Holy Cow!

First of I must apologize for not getting to this sooner. My computer can sometimes be very slow. So to catch up on the last three weeks of my life. .... Or maybe just the last two because I can't really remember 3 weeks ago.

On Tuesday of last week we got a cow! She is a large beautiful brown and white Irish or Scottish breed. We may not actually keep her because Monte is not happy about Laura getting a cow. Plus she isn't giving quite as much milk as we expected because she got sick.... (she somehow got into the chickens grain and ate too much.) She is doing better now. She was given to Laura on an experiment type of agreement. If Laura decided that the extra hay and work was worth it we could keep the cow... if not... the original owner will take her back into his herd. All the cow's milk will be turned into cheese and butter and our own cream.

That same Tuesday we also pulled out all the rest of the remaining tomato bushes. Which was kind of sad because they were just starting to get some green tomatoes growing.... and then we got an early frost.

Katie Jickling is no longer one of the interns here. :( She has gone off to have more adventures.

We canned some green beans sometime during this last week. Our green beans plants are pretty much gone because of the frost as well.

Laura's brother Steve is staying here for a little while. He is an AMAZING guitarist. He will play Bach on the guitar all day. It is wonderful to listen to.

Last Friday we put up a hoop house over the peppers in hopes that they will again begin to flourish. For those who might be confused at "What is a Hoop House?" the best way I can describe it... it is like a greenhouse that you can move. You take curved poles all along the row... secure them into the ground and pull a plastic sheet over them. Once the sheet is in place you anchor that to the ground as well. We used large boards, bars, and sandbags.

Monday of this week we processed all of our turkeys (15) all of our geese (3) (:D) and all but 3 of our roosters (18) plus an accidental hen. ( the interns who were catching the roosters ... me and Matt didn't know at first to look for spurs. We just looked at the large comb and grabbed it. However after it was dead we discovered an egg inside that was ready to lay, and some undeveloped eggs.) Opps.
We had at least 4 turkeys that weighed 30 lbs.... after all the feathers had been plucked, and it's inside had been hollowed out. The farm is very quite now. It is kind of strange.

There is also a new wwoofer! Her name is Nella, she is 29 and from France!!!!! She seems like an Awesome person. She will only be here for 3 weeks.

When I first got here I heard all about the joys of washing lettuce in the winter. I am now experiencing it. Romaine Mix, Spinach, and Arugula, are the ones I have now helped with for the last few weeks. Your hands get so cold dealing with wet greens and there is usually a cold wind now to add to the numb fingers. I think it would be funny if there was a tractor that honked the word Arugula like the old cars that sound like "Alugggggga... Alugggggggggggaaaaa". I am thinking of making a picture book with this idea. First of all tractors don't honk. I still think it would be fun!

I have read some very good books while being here. The ones Laura has assigned me are.... Real Food by Nina Planck Animal, Vegetable, Miricle by Barbara Kingsolver, Letters of a Woman Homesteader by Elinore Pruitt Stewart. All of these books are really good and you should read them. Then there are the books I have just pulled off of Laura's shelves.... Laddie by Gene Stratton-Porter, Little Women by Louisa May Alcott, and I have just started reading John Halifax, Gentleman by Miss Mulock

I believe this is all I have to say for the time being. I hope to do another blog this week dedicated to how thanksgiving was on the farm. ttfn

Since today is Thanksgiving.... Have a happy and thankful one!