Rugosa Rose Farm

Critters

2012-03-06T08:15:00.001-05:00

Saturday was a great shopping day. My sister joined me for the whole day bouncing around from one errand to another. I came home with a full car and an empty wallet.

Sunday, I went down into the basement to put some things away and found quite a sight. You see, I don’t go into that section of the basement that often, just a quick run down for some chicken treats in the morning which are near the door in metal trash cans. We had some unwelcome visitors that had left their “evidence” everywhere. They had also chewed through the tubing that goes outside from the dehumidifier so everything was wet too. Fortunately it was mostly all waterproof goods canned tuna and such, but the back up bags of chicken food were ruined. So I spent all day scrubbing the basement, fixing the tubing, and setting out “gifts” for the critters. I wish my neighbor would come back with their outdoor cat. They moved to another neighborhood for the winter. Anna would’ve never let this happen. Needless to say all of my pantry items for the basement are now sitting in my tiny living room waiting for the all clear. Stinkin critters.

Goin Off Island

2012-03-03T07:28:00.001-05:00

I'm going off island today! That clock is right, could only get a reservation on the 7am boat this morning. It's been so long since I've done a shopping trip. The stores are low. I need to refill the stash of paper goods and such. Also need shavings for the girls. It will be a leisurely day, Husband is holding down the fort at home.

I'm trying a new app to post from my phone. So if it looks weird, that's why.

An update on Persy: She's still screaming like a banshee in the morning and I'm still leaning toward crazy :)

The price of eggs

2012-03-01T19:38:00.001-05:00

As you all know Persy started laying on Sunday. Well she also started screaming like she was being tortured for no apparent reason in the morning. The other chickens just ignore her and look at me when I come running as if to say “It’s just Persy, she’s fine”. All I can think is that the egg is moving through the system and it feels weird to her. She’s does not seem to be in pain. But, it’s quite annoying. Any ideas? Will she get used to it and settle down? Or is she just crazy? I’m leaning toward crazy. None of the other girls ever did anything like this.

Wandering Wednesday – Rome – Aquaduct Park

2012-02-29T07:33:00.001-05:00

Aquaduct Park (Parco degli acquedotti) is just outside the walls of Rome. It’s a short metro ride and subsequent 4 block walk and almost no visitors go there. Only the Romans, who use the area to picnic, jog, play football, and just catch some fresh air and get away from the hustle and bustle of downtown.

We were there on a week day and saw lots of joggers doing what husband and I call the “Roman Jog” which is described as a gentle lumber as to exercise the body but not really perspire or muss ones hair. It’s a regal trot. I think it’s like the skill of walking on the cobblestones in high heels, one is just born with the ability or not.

I hope you’ve enjoyed our Wandering Wednesday :)

Popovers

2012-02-27T08:02:00.001-05:00

Sunday I had the biggest yearning for popovers. Usually my old standby recipe is from my vintage gold covered Fannie Farmer Cookbook, but sometimes Fannie’s recipe doesn’t pop. Lately I have been having so much luck with King Arthur, I thought I would give their recipe a try. With my popover pan mysteriously missing, I went for the muffin pan which worked out fine. It was a very basic recipe, with a lot of warming ingredients before mixing, which was new to me. But, I have to say it was worth it from how successful they were. They are nice and flaky on the outside and airy with just enough dough on the inside with a good taste.

With a little butter fresh from the oven they were delicious and were all gone after Sunday meatloaf dinner.

We’ve hopped into the Homemaker Hop!

Persephone Laid an Egg!

2012-02-26T11:21:00.001-05:00

Yay Persy! For those that don’t know Persy’s story, she started life as a fertilized egg for very broody Betty in August. And she is now laying her own little eggs. She started squatting for me last week and has been more boisterous than usual the last few days. This morning, everyone was outside in the yard and she was missing. I looked everywhere and finally found her in the nest box. Of course, once she saw me she assumed it was treat time and came running from the empty nest box.

I went back inside and came out a couple of hours later after I heard a large racket outside and there it was. A tiny pale egg, still warm, waiting in the nest box. You can see how tiny it is compared to her adopted mama Betty’s egg.

I have said this before, but the circle of life amazes me. Maybe now that the youngest is laying, it will urge some of the older girls to get a move on.

Friday Finds – 2/24/2012

2012-02-24T07:44:00.001-05:00

Yesterday the temperature outside was well above 50F. This morning we woke up to a coating of snow. Welcome to New England! The theme this week for Friday Finds is “Let’s get Cozy”. There’s no better way to keep your tea, eggs, coffee, hands, and hedgehog warm on these random chilly days than with a stylish cozy. I wonder if the cats would put up with a hedgehog in the family.

I hope you’ve enjoyed my cozy Friday Finds. To see more, you can visit the treasury on etsy.

Aphrodite Update

2012-02-23T21:42:00.001-05:00

After looking sluggish, acting a little ditzy, and not laying for two days Aphrodite was her old self today. The egg she finally laid had a bit of a covering of calcification on it, like it sat in the shell building department in the track for the two days. Otherwise, it was normal size and a little chalky in color. She never did the eggbound tail squat, so I don’t think it was stuck. Just a slow mover. I’ll keep an eye on her and hope this doesn’t happen again. Sometimes things just go wonky once in a while.

Wandering Wednesday – Rome part 1

2012-02-22T07:33:00.001-05:00

I have had a yearning lately to return to Rome. We try to go about once a year and last year was in February. This year will not be until November and I’m wishing it was sooner. As a small respite, I am going to feature Rome and Italy in the next few Wandering Wednesdays until I get it out of my system. I’ll revisit my tropical vacation at another time.

A lot of people I have talked to can’t see past the graffiti in Rome and the annoying bureaucracy that is Italy. I accept it for what it is and love how ancient and modern live and coexist in a bustling city. I have learned in Italy more than anywhere else to accept what I cannot change and go with the flow.

Staying in an apartment let’s you adopt a neighborhood for a period of time. Each neighborhood has it’s own outdoor market, it’s own butcher, it’s own salumeria, and it’s own “egg and pasta” shop. My favorite egg and pasta shop is on the Via Po. The older gentleman behind the counter was always very helpful and gave specific directions for each pasta. He spoke slowly (my Italian gets better with each visit but is still remedial. I am also a better listener than speaker) and made sure I understood his directions each time before I left. We need to start egg and pasta shops here in America. It still wouldn’t be the same.

The Morning Grogies

2012-02-21T07:54:00.001-05:00

It feels like Monday today. Aphrodite was looking a bit pale and slow this morning. It was chilly last night, maybe she’s just taking a while to get going. In any case, I added Apple Cider Vinegar to the water and Chili Powder to the food just in case they need a little boost. Support the good enzymes, kill the bad stuff.

My little boost this morning was a big cup of coffee and some raisin walnut toast from the bread I made yesterday. It came out a little dense, but the recipe said it was hearty. It was the perfect filling breakfast this morning.

Chicken Chat with the Girls

2012-02-19T09:27:00.001-05:00

Saturday was so nice. The girls were out all day scratching and pecking. Betty couldn’t decide where they wanted to settle. I was outside for about 20 minutes with them and she kept leading them to different sections of the yard. It was like she had ADD. They would come over and say hi, then go over to the wood pile, then they would come back, and then go over to the compost pile, then the side yard, then near the house, and repeat. It was making me dizzy after a bit, but at least they were active and got some exercise. Nike kind of hung out in the middle and waited for them to drive by. Once she noticed they had moved, they were moving somewhere else.

We are still only getting two eggs a day, one from Betty and one from Aphrodite. The other girls don’t seem to be in any rush. They should all be laying except for maybe Persephone. She is about 22 weeks old now. But, has recently started squatting for me, so maybe soon. Doris is quite old enough to be laying and should be in her prime at almost 2 years old now and Nike, well Nike is special. We’ll put it that way. I just hope Betty keeps off being broody until the others pick up the slack.

I’ve hopped on to Ms. Amy’s Barnhop :)

My first ever Award!

2012-02-18T13:39:00.001-05:00

Melissa at Tilly’s Nest was so nice as to award us with The Versatile Blogger Award! I’m so excited and thankful! There are rules associated with receiving this award and passing it on and they are as follows:

1. Add the award to your blog. (done)
2. Thank the blogger who gave it to you. (done)
3. Mention seven random things about yourself. (see below)
4. List the rules. (done)
5. Award to 15 bloggers. (will do)
6. Inform each of those 15 by leaving a comment on their blog.

So my seven random things are as follows:

1. I never wear makeup.

2. I don’t believe chocolate and fruit belong together under any circumstances.

3. I love to read real paper books.

4. I collect cake plates. All kinds. But my favorite is the harp pattern by The Jeanette Glass Company.

5. I’m very very shy speaking in front of a crowd. But will talk randomly to people in line at the grocery store.

6. My favorite food is hard shell New England lobster boiled or grilled.

7. I’m always looking for chickens in people’s yards.

Friday Finds – 2/17/2012

2012-02-17T08:05:00.001-05:00

Happy Clouds :)

I hope you’ve enjoyed my Friday Finds. You can find more in the accompanying treasury on etsy :)

Birds get the Flu too..

2012-02-16T19:49:00.001-05:00

I read the other day that they found 12 dead swans in Westboro, Ma last month. 4 of them had Low Pathogenic Avian Influenza (LPAI). The other 8 did not and they don’t know why they died. The more deadly kind known as High Pathogen Avian Influenza (HPAI) is more often found in Asia but has been seen in other countries.
LPAI is not deadly in most birds, but it can make your chickens not well and go off laying according the the Mass DAR site. I’m always worried about bringing something home by accident. Chickens are very sensitive.
Long ago when we got our first chickens we established some rules to try to keep from unknowingly carrying anything into the backyard, which is the chicken zone.
- We have shoes that are only worn in the backyard. They stay by the backdoor. Outside shoes are left by the front door. The two never meet.
- No visitors in the backyard past the pergola.
- Chickens do not leave the backyard. This is sometimes easier said than done when they see something yummy on the other side of the fence.
- We wash our hands before we go in the back yard and after.
These are pretty simple rules. We do have visitors once in a while. I just ask that we clean the bottoms of their shoes or they bring clean shoes for the back yard. If we have been to another farm we will usually also change our outer clothes. I know that wild birds and any other animals that wander through can bring something in, I’m not looking for a sterile environment, just to cut down on the chances of bringing any unfriendly diseases in. We all want our flocks healthy and happy.

Wandering Wednesday – Galveston, Texas

2012-02-15T19:17:00.001-05:00

I have realized that the beginning of my trip was really picture heavy, but not much toward the end. We started in the little city of Galveston a week before the Mardi Gras Marathon. Galveston has great potential. It was hit by a bad bad hurricane a couple of years ago and is still in recovery mode. My sister and I had a very nice time there for a couple of days before our cruise.
We went on a dolphin watch and cruise of the harbor, visited the offshore oil drilling museum, visited the train museum, had crab for dinner, and stayed in a lovely hotel. It was a very nice start to our vacation.

The only dolphin I got a picture of. We saw more, but they are quick like chickens.

Hope you’ve all enjoyed our little visit to Galveston. Some of the pictures have some hazy spots on the right hand side. It is not a ghost. I think there was a bit of salt on the lens from the dolphin tour. :)

Where Have I Been !?!?!

2012-02-13T23:44:00.001-05:00

Well, I had a lovely vacation.

I relaxed in tropical breezes under a palapa with an umbrella drink in hand.
Swam in the Caribbean.
Acquired a “sun kissed” glow for five minutes.
Visited Mayan ruins.
Saw manatees, alligators, and monkeys.

It was great! and then…….. I returned and promptly got a horrible cold which lasted a good week with a grand finale of a horrible sinus infection. TaDah!

I am not one of those people that takes drugs or antibiotics for everything. Home remedies are attempted and usually work. If that fails, books are referenced to see if there’s anything I forgot about. Our Chiropractor is also an herbalist and I will ask her for advice sometimes. Let’s just say it has to be bad to call the doctor and take drugs. All other routes had been exhausted.

Fortunately, I have a great doctor, who saw me the minute I called him. Yes that’s right. He made time to see me that day as soon as I could get there. He listened, examined and gave me some drugs and I am feeling soooooo much better. I can see straight again. Drugs are good sometimes. When properly used of course.

Friday Finds

2012-01-28T14:23:00.001-05:00

This week someone featured my item in their treasury.

http://www.etsy.com/treasury/NzMyNDY1OXwxOTY3MTMwMzQ2/choose-a-path-less-travelled

Wandering Wednesday – Rainforest of Puerto Rico

2012-01-25T23:11:00.001-05:00

The rainforest of Puerto Rico is warm and humid. It smells fresh and clean like the garden after it rains. There are a lot of recognizable houseplants in ginormous sizes. It’s interesting seeing them in their natural habitats.

A prime example is this fern. That is a bus behind the lower right corner.

I loved the snails

I hope you’ve enjoyed the rainforest today. This will be my last full post for a while. I am going on vacation. Woooo! I may send some pics along if I can. Need to add to the coffers for future Wandering Wednesdays :D

Mom’s Chocolate Chip Cookies

2012-01-24T22:26:00.001-05:00

Mom swears her recipe came off the back of a chocolate chip bag, but I have never seen the same one on any bag and I have never tasted one so perfect to me.

Ingredients:

2/3 C Shortening

2/3 C Butter ( I use unsalted. Sometimes if we use salted it ends up a little salty)

1 C Light Brown Sugar 3 C Flour (I use KAF Unbleached White)

1 C White Sugar 1 tsp Baking Soda

2 Eggs 1 tsp salt

2 tsp Vanilla Bag of chips of choice + some nuts like a cup

Preheat oven to 375

1) Cream butter, shortening, and sugars together until smooth.

2) Add eggs and vanilla mix in.

3) Mix dry ingredients together and then incorporate into the wet mix.

4) Add chips and optional nuts. Should look like the first picture :) Wet but moldable.

5) Use a Tablespoon to scoop out a full tablespoon (mine are often a little over) and form a loose ball and place on cookie sheet. Repeat until sheet is full.

6) Bake approximately 12 minutes.

***Very important*** Bake just until it has the slightly golden edges and little brownish bumps. See the bumps in the picture above? You’ll double think yourself and say they don’t look done. But they are. They really are! There shouldn’t be any wet spots. Just look for the bumps. It’s sooo important. If you overcook them they won’t be soft. They will be hard. They’ll still taste good, but they won’t have the same mouthy feel.

I really love these cookies. They are my childhood in every bite. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do. It has taken me quite a bit of pondering to share it, but mom keeps saying she got it off the chip bag. Did your mom make the same ones? I wonder sometimes.

Winter has arrived…..

2012-01-23T20:36:00.001-05:00

Finally ! I love snow it makes winter so bright! It snowed all day Saturday and we ended up with about 8” or so. The Husband took our 4 wheel drive car to work and I stayed home and baked while the snow fell. I made my mom’s chocolate chip cookies and maple walnut bread and will share them in a future post. Probably tomorrow. I should get a picture of those cookies before they all disappear.

The chickens definitely do not like snow and they told me all kinds of stories when I went to visit them. We had taken the lattice down from the side of the run when Athena died and I didn’t realize how much weather it kept out. We are going to have to do something before it snows again. I do have some heavy plastic, but we tried that one year and it just blew off no matter how many nails or staples or bales of hay we used to hold it. I have a large collection of old windows I collected when making the new house. Maybe I will try something with them.

Anywho, I took a ride Sunday and took some pictures. I enjoy the quiet solitude we have here in the winter. It seems everything is at rest.

Menemsha

Below is my favorite soft serve window. They have chocolate peanut butter dip! Yep, it’s like your ice cream cone is dipped in a peanut butter cup! Yum. Not today though.

Tashmoo

I seem to have ended up with a fishermen’s snow day theme. In Menemsha there is a lobster boat for sale by the road. On the sign it says “Surprise your wife. Buy her a lobster boat for Christmas!” Nobody took his idea to heart by the fact that the boat is still there. Can’t say he didn’t try though :)

Friday Finds- 1/20/2012

2012-01-20T08:27:00.001-05:00

This week my Friday Finds was inspired by pretty eggs. Especially the lovely, but alas elusive for me, blue eggs.

I hope you’ve enjoyed this weeks finds. To see more you can check out the treasury.

Inspection

2012-01-19T08:20:00.001-05:00

We received a pink slip on the door yesterday. The girls have been counted in the state farm animal census. Their little 4’X6’ house also passed “barn” inspection.

Wandering Wednesday – St. Maarten

2012-01-18T17:45:00.001-05:00

I can’t believe it but I am running out of tropical places. Some pictures seem to have disappeared from the computer, such as the Panama Canal, Cozumel, and Ecuador. What about Aruba can’t find her either. hmmmmm. I will have to look in other places. Otherwise, it’s a good thing I have a tropical trip planned for the end of the month :D

Anywho, think warm tropical breezes. Birds singing and the sound of the warm sea lapping on the beach. Sand between your toes. Aaahhhhh.

I hope you’ve enjoyed St. Maarten. Please join us next week to see what else we can find :)

The Camelot of Baking….

2012-01-17T21:23:00.004-05:00

Sunday I picked up my sister and we drove 2.5 hrs to Norwich, Vermont, where it was a balmy 2 degrees, for a four hour winter soup and bread class at …….King Arthur Flour. The temperature gauge in the car did hit –3 passing Whaleback Mountain going up Rte. 89.There was also snow on the ground. Plowable snow! I haven’t seen any snow this winter. I love snow.

I digress.

We were at King Arthur!

and they fed us snacks of fresh baguettes, raisin bread, and beverages.

Our teacher for the day was Bonny and she had a wonderful assistant Cindy who I didn’t get a picture of, but she was always there with what you needed. This is Bonny teaching us to fluff the flour before measuring. First we made a heart of winter loaf.

While those were rising we made two soups which I was so busy prepping and paying attention, I didn’t take any pictures. I did take pictures of the finished product at the end. We then prepped the bread for the oven…egg whites, seeds…. score.

We then made cornmeal biscuits of which mine were not very successful. We deduced that perhaps I didn’t use enough cream. hmm…. Anywho, I will try again at home and see what develops. Finally, after all the preparing and learning and such we got to enjoy the rewards of hard work..

Hungarian Mushroom Soup Smoked Chicken Soup

My very own Heart of Winter Loaf

We had a great time and learned so much. There were so many tips and scientific information as to why certain things go before other things and how ingredients interact. Bonny and Cindy were really personable and you could tell they really liked what they do. We will definitely be back and when we do, I’ll be sure to share it.

I've linked this post up with the Country Homemaker Hop

So Many Birds!

2012-01-16T15:04:00.001-05:00

Like Tilly’s Nest, Scratch and Peck, Terry Golson aka the Hencam Lady, and many many others. I too went to the Northeastern Poultry Congress on Saturday. It was big fun. I arrived around noon and started in the sale room. ( I know I promised not to buy anything.) It was kind of a weird set up to me. The birds were in cages lined up on the floor with handwritten tags of a name, entrant number, or phone number of the bird owner, a price and sometimes what type of bird it was. The seller wasn’t usually there, you had to find them. It might have been the time I showed up, but it still seemed odd to me.Give me a swap where the people are set up with a booth or a tailgate or something and are there with the birds so you don’t have to hunt them down. I held out and didn’t buy anything.

Then, I moved into the big room and was bombarded with sound. The roosters! Oh the roosters! I am not complaining. After a bit, I was used to it. They were at the peak of their manliness and were showing it off. I just have all girls, it was a new noise to adjust to. The area was huge. Huge. There were ginormous cochins and little teeny tiny banties. Here are some new friends I met.

This pair is apparently a type of bantam chicken. They looked like pigeons to me, but what do I know. The man next to me said they were the poultry version of Phyllis Diller :D

I spent some time in the Langshan area. They were all friendly when I came up to the cage to say hi. There was a particularly talkative black hen that I had a long chat with. Her owner just happened to be behind me and witnessed our conversation. He let me know she was for sale, but part of a trio. I have to report that I was tempted for a milisecond. It would never work though, especially bringing in a boy with alpha hen Betty. So I thanked him and politely declined. >sigh<

Unfortunately, some cage neighbors just couldn’t get along. I love his dirty look.

So pretty and she knows it. Posed all pretty for me after a spin so I could see all angles.

Auracana “hi!”

“Devil Chicken”

After perusing the poultry, I entered in the raffle. They had all kinds of useful and decorator items that were chicken related. I entered for some practical items such as food, egg cartons, and there was a neat nest box. Unfortunately, I didn’t win a thing. Oh well, maybe next time. Next to the raffle were vendor tables with everything you could every need for your bird. Feed, feeders, a man who sold chicken tractors, and an artist that made pottery shaped like farm animals. Eggcartons.com was there with a plethora of stuff. Anything you could every need or not need was there. There was also a photographer there so you could have your picture taken with your bird. Or just your bird’s picture taken.

Before taking my place at the Backyard Chickens table, I attended a class by Mr. Don Nelson, APA ABA judge and breeder of Rhode Island Reds from Rhode Island. He was very personable, friendly and open to questions. It was about judging and what judges are looking for. The class started off with trios and what judges are looking for in a trio. A trio is two girls and a roo of the same breed. He had two trios as samples and showed how the judges go through the thought process of choosing the better group. He also had tips on how to choose the birds from your flock for your trio. It was very interesting.

He then went into the points process and the “display” calculations. Which was also incredibly interesting and complicated about the whole points per place and depending on how many birds in the category and so on.

I learned a lot and the only thing I would say was missing was the whole judging process for a single bird and how it would vary from a trio and what they are looking for. Overall, I really enjoyed it and learned quite a bit in a short time from a professional judge and breeder.

The rest of the day was spent at the BYC table acting as good will ambassador answering questions, chatting about chickens, and introducing people to the website. I met some very nice ladies from BYC and had a nice time. I didn’t knowingly meet any bloggers, I did spot Tilly’s Nest several times, but every time she was surrounded by people. Ok we will call it engaged in conversation. Or, you know, hanging out with a large white crested black polish roo on her shoulder :D

I will definitely be returning next year.

Chicken Chat with Nike

2012-01-13T20:55:00.003-05:00

Nike may be low chicken on the totem pole but that doesn’t keep her down. We brought her home on May 1, 2011 at 3 or so days old. The Easter Eggers were a week ahead of her but, she was the first one to chest bump Doris at 3 weeks old when they met for the first time. It was quite hilarious to see this tiny fluff ball run up to enormous Doris, chest bump her, and bounce right off. Doris was totally stunned and once she recovered gave her a quick peck. She hasn’t chest bumped her since.
Nike is a standard size Faverolles. She is mostly white with a tinge of salmon in her chest. One of the things that make her different from the other girls are her fifth toes, which you can see in this baby picture really well before her fluff grew in. Yep that’s two toes in the back on each side. Most chickens have four toes except for Faverolles, Silkies, Houdans, Dorking, and Sultans.
As the age groups have become more of a cohesive flock, it has become apparent that Nike is just in her own little world. Aphrodite will sometimes hang out with her but usually I find her hanging by herself doing her own thing. Like standing on one foot for as long as she can.

Her feathers are thick and compact. It’s hard to separate them to see her skin underneath. Which was how the lice got out of control in the summer. We tried the DE for weeks but, finally had to use the heavy duty poultry dust which killed off the ugly things. We now check regularly and fortunately the little visitors haven’t returned. The thick feathers do keep her warm though. Every night Betty bullies (well gives her a dirty look) her out of the coop and I find her outside on the run roost. Once it’s dark enough that they can’t see, I pick her up and put her on the roost in the house at the opposite end from Betty. Even on the most cold days her feet are nice and toasty when I pick her up to move her.

Faverolles have a reputation for being docile and laid back. Nike avoids real conflict, I think the muff effects her peripheral vision. But she does love to be the last one out of the coop in the morning and run run run to the other side of the yard where the other girls are, make them all jump around and bump off each other and then run back to the opposite side of the yard and hang out on her own after she riled things up. It happens almost every morning. Then during treat time she will avoid the others in the run and eat in the house where I throw some treats for her and there is a separate feeder. Again avoiding the dirty looks from Betty.

We haven’t received any eggs yet and are hoping for some soon. Her comb is turning nice and red. She is eating a lot which is a good sign. Even though the muff sometimes gets in the way. We watch out for her, Betty has never hurt her, she’s more of a dirty look and warning peck kind of gal. Nike is just cautious.

I've linked this post up with Ms. Amy's Barnhop :)

Friday Finds – 1/13/2012

2012-01-12T23:00:00.001-05:00

Today for Friday Finds our theme is:

“That Rocks! – Items made from beach stones”

I hope you’ve enjoyed my Friday Finds. To see the full treasury on Etsy click here.

Wandering Wednesday - Grenada

2012-01-11T08:02:00.001-05:00

Grenada is very into their nutmeg and cocoa. We went to see a cocoa and nutmeg plantation they use for historical presentation, stopped at a working nutmeg distributor, and then took a lovely trip through the rainforest where we sampled bananas and coffee bean fruit straight off the trees. There was also a monkey or two. They were quick. The red veiny stuff around the nutmeg nut is mace.

Can’t you feel the tropical breezes? I hope you’ve enjoyed Grenada.

They grow up so fast…

2012-01-10T08:19:00.001-05:00

Can you hear your mom now? I can. Percy is getting so big. She started life in August in a mail order batch of eggs from a nice woman in Georgia. They were Lavender Orpingtons and I was so excited. I bought them for Betty who goes broody almost as much as a Silkie. She’s got a mean stinkeye, but she’s a great hatcher. She has never bitten me. Some screeching, but a nice pet to smooth her feathers and a “good Betty” and she calms down. She let’s me check the eggs and is good about leaving the nest and keeping herself fed and taking potty breaks.

Percy was born in early September. Cute as a button, but the only one to hatch out of a dozen eggs. Betty stayed on the rest of the eggs determined in vain. When I took the duds away, it was like they were never there and she was very happy with Percy.

She then proceeded in growing like a weed.

3ish weeks. Betty saying “back off” to someone. I started thinking maybe she was a boy with the ginormous feet.

Doris became co-mom and started helping out Betty at about week 6 or 7. Still thought perhaps boy at this point. But no crowing. So still optimistic. Look at the honkin legs on her.

8 weeks. Growing into legs. Started to think girl.

10 weeks. Gave up on the boy idea completely.

Then the holidays happened. So this weekend at 16ish weeks. I give you the shot next to Betty who is a BIG chicken for comparison. Also that’s where we started. Next to Betty.

She’s so big and such a pretty color. I have a feeling she’s going to be as big or bigger than Betty when she’s finally done growing. She’s already as big as Nike and Aphrodite who are 4 months older. We are so lucky that the one and only chick to hatch is a girl. I expect eggs from her in February hopefully.

It just amazes me that she came from an egg. I know, that’s how it works. I’m still amazed.

The Northeastern Poultry Congress

2012-01-09T08:07:00.001-05:00

This weekend January 14th and 15th is the Northeastern Poultry Congress. Who’s going!?! It will be in Springfield MA at the Big E fairgrounds.

According to sources on Backyard Chickens.com (BYC) there will be 262 exhibitors and there have been 2722 entries. It will be so exciting to see all the different kinds of poultry and what they are supposed to look like. It will be my first time going and I have a feeling it will be like my first time in Ikea. A little overwhelming. Overload ADHD sets in. Ooh look at that! Oh that’s cute! Can you believe that! Ooh I want one! But, I will be all by myself and I have the whole day, so I can take my time and be methodical about it. Take a deep breath now and then, take lots of pictures, and a notebook.

I have resolved to not bring anyone home. It’s too hard to add just one or two to an established flock. I have found letting a broody hatch some eggs and having her integrate the babies is easiest and least stressful for all involved. Unless they are a loudmouth like this one was. That doesn’t mean that I won’t be getting ideas of what eggs to buy next time. I am hoping to get some local egg contacts so I don’t have to deal with the whole eggs in the mail hassle. Also, I will have seen samples of their birds so I know what I am getting. Unlike the internet, when you don’t always quite know.

If anyone is going, I have volunteered at the BYC table from 4-5pm on Saturday to answer people’s chicken questions. I look forward to meeting a lot of chicken people, having a good time, and learning a lot of stuff. If anyone wants to stop by and say hi, I would love to meet you. I have included a link in the picture if anyone would like more information on the Congress. They have a great website. Just click on the rooster in the jaunty hat :)

North Neck - Chappaquiddick

2012-01-08T11:02:00.001-05:00

Saturday was a beautiful day. Where has winter gone? It’s a little scary how mild the winter has been. It was a good day to go over to Chappy. I had an appointment at an estate sale early and then took advantage of being over there and visited some of the walking trails owned by the Land Bank. It’s kind of expensive to go over. A 2 minute ferry trip is $12 round trip and only includes the driver. If you add anyone it’s an additional $4 per person round trip. That can add up. So when I go over, I try to take full advantage of being there.

Chappaquiddick is covered in scrub oak, cedar, and scrub pine. Especially in the winter, it feels very windswept and barren. Like it is sleeping. This time I visited the North Neck preserve. North Neck is the bit that sticks up into Cape Pogue Bay. There’s a trail that goes to the Harbor side and one that goes to the Bay side. I did both.

We’ll start on the harbor side. After driving down a long long dirt road there’s a little parking area and a sign pointing to a woodchip path that goes uphill. It can be quite a climb, but the view and the stiff sea breeze in your face when you get to the top of the bluff is worth it.

The bay side is calmer. It’s quite shallow in the bay and it’s a very good place to go scalloping. Most of the commercially sold scallops from Edgartown come from Cape Pogue Bay.

I hope you’ve enjoyed our visit to Chappaquiddick today. The estate sale was a mixed bag. I did get an anchor for the dinghy though.

Chicken Chat with Betty

2012-01-07T20:46:00.003-05:00

Betty started laying again this week. She’s been eating like crazy and her comb has turned such a brilliant red. Ever since her fall molt, I have noticed her getting prettier and prettier.
When she came to us last spring, she had survived a hawk attack and her back was all scared up. Her previous owner had done a great job nursing her back to health, but I thought she would never have regular back feathers and I was ok with that. We loved her just the way she was. But, it seems Betty has a bustle and it’s big and pretty. She’s not any pure breed she’s half Langshan half Sussex. Lately though she’s been looking Orpingtony.

She hasn’t been letting her new prettiness go to her head though. She’s still on the lookout for hawks and teaching the next generation to do the same.

I've hopped into the Barnhop

Friday Finds – 1/6/12

2012-01-06T18:34:00.001-05:00

So..I thought I would start a new segment with the new year and feature cute things I find in my explorations and wanderings through Etsy each week. Each one will have a theme and an Etsy treasury to correspond. For the inauguration week the theme will be ……Chickens! I know your all shocked. You can click on the picture and it will take you to the listing. Enjoy!

I have this stamp and I love it! It goes on everything in the mail.

I hope you’ve enjoyed some of my Friday Finds. To see more please visit the treasury.

Vermont Whole Wheat Oat Bread

2012-01-05T08:24:00.001-05:00

So my bread adventure continues. I attempted this bread earlier in the week and, though not a complete failure, it did not rise all that much and came out very dense.

I went back to the drawing board so to speak and started reading the comments after the recipe on the KAF site and especially the responses of the staff trying to help with issues. They also have a blog at KAF and I found a bunch of tips on yeast breads. After some reading, I took some tips to heart and tried again.

Though not perfect, it came out a lot better. See all the air bubbles? ooooooh. There is one air bubble that was a bit too big, But, otherwise not bad.

I did stray from the original recipe with some items:

- We did not have any maple sugar, so I used light brown sugar.

- Nor did we have any honey. (I know how can we not have honey? Somebody has to take a ride up island and get some.) Anywho, I substituted B grade real maple syrup. This provided the maple taste that was missing because of the lack of maple sugar. B grade maple syrup is the best for baking. It’s the darkest and most flavorful. I also use it on pancakes and waffles too because I like the strong flavor.

- Substituted 2 cups of bread flour for 2 cups of the all purpose flour. I thought this may help somehow. The first loaf had 4 cups all purpose.

- I could not find “instant yeast” on this island anywhere. So, I used quick yeast and let it proof for a while in the liquids before I added the flour. I also did not do this in the first loaf, I added the yeast and dry goods all together.

- I doubled the rising times and used the folding method to make the loaf, instead of the playdoh type mash and make a log method.

I hope my trials and tribulations help others to find the perfect loaf.The adventure continues…

Wandering Wednesday – Arica, Chile

2012-01-04T07:45:00.001-05:00

It’s dry but warm, especially this time of year. Northern coastal Chile is very dry. Actually the whole western coast of South America is dessert like. It’s the Eastern half that’s tropical and humid. It’s a good start off point to see the Incan geoglyphs and the Nazca lines. There’s also a nice Incan museum. Today we will start with some geoglyphs. Look for the llamas and people in the hillsides. Then we visit the garden at the museum, move on to a artisans market, and finish at the fort on the hill and a view of the fort from the sea. It’s tucked into the hill, but very well armed.

To set the mood, picture a warm dry breeze, a temperature of 85f with the sun shining. Aaaahhhhh. (Of course you have brought your sunscreen and parasol for comfort)

Oh and don’t forget the big Jesus on the right of the fort hill. There was some kind of disagreement with Peru about who had a better hill top Jesus. That is why he is facing away from Peru, according to our guide. I hope you have enjoyed Arica.

Routine

2012-01-03T20:08:00.001-05:00

Patience is not a trait often associated with chickens. But, every morning I endeavor into the basement to get the treats and upon my return I am met with this general image….

It is because we have a routine and they stop there because they are a little apprehensive about venturing into the basement. Routine is great for chickens. They know Husband will let them out of the run at 6:30 or so and that when I come out of the house and venture into the basement, it’s treat time. It’s at the same time every day, even on weekends, and sometimes if I am late they will gather at the back door as if to remind me. Treat time is doled out in the run of course. Which makes it super easy to get them back in before I go to work each day.

A trick I also use is shaking the container I use everyday for the treats before I give them out. This is just like Pavlov and his dog. They can tell from across the yard it’s time to go in at any time of day by a shake of the container.

Now, we have to remember, they are chickens. This works nine times out of ten. I keep a five foot stick for herding just in case. They see the stick and know I mean business. All you have to do is hold it behind them in the opposite direction you want them to go. They will learn where they are going pretty quickly, especially if the stick means they are going to the same place every time. See….routine.

We knew that

2011-12-30T08:20:00.001-05:00

Today I was reading BBC’s 100 things we learned in 2011. According to one of the articles it has been proven that chickens feel empathy. They did the test on moms and chicks by stressing out the chicks with air puffs to see if it stressed out the mom. The whole thing stressed me out just thinking about it. Anyone who has backyard chickens and has hatched knows the bond of mom and chick. Percy is 15 weeks old now and still sleeps between her two “moms”.

We have bread!

2011-12-29T07:42:00.003-05:00

I am so excited! I made bread! It’s the simplest no knead white bread and the recipe’s here. But everyone needs to start somewhere. It’s a beginning to achieving one of my goals for the new year. To master yeast breads. Little steps. It came out crusty on the outside and dense and surprisingly flavorful on the inside.

Isn’t it pretty?

I've linked this up to Deborah Jean's Farmgirl Friday Blog Hop :)

Wandering Wednesday – Bonaire

2011-12-28T08:19:00.001-05:00

As promised, this week I am going to start with warm places to keep us thinking warm thoughts through the cold winter. Today we visit the lovely Caribbean island of Bonaire. Bonaire is a lovely place with very friendly people. A large quantity of it is preserve and they say the flamingos outnumber the people.

I hope you’ve enjoyed Bonaire and found some relief from the cold gray winter.

Wandering Wednesday – Edgartown, Martha’s Vineyard

2011-12-21T18:42:00.002-05:00

Hello Everyone! Welcome back for another Wandering Wednesday. Today we don’t go far and stick near home for the holidays. Edgartown downtown is made up mostly of stately captains homes and it likes to really dress up and goes a little color crazy for the season. They have an event the second weekend in December call “Christmas in Edgartown” that includes a parade, a big chowder contest, craft shows and bazaars, crafts for kids, inn tours, special events, and concerts. It’s a fun time that brings people out and gets them in the mood for the holidays.
Let’s start at town hall….

Captain Daniel Fisher House

Edgartown Lighthouse

The Whaling Church and Town Clock. This used to be a single light to represent the North Star that guided the wise men to the baby Jesus. The colored lights are a new development. I haven’t decided what my opinion is yet. Some things just shouldn’t be glitzed up. You know what I mean?

I hope you’ve enjoyed our stroll through Edgartown today. Happy Solstice! Now all of us chicken keepers can rejoice at the lengthening of daylight hours each day. Thanks for visiting.

More Winter Visitors

2011-12-19T20:09:00.001-05:00

I happened to be driving by the park the other day and it was full of geese. And not just Canada Geese, but the Brants are here too. Brants tend to flock and blend in with the Canadians and it’s usually not until a second look that you recognize something’s a little different. Brants summer and breed in the northern tundra of Canada and winter along the New England Coast and down as far south as Washington DC.

Brants

Brants with the Canada Geese (Oh and some straggler seagulls).

Staying with the goose visitor theme of this thread, I found this guy hanging with the mallards in the pond in West Tisbury yesterday.

I think he’s a domestic Chinese goose from what I could find on the internet. I’ve never seen him around before. He wasn’t in my wild bird book and has the prettiest feathering. I guess having chickens has given me an appreciation for other birds’ plumage. All the mallards are following him around the pond like he’s the pied piper. Honkin along asking for treats from anyone that passes by. He’s very persistent.

A Knitting Confession

2011-12-18T20:32:00.002-05:00

I am a yarn snob. Yep. It’s true. I’ll only knit with natural fibers. Acrylic is squeaky when you knit with it and I really just can’t stand it. This presents an issue when knitting Christmas gifts and the sister can’t stand wool on her skin. Any wool. Even cashmere. Nope. Makes her itchy. She’s hard to buy for, but she loves a good scarf.
Soooo…. I just HAD to splurge and get the soft and luxurious Lorna’s Laces Bamboo Silk called Pearl.

And knit her a lovely scarf. It’s called “Old Shale Scarf” by Tiennie on Ravelry. My sister doesn’t really know about this blog so I can show it to you. Even if she did, she would act surprised anyway. Don’t tell her though :)

It’s not a complicated pattern. Easy and knits up quick, but looks hard. This yarn is shiny, soft, and the knitted fabric drapes beautifully. It has great stitch definition too. I hate when you take the time to knit something detailed and it just gets fuzzy the detail disappears.

In addition to the scarf, I have knit a hat for Husband. It was his one request. When he asks for something handmade, I jump to it. He doesn’t ask often. I used a lovely soft merino blend from the stash. It lost it’s label long ago so I have no idea where it came from. I made up the pattern. Just a 100 stitches in a 3 X 2 rib. Long enough to cover the ears and try not to make a pointy reduction.

He’s seen the finished product and he loves it. He wouldn’t let me take his picture in it though.

An update on yesterday’s snow post. We didn’t even get a dusting. Tilly’s Nest over on the Cape got a good dusting and blogged about it today. I love snow. Maybe next time.

Feels like snow

2011-12-17T15:23:00.001-05:00

The air has the feeling of snow today. It’s the first time this season. It’s been so warm. The weather people say we may have some coastal effect snow tonight. I love snow, but I don’t think it will be much or stick around. If it does though, I’ll let you know.

Wandering Wednesday – Oak Bluffs, Martha’s Vineyard

2011-12-15T19:24:00.001-05:00

OK it’s belated and local today. I have been trying for a week now to get decent pictures of our local lights. Tonight was balmy and I had a little success. Next week we will hopefully do Edgartown.

Ocean Park

The summer information booth. Not many visitors nowadays. But she dresses up nice.

The lonely Dockside Jewelers. Surrounded by closed summer shops, steadfast.

View of the trees along the harbor.

Thanks for visiting :)

Wandering Wednesday – Barcelona

2011-12-07T07:53:00.001-05:00

A short Wandering Wednesday today. We will explore Barcelona in more depth on another day. Today a holiday scene from the Cathedral of Barcelona.

Winter Visitors

2011-12-05T00:06:00.001-05:00

Living on a summer resort island you would think we wouldn’t have many winter visitors. However we do. They just aren’t human they are birds. Today, after my hectic day yesterday, I took a walk in the woods with my big basket and gathered evergreens for my window boxes. But, I was not alone. There were many birds chatting away in the woods enjoying the beautiful day. My favorites are the winter ducks in the salt water ponds that dive under and eat the greenery and such off the bottom. The Buffleheads were too fast for me today, but the Hooded Mergansers were a little slower. I love both of them with their showy punk rock mohawk looks. The Mergansers have brown bodies and long bills. The buffleheads look very similar but they have short bills and are all black and white.

We have lots of other avian visitors such as the Eider ducks and the Brant geese that like to hang out and blend in with Canada geese. If I can get good pics, I will share them.

In other news we had a different visitor in the back yard this afternoon. Husband and I were standing on the back patio watching the chickens ruining my latest attempt at raking, when they all stopped cold. Betty started the hawk growl. It sounds like a loud cat purr. “purr purr purr”. Doris squatted as low to the ground as her big body would let her. If she didn’t do it out of fear, it would have been funny to see this incredibly large bright white bird try to make herself invisible by flattening herself to the dark brown leaf strewn ground. Both Betty and Doris have survived a hawk attack at their first home. Betty has the scars to prove it. I love her “street smarts”. The other girls just stood still and looked at Betty for guidance. She was looking at the back corner of the yard. I also stopped mid-sentence and looked in the direction she was.

Husband asked what was going on and I told him there was something in the bushes. He asked how I could tell. So I let him in on the clues. Neither one of us could see anything. It seemed like a long time. Then a Merlin swooped down across the back of the yard. He wasn’t even close to the girls but, I think if we weren’t there it may have gone down differently. Merlins are small falcon like birds. He may have been able to get Percy. Betty and Doris really could have taken him. Maybe that’s why Betty didn’t make a run for it. We quickly herded them into there pen to safety. I will keep an eye out for our new friend. I’m sure Betty will too.

Wandering Wednesday – Funchal, Madeira

2011-11-30T07:39:00.001-05:00

Hello Everyone! Today we explore the little city of Funchal on the island of Madeira which is part of Portugal. Madeira is a lovely hilly island covered in greenery, bouganvilla, and blooming tulip trees even in the first week in December.

I loved all the black and white designs in the sidewalks and streets. We saw some men working on the boardwalk laying these designs. Each piece is cut and laid by hand. Each lane and plaza had different shapes and patterns.

I hope you’ve enjoyed Funchal. They had some bad flooding a little while ago. The whole river filled the gully above and overflowed into the streets coming down the mountains. But, don’t let the rain stop you from visiting. It is a beautiful place and don’t forget to pick up some Madeira wine.

Sewing my Little Fingers Off

2011-11-28T20:18:00.000-05:00

Hello Everyone! Everything is lovely. I have been spending all my time prepping for my first of two holiday crafts shows that I do every year this Saturday. So posts may be a little thin over the next two weeks. I have to admit it's been hard getting into holiday mode with all of the springish weather. People are putting up decorations in short sleeves and flip flops!

Wandering Wednesday – Nice, France

2011-11-23T07:56:00.001-05:00

Nice is a lovely city on the southern coast of France. We have been there a few times and it’s always beautiful. First we will visit the old city with it’s colorful streets and market. We will then go up the hill to the Matisse museum and it’s charming park and olive grove on a lazy Sunday with the people of Nice.

The seal above the door in the granite reads 1598.

I hope you’ve enjoyed our visit to Nice. Please join us every Wednesday as we wander to and remember other destinations. December will feature holiday decorations. January and February will feature warm tropical places to escape from the cold New England winter.

Chicken Chat

2011-11-21T21:27:00.001-05:00

This weekend we did a lot of work on the chicken house. It’s always been functional, but it needed some prettifying. When it’s done and pretty, I will share. While working the girls are always curious what we are doing. They hang out nearby keeping an eye on us as they nonchalantly dig in the leaves I just raked into the perennial beds.

Baby Persy is getting so big at 12 weeks. She’s almost as big as Nike but she still looks small compared to the behemoth girls Betty and Doris. Those girls make almost any chicken look small. I do have a feeling though, that Persy may end up being close to their size when full grown at the rate she’s going. It could have something to do with the double treat feeding from her two “mom”s

Aphrodite wanted to help rake. She’s been laying an egg everyday. A brown egg, but still and egg which is better than any of the others.

Nike saw I was taking her picture and took off. I guess she wasn’t feeling photogenic. Today she was covered in mud after playing outside in the rain. So at least I got her clean.

I am hoping she will start laying soon. She has been checking out the box.

I’ve linked up to Ms. Amy’s barn hop

A Mystery Solved?

2011-11-17T08:06:00.001-05:00

Well it had to be one of these two that has now layed three eggs.

Nike the Faverolles in the back is supposed to lay a pinky brown egg. Aphrodite in the front is an Easter Egger. She is supposed to lay a green or bluish egg.

So if you got this egg who would you think layed it? Seems obvious right?

Well Wednesday morning I heard a very loud and proud egg song. Running outside to see what the ruckus was about I find this one in the run egg singing her head off louder than I have ever heard her make any sort of noise ever while the rest were out and about. I eagerly look in the egg box. There’s nothing there. That’s right nothing. She was announcing her intention to lay an egg. After a chat with her, she calms down, and goes back in the nest box. A little later before work I looked in and she was still in the nest box. I checked and the twin to the egg above was in the box. She left as soon as I took it. It was like she was keeping it warm for me.

Yep. That’s right. My only remaining Easter Egger lays brown eggs. Ain’t that a kick in the pants. >sigh< But, I am lucky she has layed anything is the way I look at it. I just really wanted pretty blue/green eggs. I would have been happy with any shade. Maybe next year when Betty goes broody, I’ll get her some Auracana eggs to hatch.

Wandering Wednesday – The Acropolis, Athens

2011-11-16T08:01:00.001-05:00

In honor of my little Athena, we are visiting the city of her namesake this week. The story goes that Athena, the goddess of wisdom, and Poseidon, the god of the sea, fought over who would be the patron of the city. Zeus, king of the gods, decided that each would give a gift to the people of the city and they would decide who they wanted as their patron based on the merit of the gift.

Poseidon struck a rock and produced a spring promising the people would never go thirsty. Unfortunately the spring was seawater and undrinkable. Athena planted a seed in the ground which sprang into an olive tree promising the people oil, food, and firewood. It was an obvious decision.

The smog was a bit thick the day we visited. To get to the Acropolis one has to climb a large winding path all the way up the hill. The only picture I have of the Parthenon close up has Husband in it. So you get from afar as we climbed the hill.

The Parthenon

The Erecthion

The Thission

The good news is followed by bad…

2011-11-14T21:27:00.001-05:00

We lost our sweet Athena today. She would never stay still and look at me at the same time. But I really loved her feathering. She was so pretty. This is the last one I got of her.

The day before yesterday we noticed chewed holes in the lattice on the side of the run that faces the road. It is outside the chicken wire. We use it as a screening. I at first thought it was some sort of rodent. Then I noticed it was in places the chickens could reach it. The run is three years old. None of the chickens have ever tried to eat the wood before.

8 weeks

I am not surprised though. Chickens will eat almost anything. They attacked the floatie noodle around my clam basket once and there were little blue pieces of foam all over the back yard. They haven’t touched it since or until up to that point.

awkward teenage look

In any case, yesterday I noticed that Athena was moving a little slower than usual. She’s a spaz and usually all over the place. I figured she was the wood eater and hoped she was just having a tough time digesting. I gave her some olive oil and vitamins and hoped that would help her tummy. Today she was worse, but I was still hopeful as I gave her more vitamins and olive oil this morning before I left for work. I put her in the house with food and water nearby. By this afternoon she was gone. Husband buried her in what is beginning to be our chicken graveyard with her dear departed friends.

To prevent this happening again, I am going to put hardware cloth over that side so they can’t reach the lattice. I don’t think anyone else was involved. Anything could have happened in her digestive system to kill her, I don’t know how big or sharp the pieces were. Or even if the lattice had been pressure treated with any chemicals. It was reused from elsewhere. I am feeling like a bad mom and that I just can’t take any more chicken deaths. I know chickens will eat anything. I know they are not the brightest bulbs. I baby them and love them so. I wish I could have prevented and foreseen this one. All I can do is prevent it from happening to the others.

Finally! An egg

2011-11-13T12:36:00.001-05:00

Nike laid an egg! Nike laid an egg! The wait has been dreadful. I thought I could handle it, but with the two big girls not laying and me having to go buy eggs last week, it was starting to feel like it would never happen and my chickens were just enjoying being layabouts. I am 95% sure it was Nike. It’s definitely a pullet egg and the other two are Easter Eggers. The EEs should and lay green or bluish eggs. But, brownish has been known to happen. The EEs are a week older than Nike who is about 27 weeks. Yes that 6.5 months!

Last week. Her comb is much redder now.

Also, she came running over from the back yard when I came out so proud of herself as if to tell me “Go look what I did!”

Please pardon all the lumber, I am shingling the chicken coop. I’ll let you see when it’s done.

Maybe the other girls will get the hint now.

Fun Night Out

2011-11-10T19:55:00.001-05:00

Last night across the country, the classic movie channel TCM presented West Side Story in movie theaters to celebrate it’s 50th anniversary. I went with my sister who lives in Boston. We splurged for the almost 3 hour event by reserving tickets to the big cushy seats in the back of the theater.

It was really an experience. They had an interview that they played before the actual movie with the director, the man who played Bernardo, and the woman that sang for Natalie Wood. Then the movie itself on the big screen was beautiful. You watch these classic movies over and over on tv, but there is nothing like seeing them as they were meant on the big screen. It was complimented with cocktail and food service to our cushy seats. It was an extremely enjoyable night.

I didn’t even mind getting up at 5am this morning to make it to work on time :)

Wandering Wednesday – Genoa (Genova), Italy

2011-11-08T22:46:00.001-05:00

Italy had some horrible rains and flooding this week. One of the hardest hit cities was Genoa. This made me think of our visit last fall to this interesting old old city with it’s winding little streets and new things around every corner.

At the top of a long alley full of friendly young ladies working in the oldest profession, we found that it ended at the city municipal offices. How convenient for them.

Even if you don’t speak Italian, you can tell what the sign says.

The church used to pilfer temples and other building for the marble. Look closely and you can see the carvings on the pieces from their original homes.

There is also a lovely waterfront. I hope you enjoyed Genoa and keep them in your thoughts this week.

A Lazy Weekend

2011-11-07T21:47:00.001-05:00

This weekend was pretty low key. A little scalloping. The OSFM (Off Season Farmer’s Market) where I found broccoli, potatoes, turnips, and squash. A fire in the fireplace all day, a little sewing with some new sailing fabric (new eyeglass cases soon to be on etsy site) and hung out with the chickens.

Still not an egg to be seen. I actually had to get some from someone else! The daylight savings has me in a bit of a low. I don’t like the sun disappearing so early. It’s so early that the chickens are already in bed when I get home. I love our afternoon time. Ok I’m sounding like a debbie downer. It’ll only be for a little while. Husband gets home early enough to let them out and put them to bed.

I guess we should start raking soon. But, the chickens love the leaves. Last year we just raked the front yard for appearance and left the back to the chickens. We’ll probably do the same this year. They love flickin and kickin the leaves and making a hole and then going and kickin and flickin the same leaves they just piled up and making a new hole. It’s never ending enjoyment for them. It’s like a cat with a cardboard box. Cheap and endless fun.

The Importance of Vitamins

2011-11-04T18:23:00.001-04:00

So….remember the hand issue? If not, it’s here. I went to a specialist. It turns out I have a severe vitamin D deficiency. Saying it is extreme would not be exaggerating. Your number is supposed to be somewhere between 45 and 60. Mine was well ….14. This does not surprise me. Dairy gives me issues, the chickens haven’t been laying, and I have very fair skin so I avoid the sun. “Pasty and Proud” I say. But I never knew it would effect my body so much. So now I have a new once a week super supplement to take and in a few weeks we will do more tests and see if I have improved. The moral of the story is to listen to your mother and take your vitamins. Oh and eat your vegetables. ( I eat lots of vegetables, I just thought mom would throw that in)

Milestones

2011-11-03T07:58:00.000-04:00

Betty’s baby turned 8 weeks on Wednesday. We thought it was about time we name her. Since she moves around so quickly she is super hard to get a good picture of. So today you will get my first video. Her lavender color is hard for my camera to really catch. We stayed with the greek goddess theme.

We’ve named her Persephone or Persy for short.

Wandering Wednesday - Dubrovnik

2011-11-02T08:00:00.001-04:00

Welcome to Wandering Wednesday. Today we are traveling to Dubrovnik, Croatia and it’s surrounding countryside. Croatia was lovely and the people were so friendly.

Mt. Equinox, Vermont

2011-11-01T17:55:00.001-04:00

We took a little leaf peeping drive to Vermont on Columbus Day weekend. Something we have never done before is drive to the top of Mt. Equinox which is near Manchester. We recently got a new vehicle we thought would be able to handle the climb and she did pretty good. She even had a special button that keeps the car in a lower gear for going up and down large inclines. We have never had anything like that before. Without further ado….Mt. Equinox.

Kale Soup

2011-10-31T22:09:00.001-04:00

The second thing an island girl does when there’s a nor’easter coming is make kale soup. Kale soup is like chicken soup around here. It is the cure for everything. Tough day? flu? cold? snowing out? blowing a gale? Have some kale soup! Everyone has a recipe and never the same one. There’s a large population of Portuguese descendents on this island of which my wonderful husband is one of. His great grandmother likes to remind me that I am her only chance for great great grandchildren.

I had never heard of kale soup until I moved here. After she was sure I was staying, Granma was kind enough to show me how to make it several years ago. (I told you she was amazing) I followed her for three hours through one step at a time. From picking the kale and stemming it to serving it at the end. My husband gets that wonderful twinkle in his eyes of a boy on Christmas and he hovers around the kitchen when I make the first batch of kale soup in the fall. A successful batch is indicated by an empty bowl and how much sweet bread goes with dinner to sop up the broth. This was a two roll bowl which is very good.

October Nor’Easter

2011-10-30T11:08:00.001-04:00

What does a girl on a New England island do when there’s a nor’easter coming? Two things. First, she goes scalloping of course! Saturday was the opening day for scalloping in the Lagoon. The Lagoon is one of the better places for scallops on the island and it’s a big day on opening day. No nor’easter was going to stop me. Well the low tide was around 7:30 and the wind wasn’t going to pick up until 10am or so. So there was plenty of time! And I wasn’t the only crazy person. Sunrise was at 7:10, I showed up at 7:05 and there were already people there. There were about 10 cars parked up the street and about 20 people in the water. My grandmother in-law joined me about 20 minutes later. She is an amazing woman and islander and has taught me so much. She was the one that taught me how to shellfish.

The scallops were big and plentiful. The water was calm and there was a light breeze. It only took us an hour or so to get our limits of one full bushel each. By then the wind was starting to kick up just a bit. We set up and shucked in Granma’s back yard while the wind got gustier and the skies became more imposing. The first rain drops began to fall as we were shucking the last ones. (I’ve talked about the act of scalloping and shucking here and didn’t want to become repetitive. Please visit for more info if you are inclined) When all was said and done I had this:

That is 6 1/2 lbs of bay scallops! A good morning’s work. And at $20/lb at the fish market, a luxury that I couldn’t afford otherwise. So you may ask “what do you do with all those scallops?” I took out enough for dinner and then froze the rest for later. To freeze them I measure them out in 1 cup amounts and if there is not enough juice, add a bit of salt water (regular water is fine, but as an old salt once told me seaweed and saltwater add “flava”). If there is a lot of air between them they can dry out in the bag. I’ve done it in different amounts, but one cup seems to be perfect. Not too many or too few.

For dinner, I made my favorite scallops wrapped in bacon over rice and I have pictures this time. They are super easy. You take half piece of bacon, wrap it around the scallop, and line them up in a pan seam down. You bake them in the oven at 450 and then turn the oven to broil to crisp up the bacon. The bacon I used today is local from Blackwater Farm in West Tisbury. One day I will take you there to meet the animals.

Yummy.

The second thing I do when there is a nor’easter coming is make kale soup. That will be tomorrow's post.

I have joined Miss Amy’s Preparedness challenge this week. This post contains info on freezing scallops and self reliance by shellfishing.

Chicken Chat

2011-10-28T22:10:00.001-04:00

It’s that time of year. Most of my girls are heritage breeds or mixes of heritage breeds. Which means they are more likely to go broody and they take a break from laying in the fall. Even if that means they haven’t started yet it seams. No one is laying. They don’t seam interested. There just hangin out, eatin, cluckin, and poopin. The only one doing any work is Betty. She has been tirelessly bringing up her baby. This one hasn’t been quite as bad as the last one and we are hoping she is a girl so we can keep her. The lavender Orpington is tough to determine until a little later. Though she looks like a girl to me, it may just be wishful thinking.

Doris is molting and looks horrible, but has decided to pitch in on the raising efforts and has been calling the baby over for treats. I’m happy that she has accepted the baby as part of the family.

The others are just hangin out. I keep looking for eggs. Last winter there were no eggs from November to January. Looks like it may be that way again. If things change, I would be very excited. Or is that eggcited?

The Inside Girls

2011-10-27T08:15:00.001-04:00

The chickens tend to take center stage around here, but there are also two inside girls that have been around forever that should be introduced. Please say hello to Ava and ZsaZsa!

Ava

Ava’s Favorite Position

ZsaZsa

Yeah ZsaZsa is easily distracted. But, if you have food……

She is there!

Ava and ZsaZsa are sisters that we adopted from the MSPCA a few years ago when they were kittens. They were really attached to each other, but nobody wanted to adopt them together until we came along.

ZsaZsa is more cuddly than Ava. She loves you to pick her up and carry her about and pet her. She’ll sit on your lap or right next to you on the couch. If she is feeling neglected she’ll weave in and out of your legs until you pay some attention to her. Ava has a discreet way of showing affection. She’ll curl up by your feet or on the back of the couch right behind you and start purring. If you pick her up she’ll start mewing like your torturing her. Ava loves to sleep right on the rug next to my side of the bed. I have to be careful getting up in the middle of the night and feel with my feet for a warm furry body first. Until about 6am when she will sneak onto the bed and curl up by my head or right up against my back like a furry purring heating pad.

We lived on a busy street and moved to another busy street so they are indoor cats, but we leash trained them from a young age so they could go outside once in a while supervised. We let them in the front yard while the chickens territory is the back.They get so excited when they see the leashes. But usually decide it’s time to go back in after a half hour or so. Spoiled divas the both of them.

Wandering Wednesday is Back!

2011-10-26T07:56:00.001-04:00

Let’s see where to go today?…….Ooh the Haarlem, Netherlands market. I love markets.

Train Station. Nice little bathroom cost a euro or fifty cent piece. Most bathrooms cost a bit to use in Europe. Always good to know where the decent facilities are. I digress.

A little food….

(just ignore the McDonalds. I do. They’re everywhere.)

What’s the Netherlands without some flowers? It is customary to bring some flowers as a hostess gift.

This man nearly ran me over but he was very nice and jovial about it.

Hope you enjoyed Haarlem. It’s a lovely little town a quick train ride out of Amsterdam. Heavenly ham and cheese croissants at the little corner bakery.

The Winter Farmer’s Market

2011-10-25T19:13:00.001-04:00

I know it’s not winter yet. But, that’s what they call it. Maybe they just need to call it the “Off Season Farmer’s Market” or OSFM. Sounds a little better. Doesn’t cause immediate visions of in the head of snow and trudging in mud. OK it has now been dubbed the OSFM. Whatever you want to call it, it is held at the “new” agricultural hall at the fairgrounds. Though it’s not really new new anymore. But it will be called the “new” ag hall until they build an even newer one. In any case it’s one of my favorite buildings.

It’s big and multifunctional the front section has a big kitchen, offices, and restrooms on either side of a white walled great hall of sorts with the centerpiece on the front facing wall of a large beautiful useable fireplace. On either side of the fireplace is a doorway into the back cross room that looks like a big barn with bare wood and timbers. It’s a warm and welcoming place. On cold OSFM days they light the fire and people line the benches in the front room drinking hot chocolate, coffee, and warm cider. Chatting away a Saturday morning catching up with their neighbors now that they have the time.

On warmer days like this weekend they throw the doors wide and let the breeze come through and people catch up sitting on the front porch absorbing the fall sunshine.

I love these ladies hanging on the front porch. Their dogs were having a great time playing together. During the fair the front porch has rows of benches on it to sit and hang out on. It is the meeting place for families and a place for elders to rest and watch the goings on.

They have horse shows, and artisan festivals on a regular basis here at the fairgrounds in addition to the OSFM. There are also once a year events such as the fair and the harvest festival. There are two large barns to the left past the show ring and the pull ring. They want to develop a animal processing center on the property as well which would be a great thing for the island meat farmers. It would make processing animals so much less stressful for farmers and animals not to include a boat ride and a long trailer ride.

The OSFM had a plethora of great fall veggies. I took home carrots, red potatoes, sweet potatoes, butternut squash, and turnips! ( I love turnips ). I was looking for broccoli too, but I didn’t see any good looking ones. Unfortunately I didn’t get any good pictures of my veggies. Maybe next time.

These Hands

2011-10-22T08:56:00.001-04:00

Hello everyone. I know I haven’t been around lately and I apologize. It’s amazing how much you can take advantage of something you use every day and almost every minute until it decides not to work anymore. Over the last month or so the joints in my hands have decided they do not like to do anything. Sewing, knitting, typing,….shucking. After my last post my hands hurt and were stiff for days. This was the last straw. I am still quite young. In my mid-thirties. This isn’t supposed to even start to happen until at least fifty. (In my opinion anyway) I gave in and called the doctor. It takes a lot for me to call the doctor. We are working on it together, he took some tests, and he has referred my to a specialist. He also prescribed some pain relief so there should be a pick up in the frequency of posts. I have so much to share with you. The baby chick has gotten so big. We took a little trip to Vermont. The winter farmer’s market starts today! Yay!

It’s Scallop Season!

2011-10-04T22:04:00.001-04:00

I love bay scallops. Correct pronunciation “skawllop”. Don’t let anyone tell you different.

Scallops are a fall and winter crop, which means they don’t get gobbled up over the summer. Right when the people who live here get to take a breath, and life starts to slow, we can go scalloping. Bay scallops are small and sweet. Like little pieces of candy. They are a completely different experience than sea scallops. There are only a few places they live in this world and even fewer places you can harvest them. Fortunately, Martha’s Vineyard is one of those special places.

There are two ways to harvest scallops. The first is what the commercial guys do. They drag a metal net type thing called a “drag” (I know original) from a boat, it picks up all the scallops and the smaller things fall through the net. They then have a sorting board on the boat, which is like a big table with open sides, where they pick out the adult scallops and slide all the other stuff out the side back into the water. It’s done in the deeper water and you need a boat. Some families with boats do it this way.

The second way is for most people who have a family license but no boat and what I did this weekend. At low tide you go out in the salt water ponds in your waders or if your brave, without the waders. I don the waders. It keeps the crabs away from my toes.

You tote along your peep sight, net, and basket.

While wading around you look through the peep sight at the pond floor. The scallops sit on top of the mud in little divits they dig out for themselves. For disguise they grow algae on the top side. Also called the dirty side. We will need that info later. You then scoop them up with the net. This is what the hunt looks like but it’s not me.

It can also look like this if you end up too deep or your short. Also not me. But I have been known to be short. So usually, I am in this position.

It’s so peaceful out there. The oystercatchers, terns, and other shore birds fly about talking to each other. The sea breeze lightly blows and sun shines (most of the time). The view through the peep sight is a view on a whole different world. There’s baby flounder and cod, minnows, blue crabs, pink crabs, hermit crabs, algae and seaweeds, baby whelks and little baby scallops. Pinks, reds, and greens. It’s gives me time to think and appreciate the world around me. I stayed out there four hours. With a calm mind and an exhausted body I headed home with only half a basket. Not a big harvest, but a good morning.

I was going to show you how to shuck. But, thought otherwise. It’s not for the queasy. So I will tell you and show you the end bit that’s pretty clean. I take the scallop in my left hand with the dirty side up. See I told you to remember. The dirty side is the flatter side. With my right hand I slide the shucking knife in the gap near the hinge and slide it along the top inside of the shell to separate the muscle. I then remove the top shell and then the guts.

Leaving this.

The finished product.

I rewarded myself for the hard day with scallops wrapped in bacon over rice. There was enough raw ones left to share some with Granma and to freeze some for later. Sorry there’s no pictures of dinner. But, I was so excited, I ate them as soon as they came out of the oven.

Annual Rotary Flea

2011-09-25T11:28:00.001-04:00

Last weekend I went to the annual South Eastern Rotary Flea Market. I have gone almost every year since I was a little girl. It is held at the Marshfield Fairgrounds and you can find anything there. Including something you have been looking for months or years for. You just have to look hard enough. One stall had the light up wise men from a lawn manger scene. Three rows over were Mary, Joseph, and the baby Jesus. I really hope someone reunited them.

I spent three hours there and walked through twice. Something cool could have been missed the first time. I’m a big collector of cake plates and have been ever since my first apartment. There are strict rules to the cake plate collection. No cake plate over $20 and even that much needs to be special. I didn’t find any to add to the collection this time around, but it was still a very successful day and all for under $20 total.

Egg Scale woo!

I finally found an affordable egg scale! The search has seemed endless. They are always so expensive on ebay and even at Brimfield in the spring someone wanted $32 for the one I found and it was much rustier. This one…….$7. She wanted $10. It would’ve been a good price then, but you have to haggle a little.

Pyrex Butterprint 401

Yep. I’m a turquoise pyrex collector. Butterprint, Snowflakes, solid Turquoise. As long as they are in good condition and within budget, they usually come home with me. Cost $4 marked $5.

My last purchase was a wooden crate used for cranberries for Ocean Spray. It was perfect for keeping firewood in next to the fireplace and had a local touch. Cranberries are a big crop in southeastern MA. I used to love to visit cranberry world in Plymouth when I was a kid. The crate is much better than the cardboard box we were using. $6 she wanted $8.

All in all a successful flea!

Roaming the Backyard Jungle

2011-09-22T19:13:00.001-04:00

Our backyard is not the perfect manicured dream of most. It is a jungle of mostly wild flowers and moss. The chickens love it and it’s low maintenance. They had a great time this afternoon. The goddesses were the most photogenic. Doris, Betty, and the baby were not co-operating. I really love how everyone is feathering out. Athena has the prettiest lacing coming in. Aphrodite is getting one blue silver feather in her tail. The rest is all white. They are all 23 weeks now. No eggs. We are getting one from Doris every other day or so. Good thing there are only two of us.

Nike’s muff is always seems to be messy. You should’ve seen her feet feathers from the mud.

Wandering Wednesday

2011-09-21T18:32:00.001-04:00

Not to worry. Been a little busy. For Wandering Wednesday today we present Bergen, Norway and their old shipping quarter.

Fashion Really?

2011-09-13T19:59:00.001-04:00

Ok. I am wandering from the norm around here. Just this once. I do not claim to be a fashionista in any way shape or form. My fashion statement is more classic lines. Comfort yet not frumpy. Moderately modest. So, from this point of view I do not understand the appeal of the zigzaggy Missoni patterns they debuted at Target today. They make me dizzy.

I have actually known about Missoni for a long time as a crazy patterned Italian sweater designer. It takes a lot for me not to like something Italian. They have so much taste. How did this happen?

Anywho, it seems there was a full on stampede for these crazy looking designs. The Target website has crashed and the items flew from the racks in a flurry at breakneck speeds once the doors opened. Below is a picture from the Target in South Bay Plaza which is in Dorchester. I didn’t take it and had no desire to be there. For pic credit here. Look at the cart on the right! Yes that’s a cart. I have read elsewhere that a lot of these hoarding buyers are actually buying to resell on Ebay. I just don’t get it. It’s not pretty people.

Chunky Apple Sauce

2011-09-10T08:41:00.001-04:00

Thursday night I made applesauce. We love applesauce. It goes great with pork, ham, and lamb. It starts with 8 lbs of apples on my ancient rusty kitchen scale.

My favorite combo for applesauce is the McIntosh and the Macoun. It’s a little early for Macouns, so we picked Gravensteins this time. I like to have a mushier apple and a chunkier, more solid apple for texture. Both also need to have a good flavorful taste when cooked.
The most work of this recipe is the peeling and the chopping. It has to be done quickly to avoid as much browning as possible. I put the cut pieces in bowls with the lemon rinds from the juice for the sauce to keep them as fresh as possible. Then cook and jar.

Notice favorite wooden spatula at work again :)

Peach Jam

2011-09-09T08:06:00.001-04:00

Peaches are so perishable. Tuesday I made jam and a lot of them already had large bad spots. I think it had to do with the bag they give you for picking and the heat generated sitting in the bag on the ride home. Husband had been very careful about handling them. I think we will rethink peach picking that far from home again and stick with our local tiny peaches. A lot more work, but less waste.

Starting in the pot. With my favorite wooden spatula.

Finished product.

The jam came out a little soft and not as jelled as I like. I think that had to do with it being a rainy day. It’s hard to cook out all the moisture when it’s so humid out. I haven’t decided if I am going to recook it. I leave you today with a new picture of the still only child chick.

The Miracle of Life

2011-09-08T08:31:00.001-04:00

Betty has hatched one chick so far. She is still sitting and I hope at least one more hatches. We don’t want the single chick syndrome again. I got one picture. It’s been raining for days. She (we are hopeful here) is a Lavender Orpington.

Wandering Wednesday

2011-09-07T08:09:00.001-04:00

Husband and I love Rome and we have spent a lot of time there. If you have seen previous Wandering Wednesdays you’ll see a theme that I like old ruins. Today, something different. The monthly market at the Parioli district just northeast of the Galleria Borghese. They sell everything here from antiques to salumi. A short Wandering Wednesday today. I heard peeping under Betty this morning.

Going a picking

2011-09-06T19:42:00.001-04:00

Husband and I spent the day yesterday at the Red Apple Farm in Phillipston, MA. It was a warm day but the sun stayed away which was good since I forgot my sunbrella and I am so fair skinned. We started the day picking apples. We were sent by the elder of the farm to the farthest orchard called the Bog Orchard. Probably because we looked like young people that could handle the walk. It was great we were the only ones out there. We picked Macintoshes and Gravensteins. I love the Mac but it was still a little early and the apples didn’t want to leave the trees. The proper way to pick an apple is to give it a little tug. If it is ripe it will go home with you happily, if it is not it will want to stay and you should let it. We did find enough though. We got over 20 pounds of apples. I forgot the camera in the car. Picture a lovely hillside small orchard that hasn’t been mowed all summer and filled with wild mint so walking through the apple trees in the tall grass looking for apples all you can smell is the mixing aromas of apples and mint. aaahhhhh

After apple picking we lugged the apples back the car and hit the barbeque pit for burgers and cream sodas.

After lunch we went peach picking. This time I remembered my camera. The peaches were beautiful, but you have to be careful picking them. Peaches bruise so easily.

We picked almost 23 pounds of peaches of which I have already started the water to make peach preserves and of course I will share that with you when it’s finished. We were quite sticky from peach picking and hit the wash up sink and checked out the farm animals before heading home. The chickens were shy this time around and no one wanted their pictures taken. It was a long day, but we got so much fruit. Now to get to work using it.

Chicken Chat

2011-09-04T09:15:00.001-04:00

Betty, my broody girl, is doing great. Her 21st day will be Thursday. I am so “eggcited”. I know groan. Had to do it :) I have felt movement in an egg or two by reaching under her. We will see though. If anyone is going to hatch I expect there will be pipping Tuesday or Wednesday. She tends to be a day early or so. From what I have read that is pretty typical with hatching using a broody. I will certainly share any updates. It was cloudy this morning and the flash went off she was not happy with me. Good thing I did the egg check first. Oh if stinkeye could kill.

Aphrodite and Athena turn 20 weeks this weekend. Yay! Maybe I will get some eggs soon. Their combs and their faces under the feathers are starting to turn red, Easter Eggers don’t have wattles, at least mine don’t. There has been no squatting yet. Someone has been investigating the extra nest box, I have been finding little “gifts” in there. Not the ones I am looking for. I expect they won’t realize not to poop in there until they lay an egg. Aphrodite did a little egg song the other morning. It was a good practice song. It got me very excited and I came running to see nothing.

Aphrodite & Athena

Nike the little Faverolle is about 2 weeks behind the other two. Her comb is also starting to get redder. I don’t expect eggs from her for a while. Faverolles are usually later starters. Light salmon coloring is starting to show up in her feathers, which is understandable considering that her parents were salmon as far as I know. I wonder how much it will take over her pretty white feathers. She was not being very cooperative this morning for pictures but, I did get a nice back view. She also has a hard time seeing you coming with her big fluffy muff.

Doris is fine just being Doris. She laid two double yolkers this week and also a couple of singles. The big ones look so painful. I hope this doesn’t become a regular thing and she develops any complications. She’s a good dependable layer and I don’t want anything to happen to her. No picture of Doris this week. She was too fast for me. For a big waddling chicken she can move fast when she wants too.

The flock is coping well with the absence of Gaia. It took a couple of days, and some tussling to figure out the new sleeping arrangements. Gaia always slept closest to the window. I don’t know if they want to sleep close to the window or not. Doris always grabs the wall end since she started roosting randomly. It now looks like Aphrodite gets window for now. It will all change when the chicks hatch or, if they don’t, when Betty returns to the roost.

We are going on our first apple picking adventure of the season Monday. I also hope to pick some late season peaches and some early pears. Let’s cross our fingers for a nice day.

Irene’s effects

2011-09-03T20:42:00.001-04:00

Irene did not blow too much of a gale here. But, her effects are starting to show.

- The leaves are starting to shrivel on the trees from the stress of the wind. I feel we will not have a very pretty fall. Our fall is not much of a sight anyway, scrub oak turns dark brown.

- When walking on the shore the other day I saw a lot of seed scallops….shells. They had been blown ashore and the seagulls had eaten them. These are the scallops to harvest for next winter. I feel it won’t be a good year now. That’s too bad. I love bay scallops. This winter is supposed to be good from the seed last year. They are adults now and stay a little deeper. There were only a few of them on the shore. I hope this doesn’t throw the harvest off for a long time. I’ll share the bay scallop season with you in October when it starts. It’s one of my favorite island things.

- The beachplum bushes have suffered. I went to my final always dependable tons of bushes spot today. They were all brown from the blowing salt water and there was not a berry to be seen. The shore had been eaten away in the saltwater pond and some of them had been washed away too. >sigh<

- On the bright side the rugosa rose hips are looking great. The ones closest to the shore were also battered and are starting to shrivel but, I can find enough for one or two batches of jelly. Does anyone have any good recipes for rosehips? They are very high in vitamin C.

Glasswort aka “chicken claws”

2011-09-02T20:14:00.001-04:00

Can you see the resemblance to chicken feet?

Glasswort Salicornia grows along the high tide lines of marshes. Around the same level as the sea heather which is what I was looking for when I found it. The sea heather was all brown and sad a side effect of Irene I think. (There were a lot of nature related side effects to Irene, but that is another post) Back to glasswort. If you don’t see it first, you will hear it as it crunches under your feet.

It is a succulent type plant. According to Euell Gibbons it is a relative of the beet, spinach, and swiss chard. It looks nothing like any of these. Like most edible algae it is high in vitamin content. The best way to eat is to pick the top couple of inches that are tender and serve raw in salads and as a garnish for fish. Or to chew just to chew on as you walk on the beach. It has a clean salty taste. It can be found from spring to the last frost of fall. Always make sure your marsh is clean before you glean.

Sadness

2011-09-01T23:17:00.001-04:00

We lost little Gaia. She was a sweet little girl and we will all miss her. Aphrodite wouldn’t go in tonight. She was running around the yard making little peeps. Searching under bushes. I think she was looking for her. She kept looking at me. We buried Gaia next to her friend Buckbeak. I understand it’s a part of life, but that doesn’t make it easier.

Belated Wandering Wednesday

2011-09-01T17:56:00.001-04:00

Ephesus, Turkey

The Library - this was a slow day they tell me

Beach Plums

2011-08-30T18:51:00.001-04:00

Irene was a dud here. I am glad for that. Some beach erosion and trees down that’s it. The weather has me thinking of fall and beach plum jelly. The last few days I have gone out to several beach plum spots I know of and haven’t found a one. Not one. In the spring there was a bevy of flowers. But, now no plums. I don’t know how to explain it. I have asked others that have their own spots and they are having the same issues. Today I tried one more and there was an empty bush. This spot is an old farm. There are also apple trees here and they were naked. I did find some grapes. Not ready of course, but I’ll be back. There are a couple more beach plum spots, I’ll try them tomorrow. All I need is one good bush full. Crossing my fingers. There’s nothing like beach plum jelly on chicken or pork on a cold winter night.

Squibnocket

2011-08-28T08:39:00.001-04:00

Yesterday afternoon Husband and I had a big date. We went up to Menemsha on the north west side of the island and had dinner at the Galley. The Galley is great, I should have taken pictures for you. I forget sometimes. It’s a take out place with all sorts of good food at reasonable prices and you can sit on their back porch and enjoy your meal with a view of the inner harbor. It’s covered in case it rains and they have pocket windows that tuck into the sills for colder and windy days. It was eerily quiet for an August afternoon and they had taken the awning off the front of the building in preparation for Irene.

After dinner we got some soft serve and drove even further up island to Squibnocket Beach. Squibnocket, or Squibby as some call it, is on the south shore. This is where some of the surfers go and it is known for good waves when there is a storm to the south. It is a town resident only beach and is manned until 5pm. We just happened to arrive at 5:08 :) and got a parking spot facing the water. This is a great place for surf watching. You can sit in your car to watch the waves and the surfers without getting wet if it’s raining. The parking area is built out of cement up on top of a rock bulkhead so usually you are above the waves and have a nice view.

There were about seven surfers out and the big waves were coming in groups. There would be about five minutes of little waves and then a group of big ones. I got some pictures but it was raining and a little hazy so please excuse the quality.

It looks dreary but it was quite a happening. The lot was full of vehicles, half with surfboards on board. And there was a parade of cars in and out. People were hanging out sitting on the wall or a rock, leaning on a car chatting and having a cold beverage while watching the surf. Kids were running to and fro giggling and throwing rocks in the water and marveling at the waves. At about 6:15 the waves decided to visit the parking lot with a splash. One poor granma got soaked by the first wave. She laughed it off, but they moved quickly. The tide was coming in. After a few more minutes we saw this was going to be a trend and left for home before the waves got much worse. We have four wheel drive but no one wants salt water all over the car if you can avoid it.

This morning the gusty breezes started about 3am. Well that’s when it woke me up. It has gotten a little breezier since. But, that’s it. Just a gusty breeze. Some smaller branches have fallen off the trees and there are leaves in the street. Nothing big. I am roasting a fresh chicken I got yesterday now just in case it gets worse and we have no power later. Also the windows are open so it wont get as hot in the house doing it now instead of later.

Husband has gone to work. The island bus system is still running. The ferries are not running and have all been hunkered down in New Bedford except for one they left behind. The chickens are hanging out in the house. It’s quiet.

The Calm

2011-08-27T12:46:00.001-04:00

The Atlantic Ocean this morning on the north side of the island is like glass.

I suspect the south side is different because I have seen a lot of surfboards heading in that direction. It’s the kind of dark haze where it’s hard to tell where the ocean begins and the sky ends. It’s beautiful to me. This is one of the reasons I love living here. The view changes everyday but it’s always a beautiful one. Even with a storm coming.

They are running extra ferries so all the people that want to ~~make a run for it~~ evacuate can. It has made it quiet here which is a rare thing in August. It’s not quite winter traffic but, it’s not hectic and all the hostility seems to have lifted. I think the storm is not going to be that bad for us. But, we will see.

I Found Raw Milk!

2011-08-26T07:47:00.001-04:00

As many of you may know, earlier this month my regular raw milk provider, Mermaid Farm, stopped selling their raw milk. I found out later at the farmer’s market that their girls were slowing down production and they only had enough for making feta and yogurt. They anticipated an increase in production in late September. This was very disappointing due to how my digestive system reacts to pasteurized homogenized milk. I have been getting by with tiny amounts of organic half and half in my coffee and no cereal or other milk including items since.

The other day I got good news. There is another local farm called Grey Barn that I knew sold pasteurized milk. Well they have now been certified by the state to sell raw milk at the farm only. Which is how the state law goes anyway. No raw milk can be sold off farm for instance at the farmer market. You have to visit the farm. So I went to visit but didn’t make it in. The President is staying next door and the Grey Barn farm and Blue Heron Farm (which is the President’s summer rental) share a drive. So when I got there the Secret Service had a checkpoint and the State Police were there. It was a big to do and quite intimidating. I will return when they have left. Which should be soon hopefully. So close and yet so far.

Gaia

2011-08-25T20:24:00.001-04:00

Little Gaia started out as a normal adorable Speckled Sussex chick. But, as she has grown she has had some issues. She seems to be tired at the drop of a hat. She has almost always squinted at you. There is nothing in her eyes. They are clear and she can see you. No puss, not goo, no sneezing. It’s just the way she is. And as she has grown, her head seems to have stopped while her body has continued. Her feathering is not smooth, it’s rough and uneven. She’s just……….special.

Well I think her specialness has caught up with her. Today she was downright lethargic. I gave them all vitamins in the water hoping that would give her a little boost. She drank and ate heartily. She always does. I haven’t separated her out. I believe that this is genetic not any kind of virus. If it was, the other girls would’ve gotten it long ago. There is no sign of worms and only a couple of lice I saw. I did give her a DE dusting just in case. It couldn’t hurt. Poor Gaia. She’s such a sweet little girl. I hope she rallies.

Wandering Wednesday

2011-08-24T05:52:00.001-04:00

I give you visions of Puerto Rico before Irene’s visit.

A Little Concerned

2011-08-22T23:26:00.003-04:00

Irene may be coming for a visit. Being on an island makes us particularly susceptible. We could be cut off from the mainland in many ways. Then the islanders are on our own. On the bright side maybe some of the meaner summer people will leave early if they hear a hurricane is coming. There is a great app that shows all the possible computer projected paths and half of them say Irene will visit. I am only a little concerned because we are prepared and can survive without the luxuries of electricity or contact with the mainland for quite a while.

-We have a pantry in the basement with supplies of water, nonperishable food, preserved food, and paper products.

-Enough chicken feed that if stretched can last us as much as three months maybe more if they forage enough. Enough cat food for the same period. They probably won’t forage. They are spoiled indoor darlings. Also, kitty litter. Lots of kitty litter.

-There is also a barrel of very dry kindling and a box of fire starter logs if needed.

-Two oil lamps and several candles.

-Fire extinguishers

-Chicken, people, and cat first aid kits.

-Our house is above sea level by quite a bit so storm surge will not effect us. It’s also only one story and sturdy.

-Gassed up the car and the chainsaw

-Lots of books and knitting projects :)

My only real concern are the oak trees with all the leaves still on them and if the chicken coop and run can stand a stiff wind. I think it can. It’s lived through a few Nor’easters so far. The posts are buried three feet in and the hardware cloth is buried two feet around. The run is also covered. The house windows are hardware cloth right now. We built the new bigger house in the existing run in the spring and I have the windows. I was just waiting until fall to install them. Maybe we will board up the outer ones and leave the one inside the run for ventilation. The backup is a temporary pen in the basement. We can’t do anything about the trees.
Because we are prepared, nothing will happen.

Chicken Chat

2011-08-22T07:38:00.001-04:00

Well I broke down and got Betty some eggs and wouldn’t you know it, the day they came she decided she didn’t want to be broody anymore. I came home from the post office and she was out and about with the other girls. I didn’t want to waste them, we were now committed, so I put them in the nest anyway to see what would happen. Well it took a day or two for her to get serious and settle on them, but she is now stuck to them like glue and shrieking like a pterodactyl again. She is the proud protector of nine lavender orpington eggs. I really hope at least one girl comes out of this. Because the parents were so pretty. We will see what happens in a couple of weeks.

Sunday Morning Stinkeye

The goddesses should start laying soon. They are going on 18 weeks now. This means I had to take out and install the extra nest box. I took the separator out of the nest box in the house because last time Betty’s chick kept ending up on the other side and couldn’t figure out how to get around. I left it as one big nest box and we built another one in the run while Betty was in the house. We took it out for more run space when they left the nest box in the house and others could use it again. But, I told Husband to hang on to it just in case. Well it seems the time has come to put it back. Betty does not take well to nest box neighbors. I tried to give them a washtub to lay in but Doris didn’t like it and has started laying in the run. The extra nest box is not pretty, but it works. It tucks right under the ramp and doesn’t take too much space.

We added the panel in the front as an afterthought. They didn’t want to lay in there without some privacy. Hopefully Doris will take to it again and will teach the goddesses that is the place to lay. It’s funny how the dynamic of the whole flock changes when one hen is out. Doris is getting along with the goddesses and she’s the substitute head hen until Betty returns to her post. Betty does like to remind them who is really in charge when she comes off the nest for a break though.

Ag Fair Time

2011-08-19T08:06:00.002-04:00

It’s a busy time of year here on the island. This week alone is filled with many end of the summer events. But, I was able to fit in a visit to the first day of the fair yesterday. It was dusk so please excuse the lighting in some of the pictures.
My first stop was the fair hall. This is where you can see all the items people bring in for competition. I like to see who won ribbons and who didn’t for what. My achievements were thin this year. My socks lost blue ribbon to a pair of faire isle socks which were fabulous. I didn’t mind a second place to them, they deserved it. I love that the knitting judges leave you a note on your entry tag. I got a “nice job”. A friend got a “pattern off”. It helps understand why the judges made their decisions. My dill spears got an honorable mention ribbon. Maybe if they tasted them they would have done better. The judges don’t taste the preserves or pickles and sometimes it’s frustrating. It’s a visual judging only and again the ones that won did look nicer.
After viewing all the prizes, I moved on to the animals. I love to see other people’s chickens and the large animal we can’t keep. On the way, there was a young man exercising his horses in the ring. I like the cup holder in the back.

Next to the ring is the fiber tent and the sheep shearing and herding demonstration area.

The chickens in the livestock barn were being uncooperative when it came to picture time. Some of the other animals were much better.

To finish off the evening, I watched the Flying Wallendas. They’ve never been here before and were very entertaining followed by some dinner of local smoked chicken with tomato and corn salad. It got too dark for pictures before the Wallendas took to the high wire. But, I got some juggling and clown antics before the sun went down.

The fair is on until Sunday. Tonight are the fireworks in Oak Bluffs. Let’s see anything else going on……Oh yeah the president is here. He usually keeps to himself. I just wish his helicopters wouldn’t fly over my house and scare the chickens. There are a few a day. I assume they are cabinet members and such. Last night there was one at 10:30pm just as I was drifting off to sleep. Thump thump thump thump. How long until September?

Wandering Wednesday

2011-08-17T07:38:00.001-04:00

Today I bring you to the lovely Beaumaris Castle in Beaumaris, Anglesey, North Wales. It was built in 1295 by King Edward I. It has the classic moat and outer and inner walls with built in arrow slits and ramparts. It was never quite finished and was abandoned in 1298 when the king was distracted by other matters.

Overview NOFA Summer Conference

2011-08-16T06:43:00.001-04:00

So I have returned from the NOFA Summer Conference and boy was it an experience. I learned so much and there were so many people of all farming walks of life. It was so interesting talking to other chicken owners who varied in chicken numbers from 20 to 2500. Imagine 2500 chickens! I guess at that point they don’t have names or anything. Anywho, everyone was so nice. I don’t think I met one mean person. Everyone just seemed to be there to have a good time and learn something new.

There were many accommodation options. For higher budget people, there was the campus hotel or the dorm suites with kitchenettes and a/c. I stayed in the regular dorms which was the posh price of, I believe, $30 per night for a single room with no a/c (bring your own bedding and fan) and I was lucky enough to be given a corner room. I’ve always thought of dorm rooms as cold, cave like rooms. Well the extra window added a world of difference and there was even a bit of a cross breeze. I felt quite special. It doesn’t take much.

If your wallet wasn’t up to that, there were camping areas. For $12 per night you could pop up your tent or park your adorable little camper and still use the shower facilities in the dorms and the restrooms in the student union.

I want it. Too cute.

In addition to all the classes and speakers, there was a contra dance and a fair. I enjoy contra dances thoroughly. All ages were dancing together having a great time and there were quite a few people that liked to throw in extra spins here and there and leave their partners quite dizzy. The fair was an old fashioned type fair. There were wheelbarrow and three legged races, pie eating contests (blueberry of course), a guess where the cow plops raffle, and a parade mostly manned by children and two cattle brought up the rear.

There was also a dog that herded ducks, some goats, and this mule. He was huge and I wish I had taken a picture of his sign that said what kind of mule he was. His ears were lovely and longer than my forearm.

The big tent had all kinds of organic vendors and groups that support organic agriculture. There was also a silent auction and a book sale. It was my dream book shop with all the books you could want pertaining to all things homestead and farm. I bought three books and then had to stop. If my pockets were deeper many more books would have come home with me. I was surprised there were no yarn vendors. But, that will just give me the excuse to go to the New York Sheep and Wool Festival in the fall. Now that’s another fabulous get together. Overall, I will definitely go again. I will cover the classes I attended in other posts.

Broody Betty

2011-08-15T07:43:00.001-04:00

Betty has gone broody and it happened incredibly quickly. She did start shrieking like a pterodactyl last week at the girls. But, I wasn’t sure until she sat on the nest overnight a few days ago and has since. Dorris is my one and only nest sleeper but, Betty is always a roost sleeper. She has stuck to the nest box like glue. This would be fine if she just hadn’t gotten over being broody and bringing up a chick. A chick that drove me nuts! She’s a very good mother, I am torn between getting her more eggs and trying to break her. I am also afraid that if I don’t break her broodiness that it will run rampant through my little flock and everyone will be broody in no time. What to do. What to do.

Last time.

The Fair is Coming

2011-08-11T06:41:00.001-04:00

Our local Agricultural Fair is August 18th – 21st. I have to decide this week what I will be entering. Not many things have been fair worthy lately. The jams have floating fruit. The Dilly Beans are not plumped up yet from the initial canning shrivel. The eggs have a weird crinkle on the pointy end lately. None of the chickens are really close to standard perfect and the little ones are too young. (Plus I think Betty is going broody again) All of these things are fine for everyday. It’s just that you want it to be perfect if you are going to enter it in the fair. Those judges are super picky.

There are a couple of things that have been successful this year that I plan on entering. I have this pair of socks which I am very proud of and I think the dill spears came out nice this year. We will enter them and see what happens.

I don’t usually join the physical competitions, but I have always wanted to participate in the skillet throw. Those ladies can really chuck a cast iron skillet. Also, there is a new competition that involves knitting with chopsticks in a set period of time. I may jump in that one this year. I’ll let you know how it goes.

Wandering Wednesday

2011-08-10T06:00:00.000-04:00

Today we present…… Burano, Italy. They say that the houses are bright colors so the fishermen could tell their homes from the sea.

NOFA Summer Conference

2011-08-09T05:00:00.011-04:00

Friday is the NOFA Summer Conference in Amherst. It’s finally here. I have never been and am so excited to be going this year. It’s about time to decide which classes I want to take. But with over 225 over three days to choose from, it’s a big decision.
I want to absorb as much as possible and have an ambitious schedule of learning beekeeping, bread making, meat chicken raising, raising a family cow, cultured dairy products, knots, and herbal healing and beauty products. There’s also a fair and a farmer and crafter’s market. I see more yarn in my future.

Betty

2011-08-08T07:18:00.001-04:00

Betty has been very attentive lately. Not a sit on your lap kind of friendly, but every time I go in the back yard she seems to appear out of nowhere at my feet. Staring up at me as if to say “Where were you? Did you bring anything?”

Saturday she hung out with me on the patio for a good long time while I did chores. She hung out and preened and just watched what I was doing just in case a treat opportunity should present itself. She didn’t want to miss it.

Betty and Doris came to me from a home northwest of Boston. The woman who had them decided she wanted to focus more on breeding a different breed and was finding new homes for the rest of her flock.

Betty is a Langshan/Sussex mix but, looks more Langshan than anything. She has the distinctive “U” shape and the beautiful black feathers with the green blue sheen. Her egg is a deep brown and she has feathered feet. Sometimes she looks a bit like an old lady with her silver feathers around her face and neck. I think that may be her only Sussex feature.

Since we restructured the flock in the spring, Betty has become the head hen and she likes to remind the others often. She doesn’t draw blood like Ginger the last lead hen did, but they know to expect a firm peck if they get out of line. They also know though, that she has their backs if a predator of some sort shows up. She is great at sighting birds soaring overhead, being a survivor of a hawk attack, she will herd them under the bushes at the sight of any kind of soaring bird, even seagulls and has been seen chasing the neighbors’ cat across the yard perceiving it a threat. She’s a great alpha hen and still gives us an egg everyday. Who needs a rooster?

Christiantown

2011-08-07T09:42:00.001-04:00

Hunting blackberries on Saturday, I went to the little visited Christiantown reservation. It’s a lovely spot down a private dirt road that’s way off the tourist track. Christiantown was also known as Manitouwatootan to the native Wampanoag Indians it means “God’s Town”. It was established in 1659 and it is here that many of the converted Wampanoags lived and worshipped through the 18th and 19th centuries. In 1849, it held 390 acres. But, it died out slowly as people moved away to find work and the remaining population was wiped out by a smallpox epidemic in 1888. What’s left today is a small wooded reservation owned and protected by the Martha’s Vineyard Land Bank with 8.6 acres and a small chapel that was built in 1829 after the original burnt to the ground. It is a great place for quiet reflection and a stroll through the woods with a berry basket. Especially, on a busy August morning on Martha’s Vineyard.