What to do on the last day of the year

Charlie finished the greenhouse yesterday. It took a little work to level out a spot. We've still got work to do. We need to gravel the inside. For now there's landscape fabric. We'll be building a low retaining wall and filling the newly created bed behind the greenhouse with low growing herbs, flowers and veggies.

I filled some 7-gallon containers with potting mixture and sowed seeds for the first greenhouse crops - rouge d'hiver lettuce, black-seeded simpson lettuce, a mesclun mix, a stir fry greens mix, catalina spinach and oregon giant snow peas. I have more containers to fill. I'm thinking of starting some carrots and radishes. For now everything will be in containers, but I'm planning on some raised beds this spring. Before we know it, it will be time to start seed for the garden. I've got to leave a little room for some shelves. The seed catalogs are arriving daily and I'm getting itchy to order way too much again this year. But I've got grand plans forming for 2007.

Roosters Swapped

I met up with Jamie on Thursday and it was a wonderful meeting. We met in a brewpub in downtown Greenville, SC and swapped roosters. It was an odd excuse for a meeting, but a worthwile one. She had an extra Speckled Sussex rooster (which I had been wanting, as I have four hens) and I had Lucky, the Barred Rock/Dominique - only named because he managed to escape not one, but two attempts at butchering. Good luck, Jamie - he's a handsome, yet crafty creature. The Sussex is now getting used to his new surroundings with one hen and will soon be joining the group.

I haven't been doing this whole blog thing quite as long as she, so it was nice to meet someone else doing what I'm doing. I liken it to meeting a pen pal. Do people still have pen pals? I had one from Japan and one from France (who at some point got tired of my poor French grammar, and stopped les lettres. Jamie was just as friendly and cool as I expected and surprisingly familiar. I suppose it helps that I've been reading her posts for almost two years... I even made the aquaintance of her car, Squeaky - which is blue, sort of.

Here is Number Two (her name for him, but it seems to be sticking) at the rooster swap high atop a parking garage in Greenville. He was quite perturbed when I brought him home and then he saw the Speckled Sussex hen in the pen next to him and he turned on the old rooster charm (they must be hardwired that way...). Way to go Number Two and welcome to Little Creek Farm.

Holiday Recovery

Finally, a time to relax. The Monkey has finally gone to bed after two days of hard partying. In case you're wondering, "hard partying" for a four year old (excuse me, four and a half year old) involves wearing a Tinkerbell constume, consuming vast quantities of sugar, jumping up and down frequently and non-stop verbalizing. The hardest part has been that the weather turned and our Christmas was rather wet. Nasty, cold wet. It has at least set in motion serious plans for revamping the critter area. Gravel - it's a novel concept. And it's much easier to walk on than soul-sucking mud



I hope everyone had a merry Christmas, or whatever it is you do at this time of year. We tried to have less present under the tree, but our families didn't quite cooperate. Monkey didn't mind. She got a Tinkerbell costume, a Hello Kitty boombox (for her collection of kindermusik and Suzuki violin cds) and lots of art supplies. Charlie received practical presents like new boots, two copies of the new edition of the Joy of Cooking, and a doormat made of recycled flip-flops (one of our favorites!).

My Christmas present didn't fit under the tree this year. It is still sitting in several large boxes on the screened porch (thanks to the rain). I got a greenhouse! I've begged Charlie for months to help me build a hoop house and had been rather dissapointed that he seemed to show no interest in the prospect of fresh vegetables year round. Little did I know he was plotting. It's the curse of living with a landscape designer... ...it all has to look good. So, as soon as the weather breaks, he'll be out assembling all those panels and soon I'll be planting radishes and lettuce!



While not a "present", so to speak, we do have new inhabitants here at Little Creek. Four Guinea Fowl - three lilac and one pearl, have joined the menagerie.

Two breeding pairs. I hoping for little guineas in the spring. From what I've read, they love to eat bugs and scratch less than the chickens - they may even get to go in the garden! I'm hoping to that they'll be rather self-sufficient. I know they are tasty! Although these four are just for breeding and increasing the screaming guinea horde. In case you aren't aware, Guineas can set up quite the racket when they want to set off an alarm. When they are just chatting, however, the sound quite pleasant with little chirps and such.

Tonight it's snowing and blowing and the temperatures have dropped. How do we keep warm around here? Let me share a favorite Christmas drink. I think Santa loves when I leave him one by the fireplace...

Aztec Sluggers from Gourmet, December 2005

Here's what you need...

1 cup freshly brewed strong coffee

1/4 cup bourbon

1/2 oz Kahlua

2 oz finely chopped bittersweet chocolate

6 tablespoons heavy cream

1 teaspoon sugar

Heat coffee, bourbon, Kahlua, chocolate, and 2 tablespoons cream in a heavy saucepan over low heat, whisking constantly, until the chocolate is melted. (Do not let it boil.)

Whisk remaining 1/4 cup cream with sugar until it holds soft peaks.

Divide drink between two large mugs, then top with whipped cream. Enjoy with your favorite jolly, old elf. I'm taking some down to the guineas right now as a house-warming gift.

Art - let's eat!

On Thursday afternoons I teach art to a group of home school children. They range in age from kindergarten through third grade. This whole "semester" we've been working with color and exploring lots of possibilities. For our last class of the year we made an edible color wheel.

Yummy. I only gave them frosting in the primary colors - red, blue and yellow. Their job was to create the color wheel. After much finger-licking and consumption of sugar, they went on their merry way. It was a very fun project. And I just have to say, I love teaching art this way - working with a handful of students over a protracted period of time. We really have been allowed to explore and learn. I just love hearing a kindergartner explain analgous colors to his mom.

I think I'm on my way to creating a little attelier! We meet in my studio and they get to see the paintings as I work on them. They ask questions and work at their own giant table. In January we move on to line, form and pattern. Soon I'll have them grinding colors and preparing canvases, while living in an indentured state in the garage... (not really - we can't go back to the renaissance, but a girl can dream).

One more day

One more day until Winter Break and I sure can use it! And tell me, how did I happen to not post anything here for two weeks (besides being a bad blogger?). Well, it could do with renegotiating my contract, writing a couple of grants and generally being exhausted.

It's not as if I didn't have anything to say... Everyday, something occured that was a little, if not exceedingly, "blog-worthy". I even created whole posts in my mind. I just didn't sit down at the computer to actually type.

So tomorrow starts 10 days of doing nothing work related. Which is not exactly true. The carpet cleaners are coming to school and I must be there to let them in and lock up afterward. But generally - I'm work free (well, besides a couple grants I want to polish off...).

Changes in the weather

Yesterday the temperature dropped by tens of degrees in a matter of hours. This morning all the water troughs were frozen solid. There is nothing more pathetic than a big white duck sitting on a frozen block of ice that the day before was a baby pool full of water. It was pathetic not in the attempt, but in the length of time - Ping sat, waiting for some sort of magical transformation of ice to water to occur, close to 10 minutes before he slid off in frustration.

It was 8 degrees here this morning. The water line to the coop was frozen. I had to carry buckets from the house to the coop and back five times. I've broken the ice for the birds and goats twice today. It's a good thing I got to use my executive powers and call a snow day today.

I'm sure that every teacher that enters administration experiences a shock of pleasure the first time she gets to cancel school due to weather. It is the ultimate power to posess the code needed to put your school's name on that cancellation list scrolling across the bottom of the television screen during the local morning news. What child wouldn't sell their soul for that code? Well, it's stuck to the side of my fridge kiddies, and I'm not sharing!

The down side of posessing that power is getting up at 5 a.m., checking to see if the public schools are cancelled, calling teachers to check the weather, calling the board chair to make sure you have the cancellation policy correct, and then knowing that some parent will still show up to an empty building at 8 a.m. and wonder what the hell is going on.

Did I mention that we only had about 1/2 an inch of snow?

Eggs up to my armpits

The chickens have finished molting and I've added extended hours of light with a timer and light bulb in the chicken house. Suddenly I'm up to my arm pits in eggs. Also, keeping them cooped up, so to speak, has finally triggered a desire to use the nest boxes. Yesterday there was a total of 23 eggs. I found a clutch of five beautiful blue eggs under the goat shed by accident. I caught my white ameraucana hen coming out from under the corner of the shed and viola! Cool weather has kept them all fresh. Now if only I can get her to lay where I want her to.

Oh, and while I can't quite knit as fabulously as Liz, here's the Monkey in her new favorite hat. Perhaps I'll have the scarf ready for Christmas. My plan was to have hats for my two nieces and nephew as well. I better get knitting.

It's not even technically winter...

And I'm dreaming of spring.

I turned another year older on Friday. That however had to take a back seat to everything else last week. My contract with the school as interim head ends December 31 and I had, until last night, not heard a word on whether I would be there for the second semester. Well last night I heard I would be. I found out today that I would be getting a raise, and that the Board would really like for me to apply for the permanent position. Gosh, I was just starting to look for a new job...

Anyway, let me describe briefly the typical day of last week. In briefest terms: Overflowing toilet, unannounced arrival of state inspector, pre-schooler with bloody nose, another overflowing toilet (inspector still there...), slightly insane intern overreacting to something that has nothing to do with her, odd parent questioning the validity of a field trip to see the Nutcracker (inspector still there...parent should be shot...), I forgot my lunch and then... projectile vomiting in the teachers' bathroom by elementary student (luckily inspector was gone by then because that bathroom is not covered by health inspections and student should not have been there). That was such a good day!

This weekend I ignored anything to do with education and took myself and Biscuit the Wonder Dog to a dog trial. We brought home two second places and a third place. Not bad for a soon-to-be nine year old dog.

Now I am going to peruse the first of the seed catalogs that arrived today and help myself to a beer...

Tomorrow's menu

The turkey will not fit in the oven. It weighs more than the Monkey. What to do? Well, we've decided to cut him into smaller parts and roast the dark meat seperately. I swear the legs are about as big as the average turkey breast. It's incomprehensable, really.

So here's the plan.

The world's largest turkey from right here at Little Creek Farm

Salad, made with lettuce from Weaverville - 20 miles by road (10, as the crow flies), goat cheese from Madison County - 25 miles, and walnuts from right beside the creek.

Mashed Potatoes from Madison County - 25 miles (our potatoes were consumed rather rapidly this year)

Carolina Rice (over 100 miles, but from the Carolinas) with locally grown oyster mushrooms.

This day requires lots of starch!

Green Beans and Beets from our garden and Brussel Sprouts from just down the road.

We were going to forget about the Cranberry Sauce, until Charlie's aunt, who will be visiting wanted to make it and then wonder of wonders, Charlie found Cranberries from the mountains of South Carolina - go figure

I hope there's room left in everyone's belly for the Apple/Blueberry Pie!

And now, I'm going to relax and do nothing. It is a holiday, after all.

42 pounds

That's the weight of our thanksgiving turkey - dressed. We need to invite more people for dinner...
It was a long ordeal to prep that bird. "Meatzilla" lived up to his name. Charlie did the actual butchering this time. We didn't have anything big enough to soak the turkey in after he was butchered. We had to use a big rubbermaid tub filled with water and ice. It's on the back screened porch with a drafting board and a load of wood on top to keep it safe from wild things (or border collies...). Keep your fingers crossed.

Tomorrow I'll fill you in on what will be accompanying that big, bad fowl.

Mr. Louis goes to school

On friday we had a Thanksgiving potluck feast at school. I was amazed at all the food made by the parents. There is something to say about a group of people in today's society who take the time to bake healthy goodness for their kids' school party. Only one thing on the whole table of food from over 40 families was store-bought. I was down-right impressed!

The children have spent the better part of November, learning about Thanksgiving and all things Thanksgivingy (it's a word, I swear...). So what better way to celebrate than to bring them a real live turkey. Louis strutted and gobbled to his heart's content for pre-kindergarteners and elementary students. He was serenaded by the little ones on several occasions that day with songs about turkeys. Everyone was happy to learn that he was a pet and wouldn't end up on the table.

It was incredible to see three and four year olds point out the snood and wattle to their parents. And for everyone to get excited every time Louis gobbled. I must be naive, but I couldn't believe how many people had never seen a turkey before. I guess, growing up in a farming area exposed me to my food, even though my family had nothing to do with farming (unless you count horses). I had a discussion with several vegans about my decision to "know" my meat (that doesn't sound to nasty does it?). And while, I don't think I converted any of them to carnivore status, one was very impressed with my philosophy. Again, everyone was quite glad that Louis was not food... I also got in a few discussions about local food and talked about the 100-mile Thanksgiving. People were all trying to figure out what foods they could make from local ingredients. I might have had a few converts there.

I'll be sharing our local menu today or tomorrow. Right now I have to get ready for school. Half the kids are taking off an extra two days, so it will be Montessori light today and tomorrow. Oh, and snow is forecasted for today, maybe I'll have my first chance to cancel school!

This is the November I remember

We've had several days of delicious weather with sunny days and temperatures in the 70's. But today we're back to clouds, rain and wind. It's a nice day to stay inside and do homey things. We've a big pot of red beans on. Charlie is making a breakfast of eggs and sausage.

Today's to do list:

• Spend time in studio working on Louis painting.


• Go buy bird seed and fill bird feeders.


• Set up lights in chicken house.


• Sit by fire and do absolutely nothing.

Good morning, starshine!

The earth says Hello!

Sorry, it's the Monkey's favorite movie line...

And this is her favorite meal. Monkey loves omelettes and she made this one herself from an Araucana egg (it was blue!). Her first self-made meal. The kid is a natural. I helped her with the whole pan thing, but she cracked the egg, whisked it up, and poured it in the pan. She even added some cheese near the end. The color of the omelette was actually more intense than the photo. That's what happens with healthy, happy hens!

I may be slightly skewed in my feelings, but that's pretty good for a four year old, don't you think?

What's in a name?

We have a big decision here at Little Creek Farm. Apparently according to county regulations, if there are three or more residences on one drive, that drive has to have a street name and new addresses must be assigned. Guess who has three residences on their drive? Yippee!!!
So our new neighbor and Charlie have decided to ignore the rental property and just go with coming up with a name. Only two have to agree. Our first two choices - Little Creek Lane and Bumpy Road were taken.

Our new neighbor loves our turkeys and thinks we should come up with a name revolving around them. However the word "turkey" turns up in plenty of place names around here. Charlie came up with "Royal Palm" after our beloved Louis, but I think it's a little too "coastal" for around here.

I hate to have to change checks, credit cards and all the other things that will need to be changed (although it means I can get a new driver's license photo!). I guess the good thing is that we will have the street number of "1". Sweet.

Why not suggest a name or two. Maybe you'll win and get a free jar of Little Creek apple jam!

Oh and one more thing. I stepped out of the shower this morning and Charlie said, "We won!". Let's hear it for a change in the political atmosphere!

Chicken Run

The battle for supremecy of Little Creek Farm continues. I'm in the lead at the moment, but I've noticed the turkeys conspiring. The chickens are acting a little more subdued and are starting to lay eggs in the nesting boxes, which is where they should be laying eggs. There are still a few at large, but one young black hen did surrender yesterday and run into the pen. The lure of cut apples, leftover spaghetti and fruit scraps was too much for her. Yes, little hen, domesticity is good!

The goats are getting rather fuzzy. Agatha Grunker looks even fatter than usual. After rather mild weather for the last several days, we are getting a taste of late fall and things to come. Yesterday was particularly blustery and I built a big roaring fire last night. This morning when I went to feed the multitude the duck pond, water troughs and chicken waterers were all frozen over. Brrr...

I had planned on making this month my back to consistent blogging month, however, phone service was out for two days. The lines were accidently cut when they put a new culvert in on our drive. This through a wrench in my plans, so I spent my evenings by the fire knitting (yes, I've been teaching myself to knit - photos soon!) instead of working. The lack of technology was rather nice. My plan for the winter is one night a week without electronics. We can read, play games or just relax and enjoy the quiet. Of course, I made this plan while Charlie was out of town and haven't told him yet - but I think I can win him over to the idea - he's easier to subdue than the chickens!

Oh and here's yesterday morning's blustery view...

Bad Blogger

Sign of the times

The world took over for the last couple of weeks and while I had many thoughts and clever anectdotes to write about, by the time I had a moment to sit I was completely and utterly exhausted. I'm such a bad blogger.

And while my life as the "boss" (or is that "bossy"?) has consumed much of my time of late, life at Little Creek Farm continues on in much the same way as it always does. The goats are fat and happy. With all the work I've been doing, I thought it wise to postpone breeding them this year. We'll hold off on the added chore of milking for a while longer.

I'm in a battle to reclaim my spot as boss of the chicken house. In my continued absence, the uppity chickens have been laying their eggs all over their free-range heaven. Yesterday I locked the majority of them in the chicken run and told them no one gets to come out to play until they start laying eggs where they are supposed to and start sleeping in the chicken house at night like proper hens. They are not happy with me.

The turkeys are, well, the turkeys. Louis, Marie and Sacre Bleu rule the farm. Meatzilla and Leroy remain blissfully unaware of their impending doom and continue to literally eat like horses.

This weekend I did manage to grab a few hours and spend them in the garden. I planted garlic and dug up the rest of the potatoes. Next, I plan to pull out the tomato plants and cover all the rows in a lovely layer of compost and straw. Then I'll remulch all the rows and hopefully get a jump on spring!

Happy All Hallows Eve everyone!

It's downright nippy!

This morning as I let the dogs out I glanced at the thermometer on the back porch. It was below 40 degrees. Has fall arrived? I hope so. The leaves have changed in just this last week. The color change started at the tops of the mountains and is working its way down to the valleys. A couple of breezy days have filled my yard with leaves and the school yard with golden pine needles.

I didn't get as much fall planting completed in the garden as I had hoped to. It looks like soon I'll be turning it over to the goats and chickens. The turkeys (those whose lack of bulk allows them to fly) have been helping themselves all summer. By next spring the fencing will be in place and wings may be clipped. I hate to do that to the turkeys because they roost so high in the beech by the chicken coop, but I'd like to be able to harvest lots of tomatoes next year.

I can't wait for daylight savings time to begin. It's almost 7 a.m. and still pitch dark outside (although I do see a little hint of light over the mountains to the east. I'm getting tired of walking down to the coop and goat shed with a flashlight every morning. Maybe I should put "electricity" on Charlie's to-do list...

Just call me Dr. Doolittle

It was a very long weekend for us. We left Thursday night for Indianapolis to attend the wedding of one of Charlie's cousins. It was a very long weekend. But we made it home in time for work and school on Monday.

As I was preparing for today's all-school field trip I heard a rather loud "thunk" on my office door (which is a big glass door to the playground). I looked out and saw a young cedar waxwing flopping on the landing. The afternoon sun had made the glass look just like the outside and it had flown right in to it. I picked it up and it seemed stunned. It sat on my lap for close to 30 minutes before flying up into the dogwood outside my office. Here the little fellow is all happy and well again. Glad I could be of service little guy.

The week in photos

It is lazy of me not to write, but I truly have been overwhelmed with work this week. So, I'll be writing more later, but here's some images from the week (that don't involve upset parents, second grade soccer field brawls, open houses, contract negotiations, and state standardized testing for school administrators...).

Louis is much to pretty to turn into Thanksgiving dinner, don't you think?

Marie is my constant gardening companion (and tomato theif).

Mmm... There's always time for cinnamon rolls!

Good morning!

eggsactly

Today's eggs. Snow White, the bantam cornish game hen (take a guess at who named her...) layed her first egg. Can you pick out which one is hers? I almost didn't notice it in the nest box.

How's that for tiny?