Barn- None

Friday, January 21, 2011

Snowy Owl

Can you spot the owl that is snowy? I can't either since this picture was taken on my phone. But it was really pretty in snowstorm #1452 of the winter.

Whoops

My editor-in-chief (my mom) informed me that one is not in the throws of winter, but in the throes of it. Top prize to whoever figures out what a throe is.

Thursday, January 20, 2011

For seed catalogs! Even though we're in the throws of winter and it's snowed pretty much all week, continuing tomorrow, our heads are filled with varieties of tomatoes, which kale to plant and how many carrots we need. It's been pretty exciting to go through our crop planning sessions and see the whole plan for the vegetable operation materialize. We're gone for the month of February, but when we get back we'll begin seeding right away. I'm looking forward to our first harvest in June!

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

The Phantom of the Sheep

Here are my guesses. Either the sheep were putting on a production of Phantom of the Opera for the horses, cows and chickens or this sheep just lost the brown vs. white sheep snowball fight of 2011.

Monday, January 17, 2011

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!

Sunday, January 16, 2011

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?