Two Notes

Yes, indeed, we are still here. I have two varied laments, today.

I checked my blog traffic stats, and noticed that much of my traffic still comes from words like “largest rooster.” That has been a consistent way to find my blog for a long time. The main reason is likely that our largest, oldest “patriarch” rooster does not have a name and goes by “Big Rooster” or “Largest Rooster” fairly often on this site. Here and Here. We didn’t want to name him and get attached, you know?

Well, didn’t entirely work. This weekend is slated as butchering weekend, and we’re afraid the big rooster has to go. He’s now related to every hen on the property, either as brother, father or grandfather. Chickens do not distinguish relatives while looking for action, if you know what I mean. We’re getting worried about inbreeding. It’s hard to find a home for an old rooster, even if he IS calm and trustworthy. He’s got HUGE spurs and a weatherbeaten comb. He’s kind of stocky for a buff orpington, not necessarily show stock. He almost died from mysterious respiratory distress a year ago, but WF nursed him back to health. He was raised by us (not by chickens) in our first batch of mail-order chicks. He’s still firmly “in charge”, reigning over all the hens and his one remaining rooster offspring, who might also have to go due to the inbreeding issue. Sigh...

WF is trying to be very stoic about this, but I am NOT looking forward to this weekend. Also on the list are 5 young roosters from this year’s batch and some of the oldest, barebacked hens. WF has already gotten a new Buff Orp rooster from another farm, all set to be the new leader. I’m a bit apprehensive about that; not knowing it’s personality, etc. We’ll have a small person on the place to interact with this new rooster someday, and I want to be able to trust it. We’ll see…

This is definitely the downfall of chicken-keeping. I suppose some people keep related roosters when they don’t care about breeding, but WF is committed to a self-sustaining flock with the help of broody hens. I’m in a stage right now where I’m all about creating new life, etc, so it’s hard to think that at least in the chicken realm, that involves some unpleasant, not-new-life tasks. Ugh. I will see how much help I can be, but am not feeling quite as “strong, rural, self-sufficient woman” about this right now. We will likely have help from another new-to-butchering chicken keeping friend, so that will help.

My other lament is MUCH more frivolous. I still also get hits from the phrase “flippy hairstyle” quite often, a legacy of my first-haircut-in-years posting last year. Following my normal trend of completely absent-minded personal fashion, I have not gotten a haircut since. I finally decided it was time, and was told that the tolerable “flippy-hairstyle” creator just retired. I gamely took an appointment with her replacement yesterday. 1.5 hours (!) and $35 (!) later, I have a slightly odd haircut that is NOT flippy, nearly too short to fit in a ponytail (ponytail ability= #1 criteria for my hair right now) and still smelling weirdly of goop, even after being washed. She left me sitting with wet hair for a half hour while she did someone else’s color. Sigh…At least she claimed to know someone else with hair like mine, so we didn’t have to do the “omigosh this texture is so bizarre” routine that I usually have to go through with new people. I HATE getting my hair cut, and this didn’t help my dislike. Ah, well, maybe I can put it off for another full year, again!

So, there. Death and haircuts, all in one post. Enjoy..?

Yummm....

Have you ever had a meal where you felt like you truly DOVE IN, were fully one with the food, completely engrossed? And when it was over, you simply felt completely nourished?

I have had many such meals lately. A bowl of French onion soup. A Cajun chicken foccaccia sandwich. A Middle Eastern platter from the local diner. A hummus/kale wrap. I can’t say they were necessarily gourmet, and sometimes I didn’t even suspect how much I would simple become LOST in their lusciousness. But this pregnancy thing is making me ravenous in a way I don’t recall being ever before. I am HUNGRY!

I’m grateful that each meal has stayed with me, helped nourish this baby. The cravings have been minimal, and lately most things do sound edible to me. I am struggling with eggs in any form, which seems odd since they are a healthy, local protein that I should embrace. But who knows the ways of the belly...

Don’t worry, there will be SOME regular homesteady posts one of these days. I’m completing a huge work event tomorrow (busybusytiredstressedbusybusy) and I was surprised this non-sanctioned writing even came out. But hey, you can be busy and HUNGRY at the same time very easily…

Thanks!

Thanks, all, for the congrats! I can't get into my comments at work lately, so couldn't answer during the majority of my computer time. Things are going well, just trying to figure out how to find more energy. This baby-growing business can be tiring! 12 hours of sleep two nights in a row seem like they SHOULD be enough, but somehow were not until the 3rd night. Whew.

I have pictures of harvest and other historic shots to share, perhaps this weekend. Dashing off to work!

Exclamation!

I’m back!

It has been an exciting month or so. About 3 weeks ago, I received an email from my mother that contained 64 (happy) exclamation points. Really- I counted. She IS given to plenty of such punctuation on a normal day, but this was over the top!!

So, what do you suppose has caused such excitement? I simply shared the news contained in these little items…


Yes, indeed!! For those of you not immersed in the baby world, those are positive pregnancy tests (2, just to be sure). There is a bun in the oven, due in April ’08. I am only about 8 weeks along, so it’s early and all that… but I am choosing to embrace this early time and share the news with people now- online and in “real life”. Positive energy and wishes from others seems helpful, rather than pretending nothing is going on for the first 3 months. I have actually been feeling pretty good, just more tired and hungry!

I’m not sure how this blog will evolve, but I must say I’ve been too distracted by internal events to find motivation to post about garden produce, etc. I’d like to keep a mix of material here… I’m doing some more paper journaling with pregnancy stuff, so probably won’t be tempted to assault readers with too much information. Now that the big announcement is out, perhaps I’ll feel more able to post about today’s potato harvest, etc.

We are definitely excited at the news, but feeling a bit overwhelmed by everything that needs to be done before welcoming a new little person into our lives (and our currently cluttered home!). I’ve been very busy at work again, coordinating a new project that kicks off in a couple weeks. It feels like there is MUCH on my shoulders and I’m just hoping for enough energy and resolve to get through everything in the next 7 months. We DO have good motivation!

So, more later, and more “regular programming” as well. I’ve enjoyed this blog as a phenology/garden journal stand-in, so I’ll try to keep that up as well. Perhaps also a way to document some house projects and changes. As I grow, I hope that our clutter shrinks, helping me to feel more comfortable in this house. Blessed be, there is much ahead!

Yep

Yes, indeed, still here. Just BUUSSYYYYYYY. With many, many things. Such things, that when I finally reveal details here, you will be astounded. Most likely. Or perhaps I will remain BUSY and decide some things are not post-able. We'll see. This blog is full of suspense and intrigue! Or something like that.

I hope you are all well out there and enjoying the start of fall (eep!)

Stay tuned....

Beautiful Birthday

I couldn't have asked for a better birthday adventure than today. Amazing weather, kayaking buddies and one of my favorite places on earth.





Raspberry Island, Lake Superior; a fine place to celebrate turning 35! Thanks, Susan and Ray! (And Corny, the kayaking dog!)