Its been a very taxing week emotionally here on the farm. Other than being just super busy with vacation guests over the 4th of July weekend and kicking off of the summer season, we got terrible news on the farm. One of our Tennessee Walking Horses, Strider, is holding on to his life. The vet came out last Thursday and handed us the heavy news. Strider has a 50/50 chance at beating his fight with a severe laminitic episode that began about 3 weeks ago. Laminits is a hoof disease that effects cattle and horses. We thought we caught it early enough and took him off the pasture, but Strider kept declining. Even the vet was surprised with Strider's severe condition and his physical reaction.
Right now Strider is on a 6" bed of sand, getting constant attention from us and all his medications. We are just hoping for the best. He doesn't seem as depressed anymore, which is a great sign. However, only time will tell and its so difficult to see him in such pain and discomfort. He's an older horse at 23 and this is his first case of laminitis. We've had Strider for 13 years and only hope he'll be with us for another 10.
It is really bringing to light what defines a farm. I am beginning to think you can't have a "real" farm without animals (no, a few backyard chickens don't count). There is something more to farming than riding around in a tractor, tilling rows, and pulling weeds form crops. That's just an excessively large scale garden and of course that is grueling work. But just recount Old MacDonald's menagerie to literally hear whats on a "real" farm. The sounds, smells, and gifts they offer. The emotional and physical pain and joy you share with animals is priceless, especially horses. There really is an indescribably bond. The communication and connection is truly deep. Not something you can pick up with rows of potatoes or beets, which don't make any sounds at all.
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Saturday, June 26, 2010
Adeline's Suites: The Rock Rose
It's finally upon us whether we're ready or not. The Rock Rose, our second suite in Adeline's Farmhouse, is "complete." Nothing is every really complete though!!! Always room for some transformations or maybe a small shift. You can never plan the exact program, only guide it. You wouldn't want something to be too rigid that it couldn't change over time. That was something I learned while study landscape architecture.
The suite is full of artistic craftsman ship and materials with hidden secrets and stories. Its an amazing feeling to see it come together; weaving together all the elements. I could have banged it out much quicker. Some of my friends rag on me for taking too long, but why rush it? Why stamp out a Home Depot replica? NO!!!! Not here!! Not on this farm!! Everything is boutique and unique!!
We haven't taken any photos yet, so bear with us. I promise it is beautiful though. I built it with so much of my love!!! Its rented tomorrow, and honestly we'll be working till the last minute, getting the silverware organized, lamp shades dusted, etc... It's like cramming for a test. Then it'll be five days before we can get back in there to make any minor tweaks. Not until it the first rental is over will we know if there are any quirks!! Someone has to give it a test drive. Regardless, I'll get some photos up in about a week.
So I now have finished the first two, with three more to go before Adeline's can finally be at peace on the farm and begin its journey into rough luxury. I'm glad its taking this long, although it's been quite painful, too painful at times. But now I am narrowing my vision, refining my ideas, and collecting my thoughts. I will get to see how these two suites fare throughout the summer and can learn from my mistakes in their design. The next three will be just as eclectic and stylistic as the first two. But I have a feeling I will try to take them even further!! I don't want Sleeping Sea and Once In A Blue Moon Farm to be mistaken for anywhere else!!!
The suite is full of artistic craftsman ship and materials with hidden secrets and stories. Its an amazing feeling to see it come together; weaving together all the elements. I could have banged it out much quicker. Some of my friends rag on me for taking too long, but why rush it? Why stamp out a Home Depot replica? NO!!!! Not here!! Not on this farm!! Everything is boutique and unique!!
We haven't taken any photos yet, so bear with us. I promise it is beautiful though. I built it with so much of my love!!! Its rented tomorrow, and honestly we'll be working till the last minute, getting the silverware organized, lamp shades dusted, etc... It's like cramming for a test. Then it'll be five days before we can get back in there to make any minor tweaks. Not until it the first rental is over will we know if there are any quirks!! Someone has to give it a test drive. Regardless, I'll get some photos up in about a week.
So I now have finished the first two, with three more to go before Adeline's can finally be at peace on the farm and begin its journey into rough luxury. I'm glad its taking this long, although it's been quite painful, too painful at times. But now I am narrowing my vision, refining my ideas, and collecting my thoughts. I will get to see how these two suites fare throughout the summer and can learn from my mistakes in their design. The next three will be just as eclectic and stylistic as the first two. But I have a feeling I will try to take them even further!! I don't want Sleeping Sea and Once In A Blue Moon Farm to be mistaken for anywhere else!!!
Walking the Orchard
Well it's been two weeks now since I did a thorough walk in the upper and lower orchards. The weather is still not quite summer yet. Temperatures are hanging in the mid-sixties, definitely a good 20 degrees cooler than June last year. We had our bumper apricot and fig year with that heat. Even got the fuzzy kiwi to ripen!! Hopefully 
the temperatures will pick up. This partly cloudy wet cool spring could set us back.
Had a bit of a scare. The lower orchard was hit really hard with peach leaf curl AGAIN (damn weather is perfect for it)!! But we've layered some fresh chicken and llama/alpaca manure on the the infected trees to help stimulate some new leaf shoots and keep the nutrient levels up while the tree is stressing. It did reduce the fruit setting on those trees. Hopefully the peach and nectarines in the upper orchard will make up for it. They look healthier than the Green Giant himself.
The thinning is done and done. Took two days or so, but it really gave me a chance to examine each tree. Found some powdery mildew on most of the apples (even though I sprayed lime sulfur... bad timing again???) I still would like to number each tree to track its production and health over the years. I do have an orchard map, but that only shows me what variety each tree is.
We're keeping the tent caterpillars under control. A walk every evening to snip out any little buggers trying to weave a nest.
Oh by the way.....the cherries are blushing!!!! I tried one the other day just for kicks; trying to beat the birds. Not there yet. Not even close enough. Give it another week or two and the race against the ravens and robins will be on!!! Summer fruit is ready to break down the door!!! Bring on the heat!!
It's just almost July, but its time for us to pick out our fruit trees for next year and make the order. We'll let you know what's in store. You can never have too many trees. Those trees will be setting fruit for the next 80 years or so for generations to enjoy. I guess my grandkids will be way too spoiled!!
the temperatures will pick up. This partly cloudy wet cool spring could set us back.Had a bit of a scare. The lower orchard was hit really hard with peach leaf curl AGAIN (damn weather is perfect for it)!! But we've layered some fresh chicken and llama/alpaca manure on the the infected trees to help stimulate some new leaf shoots and keep the nutrient levels up while the tree is stressing. It did reduce the fruit setting on those trees. Hopefully the peach and nectarines in the upper orchard will make up for it. They look healthier than the Green Giant himself.
The thinning is done and done. Took two days or so, but it really gave me a chance to examine each tree. Found some powdery mildew on most of the apples (even though I sprayed lime sulfur... bad timing again???) I still would like to number each tree to track its production and health over the years. I do have an orchard map, but that only shows me what variety each tree is.
We're keeping the tent caterpillars under control. A walk every evening to snip out any little buggers trying to weave a nest.
Oh by the way.....the cherries are blushing!!!! I tried one the other day just for kicks; trying to beat the birds. Not there yet. Not even close enough. Give it another week or two and the race against the ravens and robins will be on!!! Summer fruit is ready to break down the door!!! Bring on the heat!!
It's just almost July, but its time for us to pick out our fruit trees for next year and make the order. We'll let you know what's in store. You can never have too many trees. Those trees will be setting fruit for the next 80 years or so for generations to enjoy. I guess my grandkids will be way too spoiled!!
Friday, June 11, 2010
Raven, Raven, On the Rail
We are being attacked by ravens!!!!! Is this what Alfred Hitchcock meant? Every day there are 7 or 8 Ravens hovering, perching and making their atrocious noises over our chicken pasture. Last week they killed a hen. We've also seen them walk out of the coup with egg in claw. This is terrible, really terrible. The noises are horrible. They are so clever and quick. I've been shooting rounds into the air to scare them off. Our presence is our only defense right now. When will this pass??!! It's never been this bad before!!
Sticks of Rhubarb
It seems like we never get the time to type anything on this at all!! So much to do here on the farm and the other properties, but somethings just became easier. We have a wonderful new intern for the summer, Annie. She just graduated from Lewis and Clark and was in search of a little adventure in the Pacific Northwest. The warnings of hard work and long days could not sway her from coming!! Now our gardens have a new hand to deal with as Annie is attacking the weeds with a burning furor!!!
Its been lesson after lesson with the orchards. Trying to make things work that other people see as just impossible. Its worth the strains and pains for a warm sweet summer fruit picked in the mid afternoon.
The fruit settings are looking good, but the Asian Pears didn't put out much this year. Going to be thinning the rest of this month. It's hard to devote time to the orchard for non essential things, when it makes literally no money. But we love it and we know other people love our fruit. Still just not sure why small local farmers growing lettuce can do better financially than those growing fruit. Lettuce is going for around $10/lbs here!!! The investment into a tree is vastly different than just doing row crops. The ecological benefits of the tree are much larger than the fruits it provide. From the birds to the shade to the carbon sequestering and more.
Another two apricots died. That leaves us with just 9 trees and only 5 healthy trees out of the 14 originally planted. I think I know where things went wrong. All with pruning and planting. Next winter I am going to be putting in another 10 and see where that gets me. We also moved a fig that took a heavy beating this winter in a storm. Its still alive, but didn't put out any new growth this year. As for the peaches and nectarines, some issues came up as well. The curl this year was atrocious due to all the spring rains. Plus, I am certain I sprayed too late this year. I've read you can spray in late autumn or mid winter. I have always opted for mid winter, just because less is going on here on the farm so time is easier to come by. However, I think the autumn spray is essential and has a better return.
More for next time.
Its been lesson after lesson with the orchards. Trying to make things work that other people see as just impossible. Its worth the strains and pains for a warm sweet summer fruit picked in the mid afternoon.
The fruit settings are looking good, but the Asian Pears didn't put out much this year. Going to be thinning the rest of this month. It's hard to devote time to the orchard for non essential things, when it makes literally no money. But we love it and we know other people love our fruit. Still just not sure why small local farmers growing lettuce can do better financially than those growing fruit. Lettuce is going for around $10/lbs here!!! The investment into a tree is vastly different than just doing row crops. The ecological benefits of the tree are much larger than the fruits it provide. From the birds to the shade to the carbon sequestering and more.
Another two apricots died. That leaves us with just 9 trees and only 5 healthy trees out of the 14 originally planted. I think I know where things went wrong. All with pruning and planting. Next winter I am going to be putting in another 10 and see where that gets me. We also moved a fig that took a heavy beating this winter in a storm. Its still alive, but didn't put out any new growth this year. As for the peaches and nectarines, some issues came up as well. The curl this year was atrocious due to all the spring rains. Plus, I am certain I sprayed too late this year. I've read you can spray in late autumn or mid winter. I have always opted for mid winter, just because less is going on here on the farm so time is easier to come by. However, I think the autumn spray is essential and has a better return.
More for next time.
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Busy Bees?? You Mean Busy Chickens.
The flies are buzzing around. Bees are working hard. But it's our chickens that are truly busy. They are more efficient than any Toyota or Ford assembly line!! Not only are the eggs stacking up, but the girls are hard at work eating the bugs and turning the compost. We owe them so much more than we can ever imagine. Yeah sure.... our yogurt based pancakes wouldn't be the same without their rich yellow eggs, but the farm would just be a vacant lot without them. They eat our waste, produce our "fertilizer", work our compost, manage our pastures, keep our guests of all ages filled with joy, and the list goes on and on. If only they could take reservations and update our websites!!
And then there is Cortez. He is not so busy.
The Heat Is On
Well ... I'm guessing by now the secret is out on the gorgeous "summer" weather we've been graced with this past week!! Those who came up last weekend got a real treat and it's supposed to carry through this coming weekend. That's good news for anyone looking for a little escapade out into the islands!! The Harbor Hideaway and Abigail's Beach House are booked, but we still have some space on the farm. Give us a holler!!
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