Cummington Fair, 2012, junior division

Black Eyed Susans

 Yes, this will involve bragging. No, I won't apologize. Would you?

Amanda entered some Black-Eyed Susans. They grow like crazy in front of our house.

Amanda's knitted scarf

Blouse

Shorts

Her sewn goods were really impressive, though! I don't have a photo, but she won a plaque for Best Sewing Display. Not bad for twelve years old!

Dress

Vest

Jumper

Did well in cherry tomatoes...

Did very well with paste tomatoes...

Pillow

We swept the Green Beans...

Also swept the grapes...

Not bad in bread-and-butter pickles, either!

The birdhouse Adam made in wood shop

And the canned green beans...

Amanda's painted rock

Amy Charlotte's dolphin watercolor

Amanda's Four Seasons painting

Andy's pencil drawing of a Halloween train

Amanda's marker drawing of a horse

 I gave up on trying to make these photos go where I wanted them. And the egg photos - while repetitive - just wouldn't format at ALL. Take my word that we won half a dozen ribbons for eggs, please.

Cummington Fair, 2012

My children and I always look forward to the Cummington Fair. Of all the agricultural fairs around here, it's my favorite. It's big enough to be fun and exciting, and small enough to be manageable and not intimidating. We were introduced to the Fair in 2008 by a friend, who invited us to enter Peanut Butter, our first Cinnamon buck, in the rabbit competition. He won a blue ribbon - that he was the only one of his breed entered didn't really matter to us. Since then, we've expanded our entries. Here are photos of (most of) my ribbons. (The baked goods' photos came out poorly, because they were all inside glass cases. You'll just have to take my word for them.)

I entered eggs in five categories - medium and large, white and brown, and "any other" eggs. I won a red ribbon (2nd place), two white ribbons (3rd place), and a yellow ribbon (4th place).

Apparently the brown eggs were supposed to be all the same shade of brown - but where's the fun in that?

I entered three tomato categories - heirloom, paste, and yellow cherry. My heirloom "Brandywine" tomatoes won a red ribbon - yes, I know they're cracked, but the first-place plate were only slightly less cracked. My paste tomatoes did much better - a blue ribbon! The yellow cherry tomatoes also won a blue ribbon, but honesty compels me to acknowledge that they were the only entry in the category.

For "exotic vegetable" I entered an artichoke, which also won a blue ribbon. There were other entries in the category, but I don't remember now what they were. And my green Concord-type "Niagara" grapes also won a blue ribbon! There were some purple grapes entered in that class, as I recall.

 In the upstairs hall, I entered baked goods, canned goods, and knitted items. My white bread won a white ribbon, the 'marble square' bar cookies likewise won a white ribbon, the brownies won a red ribbon, and the banana chocolate-chip muffins won a white ribbon. My multi-grain bread didn't place, though.

I entered a bunch of canned goods - grape jelly, diced tomatoes, green beans, bread-and-butter pickles, all of which failed to place. What did win a blue ribbon, though, was the grape jam, made from the Niagara grapes... and it's the MOST DISGUSTING shade of olive I've ever seen. I was quite bewildered!


The fingerless gloves I entered as 'knitted novelties' didn't place.

However, the baby blanket won a white ribbon. The bed blanket won a red ribbon.

And - finally! - after three years of entering sweaters made from the same Icelandic pattern, I won a blue ribbon!!!

I'll show the children's accomplishments in a separate post.

Progress!

I joined Planet Fitness on September 1st. Naturally, my children had three sick days within the first week of my membership. I made my first trip on Tuesday, September 11th. I biked there (1.6 miles each way) and did no more than the PT exercises for my back before heading home. I thought my legs would fall off.

I went again on Saturday, September 15th. Unless I specify differently, assume I biked there, which I did on Saturday. I did my PT exercises, followed by a very modest tour of the machines. I focused mostly on my arms, since biking is as much as my legs can manage yet.

Next visit was on Monday, September 17th. Again I started with my back exercises, then did a slightly more ambitious round of machines. So far so good - I have really been careful about starting slow, lest I utterly cripple myself.

My fourth visit was today, Wednesday, September 19th. After my back exercises, I added a little bit more weight to the machines I have been using.

I have noticed that my legs are strengthening a bit - biking there didn't leave me sucking wind today (despite a stiff breeze in my face) like it did the first day.

And - best of all - 1 pound gone! 193/145... 48 to go.

EDIT:  Whoa - I just looked at that first day's post, and the news is even better - THREE pounds gone! (still have 48 to go, though)

New beginning

I have a plan. I'm doing pretty well sticking to it so far!

196/145.

More to come.

August 2, 2012 - RIP Decker

Decker and Sheba, 2001

Oh, what a sad day here at the Acre. Our beloved Decker went to the Rainbow Bridge to join Sheba and Mickey (and Draco and Amber, barn cats). The vet came to the farm to give the goatlings their vaccines, and helped us say goodbye to Decker. I wept and wept. It's awful to say goodbye to one dog, but to lose two in one summer was almost unbearable. Bless Lily and Lydia for keeping us company still.

The times they are a-changin'...

Rest in peace, Sheba 1996 - 2012

Since my last post, we've gone from 4 dogs and 5 cats to 3 dogs and 4 cats. Sweet Draco was killed by a car a week ago Friday. The vet came to the house on Tuesday evening to help us ease Sheba's passing. I cried so hard for her. Sixteen years is a really long time, and she was so faithful and loving. There's an entirely different feel around the place in her absence. I'm thankful we have Lydia, the puppy... her effervescent presence does help. Sheba's remains are being cremated, and once Decker has gone and also been cremated, I will place their remains plus Mickey's (1988-2000) in my garden. I think I'll want some sort of commemorative markers.

Californian rabbits

I'm making some changes in which breeds of rabbits we raise, too.  The Californians are decent producers, most of them, but I don't love them. They're one of the two most commonly raised meat breeds - if you read up about meat rabbits in almost any sustainability book, you'll see recommended Californians and New Zealand Whites. They're boring. Mine are extremely fidgety and not very friendly. I've had trouble with sore hocks, and I won't breed an animal with sore hocks. And, on my pastured-growout trials last summer, the Californians did the WORST of any breed I have. By a longshot. Totally unacceptable. So - I'm getting out of Cals.

Thrianta rabbit

The Thriantas were really an impulse acquisition. They're a beautiful color - deep, rich, Irish-Setter red, but... they're small. They're fairly rare, but that's because they're relatively new to the US. They're not a heritage breed. I don't love them enough to devote the cage space to them any longer.

Cinnamon rabbit - and terrific boy

I started out with Cinnamons, and I like them a lot. They're great producers, sweet and cuddly animals, and meet my criteria of being both rare and heritage breed. They definitely have a future here.

 New to the farm this year are Palomino rabbits. I have only a pair of these (one buck, one doe) and their first litter. Still, the doe has the meatiest back end I've ever seen on a rabbit. They're another rare and heritage breed, they're gorgeous, and they're meaty. I look forward to getting to know this breed better!

Creme d'Argent rabbit

Creme d'Argents are... different. They look quite a bit like the Palominos as babies, but as they  mature, silver guard hairs grow in, giving them a different sheen. They're another rare and heritage breed, they're beautiful, they generally have a nice disposition, but I have had more trouble getting them to breed, and produce good-sized litters, than other breeds.  I'll keep them for the sake of genetic diversity, but I just don't love them as much as....

American Blue rabbit - see how differently it's shaped?

...the American Blues.They are far and away my favorites here. They have an entirely different body shape than any other breed I raise - semi-arch rather than commercial. See the swooping rise behind the ears? The other breeds don't have that. When I got my first Americans, three does and a buck, there were something like 500 breeding adults in all of North America. The American Livestock Breed Conservancy had them listed as "Critical." That was in November 2009. Recently, the breed club received the fantastic news that they have been upgraded to "Threatened." You can read here about the history of this gorgeous breed. They are definitely keepers here - and will in future have more and more cage space allotted to them. I can also report that they did the best of any breed in last summer's pastured-growout trials.

New Zealand Red rabbit

Remember I mentioned above how the most commonly mentioned meat breeds are Californians and New Zealand Whites? Turns out that New Zealands come in other colors, too - notably, for my interest, Red. I have a trio of these beauties heading my way early in June. Why these instead of Thriantas? Size, mostly - these are a commercial/meat breed, with adults in the 9-11 pound range, while Thriantas' maximum showable weight is 6 pounds. EDIT: photo of New Zealand Red courtesy of Martine Forget at http://a-self-sufficient-life.blogspot.com/. Thanks, Martine!

So - that's what's going on around here. I'm a big fan of heritage breed livestock, just as I'm a fan of heirloom vegetables. Genetic diversity is soooooooooo important, and so much has been lost in the past 100 years, due to breeding for criteria other than depth of gene pool. I'm happy and honored to have a part in perpetuating some of these fantastic animals!

Welcome back to Blessed Acre!

Welcome back to Blessed Acre! Did you miss me? I have been interrupted by Real Life™ but my co-conspirator, Anne, is ready to crack the whip and get me writing regularly again.

I honestly can’t remember where things stood last time I posted, so….

The children are finishing up 8^th, 6^th, 4^th, and 3^rd grades next month and are the joys of my life – smart, healthy, clever, loving, inquisitive – and even generally helpful!

Sheba - Decker is camera shy!

In the house, there are four dogs – Sheba is almost 16 and Decker is 15, and if they last the summer, I’ll be thankful. Lily is 7 and Lydia is 4 months. Sheba and Decker are Black Lab mixes, Lily is a Golden Retriever, and Lydia is a Farm Collie – smart as a whip, that one! The children suckered me into an indoor cat – a large, declawed Maine Coon-looking fellow called Harry.

Harry, in the way

Lily and Lydia, tired out

Maia, left; Kahlua, on top; Bast, right

There’s a fabulous 20 x 30 foot barn here now that was finished in October 2010. It houses about 100 laying hens, which poop everywhere and lay 50-70 eggs daily. I got Nigerian Dwarf dairy goats in October 2011, and Bast just kidded last Friday – triplet doelings! Star, Sephara, and Lynx – all between 3 and 3.13 pounds. Maia and Kahlua are due to kid around the first of August. 

Minutes old!

There are presently chicks in the brooder – White Rock, Delaware, and Columbian Wyandotte laying pullets, plus 25 Cornish Cross broilers (huge already!) and I scored 37 more miscellaneous laying pullets when the Farmers’ Supply had chick day and not all the chicks were claimed. There are also four barn cats, hard-to-place cats from the local shelter. They are in charge of being nuisances, fussing to be fed, and taunting the puppy.

Spot, Bengal, Draco

Jade

There are 39 rabbit hutches, plus four grow-out cages, plus two rabbit ‘tractors’ for pastured growing out, as soon as the weather is suitable full-time. We have mostly rare heritage breeds – American Blues, Cremes d’Argent, Cinnamons, Palominos – as well as Thriantas (rare but not heritage) and Californians. Please don’t ask me how many rabbits there are at any given time, because I haven’t a clue.

The food and flower plants are doing great. Daffodils and tulips are gone by, and the peonies are budding like crazy. I transplanted the blueberries into a new bed last fall – built the bed in the spring and filled it with the winter’s barn bedding. They look very happy! I lost two apple trees to the October snowstorm, but it could have been worse. The peach trees (one in front, two in back) flowered like mad, and I’m waiting to see if that translates into fruit. One apple in the front flowered nicely but again, I’m waiting. The strawberries are blooming now. I added elderberries last year, and black and red currants, gooseberries, and bush cherries this year. I had 20 gallons of grapes off of my green “Niagara” grape vine last fall – lots of rather runny jam! I added a grape arbor behind the sun room, and am hoping the four grapes planted there will survive and thrive. Meanwhile the “Mars” Concord grape vine by the garden has teeny-tiny bunches of grapes coming. Only kale, chard, spinach, peas, and lettuce are sown so far – but the tomatoes go in this weekend and it’s time to sow the beans, too!

can we shift this line just a bit, please?

Just a little bit to the north, please? I don't mind rain - it'll melt down the huge, dirty snowbanks. But I really don't need more snow.

K? Thnxbai.

a knitting saga...

It all started with this gorgeous sweater. I got it at the Salvation Army store for all of about $4. I mean... really! And, it's green!

Look at the workmanship! The wool on the inside was twisted after every stitch, so not only is it really, really warm, there are no loops for my fingers to get stuck in. And note that the neckband and the button bands are crocheted, not ribbed... makes them very snug and they keep their shape perfectly. Pity I can't crochet.

So during the volcanic eruptions in Iceland last year, I saw an image of an Icelander leading his pony to safety, and he had on this gorgeous sweater in shades of blue. I got a hankering to have a similar sweater. Alas, one cannot compel the perfect sweater to turn up in the thrift store on command... but wait! I was only a few weeks away from finishing my MA... I could MAKE one! I bought the wool, and got knitting. I finished the sweater at my cousin Geraldine's house in England, and when I got home, I entered it into the Fair. I won a 3rd place ribbon... the first place winner was not only a stunning Fisherman's pattern, but the knitter was also the alpaca raiser who'd shorn and spun her own yarn. She won fair and square. (I don't recall who won 2nd place. I was too boggled by the 1st place sweater!)

Behold the shades-of-blue sweater. I do love it!

While I was in England, I stopped into my favorite wool shop in the Shambles in York, formerly called "Sheepish" but under new management as "Ramshambles". Exercising superhuman restraint, I came home with only one skein of wool, with the intent to learn to make socks. When Karelia came to visit in August, she got me started.

Alas that I did not read the directions! I ribbed and ribbed on freaking tiny, toothpick-diameter double-pointed needles. Then I realized that I had two choices: I could either rip out several inches of that wretched ribbing (ugh!) or I could deal with the fact that I would have to rib that much again on the mate, when I made it. I couldn't deal with it, and I had some of the gorgeous, soft, cream wool left, so...



I raided my stash of Lopi up in the attic and started another Icelandic sweater. I looked through all the pattern books I have on hand, and didn't find a cardigan pattern I liked better, so I did the same pattern again. Alas, I ran out of the cream wool and had to buy more.

Once I'd finished it, I thought about starting the Fisherman's sweater I've been hoping to make... I've got the wool - rich, deep green - I know you're astonished beyond words - but honestly, cables terrify me. And I was tired. And it was cold. And the children were home for two snow days in a row. So... I could have dealt with the sock problem. Did I?

Heck no! I started a third Icelandic sweater. There was, after all, lots of the cream wool left over, y'know?

I can see already that this cream wool is going to end up like my Grandpa Chandler's mashed potatoes and gravy. He never could get them to come out even. He'd take more potatoes, then run out of gravy. He'd put on more gravy, then run out of potatoes. With any luck, I'll end up with Icelandics in every color of the rainbow before I give up!