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Nov. 1st, 2006 @ 07:15 am november 1
Echo Valley pumpkin patch (slightly muddied still) had another booming business year. Now it's time to clean up and get ready for snow. The chickens are laying light but consistent with 3-4 eggs daily.
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Working Hard
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Oct. 18th, 2006 @ 07:26 am Rainy Rain Rain Rain
Pumpkin sales have been steady. Not having a stellar pumpkin crop has certainly impacted the amount of money coming in but I have no complaints. It's like Christmas, checking the money jar everyday.

Today it's pouring. Last night it poured. Yesterday afternoon it started to pour. The pumpkin patch is flooded. Again.

Have been thinking about selling wreaths retail either on line or out of the barn. Need to check my supplies and crunch the time and money numbers to see if this is realistic...could be interesting. If only every chain store in a fifty mile radius didn't sell them....

Today we have parent conferences so I get to go in a wee bit later than usual. hehehee! I love setting in front of the computer with a cup of coffee. It feels so decadent!

Chicky-chickies are still eggless. I'm getting frusterated with them. Why won't they lay?! Don't I have the sincerest hen house? Won't the Great Chicken come visit?! (insert pathetic music here)
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Oct. 7th, 2006 @ 08:19 am peak foliage
All the weather forecasters agree that this is going to be one spectacular weekend. i'm squeezing in one more cup of coffee before heading out to pick another load of pumpkins. Sales have been good so far. I wish my squash had done better as I feeling the sting in loss of sales. Of course I love to eat those little things too.

No eggs yet from the green mountain girls. Made a joke last night at the dinnertable about frickin-chicken pie should they not start laying soon. Of course it's all lip service but i would love an egg soon!

So much to do today my head is spinning. Will take along the camera and try to capture some of the glorious color our dear mountains are providing.
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Oct. 1st, 2006 @ 07:22 pm Life on the "Farm"
Picked the first two loads of pumpkins for the road side stand on Saturday. Gorgeous fall day--perfection! Then, of course, it was a day for ducks to follow. Organized the barn, fluffed up the chicken coop and generally tried to make a go of it today. Ended up on the couch for part of the afternoon watching NASCAR. Guilty pleasure!
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May. 1st, 2006 @ 06:27 am May Day
Rabbit, rabbit, rabbit! Happy May Day! Happy first day after the excavator came! Yes, that's right. The excavator came yesterday afternoon while I was helping my Carol at the Maple Festival show. I got home and...the trees are gone...the stumps are gone...there's a good sized spot for the barn...it's ditched for drainage...there's a small pond for ducks and dogs...wowee-zowie!

It's a huge step forward!

This morning the sun is shining and the air is chilly--a very good way to start May. The chicks come this Friday and the barn posts should be up by then. Yeah! Spring is sprung.
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Apr. 28th, 2006 @ 06:27 am Aaarrggh!
This morning I was sitting here on the couch feeling overwhelmed. The barn hasn't moved an inch forward--I'm still waiting for my excavator to dig out the stumps. Things at school are rough right now and taking a lot of physical and thinking time. Soon school is going to impede on my building time with two Sunday events in a row. My house is a mess. I'm still having water problems. Wah, wah, wah. I was sitting here thinking, "this sucks" when sudddenly, but quietly, the unmistakable odor of skunk came wafting my way.

I sniffed. I snorted. Was it me? A faint trace of our previous skunk encounters? No. Of course it's not me. Faint? Not anymore. AAAARRRGGH! Jesse and all three cats are outside. Aaarrrgh! I ran outside, sniffing all the way. "JESSSSEE!!" (no dog in their right mind would come to someone using the tone of voice I was using). Luckily, Jesse was feeling generous this morning and came running, full tilt, directly at me from over by the neighbors. Emmett was in hot pursuit.

She smelled normal. Emmett smelled normal. Ada was inside. Thank goodness! It's not us! It's not us! It's not us! Poppy has yet to turn up but I saw her this morning and she's far too lazy to get sprayed by a skunk.

So, essentially, this was a nice little way of being reminded that things are rough, but not *that* rough.

Some might say that things can and will always get worse but I look at this morning as a blessing. It'll all work out. Peace. Peace.
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Apr. 22nd, 2006 @ 03:26 pm Earth Day
Aaah, Saturday. I got quite a few of the regular Saturday errands done today. Looking back over the week I would say a lot has been accomplished. We finished sawing up the lumber on Friday afternoon. I surely hope there is enough....

In addition to being done with the lumber, Todd Liberty gifted me with a a surge milk bucket and pulsators for the goats. Unbelievable!!

Now I've got to switch gears and get cleaned up for a presentation at Black Sheep Books by the Albany Free School. It should be interesting. I'm meeting Allison and Allison there.
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Apr. 19th, 2006 @ 10:25 pm Straight Out
Wowee zowie! It's been a whirlwind of a week already. The three big trees and all the brush has been cut. The portable sawmill arrived (surpise!!!) on Monday night and we've been cutting lumber every night since.

There are two stumps that are in the ground and in the way. I went to the John Deere place today to buy a part for the crawler--a very expensive, ambigious part. It should be here on Friday--hopefully it is the right one!!

The chicks arrive on May 1st. They'll be at the feed store for pick up. I'm ordering 12 buff orpingtons, 6 barred rocks and 6 rhode island reds. No meat birds this time. If they have ducklings I may be sorely tempted to pick up a few of those too.

Overall things are coming together. I was hoping to set the posts for the barn this week but am glad we're waiting to get those stummps out. It will make a big difference in the size building we can build.

OOOOh, did I mention the thrill of burning brush? Oh my, oh my. The weather has been loverly but a bit windy and dry. Monday the brush just wouldn't burn. On Tuesday...well, we helped it get going! And go it did....I feel very lucky that no trouble emerged. And, the brush--a huge pile--is gone, gone, gone!


That's all for now! More work tomorrow!
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Apr. 17th, 2006 @ 07:26 am Peepers and other Signs of Spring
The peepers all seemed to emerge at the same time--Thursday last (4/13) and have been singing up a storm every night since. I love that sound--a sound that will stop my truck in it's tracks.

I have this week off from school and will putting a ton of time into getting the barn all set. Today Dad and I are hauling the posts down to the my house, cutting 3 trees and hewing out the back bank to get as much room as possible.

Easter was a coldish day but the food and famiy was fantastic. I'm absolutely counting my blessings.

Happy Patriots Day!
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timber
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Apr. 9th, 2006 @ 06:51 pm Logs are in
Today was the day to haul the logs that we cut in February up to the house. All told we brought in around 970 board feet of spruce and hemlock. I'm so pleased! Some of the logs were much, much bigger and much, much heavier than I remembered...to the point where I thought the tractor would tip and roll onto it's side. A few harrowing moments to be sure. Happily they all made it onto the trailer and we got back to the house before the road warmed up and turned to complete muck. Yea! We've called the portable sawmill guy and let him know that he's welcome ANYTIME (the sooner the better) to come and cut up the logs into the framing for the barn.

There are three pair of Canada geese at camp. All the noise etc. of the tractor didn't deter them in the least. In fact, they seemed quite interested in what all was happening. I wonder if all 3 will nest at camp? It will be interesting to follow this!

I've just returned from Dan and julie's. Becky and Justin were up there too. A lovely chit chat time with good food. It's nice to get together and hang out a bit.
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timber
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Apr. 1st, 2006 @ 06:44 am Fool's Day
Welcome April! The past week's weather has been gorgeous although I have been sick with the flu. No snow at echo valley! Saps been running up a storm. Jesse Loo has begun her daily dips in the brook. Do I still detect a faint trace of skunk from the wet doggy?
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Mar. 25th, 2006 @ 08:03 am Sap's Running and Woodchucks
The sap is running! The sap is running! The sap is running!

A loverly Saturday morning--typical March cloudines notwithstanding--and the sap must have run all night long. Finally! Will start collecting around 10:00 and will be eager to start boiling soon after.

AND saw my first woodchuck, the little bastard, yesterday. I wasn't anywhere near my place but still I felt that near manical surge begin down in my mud boots when I spotted it's brown little body waddling across the field.

I may need woodchuck therapy. I'm trying to be a "live and let live" type on the whole woodchuck issue...it's not working. It's only March and the sighting has rattled me.

How's that for garden drama? hehehe! I'm trying to out verse Melville's good and evil here. Ahab and the Whale...Shawnee and the woodchucks...i see a parallel and potential here.

Okay, okay, off the couch and into the overalls!
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Mar. 20th, 2006 @ 06:32 am vernal equinox equals SPRING SPRING SPRING
In about an hour it'll be spring. How ironic that it is snowing wildly outside and has been (it seems) since the beginning of March. Sugaring has crashed to an absolute standstill since last Monday. Everything is lovely looking--white, clean and crisp. And cold. 12 degrees with a strong snowy wind.

This weekend I went to Gardener's Supply's big truckload sale and picked up some jiffy pot pellets to start the basil in. I finished reading my newest backyard herb book and am looking forward to starting some little seed babies. I'm going to try a tray here in the kitchen right under the window and a tray up at Mom and Dad's on their harvest table right in front of the two big windows. If the cats will stay out of the trays the seedlings might stand a chance.

so, it's poring over the seed catalogs tonight for the final decisions. I'd like to plant by next Saturday.

I've got to find a seedling supplier for little balsam trees. Will call the extension service and see what I can find out there. I feel like I've scoured the internet and come up short.
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Echo Valley Annex
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Mar. 12th, 2006 @ 07:29 pm Sugarin'
Sap's running. Somewhat, anyway. I tapped the maples down here--hanging eleven buckets in all last Monday and have only gathered twice--about 22 gallons of sap. The brook line, gravel pit and garden are tapped up at Mom and Dad's. We haven't tapped at camp yet--the line needs a lot of work including re-connecting the main line and fixing where a large cherry branch came down and took the line with it.

I've made about a pint of syrup in the kitchen as I've not had enough to fire up the big pan yet. There was a warm wind blowing and rain coming down this afternoon so I'm hoping we'll have a good run for tomorrow. It's been so mild that I don't know if it'll run better or not. Saw a flock of Canada geese flying over and heading due north. A hopeful sign!

The road is bordering on wicked! Even with the work the town put in last week the ruts are deep enough to sink a volkswagen. It will make gathering at camp a particular challenge...if I ever get it tapped.


Sadly, my very dear neighbor died this morning. It's hard to believe that a fall could begin such a downward spiral. I'm not surprised that she's gone, but feeling the loss for sure. My thoughts go out to her family and good friends.

It's easier to focus on sugaring.
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sap doggie
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Mar. 3rd, 2006 @ 10:38 pm Timber!!
The trees we need for the frame of the barn have been cut. I'm so happy! I was nervous driving the tractor out on the ice but am so glad to have the wood! We couldn't have gotten it any other time as a thaw may be heading our way and there's no other way to cut these trees and skid them out. They all bordered the back side of the beaver pond. One spruce was going to fall anyway so it's almost like "free". Some of the hemlock is BIG! All told I think we've got 12 good, solid logs for 2X6's, 2X4's and who knows what else!
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Feb. 2nd, 2006 @ 06:45 am Ground Hog Day
Considering all the moaning and groaning I've already done about the weather it seemed especially important that I managae to get something in about Ground Hog Day! As of yet, no ground hogs, no woodchucks, no snow.

Not that I'm a big fan of woodchucks of course. In fact, if I don't see another woodchuck here at Echo Valley that would be just fine with me. They could be other places though. Woodchuck Sanctuaries. Out West. Far out west. Where I'd have to take an airplane. Plan a trip. Goodbye Woodchucks.

Hmmm.
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Such a cute doggie
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Jan. 29th, 2006 @ 08:56 am I remember the Good Old Days...
...when it used to snow in Vermont. This month has been a quandry of freezing rain and sleet. Warm temps (good for the heating bills) have kept things continually slick outside. We've another storm on the way tonight--hopefully it'll come as snow although it seems doubtful at this juncture.

Our concert and dance benefit for the school are both happening today--really, truly hope the weather holds. One of the parents has worked so hard to get this thing going--it'd be such a shame to have it not do well. I think it'll be alright but I'm nervous myself about being out on bad roads. Oh well--again--one of those things.

I'm lazing about this morning, delaying things like cleaning out the truck and washing the dishes. Nice attitude when things need to get done--laundry, vacuuming, all the glamour jobs are calling my name.

On more delightful fronts, the farm show was very interesting and the NOFA conference is fast approaching. THere's a couple of workshops I'm definetly interested in and am looking forward to a bit of brain work. My herb class (online) is stale and too one sided, I had hoped for a more discussion/interactive forum. Good information though--food for the imagination so to speak.

Time to get the fanny in gear. Think snowy thoughts after 10:00pm Think snowy thoughts after 10:00 pm....
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Jan. 22nd, 2006 @ 08:14 pm Sourdough
Poor Jesse. I gave her the tiny heel off a loaf of sourdough earlier today and she's been desperate to hide it ever since. Who knew so much entertainment could be derived from a piece of bread?

I chose the boring, typical approach with my own pieces and cooked them up with cheese and butter--excellent sandwich.

Well geez--I just went to take one of those artsy digital camera photos of me tormenting the poor dog with her bread. I guess Jesse had finally reached her limit because she just inhaled the bread in one bite. Oh well, so much for sourdough art.
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Jan. 3rd, 2006 @ 07:00 am Heigh Ho, Heigh Ho...
Another quickie! First seed catalouge arrived in the mail yesterday--decided I couldn't even peek until after the house was picked up. Got so caught up in dishes and sweeping after supper that I forgot the catalouge! I'm looking forward to it though and hope it's got lots of loverly photos.

It's been quite warm here so far this year w/ sunshine yesterday that had the eaves dripping. I helped to move Carol out of Cow Barn Antiques yesterday (they're closing and moving to Florida) and did so in shirt-sleeves.

A bizillion chickadees have been buzzing about the birdfeeders and are a delight to watch. Ada and Emmett certainly think so...dinner on the wing.

Well, I'm off to school for the first time since vacation. I've missed the kids but have loved having the time off too. Interesting dynamic.
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Dec. 21st, 2005 @ 07:35 am Happy Solstice
A quick entry to welcome Winter. Already it's here, comfortably entrenched in several inches of snow and below zero temps. I'm off to school (the last day until new years) and am hopeful that it will go smoothly and quickly. I'll take either one to be honest.

Peace!
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