Self-taught farmers confidently raising chickens, ducks, geese, and pigs. Our focus is on practices that are environmentally harmonious and respectful to our livestock. We appreciate the beauty around us, clean eating, fermenting, and responsibly utilizing the bounty of the land. If you like thinking for yourself, continuous learning, and connecting with the homesteader lifestyle, check us out.
A caterpillar has chosen a spot on the porch’s siding for its rebirth, and I couldn’t be more pleased; I may actually have a chance to see what this fantastic creature (doesn’t it look like it belongs in the sea, rather than on land?) metamorphoses into. A moth? A butterfly? I hope I’ll find out!
Continue reading “Haiku: Ready For Change”
“Expect the unexpected ” was the theme of the morning…except that I wasn’t expecting it. When I went to the waterfowl coop this morning, everyone rushed out (as they normally do) and I set about collecting the duck eggs that were either strewn about (Runner) or buried in a nest (Muscovy). Little did I know what I’d find…
Continue reading “Haiku: Surprise Duckling”
There are those mornings where I just have a tough time greeting the new day. This was one: the bed was perfectly warm, sheets were soft, and the day just didn’t seem like it held promise. Why not just stay, pull the duvet over my head, and let the day go by? Because others were depending on me. And, because of that, I shook off temptation and set about my daily routine. And the day turned out to be good, after all.
Life can be hard if you’re a very tiny frog. I found this diminutive one near a puddle on the edge of the driveway. It jumped away from me as I walked near it, through a grassy area turned into marsh by recent rainfall. I think I may have seen it the other day – something leapt in the grass in the same area – but concluded that it was probably a large grasshopper. I wasn’t convinced, though.
This tiny frog could jump astonishingly high, flinging itself away so violently in its efforts to escape that it flipped itself over more than once. Fortunately, it landed in thick, wet, grass and I was able to very gently capture it for a very quick photo (I am an experienced frog catcher, having spent a good portion of my youth practicing the skill – lol!).
Interestingly, this frog seems to have a cleft in its upper “lip” area that looks (at least externally) similar to a human cleft palate. Whether the deformity was congenital or due to injury, the little creature seemed otherwise healthy. I returned it to the grassy edge and wished it luck…because with all of the obstacles to living its life – even in the country – it needs it.
Did you figure out the “two lives” reference in the title? From Vocabulary.com: “the word amphibian comes from the Greek word amphibios, which means ‘to live a double life'”, referring to the fact that amphibians live their early lives in water, then, later, on land.
Read more about why frogs are important: https://phys.org/news/2017-05-frogs.html
Are you wondering why you haven’t seen many posts here lately about what’s going on at the farm? Have we packed it in, rehomed the animals, started a new chapter? Short answer: no.
Continue reading “Musings: Semblance Of Sameness”
This verse was inspired by a real event: it began with a “pants wetter” thunderclap that felt like it slammed down to earth, and was followed by a brief, but violent, storm that lashed at the trees and sent unsecured items sailing. I like to think it was a reminder from Nature of who’s really in charge (and it’s not us). Message received.