i woke up friday morning with a sore shoulder/neck and figured i slept on it funny. it got progressively worse over the weekend until i finally went to the chiropractor yesterday where i cracked a *lot*, much more than i normally do. however there's still a lot of pain as the muscles are very inflamed. i realized yesterday in an intuitive hunch that it was brought on by the emotional stress of the dog in the chicken pen on wednesday night. there was no physical jarring of the body at all in the past week, despite some yardwork here and there. it's made me conscious (and more appreciative!) that i live a relatively stress-free or low-stress lifestyle much of the time. *very* appreciative!!
trying to relax and take it easy, but wishing this pain in the neck would go away!!
~namaste~
27 March 2012
23 March 2012
TGIF
OOPS! The tooth fairy neglected to visit overnight; dd went to bed at 10:30 and was up at 5 a.m. to check on the status of her silvery capped tooth, sitting alone in its little tooth fairy box. By 6:30 it was *still* there. No tooth fairy. So she phoned Dad on the nightshift to complain! LOL But that mysterious tooth fairy turned up in the daylight while we were out this morning!! ;) I think we can all agree that little girls should go to bed *much earlier* than their tired mamas and wake up *after* them.
Tai chi class was well-attended and everyone worked hard. Things are really coming along. Ran several errands afterwards as the kids spent the morning at friends'... Spent the afternoon cleaning the community hall in anticipation of the spring craft fair this weekend. And tried to get some loose ends around here all finished afterwards. Beautiful sunny day, still a little on the cool side, but lovely in the direct sunshine. I've been meaning to take & share some photos with you, but haven't quite got around to that just yet, Aquarian that I am. ;)
I've picked up a copy of James Redfield's The Twelfth Insight which just came out last month. Like the Celestine Prophecy and his other books, I'm reading this one aloud with my kids, although I'm sure at some point I'll have to skip over some things or just leave them out. My son in particular easily comprehends the spiritual philosophies in this series, and loves the adventures the unnamed Hero and his friend Wil have. We'll see how the book continues; we've only read the first chapter. ;)
Namaste
Tai chi class was well-attended and everyone worked hard. Things are really coming along. Ran several errands afterwards as the kids spent the morning at friends'... Spent the afternoon cleaning the community hall in anticipation of the spring craft fair this weekend. And tried to get some loose ends around here all finished afterwards. Beautiful sunny day, still a little on the cool side, but lovely in the direct sunshine. I've been meaning to take & share some photos with you, but haven't quite got around to that just yet, Aquarian that I am. ;)
I've picked up a copy of James Redfield's The Twelfth Insight which just came out last month. Like the Celestine Prophecy and his other books, I'm reading this one aloud with my kids, although I'm sure at some point I'll have to skip over some things or just leave them out. My son in particular easily comprehends the spiritual philosophies in this series, and loves the adventures the unnamed Hero and his friend Wil have. We'll see how the book continues; we've only read the first chapter. ;)
Namaste
22 March 2012
Fields of Plenty
Just finished reading local author Michael Ableman's Fields of Plenty: a farmer's journey in search of real food and the people who grow it (Chronicle Books, USA/Raincoast Books, Canada 2005). It was a great book, easy to read, like Michael was having a conversation with me. I enjoyed the tour of farms throughout the various regions of the United States. One thing that I also enjoyed was the different descriptions of the farms and the farmers, that despite their differences they all remained committed to producing food for those who do not farm. I loved reading about how each farm was set up, some neat and tidy, others seemingly haphazard yet successful.
I think my favourite quote from the book was on page 74, the insert that Tom Willey of T&D Willey Farms in California included in the CSA box: "We must consider it a scientific fact that you are what you eat. The same molecules that make up the food we consume become the molecules of our minds and bodies. So, unless you are your own farmer, you should choose one as carefully as you would choose your doctor or your pastor. Therefore, it is fitting that farmers, like doctors, lawyers, professors, and pastors, should command a high level of respect and income, commensurate with this level of responsibility. I consider it an honor and a privilege that you have chosen me to be your farmer."
I love that quote because I think it's true. Western society denigrates its farmers and farm workers. I hope that changes within my lifetime.
I think my favourite quote from the book was on page 74, the insert that Tom Willey of T&D Willey Farms in California included in the CSA box: "We must consider it a scientific fact that you are what you eat. The same molecules that make up the food we consume become the molecules of our minds and bodies. So, unless you are your own farmer, you should choose one as carefully as you would choose your doctor or your pastor. Therefore, it is fitting that farmers, like doctors, lawyers, professors, and pastors, should command a high level of respect and income, commensurate with this level of responsibility. I consider it an honor and a privilege that you have chosen me to be your farmer."
I love that quote because I think it's true. Western society denigrates its farmers and farm workers. I hope that changes within my lifetime.
update
YAY! Missing hen returned at 10 this morning! No idea where she hid overnight, and although she looks a little worse for wear, she's back, safe and sound! I honestly had written her off, what with raccoons around at night. Gave everyone extra wheatgrass sprouts this morning. Seems the chicks are a little freaked out still and staying mostly inside their coop, but all in all, everything's back to "normal".
I have to admit, it's moments like yesterday that make me rethink the whole farming/gardening/sustainable living thing. Who needs that kinda stress?!
I'm tempted to ask the dog owner to pay for new fencing material. That's not unreasonable, is it? I feel like his dog shouldn't have been at large in the first place.
I have to admit, it's moments like yesterday that make me rethink the whole farming/gardening/sustainable living thing. Who needs that kinda stress?!
I'm tempted to ask the dog owner to pay for new fencing material. That's not unreasonable, is it? I feel like his dog shouldn't have been at large in the first place.
21 March 2012
Untitled
So we were having a lovely sunny spring day - went to the local organic farm and weeded carrots (just kept telling myself how lovely the carrots are when we harvest them because that is one tedious, monotonous, fine-motor skilled job!). But enjoyed being on the farm, even if weeding carrots isn't high on my list of awesome things to do. :P Read the newspaper on the sunny front deck, was enjoying the day... Came home and worked in the covered garden, putting in a new board for the edge of the raised bed and putting cedar strips on top of the poly outside to keep it from blowing all over. Also planted peas and radish seeds. All good. :)
Was inside making dinner with the kids shortly after 6 when there was a commotion outside at the chicken pen. A *massive* St. Bernard was loose and running around the pen trying to get in at the 38 chickens!! I ran outside and left the kids (& our dog) inside. The dog's owner was trying to catch the dog, but alas, the dog was so big and not well behaved at all (and apparently fixated on eating my chickens!). And on top of that the owner was fairly clearly inebriated, which did not help. There was pure chaos for about ten minutes while his dog tore holes into the wire fence of the outside pen where 14 laying hens were, and the dog proceeded to attack a white leghorn and then a sussex, much to my horror. I opened the gate into the coop so they could escape to the safety of the covered pens and coop, but in the chaos I did not notice that the attacked white leghorn disappeared (I have no idea where). Three hens went out the gate and took off across the yard, so my son came out to help me get them back into the coop before the dog got loose again and ran after them, too. Meanwhile the dog owner is very apologetic, yelling out his email and saying he'll pay for any damages. I was not in a position to write down his email, so asked for a phone number instead.
We did get the three loose hens back into the pen and tonight everyone (minus the one leghorn) is safe and locked inside. The outside pen with numerous holes in the wire will need serious repair before we can use it again. We looked for about an hour around the property for the missing leghorn but saw no sign of her anywhere. No peeps, no trail of feathers, nothing.
My daughter was inside, watching from windows as things transpired. She was crying hysterically, and is clearly upset by what happened. Thankfully my son had the sense to turn off the oven where we were making dinner, to come out and help get those three loose hens back in. He also observed the owner's behaviour and agrees he was drunk. He doesn't seem as bothered as his sister was, but I think we're all reeling.
I know I am still in shock (which is why I'm writing this - need to unload it all). I can't believe that the dog was so poorly behaved (did not respond to his name and was not easy to handle at all - was literally *dragging* his owner behind him afterwards), not to mention the level of intoxication of the owner. I'm left shaking my head, trying to make sense of it all. I'm glad I was home when it happened; I can't imagine what the outcome would've been if I hadn't been here. And I'm glad 37 birds are safe tonight.
Oh, and on another note, my daughter and I found three piles of bear poop about 150m down the road tonight, so looks like hibernation's over.
Was inside making dinner with the kids shortly after 6 when there was a commotion outside at the chicken pen. A *massive* St. Bernard was loose and running around the pen trying to get in at the 38 chickens!! I ran outside and left the kids (& our dog) inside. The dog's owner was trying to catch the dog, but alas, the dog was so big and not well behaved at all (and apparently fixated on eating my chickens!). And on top of that the owner was fairly clearly inebriated, which did not help. There was pure chaos for about ten minutes while his dog tore holes into the wire fence of the outside pen where 14 laying hens were, and the dog proceeded to attack a white leghorn and then a sussex, much to my horror. I opened the gate into the coop so they could escape to the safety of the covered pens and coop, but in the chaos I did not notice that the attacked white leghorn disappeared (I have no idea where). Three hens went out the gate and took off across the yard, so my son came out to help me get them back into the coop before the dog got loose again and ran after them, too. Meanwhile the dog owner is very apologetic, yelling out his email and saying he'll pay for any damages. I was not in a position to write down his email, so asked for a phone number instead.
We did get the three loose hens back into the pen and tonight everyone (minus the one leghorn) is safe and locked inside. The outside pen with numerous holes in the wire will need serious repair before we can use it again. We looked for about an hour around the property for the missing leghorn but saw no sign of her anywhere. No peeps, no trail of feathers, nothing.
My daughter was inside, watching from windows as things transpired. She was crying hysterically, and is clearly upset by what happened. Thankfully my son had the sense to turn off the oven where we were making dinner, to come out and help get those three loose hens back in. He also observed the owner's behaviour and agrees he was drunk. He doesn't seem as bothered as his sister was, but I think we're all reeling.
I know I am still in shock (which is why I'm writing this - need to unload it all). I can't believe that the dog was so poorly behaved (did not respond to his name and was not easy to handle at all - was literally *dragging* his owner behind him afterwards), not to mention the level of intoxication of the owner. I'm left shaking my head, trying to make sense of it all. I'm glad I was home when it happened; I can't imagine what the outcome would've been if I hadn't been here. And I'm glad 37 birds are safe tonight.
Oh, and on another note, my daughter and I found three piles of bear poop about 150m down the road tonight, so looks like hibernation's over.
20 March 2012
Happy Spring!
Oh, Equinox, how I love thee! I am sooooo happy it is officially spring. Not that I don't appreciate winter; I do. But I do love Spring. Fresh greens, more daylight, the sense of renewal and invigoration. It's awesome!
I pulled broom for a few hours on Sunday. It was beautiful and sunny (and a little bit chilly) and my son drove the tractor around the field, removing fence posts and piling them neatly in a corner (so we don't knock them over when we plow), and moving the piles of broom I'd pulled out into two big bonfire piles. He also helped me pull out three extra-large broom plants that I just couldn't pull out by hand myself. I've now removed about half the broom in four afternoons, so another 4 or 5 and I should have it cleared (edges notwithstanding). Another day for those. I am hoping, at the pace I am going, to have it done by the May long weekend. At which point we will hopefully plow and till within a month of that and then seed a cover crop for summer. YAY for progress!
At the farm, I transplanted spinach last week, probably 300 plants inside one of the greenhouses. The weather has been sketchy today (too much hail) so I'm hoping there's more work to do inside the greenhouses this week. Not too keen on spending an afternoon on my knees weeding and cutting back strawberries outside.
Around here the rainbarrel is working fantastically. I need to set up an overflow barrel next to it, it fills up so quickly. *SO* happy it's finally working. I use that water to wash out and refill the hen's five water buckets daily (yes, I really ought to set up an automatic top-up thing on the hen's water as it's something I have to check every day right now.)
The covered garden here is doing well. I spent a day in it last week and transplanted raspberries, which are adjusting to their new raised beds. Also reinforced the edge of the raised beds with lumber; previously I didn't have anything holding the edge of the bed back from the path. Looks much tidier with a proper wood edging. Haven't planted anything in the one empty bed yet, although I am planning on getting lettuce and peas in pretty quick. Would like to put a little remay over them to keep them from freezing. Picked up some cedar lath today to fix the poly 'walls' which are flapping everywhere in the wind.
A nice quiet spring week here; hopefully the weather warms up soon and the sun comes out so we can get outside and enjoy it more! :)
Namaste
I pulled broom for a few hours on Sunday. It was beautiful and sunny (and a little bit chilly) and my son drove the tractor around the field, removing fence posts and piling them neatly in a corner (so we don't knock them over when we plow), and moving the piles of broom I'd pulled out into two big bonfire piles. He also helped me pull out three extra-large broom plants that I just couldn't pull out by hand myself. I've now removed about half the broom in four afternoons, so another 4 or 5 and I should have it cleared (edges notwithstanding). Another day for those. I am hoping, at the pace I am going, to have it done by the May long weekend. At which point we will hopefully plow and till within a month of that and then seed a cover crop for summer. YAY for progress!
At the farm, I transplanted spinach last week, probably 300 plants inside one of the greenhouses. The weather has been sketchy today (too much hail) so I'm hoping there's more work to do inside the greenhouses this week. Not too keen on spending an afternoon on my knees weeding and cutting back strawberries outside.
Around here the rainbarrel is working fantastically. I need to set up an overflow barrel next to it, it fills up so quickly. *SO* happy it's finally working. I use that water to wash out and refill the hen's five water buckets daily (yes, I really ought to set up an automatic top-up thing on the hen's water as it's something I have to check every day right now.)
The covered garden here is doing well. I spent a day in it last week and transplanted raspberries, which are adjusting to their new raised beds. Also reinforced the edge of the raised beds with lumber; previously I didn't have anything holding the edge of the bed back from the path. Looks much tidier with a proper wood edging. Haven't planted anything in the one empty bed yet, although I am planning on getting lettuce and peas in pretty quick. Would like to put a little remay over them to keep them from freezing. Picked up some cedar lath today to fix the poly 'walls' which are flapping everywhere in the wind.
A nice quiet spring week here; hopefully the weather warms up soon and the sun comes out so we can get outside and enjoy it more! :)
Namaste
18 March 2012
Gardening & Growing Independent Kids
Yesterday I spent many blissful hours in the garden... I weeded the raised beds (happy chickens eating dandelions!) and moved about 50 raspberry canes from where they had decided to grow back into where I wanted them to grow. Hopefully they'll adjust well to their new home.
I didn't quite get around to getting any seeds planted; want to stir in some compost/sea soil and lime before I do that, but I've got some peas, lettuce, and radishes waiting to go in.
The kids planted a packet of watercress seeds out back by the creek and are hopeful they will grow back there.
The herb garden near the house still needs some TLC but I see that things are starting to grow already:
sorrel
chamomile
chives
marjoram
oregano
lemon balm
thyme
rosemary
bunching onions
and more...
Today I'm hoping to pull out more broom in the farm's field. It's overcast and still a little cold, but sunny. *LOVE* the sunshine!
It is amazing to me how therapeutic gardening is. My son often remarks when playing/working by the creek how much energy the water seems to give him, that hours can go by and he doesn't get as hungry or as tired. He says he is renewed and revitalized playing around the natural water course. I agree. I think that's what being in Nature does for us, even though we may not be as articulate (or aware) as my son about it.
I packed the kids a picnic lunch yesterday and sent them off on their bikes to the nearby campground. They were a little trepid going off like that, but went on their way with a little encouragement. They found an empty campsite and had lunch on the picnic table and came straight back afterwards. I'm hoping by summer they'll feel comfortable riding down to the beach and playing down there for a while. I think it's an important step in their growing independence to allow them time out of my sight, but still safe and in the community. Do I have fears with them going off alone? Well, of course, but I think it's important for them to have the opportunity to explore without me putting my fears on them. The reality is they are safe, they stick together, and they're only 400m from the house, for crying out loud! Maybe I've watched a little too much Bubble Wrap Kids, LOL, but I know when I was a kid I used to ride my bike unsupervised around our neighbourhood regularly. This neighbourhood is a safe place for them to ride and there are many other neighbours who would all look out for them. I think it's difficult parenting today, because I might be called neglectful or a bad mother for letting them out of my sight like that, but I think it's an important part of their growing up, to be allowed increasing independence as they are ready for it.
Namaste
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