Rain & Food

Can you believe it?! Rain!  We really, actually, truly got rain!  And I mean real rain.  We got the kind of rain that soaks your clothes through down to the skin in moments.  We have not felt moisture like this in months.  I honestly can't really believe my eyes after so much time spent in the dusty, dry heat of this summer's drought.  But, true blue... it's pouring out there.

The fire I mentioned yesterday has been mostly contained and is being extinguished by this miraculous deluge.  Truth be told, I am not a lover of rain.  In fact, I kind of can't stand it.  But I have never been so grateful in my life for a downpour such as we've had today.  It's amazing watching the rain forest come alive again.  Thank you, rain.  Thank you, winds, for bringing the heavy moisture our area has so badly needed.  Wow.  It's like the entire bioregion is breathing a sigh of relief.

And with the grey, wet weather came a day focused on food.  Today was about staying cozy, making yogurt and cheese for now, and breaded eggplant and canned tomatoes for later (and a very quick and simple sheep shelter). 

With this hot, dry summer we've had, we were actually able to grow a good amount of eggplants even without a greenhouse.  Our favorite way to consume eggplant is via Eggplant Parmesan.  So... when we get a bountiful harvest, we slice them thin, bread and fry them and then freeze them for later use.  And what better to put up along side one's future eggplant parm?  Why, crushed tomatoes, of course!  And when the fridge has more milk than you can possibly drink, then yogurt and cheese it is.

 

And what would a stormy afternoon be without a good puzzle with papa?  Tomorrow promises more rain and, therefore, more time in the kitchen.  I think we'll be on to more tomatoes, pickled string beans, perhaps some mozzarella and kale chips!  Nothing like a rainy day to get me in the mood to hover over a steamy stove.  

xo

The gift I didn't know I needed

Does it ever happen that something comes to you that so deeply fills you up, and you didn't even know that particular hole was there, needing to be filled?  Well, that just happened to me!  My amazing mother-in-law (whose birthday it happens to be today... happy birthday Aurora!), fabulous and intuitive woman that she is, sent me a giant box of roving for my birthday. 


A few years back, while visiting my beautiful East Coast family for a special 90th birthday celebration, I discovered the most amazing little fiber farm* in a neighboring town to my mother-in-law.  This particular farm raises Icelandic and Shetland sheep, two breeds I am pretty keen on and whose wool I really enjoy spinning.  Well, despite the fact that we had precious little time to spare, I carved out an hour or so to go visit that spot and arrived to find not only the most picturesque, dreamy 100 acre rolling farm, but also a fiber and yarn store where they sell their self-produced and processed goods!

Needless to say, I was in heaven.  A giant Great Pyrenees livestock guardian dog named Ranger greeted us in the driveway and escorted us into the shop.  There I found rack after rack after rack of the most lovely natural color and dyed roving and yarn. Yum. And through the back doors of the shop, a mirco fiber mill where all of the farm's wool is processed.  And just outside the front door.... that's right, 100 acres of rolling pastures crisscrossed by streams and dotted with sheep.  Oh my.  I kind of get a little fluttery just thinking about it. 

So, anyway... back to the box of fiber.  Mother-in-law extraordinaire sent me 40 oz of beautiful Shetland roving in the most lovely natural colors from the above farm for my birthday.  In all honesty, it's been quite a shamefully long while since I sat down at my spinning wheel.  But today, with that gorgeous fiber peeking out of the box at me and a baby who happened to take an oddly long nap, I dusted the wheel off and got to spinning.  Oh my goodness....

I had no idea how much I needed that!  As soon as my foot began treadling, the wheel began spinning, and the fiber began sliding through my fingers, I just felt a sort of peace and contentment that I've been lacking these last few weeks.  The simple joy that comes from just making, doing, creating.  As that wool spun up into yarn, my breath deepened and much stress and tension that I've been clinging to seemed to soften and slip slowly from my shoulders.  Ahhh... yessss....

Sometimes I get so caught up in the everyday this's and that's that I forget to create.  I am slowly learning that allowing myself to be creative and artistic and giving myself that time is so very crucial to my happiness.  It feeds my joy.  And without it, I get a little lost.  So thank you, Aurora!  Thanks for a gift much, much greater than the physical gift itself.  I really needed it... and I didn't even know!

*I'd post a link to the farm, but I cannot seem to find a website for it.  Sorry!

Thirty Six

a little summer color and light on this grey winter day

I tuned 36 yesterday!  Yay! And in celebration, I'd like to list 36 things that I am grateful for on this lovely day.  In no particular order....

1. discovering a new passion for aerial acrobatics. oh my goodness, yes.
2. huevos rancheros filling my home with amazing smells as I snuggled in bed yesterday morning
3. sweet cards made by even sweeter children
4. a new knitting pattern book full of delicious potential
5. emails with a sheep breeder
6. homemade gluten free cookies made for me by my baking wonder kids
7. so many new words spilling from the lips of my nearly two-year-old munchkin
8. the wild giggles that explode from deep in his belly as he plays with his pops
9. my rapidly increasing strength and flexibility due to diligent aerial practice
10. new babies on the way, growing in the bellies of ones that I love so very much
11. finding time to read books again
12. lengthening days
13. the occasional decent night of sleep
14. the trust and companionship of good friends
15. a partner who makes me my favorite breakfast and dinner on my birthday
16. sparkling blue eyes of my three amazing children
17. finally getting my pullover on the trapeze
18. a toddler who finally naps consistently on his own
19. a partner whom I trust with all of my heart
20. his hugs, which warm me to my very core
21. fresh eggs from our chickens
22. fresh milk from our cow
23. fresh kale still coming from our garden
24. the soon-to-be drying off of our cow, which will offer me one less thing to do each day
25. the night out I am treating myself to tonight with some dear lady friends 
26. a house that sometimes stays tidy for an hour before the next whirlwind moves through
27. soups... warm, hardy soups that fill my belly and warm me from the inside out this winter
28. the big smiles that greet me each morning as I open my eyes to Jade leaning over me saying, "play?"
29. big ideas and plans for our home and land this year
30. my beautiful daughter sitting across from me as I type this and her magical smiles
31. the powerhouse wood stove that is the heart of this home all winter long
32. birthday wishes from loved ones that brought smiles to my lips throughout the day yesterday
33. the tiny juncos that visit the feeder just outside my window 
34. the fact that Jade does not want to touch his runny nose, but rather runs through the house shouting, "bubble!", every time he needs his nose wiped
35. a thirteen-year-old son who still offers me hugs every single time he thinks I might need one
36. the year to come and all that it will bring!

xoxo

Lunch

Ummm, yeah.  I am going to write a post about my lunch today.  Because it was that good.

My midday meal consisted of a scramble that was made, pretty much entirely, of things I grew or raised (the exceptions being the oil, salt and pepper I used in the cooking).  I had a veggie scramble made from: eggs collected from my chickens, milk from my cow, and broccoli, spinach and three types of kale all harvested from the garden moments before being tossed into the pan.  I washed it all down with tea brewed from calendula, lemon balm and mint harvested as the water boiled.  And for dessert... freshly made raw milk yogurt from our cow with raspberries still warm from the sun-drenched thicket.

Oh yes.  This was a lunch for the record books!

What a day!

I am so bone tired after the most amazing day. 

I spent the morning and most of the afternoon working alongside and learning a ton from the manager of a local dairy.  We bought one of her beautiful Jersey cows last weekend (more on that later!) and she graciously welcomed me under her wing today to indoctrinate me into the world of cow care.  I know the simple basics from keeping our Dexters for the last year, but thanks to my experience today, my knowledge and confidence have taken a major soaring leap skyward!

My day at the dairy began with this sweet boy... a little bull calf born two days ago.  This poor little guy wandered off from his mama yesterday and got lost in the heat.  It took a couple of hours of people searching high and low for him before he was found hunkered down in a small space between two buildings.  Today he was somewhat worse for the wear and was suffering from a bit of heat exhaustion.  So, I got to learn about signs of weakness in a calf, how to assess the severity of weakness and lethargy, and how to treat such symptoms.  Having him adorably suck on my thumb while waiting for his bottle of electrolytes wasn't so bad either!  He was so soft and floppy and cute, I could hardly tear myself away from him!  And yet, there were shots, IV's, rectal exams, oral drenches and more calling my name.....

Without going into the grizzly and (at times) gross details of my bovine education, suffice it to say that I learned so much.  And I am so very grateful for the bump up the learning curve.  I feel so much more comfortable in my role as cow owner and caretaker.  (I can't wait to share more about our latest family member!)

My day plowed ahead through the unusually hot and humid evening air as I milked out our new cow, grateful for the box fan blowing on both of us and keeping the flies away.  I raced back up the hill after milking and evening chores to do a quick change of clothes and head out to the Hood Canal for a wonderful sunset dinner by the water, overlooking the Olympic Mountains, with both immediate and extended family.  And then, I had the wonderful pleasure of laughing hysterically as our minivan, stuffed to capacity, rocked our backwoods country roads as all six people over the age of 16 months sang nonsensical children's songs at the top of our lungs for the entire car ride home.

And now... to bed, to sleep... in a house full of open windows inviting in the cooler nighttime air... with a head full of newly gained knowledge... and a heart full of gratitude for such an amazing day.

Soul food

We got the tractor and tiller here again today, to do second and final till.  Woot!  Steve frantically spread the second round of amendments for me the morning that he left for India!  And, I got a last minute delivery of about 12 yards of manure this morning and dumped them into the new garden area.  Spread it with the tractor while it was here.  Phew!  I wish I could’ve gotten more, but that was about all I could swing for now.

back pasture before second till

The skin on my hands is turning to sandpaper from hauling so many rocks.  My goodness do we ever have some seriously rocky soil.  Holy moley.   

the soil in the new garden before second till - look at all those rocks!

Luckily this second till seems to be dropping the rocks back down below the surface (whereas the first till brought them all up).  That will make for a much, much better seedbed for the pasture seed.  I was looking at the ground last week and feeling a little worried and discouraged.  But, it’s looking much more hospitable and promising now.  Thank goodness… I had visions of patchy pathetic pasture, something reminiscent of a balding chia-pet with fleas.  But, not anymore.  It’s looking much better, indeed.  

same spot after second tilling

the new garden area (the duck pond is just on the other side of that soil mound on the right)

front pasture

Holding down the homestead while Steve is in India is going pretty smoothly so far.  The big kids are being extra helpful and the sunshine makes it all feel so nice and dreamy.  I really think that sunshine is the key to happiness and well-being.  That stuff is magic, for real.  

Moonlight’s not so bad either!  Last night, I finally got around to the cows at about 9:00pm.  At first, before making it out the door, I felt exhausted and mildly frustrated.  But, I think it took all of about 5 seconds basking in the moonlight to turn my spirits right around.  It was glorious out there!  Jade snuggled warmly on my back, the moon huge and glowing bright in the dark night sky, the pasture bathed in silver light… it was like a dream.  It was so beautiful, in fact, that rather than rushing back inside (as I usually would have doing evening chores that late) I lingered about for quite a while, moseying here and there around the homestead.  Good thing, too -  I discovered a raccoon in the compost and chased him away before he decided to terrorize my chickens!  Anyway… moonlight is most definitely also a tonic for the soul (especially for us rainforest dwellers who rarely get clear night skies).  While I left the house for cow duty feeling wiped out and ready for bed, I found myself only moments later buzzing with energy and excitement to be out wandering in the moonlight.  I would have stayed out there much longer if it hadn’t been for the very sleepy, diaperless, jammieless baby tucked onto my back.  Ah, yes, sleep was most definitely calling his name.

Spring is definitely taking hold in my soul.  The longer days feel so good, as do the earlier mornings, the increasing number of clear and sunny days, the soil staining my fingers, the peeps of baby chicks and ducklings, and the unmistakable surge of energy that pushes me to do just a little bit more each day.  Giving thanks.

Today

Today was amazing.  One of those days, when all the pieces seem to fall magically into place.  They don't happen often, but when they do, I just have to pause frequently, take notice and smile inwardly, deep in my heart.

Beautiful sunrise....

Followed by a totally smooth and easy morning of animal chores and breakfast (not always so smooth or easy!).  Which then lead into a blissful morning trail ride through forest and meadow as the fog burned off making way for the sunshine. Yes!  Sunshine and a trail ride?! Again, I squeal, "Yes!!!"

The early afternoon involved an unfortunately short nap taken by a little guy who I believe was too excited about the sunshine to bother with sleep.  During this brief interlude, I stole a few minutes to read up on some other blogs.  I read a couple of posts of the ladies penning the "Get Real" series -  seven mama's getting real about the behind the scenes of juggling motherhood, households, homesteads, homeschooling and the like.  Today's topic was balancing work into the equation. I read their stories and reflected on my own juggling act. What followed shortly there after couldn't have been a more perfect manifestation of the mama/worker-bee balancing act in action.

When Jade woke from his nap, I scooped him up and quickly dressed him for an afternoon outside in unpredictable spring weather.  We snagged his older brother and hit the trails behind our property for a quick walk.  Cedar and I caught up on what he had been working on all morning, discussed his feelings about the tragedy in Boston yesterday, and just simply had some "connecting" time.  Upon our return to the house, Jade and I jumped in the van and zoomed to the barn to get Sequoia from her riding lesson and barn work day.  On our way home from the barn, Sequoia and I had some heart-to-heart check-in time while Jade did his own thing in his car seat.

Once home, Jade and I headed back outside and collected, yet again, more rocks, roots and sticks from the new pasture area while I awaited a conference call.

About thirty minutes later, my call came in. I snuggled Jade into the carrier on my back and I hit the woods for another walk.  I spent the next two hours hiking the trails while "attending" a meeting via cell phone with a perfectly content baby on my back.  It was a gloriously sunny and beautiful afternoon in the forest and a highly productive meeting to boot!

About 30 minutes before my meeting ended, Jade decided he had heard quite enough about spreadsheets and deadlines, and conked out.

And, not five short minutes after my meeting ended and I decided to head for home, the clouds rolled in, the sky turned a dark and steely grey and thunder began rumbling in the distance.

Just as I passed the gate that puts me back onto our little gravel road, the sky opened up and caught Jade and I in a crazy downpour of rain and hail.  Luckily for us, we were just a quick minute from the house!

The evening concluded with a quick and easy dinner of burritos and left-over soup, followed by (you guessed it) another family walk in the woods and evening chores.  Jade discovered the moon for the first time as we walked through the twilight pasture to feed the cows.  He spent the rest of the walk home with his arms outstretched above his head reaching for the moon and babbling with excitement.  Once home, he boogied down in the living room to papa's guitar playing while the big kids cleaned up the kitchen and dining room from dinner.

Then... off to bed for little man.  A bit of time spent chatting and catching up for papa and the big kids at the end of the day while mama and baby do their bedtime thing.  Now, all are off in their own corners of the house, doing their own quiet thing. 

Yes, today was a good day, indeed. 

Heart on fire

This past weekend, our beloved family dog passed away.  He shared his life, loyalty and love with us for almost fifteen years.  I'm still at a loss for words and trying to figure out how life works without him.  I wait for his barks when someone pulls into the driveway.  I look for him out on the porch.  I swear I keep seeing him out of the corner of my eye, watching over us and the farm.  My heart swells with love and gratitude and burns with grief and loss as my mind attempts to learn new patterns of the day.

Thank you, Baraka.  Thank you for teaching me about unconditional love, for always being there, for protecting and loving us, for your wise and watchful eyes, for your ceaseless playful energy, and above all else for being a part of our lives and a beautiful member of our family.  You will be forever and always in our hearts and part of the pack.

Grateful

As I lay wide awake in the middle of the night last night unable to fall back to sleep, I made a list in my head of many, many simple things I am so grateful for in my life right now.  These are just a few....

:: The soft downy hair on the top of my sweet baby's head that I love to kiss until my lips tingle when I can't sleep at night.

:: Two big kids who make me so proud every day of the people they are and are becoming as they grow and mature before my eyes.

:: How lucky I am that my partner is willing to rub my achy feet at the end of a long day.

:: My chickens are finally back into the springtime laying routine and farm fresh omelets really are the best breakfast ever (and lunch, and dinner).

:: I'm so happy that the frogs are croaking in the pond again.

:: The pasture and new garden project is so close to completion... just a few more tasks that need to be done.  I can't wait to sow seed and watch it grow!

:: My first few skeins of balanced and beautiful two ply yarn- soon to be knit into something cozy for a little guy I know and love.

:: Our ever growing list of fruit trees, shrubs and ground covers from Burnt Ridge Nursery.

:: Learning to ride horses again after 25 years out of the saddle.

:: Occasional sunny days, and the crazy schizophrenic springtime weather of sunshine, sideways rain, hail, blustery winds and rainbows all in a matter of an hour.

:: Fourteen and a half wonderful years with the most wonderful, amazing and loyal dog I could have ever asked for.

May your day (and night) be filled with much gratitude and love....

This Moment

Over on Soulemama, the weekly "this moment" post is a sweet ritual that I have never taken part in.  However, this week I feel quite moved to share a single photo that captures a moment I wish to remember forever....

xoxoxo

Daily Gratitudes ~ 3 ~ Holy Cow(s)!

Sorry for missing a couple days. The following should explain why....

I am so grateful to be welcoming our latest family members!  Welcome to the tribe miss Birch and baby Sarsaparilla!  We are so happy you're here!

Daily Gratitudes ~ 2

I am so thankful for baby smiles!

Daily Gratitudes

Hello lovely people.  It's been a while.

In an effort to get myself coming back to this space on a regular basis again, I am going to try to post every day for at least two weeks.  The posts will be short and simple.  A photograph and a gratitude.  Simple as that....  Something this new (again) mama can handle.

Thank goodness for a break in the rain!

A Little Bit of Light

Hello again, friends.  Sorry for the long hiatus.  It has been a very busy few months, what with the putting the greenhouses to bed, putting up food for the winter, homeschooling, work, the ever-growing baby and belly, and the thousands of projects that are always taking place on the old homestead.  There just isn't room in the day for computer time unless it's work-related.

But, you know, I would really like to get back to regular updates.  Really I would.

On an exciting homestead note, we decided a few weeks ago to move ahead with the land clearing project. Clearing is actually not really the right word.  We are heavily thinning the forest on about 1.25 acres of our land.  The long-term goals are to get the remaining trees healthier and stronger (so we stop having so many topped and downed trees every time we have a windstorm), let more sunlight into our land and home, and eventually get a nice healthy pasture seeded and growing strong beneath the remaining trees so that we may graze some livestock.

It is amazing how different the land looks and feels with more open space and light.  I can't stop walking around with my mouth hanging half open and day-dreaming about fence lines, pasture seed, garden beds, loafing sheds, and critters.  I can't wait to raise our own livestock right here, a hop, skip and a jump from my own front door!  The future is looking a little brighter here at Howling Wolf, quite literally, with more visible sky through the dripping rainforest canopy.

Well, as I stated before, time is beyond precious these days, so I'll have to keep this post brief.  But, let's hope I can manage to return regularly to this space for fun updates and info!  For now, I will leave you with some greenhouse images from the later part of the summer season.  It's pouring now and so dark I absolutely need lights on to read by, so a little summer light and brightness seems quite nice....

Wow!  Just looking at those photos made me feel warmer, immensely grateful and deeply nourished!  What a great reminder in the darkness of a winter storm!  Happy New Year everyone!

Hello again

Hi there folks.  Sorry it's been so long.  There has been a lot going on for our little family this summer which has taken priority over blogging time....

Needless to say, the greenhouses have been quite the huge commitment.  Holy smokes!  Those wonderful overflowing domiciles of veggie bounty do require an amazing amount of time and energy (and water!).  Not that I am complaining.  It's amazing to have more tomatoes than I know what to do with already ripe for the picking in August when I am often lucky to get a few by the middle of September.  And cucumbers, and eggplants, and onions, and squash, and basil, and peppers, and.... you get the idea, I'm sure.  It's been wonderful and truly a blessing.  We even have melons!!!  Real honest to goodness melons!  In western Washington!  We planted them with low expectations, just an experiment.  But, by golly, we actually have dozens of good-sized fruit set and ripening on the vines!

Like I said, the greenhouses have been such a blessing... but also a challenge for me this summer.  About the time of my last blog post I began getting god-awfully nauseous every time I tried to work in them.  The heat and combined smells of the all the different veggies (especially the onions, of which there are hundreds) were just too much.  I kept having to find dry spots to lie down and catch my breath while waiting for waves of nausea to pass.  Hmm... very strange.  Then came the fatigue.  I just couldn't quite muster the energy to get to the greenhouses at dawn to work before they got too hot.  And when I finally did make my way there I felt exhausted and like I was swimming through molasses rather than simply watering, planting and pruning.  What the heck?  My dreams coming true and they're making me sick?

Ha!  Not quite!  That's right folks... for those of you who may have already guessed.  We planted one more seed this spring of the not-so-veggie variety.  There is another little one on the way!  As today marks the beginning of the second trimester, I feel that I can finally share the news.  We are thrilled and excited and couldn't be more happy to be welcoming another munchkin into our family!  And I am happy to also report that as long as I get enough sleep and regular bites of food, I am significantly less nauseous and exhausted these last few days... a HUGE relief.  I can't wait to get back full swing into the responsibilities that Steve has had to take over for the last couple of months (which have included daybreak watering at the greenhouse and anything involving strong smelling food).

I'm also excited to get back into the blogging flow again.  I am short on photos at the moment, but hope to return soon with some greenhouse and summertime fun beauties.  Happy summer everyone!

Full...

I'll try to sum up the last ten days in photos and a few words.  It's been a crazy ten days.... animals, plants, family and trips around the sun.

warm horse breath in the early morning

love

and snuggles

greenhouses are getting more and more planted by the day

tomatoes are flowering

melons are growing

I wish I had more greenhouse photos to share, but when I'm there (which is a LOT), I am so incredibly busy, I forget to take pictures.  The above only hint at a fraction of what is actually going on in there.  Can't wait to share more!

milking mama goats

look at all that milk!
and that's even with the kids still nursing at will

We like to cuddle with little Bandit

and little Ginseng, too!

I got to go back and visit the alpaca ranch where I assisted during shearing.  Not running between animals, skirting tables and scales, I was able to get some photos of the silly girls and boys.

This cria (baby alpaca) was born the day before the shearing.
Her mama likes to keep her close and was none-too-pleased at being separated from her babe to be shorn.
As you can see, they are happily inseparable now.

This mama was pregnant during the shearing.

Not anymore!

This is what we were given in trade for our help at the shearing!
Seven bags of gorgeous alpaca fiber!

So soft...

 The big news that I eluded to in my last post is.... I bought a spinning wheel!  I am so so excited.  At the moment, it is still in pieces on my living room floor.  I got about half-way through oiling the wood and have yet to get back to it due to the greenhouses popping up in my life and demanding all of what used to be spare moments in my day (and then some).  I can't wait to put it together and start spinning.  That alpaca fiber is going to be delicious!

Partly sunny skies mean a whole different thing when you live in the rainforest of western Washington....

look for it....

wait for it....

Oh!  There we go!  I just have to wait for the sun to drop below the clouds shortly before sun set!
Hmm... partly sunny... really? 

Good thing we got to scuttle off to sunny California for a couple of days for an all-too-quick visit with family!  I'm glad summer is happening somewhere!  My brother and sister-in-law live in the heart of the Russian River valley in Sonoma County.  Wine country, redwoods, the river, sunshine, family, good food, dear friends... heaven.  This is the view from their back yard.

And last, but not least.... My sweet boy turned 11!  I can't believe it!  He got to have a very special Cali birthday with his favorite aunt and uncle and some of his East Coast grandparents.  His big day involved going out to breakfast, getting to build a skate board for the first time, practicing skate board tricks for hours, ice cream cake, swimming in the river, pineapple and jalapeno pizza, and lots and lots of lovin.

Richard and Sequoia help Cedar put together his skate board

Needless to say, life has been very, very full.  In all the best ways.  It's not always easy and I am as tired as a dog, but I am so very full indeed.