" personality on a farm.

Poor Michelle had to have her shearing appointment on a day when she couldn't even be home! I hear her wether's fleece is really nice...

Potatoes are up and growing nicely. We're using this method.

My crazy junk garden is also doing well.

I tried to make raised beds using only materials I could scrounge up around here. I decorated with rusty bits of metal that were found on the property.

I'm growing lettuces, hot peppers, tomatoes, scallions, cucumbers, basil, cilantrol, parsley, three pumpkins, and sunflowers. We had lots and lots of rain this past week and the plants loved it.

We moved about 100 iris plants from the area that became the veggie garden, and popped them in the beds in front of the house. Several of them flowered despite this insult. We have planted echinacea I started from seed, as well as rudbeckia, in one bed, and roses in the other; next year it should be very pretty - all purple and yellow.

Little goats are growing like weeds, too. Here are sisters Elfine and Daisy May, almost all grown up (but still very tiny!)

The purchased Golden Laced Wyandotte chicks have their wing feathers now. Soon they will no longer need a heat lamp. They enjoy the thinnings from the veggie garden - feeding them teaches the chicks to eat greens (which they won't learn without parents to raise them) and it gets some good vitamins into them.

We had a lovely Wyandotte hen go broody. Unfortunately, before we realized she was nesting, we gathered the eggs she was laying each day for the refrigerator. We then noticed that she - and she alone - was hanging around with our single Golden Laced Wyandotte rooster... the two chickens we most hoped would reproduce. Hobby Farm Mistake #1027 - when the chickens you want to breed actually do, let the eggs turn into chicks!

So as not to waste her broodiness, we collected two days' worth of eggs which will hopefully become mixed-breed chicks, and stuck them under her. She accepted them readily. Hobby Farm Mistake #1028 - when you have a hen that is broody and you want to hatch out chicks, consider the fact that she is nesting in front of hay bales you will need to access in the next month - not the best choice of locations for anyone involved.

Last Saturday, we went to the farmers market in Eau Claire, at Phoenix Park. It was raining and quite cold, but we had a great time. On our walk back, I saw this Labyrinth in the park - what a neat thing!

On the way home, we stopped at a couple of places to fish for a little bit. Did I mention it was rainy and cold? The only trophy was an ugly thing I caught called a river chub, which went gently right back into the water. We gave up on a fish dinner and went to Tep's Drive-In in Augusta, for their amazing garlic fries. Got to love a place with carhops - especially in an Amish village.

I ended up the week with a meeting of my MaryJane's Farmgirls group yesterday. We met at Dee Dee's Diner in Northfield and had a great time chatting and knitting and sharing pictures.

Dianne, Kayley, Dawn, Michelle

We meet on the second Saturday of each month to just hang out and do whatever... we talk about animals, crafts, gardening, and end up laughing. One doesn't have to be a "real" farmgirl to join; as MaryJane Butters says, "'Farmgirl' is a condition of the heart." We're just a bunch of gals out to learn new things and meet new friends.

The weather has turned glorious. First hay cutting this week. Crickets, junebugs, and moths abound (one notices this when one takes up fly fishing...) Baby squirrels exploring their world. The glow of light as the sun begins to cross the horizon is more amazing each and every evening. What a wonderful time of year.

Fishing

2009-06-05T16:20:00.001-05:00

Once in a while one needs to take a step back from the busy-ness of life to relax and rejuvenate. This is not so easy to do when one has a farm full of lively animals who seem to need constant attention and tending. But last Sunday, Jeff and I made a break for it and headed over to a county park.

We were amazed to find a beautiful section of the Eau Claire River running between sandstone bluffs and piney woods.

We had glorious weather.

Check out the doggie going for a boat ride!

We caught enough bluegills for a yummy dinner.

Can't wait to go again - but I still won't touch a worm... or a fish!

Out and About

2009-05-31T12:32:00.001-05:00

Delilah is doing so well that she has re-joined her herd!

Dexter and the Tulip Family (Samson, Mama Tulip, Delilah)

She's been out to graze with her family, and now everyone's back in the loafing area, chewing their cuds and soaking up the sun.

Pippin on platform; Delilah on far lower right.

That one above is worth bigifying to see Pippin's yawn.

I am amazed at Delilah's resilience and strength... and tolerance of us sticking her with needles twice a day. She gets a chewable Vitamin C as a reward (and to give her stressed immune system a boost).

Go, Delilah!

New Beginnings

2009-05-30T16:21:00.000-05:00

This year's batch of baby Golden Laced Wyandotte chicks arrived today!

Of course we play classical music in the chicken coop... doesn't everyone?

Hope this makes you smile today!

She's A Witch!

2009-05-29T15:48:00.000-05:00

No, not Ysolda - she is perfectly charming! Although we got to YDK too late to join in the weekly Knit Night, we were able to tag along as Dixie and her gang took Ysolda to The Livery for snacks and drinks afterward. We ordered up a plate of smelt for Ysolda to try, because you can't come to Wisconsin and not eat smelt, right? She gamely tried them and even took a couple more on her own.

No, I refer instead to our poor dear Delilah, who is recovering well from her surgery yesterday.

You can click the pic below if you have an interest in seeing the actual surgical amputation site (clean, but not for the meek).

Dr. Bender in Whitehall did an excellent job. We are truly grateful that we can always rely on him. Delilah was feeling so much better after the operation that she attempted to gallop out to pasture with her herdmates! No more "dead weight" (ugh) holding her down and making her wobbly.

"Whoa, there, Nellie, you're supposed to be in recovery in the box stall for three days!" We finally caught our girl (a little loopy on the pain medications she'll be on for a while) and convinced her that there were fresh dandelions aplenty - along with hay, mineral, kelp, and a cool bucket of water - waiting for her in her private chamber. She's enjoying her pampering and the hand-picked weeds being delivered to her door. Her appetite is very good, which is a great sign.

Thank goodness Dr. Bourdon had come out as soon as we noticed Delilah limping. He got her on penicillin therapy right away, so that we were able to halt the progression of the disease through the tissue as quickly as possible, saving Delilah's life! Again, we are so blessed to have yet another good on-farm goat doctor - they are really few and far-between.

Delilah Just After Birth

Baby Samson and Delilah

Delilah and Samson, One Day Old

Mama Tulip, Baby Delilah, Jeff

After consulting three vets and doing research on our own, Jeff and I were still stumped about what caused Delilah's leg to go bad. There was no sign of injury in a fence or by another animal; the illness didn't present correctly for "blackleg" (a tetanus-type infection); and everyone was scratching their heads as to what caused the blood clot that destroyed her leg with no warning... until Dr. Bender mentioned something to Jeff.

"I've never seen it in practice, but I remember studying it in vet school - ergot."

"You mean like rye and witches?" asked Jeff.

That's exactly what he meant (and if you are Dianne RJ, you get bonus points for knowing what I was talking about when I ran into you today!) But for everyone else, I will "'splain, Lucy"...

Samson and Delilah at Two Months, with Mama Tulip

Baby Samson and Delilah, nibbling on my scarf.

Remember the Salem Witch Trials? And how young girls were murdered for "being witches" - having tremors, being possessed, seeing visions, going spastic? One theory which explains their behavior is that they had ergot poisoning. Though I see on Wiki that that's disputed, what isn't is the effects of ergot poisoning on animals.

Delilah at Three Months

We won't ever know the source (pasture, hay, grain, oat straw used for bedding), but thanks to Dr. Bender's recollection we were able to look it up in our copy of The Merck Veterinary Manual (thanks forever for that, Pamela! We use it ALL the time!), confirm Delilah's symptoms and progression, and solve our little mystery.

Samson, Delilah, Mama Tulip

I guess if something completely odd and out of the ordinary will happen, it's going to happen at Tuppinz Farm.

In other farm news, due to the ground being litterally covered with fledgling birds, barn cat Barley is being held prisoner in the house (confined due to his penchant for beating the crap out of the other cats). He'll remain indoors until the birdlings can actually fly on their own. The chickens are quite amused by all the little ones and seem to think they are baby chicks that they are supposed to guard.

Baby Blackbird with Sumatran Rooster

Animals are just so... odd.

Have a great day! I get to sit and knit with Ysolda at Michelle's tonight!!

Ysolda at YDK Tonight!

2009-05-28T11:15:00.001-05:00

The beautiful and talented knitting designer Ysolda Teague will be at Yellow Dog Knitting in Eau Claire, WI, tonight! Hope to see you there - Knit Night at The Dog is already fun, but tonight will be extra special.

Ysolda is on a US book tour for Whimsical Little Knits, which will be available at YDK tonight. It is the neatest little book - I just love it. Ysolda will have her samples along, and Dixie and Cindi have whipped some up in their fantastic Garnstudio Drops yarns for us to fondle.

Ysolda's being hosted by our good friends at Kellane Farm, which means she gets to play with cute baby lambs during her visit. I'm jealous! Must get over there soon.

Happy Birthday, Bemma-Boo!

2009-05-25T13:16:00.001-05:00

Miss Emma turned three yesterday!

Chef Jeff always wanted to take Miss Fiona to Panera for soup in a bread bowl when she was with us, but he never got the chance. Thinking that life is too short to miss an opportunity, he was determined to treat Emma this year, so we took a little time off from chores and away we went.

Note Chef Jeff's shirt...

Emma eyeing her soup and bread bowl (Chef Jeff ate most of it.)

Drooling isn't very ladylike, Emma!

Afterwards, we took Emma to the pet store, where she carefully sniffed everything, finally picked out her own treat, and proudly carried it up to the checkout on her own. Everyone who saw her in the store got a good chuckle.

"Yum!"

"This is the BEST birthday EVER!"

Hero, Part Two

2009-05-18T13:21:00.012-05:00

A feature write-up about Jeff's grandpa appeared in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel today. It is here.

We've created a memorial website for Bill, which can be found here.

I also found a couple of photos of Bill in his younger days, which I really like. Thought you might like them, too.

Photo caption reads: "William & Edward 12 and 15 yrs old taken spring 1929."

Bill "bustin' a bronc" (you know I don't go for that method but that's what they did back then!)

A newspaper photo showing Bill having a make-believe cup of tea with granddaughter Becky. She was born with Down syndrome and Bill did much volunteer work for Milwaukee charities that helped brain injured children.

Bill and his wife, "Sutty" (Etelka) at Jeff's college graduation performance. The Chef's degree is actually in music, did you know that? He was a classical composer before he became a Pharm Boy (joke there...)

Chef Jeff's been away in California but is returning tonight. I hear he shipped some wine home which is a good thing, as I think I'm going to be needing some in the next few days: Delilah goat had a blood clot in her femoral (leg) artery and now the leg must be amputated.

At first the vet thought it was from a tetanus-type (clostridial) infection, but then it didn't present in a manner that made him confident about it (the goats are all vaccinated for tetanus but this would have been an odd type of clostridia (?) that usually only affects cows.) He saw no sign of an injury - and Frieda The Just earned her name by being very careful about being the only horned goat in the herd, so she can't be blamed. So Doc Stan the farm vet thinks it was just a freak thing. He says things like this sometimes just happen in a barnyard, and we shouldn't second-guess ourselves about it being something we did, or didn't, do.

Delilah is doing as well as can be expected. There is no feeling in the leg now so she is not in pain, just uncomfortable. She is eating well and brother Sammy and mama Tulip are looking out for her, standing on either side of her when the goats get hay or a treat of grain. She's very good for her shots, but thus far, I have given myself one penicillin puncture and have swallowed some as well - I'm looking forward to Jeff returning to veterinary duty tonight.

We've discussed the potential amputation with several vets, and the vet that has seen to Delilah's needs since she was born is able to perform the surgery. He's actually really a small animal vet, and we always took the goat kids to his practice for disbudding under sedation. He gives us the impression that recovery will go smoothly with sufficient pain meds. Lila's attitude is good right now, so we're thinking this is the appropriate path to take.

So unfortunately I won't be able to attend Bill's funeral. I'll be here giving more penicillin injections and toting hay bales (split into flakes first, of course) and exercising the dogs who can't seem to be outdoors enough in the spring weather. But when Chef Jeff returns from paying his respects, I plan on us toasting Bill with something from Sonoma... and maybe having some time to actually relax and visit with Jeff for more than the five minutes a day we've had to speak to each other in the last few weeks... months... year?

Oh wait, baby chicks arrive in two weeks... and my cold frame just blew over - still haven't gotten my seedlings into the garden bed. No time for sitting still on the farm...

Farewell To A Hero

2009-05-15T18:53:00.006-05:00

William Stamm
November 7, 1916 - May 15, 2009
Milwaukee Fire Department Chief - 1970-1986

Chef Jeff's grandpa passed away today.

We will remember Bill's generous nature, as well as his stories about being a cowboy before he went to work for the Milwaukee Fire Department. Once, he was astride an "un-broke" horse that decided to jump through a V in a tree. The horse made it through - but Bill and the saddle remained. I don't think Bill ever swore in his whole life - even then, though it was weeks before he could walk properly.

Bill came from humble beginnings and was very proud of being 100% Swiss. He never took a drink and never smoked. He sure enjoyed his sweet rolls, though. And brunch. And fancy dinners. That man loved to eat in restaurants.

Bill received an award from the Humane Society in honor of all the animals he saved from fires. Bill traveled to Nicaragua to provide aid after an earthquake. He was a true humani-ani-tarian.

Bill was a Mason and a Shriner. He really loved the Masonic chicken roast picnics held every summer.

Bill's elder brother Eddie passed away just a few weeks ago. The two brothers were best friends and both resided at the Masonic Health Center in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin.

1921 - back row: Buster Hunziker, Eddie Stamm, Herman Kunz.
Front row: Homer Kunz and Bill Stamm.
The goat, "Billy," belonged to Buster.

Whenever asked how he was doing, Bill would reply, "Can't complain!" Even in the ICU. That's a response I'd do well to remember and imitate.

See ya' round, Bill. Be careful up there bustin' them broncs...

2009-04-23T10:30:00.000-05:00

Who's this fuzzy face?

We are officially a four-donkey family! Meet Rocky Mountain Songbirds Ty-Dyed Champ:

Currently, Tikki won't let him near Jazz and Eli... or her hay pile. But things are actually working out well and in a day or two they will all be fast friends.

Champ is a nine-year-old gelding who comes to us from the nice folks at Dixdlor Ranch here in Wisconsin. He was born here and the photo on that web page is in fact Champ himself!

Eli's wondering if we'll still love him. Silly boy!

Spring is almost here at Tuppinz Farm. The sun sometimes feels warm, the grass is starting to green up, and we're having lovely evenings before the nighttime temps drop back down to freezing.

This guinea bird is doing his evening predator scan and calling the others back to the roost.

My seedlings are doing well in their indoor greenhouse. Tonight we are getting a truckload of soil for our new veggie garden bed. This weekend, we'll get the cold frame set up and the beds made. We'll plant around May 15th.

I have some wonderful seed potatoes from Seeds Of Change and I'm going to try this super easy method of planting them.

Hope things are green in your part of the world!

A Good Week Of Surprises

2009-04-03T17:23:00.007-05:00

It was a week of surprising weather (warm days followed by snow showers and high winds), and surprises in my mailbox.

Beautiful handmade potholders arrived from Professor Nannette, and Miss Kary sent an original painting of an owl (a favorite animal of mine) by Brenda Webster-Drouin. Thanks, guys!

I'd placed an order with The Loopy Ewe, a favorite shop for sock knitting needs. This is what I'd ordered:

And THIS is what I received!

Turns out I am now an official Loopy Groupie. The gifts they sent were more than what I'd ordered to begin with; what you don't see is the chocolate which I promptly ate. Thank you, Sheri!

I became a convert after I received my first order with TLY and I realized what all the high praise was about. They have excellent customer service, and usually include a handwritten thank-you and little treats with my orders... which are becoming more frequent, I have to admit; I love the "instant gratification" of their fast shipping!

I also received the new "Whimsical Little Knits" book by Ysolda in Scotland, as well as two skeins of Fearless Fibers yarn. One of these is destined to become these (Ravelry link). I have been waiting on pins and needles for that KnitSpot pattern to be published and am jazzed to cast on for these beautiful socks.

All in all, a very good week indeed.

Around The Farm

Frieda The Just gave us 1.4 ounces of beautiful cashmere at the end of March. Not bad for a mostly-Boer goat with a strong resemblance to George Washington.

I planted peas and broccoli rabe outside; started Tigerella and Silvery Fir Tree tomatoes, and serrano and jalapeno peppers, inside.

Other than that, it's business as usual here on the farm. Lots of playful activity inside when the puppy playpen is too muddy from changeable spring weather:

It looks like Champ, our new riding donkey, will not be arriving this weekend as planned. Hopefully he'll be home in the next couple of weeks.

Have a beautiful weekend!

Lots Of Fiber

2009-03-01T13:39:00.002-06:00

I was in the fiber doldrums for some time. Just couldn't get motivated. There were a couple of our raw Icelandic fleeces (from Asta and Birta) sitting in the entryway, which taunted me daily. I finally decided that, after two years, it was time to unpack the picker and carder that had been sitting in boxes while several house nightmares were endured.

Not having a decent fiber washing area has proven to be problematic, but I made do with many buckets in the kitchen over a period of days (Jeff was not allowed to make fragrant Indian food during my scouring!) The laundry room here doesn't have a heat source, and though there is a tub on the first floor, it was never installed properly and doesn't drain, so Jeff kindly carried all the dirty water outside for me.

I was really fearful to try the picker and carder but I needn't have been - they both worked wonderfully and I was soon blessed with my first home-grown, home-scoured, home-picked and home-carded Icelandic lamb roving!

Because I wanted to spin a fine but soft yarn, it was time to re-acquaint myself with an old friend who has the necessary double drive talents:

We hadn't been on speaking terms for several years due to a previous failure to communicate.

It turned out that this wasn't due to my unfamiliarity with my friend, but rather an inherent problem in my friend's physical makeup.

Once this was corrected (requiring minor surgery on my part and a trip to Montana and back for an amputated piece of my friend), my buddy wanted to "make nice" - but I wasn't having any of it, due to the insults my friend had given me the last time we got together.

I am now willing to forgive and forget, and so is my friend, and we have been getting on famously in this new relationship.

As any fiberartist can tell you, once the floodgates have opened, creativity comes on like a tidal wave. Not only have I been spinning the Icelandic lamb, but also this lovely fiber (click for big to see the sparkly stuff!):

... as well as some home-grown Jacob wool (from Gruyere):

I even made significant progress on my "Dixie shawl":

Like all lace, it looks like a damp mop and will until it is blocked. But believe me, it's really pretty:

My good relationship with the Dundas wheel gave me the confidence to have a chat with the Ashford Table Loom as well, and it has been released from its undignified penance in the long barn.

Disclaimer: Seriously ugly wallpaper courtesy of previous homeowners.

I am not a big fan of anything other than rigid heddle (i.e., simple! Easy!) weaving, but it seems a shame not to give this gal a warm (comparatively-speaking), indoor home. We will try to get along better now, and hopefully she will not confuse me with mathematical equations this time around. I guess it's not really her fault... she has always been a peach to use.

It's freezing in here (perhaps not to looms but to us humans), and some woven wool blankets would come in handy, so I had better be polite to her.

Max is just meditating, and staying clear of all the fiber activity.

Other Happenings

Two photos from our farm are in the current issue of Hobby Farms magazine - yay!

There was a quote in this issue that I loved: "Hobby farming is like hobby coal mining." Truer words have never been spoken... it's still work! (But definitely worth it to have delicious organic eggs!!!)

And to reward myself for a consistent yoga practice, I asked this Etsy artisan to embroider some clips to keep my hair out of my face during downward dog - she put pink lotuses on them to match my Prana yoga outfit:

In upcoming excitement... what do you think of this handsome fellow, hmmm?

Hope your day is full of health and creativity!

Spay Day 2009!

2009-01-23T23:17:00.000-06:00

Hey! Help the Tuppinz pups support Spay and Neuter Day 2009!

Kary entered her boy, Diesel, and I've entered Emma & Molly, and we're having a friendly fundraising contest.

But I also supported Bella, and we think she deserves a ton of votes... won't you donate in her name? That little girl really deserves some donations to be made in her name!

Please spay and neuter your pets, and please support your local shelter - they need your help now more than ever.

Yay for "recycled" pets!

2009-01-19T19:26:00.001-06:00

Some mindless fun after a very stressful day.

Create your own, from words on your blog, at Wordle.