Dispelling the Myth – Do Turkeys REALLY Drown in the Rain?

Move over Myth Busters – I’m dispelling a myth today! What a blast! I spent some time talking with a writer for National Geographic Kids.  She’s dispelling urban myths. The myth she called me about happens to be my favorite – turkeys look up into the rain and drown.  Reflexes will take care of [...]

Turkey Riddle

Before we start the riddle, I have cool news.  I’m going to be interviewed by a writer for National Geographic Kids on Thursday. We’re going to debunk a popular myth. It happens to be my favorite myth so I’m sure this is going to be fun.  I’m not sure that I can tell you what [...]

House fly and spider, dead chicken! Oh my!

The title pretty much sums up my day.  A house fly flew through the dining room.  I think it landed in front of the woodstove to finish thawing.  There’s a spider on the kitchen ceiling. They must not look at the calendar.  There was a dead chicken in the hen house yesterday.  I thought Tuesday [...]

When Good Turkeys Go Bad

I’ve learned that jakes are like other male species; when there isn’t an adult male to keep them in line they often become bullies.
My farmcollies have dealt with a bobcat, coyotes, domestic dogs, raccoons, spooked horses they stopped in their tracks and bulls.  They’ve been breaking up fights between the older toms and the jakes [...]

Butchering Day

We put up 46 chickens and three turkeys yesterday.  I’ve always “put up” vegetables and fruit but until yesterday hadn’t used that term for birds or animals.  I picked it up from Jj and I like it.  So – we put up the birds yesterday.  I’m pleased with the outcome.  One chicken was fat.  I’m [...]

New Math

One Hose + One Dandruff Shampoo bottle + Three dogs = One wet woman.  I didn’t wake up planning to scrub the mutts but they’re sort of clean now.  I took mercy on them and did a half-assed job.  The water from the well is 54* right now so I didn’t wash between toes and [...]

So far this afternoon:

EDITING TO ADD:  READ THIS WITH A SENSE OF HUMOR.  I AM NOT COMPLAINING.

So far this afternoon, and mind you, it’s only 12:52 pm, I have managed to:

rototill small garden
break the rototiller
fix the rototiller
unearth a meadow vole
let dogs in the garden so Scooter can eat said rodent
rototill a little more
break the rototiller
fail to fix [...]

I should write something

I should write something.  I know I haven’t written in a while when friends email to ask if I’m ok.  I am ok.  Last week was crazy.  The work week started late because of Labor Day.  Tuesday got away from me.  Wednesday and Thursday were busy but I don’t remember why now.  Friday took me [...]

The Apple Trees!

After 11 years of wondering I know what kind of apples I have.  Thanks to John for emailing me and Kirk leaving a comment, I know my trees are Northern Spy.  We’ll have more of these trees later on.  Thanks guys!  I appreciate it.
We’re almost at the end of tomato season.  The tomatoes that started [...]

Supper’s….growing!

I goofed.  I thought the meat chicks were being shipped today but they arrived today.  They’re hungry and I don’t have food for them.  The plan was to go to Calais this afternoon and have the food BEFORE they arrived at the post office Monday morning.  Oops. Sebastian (dog) thought I was bringing in a [...]

Putting Food By

I’ve cleaned a bushel of beans, blanched and frozen them.  When I started, this bushel basket was level with the top.  It’s now about half full.  I snap off the stem ends and feed the beans with bad spots to the dogs.  The rest of empty space is thanks to Reynolds Handi-Vac.  It vacuums air [...]

Processing Meat Birds

There are two great lessons in processing meat birds over at County Living in Cariboo Valley.

Eggs!

This is one of the articles written for my newspaper column, You Are What You Eat. Some of this is specific to Eastport, Maine, because I write for an Eastport newspaper.
Have you heard of cage free eggs, free range chickens and pastured eggs? These new buzz words are important. We need to understand the [...]

And, another odd day

It rained no it didn’t but it tried it misted and sprinkled and gees would the weather please make up its mind?  We worked outside most of the day.  A nice couple came for seedlings.  I broke into my “just in case” stash of seedlings and sold seven six packs.  The couple who paid for [...]

Hatching in Action!

He’s (they’re all he until I can tell them apart around four months old) on his feet and wobbling around the incubator.

Hatch Day

Today’s the first day of hatching in the incubator.

It’s one of those days – I stand outside looking at the greenhouses, the vegetables that are growing, talk with customers and friends and am some what overwhelmed with my many blessings.

I hear babies!

8:47 am. I was just in the barn. I hear babies!
9:16 am  Four poults.  One is dead from being cold and two are cold.  The fourth is fine.  I warmed the worst of the two in the incubator and have all three under a heat lamp now. The dead poult is in the ‘bator [...]

Building a Compost Pile

Three bags of OPL.

Unfinished compost, greens from the greenhouse and torn bags.

Afternoon Break

Today hasn’t been what I was expecting.  It’s 2:50 pm now and just now seriously threatening to rain.  The wind has picked up and the sky darkened several times today but no rain.  The thunder was enough to get the dogs up off the floor to pace and whine this time.  We need more rain.
I [...]

Turkey Eggs

I’m going to update this as I go. I set reminders to auto-publish two days before each hatch.
UPDATED MAY 8
May 1: 25 eggs in the incubator, 12-13 under a mallard. Due to hatch May 29.

May 3: 10 eggs in the incubator. Due to hatch May 31.
There’s room for ten more [...]