Wind Power

We live an area of the country that isn't subject to great weather extremes, so the odd time we get something weird, it is quite an event.

Yesterday afternoon I was making jam, and I noticed that the light over the stove dimmed a few times.

David was outside cleaning up something on the patio, and he yelled at me to come out.  Off to the south we could hear the noise of the wind, and branches and trees snapping and crashing.  Eventually it hit us, and the wind was just roaring, the trees were bending and thrashing.  I headed back inside, taking the dogs with me, and our power had gone out.  It was just too freaky outside.

Unfortunately I hadn't finished the last batch of jam.  After a fruitless search for the camping stove, Larry and David carried the canner full of hot water and jars of jam out to the trailer and I finished it off there.  The power was out for 11 hours.

This morning I expected that we'd see a huge mess around our place, but actually there was only one tree down close by the house, and that was in the sheep field.  There had been a big crack in the tree, and we had actually tried to pull the half that is now on the ground over with the tractor, without success.  Looks like the live part is what fell over, and the rest is dead, so it will all be cut up into firewood.

In the back bush, mostly what was down was cottonwood branches, complete with unopened seed pods.  Oh well, that much less white fluff floating around in the near future I hope.

We rounded a bend in the trail, and we saw this.

Are we in Kansas?

But you don't look like Toto!

Busted!!

Jake tried to get through and couldn't

We backtracked and went around the other way to get a better look.  Calli tried to get through from that side, but couldn't either.

It was a huge maple branch from the top of our neighbours tree.  It had flattened the fence wire, but had the decency to miss both fence posts.

One thing that we did notice when we were out there was that the salmonberries were ripening, so this afternoon I went back out with a bucket and picked some.

I managed to pick half a bucket

The dogs pick their own

Then we played a silly game.

A few salmonberries were harmed in the process.

Can we move now?  please, please, we're going cross eyed.

Not quite as hard to resist as a dog treat, but they were happy to gulp them down when I gave the word.

There will be lots more salmonberry picking walks coming up.

The things we do for our dogs.

The other day I was in Thrifty Foods. I already knew that some of their organ meats (for the dogs) were cheaper than other places I shop, so if I am in White Rock and am out shopping with my mother, I make a point to pick up a few more packages.

I am always on the lookout for variety, and was really excited when I found some bags of fish trim. They worked out to $1.77 lb, which is fits in my guidelines of trying to find meat for $2 or less. The best I have done so far is to get whole turkeys and chicken legs for $1.00 lb.

When I was going through the checkout, the cashier asked if I wanted the fish bagged seperately from the meat.  I said no, it was just for the dogs.  So she asked if I cooked it.  I said no, they get it raw.  Even the fish heads? she asked.  Oh yes I said, and smiled to myself at the look on her face.  She asked what kind of dogs I had.  I wondered if she was expecting me to say a wolf cross or something similar.  I smiled again and said two border collies and a lab.  I left her thinking about that one:)
Two of the packages of fish looked like sockeye, really I am just guessing, as it was a very orangey meat, and the other one was a bit lighter.  I hope it wasn't one of those farmed salmon, but that was the biggest head of all, and I don't think the farmed fish are allowed to grow as big as that one.

Fresh raw salmon can have dire consequences when fed to dogs, so it must be frozen first.  Read about that here  So I spread the salmon out on trays so that the pieces would be frozen individually.  That way I can just pull a piece out of the bag later without have to thaw the whole lot.  You would get kind of a shock right now if you lifted the lid of one of our freezers!

I took one of the packages of kidney and diced it up and spread it on a cookie sheet to make training treats.  I cook it slowly in a 250-275 degree oven until it is very dry and firm.  It gets firmer as it cools, so you have to be careful not too cook it until it is too hard.  I like it when it is firm and dry, but I can still break it into even smaller pieces if I need to.

Unfortunately I got a bit distracted and left the kidney in too long, and it got harder than I would have liked.  There was a fair bit of fat left in the bottom of the pan, so I rubbed some plain cheerios around in that and added them to the mix.  Into little baggies they went, and into the freezer to be grabbed when needed.

So for just over $2 and a bit of time, the dogs have some healthy treats.  Oh yeah, if anyone has any 'old' or freezer burnt meat in their freezer that they want rid of, just let me know:)

And speaking of getting distracted, I forgot to turn a pot of marmalade down before I went outside this morning, and when I came back inside it had boiled dry and was burning on the bottom of the pot.  You know, I can see myself in my mind's eye turning that dial down, but obviously it was just my imagination.  Sure was frustrating, when I think of the time it took to juice and chop those oranges.  The joys (not) of aging:(

Rain, glorious rain.

It rained today, and I was glad.  For the past week or more I have been watering new seedings in the vegetable garden, and areas were the seedlings are still tiny.  It was a relief today that Mother Nature took care of it, and gave everything a good soaking. 

The sun even came out this afternoon for a little while.  I like weeding when it is like that.  The ground is soft and moist and warm feeling, and the weeds seem to come out easier.  I wandered out there and pulled out a few.

Time was moving on though, and since we were heading that way for other reasons, we stopped at Douglas Taylor Park and took the dogs for a walk.

Unfortunately one of the first things I noticed was a large patch of the wild chervil in a field next to the trail. We saw more of it along the sides of the trail as we walked.

Damn stuff, it is getting to be everywhere.

The trail heads east

and then down a hill

until it turns north and enters First Nation lands.

There is a funny story connected to this section of trail.  Last Summer we were walking along here.  Suddenly Luna dove into the bushes on the right, and out flew a chicken.  It ended up in the big field on the other side of the trail.  Luna herded it around, and finally she and I managed to trap it against the fence.  I scooped it up and carried it in the crook of my elbow as we continued on our walk.  It was the same kind of hen we had at home, and seemed to be okay other than missing most of it's tail feathers.  I can only assume it was grabbed by a coyote (I have a friend with chickens that lives not far from there) and then managed to make an escape, and had been living on the lam ever since. 

The funny part was how on the way back we met two other people, each of which we spoke to, and neither of them seemed to even look at and certainly didn't coment on the hen.

We joked afterwards about them telling family members about this crazy woman that was taking her chicken for a walk.

The hen did fine with our bunch, although insisted on roosting on a fence rail every night instead of going in the coop.  We would put her in the door at night before we shut it.  Finally one night when it was pouring rain, she went in on her own.  Eventually her tail feathers grew back, and then we couldn't recognize her from the rest.

There was some really ancient looking machinery parked under the trees in that field.  The blackberries were doing their best to disguise them.  The cattle in the field are doing a number on the tree roots, and we saw some trees that looked like they had been stripped of bark all the way around.

The trail is also shared with horses, and Luna spooked this one, which was our fault.  I apologized and the woman was good about it.  She could have told us to get those flippin' dogs on the leash.

We timed it well and got back to the car before the rain started again.

Let Sleeping Dogs Lie

Random Stuff

I went to the back hayfield this evening and weedeated the chervil back to the ground, for the fourth? time I think it is.  Larry did the hayfield closer to the house yesterday. Geez that stuff is persistant.  I swear that you must just about be able to see it grow, considering how much it grows in a week.  I'm trying to exhaust it to death, but it might be me that gets exhausted.  The theory being that if it keeps getting cut back, and then sends out leaves and flowers again, that get cut off yet again, it is actually putting out more energy than it is taking in.  I can only hope.

Another jam day today, but not as productive as yesterday.  I better get used to it now that we are in market season.  Today was raspberry jelly and strawberry jam.

I seeded three kinds of radishes and some mustard greens yesterday.  I grew mustard greens last year, but they weren't really a success.  They grew too high too fast, and they weren't much of a seller.  The variety this year is supposed to be a low grower, so I hope I can add it to the salad mix. 

The arugula is going gangbusters, and I think there will a fair bit to pick for next week's market.  The broad beans have started to flower.

Lots of weadeating and lawn mowing done today.  Larry worked on straightening the blade on the brush mower that goes on the back of the tractor.  Luna does not like any banging like that, or chopping of wood, or pounding in fence posts (we did a few of those this week), so she was wanting in the house.  She doesn't like the weed eater, but the lawnmower doesn't bother her. 

I buried the little yellow hen in a corner of the vegetable garden, well actually in the perennial section.  Seemed appropriate.

Off to the market tomorrow, and there are greens and herbs to pick in the morning before I go. 

To end on a humourous and doggy note, click here and watch the Regis and Kelly video.  I'll bet you laughed!  And talk about how NOT to dress when walking your dog....

What a lovely day.

After doing a mega jamming session today (5 different kinds and 70 jars later), figured we should take the dogs down to the dyke for a good run after supper.  It had been a perfect day, the weather that is, and the evening was lovely too

The grass down there was going wild like our place.  A guy and his dogs could get lost.

Luna and Jake just wanted to get down to the water and FETCH STICKS!

We disturbed this heron who landed on top of the dyke on the other side of the creek.

Jake swam towards the light  I mean stick

 But the blind(ed by the light) cannot see, and he couldn't find it

They had better luck in this spot

And the mandatory shaking photo

Someone had kindly built a rock walkway from the gravel bar back to the dyke, but the water was so low that we didn't need it.

Luna and Jake started to wrestle                                      and turned into an eight legged red and black blob

until they got a whiff of something more interesting

and back down into the jungle they went

The jungle on this side of the dyke has all been cut and was gone.  Just waiting for some hot days to do ours.  Can't say as I'm really looking forward to that though.

Happy Hens

It's been a week and a half since we brought the new hens home.  They have settled right in, and you'd think they had been here for a lot longer.  Considering they hadn't been outside until they came here; well after the initial trepidation of stepping outside into a brave new world, they haven't looked back.

When we let them out in the morning the first thing they do is put their heads down and start pecking at the grass.  Nothing like a little fiber for breakfast.

A few had already started to lay little eggs by the time they came here, and the rest are quickly getting into the swing of it.  Tonight I collected 27 eggs from those 60 hens.  Right now we have got them penned in a smaller part of the field.  I want to 'train' them to lay in the chicken coop rather than wandering down the field and picking a spot under a bush or in the ditch which is what happened last year.

 I missed a funny shot this morning.  There were three hens in one nest box, and all three of them were facing out, so it looked like a three headed fat hen.  By the time I had run and got the camera, one had left and the other two had rearranged themselves.

They are having a great time having dust baths.  If you haven't seen chickens having a dust bath, click here.  The hens have created that dusty hole all by themselves.

Yesterday I heard the rooster give a warning cry.  I was working in the vegetable garden so I looked over to see what he was looking at.  He was stood there with head up high, as were the two hens he was with.  I laughed when I saw what they were concerned about.  On the other side of the fence in the long grass I could see a rabbit sitting on it's hind legs (I assumed)  as I could see just it's head and long ears over the top of the grass, peering back at the chickens.  Of course by the time I got the camera, the rabbit was gone. 

Later this morning, there was a hen cackling in some cedar trees in the sheep field.  Then I realized it was up the tree.  When I went close enough to see, there it was about 15 feet up on an old suspension type bridge that went from one cedar to another and used to lead to a tree fort that has since been ripped down.  Another race for the camera, and another shot missed.   I guess I need to have that camera with me at all times. 

Unfortunately this 'little yellow hen', who would be 5 years old this summer, does not seem to be doing well.  If any of the hens came close to being pets, she would be the one. 

Five years ago two hens went broody (wanted to hatch their eggs), so we let them sit on some.  Three weeks later, we ended up with one hen with three chicks and one hen with one, which was the yellow one.  Before we got Luna, that little yellow hen would always magically appear if we were doing gardening anywhere.  After the arrival of Luna, well she found it too much to have a border collie hanging over her every move, so she didn't come out of the chicken field as often.  

We are coddling her a bit, keeping her seperate during the day, and hoping for a full recovery, but I have my doubts.  Age may be catching up with her.   One of the other chicks, 'the little orange hen' is doing fine, but she was never as sociable as the yellow one.  The other two turned out to be roosters, and they are long gone.

Thursday afternoon - RIP little yellow hen