Peripatetic philomaths…focusing on what's really important, eating ethically and cleanly, fermenting, foraging/wildcrafting, practicing herbalism, and being responsible stewards of our land. Sharing our photos, musings, and learnings. Still seeking our tribe.
It’s a sunny Saturday here on the farm, and it’s been unusually warm. Temperatures yesterday hit 80F and are forecasted to be in the 80s (currently 84F now) for the remainder of the weekend. The combination of high humidity and temperatures makes for some uncomfortable days working outside, a reminder of the real heat and humidity that are just around the corner.
Continue reading “Around The Farm: Too Warm, A Bit Too Early”
The goslings started externally pipping yesterday (day 29), signaling that hatching was imminent. It’s technically hatch day – day 30 – for the Pilgrims, but a “normal” hatch may begin a couple of days earlier or a couple of days later. How many goslings would be in the incubator when I checked this morning?
Continue reading “Hatch Day: The Bobbleheads Are Here!”
Early this morning, I checked on the Pilgrim goose eggs in the hatcher – and saw external pips. It’s day 29 of incubation, and the goslings are right on track to hatch over the next couple of days. The season’s first goslings are nearly here!
Continue reading “Incubation Update: Pipping Like Popcorn”
Happiness – for me, at least – is an incubator full of goose eggs. If all goes well, in a few weeks, the fuzzy charm of baby geese will return to the farm. It’s a short hatching season, so I’ll be making the most of it!
Continue reading “In The Incubator: First Goose Hatch Of 2022”
The geese are laying, and they have a favorite spot in the barn where they queue up to have their turn (this particular goose is Sinéad, so named because she was bald last year from the gander’s attentions). While all of the ladies demand their privacy, Sinéad’s “stink eye” is enough to keep most other creatures away…and her bodyguard is an additional deterrent.
Continue reading “Haiku: Three’s A Crowd”
It’s a momentous day here on the farm: the geese have laid their first eggs of the season! I always enjoy finding first eggs, whether from a new or resuming layer. And I really enjoy finding a surprise, like I did this morning.
Continue reading “Farm Fowl: First Goose Eggs Of The Season”
Ah, the dirty little (not so) secret that farmers and homesteaders often sidestep when discussing the nuts and bolts of raising animals: poop. Poop is important, and I think that anyone who raises animals, whether as livestock or as pets, should be looking at it.
Continue reading “Farm Fowl: Let’s Talk About Poop *Graphic*”
As winter begins to loosen its grip on the land, the thaw has begun. The ground, previously as hard as concrete, unyielding and uncooperative, has softened. This marks a transitional period, during which Nature’s beauty must be quickly captured before it disappears.
Continue reading “Haiku: Preserved Pools”This probably needs very little explanation, so I’ll keep it brief: it’s very cold here right now (snowing as I write this) and the puddle near the goose coop is frozen. As the video shows, the geese can’t help but venture into (onto) the puddle, which has become a skating rink. While the gander in this scene may have sacrificed his dignity, note that his attitude remains intact. 😂
Today is one of those wet, dreary days that invites thoughts – albeit briefly – of simply getting back into bed and pulling the covers over your head. Of course, when you farm (or if you have kids, pets, or other obligations, as most of us do), that’s merely a briefly-entertained fantasy that you quickly pop like a soap bubble. Mud or no, chores must be done, animals must be fed, and other tasks must be addressed. And while finding beauty on a day like this may seem difficult, it’s really not: it’s there, just waiting to be found.
Continue reading “Around The Farm: Gaily Green ‘Gainst Gray”