Blue, our old Aussie, joined us as an 8-week-old pup in September of 1997. Born on a Kansas cattle farm, he was a cute, blue merle out of full-blooded working Australian Shepherd parents. He had vivid blue eyes, which unfortunately faded to a pale, spooky blue-gray. For nearly 13 years, he was a close companion and a reliable [...]
We arrived home yesterday after an errand and found this lone duckling wandering in the yard.
All alone. Abandoned. Unloved. None of our dozens of adult ducks claimed it, even though it’s brimming with wobbly cuteness.
Jessica named it Blinky. Because it blinks. A lot.
Blinky can’t be more than a day or two old, and is much [...]
Years ago, whoever farmed this land built a wall of sorts to protect the bank of this small, spring-fed creek and an old, stone lined farm well that once stood nearby. In time, the stones tumbled and many washed away or were taken for use elsewhere.
The section that still stands does its job well, but [...]
A couple weeks ago, we got three dump truck loads of gravel for driveway repairs. Two loads were base rock, which packs well, but doesn’t slide out of the dump truck so evenly. With the genius husband away for a few days, I had two choices. Let him level the mess when he got back. Or do it [...]
Someone asked me recently how many chickens I have. I could only guess.
In winter, I take a nightly headcount of all the birds during evening chores. Now? A headcount is practically impossible with so many free-ranging chickens, ducks, turkeys, and guineas loose. During the day they’re all out and about doing bird things. At night, [...]
I’m guest blogging today over at Farm Bell Recipes at Chickens in the Road. Click over, if you like, and let me know what you think.
On rare mornings a mist spills evenly across the land to soften the sun’s rays. On these mornings, the heavy dew would soak you to the waist if you wandered across that ungrazed pasture.
In the stillness, you hear the familiar sounds of birds twittering from hidden perches – meadowlarks, red-winged blackbirds, an indigo bunting. Cows moo in the distance. Someone’s [...]
Disposing of old, rusty barbed wire can be a problem. If you have an old farm with weathered fences and decades-old wire, it’s something that must be figured out.
Yard art wouldn’t have been my first thought, but who am I to criticize someone who had the patience and fortitude to create this big ball of [...]
My favorite snow pea recipe isn’t much of a recipe. I like them best fresh picked while I’m standing in the middle of the garden.
I like them steamed, too, and in stir-fry dishes. My favorite recipe, though, is Snow Peas with Caramelized Onions.
It’s a flexible recipe, more of a general way of cooking them than [...]
Garden photography has its challenges, not the least of which is the light. Golden sunlight at dawn and dusk turns everything a rich, warm tone, which is lovely for some uses and not others. The diffused light of a moderately overcast day allows more accurate color depictions, but the shadows aren’t as interesting. And so it goes.
I’ve learned to carry [...]
