Archive for the ‘farming’ Category

Or be handed a rope wrapped around horns with a bull on the end.  I wasn’t planning to hop in the pen and separate the calves with Brent, but sometimes you need to act on an opportunity.  We need to wean the calves.  Brent is finishing up his cow pen design.  Using the buildings we [...]

I’m A Maniac

Posted: January 3, 2012 in family, farming
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OH what a feeling! At last, I used our metal glue gun. Much thanks to Brent for holding the baby and pushing me out the door so I could spend a few hours with some very, very nice people who taught me how to get started welding as well as cow milking. Result: cow milking [...]

Today, In Farmville …

Posted: December 27, 2011 in family, farming
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Brent and the boys moved material.   Lucy played “Musketeer Fairy.”   Minty Played with Lucy.   Muffin moped.   Zélie Macked.   G moved a ladder under the Gascon Sun.   Two chinese-made purses hung in an evergreen tree.  One later broke.   Legend surveyed.   Kids frolicked.  Majority avec tutu.   Tosca not photographed [...]

Too Many Cockerels On The Dance Floor

Posted: December 27, 2011 in farming
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Well, we eat meat.  More specifically, we eat well-raised local meat.  Even more specifically, we eat our own meat.  The cows are still working their magic and just about ready.  The chickens are snugging in a bit not laying like they used to as they tough it out through winter.  In the meantime, we have [...]

Manvana

Posted: December 27, 2011 in farming

Owning your very own Toyota pickup can only be improved by owning your very own digger. Which can only be improved by owning your very own tractor.

I Went To A Christmas Market In France

Posted: December 11, 2011 in farming
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A friend of ours rang me up to say hello and see if we’d be interested in going to one of these Christmas markets that are oat-and-aboat at this time of year.  There were things for the kiddies, so how could I resisit?!  It was in the village of Fourcès.  Were someone to blindfold me [...]

What A Great Friday

Posted: December 9, 2011 in farming
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Nothing perks up the soul like a warm, sunny day in December (well except maybe hot chocolate by the fire after a long day working in the cold).  Today was dry so Brent and the gentleman helping us with the barn roofing could move swiftly fixing the crazy holes and damage incurred during the mean, [...]

Project Cattle Pen

Posted: December 5, 2011 in farming

Brent has been working and designing cattle pens.   We are designing a pen for low-stress animal handling.  Brent took pieces from low-stress animal handling experts that work with our size herd as well as our animal handling skills.  The result is simple and something the cows will happily trot through.   We’ve used the existing pens [...]

This Week, On Jean Acres

Posted: December 1, 2011 in farming
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Mr. Vine Man came to finish the vines.  It turns out he brought a truck to haul out the hot wire.  I tried to rush and get my camera to capture the smoking wire as it smoked a trail down our driveway, but one can only run so fast carrying a baby in the backpack.  [...]

The Day The Vineyard Died

Posted: November 30, 2011 in farming
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Well, it was dead awhile ago, but the big, brown piles have been set ablaze.  No longer will I hum, “Sigmund the sea monster and Johnny and Scott are friends” as I go off on errands.  To me they’ve always resembled little Sigmund.  To others they might be Daleks or Pleasure GELFs.  Either way, they’re [...]