September waning...

 It's been a lovely, mostly warm September.And it has gone by at a rapid rate. We have had one frost, but my flower gardens are still quite brilliant.  This morning was a little foggy, and Click posed on the gate with a floral backdrop while I snapped his picture. He is such a good cat. An excellent mouser, I have not seen any signs of rodents in the garage (where we store animal food) since he and his brother moved in. In fact one morning this week I accidentally stepped on a large, dead mouse one of the cats had left just outside the garage door. It made a disgusting "squishing" sound and sensation beneath my shoe, and since the grass was wet I had a moment that the slippery, exploded rodent beneath my foot made me wonder if I might lose my balance.  I pondered how I might explain the ensuing fall to people, "Well, you see, there was this slippy mouse..." Luckily I stayed vertical, and no explanations were necessary.

 I splurged and had the windows professionally washed. I am a horrible window washer, and even when I try my best, the end results are streaky messes. The crew I hire is fast, exceedingly efficient, and how I love to have sparkling, clean glass between me and the world as the days grow shorter. I like to savor every moment of light during the long winter months, and clean windows helps me do that. I took advantage of the curtains coming down so the glass could get polished, and washed all the lace valances. It was a delight to get them re-hung this week.

 Another small project was removing the very large fern from the wall planter I have in the grooming studio.  It has been pretty there for several years, but had quite outgrown it's home and was looking bedraggled.  I had to really wrestle with it to get it dislodged. I replaced it with some soft pink geraniums, variegated ivy and two tiny little fern segments. It freshens up the corner, I think, and will be happy to see blooming this winter. The light and humidity in the studio makes for contented plants, and I get a lot of credit for having a "green thumb." It's all just luck, and I do enjoy watching things grow and bloom there.

Chris came into the garage where I was milking Bliss one morning this week. His intent was to kiss me goodbye before he left for work, but he got distracted. "Please give Bliss an animal cracker," I asked. Quick as a wink he tucked one between his lips and leaned in. Our goatie girl wasn't the least bit shy. My husband makes me laugh every day.

The donkeys make me smile, too. Every other day they get a tiny little breakfast. Someone recently asked, "How do you keep track?" I don't need to.The donkeys know which day is which. Usually only Abraham brays, but on breakfast morning, the girls exercise their rusty-hinge voices and call to me until they see me coming with their bowls. Then it's heads down, all-business, while they enjoy their meal.

In just a few days September will be over. It is one of my favorite months, and I have enjoyed it. I just wish it could stay a little longer.

Slice of heaven...

I had happy plans for the day. I was going to meet favorite friends and do some dog training. The friends and I were going to have lunch first. All of this would be a delight. I was doing chores this morning, shoveling manure, feeding animals, topping up water containers. My phone buzzed. It was our friend Susan. Did we want to go out on their boat today, and have a picnic? The weather looked fine. I juggled my commitment with the total joy my husband would have with a day on the water. My commitment lost.  Just then I saw Chris walking my way. "Did you get a text?" I asked.  "You want to go?" he asked, hopefully.

We packed some cold drinks and stopped and grabbed some sandwiches. Then we met our friends at Rockport Harbor.

In moments we were headed out to sea. I was grinnin' like a possum.

Chris was, too. 

Our friends dogs were on board. Sylvie and Hugo. They made everything even better. 

The views were out of this world. 

We tied up near an island and ate our picnic lunch. Gulls swooped, waves lapped against the boat. The sun was summer warm, and everything was peaceful.

Afterwards we stopped at an island, and took a brief walk. The dogs were happy. 

The scenery made my sigh. Multiple times. 

The wind was higher and the seas a little rougher on the way back. I loved it. The dogs were less enthused. Waves splashed and I got a little wet. I loved that, too.

Then we were back at the dock, and soon home. Our dogs were glad to see us. We enjoyed the late afternoon, watching the goats and donkeys meander around the pasture.  A simple grilled supper at the picnic table and then in for the evening. Today was filled with sunshine, the sea and good company. A slice of heaven.

Lumps...

Yesterday morning I was happily puttering about the house before work. There are some decorative items on top of the baking cabinet in the kitchen, and I was rearranging a bit. Somehow, a very heavy, vintage mixing bowl got knocked off the shelf. It didn't break, because my forehead stopped it. The wooden rolling pins inside the bowl rained down upon my head and shoulders as well. My glasses were forcibly dislodged from my face, and if I were a cartoon character little stars would have been drawn into the air above my head.

A large multi-colored lump arose where the bowl had landed. I laughed at myself, hard, and slapped a bag of frozen vegetables on the spot while I finished my mornings work. I didn't feel my perky best all day. My head was tender, my neck was sore from the impact,I was a little nauseous and really wanted to go take a long nap. But a full day of grooming was planned, so my sore self soldiered on. I got a good nights sleep, and felt much better this morning.

At least I did until Bliss, the innocent looking girl on the right in this photo...

...kicked me, hard, in the jaw while I was milking her. Insert more stars. Milk soaked ones, this time. Over the years that I have been milking goats, I've been kicked on my thighs, belly, arms and chest any number of times. I have had bruises that would make a medical professional ask, "Are you safe at home?" We have joked that a goat could kick our teeth in, but it never really occurred to me that this was a genuine possibility until this morning when a naughty cloven hoof landed a firm wallop on my right jaw. I uttered some unpleasant words, stopped the milking right then even though she was not nearly empty, and ushered her at a brisk pace back to the pasture.

I felt even worse after this, with shooting pains up and down my spine. At lunchtime I had the bright idea to call my chiropractor, and as luck would have it they had an opening in 30 minutes. Rachel gamely took on all the grooming so I could exit. I hopped right in the car and the kind doctor saw me as soon as I got in. He adjusted my neck, my back and my hips. He tenderly smoothed soothing cream on the lump on my head. He gave me a cold lazer treatment. I left feeling better, but for some reason oh-so-tired. I suspect that after a good nights sleep I will feel fine.I also suspect that I will be in bed very close to the time the sun goes down.

We had our first frost last night. It felt odd to look out the window and see everything glazed in silver. It made the deck steps very slippery, but I carefully avoided falling down them. I figured I'd had enough lumps this week.

Tomorrow the temperature is supposed to be back in the 80's but the season is clearly changing.
I will endeavor to have no further head trauma's in the coming days, and just enjoy my favorite time of year.

Good news..!

Travis, our wonderful farrier, came out today. It was he who suggested, last spring, that I put together a paddock for the donkeys, with sand or stone dust, to keep them out of the mud. When he pulled up today he was excited to see newly installed sandy area and bright new fence. I was waiting anxiously to see if it had made any difference in the donkeys hooves.  Regular blog readers will remember that Sarah donkey had terrible hoof problems, which started last November. We spent months giving her medicated soaks, and wrapping her feet.We gave her special dietary supplements and oral medications, too.  They got a lot better, then when the spring mud season came, they deteriorated again. That was when the paddock project was set into motion.

Today, Abraham volunteered to have his feet trimmed first, and got a mostly good report.  Then Jingle/Jezebel, who has very healthy hooves had her pedicure.  Finally it was Sarah's turn. I think I held my breath a little, because when the first (and worst) hoof looked quite healthy, I heaved a deep sigh.  All in all her feet look pretty good, and Travis was pleased.  The donkeys spend a lot of time on the sand in the paddock, even though I have been keeping the gate open and they can roam the pasture as they please.  The sand is soft and deep, and must feel good on their legs.  Travis explained that it fills their hooves when they stand on it, and that the pressure of that encourages blood flow, which is important for hoof health. Also, the sand is abrasive, wearing old tissue away as they walk, and this helps, too.  So, our expensive project is paying off, and I couldn't be more relieved.

Shortly after Travis left, we had more donkey visitors. The woman who owned Jingle/Jezebel almost all her life, and her son who is visiting from another state, had asked if they could stop by.  I was anxious to see how our newest donkey responded to them. Donkeys are smart, and don't forget a friend. Abraham brayed when he saw folks entering the pasture, and he and Sarah came right up to say hello.  "Jingle!" called the woman, and two long, fuzzy years pricked forward.

I don't know what Jingle was thinking, but she stood a long time while her old friends patted her, and slipped sliced carrots between her velvet lips. The other two donkeys horned in on the treat taking, too.

The visitors checked out the donkey dorm, and commented on how well their girl looked. "Her coat is much softer," said her previous owner. I suspect it is the vitamin and mineral supplement she has been getting. After about 15 minutes of visiting and pats, Jingle walked to the end of new sandy area. She and Abraham had a quick game of "bite the donkey," and then her previous humans headed home. I assured them that they are welcome to visit any time. I hope they will take me up on it.

It's been a happy morning for the equines of FairWinds. And that makes me happy, too.

Projects...

In an ideal world, we get errands such as buying groceries, going to the transfer station and such all done on Saturday. This leaves Sunday for us to relax and enjoy. But the world, (although lovely) is not ideal. We ran a bunch of errands and did a few busy things yesterday, but there were more things to be done today. After a treat of breakfast out, we took a little drive north on route 1. Beautiful homes, bright gardens, scenic vistas of ocean and bays spread all around us. The day was brilliant and warm. We stopped into a few antique stores, and at a favorite old flea market that we have not been to in ages.

We came home with an antique enameled colander, a couple books, some locally made soap, and a fun wreath for the chicken coop. All for about $30. We were having a lovely time, but there were projects awaiting us at home.

Last week the inside of the donkey dorm got a coat of white stain. Purely decorative, it certainly brightened the place up. The outside got a fresh coat of stain as well, to cover up where the animals rub and leave dirty smears. The nice new door got stained, too.  Rachel's high school pal Bruce took this job on, and did good work.

Today we hung the rigid plastic panel over the front "window," of the donkey dorm and put the goat window back in their cozy.. We take these down in the spring to allow better air flow.  Cool weather is coming, and it was nice to get this chore done before it gets really cold.

I locked the goats up while Chris worked, because they are known for dumping tools and boxes of hardware with reckless abandon. Bliss rested her head on the gate to her room, and took a little snooze. Clearly watching people work is exhausting. 

While Chris had his trusty power tools out, I got him to move the mineral feeder to a better spot, and hang these fabulous crow hooks, so now I have a spot to hang brushes, hoof picks and such where they will be handy to use.

And then...

Chris hung up a little treasure I found at a tag sale early last spring. The woman I bought it from said, "I think our family bought this in Bolivia. We lived there in the 50's."  I've been waiting until the donkey dorm got a fresh coat of stain to hang it, and today was the happy day. I think it looks terrific.

Next on the agenda was finishing up the "freshen the coop" project.  In my last blog I wrote about my white wash experiment. I put a second coat of it up yesterday. I'd say my scheme has mixed results. The coop does look brighter with the white wash, but the finish is not as even as I would like. However, if the wash does as promised and helps prevent insects from making the place home, I will call it a success. Today I touched things up, swept the floor clean, and made the place cozy for the 21 new White Rock chicks that are now a week old. They are beginning to get tiny little wing and tail feathers, and are a delight to watch. I keep my old blue muck bucket in the coop, turned upside down, and use it as a seat while I hang out with my "peeps." I find them endlessly entertaining. 

To cap off the lovely day, Rachel and Evans joined us for supper. They brought some fresh Pemaquid oysters. I have had very limited oyster experience, and Evans showed me how to add a little horse radish to one, and let it slip from it's shell, then slide, delicious and briny, over my taste buds. I quite liked it, and look forward to trying more. 

 We made focaccia, and ate it hot, dipped in garlic-infused olive oil, while fresh corn on the cob and lobsters cooked. The ruddy sun sank behind the ridge, and bats flitted low over the meadow. We had some outside lights and the flames from the fire pit to illuminate our feast. It may well be the last picnic table lobster of the season, and it may have been the best, too. We all agreed that the lobster seemed sweeter than usual. The corn more flavorful. And oh, that hot from the oven bread! We lingered a while, chatting. The dogs lounged in the grass by the fire, and I was steeped in contentment. 

Morning adventures, perfect weather, completed projects, and an extra fine supper make for a marvelous day. 

Getting the mail...

Sometimes getting the mail is more fun than other times.

The phone call came before 7:00 AM. It was the post master at the neighboring town. "Your chicks are here." (loud peeping could be heard in the background.) "Come and get 'em."  I was out of here like a shot. I could hear the cheeping from the parking lot. These chicks are loud. The post master handed me the box, and asked if I knew what to do with them. He dusted a fleck of hay off my shoulder and chatted a bit. I could hardly wait to get my loud box home.

Bravo was very excited to see, smell and hear the package.

He came out to the coop with  me and watched with rapt attention as I took each chick out of the box, and dipped it's beak into water. Once they try their first sip, they take time to drink deeply. They scoop water up into their tiny bills, then tip their heads back to help the water trickle down.

They begin to peck at everything, and eventually find the food tray. I set the heat lamp up, and the chicks move from the warmth of the lamp to the food and water. They gain strength and soon are hopping around like pop corn kernels in a hot pot. They are crazy cute.

 Bravo watches it all with intense concentration. And now, when we go out in the yard, if I say, "Let's check the babies," he makes a bee line to the coop so we can go in and make sure the fluffs are comfortable.

It's all very exciting. With luck these birds will grow to be our new layer flock. The breed is White Rocks. They will look like this when they mature:

I think it will be nice to see a pure white flock scratching around in the meadow next spring. I hope the chicks will grow and thrive, and be a happy addition the the farmlette.

Farmlette fun...

We've been getting some things accomplished around the farmlette.

The coops have all been cleaned, and the adorable Silky coop has some fall decor in the window box. The windows are washed, dishes scrubbed, cob webs removed. 

I tried something I've been wanting to mess around with for years... I white washed the inside of the big coop. The walls are thin wood panels, and discolored from fly specs and chicken poop. It looked dingy. Old fashioned white wash is made from hydrated lime, salt and water. My husband, who was raised in the south, said there is an old expression that goes, "Too poor to paint, too proud to whitewash." As I was slopping the stuff around I certainly did not feel "too proud." 

 Whitewash has been used around homesteads for centuries. Not only does it brighten things up, but its easy to use, inexpensive, and safe around animals.Even better, it has some antibacterial properties, and as an added bonus, it deters insects. 

It goes on like water, and is drippy. For someone who likes immediate gratification, as I do, it was a dud. But a few hours later, after drying, it looks white. I definitely need to do another coat, and I think I will mix it a little more concentrated this time. I can see that it is going to brighten the space up considerably. 

If I manage to get a thicker mixture I will attempt to do the ceiling, as well. I have 20 new chicks due to arrive this week. I hope they will like the spruced up coop. 

A few weeks ago we had an excavator come out and dig up the soil in front of the donkey dorm. They put down a thick layer of sand. The animals really like the sand, it must feel nice on their feet. They roll in it, and lounge in it, too, spending much of their day there.  The next step was to have a fence put up so I could keep the animals in there during mud season.I found a local fence company that could do the work quickly and at a good price. Cedar round rails, with a stout rubber coated metal wire fastened on the inside. I asked the owner if he could make it so the gate would swing inwards. My thought was that if it did, it would block the doorway and I could keep the animals in if I needed to. This could come in handy in a variety of ways. The man thought about it and said, "You know, I have some left over wood. I could build you a Dutch door for $100."  The price was right, and I was thinking that having a door would be awfully nice in a heavy rain or blizzard. While I was at Wag It Camp, the fence guy came and put the fence around the new sandy area. He also built and hung the door. Chris sent me pictures, and it looked so nice. But by the time I got home, the donkeys had destroyed it. The wind had blown the door shut, with one donkey in and two out. They chewed and kicked until they destroyed it, so they could all be together. I was sad. 

Then this week the fence guy stopped in. "You didn't like the door?" He asked.He looked sad.  Chris had taken the broken thing down. I said, "I never even saw it!" and explained what happened. He wanted to see it, and went right to work to fix it.  In no time he had it repaired and re-hung. 

In a few weeks we will hang the clear, plastic window up and the donkey dorm will be snug for the winter. I need to re-stain the outside, too, to brighten it up and make the pretty new door match.. If my whitewashing experiment works well, I plan to do the inside of the donkey dorm, too. 

I had one more project taken care of. There were two old pine trees in this area. The goats had chewed them up and they were dead.  Earlier this summer we had them cut down, and one of my carpenter customers helped me out. We left the tree trunks about 4 feet high.  And the carpenter wrangled a 20 foot long pallet. 

He mounted the pallet on top of the stumps, and then nailed plywood on top of that. We are calling it "Billy Goat Gruff Bridge." The goats took to it immediately. The donkeys like the shade it throws. 

The animals. They keep us busy, thinking of ways to better care for them, and keeping them healthy, happy and comfortable. They repay us by being adorable, friendly,and generally fabulous. 

And giving us delicious milk to make yogurt, cheese and soap.

It is good, at the end of the day, to look at the things we have accomplished around the farmlette.