tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-43856269378243114402024-03-05T13:40:19.728-05:00Take2 AlpacasJo Griffith, Len Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15146860917759153620noreply@blogger.comBlogger55125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4385626937824311440.post-89564317868690077142011-07-30T10:10:00.011-04:002011-07-30T11:56:11.815-04:00Corn, Heat & Mishaps<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJIuYdckVjnOLEfmjnq-tMH3tJbSqzjd-bYKuxg1ZlBJ8v69qo3dN_RSyd2zSPc3Hbgr5rs8BZGjO7o3AZaAWzu4cgNY31P74DgbKOKnjHDPm8aWiVg0_T_R37mXQgl27k2SbeXfMAC6W-/s1600/DSC02282.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: pointer" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5635152052774747074" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJIuYdckVjnOLEfmjnq-tMH3tJbSqzjd-bYKuxg1ZlBJ8v69qo3dN_RSyd2zSPc3Hbgr5rs8BZGjO7o3AZaAWzu4cgNY31P74DgbKOKnjHDPm8aWiVg0_T_R37mXQgl27k2SbeXfMAC6W-/s320/DSC02282.JPG" /></a>The kitchen is in major production mode now. The first wave of corn has arrived. This is a new variety for us called Bodacious. Honestly, these ears are the surprise of the season. The stalks looked spindly and malnourished, despite our efforts to keep the weeds down and keep everything watered. But low and behold, we will actually have some to freeze. And that has to happen very quickly after they are picked.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4otoSojJXk7a19QCqP93gYOoMAEnjkjJT-kNfLERElo9KN-rIk2Tw5f0xVMQoZiRkneTwjb2oCl5n2O4thcQVZnNHtSDCFMsse2i1z8pEwJX57Ogls6ZdOu1FYKH61Qri9oRejOulpTUc/s1600/DSC02284.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: pointer" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5635152046319127154" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4otoSojJXk7a19QCqP93gYOoMAEnjkjJT-kNfLERElo9KN-rIk2Tw5f0xVMQoZiRkneTwjb2oCl5n2O4thcQVZnNHtSDCFMsse2i1z8pEwJX57Ogls6ZdOu1FYKH61Qri9oRejOulpTUc/s320/DSC02284.JPG" /></a>Another surprise was a few cantelopes. These aren't very big but are sweet and edible. This is our first success with cantelope. Previous years have been a bust.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzFU9Fh9kYLWs3W3kZWe_yLB65_m2ay56DdEuEEZTZOg2n3G5o2EYhkkmTX3seglYrXPtA-NoQoSk0ooN0xBi1kj9w_J34EdMywvxVJdAtA3RPPQjZBefN0NEoZyyjLZmUcYbjlBHTCWNR/s1600/DSC02281.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: pointer" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5635152044768824402" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzFU9Fh9kYLWs3W3kZWe_yLB65_m2ay56DdEuEEZTZOg2n3G5o2EYhkkmTX3seglYrXPtA-NoQoSk0ooN0xBi1kj9w_J34EdMywvxVJdAtA3RPPQjZBefN0NEoZyyjLZmUcYbjlBHTCWNR/s320/DSC02281.JPG" /></a>The heat has been tough on everyone. The girls enjoy their pool on occasion. They can't have it all of the time or they'll rot the hair off their legs.<br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: pointer" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5635151606010925778" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDKVkYLoo9Q3qxZs3Z-gnHjHt7Y2yC04_-4wkAxI1OIMLR59kFsxZzsjTvmuL1eHn-gAnBXtbJ-gVq15ofvtIMD79JVcpdeJA_IF8mLBCGSIRaJCSKNJgRtsoI2-bqoYu4Y8YwDP83ZF2D/s320/DSC02278.JPG" />The boys were fighting and dumped the trashcan in the barn. Gabriel ended up with a cat food can stuck to his foot. He didn't get cut or anything, just stressed out because of the can and the heat. Got the can off his foot and hosed him down. The heat is really tough on the animals, even with 10 buckets of water and 7 fans going.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0m2WuC4WXLwe4EZkvqd9EFgRBmI9E8UrDhxAlMPP-3rgOqqwSJ-qbPtf4OKOnO8qt-AOFFaVDMhSmqMmdv-a4oq79in7HfW7HZ4kR0gFBO0Kw-j5n5eH1rR8xui0mqAhot3g4p9g8BdT-/s1600/Gabriel+Can.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: pointer" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5635151010604231538" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0m2WuC4WXLwe4EZkvqd9EFgRBmI9E8UrDhxAlMPP-3rgOqqwSJ-qbPtf4OKOnO8qt-AOFFaVDMhSmqMmdv-a4oq79in7HfW7HZ4kR0gFBO0Kw-j5n5eH1rR8xui0mqAhot3g4p9g8BdT-/s320/Gabriel+Can.jpg" /></a>That's the latest news from the ranch...Here's a video from a typical lazy afternoon.<br /><br /><br /><p align="center"><br /><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dzZRSliWp79IkeC0oAeabbfuy2hqyLhB0NcSXUOmxwTCT0HwZDO8wrhBHrvIkoQ4baBMSJwWtGEn3jtcoUK' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></p><br />Ya know, you can stop by. Just give us a call.Jo Griffith, Len Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15146860917759153620noreply@blogger.com23tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4385626937824311440.post-16758322349840812022011-07-17T10:03:00.014-04:002011-07-17T11:11:11.902-04:00Summer Goings On<div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCMouTsvi3bSSO8OIYOOVXq9tVtnpQnH6bauXVhC4YDPdoTw5R10zWAQ3b8B4JzMMbuvnACv8CSUvlsfUDIIicDDaNNN0k8O5-m7b2fsXHajD4iHvPIkHlOjXkEecAy3CwqEc-NbLHUFRa/s1600/DSC02254.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 320px; height: 240px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5630327285162626530" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCMouTsvi3bSSO8OIYOOVXq9tVtnpQnH6bauXVhC4YDPdoTw5R10zWAQ3b8B4JzMMbuvnACv8CSUvlsfUDIIicDDaNNN0k8O5-m7b2fsXHajD4iHvPIkHlOjXkEecAy3CwqEc-NbLHUFRa/s320/DSC02254.JPG" /></a>The chickens have been growing and enjoying life. We still have the original 12 chicks from May. Everyone wants to know when the eggs will come. The internet says either September or October. In the meantime, they are enjoying a free-range diet, eating fruit and veggie leavings, pellet chicken feed, oyster shell scratch, and whatever they find in the garden. </div><div> </div><div>A few hawks from the treeline have been cruising the area the past few days, but the headcount has remained the same. At night the birds go back into their condo, which is sealed on all sides by either wire or wood and roost for the night, safe from raccoons.</div><div> </div><div><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 320px; height: 240px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5630324044493978562" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhzvnQErN9EVA4dpm688aFod0RxVH9UpJUr7ln6dLdqq7c3fpZEzZTBRxSgea9Pcl6eBJJYJgicUyp94Ft-gM-8O-RwfwP1kgo97gwQOa7514Z-zf4fg0H8M3TWtdBGjPgJnu7eFcLPUqx/s320/DSC02255.JPG" /></div><div> </div><div> During the day, the birds seem to like hanging out under the protection of the sunflowers.<br /></div><div align="center"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNWJkYVVrdnxzWLFzEIyO6ouiLJ7-jCXxkMrnq0e-57ausSGpHjjWNnXXsPTXyNY6gp3IDlbIvW_PDomzPqk7mlhEIeYgBVR-iUoo_8WGXZanyNsoWta6jDi4IwT14Bj_s-YqoVuSQDPWO/s1600/DSC02266.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 320px; height: 240px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5630327279430949138" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNWJkYVVrdnxzWLFzEIyO6ouiLJ7-jCXxkMrnq0e-57ausSGpHjjWNnXXsPTXyNY6gp3IDlbIvW_PDomzPqk7mlhEIeYgBVR-iUoo_8WGXZanyNsoWta6jDi4IwT14Bj_s-YqoVuSQDPWO/s320/DSC02266.JPG" /></a>"What?"<br /><div align="left"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVS1c24uK7PBMgarDmnAAILzkd24cIas1EM1SU5V1vL7HZBQ2s0PScjLtMQMruJqcQgFVzWap5g6OWP3igXLYClivjkajy1xq6TA3umiqXiDJcBftFTMnpcO4kf4jppU4RGIX43j6IJ7E1/s1600/DSC02267.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 320px; height: 259px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5630327275432527954" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVS1c24uK7PBMgarDmnAAILzkd24cIas1EM1SU5V1vL7HZBQ2s0PScjLtMQMruJqcQgFVzWap5g6OWP3igXLYClivjkajy1xq6TA3umiqXiDJcBftFTMnpcO4kf4jppU4RGIX43j6IJ7E1/s320/DSC02267.JPG" /></a>The birdhouse gourds are doing just fine. Do we know how to make birdhouses out of these things? No. They are pretty cool though.<br /><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1LZ1B2dfXn6vnOYVe4iSuDPbalx5zhP5LvjMzLEu3I5-D4pWtSZOwfdhOFbPPu_1HV2zvBjgHB-Xp0ZK7TBm3gUu4ahbKAjyCTFKfRdnYfuX200UFNHhrT7jWVl25U_nIyIoGpc5Mky78/s1600/DSC02261.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 320px; height: 240px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5630324040848869458" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1LZ1B2dfXn6vnOYVe4iSuDPbalx5zhP5LvjMzLEu3I5-D4pWtSZOwfdhOFbPPu_1HV2zvBjgHB-Xp0ZK7TBm3gUu4ahbKAjyCTFKfRdnYfuX200UFNHhrT7jWVl25U_nIyIoGpc5Mky78/s320/DSC02261.JPG" /></a>This morning brought more pickles. That's celebrity chef Rocco on the salt box. Rocco didn't come help with the pickle making this morning. I have 6 jars so far this season and am hoping to get at least 12. These are bread and butter pickles. Last year I slaved over several varieties and ended up throwing out a bunch because they were awful. This recipe is a keeper (from the Ball Blue Book...the preserving Bible).<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuexe5bElX7Y8gQ2xpdU0iD122wKJP89DhZqvJWZssAIG8RBUwh_GulZNyWXf2vcBxnBghpD83IdVtNtDXYDavUZMv4SwRsMqZb2kejVWj9wVmbq7npKV-U6L9LtmuE8UIrgReBukpe_0t/s1600/DSC02260.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 320px; height: 240px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5630324036424382082" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuexe5bElX7Y8gQ2xpdU0iD122wKJP89DhZqvJWZssAIG8RBUwh_GulZNyWXf2vcBxnBghpD83IdVtNtDXYDavUZMv4SwRsMqZb2kejVWj9wVmbq7npKV-U6L9LtmuE8UIrgReBukpe_0t/s320/DSC02260.JPG" /></a>Oh Food Processor...How I do love thee. How did I manage with my box grater last year? Then the "Christmas of Appliances" came in 2010, where the Farmer went crazy and bought me a food processor, a Magic Bullet, an Immersion Blender and a dehydrator. I processed a bunch of zuch into 2 Cup bags in 10 minutes with this baby.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8j6-uNyL0z3srpPyqGmGlbiOzKH-hwVE_UUxN_7TW-rnI8OkYhGlieklZ_E2SpWJ4ddNI5qUAAvWJj4hDlrXZGCygIGv2QvKXUiE7BSOwSmZ6g23VC02f77MKRyHX4fOdRcTLObqua3qj/s1600/DSC02269.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 320px; height: 240px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5630324027511148082" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8j6-uNyL0z3srpPyqGmGlbiOzKH-hwVE_UUxN_7TW-rnI8OkYhGlieklZ_E2SpWJ4ddNI5qUAAvWJj4hDlrXZGCygIGv2QvKXUiE7BSOwSmZ6g23VC02f77MKRyHX4fOdRcTLObqua3qj/s320/DSC02269.JPG" /></a>On the alpaca front, Woody (foreground) is banished from the girls' side of the barn because he thinks he is Mr. Studmuffin and is causing problems. Chief (rear) is whipping him into shape.</div><div> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhThRc3ufxIXNzDE2UkJWLjk7wugJxWDS-nLHIPyrH8hQjHhruR-t_O-idmNS8Vlv0zh4PxBwpbu0t8jI8WC245YphWl1yX6iHoZVCFKz9bA6xnqPxo9JuGVLLL2C7M_CyCcBk0xEG2gWfm/s1600/DSC02268.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 320px; height: 202px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5630324025121086914" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhThRc3ufxIXNzDE2UkJWLjk7wugJxWDS-nLHIPyrH8hQjHhruR-t_O-idmNS8Vlv0zh4PxBwpbu0t8jI8WC245YphWl1yX6iHoZVCFKz9bA6xnqPxo9JuGVLLL2C7M_CyCcBk0xEG2gWfm/s320/DSC02268.JPG" /></a></div><div>So that is our version of crazy for now. If you're in the 'hood please stop by and see the babies. They're growing fast!</div></div></div></div>Jo Griffith, Len Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15146860917759153620noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4385626937824311440.post-57977270919841730192011-05-19T15:30:00.006-04:002011-05-19T15:51:40.926-04:00My How We've Grown<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIQvLFUdscgs8Wg_E-80wbKBk5tJdVpe5_5ExMhLXFvVNWCMfeQR9LQ35BcY583ijSaSet4ybkT_HMcb34HPWtCsFDYpFusydZGpgRWmx_94I2bWaDW8hAfcXDhP5zBlDmUKVHhrIHX1VQ/s1600/DSC02111.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5608515627372242530" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIQvLFUdscgs8Wg_E-80wbKBk5tJdVpe5_5ExMhLXFvVNWCMfeQR9LQ35BcY583ijSaSet4ybkT_HMcb34HPWtCsFDYpFusydZGpgRWmx_94I2bWaDW8hAfcXDhP5zBlDmUKVHhrIHX1VQ/s320/DSC02111.JPG" /></a> It only seems like it was two weeks ago because it was. Mother's Day weekend we came back from the PAOBA show in York to greet our new baby chickens, only a few days old. You can check out our "Peep Show" at the link below.<br /><br /><object classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" width="480" height="296" id="utv969874" name="utv_n_563612"><param name="flashvars" value="loc=%2F&autoplay=false&vid=14592032&locale=en_US&hasticket=false&v3=1" /><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /><param name="src" value="http://www.ustream.tv/flash/viewer.swf" /><embed flashvars="loc=%2F&autoplay=false&vid=14592032&locale=en_US&hasticket=false&v3=1" width="480" height="296" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" id="utv969874" name="utv_n_563612" src="http://www.ustream.tv/flash/viewer.swf" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" /></object><br /><a href="http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/14592032">http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/14592032</a><br /><br /><br /><br /><div>They certainly went from little puff balls to minature chickens in a hurry. We had to split them up because they got big in a hurry. It wasn't long before they decided to start roosting...sitting right on top of their feeder, relieving themselves at will. So down to the barn I went to find materials for roosting bars. 1/2" PVC pipe and a couple of triangle stands was just the ticket.</div><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJj7bDOWGmPYpS4oCDtJoVt4KvOJD3HnmkhNMhkjNxQHeyI6Sez26dAP8KtuzmAyMY4zoJWgNDuRQ3yVRxOFffBp4uGboRY5SpPNxAhZr5uRTBxhZ8Scm7MONq7wwYvGQhe_T5ngw4RYIN/s1600/DSC02112.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5608515274849864434" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJj7bDOWGmPYpS4oCDtJoVt4KvOJD3HnmkhNMhkjNxQHeyI6Sez26dAP8KtuzmAyMY4zoJWgNDuRQ3yVRxOFffBp4uGboRY5SpPNxAhZr5uRTBxhZ8Scm7MONq7wwYvGQhe_T5ngw4RYIN/s320/DSC02112.JPG" /></a>Jo found out today that they're doing serious flight training already. She took one of wire tops off the container to change their water. Coming back she found one perched on the top looking around. It was about 2 feet off the floor. Note to self...keep the cages on.</div><br /><br /><br /><div>Well, it looks like we have about 6 more weeks of brooding before we can transfer them to their chicken condo,made ready by the farmer weeks before they arrived. Stay tuned for more chicken drama...</div>Jo Griffith, Len Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15146860917759153620noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4385626937824311440.post-79467245900262913282011-04-27T09:51:00.008-04:002011-04-27T11:05:44.745-04:00Taters<img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5600273587465759042" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYuCTnyh-l_0XSwVHAIWazYgxmzFX-Hdo34UmPaQzTJBGbE0LFdYYsJxiuXgaoCuIEPD_I6W53P8IuOeinp7fhlwiYzmxS41LMervywzq2jpAhcrFQ4__F9f26LKEMaflC2EjrJsNuPJ-n/s320/DSC02071.JPG" />
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<br /><div>The garden experiment continues with a late but earnest attempt to grow potatoes in tires. Last year's misadventure ended with a total of 3 potatoes being harvested. They were delicious, but not the motherload we had hoped for.
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<br /><div>We are trying a new spot with hopefully better drainage this year. We laid down some landscape fabric, deposited the tires, filled halfway with dirt/compost, and placed 4-5 cut spud eye hunks (eye side up) in the dirt and cover. This is what the "internet" says to do. And of course, if the internet says it, then it must be so.</div>
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<br /><div>Once the leaves get 2-3 inches tall, you add a tire and some more dirt. We're hoping that August will bring more starch than you can shake a stick at.
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<br /></div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5600264762744049218" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCLliOIIEQYNO2-sr_8Dh5Q9H_Q8ClzYRp9g8-rlD3obJZ5ndaJZexXe2PEEkLmht3_2Odolesps1d00kp2G0QuKBtq-K2QoAirnapxxemaicO2gDEEW3PNmsrsBt9K6q_8Y1LSAnKIctf/s320/DSC02069.JPG" />
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<br />Meanwhile, the brooder is complete and will be delivered to our chick picker-upper, Gary, this Saturday. With all of the drama and rendezvous-ing of a spy thriller, Gary will pick up our chick order from Albright's Feed Mill in Kempton, bring them to his house in Mohrsville, and I will pick them up on May 6. We have 3 Rhode Island Reds, 3 Barred Rocks, 3 Araucanas, and 3 Buff Orpingtons. All are brown egg layers, except the Araucanas which lay green/blue eggs.
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<br />I have no experience in fowl. Len has no experience in fowl except for KFC. The internet says that keeping the chicks clean and warm are the most important things at their tender age. And if the internet says it, it must be true. I hope they live, but the reason we got 12 chicks is that there may be some casualties. The casualties are the reason I have not agreed to chickens up to this point. We have 4 hawks that live in the treeline nearby, racoons and I'm sure other nasty varmints I don't even know about. Once they get feathers, the chickens will be housed in the chicken tractor that will be towed about the property so that they get fresh stuff chickens like to eat, don't trash out one area, and stay safe.
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<br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5600264741269353186" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0HDfqT1BGQ2QI0iPsPTiU5UMdCSli-2sJdNK15qaK_0FlN665JivuVl2Q5t4kFOcVB2ilcZYGYDi8Au-i5A74kM7cZiFKzyUDCps3zfSCT5IlhH8UuD2CpFmXZaeAF1IfmVprfKhVu2oZ/s320/DSC02072.JPG" />
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<br /><p>Most of the alpacas are enjoying their summer haircuts. Leah and Woody (center) look cool and comfortable. Flirtation and Sonya (white ones on the right) are expecting babies in June. The vet felt it was not a good idea to shear them so close to their due dates. So we're waiting until the babies come and will have the shearer come back to finish. The show animals (Jewel...the white one in the back and Izzy..you can just see her butt) will be shorn at the State show in York on Mother's Day.</p>
<br /><p>It's a busy time here. Lots to do...which means job security.</p>
<br />Jo Griffith, Len Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15146860917759153620noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4385626937824311440.post-57429407133328486262011-04-15T18:26:00.008-04:002011-04-15T19:14:19.810-04:00The Farmer's Desk(Warning: Post contains vivid descriptions of a weekend of bodily fluids)<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUItvK_6XVU1gK8trIGqc5Z8yqps-FU6a-C_wyHXwSFcNx-NhXqh7wW56MrgcKnmdzmb9cKo1u79VHpKrbEs8-4RMWBbh6SkB4_JRkQIJm58Tc9VwRc2A8HWrr4GtxrMJxE5oKD2muFpN1/s1600/DSC02024.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5595942597577902050" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUItvK_6XVU1gK8trIGqc5Z8yqps-FU6a-C_wyHXwSFcNx-NhXqh7wW56MrgcKnmdzmb9cKo1u79VHpKrbEs8-4RMWBbh6SkB4_JRkQIJm58Tc9VwRc2A8HWrr4GtxrMJxE5oKD2muFpN1/s320/DSC02024.JPG" /></a> My desk. Antibiotics on the right for me. Anti-diarrheal on the left for her...<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiLteOEIL93J9-g5Le6Q6ugpiU-XebUj8TGx1yWJa-XHv8Yu6poV4hfqLJmPJhkfyaHbzlRbVwJEu_F4ujcET460KQ_BAI97YIK_K1LlSTBL_ESbLra7Lg6_NOJ84e47AByH9mSy6xCF0W/s1600/DSC02025.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5595942590546083234" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiLteOEIL93J9-g5Le6Q6ugpiU-XebUj8TGx1yWJa-XHv8Yu6poV4hfqLJmPJhkfyaHbzlRbVwJEu_F4ujcET460KQ_BAI97YIK_K1LlSTBL_ESbLra7Lg6_NOJ84e47AByH9mSy6xCF0W/s320/DSC02025.JPG" /></a>We arrived at the Mid-Atlantic Alpaca Show in Harrisburg last Thursday for a 3-day show. Three alpacas from our farm along with our buddies from Almosta Ranch, The Alpaca Cottage, and Sunrose Alpacas. They had sod on the floors of the stalls and we reckon that between her eating the sod and nerves from being away from home, it wrecked havoc on her digestive system. Alpaca "poo" is commonly described as "beans"--looking very much like the name suggests. Anything other than the bean presentation is not normal and suggests something is awry. Poor Jewel went through so many stages of stomach unrest in 48 hours, finally ending with a full blown tidal wave. Fortunately, she had already garnered a red ribbon and was not being shown anymore when that happened. After using various remedies after a call to the vet, a cow doctor (and alpaca farmer who was at the show from Quarryville) came to our rescue with Diarsanyl--a kind of Pepto-Bismal for dogs, foals and calves...and alpacas. It stopped the flow and all was well. During all of this, I got a particularly bad case of bronchitis and ended up at the doc myself. What a weekend. <br /><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWTROGjUxddbBj2y74APr_ehgbKvBHXbOl-Wk6EBbAH9A3ppZhYX39oy4xqS99zy_Ab20HMrdr9ySKkO48WR7YYcgAUSZmCKSPm-5ToCVr0gJeUPMU8Ze1BIdImenTYvDh1kazpltiZMBl/s1600/DSC02034.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5595942586209137026" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWTROGjUxddbBj2y74APr_ehgbKvBHXbOl-Wk6EBbAH9A3ppZhYX39oy4xqS99zy_Ab20HMrdr9ySKkO48WR7YYcgAUSZmCKSPm-5ToCVr0gJeUPMU8Ze1BIdImenTYvDh1kazpltiZMBl/s320/DSC02034.JPG" /></a> "Nothing's wrong with our poo," says Leah and her baby Woody.</div><br /><div align="center"></div><br /><div align="center"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5595941967053115394" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh83le0D8-pwlmL6wuI-9aVG6Lf8TCNnmQDBO8ETDfFLAQqG0I_yGZplDYQBsDTuCbhQr0VzgmUS_XQc1HborP8z93eGo5mrHMGTsHMKKro_CJtATKXICcW_jZQZuxURgpPCRm6GgrQODsX/s320/DSC02027.JPG" /></div><br /><div align="center"><br /><div align="left">Over 80 bales...that's what we went through since late August, 2010. We were down to a mere 8 bales, which certainly won't get ya through until second cutting (the good stuff) in June. <img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5595941972039245218" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1D8_K-wZdQO_XghCIdkgkAcK-6mHyQwQlX6hQksFw_2cWhVcXyFzB0uiCVNxVCsD3jWnl-VyuHdmXOQV9dlNTfBOSsRSOWp3QdesPDMK-aZKZ19ZFJATrLtzS60n5VSXRNOyq7ZCRYQXD/s320/DSC02028.JPG" />Enter Alan the hay farmer. Alan grows the good stuff that gets us through the months when the pastures are no more. He's one of the good guys, taking pity on my illness and delivering a measly 20 bales to get us through.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTz10UiTuXd5xXAHgWGox5S5Emv_RRrm0ZjqOkY8f4yBqK9y-VwAO876BFSHqz11oalIRkt4PUuzsxv_mfGC2PcEgSAVB-y28GScxUhQRdFJyr09Ck2lr0OwNMUoYGmG4GOlsFYzI1L6eZ/s1600/DSC02036.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5595941960241400930" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTz10UiTuXd5xXAHgWGox5S5Emv_RRrm0ZjqOkY8f4yBqK9y-VwAO876BFSHqz11oalIRkt4PUuzsxv_mfGC2PcEgSAVB-y28GScxUhQRdFJyr09Ck2lr0OwNMUoYGmG4GOlsFYzI1L6eZ/s320/DSC02036.JPG" /></a>I waited for Alan by the coldframe which is surrounded by straw bales in contractors garbage bags. We surrounded the frames with them, which kept things nice and toasty for little plants. The bales also double as a farmer's chaise lounge. I figured that it looked like a good thing to do. Sit and wait for Alan, drink my water, and get some sun. It also invited Stella...a great barn cat who also doubles as a great "people" cat. <br /><div><br /><div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5595941953490289490" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6zPsUXq9RAzSto03LMZHgsYYXNrhD1nnWsTtbd9o-ryriYoATL_mbQxjKfDrb6MYOSOW_uqw7JYFWi81CBBJwpaP1CVp7ymMfHgvIle82tnva4HAMqczMBLmvSGO_zQeJJm00wsjhqI8X/s320/DSC02031.JPG" />Muck boots and cat feet. <br /><div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5595941957092164594" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuLH7PiZnO1MKtcaWGSQUSPGtmCnbldxjEx5-jdRTWp9SVPGjBpqgY7-kPfuaCfhksZ42bVyaFRwRKEOFqZiEG5vq1S1ZmGjjpdLBoMFU1iYAciTkFSmDxNz8RcsOyBy_e40vK3fdMnq7F/s320/DSC02035.JPG" /></div></div></div></div></div>Jo Griffith, Len Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15146860917759153620noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4385626937824311440.post-14330439413777873242011-04-01T08:39:00.005-04:002011-04-01T08:50:30.283-04:00April Fool's Day 2011<p>Now who'da thunk we'd wake up to this..</p><br /><p><br /><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dwYsjQzNf1JNBE9aCJws2Bf9sXV_gob66GdkXZzDS4ZcNaV114GzYwog1u9GR0jPdyKN3dZr04-Jf18fBABLg' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></p>Jo Griffith, Len Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15146860917759153620noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4385626937824311440.post-73972766687597301952011-03-26T18:12:00.005-04:002011-03-26T19:10:03.132-04:00Second String<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhozXhvW12kEs27ixvT0HMUaXCdxLs4TNYQ1GR2rHXQvohzTdU4vQjaFP1trKT8c-L5BugscWmBVtV7PZOeYJ_QVEoQpFLr6-Hs0kGYH_Rkscwd6GKoV77LiplAcL8Yj2s5niFr8K1XrojA/s1600/DSC01916.JPG"></a> <img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5588516953318209346" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghrCbqicFk9F0xId_U-zQ40cifL_sCsnHVjqfFdtoOnXvtP_5vd7_ZM9uDlAHOvQu8YdpBjJGHHzbgXxkAREAUToq228wWoQ_xTVUSU_R-_Xx5-pmenjqKUztAV2jyx5KgZRH_aiXvBm_J/s320/DSC01658.JPG" />This is our son Max. A college student at Millersville. Musician. Historian. Farmer. He even wove this scarf for his girlie. <br /><br /><div>The elder Farmer and I are the second string gardeners whilst Max is at school. He created a calendar marked with the dates of when all of the various garden varieties must be planted. We get our instructions on a weekly basis. This week, it was cucumbers, eggplant and beets. After consulting with Max, we decided to hold off on the beets for another week due to threat of continued cold weather. My aging body was grateful for this decision. </div><div> </div><div>We did however start onions (that was a decision by his younger brother and I while grocery shopping and seeing a basket of red onion sets). We've never grown onions before, and after some consultation on the internet it seems that onions from sets don't hold up that well over time. So these (if they actually grow) will be consumed or dehydrated. Ended up getting one row and a few extras, marked with part of a plastic milk jug and a Sharpie.</div><div> <img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5588521745400860002" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizDDAWIBT6XBRih6e0KXNHj_cyiZ3gizj_jkyvHghKE3roiSx_ajFgHKgHms65v-qTeYsRpziLzh-JDY75cxDdNuZByAOfP7nS9lPPQ4Hv5FV3mHk9NbfsNQ8kbXCQHz_Uet5vv24naIqL/s320/DSC01919.JPG" />Then the eggplants and slicing cucumbers went into the little coldframe made with salvaged windows, wood, and lined with silver insulation. It is surrounded by straw bales sealed in contractor's garbage bags for added warmth. I was pleasantly surprised how warm it was in there. Hopefully these will grow too.<br /><div><br /></div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5588521752967609474" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHkNmRCPUm_wD0nB0X0utuTXIHkE_94rrVGEvM_sXBVHVSHvsHHUHNz1c1FIc1eNfSRo8yaf9nVPR1QY9ZiWMVygJIVtf9J5h4oh5iNMGjLu5MO9DFo0-vfoZVMyUL6LOiwBo8QX-O0PBB/s320/DSC01918.JPG" />Okay, we hedged our bet a little. Here are the pickling cucumbers in the house under the grow light. That's the celery next to it. I discovered that celery takes 5 months to grow. It's kind of spindly and needs to be transplanted to the next size pot. I dunno. This is an experiment.</div><div><br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5588516966572448546" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7KRngdEYrECSSyaDxDLRU49_1KqL8PBTw-d8wWwM3LDBzjnj-o8dFlQYUyrcQtGKV8FDq0yxSKISv-Rdna9bWUVUfXaOHcCkBSK8xoqu1T3cenhpQYDFhBTKQ7WGP44g84D7h_9gAcRLi/s320/DSC01923.JPG" />In other news, work on the chicken house continues. It will be under roof by tomorrow.<br /><br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5588522399468018834" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilGyAYbf2jTl45glGdBpkLCKrvS-grDDUk8mUBJaPKyrKUNgtLc72tEoEN7PoS5LWjxEoUFDox3n1b7b6M98WcB9sp5kwj6uAiCHEaXZry87RCySeBP4N5B10scpz0oSBCiiVtCTcN2Vq9/s320/DSC01916.JPG" />And some things grow without our help at all. Here are some lettuce shoots reappearing from last year's seeds. Awesome. We found that growing lettuce on the deck in pots is the way to go. You can use up one pot while the next one is growing. Works much better than mass plantings in the bigger garden.<br /><div><div><br /></div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5588521756528677634" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmnAc_ogvaxIQ6w0xWb6qTd68y1erVTPd30K7lPdijDtAczEEQeiHYeQ_jRANlBOHDRWU05CsUs_yRQNYHp8D1goAJ-34ZwGchi8gMPCwi9K3thWbOxRYrXNq3O0GE9xw1FB6rArGRkSLr/s320/DSC01917.JPG" />And fortunately daffodils don't need any help at all.<br /><br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5588521737430535122" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQKWTEGcC09fR2DmEbdLnlUyrEcyzsBvPyhflFYg2MWMXR_RaAU5AifrbhQnepQqnf-Ai6NtObX6MpQJrx8TdwCDma9K9gohGf8lYjDieLz_qUgxBzm_TYhkeQPNoucJ-jX9vf8uiFU6ro/s320/DSC01920.JPG" /><br />The lavender survived the winter. We're really liking lavender. It needs little care other than minimal pruning and harvesting, looks nice and does well in our nasty clay soil.<br /><br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5588521732843539346" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFxBvXWhgm8XAbE-uy1rwdjWxh_BYRNUMGUVWtFTNmnhcjZjyfUwnAG93QyTrZtP0Z9cbkSW-QLWvarNUftn1iIkLdj64GDxPMrBeHtTMu0rjfTNnrR2iDQnJqLYpz9Yji500q14q7k7Bd/s320/DSC01921.JPG" />And never letting us down...chives given to us by our fellow alpaca farmer friend, Jodi Dominick of Sunrose Alpacas. Ever faithful chives.</div><div><div><div> <img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5588516969496013794" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKDyI6l_XdO5Ihbu6DCHbIiFXL7t437gwUKVqNDvGuVA6KJCNKUMQP2xyZ1QoHagPMs77j0ZX95wlRCBO7TGXmQVpSOED9xoaIVesxfqJWvLlnevD-m8f2N12Koa3hqnBGWfl7p-P1hubY/s320/DSC01922.JPG" /><br />The "second string gardeners" await our next instructions. Enough for one day...</div><div><br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5588516962895617874" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL9lskNDpPP8SMVslV6ajqNQQG5znOxh9IeWm_YOps0dhOGGRc9LmZsmUq7rHhclQ5xp5AmEWGAoT9YqdQnrDDmAULAnxiCQ7WPWEjXCBvofYqn0VujB_HD7NRxKlRqRTaDX5PzQgjGq32/s320/DSC01915.JPG" /></div></div></div></div>Jo Griffith, Len Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15146860917759153620noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4385626937824311440.post-47982753029812199572011-03-23T15:51:00.010-04:002011-03-23T17:23:04.656-04:00Strap Yourself In - It's Gonna be a Long Ride<img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5587375169115319938" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKgE7kJ4fjHC-WiSXuGnZQt17r2qEpBxMfS1ZwgDibLbEtaVMMYhWjQJYw6c1fLyZ_WleU3pTsxowZsbmgAs8wpYtb3q3pC4yONwiGK6bzWOT7LyefqFAfub9n2XZgoTnyDtbtIEUU5h7H/s320/DSC01838.JPG" /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio__mJxrK29NC3peYCmsGpsM-eihFqWUPMyqffSv2GOq0jan-TtHYuCojnZdpb-LlhF_REt3jodgfJtVUlMpYkMKeL8zsO7vjrNu7HXBaEs9Oc46wQ0rvMTd8slHhyEc2F5RqdauHOtsKl/s1600/DSC01855.JPG"></a><br /><div>Sometimes life gets in the way of blogging, but I still feel the need to catch up here, as this is the story of our crazy world... The celery is coming along. And the Chicken Tractor is getting closer to completion. This mobile chicken house will be home to our birds when they are old enough to live outside the brooder. We have some brown egg layers and blue egg layers coming May 7.<br /><br /><div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5587374655810675698" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMAK5IXVJVKr1J3S9eoOCqJ1NNEI_mh4Uh0BaryWhvTeuP8mKbG_YmzxgbfcOMw1yNyXFdD51Y_NxtY9Sovt3jvrCvQXFL2HRQeSUhI_OEu41nLOLGItfcEp8k4HIErWRu9A2zoMhW5c1f/s320/DSC01852.JPG" /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoaJETkHl16QCL7pDQBNU6Yc9Pe0P491faYNY6Km8L3D8N_ia7s_j8XZUnk0N_svxjbnHt01u2TRNobajTzAJf-YoPazNWDxat17KOat5OAoPdRGLHvdu5WHatl0Y0v5LG3lpIoW3lsc1f/s1600/DSC01853.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5587374660682166258" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoaJETkHl16QCL7pDQBNU6Yc9Pe0P491faYNY6Km8L3D8N_ia7s_j8XZUnk0N_svxjbnHt01u2TRNobajTzAJf-YoPazNWDxat17KOat5OAoPdRGLHvdu5WHatl0Y0v5LG3lpIoW3lsc1f/s320/DSC01853.JPG" /></a><br />The freezer got cleaned out and reloaded with a half of a steer from the farmer down the road.<br /><br /><div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisYaJk4rLPFlANyxZz981Ub23oNNtE1XZTygwFm4HHlcBChADrs8SU-JA_81JSVGkB55HuHLt7G_jl_RH8YvLt6HQIgekUOtCEyoIH9hh99nXJEKQIguVPqOq5jwv2kFxwSt1DYwSrYQvB/s1600/DSC01834.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5587374648617963746" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisYaJk4rLPFlANyxZz981Ub23oNNtE1XZTygwFm4HHlcBChADrs8SU-JA_81JSVGkB55HuHLt7G_jl_RH8YvLt6HQIgekUOtCEyoIH9hh99nXJEKQIguVPqOq5jwv2kFxwSt1DYwSrYQvB/s320/DSC01834.JPG" /></a>You get a lot of ground beef when you get a half steer...<br /><br /><div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXh8rQhE8LRb8yc1qKqCghrXFu3yhmBjPtUhs2tFBgf8Ya5RBXm-Wt722LmUnFlBMsocTsY0UM7J5hc8nXGFMZYrKxOPvg1cLel3TLnjlk_BTygRPFgmGfxYAx1ggd9JddmtxNbfmS2kKs/s1600/DSC01889.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5587374636388675170" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXh8rQhE8LRb8yc1qKqCghrXFu3yhmBjPtUhs2tFBgf8Ya5RBXm-Wt722LmUnFlBMsocTsY0UM7J5hc8nXGFMZYrKxOPvg1cLel3TLnjlk_BTygRPFgmGfxYAx1ggd9JddmtxNbfmS2kKs/s320/DSC01889.JPG" /></a><br />Took three of the girls to the Virginia Classic Alpaca Show in Lexington, Virginia.<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoRzaeQtEFd85vgt-snXkVLG2Ut8E0lEiaHFNA4dwPHcS0I-owMtux3GtRrRcm-BtJhiHWvK4YD2m6eIUDawsnRjJpaWbF20Lbv_jq-whaHYWOnNlu2yGWRdjsar6pTt9u90ifMt3iqV1B/s1600/DSC01826.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5587372925578969826" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoRzaeQtEFd85vgt-snXkVLG2Ut8E0lEiaHFNA4dwPHcS0I-owMtux3GtRrRcm-BtJhiHWvK4YD2m6eIUDawsnRjJpaWbF20Lbv_jq-whaHYWOnNlu2yGWRdjsar6pTt9u90ifMt3iqV1B/s320/DSC01826.JPG" /></a><br />The white one on the left took Grand Champion, for which we are excited, humbled and grateful. In addition to the pretty purple ribbon, she was "in the money" again this year...and that helps buy feed.<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN0qxLSVxK6E5GImdT9zHcsmrujzsa7u6WMjQZLMmKsKUkWCwwu_E4KEGm56NsyEIQMbK3hAbQEo07ExU0IP2GpUC-X6o7hHv5_IiM7Sm66c_tPA8PDj0YdzraDWGfD8TMwpWteNG5qaYT/s1600/DSC01833.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5587372920840774098" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN0qxLSVxK6E5GImdT9zHcsmrujzsa7u6WMjQZLMmKsKUkWCwwu_E4KEGm56NsyEIQMbK3hAbQEo07ExU0IP2GpUC-X6o7hHv5_IiM7Sm66c_tPA8PDj0YdzraDWGfD8TMwpWteNG5qaYT/s320/DSC01833.JPG" /></a> Took a trip to Gurdy Run Fiber Mill above Harrisburg to drop off a load of fiber for further processing.<br /><br /><div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5587371675837426466" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBBkydCcb2UkTGKbAHgkrCn8ILv8sCG7pRuo6xCtd_Q95Ysii8CitB_8uNjomZEhGksoPc3RBhEsRf_sEbDhlw9Wf5v-f8EsML7EpOgjkrU-jQE4Qn0Uwrzhhsu8HlXa7IWpL7fJIVBrSK/s320/DSC01804.JPG" /> They had a cute bottle lamb... </div><div> </div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh35iLnQeZHbfgZgnhgWvB31OWej4wPutN0J9J_mYF2714b0tj4cqmgbuDqfx6GnXbunDTk9HjS14zANtA9JB8Em62_PG01IxPNU-GE8LhTWYSnBSxHDk4xULETFGjtuZYfWM3TotHYEpq/s1600/DSC01820.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5587372912247356130" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh35iLnQeZHbfgZgnhgWvB31OWej4wPutN0J9J_mYF2714b0tj4cqmgbuDqfx6GnXbunDTk9HjS14zANtA9JB8Em62_PG01IxPNU-GE8LhTWYSnBSxHDk4xULETFGjtuZYfWM3TotHYEpq/s320/DSC01820.JPG" /></a> Beautiful Gypsy Cobb horses...<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1ikdmJtP5_j61ahbNXsSC9aA0dDf0rnRaCSt0gmjiD-EtF736gd92240AGzFuhfGCz9p9Z1y8qTSZLxefm3QCeqlsbzLsR9MJJsMJeVm6wSYF-QbV0jT2n8Hed800zOmNJFZad9lhiTjp/s1600/DSC01821.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5587372906461095170" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1ikdmJtP5_j61ahbNXsSC9aA0dDf0rnRaCSt0gmjiD-EtF736gd92240AGzFuhfGCz9p9Z1y8qTSZLxefm3QCeqlsbzLsR9MJJsMJeVm6wSYF-QbV0jT2n8Hed800zOmNJFZad9lhiTjp/s320/DSC01821.JPG" /></a><br />Good friends came along with their fiber and let me take blurry photos of them... <div> <img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5587371686068016434" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYftnkAjQnwbjaqy3AfPVVVF9Y7imfyZp9FHs6WHfE0z19TgfCNzNE1XjZm_pww7Ysz_XAxaIwv43efZKRJcM3GOWOuBYZWsvJNI327-zDu4lvCvzNZHUgrdayFWRhDrnBFk4U3YlcD_V4/s320/DSC01803.JPG" /> Other friends hid behind their latest knitting project...</div><div> <img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 322px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5587371682505000594" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPyDxnAze067bhTEUKXBz0xefMLwkoO2aMPi0qeFu0VuVNztgrQ4CQ6yM64PeMydCTgLS6n05OkFrPOYdrA7Tcvn1UoE5KB6-b6TDd9xlyZBTgzBlPhXtovqvdu1zzFinChWCPIR5JHZz0/s320/DSC01805.JPG" /> And they had big machines to process our clip.</div><div> </div><div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5587371688495451826" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMdmNfztvGkoPDux5SWlrAV3RElrw6CiLzTuke7LPS6cZ6sR22OrQipTcGnvVroVm-pvwk41e5DE7bnJ7MwMv4k5Movex6W3zG-7lKOjBqGPGKBa1vM7PeOlik406YmYH3b3jvHcq4BKq7/s320/DSC01816.JPG" /></div><div>But taking much of our time recently has been the hand processing of fiber here. It is not always economically feasible to have everything processed at the mill. Some things a mill does better; and some things like blending colors or other fibers in small quantities are better done here.</div><div> </div><div>We left off last month with the skirting, washing and drying that took place in the dining room. I've heard that some people actually eat meals in their dining room. Once the fleece is dry it is ready to be picked. This medieval torture device is a picker. It opens up the locks of fiber and gets it ready to be carded. It has hundreds of razor sharp spikes on the top and bottom. Dangerous. Ask me how I know.<br /></div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5587369048210996706" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1aSkf-aodS2P1r-_4H7zpXnPOgmkXf9LDPGgKlsjGkfEVwe8lbY0XlMe6UrebgLB8O3jcEYt_pGElivyZot9VDkVPhCqqgIERXPPE1V9QnRZax9u2x_kxm9qiFoOsTUAinm98h0iWd-YP/s320/DSC01836.JPG" /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5587370318044789618" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzQ_Bd2pRlUMs6G2aN9jJL85SuQUqPo9WP_675CA_2ZolpcscPcG5qKN_U4Ksa40N2NQjszx3lTVEvi9GelU2RhEA4s4prCWo7hJSkcwk3VlOOJ0_JMd44MMieQ6bZKMVHwx5rGmQnKt65/s320/DSC01861.JPG" />Here the fiber has been fed into the picker and the pendulum swings back and forth, grabbing fiber from one end and flinging it out of the other into an awaiting cardboard box...</div><div> </div><div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5587372904244797842" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv33S9NcP7z5KogjzJY2Gtsv9TaL3vK2q3VHNx82Gzz6HoJ3eXMGzANBCYh9q2uUWnne3cKNI0a-7bIIzxoROWP5FAqalWayP-azmJMBtTPOjF0l5Ml4OiWghGcrjqoCAHgzwp0T9wfp6m/s320/DSC01858.JPG" />Then I measure two ounces of fiber on my scale because that's all the picker will take at one time and make an attractive roving or batt. One time, I put four ounces in and the batt looked like Cousin It from the Adams Family.<br /><div><div><div><div><div><div><div> </div><div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5587371669988270530" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxrfZgabl_OOL3HxyB3mvZYyaGm4XgxBnjSt7X14ClnXkXuAUFLtqdjBUH24iWSTQSOhVBXKQWhWvXf5CZVuX69NQ-0iS7-xUJmghJOTs2u1GiDdcnV8Om05rjTc2nOC5l1xQTlAEAGknp/s320/DSC01862.JPG" />This is an electric carder. This expensive piece of equipment is owned by three farms who have sworn to keep it clean and operating. It is the Sisterhood of the Traveling Carder. Sure, you can use hand carders, but it would take forever. </div><div> </div><div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5587369050829063314" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEoWyxvg7-ojObCA8e2c6O2zYS2uKZ4qABLrBaLAQZNW6BBg9q3qlUuq5aovMLghWGAP7WhXIxMleh7qKjz3Td5kB2kIjyeI0uR_k0xZbawUUEkt1wHYIeYE74NVX3PLVPy-SGVUXIA9LV/s320/DSC01837.JPG" />Fiber is fed into one end of the carder and it is pulled through and onto the large drum. Thousands of little teeth grab the fiber and pull it into the same direction. This way all of the fiber is aligned so it is easy to spin.<br /><div><br /><div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5587370313970161714" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrF2feQA1c_sg3rxJP83yuduqsvNQtNO9C5X_mvwlyiyhWakYZgsqlxi4IxOK00W123M7ZDDvrzTNSZmbYgqAP9HShyNUUiDWtDQ2EmsXrgE5a1ZTfVoDQVex-tW3fVVt1iJueFJ1HG73_/s320/DSC01847.JPG" /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5587370325197209554" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK9wo2B3f3fBBdLoKywc5v6RMLQdn2L758-oVjDH3yeX9lf3K7dqBZwjM_lWOBKv5ajGGqIfoKp83TJEMJdJAHgXaE44dKguuVYCFn7Th09dkDJNTT7v8X0IsguPWwUpEE3F1m476KrecK/s320/DSC01848.JPG" /><br /><div>Periodically, you run this burnishing tool (also full of sharp teeth) across the top of the large drum to improve the quality of the batt and pack it down a little.<br /><div><div><div><br /><br /><div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5587369034754595810" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXuY9D4eqJ0Ve4WeNOAVWVx3yNzKpWXugoPMwY7Y7I089h4-bPwnuIv12BgOfoAKwA6wELaYbQc_ZbTYQj5Ht2fkDucRkH1lln5FmGCFcFyHF6QY-R5h73-aFOBXxrBOmgWHLq7h4EB8lM/s320/DSC01850.JPG" />Once all of your fiber has been fed into the carder it is time to pull your batt or, in this case, roving. You use this pick to bring up a section of the batt.</div><div> </div><div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5587369038658866914" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAVKSm4xajJJArZbNiq_pr4yxTT8XQ0dtL4l-XUwe0MW6lp9nQH78qvPaoaZ1alWoe6DMk_9HpGMHV_a9Ti5qneowpyt6NlABoDnXd4K-Q-6P75_IoCLN4oDngfBsgh6cdcqUvhwPMWBCF/s320/DSC01863.JPG" /></div><div> Then you pull it through this little plastic thing called a diz.<br /><div><div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2NlK-YZN441aQABevTZz6m8zh3SYKIS8SeiBUy3nMRO1Ko4vkSFoDsrwkLNx5UuD7VAqfsiLfbVH8oYUmnvsBsuOaWykYzGff0IpvjrzfVNexGDhEhnryMRj_k2mjw3VBRNdetllxJuj8/s1600/DSC01864.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5587367633298685314" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2NlK-YZN441aQABevTZz6m8zh3SYKIS8SeiBUy3nMRO1Ko4vkSFoDsrwkLNx5UuD7VAqfsiLfbVH8oYUmnvsBsuOaWykYzGff0IpvjrzfVNexGDhEhnryMRj_k2mjw3VBRNdetllxJuj8/s320/DSC01864.JPG" /></a> And there you have it. Roving. Keep doing this until all of the batt is off the drum<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho9ILBcqswXo_zq0l3PkGQT49ERQ9mlcqaR4mTAgpf3Ag2vbWsT1JXrRgJYtaPkdnYQzOI4On5ziLDBT1qQ6WVJwsWt0G293R4UzSuivzkDQgUDS8AYa_Ieaw0_IHlt70_SHPBpPmtlJya/s1600/DSC01865.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5587367631359082674" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho9ILBcqswXo_zq0l3PkGQT49ERQ9mlcqaR4mTAgpf3Ag2vbWsT1JXrRgJYtaPkdnYQzOI4On5ziLDBT1qQ6WVJwsWt0G293R4UzSuivzkDQgUDS8AYa_Ieaw0_IHlt70_SHPBpPmtlJya/s320/DSC01865.JPG" /></a>Finished product. Two ounces of 100% Alpaca Roving. (Shameless plug...Available now at my Etsy store... <a href="http://www.sturdywelshwoman.etsy.com/">www.SturdyWelshWoman.etsy.com</a>)</div><div> </div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi04fSam_EXsffW22LtEOH1BE0QnocKnabDYWSzG00Sem4z8iWqhe_Gultc86Ug3V82COVhkZswfNLybp1kii23VjuStXmcusuQVtkgu3dPnYTVDbk4NDQAFgiPKjkUPin4s8eLwzp20AW5/s1600/DSC01866.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5587367618761268706" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi04fSam_EXsffW22LtEOH1BE0QnocKnabDYWSzG00Sem4z8iWqhe_Gultc86Ug3V82COVhkZswfNLybp1kii23VjuStXmcusuQVtkgu3dPnYTVDbk4NDQAFgiPKjkUPin4s8eLwzp20AW5/s320/DSC01866.JPG" /></a> Here is alpaca blended with hand dyed Blue Face Leicester sheep (an ounce of each).<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_XQF0UkyKOv2EK5mYZmNW_r4idyArdtC6a8pH7ZmYR3niri1PBNGGircIXPmdsl8AmE5SOBa1r8lWs7RI4q1l2oE6Ab7M0LyoEPK8H7yu9JeD-zigCjxOAcCM7GfszjH8x4wHu0KCEq3r/s1600/DSC01867.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5587367616426629906" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_XQF0UkyKOv2EK5mYZmNW_r4idyArdtC6a8pH7ZmYR3niri1PBNGGircIXPmdsl8AmE5SOBa1r8lWs7RI4q1l2oE6Ab7M0LyoEPK8H7yu9JeD-zigCjxOAcCM7GfszjH8x4wHu0KCEq3r/s320/DSC01867.JPG" /></a> And here is some in green (also made some in yellow and rose).<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtB9JcgyME6E5VDk8Cfouu5dz4OIUEgsLc0bMmLtJmxmw3O1wQH_hWu2p9f4-ug68cG_is8AHgvCkxqlxxZOmMbu5B6ERW3vnn4mAuvulDPt8JnyDW1NYByzHsg0VzyhuJXjWxn5FpGiW5/s1600/DSC01877+-+Copy.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5587366400665070242" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtB9JcgyME6E5VDk8Cfouu5dz4OIUEgsLc0bMmLtJmxmw3O1wQH_hWu2p9f4-ug68cG_is8AHgvCkxqlxxZOmMbu5B6ERW3vnn4mAuvulDPt8JnyDW1NYByzHsg0VzyhuJXjWxn5FpGiW5/s320/DSC01877+-+Copy.JPG" /></a> So there ya have it. The month in review. Shearing, more shows, and babies coming soon.</div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Jo Griffith, Len Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15146860917759153620noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4385626937824311440.post-42890658720565659722011-02-25T08:47:00.003-05:002011-02-25T08:50:53.301-05:00Still Life - Duende's Fleece Day 2<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8AJcPgG7oDEQaqkLJLy-fvTdTFxyQ1jZbnWQC5ntXuQGmwiMXmsSpiWOo1L6FXwwoXExKAP3fToNo0yQMQKEWO3nD7ORhdionuPpAKmWoGK-BPbi8X8SMUB7b9p5KbNAH3iAF740rhGlA/s1600/DSC01802.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5577623706487758194" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8AJcPgG7oDEQaqkLJLy-fvTdTFxyQ1jZbnWQC5ntXuQGmwiMXmsSpiWOo1L6FXwwoXExKAP3fToNo0yQMQKEWO3nD7ORhdionuPpAKmWoGK-BPbi8X8SMUB7b9p5KbNAH3iAF740rhGlA/s320/DSC01802.JPG" /></a> 4 pounds of buttery soft fun.<br /><div></div>Jo Griffith, Len Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15146860917759153620noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4385626937824311440.post-42570829924241876352011-02-24T10:40:00.001-05:002011-02-24T10:42:59.340-05:00Still Life - Duende's Fleece<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0r4EX8nOPv1Qjc5lednMV1SQJD9WvUe196-5H1W27eNSp3oXYuNbdIjg6d-m4jPfLF8DqpygAK-Pmoux4PZMxkG8pSrrLUObF8NeOab-Dgv0BSQyrpBryNOffp2O9CPwCbBRtczin4qTh/s1600/DSC01800.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5577281735080100338" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0r4EX8nOPv1Qjc5lednMV1SQJD9WvUe196-5H1W27eNSp3oXYuNbdIjg6d-m4jPfLF8DqpygAK-Pmoux4PZMxkG8pSrrLUObF8NeOab-Dgv0BSQyrpBryNOffp2O9CPwCbBRtczin4qTh/s320/DSC01800.JPG" /></a> Drying - Day 1<br /><div></div>Jo Griffith, Len Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15146860917759153620noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4385626937824311440.post-9846572263391476772011-02-23T07:13:00.001-05:002011-02-23T07:16:03.220-05:00Still Life - Leah's Fleece<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb9bavoRCPo0Q9Pb3mAW0HHH7u4_S46a_DXhQR7o0QCV2boAXRJNZiURbeGRhn9T0ryv8FGo0o0RfjvlUvCUqVuCN-ycFWs1xGcMdjhnxSPRwXr7LWqWRjWa3G4RRZmTxLxS794WD69TkN/s1600/DSC01798.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5576857462062377186" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb9bavoRCPo0Q9Pb3mAW0HHH7u4_S46a_DXhQR7o0QCV2boAXRJNZiURbeGRhn9T0ryv8FGo0o0RfjvlUvCUqVuCN-ycFWs1xGcMdjhnxSPRwXr7LWqWRjWa3G4RRZmTxLxS794WD69TkN/s320/DSC01798.JPG" /></a><br /><div>Day 2 of Leah's fleece drying after being washed.</div>Jo Griffith, Len Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15146860917759153620noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4385626937824311440.post-86150546833062051882011-02-13T17:51:00.006-05:002011-02-13T18:55:48.820-05:00The Down and Dirty of Alpaca Farming<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW4av7qviImZGBkdc15K28lJhS_3MiZFRpoJg_MJqtcglTVwJ-sHIyrRNdVP-WlgpQvSYgnr1kgiA5m1YL6h4n40DwPwW3rX5CNzEMJYySU6-VmO6q_EflOVk5UETOZ6utpUqpgPSRHpuw/s1600/DSC01759.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5573312890909416802" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW4av7qviImZGBkdc15K28lJhS_3MiZFRpoJg_MJqtcglTVwJ-sHIyrRNdVP-WlgpQvSYgnr1kgiA5m1YL6h4n40DwPwW3rX5CNzEMJYySU6-VmO6q_EflOVk5UETOZ6utpUqpgPSRHpuw/s320/DSC01759.JPG" /></a> There have been some stories in the media lately (particularly Fox News) about alpacas. Stories from commentators who really don't get it and have decided that their story is about how alpaca farmers get tax breaks and "subsidies". What you see above is the down and dirty of alpaca farming. We raise fleece. And in less than 3 months, I will have over 100 pounds of fleece to process. It has to be sorted, washed, picked, carded and spun into an end product. This is what having a "productive farm animal" (that's what the IRS calls it) is all about--the end product. I'm guessing John Stossel's dining room doesn't look like this.<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiplxjmOrluC_dPdpGBLdqncEvMT1RWFNhrwCzZKsKV-MU2ZQ6OCgrgRd00NiUxGFmkq8KyptqT_4GP-zVn7WXdGZBVqYLcoNOTZJJxsaIz7CEz_-WW60eucV5Yvd8q4wTiK71536CRPuMK/s1600/DSC01762.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5573312408826800130" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiplxjmOrluC_dPdpGBLdqncEvMT1RWFNhrwCzZKsKV-MU2ZQ6OCgrgRd00NiUxGFmkq8KyptqT_4GP-zVn7WXdGZBVqYLcoNOTZJJxsaIz7CEz_-WW60eucV5Yvd8q4wTiK71536CRPuMK/s320/DSC01762.JPG" /></a> I must take this opportunity to clarify for any of our gentle-readers who have been subjected to the recent onslaught of alpaca stories, that alpaca farmers do not get subsidies. It would be nice, but that is just not the case. We get to handle our business in the same manner that any other business does. If we buy a water bucket, it is treated as an expense to the business. If we sell a shawl, it is income. We collect and remit sales tax. We purchase hay and grain from other farmers as well as support cooperatives in Peru who make products we cannot manufacture. Those are the facts. We just want to keep it real here, and despite all of the hype you may hear from Associated Press and Fox, this is a down and dirty farm business. And that's just the way it is, Son.<br /><br /></div><div>In the process of sorting the fleece, you need to pick out the dreaded "second cuts". These are little bits of fleece that are nipped away during the shearing process creating little blobs of fleece that will create nasty nubs in your yarn as it is processed. They must be picked out and discarded.<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_ALp9WF8EQsyxJf47GvoR14eo7LW2bsvihY9P2NATctLovy5NCG57vijhE9yli-R6WYRiRl2xpr3z4vgcueohTbK5A-wOJjgUjf5KxUYtb43Mu8x56-QtKJ7JwzNNNBAIEDuKKjveKqAS/s1600/DSC01768.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5573312403067698354" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_ALp9WF8EQsyxJf47GvoR14eo7LW2bsvihY9P2NATctLovy5NCG57vijhE9yli-R6WYRiRl2xpr3z4vgcueohTbK5A-wOJjgUjf5KxUYtb43Mu8x56-QtKJ7JwzNNNBAIEDuKKjveKqAS/s320/DSC01768.JPG" /></a> On the positive side, one can sit and sort fleece and catch up on some mindless TV. This is what I did from 11AM to 4PM today. I was able to get through Duende's fleece (4.1 lbs), Leah's fleece (3 lbs.) and Cassandra's fleece (1.4 lbs.), plus 1.6 pounds of coarse fleece that will be made into felt for tote bags. Fashion and lovely fingernails are just not happening here.<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimYQmNgBn0DzzjiWOGf7wlr0_ricsgF4KngzpdinU2ZjNlcMq9Iww3oTvVfm5g7JfpTZMoYoKH8pPvvR8W23zTrhJfZndG5fHkAs4Y_VfbF_0FSXf5V4cXKr5VfaCVRrhxtSH1hWG329lC/s1600/DSC01763.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5573312398552502578" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimYQmNgBn0DzzjiWOGf7wlr0_ricsgF4KngzpdinU2ZjNlcMq9Iww3oTvVfm5g7JfpTZMoYoKH8pPvvR8W23zTrhJfZndG5fHkAs4Y_VfbF_0FSXf5V4cXKr5VfaCVRrhxtSH1hWG329lC/s320/DSC01763.JPG" /></a> While I was hunched over bags of fleece, the Farmer was trying to untangle a warp for the next set of alpaca rugs. (Want one? Go here... <a href="http://www.sturdywelshwoman.etsy.com/">http://www.sturdywelshwoman.etsy.com/</a>)<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiK43yo3NA8MMmX1HD_T4YbzOYpI9dNOUZeyio7BkV6GHfSQp7mOP7zxDd7tttdPgFDq2kNuW10gS4Chw70FLnoqGivQoPfcDCFzwWpEAz95agIcsHAeyFfOGkfpNnrboK2lfI7rrni1iT/s1600/DSC01757.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5573312399533235714" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiK43yo3NA8MMmX1HD_T4YbzOYpI9dNOUZeyio7BkV6GHfSQp7mOP7zxDd7tttdPgFDq2kNuW10gS4Chw70FLnoqGivQoPfcDCFzwWpEAz95agIcsHAeyFfOGkfpNnrboK2lfI7rrni1iT/s320/DSC01757.JPG" /></a>His persistence paid off.<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhonLm4sH0k1L653RtziJgU4rTuiGxeH2PWwLAiU3D5Jj5dwdZ_vU2aDrP8LNdUfPs25J9et79ehDJ7Qq3H8ePTymDqwafYKjY78KdMRp0ZF8XAAgQdUE0Wrw0YDUDBIum8yHYM9cp9-6oz/s1600/DSC01755.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5573312395573996482" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhonLm4sH0k1L653RtziJgU4rTuiGxeH2PWwLAiU3D5Jj5dwdZ_vU2aDrP8LNdUfPs25J9et79ehDJ7Qq3H8ePTymDqwafYKjY78KdMRp0ZF8XAAgQdUE0Wrw0YDUDBIum8yHYM9cp9-6oz/s320/DSC01755.JPG" /></a> Despite my grumbling about the bad rap alpaca farming has been getting, we wouldn't trade it for the world. </div></div></div></div></div>Jo Griffith, Len Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15146860917759153620noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4385626937824311440.post-74270043918976452972011-02-04T18:40:00.007-05:002011-02-04T19:45:00.618-05:00Chores<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXluWgPui4hT5aLkhnYM0GOR5Bf3kLWkYCFET3XFsU1NrUC66cmfKjRbJ4XwyaYWkqWpJbWmkByp743j9DUnFtXyyOijnyyUE-IwuOxzBqcOi2RS6Lm9YT34ZS5LxfdeF_LPYcMEEjzp2p/s1600/DSC01730.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5569984861807547410" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXluWgPui4hT5aLkhnYM0GOR5Bf3kLWkYCFET3XFsU1NrUC66cmfKjRbJ4XwyaYWkqWpJbWmkByp743j9DUnFtXyyOijnyyUE-IwuOxzBqcOi2RS6Lm9YT34ZS5LxfdeF_LPYcMEEjzp2p/s320/DSC01730.JPG" /></a> Weird sky at 7AM. This is the sky of "impending doom". Necessitating some chores involving driving around the countryside and spending money. Lord knows that if you don't get your "stuff" before the storm comes you'll be in a whole heap of trouble. Now I'm not talking milk and bread here (did that on Thursday). I'm talking about a trip to the feed mill in Fivepointville.<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUpme4UVne80mPgbUIXZQskj4QdLdb79_zlFa_YOv92AzxTu6vBelCTHEKEQEgg1MKD0Ryke0u4VGAotJxYsBqwENu2zA1SyTDzmkY7iuNve7vo-ieldnStMFYZFvk4gJWFZKo5rHf8nt1/s1600/DSC01733.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5569984608971967858" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUpme4UVne80mPgbUIXZQskj4QdLdb79_zlFa_YOv92AzxTu6vBelCTHEKEQEgg1MKD0Ryke0u4VGAotJxYsBqwENu2zA1SyTDzmkY7iuNve7vo-ieldnStMFYZFvk4gJWFZKo5rHf8nt1/s320/DSC01733.JPG" /></a> Fivepointville is a little hamlet in the northern part of Lancaster County that doesn't have much to it. A tiny little town with (you guessed it) five roads that come together with stop signs at each. In the unlikely event that you meet another vehicle at the "points" (car or horse and buggy) politeness prevails and everyone waits patiently until it is their turn to cross over.<br /><br /></div><div></div><div>The winter weather has caused much havoc at the barn. Thirteen alpacas with nothing to do but eat and s&*t. And to make matters worse, there is nowhere for them to actually "go" except in the stall on the rubber stall mats creating a swill of bodily fluids that are difficult at best to manage. Enter an amazing product...wood bedding pellets. These little buggers suck up wee-wee like no tomorrow. They are a little pricey, $11.50 for 2 bags. We went through 40 pounds in a little over a week. Then the ice storm came and then the rain came. And the water poured into the barn making a sort of pond in one of the only areas the four male alpacas can hang out. Thirty minutes and a shop vac and we were able to get up the bulk of the water, put some pellets and straw down. A total mess. But the pellets are making things manageable and it is worth the expense for at least some semblance of sanitation. <div></div><div></div><br />Good's Feed Mill is one of those places that time forgot. A store that has many things all in one place. Besides providing a valuable service to local farmers for feed and medical supplies, it's one of those places that you can get a Coke across from the horse liniment and a Reese's peanut butter cup next to the bird suet. How can you go wrong with a shopping experience like this.<br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbpk71D0_gJHY8yNxjY7yJnjXRWE-liDFAWj4RzXC9HjmFeBVw4wQjBFzvh6ZzgJKJsc4F9BcL_WPyIweDOW9oIQMc9MWq4RwHdrN_XhdWXRCOy_AAWJXTqR3FVvtyvqolMtq-jT_QDqE8/s1600/DSC01734.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5569984599001089298" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbpk71D0_gJHY8yNxjY7yJnjXRWE-liDFAWj4RzXC9HjmFeBVw4wQjBFzvh6ZzgJKJsc4F9BcL_WPyIweDOW9oIQMc9MWq4RwHdrN_XhdWXRCOy_AAWJXTqR3FVvtyvqolMtq-jT_QDqE8/s320/DSC01734.JPG" /></a> Across the parking lot is where the feed, wood shavings and pellets live. A Plain girl at the counter asks me if I told anyone outside what I wanted. I told her no. She rang me up and a strapping young man walked in for lunch and she asked him to get me two bags of pellets. "The van?" he asks. How did he know? Maybe I look like a soccer mom or maybe it was the straw peeking out from the hatch door. Either way, he hoisted 80 pounds into the back and shut the door. Where do you get service like that?<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-ax9Uqo-3CetRElRLd4a2_tGAP37wzJ-qFJTMoh1eQsAt6H7OOEfSCDPz39kvhUtW_L-56Z0ZoowJkHevbtMZ-M8oTH7ndpMk671-zJMlgutE8XfMTXE_CxFff08xfguN9WM_j2QM2RL2/s1600/DSC01735.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5569984597296942386" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-ax9Uqo-3CetRElRLd4a2_tGAP37wzJ-qFJTMoh1eQsAt6H7OOEfSCDPz39kvhUtW_L-56Z0ZoowJkHevbtMZ-M8oTH7ndpMk671-zJMlgutE8XfMTXE_CxFff08xfguN9WM_j2QM2RL2/s320/DSC01735.JPG" /></a> Right around the corner from the feed mill is the shopping Mecca of Fivepointville. Weaver's Store (also known as Weaver's Dry Goods... "Dry Goods" stores are dotted all over Lancaster County and are kind of like the old corner stores I remember as a kid). Here you can get anything. Muck Boots, shoes, flannel nighties, canning jars, underwear and window shades. Seeing that Valentine's day is coming up I got the Farmer some slippers. They're lined with real sheep fleece and he says they feel like a "fuzzy hug". That's love, baby.<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHUuaCqOQbbO6zwtnhj7iPqH98U_kbFKUEjEH6kFjvPWGcA4SyRFySIKbj2rz8IxhJAF0NW604k3q2ZyFfxE8wiWrSa6AulQOg8CleTWcKYfqkOdtnhZDy5GaGaRCEeszEtycVky9ejova/s1600/DSC01736.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5569984591871134322" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHUuaCqOQbbO6zwtnhj7iPqH98U_kbFKUEjEH6kFjvPWGcA4SyRFySIKbj2rz8IxhJAF0NW604k3q2ZyFfxE8wiWrSa6AulQOg8CleTWcKYfqkOdtnhZDy5GaGaRCEeszEtycVky9ejova/s320/DSC01736.JPG" /></a> Be sure to watch where you park...<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRZHfxPQfI4CQk8sVfDU9IQjFLzNF_Uh-dCzrux4lue4cIaY6Ys1pqUtdZPOZ3oQJT65Ravz1AH-657yxqvSDDs55GMIRGGMf11esGzSkQUK3eA2Y2pbJtoy5bCK99nbRelwWgoEzla2b_/s1600/DSC01737.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5569984585693952754" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRZHfxPQfI4CQk8sVfDU9IQjFLzNF_Uh-dCzrux4lue4cIaY6Ys1pqUtdZPOZ3oQJT65Ravz1AH-657yxqvSDDs55GMIRGGMf11esGzSkQUK3eA2Y2pbJtoy5bCK99nbRelwWgoEzla2b_/s320/DSC01737.JPG" /></a> </div></div></div></div>Jo Griffith, Len Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15146860917759153620noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4385626937824311440.post-51730886150775732922011-01-26T06:32:00.006-05:002011-01-26T06:41:36.909-05:00More Snow?<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-WO_RrTOEdSw2SHmjrUF5h56ewG2mAdI7gqzRyuxBKO23SVXfp0bniYjdjtaa1pXFwoP4NUUV8H2PGP0fcBSomjAepUS6AleeUHehkwMaz7abFOrZ6V-l03w5TrxYswzTigX99kyaxntq/s1600/DSC01705.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5566457283225083858" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-WO_RrTOEdSw2SHmjrUF5h56ewG2mAdI7gqzRyuxBKO23SVXfp0bniYjdjtaa1pXFwoP4NUUV8H2PGP0fcBSomjAepUS6AleeUHehkwMaz7abFOrZ6V-l03w5TrxYswzTigX99kyaxntq/s320/DSC01705.JPG" /></a> Gabriel doesn't want any more snow.<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUSdduHzMCFO8g6O9xDCO2RQjd8sRXr1HY_px99LWtvKJXpDsDib5SWfPJao46aaxrFL7J-LVQKXGbzJEC3XsQhqjyYG9JsQeRupLBOTN8msfpHhZUc0wBgVvc7jrZrHZQeNXltKZIbxl2/s1600/DSC01701.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5566456825991444130" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUSdduHzMCFO8g6O9xDCO2RQjd8sRXr1HY_px99LWtvKJXpDsDib5SWfPJao46aaxrFL7J-LVQKXGbzJEC3XsQhqjyYG9JsQeRupLBOTN8msfpHhZUc0wBgVvc7jrZrHZQeNXltKZIbxl2/s320/DSC01701.JPG" /></a><br />Leah is shocked and will not watch Weather Channel any more. (Izzy just wants to know if more grain is being dished out.)<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx1TwgzQxnanat6gaja_L7IEWMENtIm5ySa5GmSU1kBz9SEtTeMjEtwDdIKB17Abl_7B7tsHAPhK5uwftlVo2PS533MRou4Dv2TZQ91gAxF-XlNm7G4BsfYG246_SQKI7yIR84i00dTt0Y/s1600/DSC01702.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5566456517339978130" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx1TwgzQxnanat6gaja_L7IEWMENtIm5ySa5GmSU1kBz9SEtTeMjEtwDdIKB17Abl_7B7tsHAPhK5uwftlVo2PS533MRou4Dv2TZQ91gAxF-XlNm7G4BsfYG246_SQKI7yIR84i00dTt0Y/s320/DSC01702.JPG" /></a><br /></div><div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div>Jewel likes the snow because she thinks she can blend in. (Well, she could if she didn't roll in our lovely PA red clay thereby making her white fleece a lovely shade of pink.</div></div>Jo Griffith, Len Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15146860917759153620noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4385626937824311440.post-9014937809875088942011-01-24T10:56:00.004-05:002011-01-24T11:26:19.557-05:00Yesterday's Fun & Games<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkhkKAAnDENUFVIZWK8RzzZsrq_MvAtYOMJsZgiI3Ih_JQqLJ6TDh8sB_GHwrzkA0wZHcx3U5WEl2p-I_jlkTQduDVtPtGFSPBLxJUN7dIznMhHqT_0HrnVABWYeO3108sTeUWwc8lVyy1/s1600/DSC01689.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5565788338325479826" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkhkKAAnDENUFVIZWK8RzzZsrq_MvAtYOMJsZgiI3Ih_JQqLJ6TDh8sB_GHwrzkA0wZHcx3U5WEl2p-I_jlkTQduDVtPtGFSPBLxJUN7dIznMhHqT_0HrnVABWYeO3108sTeUWwc8lVyy1/s320/DSC01689.JPG" /></a><br /><div><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiID8Yzo055hQW-pl-dqaUyMFLQ623rS1vtpyXMTd9L7xnVfVFuByOGdWtfKPSylF6aGMSM3isM-hxwSC-AxQxco1Ar6Vi1024I2AIip06-oekqOaqng5YzNNHGNVosXC8T-NSo0jKWiDd2/s1600/DSC01689.JPG"></a>8:00 AM - Off to the Animal Rescue League in Birdsboro so that Stella and Little Cat no longer need to have litters of kittens. Coffee, check. Paperwork, check. Checkbook, check. Two cats in separate carriers without any food or water since midnite, check.<br /><br />We arrived to find a whole lotta other folks there too. There is a bad feral cat problem in our county, and there are many people who as a service to the community catch, neuter, and release these animals.</div><div></div><div>The organization who helped us out is No Nonsense Neutering <a href="http://www.nnnlv.org/">http://www.nnnlv.org/</a>. They have volunteer vets and staff who set up clinics several times a month. We had to wait 2 months for an appointment. The staff told us that that average between 50 and 60 cats per clinic.<br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: left; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5565788331390053746" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiI3eOWUrHBHlEZCbJgQDi45xp78_jIqEea6EWJUKmGLJqqWOXxQe2WMOSXdDz6dPJiacYc6MWX1Xxtexz_GOQz0cVwgaX_ByWVD1ndKpA9Q5Hnf3O0sKHQkue1tCfQbPUAT9QI3zvFMZq/s320/DSC01691.JPG" /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGqAJRxDyW1Gd13IPesHux_C5Fx7Zo7sJNuPJQlkLUX9qtsydFOX2e7UHB61JNgJ0FNw9tngnB8olZvS1kaxUF6ISeCGt8wfkOhPuru0tofaq8IWOCUu__uaPWUcYQfcFiYZ0-7serMjfi/s1600/DSC01692.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5565782888027384994" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGqAJRxDyW1Gd13IPesHux_C5Fx7Zo7sJNuPJQlkLUX9qtsydFOX2e7UHB61JNgJ0FNw9tngnB8olZvS1kaxUF6ISeCGt8wfkOhPuru0tofaq8IWOCUu__uaPWUcYQfcFiYZ0-7serMjfi/s320/DSC01692.JPG" /></a><br />Here are Stella and Little Cat on their way to surgery.<br /><br />Everything went well and we picked them up that afternoon. They now have a shaved belly and a small tattoo that marks them as neutered.<br /><br />They are both living in the house for a few days until they are feeling better, besides it is too cold out there anyway.<br /><br /><br /><br /></div></div>Jo Griffith, Len Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15146860917759153620noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4385626937824311440.post-28979740284698462332011-01-24T10:37:00.004-05:002011-01-24T10:55:37.465-05:00This Morning's Report<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOn3QKjrlIuur4T55HbAceV4WHCUP-XgQD4HBts7t81ItymleSgtuA0X0rgio4AHc8pGiCE3eforiCuuVbheJWUCyY7vScZLVeVWohF9H9Dy2fxYI0RgKLZu1RdPBZxELe3AVPzqv_jnIY/s1600/DSC01696.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5565778179104825842" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOn3QKjrlIuur4T55HbAceV4WHCUP-XgQD4HBts7t81ItymleSgtuA0X0rgio4AHc8pGiCE3eforiCuuVbheJWUCyY7vScZLVeVWohF9H9Dy2fxYI0RgKLZu1RdPBZxELe3AVPzqv_jnIY/s320/DSC01696.JPG" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpSdba2-gxHhpA_A6xiBF4nUCK3ONGe7fkZ8YXBtRq_FCpOVOFIMveGmdjfLZBBvvW9rPZG3ngw9pfg6iuaEB-FUeCEKKuG6dwkMVFC9OfsHVZ1O0ryUwCVfL8ANwiB0Ty4W-0Rj1ZFnK5/s1600/DSC01697.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5565777740347571746" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpSdba2-gxHhpA_A6xiBF4nUCK3ONGe7fkZ8YXBtRq_FCpOVOFIMveGmdjfLZBBvvW9rPZG3ngw9pfg6iuaEB-FUeCEKKuG6dwkMVFC9OfsHVZ1O0ryUwCVfL8ANwiB0Ty4W-0Rj1ZFnK5/s320/DSC01697.JPG" /></a> Minus 3.6. It actually went to -3.8 before it started creeping up to the present temperature of 21. The snow squeeks beneath your feet.</div><div></div><div>So to further establish my geekdom, I made Len help me do the boiling water thrown in the air thing this morning. I just used hot tap water, but it still worked. Looked like a snow machine on a ski slope. </div><div></div><div>The animals made it through the night. I always worry about Cassandra who is 11 years old, but she was just fine and ready for her feed this morning. Her baby Lottie was also ready to say hello this morning with her whiskers frozen a bit. Her sister Izzy had some frozen whiskers going on too. </div><div></div><div></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj79V58aSTgM-LfTO6tBuJDnsf2Z9heNSoMdJBPm_YaJqhLFjCHFTXLVGLJFPUHcNsptBOa8Ix27_adaQvhoQ10bSACLTAg7DPzJHSbec3v7Jdil0qtkhPGnEbRiZaSkNs9amQyIwne-8jb/s1600/DSC01698.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5565777425223587090" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj79V58aSTgM-LfTO6tBuJDnsf2Z9heNSoMdJBPm_YaJqhLFjCHFTXLVGLJFPUHcNsptBOa8Ix27_adaQvhoQ10bSACLTAg7DPzJHSbec3v7Jdil0qtkhPGnEbRiZaSkNs9amQyIwne-8jb/s320/DSC01698.JPG" /></a> These two girls are favorites and will be heading to the Virginia Classic show in March, Mid-Atlantic Alpaca Show in April, and PA Owners and Breeders show in May. I always find myself humming this song whenever I hang out with these two... <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xG5MT3sCKBg&feature=related">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xG5MT3sCKBg&feature=related</a></div><div></div><div><br /><br /><br /></div><div></div>Jo Griffith, Len Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15146860917759153620noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4385626937824311440.post-43506948283092886632011-01-22T06:23:00.002-05:002011-01-22T06:25:37.446-05:00No, wait. That's Cold<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGwAnh5mE1V1gvI-2ETocMD2NzjKfaQJfcVgcz0Yd0LpdBNVlFjhR04Nu3T3Kg7UEnBIR2Ryy_RyC6b6EGLBGmmhP03-ehPxPjh6fxGMDlVM3w9nE_Hltv833OY0lb4g8OBEysOLG84UCj/s1600/DSC01685.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5564969782261492370" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGwAnh5mE1V1gvI-2ETocMD2NzjKfaQJfcVgcz0Yd0LpdBNVlFjhR04Nu3T3Kg7UEnBIR2Ryy_RyC6b6EGLBGmmhP03-ehPxPjh6fxGMDlVM3w9nE_Hltv833OY0lb4g8OBEysOLG84UCj/s320/DSC01685.JPG" /></a><br /><div>I am such a weather geek.</div>Jo Griffith, Len Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15146860917759153620noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4385626937824311440.post-63181479863595879732011-01-22T06:08:00.002-05:002011-01-22T06:12:10.110-05:00That's Just Plain Cold<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA4Vwbhc_fEpbgAt9FkN82dP4HWkXJ7_blHuyFIZBIOojeKsA9pFehRoU-75TDigslSS_PX-H54R8MML46XAV0hLF1ASBEM395fuqLqdMqujsn6JTB5lsd5-AAivYklh-dGtoIZsZgo1Rv/s1600/DSC01682.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5564965760391354850" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA4Vwbhc_fEpbgAt9FkN82dP4HWkXJ7_blHuyFIZBIOojeKsA9pFehRoU-75TDigslSS_PX-H54R8MML46XAV0hLF1ASBEM395fuqLqdMqujsn6JTB5lsd5-AAivYklh-dGtoIZsZgo1Rv/s320/DSC01682.JPG" /></a>I don't care who ya are, that's just plain cold. Not the 64 degrees in the house. That's just fine by me. It's the 3 degrees from the thermometer at the barn. Thank goodness for heated water buckets.<br /><div></div>Jo Griffith, Len Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15146860917759153620noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4385626937824311440.post-56434226337552855042011-01-17T19:58:00.034-05:002011-01-17T21:27:06.388-05:00Week in Review<img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5563335765168480962" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxjDAY_HMs0ppMr9NBjO-6CJt-_wZ4nWlwWjpG0J6OvOgvDCkEo-O01wqbkIwQ_Ss79AxxW7DBmX0rCtUCDWsKnXq3CRdPqEetrr3WYeLzWKeovr74mlehPBkV1gQ3ErqlP-c0g36bYzPa/s320/DSC01662.JPG" /><br /><div><div><div><div><div><div><div>It’s been a busy week here at the ranch, what with the snowfall, low temps, and always something or other that needs tending.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB8V1ahOAPnShrTQHonptzei_yFrag6DG6u3jaSNKUlsw0Oei0OVgbTso1BjW5B8WUHFUvc8QtcMfkiD3K3WWrZSrOmv7ZbsXqdEu3N9KlqwhfQhAOeT9OyCgWafZzTYFZxQgcB17loNQH/s1600/DSC01639.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5563327770961349378" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB8V1ahOAPnShrTQHonptzei_yFrag6DG6u3jaSNKUlsw0Oei0OVgbTso1BjW5B8WUHFUvc8QtcMfkiD3K3WWrZSrOmv7ZbsXqdEu3N9KlqwhfQhAOeT9OyCgWafZzTYFZxQgcB17loNQH/s320/DSC01639.JPG" /></a><br />The last bottle of Rude Elf’s Reserve went into this here beer bread. Find the recipe here at FarmGirl Susan’s blog <a href="http://www.farmgirlfare.com/2005/11/beyond-easy-beer-bread.html">http://www.farmgirlfare.com/2005/11/beyond-easy-beer-bread.html</a>.</div><br /><div>It’s really a quick bread type of thing without any yeast; just mix it up and scoop it in the pan. In the future, I think I’d try a lighter beer. Rude Elf was way too beer-y in my opinion. A Coors Light would probably do the job. </div><br /><div><br />Finished this hat. Lucky got to model it. It’s superwash wool (not alpaca this time). It will be for sale at the online farm store. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg5xYlMq-nxpcFS6J_SKjvGISw8Ad3I_ezet2ywbyQgKvnBeOvun2PzT1Dwptt069CkbCgDwrfD-D4N3Qu1XL_oeD_XVITFtjGE6RTSMjZAY42534fe65ft135XAmmd88jaMOoHtrSBaxl/s1600/DSC01665.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5563327269796795714" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg5xYlMq-nxpcFS6J_SKjvGISw8Ad3I_ezet2ywbyQgKvnBeOvun2PzT1Dwptt069CkbCgDwrfD-D4N3Qu1XL_oeD_XVITFtjGE6RTSMjZAY42534fe65ft135XAmmd88jaMOoHtrSBaxl/s320/DSC01665.JPG" /></a><br /><br />Started working on a project for the folks who process some of our alpaca fleece. They started making alpaca felt and asked if I’d try my hand at making a garment with it. I am going to make a vest embellished with penny-rug style appliqué. We’ll see how it goes. I’ve never done appliqué with wool, but I'm good at doing things I don't know how to do. It will either be a brilliant success...or a fashion disaster, causing unbelievable stress and embarrassment.</div><br /><div></div><div></div><div>The cold has made barn cleanup difficult at best. Everything, and I mean everything, is frozen to the ground necessitating use of a garden hoe to break up their “toilet” area. At least the days are getting longer and we aren’t racing to the barn by 4PM to beat nightfall. The price of grain is starting to creep up. Nearly $1 a bag increase in less than a month. Even with that, the alpacas are very efficient and our herd of 13 costs us around $3 per day to feed… not each alpaca…that’s $3 a day for all of them. </div><br /><div>All of Stella’s kittens got homes and now Stella and her first young’un, “Little Cat” are heading to No-Nonsense Neutering this Sunday for surgery. </div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZU_-T1OXNbnkuk9hthYw15-wZvNIiIQTK5pyHkGowww2tD1ynu5jrq6RJCpDRtBesWTnkvS0viQetL2mG04o6DwzoRZFHNFZA2OoF92BqacuJFOERnOd0TbjbiQJgZhyAeMBjmSNTmeSd/s1600/DSC01622.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5563330003972815266" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZU_-T1OXNbnkuk9hthYw15-wZvNIiIQTK5pyHkGowww2tD1ynu5jrq6RJCpDRtBesWTnkvS0viQetL2mG04o6DwzoRZFHNFZA2OoF92BqacuJFOERnOd0TbjbiQJgZhyAeMBjmSNTmeSd/s320/DSC01622.JPG" /></a></div><div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq8qb9pY5TdadbsjlPKpIzTHwHjxFnp0_azw8SdT8WiMF1XBKAKxh90x0UfkkI5RJV3qYMuu711yd7pRGGl-fM2CrE62SDyqvwsRcxgbpWWHczHdurRFSJuiesJBOSCGPMDL5uN4S7Bkmj/s1600/DSC01617.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5563342727778014914" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq8qb9pY5TdadbsjlPKpIzTHwHjxFnp0_azw8SdT8WiMF1XBKAKxh90x0UfkkI5RJV3qYMuu711yd7pRGGl-fM2CrE62SDyqvwsRcxgbpWWHczHdurRFSJuiesJBOSCGPMDL5uN4S7Bkmj/s320/DSC01617.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><br /><div></div><br /><div><br /><br /><br /></div><div></div><div>It really is for the best, as some old Tomcat with questionable genetics keeps lurking around and causing population explosions. Stella also had an upper respiratory infection last week and went to the vet. She’s on antibiotics and is doing better already.<br /><br />Finally got the outdoor Christmas decorations down, bagged, labeled and ready to go to the loft in the barn. With the impending doom predicted for tonight (snow & ice & freezing rain tomorrow) and the fact that the holidays are truly over, it was time to un-decorate the house.<br /><br />The alpacas left the barn for awhile today, nibbling on nonexistent grass, while No. 2 son and I went to Farmer Alan’s today to pick up some straw for the next garden project. Sure, this looks like the van of a soccer mom.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsyDvGaZXr7u_VppCMJrUT5X2w3eynGkWlUdoLAnXq7s4TIc_mHwWQ9CITs50ZZBQbst3vpwl2G4Aud9xGCTIJC-HP3M7HUGt_wP6iChQn4DzhunDapXQ0R-fZEXi7cxMBon4TQwcnq_wz/s1600/DSC01660.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5563337787252549378" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsyDvGaZXr7u_VppCMJrUT5X2w3eynGkWlUdoLAnXq7s4TIc_mHwWQ9CITs50ZZBQbst3vpwl2G4Aud9xGCTIJC-HP3M7HUGt_wP6iChQn4DzhunDapXQ0R-fZEXi7cxMBon4TQwcnq_wz/s320/DSC01660.JPG" /></a>But wait, it’s a straw hauler.<br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhucFHeHmw1TcsDzH3Ki1ycK9xY5W1TqNheVDE3f0jI0rThdtxKTD3h_TqlWAqD0F4BYTrU_Skw_BVx_aPZVYGBWxkavdNxesZbyn884IgJg6xeWLVSz_Fcje34RuTM1RTz-_IiBK4uTclX/s1600/DSC01661.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5563332122251167522" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhucFHeHmw1TcsDzH3Ki1ycK9xY5W1TqNheVDE3f0jI0rThdtxKTD3h_TqlWAqD0F4BYTrU_Skw_BVx_aPZVYGBWxkavdNxesZbyn884IgJg6xeWLVSz_Fcje34RuTM1RTz-_IiBK4uTclX/s320/DSC01661.JPG" /></a></div><br /><div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><br /><div></div><br /><div><br /><br /></div><br /><div></div><br /><div><br /></div><br /><div>And in a pinch, two or three alpacas can fit in the back. I’m doubting that Chrysler would have used this to advertise the Town & Country, but I’m telling you, it’s as close to a pick-up as you can get without actually driving a pick-up.<br /></div><div><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5563337798130100546" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG1PCDADMyKpoJRtnuUKz6LfqMpF3kFLvp_yFCuOrh_3R0tUe1Aeru09RLNaspnV509qG8vh7_uP5qAp1vwYwYgYkEDeRE3sP8P7L1LKwngXS53fBKeKhT2dKv2asB4DDMq8H9C1Yg_hcN/s320/DSC01659.JPG" />Anyway, my absent gardener son, Max, (here's the alpaca scarf he made while home on break) went back to Millersville University yesterday, but has great plans for coming home to build a hot frame (some sort of greenhouse thing) to start plants in.<br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaHwlzy63OXNKeEyzCPEUDfVoJ4FdfdFHCh0kKm0f7eAQFngmKnGpP68x9b8Pjbp87faaq86Ayc_qJei12b0I0oIYTHe-wv7Vph2lrGWK02NAODvhGGANSy4bVlU3NonPDohAqvPqTd1bP/s1600/DSC01663.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5563341784924800434" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaHwlzy63OXNKeEyzCPEUDfVoJ4FdfdFHCh0kKm0f7eAQFngmKnGpP68x9b8Pjbp87faaq86Ayc_qJei12b0I0oIYTHe-wv7Vph2lrGWK02NAODvhGGANSy4bVlU3NonPDohAqvPqTd1bP/s320/DSC01663.JPG" /></a><br /></div><div></div><div>It requires straw bales surrounding it, and since we are trying to make them last and keep the alpacas out of it (they’ll pull at it just for fun), the straw has been sort of hermetically sealed in contractor’s plastic bags. </div><div><br /></div><div></div><div>The neighbors must love us. </div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Jo Griffith, Len Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15146860917759153620noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4385626937824311440.post-66402100186236229832010-12-29T15:27:00.006-05:002010-12-29T16:16:20.800-05:00Deer...meet Fence<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrNexQt0fBh-LQzvo1Y4mAGcb4KVEhJfdMoXoSceoL3VTCm1g9IJyYy7_rPqU3s9cR195Mo5rsEw8ZZGmqO_nCX7OcF2IpFe4EximRNCbx65sZWdBMvcSPdFRXKDkkRsJZfPYbm3Xz_RPr/s1600/DSC01612.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 157px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5556203772088499186" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrNexQt0fBh-LQzvo1Y4mAGcb4KVEhJfdMoXoSceoL3VTCm1g9IJyYy7_rPqU3s9cR195Mo5rsEw8ZZGmqO_nCX7OcF2IpFe4EximRNCbx65sZWdBMvcSPdFRXKDkkRsJZfPYbm3Xz_RPr/s320/DSC01612.JPG" /></a>Normally, when we look out our back window, this is what we see...our furry family quietly grazing on the hill...not a care in the world...oblivious to everything, except the last green sprigs of grass to survive the first snowfall of winter. When they look like this, we know all is right with the world. They're our barometer of trouble on the perimeter. Then, every one is facing the same direction, intently studying the suspected intruder. But this afternoon, we saw something totally different. The entire herd was on the run, but not in concert as they usually do. This time the pattern was more erratic and irrational. Then we noticed...there were too many bodies out there, and <em><u>they</u></em> were leading the pack.<br /><br />It's not uncommon for us to see white tailed deer up on the hill just above our field. Sometimes there are as many as a dozen or so, including a rare white deer that seems to glow in the afternoon sun. But today, they were lost. There's a small road that traces the back of our property, and the herd had decided to take that road today. <div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh62q0vYRjM_8escirhFLVAs3dcecHCdUsytMhRai94YcFAejG_D1uUvMdBU0dxsuw1eTUAL4knLb6ads2OX2VUI2Q9tN2FsiuktO9Utpp6T-jhAclc0dQM6GQzZaB6IIs4cJ0llATbaaUK/s1600/DSC01618.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 240px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5556203981699090898" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh62q0vYRjM_8escirhFLVAs3dcecHCdUsytMhRai94YcFAejG_D1uUvMdBU0dxsuw1eTUAL4knLb6ads2OX2VUI2Q9tN2FsiuktO9Utpp6T-jhAclc0dQM6GQzZaB6IIs4cJ0llATbaaUK/s320/DSC01618.JPG" /></a></div>But on their way back, two of the doe had jumped our five-foot fence and were greeted by our legion of male Alpacas. The ensuing frenzy erupted as the deer frantically tried to find an opening to get out of the pasture. The front-runner made it over the first barrier with a standing high-jump, clearing the five foot fence with a foot to spare. <div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh62q0vYRjM_8escirhFLVAs3dcecHCdUsytMhRai94YcFAejG_D1uUvMdBU0dxsuw1eTUAL4knLb6ads2OX2VUI2Q9tN2FsiuktO9Utpp6T-jhAclc0dQM6GQzZaB6IIs4cJ0llATbaaUK/s1600/DSC01618.JPG"></a></div>The second...not so lucky. Either she couldn't see the mesh fence, or in her desperation, she couldn't gauge her jump. Three times, she slammed headlong into the fence, buckling the wire and ripping it off the fence posts. Finally on the fourth try, she slowed down as she approached the fence and cleared it without effort. But there were still two more fences <div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh62q0vYRjM_8escirhFLVAs3dcecHCdUsytMhRai94YcFAejG_D1uUvMdBU0dxsuw1eTUAL4knLb6ads2OX2VUI2Q9tN2FsiuktO9Utpp6T-jhAclc0dQM6GQzZaB6IIs4cJ0llATbaaUK/s1600/DSC01618.JPG"></a></div>between her and freedom. Behind the barn and beyond my line of sight, she made the same mistake at least one more time, leaving a waving fence line as a memory of her ordeal. Third time was the charm. Free at last...free at last.Jo Griffith, Len Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15146860917759153620noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4385626937824311440.post-78676504957023750072010-12-29T11:07:00.012-05:002010-12-29T15:26:06.707-05:00Adventures in Cat Wrangling<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6jnytZJw2nXgHTiAWce36pp5-DDPvhSrD8hseQuGzWb4zMXUdkTF_FB5919d7_xm_PFSMCiVLypX-PiCwPeszSge8NjuhoBgvJ5otsz6RjMqZkbVIJEa83ZlfeSo5BAOah5d-SAqvH8VL/s1600/DSC01617.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5556200951673797058" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6jnytZJw2nXgHTiAWce36pp5-DDPvhSrD8hseQuGzWb4zMXUdkTF_FB5919d7_xm_PFSMCiVLypX-PiCwPeszSge8NjuhoBgvJ5otsz6RjMqZkbVIJEa83ZlfeSo5BAOah5d-SAqvH8VL/s320/DSC01617.JPG" /></a>Last Spring, when the snow melted and everything came back to life, we found ourselves inundated with a herd of squeaky critters, just waiting for feeding time. It was time to bring in the professionals..."Barn Cats". We got two from a kindly cat lady who must have had 20 running around her barn. We were very optimistic about the prospects of witnessing the "Great Mouse Migration".<br /><br /><div><div><div><div><div><u></u></div><div><u>Good News/Bad News</u><u><br /></u><br /></div><div>The Good News is, we haven't seen a live mouse in the barn since the Barn Cats arrived, although one of the cats soon disappeared after arriving. The remaining cat, Stella, has proven to be a natural born killer. In fact, anything smaller than a cat that lives in the vicinity of the barn, does so with an impending sense of doom. And rightly so. We've seen Stella tearing across the yard in hot pursuit of full grown rabbits. That's had an additional benefit of improving our garden survival rate.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdzzgvPFCp7sm3L1iq-5OfEo4JuD0p4fWhWBbQzz6JntCRLDKXi51v3mCVdReGOFip4PF_8SB_6stBF7UdRtZv2LaDAffBmiNiK0F9jgKmpO2-6YWjVPNGLJlbmRA6sqXHFFZzN8IfGLQn/s1600/DSC01628.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 239px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 177px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5556202101645747026" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdzzgvPFCp7sm3L1iq-5OfEo4JuD0p4fWhWBbQzz6JntCRLDKXi51v3mCVdReGOFip4PF_8SB_6stBF7UdRtZv2LaDAffBmiNiK0F9jgKmpO2-6YWjVPNGLJlbmRA6sqXHFFZzN8IfGLQn/s320/DSC01628.JPG" /></a>The Bad News is, Stella is a female cat. And mother nature taking its <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-GSSUQCEvL1B-U0mU33aYkGhfIgx1O1QaGnB-qd5Pw-ibAAEaCrLSfUMxSpeuoPdZdpM2hiMK5AbdJQwsFFq-AGE9DvJIPQye3Mc2I6SGGFV7cmkYBSKyTqfGF9XraOTBQwPabUWJKkEi/s1600/DSC01605.JPG"></a>hand in things, we soon had "Little Cat", Stella's first born. We were surprised that she only had one kitten, but life went on. Keeping a vigilant watch on the potential mouse population was a big job. Then a few months flew by and Stella had another litter, this time five little carbon copies of "Little Cat". So now we've repaced the scourge of too many mice with too many cats.<br /></div><div>It was only a few days after Stella had her kittens in the middle of the hay loft, until she decided to move them. Up in the quiet warmth of the rafters above the hay loft she had carefully hidden them. Except for the occassional head peeking over the beam, we didn't see them for several weeks.</div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ4jPE7jaS3ztfevBjhe0EaDe2HjbYhLTevn2QmfEfgW3MZQmJFz_1jsoF0kOa6B9nN6AkvBlQACuFE72-MeIIFKu4F307VTORvCvfUD2Up9vA3sONiRA-xanvNAjpysxP4ZpjjRtqV-eT/s1600/DSC01610.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5556164916900076274" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ4jPE7jaS3ztfevBjhe0EaDe2HjbYhLTevn2QmfEfgW3MZQmJFz_1jsoF0kOa6B9nN6AkvBlQACuFE72-MeIIFKu4F307VTORvCvfUD2Up9vA3sONiRA-xanvNAjpysxP4ZpjjRtqV-eT/s320/DSC01610.JPG" /></a>Then one day as we came in for Alpaca feeding time, we were greeted by fuzzy little puff balls scurrying around the hayloft. One...two...three...four...wait, one...two...three...four... I know there were five kittens when we started. Where's five? Listen...what's that? We heard a faint muffled cry somewhere above us. Maybe one of the kittens didn't make it out of their hiding place. So up the mountain of hay bales I climbed looking for five. Listen...there it is again. But I couldn't tell where it was coming from. I reached into rafter space where the kittens had been hiding. Nothing. Then I heard it again, only this time I could tell it was below me. Since I was at the back of the hay bin, next to the wall, the mystery was coming unraveled. "Five" must have slipped between the last bale of hay and the cavity left in the open-framed wall. It hadn't been that long since we had brought in the new load of hay...enough to last til next summer. So somewhere below the five-story mountain of hay...was "five", huddled in the dark with no clue how to get out. So one by one, we de-constructed the mountain of hay bales. And of course they were cross-stacked to hold them in place, so it took moving twice as many to get just one row out. Finally I reached the bottom of the mountain, and there he was, "five" huddling next to the wall, looking very confused.<br /><br />The next few weeks were filled with scurrying fur balls...one, two, three, four, five, plus Stella and Little Cat. Our "Cat Explosion" although cute for a while was getting out of hand. After a few calls to other fellow Alpaca owners, we still needed to find some new homes for the kittens. The math was going to get out of hand in a hurry.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS78x9hz3YCCpFFG3T0dWI1W9Vp3mR_cpEl5uDfaFoLxq40iqRdqyGjtV1nlopmu6pJ8vez9lTwh6oLaNEy5-u7t5fl-dvwRXc42XQJ45gjff__UYfRWLesXDZx6XzJqQE2i2sIeTMnvTA/s1600/DSC01605.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5556165359279816578" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS78x9hz3YCCpFFG3T0dWI1W9Vp3mR_cpEl5uDfaFoLxq40iqRdqyGjtV1nlopmu6pJ8vez9lTwh6oLaNEy5-u7t5fl-dvwRXc42XQJ45gjff__UYfRWLesXDZx6XzJqQE2i2sIeTMnvTA/s320/DSC01605.JPG" /></a>So yesterday, we put an ad on Craigs List, and before the day was over, we had emails expressing interest in nearly all the kittens. Now comes the "fun" part...catching them. The plan was simple;morning mealtime always resulted in all a veritable feline free-for-all. So we put all the catfood out in a stall where we knew only the older cats could climb out of. But only three of the kittens joined in this time. The other two were playing in the stacks of scrap lumber across the barn. We now can truly appreciate the phrase "herding cats". Every time I would move the lumber, they would run under the tractor. Then we tried shooing them from under the tractor, and they were back under the wood. Meanwhile we decided to catch the two in the stall before they hatched a plan to escape. Even with two people in a ten foot stall, we had a dickens of a time catching them and getting them into the cat carrier. While were concentrating on these, we saw one of the kittens escape into the hay bin. Now we got you! Or so we thought. Up the hay mountain it leaped, and I was hot on its heels...until it slid between the last bale of hay and the wall...again. Luckily this time it was only two layers down, but much more agile. As I uncovered the escapee, it turned tail and crawled even deeper into the pile. Well, this was going nowhere fast, so we gave up and carried on with our morning chores. Eventually this one came out of hiding and was on the floor of the hay bin. Jo quickly snatched it up barehanded...something she now regrets as she tends her cat-scratched knuckles and wrist. Finally, with the others that had wandered into the stall, we finally had captured all five.</div><div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicEAi1sQ3NjyZty5DLi2rfYk2Ufk2CrRjIAT6zC2kY_72Mpb2A6vHzOfGPLPOFA69TbkuuHuKBOBxSGlu0zrk63KTfr9O4sDJR9EflGsjaXMeEaaLY_WPkNJh721WTQlQcdRYeg0atrLSr/s1600/DSC01609.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5556166634668545762" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicEAi1sQ3NjyZty5DLi2rfYk2Ufk2CrRjIAT6zC2kY_72Mpb2A6vHzOfGPLPOFA69TbkuuHuKBOBxSGlu0zrk63KTfr9O4sDJR9EflGsjaXMeEaaLY_WPkNJh721WTQlQcdRYeg0atrLSr/s320/DSC01609.JPG" /></a>So they've been transfered to maximum security in the kitchen. And after the trauma of their capture has subsided, they've settled down and seem to be quite happy. Of the five, two have already found new homes, and we're just waiting for the phone to ring for the rest. Meanwhile Max and Dylan both have a taken a greater interest in them, now that they're within their grasp. "We're going to miss them". Well...yes, yes we will.</div></div></div></div></div>Jo Griffith, Len Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15146860917759153620noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4385626937824311440.post-51769869678283455532010-12-26T17:02:00.004-05:002010-12-26T17:49:39.463-05:00The Gray Days of WinterThe day after Christmas was always such a melancholy day for me, starting when I was a child. Of course I know the true meaning of Christmas, and it always gives me cause to reflect on the year just about to finish. But it also marks the beginning of a long cold winter ahead. The prognosticators said we wouldn't have a white Christmas, and they were right. The snow is getting here just in time to miss all the festivities...early morning shredding of Christmas wrapping, cooking marathons, and a quiet dinner with just the four of us. It had been a long time since Jo and I had sat down at the table with our two sons, now nearly grown. Max has been off to college now for three semesters, and Dylan will finish High School this Spring.<br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhajY727vcjdqHzs6i7FUBdws-6xrkT6LbDrCiAVghZfKrbX27yREYwM0fDiTxptZOqtqs_yiVVKD0TojH0Ah8_FoDPXgsEECD_R1GJzcnBfKjqUJ_CpgE1BjEPgbrSJe_jDcG5hay_6BET/s1600/DSC02028.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 214px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5555115535977277634" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhajY727vcjdqHzs6i7FUBdws-6xrkT6LbDrCiAVghZfKrbX27yREYwM0fDiTxptZOqtqs_yiVVKD0TojH0Ah8_FoDPXgsEECD_R1GJzcnBfKjqUJ_CpgE1BjEPgbrSJe_jDcG5hay_6BET/s320/DSC02028.JPG" /></a>And now we prepare for the first big storm of the season. Of course it won't be anything like last winter. Two feet of snow, on top of two more left us paralyzed for weeks. The alpacas could only huddle together in the barn, with only the occasional trip outside for necessities. But now, we're prepared. A new tractor in the barn gives us the ability to move those mountains of snow that are sure to come.<br /><br />Other than the inconvenience of being stranded in the barn, the alpacas don't seem to mind. They've put on their best winter coats and seem to be just fine modeling their ice crystal overcoats. Now the true meaning of farming comes back to us. We take care of them, and they take care of us. By spring, the snow will be gone, and they'll be happy to shed their coats to enjoy the sunshine of summer.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI9ylMbaTO2VGuedsxLVpkorDC1XVoLt-cdUDhri-kOfS0prVbn4Gh2sWT6MrN_miwI7L_CBTn0FSqxlQDD4diQPrje3ztC0IkjXxBx0aBZo-2ndkDqMhPolshg80AlWLJkgqDH-ZM8uWt/s1600/DSC02032.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 240px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5555115870065827666" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI9ylMbaTO2VGuedsxLVpkorDC1XVoLt-cdUDhri-kOfS0prVbn4Gh2sWT6MrN_miwI7L_CBTn0FSqxlQDD4diQPrje3ztC0IkjXxBx0aBZo-2ndkDqMhPolshg80AlWLJkgqDH-ZM8uWt/s320/DSC02032.JPG" /></a>Our intrepid barn cat, Stella, has certainly done her job, ridding the barn of squeaky invaders. But she's replaced them with her own crew of fluffy barn kittens. Her first, "Little Cat" is nearly grown now. And now her second litter brought five more little gray-striped puff balls. Now we just have to watch where we walk. Since the cold weather started, I put in a water delivery system that Jo calls "Smith Family Robinson" It's just a PVC pipe that doesn't freeze and allows us to fill buckets without trudging to the well. Stella thinks the best tasting water is only found at this new aqueduct. She patiently waits for the bucket to move so she can get a fresh drink from the well.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ8w5Ltj63rpalM-BP0iM2iltvWssl68nH8fxAKaEE-BiEwIpitiqGdsz2ldPyUNuhtqcfn5Yc9oFhX-ZI8LuMqFFm3oYxJ5xfPRpWz_0ICBSk_dFAJyPTxFVM_V6ttqj4iT1cR8JEAXF5/s1600/DSC02036.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5555115538065647810" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ8w5Ltj63rpalM-BP0iM2iltvWssl68nH8fxAKaEE-BiEwIpitiqGdsz2ldPyUNuhtqcfn5Yc9oFhX-ZI8LuMqFFm3oYxJ5xfPRpWz_0ICBSk_dFAJyPTxFVM_V6ttqj4iT1cR8JEAXF5/s320/DSC02036.JPG" /></a>As we finish feeding, we now have to put the feeding dishes up on the fence posts, so we can find them when we come back in the morning to do it all again.<br /><br />Good night, furry friends. Stay warm. Spring will be here before you know it.Jo Griffith, Len Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15146860917759153620noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4385626937824311440.post-47184810708744558872010-09-01T13:59:00.003-04:002010-09-01T14:04:48.870-04:00New Website-Coming Soon...FINALLY!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg5qClilejkOkRYdKMPuKtrpuHHLF4Uqq9jTeg21DxRb0Umi47na-xO7C5p4G9vHgP6o0D_GqMUn3P0UJxqZgZvTZAeiaf_kx3b_-ZhyAox5Sq1EMoimSpOuLOy9SrdGNZ8IOyx3lgDpy3/s1600/take2new.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 214px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5512006400220369490" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg5qClilejkOkRYdKMPuKtrpuHHLF4Uqq9jTeg21DxRb0Umi47na-xO7C5p4G9vHgP6o0D_GqMUn3P0UJxqZgZvTZAeiaf_kx3b_-ZhyAox5Sq1EMoimSpOuLOy9SrdGNZ8IOyx3lgDpy3/s320/take2new.jpg" /></a> It seems like forever, because it's <em><strong>been</strong></em> forever since we started working our website. So long so, that even though it's not finished we decided to start over with a new design. Here's the home page...it's a start at least. But now that people are telling us they're coming back but finding nothing new, it's time to "get off the dime" and get it done. At least by declaring it's happening, now the pressure's on to make it real. Stay tuned...Jo Griffith, Len Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15146860917759153620noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4385626937824311440.post-42787467989554099072010-08-30T06:56:00.005-04:002010-08-30T07:22:15.453-04:00Adventures in "Power-Cooking"<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglVHLa7qHGCJ47smAzFh8U2DOr9WiHlrnFo0Q4uHia5ih_UDlW82OZAbgV3BXJshMoMq448qsJTp31dYPTKVLKkqU-b5gBE03b3gMju5e2if66irnvVrT5XY9fknU7d5HXAkfpF0omTcEr/s1600/DSC01966.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5511159584658310690" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglVHLa7qHGCJ47smAzFh8U2DOr9WiHlrnFo0Q4uHia5ih_UDlW82OZAbgV3BXJshMoMq448qsJTp31dYPTKVLKkqU-b5gBE03b3gMju5e2if66irnvVrT5XY9fknU7d5HXAkfpF0omTcEr/s320/DSC01966.JPG" /></a>Some wiseguy ( that would be me...Len) thought that cooking meals ahead for the week would be a good idea. Since we're always so busy, it just seemed like a logical way to save time...right? Well Jo had a book written by a woman who supposedly cooks meals for a month at a time. I thought that was a bit extreme, but she did have a version for a two-week plan. That seemed a bit more managable.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFSNvfwxd6VXSRvOVs8IQi26gAywcZbqjf9d7ogmKdRlQYHmpb3v_dcA8-XSmq583NyfsLl-mPMdnZ-hNduWjD9wkQNu7-JEFv-n-ATVGPmDEfGxKFPCt6oGUNYUNkzuuYxBYJ9W62xDNQ/s1600/DSC01961.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5511159574330451218" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFSNvfwxd6VXSRvOVs8IQi26gAywcZbqjf9d7ogmKdRlQYHmpb3v_dcA8-XSmq583NyfsLl-mPMdnZ-hNduWjD9wkQNu7-JEFv-n-ATVGPmDEfGxKFPCt6oGUNYUNkzuuYxBYJ9W62xDNQ/s320/DSC01961.JPG" /></a>So we started out at the grocery store, pre-planned shopping list in hand. I'm thinking...hmm, this might actually work. And Jo started the "pre-cooking" regimine on Saturday evening. We had already committed to doing "herd health" on Sunday morning, which is generally very physically demanding. And it was. BUT...damn the torpedoes, full steam ahead.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3Ip-V3d6QJdFPJ5FZLnChQ8e20AexI5nnruBqfnbVCl4iwR2MAz91PIlUr4TXW1dpPLX8HYkFsoPVacaEAQDf9K5HHZOOPgeeaVdSnlaoXF0-OB_SmfuM0gCUr_S1iXbkYH6oHmEXNWmU/s1600/DSC01963.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5511159577792249106" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3Ip-V3d6QJdFPJ5FZLnChQ8e20AexI5nnruBqfnbVCl4iwR2MAz91PIlUr4TXW1dpPLX8HYkFsoPVacaEAQDf9K5HHZOOPgeeaVdSnlaoXF0-OB_SmfuM0gCUr_S1iXbkYH6oHmEXNWmU/s320/DSC01963.JPG" /></a>We finally STARTED cooking at about 2 pm. And we cooked, and we chopped and we mixed and we put stuff in freezer bags. Somewhere along the way, the woman who wrote the book miscalculated the fresh onion requirements, and the cooked chicken too. So we finally stopped with only 9 day's meals, but enough spaghetti sauce to make another meal so we whipped that up for dinner. As evidenced by the pictures here, we filled the sink with dirty pots, pans, measuring materials ad just about every other utensil in the kitchen. Most of them, many times over. I don't think the stove top will ever be the same. Finish line...6 pm. 10 meals in 4 hours. I guess I should shelve my plans for a new career as a short-order cook. I guess we'll see, if in ten days, it was all worth it.Jo Griffith, Len Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15146860917759153620noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4385626937824311440.post-36017708835336987342010-08-20T16:54:00.014-04:002010-08-27T13:20:33.336-04:00The Garden - Half Time Show<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn4RX5Qr7l4WGzFwyT4c6dO3_W1yrNCBfffINHgdWtBmFwxjA9HqD-br9aXr9OX-gbHIfTjgslBis0WHUwrFDgyLrqctyadQldUGpGklcs6mTrKxa_AgA8UwqZaoUTbUP7Lk4J_GBfwKAk/s1600/DSC01459.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5507612591179678130" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn4RX5Qr7l4WGzFwyT4c6dO3_W1yrNCBfffINHgdWtBmFwxjA9HqD-br9aXr9OX-gbHIfTjgslBis0WHUwrFDgyLrqctyadQldUGpGklcs6mTrKxa_AgA8UwqZaoUTbUP7Lk4J_GBfwKAk/s320/DSC01459.JPG" /></a><br />The apples are in. Go figure. I guess that somewhere in between the scorching heat and deer, the apples have decided to throw in the core, so to speak. With our purchase of the farm, we got an apple tree...overgrown and a total mess. Number 1 Son has nurtured the tree, carefully trimming and culling. But this morning, he announced that they had to be picked. Plagued by some kind of rust-bug-rot thing, they were dropping, causing a particularly nasty bee problem. So our lackluster harvest has produced this pot of applesauce which will fill a few bags in the freezer.<br /><br />This has been a busy year in the garden, yielding frozen or canned broccoli, asparagus from the neighbor, kosher dill pickles, bread and butter pickles, dilly beans, corn, tomatoes (still coming in), zucchini, strawberry and raspberry jam, pesto, and green beans, which live either in the freezer or on the shelf. We also experimented with carrots (not as easy to grow as one might think) and edible flowers (pretty on a salad). As the Farmer sees me hanging out in the kitchen with pots of boiling water, he asks me if it's worth it. After I got last month's electric bill, I'm not sure. Of course there were many factors involved with last month's $540 bill (mainly Met Ed estimating way low the month before and 7 fans running full time to keep the alpacas cool), but still it's hard to say. We have put many meals on the table that were very "local", which is trendy and hip (never thought I'd be trendy and hip at this age). We purchased a freezer pig and a quarter of a steer from the farmer up the road, so entrees consisting of the booty from the garden and the local meat from the freezer have pretty much been the fare around here. We're learning as we go along what types of plants work well for us, which ones to ditch, and are trying to learn some way to keep the bugs/disease from ruining what we're producing.<br /><br />We've been experimenting with heirloom species, but honestly, to this '60s kid brought up on boxed cereal and pre-sweetened Koolaid with cyclamates, some of these veggies are just plain weird. Not "normal" like you'd pick up at the grocery store. Odd shapes & sizes. So as a cook, you have to make do and work around them. One thing I did do though was make a batch of pickled cucumbers pictured here with the Connecticut Field Pumpkins and some Giant pumpkin variety unknown to us.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgahc5lxHeQ-EPiZIvlOAafnre8VOosHY0PyBHQdBKK7CXy6Dy4ZpUnSocViREMVcoMksd0V_EYkZI2sKQ5tSLMVtqmPTfiOEmpqHDuzM0EM-vvpRp7sDKzxR-zkHRHbZ-fdfhA0omW3NBE/s1600/DSC01461.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5507613377368465650" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgahc5lxHeQ-EPiZIvlOAafnre8VOosHY0PyBHQdBKK7CXy6Dy4ZpUnSocViREMVcoMksd0V_EYkZI2sKQ5tSLMVtqmPTfiOEmpqHDuzM0EM-vvpRp7sDKzxR-zkHRHbZ-fdfhA0omW3NBE/s320/DSC01461.JPG" /></a><br /><br />I remember my grandmother making pickled cucumbers and fortunately, my mom had the recipe. This one is a winner and I offer it to you:<br /><br />Pickled Cucumbers<br />from the recipe of<br />Edna Gertrude Heffentreyer Griffith<br /><br />Cucumbers: Large ones are best, peel and slice thin<br />Onion: Use a sweet variety and slice thin<br />Mix the Cukes and Onion together in a bowl<br />On the stove, mix 1 cup white vinegar & 1 cup sugar. Heat until the sugar is dissolved.<br />Pour the hot vinegar mixture over the cukes and onion. Put a dinner plate on the bowl and place in the frig overnite.<br />The next day you can stick them in a jar and keep in the frig. Pickled cukes seem to have an indefinite shelf life as long as you keep them refrigerated (kind of like a Twinkie.) Enjoy!Jo Griffith, Len Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15146860917759153620noreply@blogger.com1