Luddite

I'm a Luddite, I admit it. I am
finally coming out of the Ludd closet. For years I have kept that
little fact a secret, even deceiving myself, but I can no longer live
the lie. I have reached my technological apex.  If you aren't familiar with the term Luddite, then you will have to either Wiki it or wait until I blog more about it in future posts but I wanted to at least mention it before I posted the following pictures.  In some way that statement will explain my fascination, no, obsession with old time objects, such as the flintlock below.

Now, keep in mind, this is not a genuine antique, and that is not only okay, it is preferable, because the contemporary made rifle can be used without fear of breaking it or degrading the antique value, and the best part is in the using.  With many of the old fashioned objects, tools, etc, the fun is in the lifestyle they enable.  Of course in this modern day we can pick and choose what what part  of that lifestyle we want to participate in and what we want to leave in the past.

Another newly acquired item is the cauldron in the next photo.  While the current use as a wood box is not in keeping with the traditional use for this item it best suits our purpose for the time being.

Nuts

A fair harvest of Hazel nuts. 





A couple of green nuts from earlier this year in photos above.




We have six large bushes that we planted over 20 years ago.  We harvest about 2 gallons of nuts a year.  Not a large harvest but I think it may have something to do with how they are pruned.  We have let me grow up about 10-12' tall, multi-stemmed.  They make a nice form but I suspect that shorter bushes more agressively pruned with yield more nuts.  I am not about to change their shape now but would like to plant more bushes and test my theory.  In the last photo above the nut bushes are seen above the lawn chairs, the bushes on this end are Lilacs.

Fall Colors

A little chilly this morning but the sun is shining and there are still a few trees with colors displayed.

The last maple to loose leaves, the front yard.


The orchard.

Annebelle

A victim of degenerative hip disease, Annebelle went to her rest today.

6 or 7 years ago we unwillingly took in Annebelle when the kids moved to town and they had no place to keep her.  We really didn't want two dogs.  In that time, her sweet disposition won over our hearts and she became a loved member of our homestead.  It would be a lie and unfair to her if I said she was a perfect dog, but where a dog is concerned imperfections just make them more human.

Several years ago we learned she had hip displasia.  The surgery that might or might not work was prohibitively expensive.  We chose the financially more responsible path of daily painkillers.  Those painkillers allowed her to have a more or less normal and happy life for an additional two years.  Two years that now seem all too short.

I had forgotten about her appointment with destiny today until on my way home from work I saw her running down the road as fast as she could go, free as the wind and unencumbered with pain or defect.

Rest in Peace.

First Day Out

Today was a gorgeous day for your first day outside.

A little unsure.


What's out there.


Don't push.


She says she is guarding the chickens.  I think she is thinking of chicken dinner.

In the Doghouse

Finally a more or less permanent doghouse.  The poor dogs have been shuffled around for quite a while now.  For a long time their beds were on the front porch.  A less than idea spot for them because of the northern exposure and the mess that comes with dogs, hair mostly.  We tried to move them to behind the woodshed but that was too far out of the stream of excitement for them and it was hard to get to when the snow was deep.  Last winter we put their beds in the middle part of the woodshed, the part that I am promoting to a small shop.  That worked out well but there is not room for all of us, so for the summer their beds have been in the woodshed proper.  Of course that was only temporary because now I am starting to put wood in the shed.  I have had plans to build this small structure in the front corner of woodshed and I finally got it done.  All it needs now is some paint but that doesn't stop Cali from using it.  So far it is a success.




The top part of the doghouse has a dual purpose.  The front is being used to stack kindling.  The part behind the kindling, see photos below, we will use to feed the cat, Tago.  It has been an ever continuing battle to keep the dogs out of the cat food and also the Jay birds.  We have probably spent more money feeding the Blue Jays and Camp Robbers than we have the cat.  I wouldn't doubt that somewhere in the forest, close at hand, there are hundreds of pounds of cat food stored away for the hard times ahead.
The birds could still get to this new location but they will have to be very brazen to intrude so far into the realm of human and cat.  We will also make a place near the food for Tago to sleep.  I have my doubts if she will utilize it as willingly as Cali has her bed.  Currently Tago owns a little corner by the back door but, to my idea, it is less than perfect.  I think she would be warmer here, above the dog bed but cats have their own mind in such matters.  Tago is entering her elderly years and I think she is more susceptible to the cold weather than she used to be.  She has always been an outside cat, all cats are healthier living outside, but I still worry about her when we get the frigid sub-zero temperatures.  She does spend some time inside during those spells warming up, and while well behaved, she prefers to be outside.

The area behind the kindling will be for feeding Tago, the cat, and for her bed, should she decide to move in.


Tago peeking out from her current nook by the back step.

Chickens doing great

It's been a while since I blogged so I thought I should do an update on the chickens, especially since I found out some people are actually reading this blog.

It's a little eerie to see such a lineup every time I go into the chicken house.  There they are, their beady black eyes watching my every move just waiting for me to open the door.  We are still feeding chick starter and they eat lots of it but I can tell from their appearance they are wanting meat...



...and my legs look like giant worms.


Once the outside is painted (mostly the part inside the pen) then I can let them out where they might catch any bugs that might happlessly wonder into the area.  Every once in a while I will catch a grasshopper and throw it into the coop ahead of me, that keeps them occupied.  One chicken will grab up the grasshopper and then the contest is on for how long he/she can hold on to it before another snatches it away and so on.


This is free chick that was sent.  I haven't exactly identified it yet, any guesses?

Chicks & Toads

The chicks arrived today.



The free chick.  With every order McMurray Hatchery includes a free chick of another breed.  It will be fun seeing what breed this one is.



Also of note today, one of our resident toads taking an afternoon shower:

Linden in Full Bloom

This is the time of year our Little Leaf Linden tree is in full bloom. The bees love it.


The tree is about 30 feet tall, or more.  It is covered in yellowish-green flowers.  It is a buzz with activity.  There are literally thousands of bees collecting pollen/sap in it.


I be no bee expert but this looks like a honey bee to me.  There are no hives close that I know of, so I am guessing it be a wild honey bee.  I have heard that if an empty hive is set up that wild swarms may occupy them.  I am tempted to give it a try and see what may bee or not bee.

July 25 Update

A few pictures to update:
Chicken House:
The chicken, while it isn't done, is mostly ready for some chickens.  There are a few minor chores to do inside and the outside still needs paint and the wire attached to the pen frame.

This view shows the nesting boxes on the left and the door into the chicken side.  The nesting boxes were made so that the back side  opens up so that gathering eggs does not require going into the chicken side.


The nesting boxes from the chicken side.  If I was  chicken I think I would like them.


The frame work is up and as soon as it is painted the wire can be attached.


A view from the lower road.  This is the end that the barn will be added to.

The chicks have been ordered.  They will arrive late next week. We ordered 35 straight run of Buff Orpington.  I still need to prepare a brooder area to keep them in and pick up some chick starter and grit.  I also need to purchase the feeders and waterers. The overhead light fixtures also need to be purchased and installed.  I should be able to do those things this week. (Have to.)

Clematis:
This clematis was planted many years ago.  It has had quite the struggle.  There were years we thought were its last but it seems to have acclimatized to its location and is doing well this year.  This is the best it has ever looked.

Huckleberries

Stained fingers can testify that the Huckleberries are ripe at lower elevations.





Red, dusty blue and black.  Whether they are subtle variations in the same berry, different levels of ripeness,  or a different sub-species I don't know but they are all very good.  I have heard it said the indians had many names for huckleberries, maybe they knew more about them than we do.
Mrs. Wags & I joined a couple of the girls this afternoon and went several miles up the road to some state ground, where my wife's family has picked berries for over 40 years.  The semi-open southern slope has just the right amount of ingredients for a pretty fair crop of berries. For our two hours of picking we brought back about 1 1/2 gallons. 
While I always like getting out in the woods but I am not a marathon picker.  A couple of hours and I am ready to call it quits.  I wouldn't be very good at picking berries for a living.  On a good day I might make $30.  If desparate and in a really good patch I might be able to pick twice that many.

Have you ever noticed that wild roses sometimes grow in amongst the huckleberries?

Chipping Sparrow

I finally managed to snap a few shots of the parent sparrow.

Summer Evening Shots

Finally, after months of rain, we've had a few nice days of sunny and warm weather.  Below are a few snapshots I took this evening.

No, these are not chicken eggs.  You probably knew that.  A small bird has made a nest in amongst our Tayberry bushes. I tried to take a picture of the adult bird but it is very fast and doesn't stick around.  I think it is a Chipping Sparrow.


The white rose bush is in full bloom.  It is a very beautiful rose and very healthy and hardy.  It is unfortunate that it only blooms once a year.


A close-up shot of the white rose bush.

Early Summer Update:

It's been a very wet and chilly spring and early summer.  We've had a few days of sunshine and warm days but close to record rainfall.  The garden isn't looking too bad for early June, unfortunately it's July.  I am not optimistic about what the garden will produce.

Potatoes and onions.


The Tayberries are loaded and still blooming.


The peas are looking good.


Radishes and various lettuces.


Cabbages


The tomatoes have a long way to go.  The volunteer onion looking very good.


The chicken house has been getting the inside painted.  Only one more coat on the one side is left and then I can finish it out and then some chicks.  While we were hoping to get a much earlier start with the chickens this year I have just been too busy to get it done earlier.

Some various photos on a rainy afternoon

The quince bush.


Tulips