I certainly miss the green of spring and summer, and the colors of fall. Winter is so drab and lifeless. I’m not cold hardy, either, so my daily outside projects — other than refilling wild bird feeders, opening the chicken coop door in the early morning, changing frozen water containers, collecting eggs, and closing theContinue reading “Greatly Missing Green”
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More Cats or NO MORE Cats?
I suppose the CAPS in the title gives away my current thinking. Since Scootch died, Nico sits under these two bird feeders a lot, just waiting to pounce on a careless bird. I really liked Scootch. She was special, more than a farm cat. Scootch bonded to me. (And me to her, despite my generalContinue reading “More Cats or NO MORE Cats?”
Farm Changes
Every time I pee in the toilet, I know I’m wasting valuable nitrogen. Every time I flush the toilet, I know I’m wasting good, finite water. Consciousness changes on the small calm farm.
Domesticated Predators, Part 3: I Miss You, Scootch
This is sad. But it’s a lesson. Certainly to me. Maybe to whoever else reads this. Scootch liked me. And I liked her, despite my general indifference to cats. She was more like a dog than a cat. She would stay close and watch me when I was working outside, pounding on this and that,Continue reading “Domesticated Predators, Part 3: I Miss You, Scootch”
Domesticated Predators, Part 2: In Affectionate Memory of Scootch
So… Mama Cat and her 4 little kittens had successfully moved into the garage and I had not yet moved permanently to the Small Calm Farm. I had purchased a good self-feeder and water dispenser that held enough food and water for several days for Mama Cat and her nursing babies and I visited atContinue reading “Domesticated Predators, Part 2: In Affectionate Memory of Scootch”
Functional? We Shall See.
I have this issue with the house/front yard portion and the larger majority of the small calm farm where I spend most my time (working or just enjoying the space). There’s a nice, solid 12 foot retaining wall between the house and the garage/property, but I must walk 40+ feet east to the end ofContinue reading “Functional? We Shall See.”
Cats Are Domesticated Predators: An Unacceptable Oxymoron
When I took the huge financial, social and psychological plunge to abandon an increasingly random, aggressive and violent city and move to a less stressful, more peaceful existence in the country, I didn’t intend to have cats. I have also enjoyed the presence of wild birds a lot, providing feeders and natural habitat for themContinue reading “Cats Are Domesticated Predators: An Unacceptable Oxymoron”
Chickens and Winter
Winter came. And stayed. After nearly 2 weeks of mostly sunny and fairly warm temperatures following Thanksgiving, the first snow came and the temperatures dropped below freezing and have stayed there for several days, day and night. The chickens were very hesitant to step out of the coop onto the snow. Inside the coop, theirContinue reading “Chickens and Winter”
It’s Chicken Day
Beautiful sunny December 1st. Since I finished the chicken coop and outside fencing (a.k.a. “run”), I decided to obtain some adult Rhode Island Reds and/or Barred Plymouth Rocks. Both are cold hardy heritage that have been around for 2 centuries. This area already had old, tough metal fencing panels, grape vines and scrubby trees. TheContinue reading “It’s Chicken Day”
Chicken Coop
I don’t know what I’m doing. But I did it all by myself. It’s… rustic. Repurposed siding and other materials from barn. Frame, flooring, roof sheathing and shingles built with new material. Used a repurposed barn window, cracked it during installation and broke it while nailing siding. Will repair that with a piece of plexiglass,Continue reading “Chicken Coop”
Small Calm Farm 