Springing Forward & The Thrusty Brothers

The redbuds are sprouting from bare limbs, peach trees are blooming into delicate pink-white flowers and the roosters are fornicating furiously.  Spring has arrived.  The apple trees in the front have been pruned, much less severely than last year.  Two apple trees I killed with overzealous pruning last year have been cut down, sawed into pieces and stacked into an evergrowing pile for a bonfire.  Many of our peach trees have been suffering from cytospora canker which causes an amber sap to ooze forth from the bark and the peaches themselves.  It also leaves the bark looking fire damaged and severely reduces the quantity and quality of the peaches.  After trying to fight it organically for two years with neem oil and copper; I have begun to cut down some of the worst trees to make room for replacements.  I love peaches but they are fickle mistresses, prone to a multitude of diseases and do far better in a drier, less humid climate.  The dry woody canes that produced blackberries and raspberries last year have been pulled out to make room for the new green shoots that will bear fruit this year.  Our first grapevine is now 2 years old and has spead out like a giant squid to cover the entire trellis it shares with the berries, I trimmed it back to a denser more compact shape which will hopefully spur new growth and more grapes this year.  Two of our new trees have already arrived via UPS and been planted in the orchard.  A 3-in-one pear tree which has Chojuro, Shinseiki and Hosui pears and doesn't need another tree for pollination and a cold hardy Mericrest nectarine tree.  It will be 5 to 10 years before the trees are in full production but we joke that they are our retirement plan.  I sowed grass seed in the fenced chicken run which had been eaten down to bare earth over the last year and have been letting the birds run free range again to allow the grass a chance to sprout and grow before I let them back in.  So far, the roosters and dogs have been doing a great job keeping the predators at bay, no losses at all to report.

We have ordered a new shipment of poultry from Murray McMurray, 25 stout brown egg laying chicks to create a better hen to rooster ratio in the coop.  All 3 of the chicks I hatched from eggs last year have grown into magnificent, insatiably lecherous roosters.  We have taken to calling this group of horny teenagers, the Thrusty Brothers.  As a consequence some of the more attractive hens have been mounted and trodden on so many times they have bald spots on their backs and are in desperate need of saddles or a few extra gals around the coop for the men to divide their attentions amongst.  Our pin headed Sumatran rooster has assumed the role of second in command below King Chet and vigorously defends his ladies' honor from the advances of the Thrusty Brothers.

Wang, the Sumatran Rooster

We enjoy watching him chase the brothers all over the yard; when he is not doing his goofy side step shuffle and sidling up to the hens himself.  Right now we are at 22 hens to 5 roosters; ideally we are shooting for at least 8 hens per rooster.  There is so much testosterone out in the coop, I wouldn't be surprised if I walked in on the roosters doing bench presses and blasting Metallica or rebuilding a Camaro.

Two of the Thrusty Bros.

 Clyde used to only have beef with King Chet, but as the Brothers Thrusty have gotten bigger and more hormonal they have taken to going after him en masse.  I really need to get some video of the terror stricken look in Clyde's eyes as he flees from the 3 formerly docile roosters as half-run, half fly low with their combs fluttering in the wind like battleflags and their necks poised to peck him in his "no-zone".   I'm pretty sure I caught Otto grinning as Clyde streaked past with the 3 roosters in hot pursuit.  Anyways, the new additions this year will all be lady birds to balance out the coop.

Dark Brahmas - Large gentle chickens with striking plumage color in black and silvery white for males and beautiful silver penciled steel gray for females. Developed from Asiatic fowl brought to New England by China clipper ships in the last century.

Partridge Rocks - Quite rare, these are fairly good sized birds though not quite as large as their cousins, the Barred and White Rocks.  The females have brown plumage and distinct pencilings of black following the outline of each feather.  Hens lay brown eggs, and are considered one of the best setters and broody hens.

Dark Cornish - Originating from Cornwall, England. They are unique because of their thick, compact bodies, unusually wide backs, and broad, deep breasts. The hens are nice layers of firm-shelled brown eggs and wonderfully hardy. This variety will come as close as any to rustling for themselves under rough conditions and also make good setters and mothers. Another very distinctive character is the close fitting, rather hard textured feathers with unusual luster and brilliance. The close feathering and compact build will fool you on weight; they are always much heavier than they look.

 Buff Orphingtons - The color of pure gold they are symbolic of great value and high quality. Introduced from England in the late 1800's, they became one of the most popular farm fowls in this country. These are large, stately birds of quiet disposition. Their heavy, full plumage make them excellent winter layers, shelling out brown eggs right through cold weather. They also make excellent setters and mothers.

Blue Andulusians - These beautiful blue fowl originated in Andalusia, a province of Spain, but have long been known in England and the United States. They are magnificent to look at with their graceful, stately carriage and delicately blue-laced plumage.  The ideal feather color is a beautiful slatey blue with a narrow lacing of darker blue. Andalusian hens are fine layers of white or slightly tinted eggs with very little tendency towards broodiness.

We are dreaming of sitting under a stout wooden arbor covered in a leafy green canopy of grapes and berries enjoying a cool beverage.  I have been reading a book my grandma sent me on primitive architecture (Architecture without Architects) and imagining using some of the larger tree limbs as posts and crossbeams for the arbor.  I linger over pictures of  spartan Spanish castles, Japanese Shinto gates and cavernous thatched huts build from bundles of reeds in Iraq.  I allow the image of our landscape littered with a assortment of these structures to creep in and take hold of my brain.  If I were to come into a vast fortune somehow, I would transform our 23 acres into a redneck version of the Quinta da Regaleira that we have visited twice in Sintra, Portugal.  Conceived by Antonio Agosto Carvalho Monteiro aka Monteiro dos Milhões (Monteiro the Millionaire) and designed by an Italian architect named Luigi Manini (who bears an uncanny resemblance to my best friend, Chris Taylor)

Luigi Manini

Wikipedia describes the palatial estate:

"Monteiro wished to build a bewildering place where he could gather symbols that would reflect his interests and ideologies. With the assistance of the Italian architect Luigi Manini, he designed the 10 acre estate with its enigmatic buildings, believed to hide symbols related to alchemy, Masonry, the Knights Templar, and the Rosicrucians.  It consists of a romantic palace and chapel, and a luxurious park featuring lakes, grottoes, caves, wells, benches, fountains, and a vast array of exquisite constructions.  The architecture of the estate evokes Roman, Gothic, Renaissance and Manueline architectural styles.

Besides being the most beautiful & magical locations I have ever seen with my own eyes, we visited the Quinta the day that Matilda was conceived so it will always hold a special place in my heart.  I know I can't build my own, especially without Monteiro's millions, but the balance it strikes between natural beauty and a landscape created with human hands is perfect.  It inspires me to work for our land as a steward while building structures that complement and add to the beauty of our acres on the ridge.  I think every man desires to leave something behind when he departs this earth, something that will live on to be enjoyed and appreciated by future generations.  After I started this rambling post I came across another inspiration, Ferdinand Cheval and his Palais Ideal; a palace he built by himself out of stones he found.  My contribtion to future generations may not prove to be so elegant or well built, but there'll be a big ol pile of rocks and sticks somewhere up here by golly...

East Facade of Le Palais Ideal