Let There Be Doors!

Olivier, in our winter farm carpentry workshops, informed us that we would be building new barn doors for the lower barn. I never would have thought that I possessed the skills to do something quite that cool, but it turns out that I do. We built a frame, added the fancy diagonal panelling and used a jigsaw to cut out space for windows. Olivier taught us how to use a router for the shelf for the windows to sit on and we used chisels to even out the corners. All would have gone well if we'd actually been good at math. Instead of counting correctly, we spent and extra two hours frustrated because the opening was too small for our panes of glass. In the end, we finished both doors and had time to hang the first one up. So pretty!

Only one door! So sad!

Sophia with the jigsaw:

Success!

The Creepy White Line

We had one of the best weekends in a while. Nat, Rebecca and Anthony came up for Josh's Eggnog Party. Very eggnogy, very fun, very good food. Also, a very rousing game of Settlers of Catan.

We finished the night with a huge fire behind the bunkhouse and the very good idea to go contra-dancing. We drove out to Springfield at 9, got there a bit before 10, and were thrown into a situation none of us were expecting or quite prepared for. We decided that contra-dancing is what the world would be like if the south and the hippies had won their wars. Look it up on you tube because words just don't do it justice.

It was, however, really quite enjoyable. Rebecca, Nat and I all danced with varying levels of skill and self-embarassment. Theo even waltzed with me at the end (which was slightly terrifying and and uncoordinated to say the least).

We rounded out the evening with a beer at People's Pint and rocked out in the car on the way home.

This morning, it was eggnog challah french toast, pork sausage and a sad farewell to our friends. Nat had brought us a pair of snowshoes from home, so Theo and I went on a bit of an adventure in the late afternoon sun.

We were happily walking along when, out of nowhere, a white string appeared across the path in front of us. A creepy, creepy white string that extended across the trail in both directions, about waist height and looking very deliberately set up. I was convinced that if we touched it, a giant rope net would scoop us up and ewoks would come out of the woods with spears.

Theo finally convinced me that that probably wouldn't happen and we ducked under and continued on our way. About 300 yards later, we came upon another one and took it a sign to head back.

If anyone knows anything about said creepy string, we are very curious and would love thoughts of what it is. I believe a deer probably grabbed a spool of thread in his mouth and went on a jolly jaunt through the woods. Thoughts?

Snowy!

A photo essay of how chores in the snow disintegrated into play time in the snow.

Snowy horses:

Snowy cars:

Snowy Barn:

Snowy Theo head:

Snowy Emily climbing into the sheep manger headfirst:

Snowy Theo helping snowy Emily climb into the sheep manger headfirst:

Snowy sheep eating hay from their manger:

Snowy Theo laying on snowy sheep eating hay from their manger:

The End!

Onions!

Grow onions!

We spent yesterday afternoon figuring out the profit margins from vegetables. To make 50,000 gross income on 2 1/2 acres, you need $500 per bed. Onions give you $1,200! Woot!

Assuming, of course, that you can sell all of them...

Every time we do this, I feel this hope welling up in me that farming will, in the end, turn out to be secretly very profitable. Alas, that is never, ever the case.

Animals and Engines Are Actually The Same

WARNING: Graphic images of animal and engine internal parts. If you can't handle a combustor and/or rumen, stop reading now.

It's a little known fact that animals and engines are actually the same thing. What follows is a photo essay illustrating such.

We dissect both of them:

We inspect both of them:

And the carburetor and rumens mix up fuel (and air) and transfer it into other forms of energy.

In conclusion, there's no discernible difference between the two.

Chicken Livers!

In one of the best treats of the holidays, my cats got to spend a few days living in my parents barn. I was able to see them whenever I wanted which was amazing. What precipitated this was inviting Rebecca and Anthony to New Years- never travel with your cat sitters! Just kidding: we had our third amazing New Years together.

When we got home with Hobbes and Pippin (Hobbes is the closer one and no, they're not related), it turns out that Mom had some chicken livers from Pete and Jen's Backyard Birds. They turned into a Christmas treat for some very happy cats. Hobbes was so excited he couldn't choose his bowl or Pippin's.

Also, in big news, they caught their first mouse while we were gone!

Tenderloin?

Right when we got home from the farm, Theo and I volunteered to cook a big dinner the one night the whole family would be home. As we don't have unlimited access to meat here, we opted for some good old fashioned beef.

So commenced the hunt for grass-fed beef. It's good to know that there's a serious market in the greater boston area for it, since it was impossible to find. No Whole Foods around us had it and all they could offer was grass-fed lamb from New Zealand (talk about a carbon footprint!).

We finally found some at a small shop downtown. While paying, I asked where the beef was from. Lo and behold, he tells us it was from Adam's Farm. The same Adam's Farm that we can see from our farm.

I had a few competing thoughts at that point: I'd seen their pastures and wasn't super impressed, I'd seen their cows and wasn't super impressed, and I knew their reputation and wasn't super impressed. What to do, what to do.

We bought it anyway and served up a great dinner of tenderloin with bone marrow, swiss chard souffles, braised leeks, garlic mashed potatoes and tiramisu. But I really can't wait until I have my own farm where I know how everything is raised and don't have to hesitate at the cash register.