First Egg and Odds and Ends

Wednesday, October 5 and I finally have the nesting box mounted on the wall of the coop.  I know the chickens should start laying soon since they hatched on May 6th.  I've been thinking for weeks that I'd better get that box back on the wall!  Hoping to have the day to hike tomorrow, I hustled after work and got the box dusted off and hand screwed back on to the wall.  Dave sold the driver just a few days ago but a hand held screwdriver actually worked fine!  Some clean straw, three golf balls and one painted rock later and the box is ready.  I've had trouble in the past with chickens eating their eggs, such a bummer.  Fruitless, fake egg pecking seems to convince chickens that those oval objects in the box are not worth their attention. Hopefully I've gotten the box up and the deception planted in time.  I was done with my work in the coop by 6:30  but when I went to check on the brood and close the door at dark there wasn't one single chicken in the coop. WHAT?  OK Don't panic!  Where can they be? A couple hens had tried roosting in the nearby cedar tree a few times. They really do have personalities and go through rebellious stages... Sure enough all fifteen were comfortably roosting the cedar tree, ten feet from the coop but invisible as you walk by. I must have disrupted the roosting timing and tradition!  Actually, this is perfect!  I had also prepped the old coop for the the roosters as I had planned to separate them from the hens tonight.  One by one I gently "grabbed" them out of the cedar tree and either headed to the new or old coop.  They were extremely cooperative with just a little squawking as they were disrupted from the tree perch.  Now I feel ready!

The very next morning I found the first egg!  There has been one every day since.  Quite small but beautiful, perfect, brown eggs will now gather in bowls on my counter and fill cartons in the fridge as they wait their turn to be used for breakfast, lunch, dinner and treats.

My plan is to let each rooster spend a week with the hens.  They play favorites believe it or not!

The onions and potatoes sit in the garage on pallets while they dry.  As soon as the temperature drops to a reasonable fall degree and we have the time, we'll move them to the root cellar.  I just hope the onions dry enough so they will keep well throughout the winter.  The potato harvest was rather limited this year.  Is it the seed potatoes we used, the placement in the garden, the weather?  What?  They were weeded and hilled!  What should I do next year?  This gardening, harvesting and storage feels complicated when things don't go according to plan.  What should we do differently?

Winter squash, green tomatoes and a few red tomatoes await their storage or use.  The cider apples are closest to the garage door as we keep adding to their numbers with every chance we get.  Our next pressing will be on the 22nd.  But then there is another baby coming.  Will I be home on the 22nd!  This new
grand-baby could arrive any time now.  Time will tell!




My carrot harvest.  Well, carrots ideally should be slender and tapered, easy to dig, clean and store.  These are a few of my favorite carrots although they do not meet any of the above requirements.  I was able to "sand pack" a few boxes of carrots but not near enough to make it through the winter so my carrot harvest is a bit of a disappointment. Even so, it is a wonderful feeling to have all the carrots dug and dealt with, whether they are packed in sand, cleaned and in the fridge, cleaned and cut for horse treats or composted!  I've dug carrots in the cold with gloves on and in the cold rain with wet muddy gloves and a hat on and this was much better with the sun warm on my back and the calm, bug free, autumn  breeze. Aren't they cute?

Cider Hay Ride

 Bottled apple cider!  Hard cider with a little fizz added that is.

We have never done this before so after purchasing a few supplies and scraping the labels of many-a-bottle, it's the night to bottle the apple juice that's been brewing in the basement for a couple weeks. Siphoning off the juice proved to be more difficult than we thought.  After sucking down a bit more cider than I planned we finally corrected the connection and filled a few dozen bottles. Washing and sanitizing the bottles was by far the most time consuming part of the entire process.

 Filled bottles on the left and clean, sanitized bottles with 1/2 teaspoon of corn sugar (dextrose) added to create the bubbles, waiting to be filled on the right.  Notice the Seaweed Green granite?  The granite is from India and the process of picking it out took months!

Dave filled the bottles and I capped them with the handy, dandy capper snugger. It reminded me of putting snaps on kids clothes.

 So we bottled the cider until 10:30 pm Friday night.  Saturday morning I went to work at the Library, waiting for the call that Shawn Lahti.  He was coming up the shore with 230 bales of hay and would call when he was at Cascade State Park so I could head home to meet him. Shawn had no problems weaving this truck between the garage and a 3 foot drop off, inches from the well and spruce tree which protects the gas tank, and finally between the run-in and the barn door. 

 How did they get the hay up there?

Watching 230, 70 pound bales of hay slide off that  truck was impressive.  This is a very cool flatbed truck! 

Tyler and  Brandon worked for 5 hours getting the hay from Lahti Farms stacked in the barn.  Alright, they had a couple cookie breaks but they really worked hard.  I don't know what I would have done without their industrious help with this hay!  Lahti Farms, which is down near Duluth, has been in business since 1931, selling hay and straw.   In 1931 they used horses to pull the wagons hauling the hay.  Shawn had a business card with a photo of a hay wagon, his teenager father standing on the hay and grandfather as a young man standing next to the load. 

 A winter's supple of hay, oh what a feeling!  You probably can't imagine the relief I feel having the hay stacked in the barn!

 Dave and I butchered the meat birds this morning but I'll leave those pictures for another day.  It was so wonderful to go for a ride up on the ridge with my friend Vicki.  I was tired from the morning's work and nervous wondering how Zan would behave.  I just haven't ridden her more than a few times in the last month and she doesn't have that much trail experience.

 Here we are on top of the ridge with the lake in the background.  It's another world up there and the fall colors are beautiful.  The footing was not soft nor easy for my four hoofed companion but she was a real trooper and really enjoyed being out and about.

Zan would not cooperate with a pleasant look for the photo.  She would much prefer munching on the dry, wild  yellow grasses growing in any rocky depression that might hold a bit of organic matter and moisture to support their growth.

It was really a spectacular view!  Without the direct sunshine the colors were muted and calm.  It's October 4, 2011 and the colors are at their height. This is a ride I would like to repeat any time of year.

Butchering Day

 We decided last night that Tuesday morning would be the day. (October 4) Dave left early to pick up the plucker while I prepped for butchering.  Get the chickens in place, twine for tying, electrical cords in place, sharp knives, bucket of warm water, dishsoap for the dipping water, fill the canning kettle with hot water, wipe down the granite block, what did I forget?

 We've butchered without a plucker and with one --- I wouldn't do it again without! Spinnlers made the plucker and loan it out to those in need. It works amazingly well.  Just flip the switch, drop in the "dipped" chicken, spray the sides with water, wait and watch about a minute and shut it down.  One clean plucked chicken ready for the next step.

 This is the part that neither of us like.  Dave would much rather be hunting and I just feel sad.  I think if you experience taking the life of an animal you can't help but appreciate the food it provides for you in a more profound way.  When they are alive, some of them really do look you in the eye.  If they are allowed, they really do have personalities.  At some point during the butchering process I always end up crying. 

The kettle of hot (130 degrees) water is ready, the thermometer handy, hoses and buckets ready, knives sharp, paper towels just in case and my tea. There is the first bird ready for dipping.

 In the past when Karl and Rose helped, I could focus on the eviscerating,  With just the two of us we we did a bit of everything.  Well, I just couldn't do the killing.
Once they are clean they cool off in cold water, get picked over once more and then get wrapped loosely, placed in coolers, packed with ice and age for a couple days.  The process took 3 hours.

On Thursday, I double wrapped 11 chickens, a total of 64.4 pounds, and placed them in the freezer.   Most were 4 - 6 lbs so we are set for chicken for the winter.  I think it comes out to about $2.20 per pound for organic chicken. 

I'm glad the butchering is done, it's a hard thing to do. We will enjoy chicken dinners, chicken soup and chicken sandwiches this winter.  I won't worry about added hormones or pesticides when I feed my kids and grandkids the chicken that I've raised.

Lady the Wonder Dog!

I always wanted to think that Lady was on chicken duty while I'm away at work.  On the day I went to help Melanie with the tomatoes I found out the truth! 
My neighbor, Trilby, called while I was on my way down Hwy. 61 with the news that there had been a "chicken incident!"  Seconds later the call was dropped. (naturally)  My mind wandered to a couple years back when I lost nearly my entire flock to a rogue neighborhood dog.  Finally I see "bars" on my phone and return the call.  It seems my 15 Silver Laced Wyandottes showed up in her yard and her large eleven month old Shelti pup went crazy. He was chasing the chickens around and around their cabin with lots of squawking heard from the terrified chickens who are accustomed to chicken-friendly dogs.  Tribly was happily surprised when the "Wonder Dog Lady" came to the rescue, charging into the chaotic scene, drawing her dog off into the woods so the chickens could escape.  She said Lady was not at all aggressive with her dog, just persistent.  WOW!  But that's not all!  The following Wednesday when Trilby was heading back to the cities there was another "incident."  She was all packed up and bringing her pup to the car, but he had other ideas.  He took off through the woods for our place with Triby in hot pursuit.  I bet he's thinking these chickens are lots of fun to chase and might even taste good!  Trilby arrives to see Wonder Dog Lady charging and driving her dog off the property.  She came to the Library to tell me this and was quite impressed with Lady and in a bit of a dilemma as to how to handle her dog.  I wonder how many times Lady's chicken rescue episodes have gone unrecognized?

This is my favorite time of fall when the reds, golds and greens are everywhere!  This photo was taken at our maple stand where we tap trees in the spring.  This past spring we bottled about 3 gallons of syrup.  Each gallon represents about 32 gallons of sap.  I'll have pictures of the 2012 harvest.

With fall here, if I don't have the "barn" filled with the winter's supply of hay, I get nervous.  The barn has been unfinished for, well, I forget how many years, but it's been a while.  Dave is covering openings that I determined last winter, really were a problem.

Last year's hay, pallets and plastic to move.  A week to let things air and dry out before loading up the space with new hay.  In fact, at this moment I have two teenage boys out there filling this space with 230 bales of fabulous hay from Lahti Farms. Shawn Lahti delivered the hay this morning, driving from Toivola, Minnesota, which is northwest of Duluth.  The family has been farming and delivering hay and straw since 1931. 








I've had an unfinished cinch hanging on my closet door for one and a half years and I finally finished it!  I joined a class to learn how to make it but we ran out of time before the final mohair was in place.  My friend Vicki helped with reviewing the process to finish the piece.  She makes and sells beautiful mohair cinches and girths. Check it out on fb Traditional Mohair Cinches.

40 Pounds of Tomatoes

A day off of work and a list of things to do.  Chatting with Melanie on fb and "oh my gosh, 40 lbs, (her CSA share), of tomatoes sitting inside her door."  I could just drive to Duluth, hang out with Melanie and Wally, and can tomatoes.  And while I'm there I could make the granola that was on my list of things to do.  Why not!

 The two seasons in Minnesota are winter and construction.  Highway 61, the only highway in and out of Cook County, will be under construction, in one place or another, for the rest of my life. 

  Good thing I have the day off.

 They're finally coming so our turn can't be long off.

I think all kids love to help especially when it involves real stuff like making food.  Oscar, who would celebrate his 6th birthday shortly, couldn't wait to get involved with getting this granola mixed up.  You can see he takes this job with the serious consideration required.

Seven year old Rowan is not about to be left out of the mixing process.  I'm just guessing that granola is one of the favorite snacks around here.

 So Melanie is blanching, chilling the tomatoes.  I'm peeling and she's quartering before they get dropped in the pot.  Then it's into the jars, capped and into the pressure cooker.

Watch that guage, adjust that temp, watch that guage, adjust that temp, watch that guage...

OK, have a beer and watch that guage, watch that guage, adjust that temp and yes it's after 4:00.

The granola is coming along as are the kidney beans which made it into the pressure cooker, followed by the meat and spices for the chile dinner.

We had all four burners going as well as the oven.  What a fun day in the kitchen with my daughter and grandkids!

After dinner we headed over to the soccer field for Rowan's game.  She did an awesome job in the goal for the first half of the game.  As she got onto the offensive line it was time for me to head up the shore.   Oscar's birthday is just 4 days away, so I'll be back.  Rowan said, "Just four days, Grandma, just four days!"

Wally never tires of throwing, catching, running and kicking a ball.  And I mean any kind of ball!  

Oscar and his buddies had their own unique game of freeze tag going.  Happy boys!  

Four hours on the road for a memory making fall afternoon with family.  So much to be grateful for!

Did you notice there was not one picture of tomatoes in this post?

SALSA

On Monday, the 12th of September, the day following our day on the lake wild ricing, we harvested all our salsa ingredients.  What's missing from the picture are the tomatillos and I'm so sorry because they are so unique looking.  They remind me of Chinese paper lanterns.  I thought we we just harvesting but we looked at our schedules for the rest of the week and, well, tonight is the night to make salsa!

After a bit of blanching, chopping, food processing and more chopping we had red and green salsa!  Now what do we do with all this salsa?  What we froze was based on the number of available containers to freeze it in and the rest I tucked away in the fridge and canned Wednesday morning before going to work.  That is one really nice thing about working late on Wednesday, I've got the morning to start some project which means even with all that time to get ready for work, I'm always running late because I'm in the middle of something!

Here is the "cold frame."  Dave planted tomatoes, peppers, onions and lettuce.

Other than quite a bit of early lettuce and onion greens, this is what we got. One, rather large and red tomato.

We're not quite sure what to do next year.  With all the effort involved, that is one very "dear" tomato!

Wednesday, September 14, 2011.  Our first real frost.

I thought the pattern on the chicken coop was pretty.  Just minutes later, as the sun came over the treetops, this was gone. 

Below you can see the sun in the treetops and what we dressed in the garden to protect it from the dropping temps.  The next night, the 15th, it all froze.  We harvested all that was left, Dave dug the potatoes, I pulled up the bean vines. There were a few red and orange tomatoes and lots of green tomatoes that survived under their shelter which will ripen in the house.  There is a long winter ahead and still much to do before the snow comes but that can on the post is a reminder of planting seedlings in the spring.  It's only 8 months away!

Wid Ricing and Fire

 The sign explaining the basics about wild rice at the put-in on Cramer Lake.

It's Sunday morning, September 11, 2011. A look of peace on the lake.  You can just barely see the wild rice in the distance. It's a beautiful, very warm, sunny day with a slight breeze out of the west-northwest.

 Just getting started and the rice seems thin.  We keep paddling seeking a better, thicker stand and even think about heading to another lake but we really don't want to spend any more of the day driving around as we are already an hours' drive from home.

We found it!  With the knockers I pull the the rice stems over the canoe and brush or tap off the ripe rice into the canoe. There are stems empty of rice and rice left on stems even after tapping.  Ideally you tap or brush just enough for the ripe grains to fall.

While I'm knocking in rice Dave is standing behind me pushing us along.  It's quite the workout for your abdominal and back muscles but Dave loves it :)

 Swans!  It's as close as they wanted us.

 We stopped for lunch and I couldn't resist, is it a porcupine?

After landing the canoe we carried our lunch up past this fire ring to find a shady spot.  On one trip back to the water Dave stepped next to the ring and was surprised to have the ground give way as the organic material outside the ring was cooking.  The ashes looked completely cool but it was hot to the touch!

We found that the fire had traveled toward the forest at least 4 feet.  After digging down into the hot, smoking ground we hauled water with our cooler to drench the smoldering ground.

 I was shocked at how many trips to the lake it took to finally cool it off.  I kept digging while Dave hauled up the water.  If you pour it on without digging it just runs off and doesn't cool down the hot ground beneath..

As we headed back to the rice stand after lunch we noticed the Pagami Creek fire blow up.  The fire located over near Ely went from 3,000  to 10,000 acres that day.  As of today, September 14 it's grown to 100,000 acres and with the strong winds this morning it will keep growing.

We need a break!

Yes we are still resting but do you see the smoke moving in from the northwest?

The sky east of the fire blow up is really getting smoky and gray. The furthest forest ridglines have disappeared in the smoke. We odor of smoke is getting stronger, "Gee, I think we have enough rice, don't you think Dave?"

The paddle back.  What a beautiful day on the water.

It doesn't really look like that much rice, I hope it's enough.  We're hoping to have enough for the family, that's all.  How many pounds, any guesses?

I was very surprised at how much we got! 
Notice the smoke filled sky!

At home we weighed it and the correct answer is: 22 pounds!

Can you tell I was taken with the site of smoke filling the sky?

The evening sunset at home shows the smoke filled sky and smoky clouds moving in from the west as Grand Marais is East of the fire.  The smell of smoke is everywhere.  The Pagami Creek Fire was started by lightening.  I'm glad we found and put out the potential fire starter at the lunch site, which wasn't started by lightening.