And then there were three...

 I got a text message Sunday morning. "I'm bringing another cow." What does it say about me that receiving that note seemed perfectly normal? I mean, doesn't everyone just get cows randomly delivered on a holiday weekend?  We were watching the Owlet, and she was sleeping on my chest, so I didn't even get up to observe the occurrence.  A while later, Chris passed the kitchen window while refilling his coffee. "There are three cows, now." He was unperturbed. Mattie has come to join Mocha and Moxie at FairWinds Bovine Summer Camp. She settled right in, and might I add that she is lovely? She and Moxie are clearly friends and can be seen lying next to each other or grazing side by side. Her coloring is darker than Moxie's, and she has an enchanting handful of dark fluff on the top of her pretty head. 

Below is Moxie for comparison.

One of our all-time favorite things to do is dine in the backyard in the spring and summer, watching the stock, listening to birds, and being peaceful. The cows have added a whole new dimension to our enjoyment. 

Before yesterday the cows were in what we call the "upper pasture." They were kept separate from the goats, chickens, and ducks. I was pretty sure everyone would get along and happily anticipated seeing the cows grazing in the "lower pasture," close to the house.  Yesterday afternoon Cheryl and Mike came over and opened the gate.  "Here, Boss," Cheryl called. Heads raised. They contemplated her call. Slowly, slowly, Moxie came towards her, followed by new arrival Mattie. Mocha hung back, thinking about it. Finally, she followed along at a distance. 

 The chickens and ducks acted like they'd shared space with cows all their lives. The goats were horrified to see them "invade" their space. 

Tentative greetings were exchanged, but mostly the goats were unhappy. They will adjust in time. Eventually, they will benefit when they dare to range into the upper pasture. Ever since the donkeys have been gone, they have been staying close to the Goat Cozy, but excellent browse awaits them at the top of the upper pasture if they follow the cows there. 

So far, they are keeping their distance in an uneasy truce. 

Bravo is vexed by the new campers. He woofs bravely at them, dashing up and down the fence, putting on a brave act. This morning I snapped a leash on him, and we went through the gate. He sniffed in apparent amazement at a cow pie. I tried to lead him closer to the ladies napping in the sun.  He politely declined. Not as brave as he seems when there is stout wire between them! 

Flirt is entirely unconcerned. She snoozed with her back towards the bovines. 

Today we took a lovely drive and enjoyed an excellent lunch at a table overlooking the ocean. Round Top ice cream (local and incredibly creamy) for dessert. Then Chris kindly drove me to the fish ladder nearby. This time of year, a type of fish called Alewives migrate to spawn. The gulls and other fish-eating birds gather to feast. I was hoping to catch a fun photo or two. 

Success!  

Back from our outing we are planning a quiet supper at the picnic table, watching goats, chickens, ducks and … three cows. 

A joyful noise...

 I've posted about this particular wonder before, but I'm writing about it again since I can't quite get over its magic. It does not cease to amaze me that baby chickens, freshly hatched, can be packed in a box and shipped across the country. When the lid closes on that box, the hatchlings have never had a sip of water or a morsel of food. They can survive the trip because they are born with a yolk sac that sustains them for a couple of days until they access sustenance. 

In this case, the chicks were hatched in Ohio. They were put on an airplane in Cincinnati and flown to Portland, Maine. They arrived at FairWinds this morning. Loudly. 50 tiny balls of yellow fluff, peeping at the top of their lungs. They make a fantastic amount of noise to be so small. The sound of them fills me with joy.

I had their new home all ready for them. Deep shavings, two heat lamps, and large containers for food and water. I carefully lifted each chick from the box and dipped its beak into the water. Then I set it down to explore its surroundings. 

Still chirping at the top of their very loud lungs, they quickly found the food. They moved from the food container to the water container in the next hour or so, eating and drinking voraciously. Then they all gathered near the heat lamp and suddenly became very quiet. Their crops were full, they were safe and warm, and the elevated peeping ceased. They rested. They alternated cuddling under the heat lamps with eating and drinking for the rest of the day. 

They will grow at an astonishing rate. These are "supper" birds bred to be meat. They will feed my family and my daughter's family all year. When they are big enough, we will put them in the pasture. They will be able to wander about in the sunshine and eat grass and weeds and bugs. They will take long dust baths and move about freely. They will have all of their needs met and live happy chicken lives. Offering them the best possible days is a privilege I appreciate. I never anticipated that I would grow my own food. The process is full of wonders. 

Moo-ving day...

 I've always liked cows. My favorite part about going to fairs in the fall is meandering around the cattle barns. The Jersey cows are the ones I love the best. They have such pretty faces and huge, kind-looking eyes. 

Chris recently said, "I can't help but notice that we own more land than we ever have, but fewer animals to graze it." That sounded a lot like an invitation to me. It would be rude to ignore an invitation. Right? I arranged with my up-the-road neighbor to let a few of her cows enjoy my pasture this year. And you know what kind of cows she decided to send me? Jersey's!  Fencing was repaired/installed, and I waited impatiently. Today was the day. I felt like a kid at Christmas. 

It was early when the truck backed the trailer up to the top of the pasture. 

There was a lot of peeking out and anxious thumping. The ladies knew that a ride meant a new meadow was about to be theirs. Moxie hopped out when they opened the door and went obediently through the gate. Mocha took a hard left, tap-danced through some scrub, and made her way for the road.  Mike was quick, dashing after her and stomping on her lead rope. She stopped and nicely followed his lead to join her herd mate. 

They quickly got the ladies settled and the gate hooked up. My phone rang; it was my sweet next-door neighbor, laughing.  "COWS!" She said. "I wondered if you were getting more animals, but COWS?" She had witnessed the cow in the road as she left her driveway to go to work. I explained what was happening, and she excitedly asked, "Will they moo?" I assured her they would. "Oh, good!" I have the best neighbors. 

Both cows trotted to the enormous water tank, then took a right, exploring. They were nose-down in the fresh spring grass in moments, dining with apparent glee.  

Sociable souls, they each came up to say hello to me between breakfast bites. 

We left them to explore their new summer home. They kicked up their heels and cavorted. 

The goats stared and stared in amazement. We will let everyone mingle in a day or two, but for now, they can say hello through the fence. 

All day, I made trips to the window to gaze out. Cows lying in the grass. Cows exploring the fence line. Cows grazing. It was a day filled with happy glimpses. 

More fun arriving tomorrow. Stay tuned! 

Spring in full swing...

 Last weekend, Rachel, the Owlet, and I went to a plant nursery. It was a first for the Owlet, and all the employees gathered 'round to remark on how cute she was and about her "big eyes." She gave gummy smiles out freely, to the apparent delight of the recipients. 

 I filled two boxes with delights, from pedestrian petunias to exotic-looking passionflower vines and many other things that struck my fancy. Then Monday, on my day off, I weeded flower beds and got to digging. The weather was flawless, sunny, with a light breeze and low humidity. I was as happy as I could be. 

The crabapple trees and lilac bushes are in bloom, perfuming the air indescribably. Bees buzzed, birds sang, and my heart was happy. 

The fancy passionflower was tucked into the center of this pretty obelisk. 

I gave the garden around the little chicken coop a facelift. I weeded, laid in a thick layer of bark mulch, and planted the "window box" with a sweet potato vine and some portulaca.  I will place a couple of pretty hanging baskets from a shepherd's hook next to it this weekend to really make it pop. 

The new wee residents of the coop are growing at a steady rate. Their adult feathers are coming in, so they are in a state of adolescent flux but still adorable. They will be big enough to explore the yard in a few weeks. That will be fun! 

Spring is a time of clean-up and reconstruction. I have a carpenter friend that kindly repaired my big chicken coop. It has a kick out for nest boxes with a little "roof" on it that was rotting. The day before he came to fix it, a massive chunk of it came off in my hand when I lifted it to collect eggs. He will also replace the door, which is in sad shape. He does fantastic work; I am so pleased with his efforts. 

Chris and I spent a happy couple of hours one evening last week and cleaned up cluttery junk from the pasture. We took the cold weather windows off the goat house and stacked a bunch of stuff on the burn pile. We work well together and accomplish a lot in a short amount of time. 

There are bigger spring changes to come in the next few days. I can hardly wait to share them. 

How to eat an elephant...

 The old joke goes something like this; "How do you eat an elephant?" The answer is, "One bite at a  time." Chris has been nibbling at the "elephant" that is the hundreds of small trees to be cut at the edge of our new property.   Weather and time permitting, he takes his saw up and whacks down a few at a time. Tonight when he got home from work, we worked together, cutting and stacking 30 trees. 

The setting sun makes it hard to see, but the pile of cut trees is getting rather large. He estimates he has cut around 150 so far. 

Several lovely young birch trees were hidden by all the scrub pines. They are a favorite of mine, and it's a delight to look up from the house and see them standing out as we slowly remove the pines. 

When we got done, we rode around the block. I saw a new baby calf at my neighbor's place and some cute pigs at another farm. Chris put on his best Maine accent and quipped, "It was right enjoyable working together." I had a good laugh. But he was correct. It was right enjoyable. 

Wildlife...

 When we first moved to Maine, I was country drunk. Having lived in a city, I had been hungry for open spaces, trees, and grass and hoped we would have a little wildlife around us.  Those first weeks I was overjoyed when a flock of Goldfinches began to decimate my bird feeder. I discovered that Tree Swallows were nesting in a birdhouse the previous owners had left behind. One memorable day I found a pile of deer scat in the meadow. I was so excited! A few days later, I heard what I thought was a wild turkey gobbling in the woods. Such a delight. 

I've gotten better at looking for wildlife now that I've lived here a while. Now, happily, I see and hear it everywhere. This morning my eyes opened around 5:30. The window was open, a cool spring breeze wafting in. On that breeze, we could hear a turkey repeatedly gobbling and the happy honks of Canada geese. A peaceful way to start the day.

Most evenings, we have a visiting herd of deer. Sometimes as many as 9. They politely stay in the meadow, leaving our gardens and yard alone.

Lately, a flock of turkeys has been hanging out. I love to see the Tom display his tail feathers, trying to woo the hens. 

There is a steady stream of hummingbirds, woodpeckers, nuthatches, and more at the bird feeder outside the studio window. Each glimpse, visit, and sound is a joy to me. How I love living here. 

Mother's Day...

 

I received flowers from my son-in-love for Mother's Day. Ruffled tulips, grown locally. He delivered them to work, one bunch for Rachel, one for me, with two bottles of Rose. 

I was deeply touched by this thoughtfulness, as you can imagine. He didn't stop there, however! The next day he sent in lunch for both of us.  Rachel's sandwich was labeled "First Lady." Mine?  

It was a chicken sandwich in excellent locally baked pita bread. The bread was crusted in herbs and simply amazing. 

Yesterday was Derby day. We have invited friends to join us for a light meal and watch the race for years. I made Moose chili (friend Scott bagged a moose last fall.) There were lots of appetizers and jalapeno cheddar cornbread. I also tried a new recipe for dessert, one from Erin French, Rhubarb Spoon Cake. I cut the rhubarb from my garden and used our fresh eggs. I cooked it up in a cast-iron skillet and served it with whipped cream made from thick Jersey cream from a local farm. It was delicious and fun to bake. You can find the recipe here if you'd like to try it:                                                                                https://tastecooking.com/recipes/rhubarb-spoon-cake/.

Evans made mint juleps for those who wanted to try one, with lots of fresh, crushed mint. I don't like bourbon, but I tasted one, and they were delicious. Chris used his new popcorn popper, and people enjoyed the buttery, Parmesan-topped stuff by the fistful. 

Earlier in the day, we had a visit from a favorite 6-year-old. She's been coming to the farm to see the animals since she was 4. This girl has an innate sense of how to behave around animals, and they all love to see her. I expect she will make a career with critters. I hope she fondly remembers brushing the goats and patting the dogs here when she is older. 

Mother's Day was extra special this year because it is Rachel's first year as a mom. Her family joined us for a pancake breakfast (the Owlet tried pancakes, sausage, and bacon crumbs.) Then Rachel, the Owlet, and I headed to Bangor to check out an antique mall we had heard about. I got to wear the baby in a front pack as we explored. She charmed other patrons by giving them her patented toothless grin each time they made eye contact. 

We found a few tiny treasures and enjoyed exploring. We went to one more store after this, then headed for lunch. Rachel is teaching me how to appreciate Japanese food and sushi. 

We had a feast. The Owlet tried a little rice, avocado, and pickled ginger. She is 6 months old now and exploring the world beyond milk adorably. 

Every morning I wake up, see the sun slanting through the windows of this old house, and feel grateful. People often tell me how lucky I am, and they are right. I am thankful for all these gifts and mindful of the blessings heaped upon me. It was a magical Mother's Day. 

New things to love...

 Son-in-love Evans is busy making raised garden beds and an excellent composter for their new home this spring. I mentioned that I would enjoy a similar composter, and guess what he made me? 

It's a thing of beauty and wonderfully sturdy. I've been brushing up on my composting knowledge and am looking forward to turning eggshells, coffee grounds, and goat poo into fertile garden soil. 

Our beloved Silkie chickens were recently laid to rest. They were very elderly (10 or more years old), blind, and confused. I miss them, and the wee empty coop seems sad. I made arrangements to get some other small birds to house there. Chris drove me to a little town near Bangor, where we met up with a nice man who raises bantam (small) Cochin chickens. He brought me out a sturdy box full of fluffy chicks. 

Once home, I got them tucked into their brooder with a heat lamp, food, water, and soft bedding. 

 

They will look like this when grown and weigh in at a whopping 26-30 ounces. 

Bravo loves baby chicks and was very excited to see these arrive at the farm. 

He also loves the Owlet. I took a long series of photos this morning. I got one that does not show her face, so I can share. The baby was on my lap and repeatedly laid her head on Bravo's back, twining her fingers through his silken coat. The other pictures show him twisting his head and neck into extreme contortions so he could try to lick her hands, face, or ears. We don't encourage his licking her, but he is determined and gets the occasional swipe in. She does not seem to mind. He guards all the small things here, and she is no exception. 

Composter, baby, and new chicks. Lots to love!