chicken thieving fox
looking for a free breakfast...
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Sunday, January 9, 2011
Winter storms, wily coons and building a better breed of chicken
It's been another cold and snowy winter so far here in Caldwell County. We enjoyed the first white Christmas in a blue moon and ended up with nearly 8 inches that stuck around til a week ago. Now, we're expecting a big winter storm to arrive tonight with another 6-8 inches. It's been real cold too, down around 10 degrees last night and no higher than 30 all day today. Good weather for staying inside and reading and watching football. The big pile of firewood I stacked last January looks smaller and smaller these days as we go through about 8 pieces of wood a night. I've been eyeballing some of the red oaks around the house thinking of how good they would look sawed up, split and stacked into the pile. Without using our electric baseboards at all and relying on the woodstove and a ceramic space heater to keep us warm, we have managed to keep our power bill down to about $100/month. Which is a good $30-40 less than we were paying a month last year at this time, however it isn't too comfortable waking up in a house when the air inside is below 50 degrees. So we've been discussing having a heat pump put in and some newer windows to keep the heat inside. We've had Sears out here to look over the house and give us an estimate and were floored by their proposal to install 2 heat pumps, one for the downstairs and one for upstairs. We need to do something that will keep the house more livable in the winter and summer, but it looks like for now we'll need to get a few more estimates and then just do the downstairs.
Going back to work has been a real blessing for my sanity and self-worth. I don't have the time to spend on farm chores and household projects that I used to, but I definitely appreciate the weekends more now. Commuting up to Boone in the winter isn't as bad as I had worried it would be, but still quite an adjustment for a guy who used to take the bus to work everyday.
sunrise view from bluffs just before Blowing Rock, Hwy 321
It's 40 miles and about an hour each way. I've loaded my truck up with about 400lbs of Quikcrete over the back axle, put on some all terrain tires and gotten used to rolling slow in 4wD through a couple of stretches. The snow isn't usually much of an issue but when we get some sleet or freezing rain, I've learned to be as cautious as a werewolf's dentist especially when I'm going downhill.
headed back home to Lenoir after a day of heavy snow
I've really enjoyed being back around other people and having a regular schedule again. One thing I really savor is the sense of superiority I feel when I head off to work on Friday mornings while April is still sleeping on the first day of her perpetual 3 day weekend. I've done the math and in approximately 2 years I will have caught back up to her in total days worked despite being a househusband for over a year. Petty competitive things like that add spice to any relationship. April has been really awesome about helping pick up the slack on the chores I'm not getting done these days like bringing in some firewood from the porch each night, vacuuming up dog hair and making sure the chickens have adequate and unfrozen water. Despite her providing them with sweet, liquid nourishment; one of the roosters has taken up something of a vendetta against my sweet wife. The big white rooster has made April's trip to her car each morning more of an adventure, cornering her against the garage door while puffing and flapping and occasionally nipping in for a peck or two. He learned quickly from my right boot that these tactics were both ineffective and impolite when he tried them on me; but I don't think April has been able to land a solid "behavior modifier" on Mr. Rooster yet. So she has resorted to a little trickeration involving stale bread or tasty compost bin fodder to distract him while she sprints to the safety of the garage. I told her not to appease the terrorists because they will only increase their demands and I expect the rooster will soon be expecting our finest meats & cheeses in exchange for her safe passage.
On a less humorous note, another chicken bandit arrived on the scene this week absconding with three hens from the safety of their coop at night with no evidence but a few feathers. Each morning I would rise for work and check on my girls, the headcount would be one fewer. I did the usual lockdown and kept them inside their coop 24-7 until I realized they were disappearing at night from inside the coop. I rigged up the game camera I got from my brother-in-law for Christmas to try and catch the bandit in the act but ended up with a whole bunch of candid chicken pics and not much else. So, I decided to enlist Clyde the Blue Heeler as my poultry protector since the 3 roosters weren't doing much of anything to stop the thief. I left Clyde outside for a day which resulted in him scratching up the front door trying to get back inside to his buddy Otto and a bald bottom on our German Shepherd who spent the day biting his ass fur nervously due to being separated from his buddy. I was ready to try leaving Clyde locked up in the chicken coop overnight to deter the weasel, fox, raccoon or chupacabra who was stealing my hens when I finally figured it all out. A wily coon has actually removed 3 or 4 large rocks from around the foundation of the coop and wormed his way in before opening an unlatched door into the coop and grabbing a sleeping bird and making his getaway for three nights in a row. I rebuilt the foundation with larger, heavier rocks, concrete blocks and boards and have started latching and locking the side door to the coop every night. So far, no more losses but I am seriously considering purchasing both this contraption (Niteguard) & a livestock guardian dog puppy to raise with the chickens so I can continue to let them freerange. I am looking at Maremma and Komondor breeders within a 12 hour drive of us and am wide open to any suggestions on a good breed to keep the hens safe. I learned from butchering chickens this last summer how valuabkle a good livestock guardian dog can be, even watching the sky for hawks and warning his flock by barking for them to seek shelter from death from above. The main thing we will be doing differently this time is raising a working outdoors only dog to stay with the chickens all the time instead of a couple of treat guzzling, bed sleeping layabouts like Otto and Clyde. Bless their hearts...
The reason we are feeling the need for a full time bodyguard for the birds is that we will have 45 new residents here on Cardinal Ridge come April 4th. We are working toward building up a flock of about 100 chickens, but given that we only had between 18-25 at any time this year; I wanted to do this incrementally. Knowing that I am at high risk for further predator losses I am planning on both using the livestock guardian dog and trying to encourage brooding behavior with my hens so they can start to add numbers to the flock the natural way. After some research into more primitive breeds of chickens that do well free ranging in environments with lots of predators using natural camouflage and being more aware of their surrounding than the egg production breeds, I decided on these additions:
10 Golden polish- known for laying lots of white eggs and broody hens, their plumage should blend in well with the woods around here
10 Rose comb brown leghorns- The dark color and quick actions make for a good range bird where there is danger of predators. They are real hustlers, range far, and look out for themselves very well. Well adapted to cold climates
10 Anconas- Famous for laying large white eggs. Their dark color and active temperament make them a good bird to raise where hawks, owls, and animal predators are a problem because they do not show up like white breeds; and they are very quick and alert. They are an old breed in the Mediterranean Class, coming from the area around Ancona, Italy
10 Araucanas- A choice more for the saleability of their beautiful eggs than their ability to survive predation. Known a the "Easter Egg Chicken", this unusual breed gets its name from the Indian tribe of Chile where they were first discovered. Araucanas lay beautiful colored eggs of blue-green shades from turquoise to deep olive.
5 Sumatras- Finally, a substitute for the peacocks April convinced me not to order. This breed came from the island of Sumatra in far off southeast Asia. It is a graceful, longtailed fowl with lustrous greenish-black plumage throughout, small comb and wattles, very rare and beautiful.
Hopefully, we can get a few broody hens raised from this motley bunch and the roosters will do their job and we can start hatching new chicks the old fashioned way instead of ordering new babies each year. We selected for qualities and appearance with careful consideration for our location, predators and climate and are interested to see which breeds will do best here and what genes will be passed on to their offspring. Kinda feels like being a mad chicken scientist...
Going back to work has been a real blessing for my sanity and self-worth. I don't have the time to spend on farm chores and household projects that I used to, but I definitely appreciate the weekends more now. Commuting up to Boone in the winter isn't as bad as I had worried it would be, but still quite an adjustment for a guy who used to take the bus to work everyday.
sunrise view from bluffs just before Blowing Rock, Hwy 321
It's 40 miles and about an hour each way. I've loaded my truck up with about 400lbs of Quikcrete over the back axle, put on some all terrain tires and gotten used to rolling slow in 4wD through a couple of stretches. The snow isn't usually much of an issue but when we get some sleet or freezing rain, I've learned to be as cautious as a werewolf's dentist especially when I'm going downhill.
headed back home to Lenoir after a day of heavy snow
I've really enjoyed being back around other people and having a regular schedule again. One thing I really savor is the sense of superiority I feel when I head off to work on Friday mornings while April is still sleeping on the first day of her perpetual 3 day weekend. I've done the math and in approximately 2 years I will have caught back up to her in total days worked despite being a househusband for over a year. Petty competitive things like that add spice to any relationship. April has been really awesome about helping pick up the slack on the chores I'm not getting done these days like bringing in some firewood from the porch each night, vacuuming up dog hair and making sure the chickens have adequate and unfrozen water. Despite her providing them with sweet, liquid nourishment; one of the roosters has taken up something of a vendetta against my sweet wife. The big white rooster has made April's trip to her car each morning more of an adventure, cornering her against the garage door while puffing and flapping and occasionally nipping in for a peck or two. He learned quickly from my right boot that these tactics were both ineffective and impolite when he tried them on me; but I don't think April has been able to land a solid "behavior modifier" on Mr. Rooster yet. So she has resorted to a little trickeration involving stale bread or tasty compost bin fodder to distract him while she sprints to the safety of the garage. I told her not to appease the terrorists because they will only increase their demands and I expect the rooster will soon be expecting our finest meats & cheeses in exchange for her safe passage.
On a less humorous note, another chicken bandit arrived on the scene this week absconding with three hens from the safety of their coop at night with no evidence but a few feathers. Each morning I would rise for work and check on my girls, the headcount would be one fewer. I did the usual lockdown and kept them inside their coop 24-7 until I realized they were disappearing at night from inside the coop. I rigged up the game camera I got from my brother-in-law for Christmas to try and catch the bandit in the act but ended up with a whole bunch of candid chicken pics and not much else. So, I decided to enlist Clyde the Blue Heeler as my poultry protector since the 3 roosters weren't doing much of anything to stop the thief. I left Clyde outside for a day which resulted in him scratching up the front door trying to get back inside to his buddy Otto and a bald bottom on our German Shepherd who spent the day biting his ass fur nervously due to being separated from his buddy. I was ready to try leaving Clyde locked up in the chicken coop overnight to deter the weasel, fox, raccoon or chupacabra who was stealing my hens when I finally figured it all out. A wily coon has actually removed 3 or 4 large rocks from around the foundation of the coop and wormed his way in before opening an unlatched door into the coop and grabbing a sleeping bird and making his getaway for three nights in a row. I rebuilt the foundation with larger, heavier rocks, concrete blocks and boards and have started latching and locking the side door to the coop every night. So far, no more losses but I am seriously considering purchasing both this contraption (Niteguard) & a livestock guardian dog puppy to raise with the chickens so I can continue to let them freerange. I am looking at Maremma and Komondor breeders within a 12 hour drive of us and am wide open to any suggestions on a good breed to keep the hens safe. I learned from butchering chickens this last summer how valuabkle a good livestock guardian dog can be, even watching the sky for hawks and warning his flock by barking for them to seek shelter from death from above. The main thing we will be doing differently this time is raising a working outdoors only dog to stay with the chickens all the time instead of a couple of treat guzzling, bed sleeping layabouts like Otto and Clyde. Bless their hearts...
The reason we are feeling the need for a full time bodyguard for the birds is that we will have 45 new residents here on Cardinal Ridge come April 4th. We are working toward building up a flock of about 100 chickens, but given that we only had between 18-25 at any time this year; I wanted to do this incrementally. Knowing that I am at high risk for further predator losses I am planning on both using the livestock guardian dog and trying to encourage brooding behavior with my hens so they can start to add numbers to the flock the natural way. After some research into more primitive breeds of chickens that do well free ranging in environments with lots of predators using natural camouflage and being more aware of their surrounding than the egg production breeds, I decided on these additions:
10 Golden polish- known for laying lots of white eggs and broody hens, their plumage should blend in well with the woods around here
10 Rose comb brown leghorns- The dark color and quick actions make for a good range bird where there is danger of predators. They are real hustlers, range far, and look out for themselves very well. Well adapted to cold climates
10 Anconas- Famous for laying large white eggs. Their dark color and active temperament make them a good bird to raise where hawks, owls, and animal predators are a problem because they do not show up like white breeds; and they are very quick and alert. They are an old breed in the Mediterranean Class, coming from the area around Ancona, Italy
10 Araucanas- A choice more for the saleability of their beautiful eggs than their ability to survive predation. Known a the "Easter Egg Chicken", this unusual breed gets its name from the Indian tribe of Chile where they were first discovered. Araucanas lay beautiful colored eggs of blue-green shades from turquoise to deep olive.
5 Sumatras- Finally, a substitute for the peacocks April convinced me not to order. This breed came from the island of Sumatra in far off southeast Asia. It is a graceful, longtailed fowl with lustrous greenish-black plumage throughout, small comb and wattles, very rare and beautiful.
Hopefully, we can get a few broody hens raised from this motley bunch and the roosters will do their job and we can start hatching new chicks the old fashioned way instead of ordering new babies each year. We selected for qualities and appearance with careful consideration for our location, predators and climate and are interested to see which breeds will do best here and what genes will be passed on to their offspring. Kinda feels like being a mad chicken scientist...
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
2010 by the numbers...
31 baby chicks brooded
10 killed by foxes, snakes & birds of prey, 3 died of shipping shock & disease
15 laying hens and 3 roosters survive
126 dozen eggs laid, washed, sold or eaten
5.5 red oak and pine trees cut down, chainsawed into 3 foot sections, split with a wood splitter or axe and stacked into a 2 year wood pile
3 raised beds built, filled with 12 pickups loads of horse manure, Black Kow, topsoil and organic fertilizers
2 beehives built, 10 frames and 3lbs of bees added to each, no honey harvested to help the bees survive their first winter on Cardinal Ridge
79 fruit trees pruned, thinned, sprayed with neem oil once a week until harvest and only God knows how many apples, cherries, peaches & pears picked
360+ jars of jam, preserves, salsa, pickles, peppers, tomato & apple sauce canned
24 liters of homebrew lager and ale fermented & consumed
125 - kilometers walked from Ferrol to Santiago de Compostela, Spain for our pilgrimage during holy year
3 - the number of lawnmowers I went through before finding one that could handle the slopes and bumps of our 5 acres of fruit orchards and clearings
4 - rooms we laid new flooring in
5 - the of ears of corn that survived hail, wind, raccoons, deer and the shallow soil in our raised beds to actually meet our tastebuds
70 - miles I now commute to and from work each day
4 fantasy baseball teams managed: 3 leagues won, 1 3rd place finish
10 fantasy football teams managed: 6 leagues won, 2 2nd places, 1 3rd, & 1 10th place finish
10 killed by foxes, snakes & birds of prey, 3 died of shipping shock & disease
15 laying hens and 3 roosters survive
126 dozen eggs laid, washed, sold or eaten
5.5 red oak and pine trees cut down, chainsawed into 3 foot sections, split with a wood splitter or axe and stacked into a 2 year wood pile
3 raised beds built, filled with 12 pickups loads of horse manure, Black Kow, topsoil and organic fertilizers
2 beehives built, 10 frames and 3lbs of bees added to each, no honey harvested to help the bees survive their first winter on Cardinal Ridge
79 fruit trees pruned, thinned, sprayed with neem oil once a week until harvest and only God knows how many apples, cherries, peaches & pears picked
360+ jars of jam, preserves, salsa, pickles, peppers, tomato & apple sauce canned
24 liters of homebrew lager and ale fermented & consumed
125 - kilometers walked from Ferrol to Santiago de Compostela, Spain for our pilgrimage during holy year
3 - the number of lawnmowers I went through before finding one that could handle the slopes and bumps of our 5 acres of fruit orchards and clearings
4 - rooms we laid new flooring in
5 - the of ears of corn that survived hail, wind, raccoons, deer and the shallow soil in our raised beds to actually meet our tastebuds
70 - miles I now commute to and from work each day
4 fantasy baseball teams managed: 3 leagues won, 1 3rd place finish
10 fantasy football teams managed: 6 leagues won, 2 2nd places, 1 3rd, & 1 10th place finish
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Fallen leaves, rising gratitude
Now that the leaves have fallen from the trees and the weather has grown sufficiently cold, we will soon find ourselves seated at the table surrounded by family, friends and a tasty bird who has made the ultimate sacrifice. Sometime in between the moment I realize the Lions game has become an unwatchable beatdown again this year and later on when I find my eyes growing heavy as I lean back on the couch filled with gobbler & pie; I will try to reflect on some of the things I am thankful for. Yes, this will be one of those posts...so if you prefer to avoid predictably saccharine musings on the holiday; avert your eyes now.
oh, it's one of those posts...(enlarge photo for maximum facetious german shepherd expression)
This season serves as a mile marker of sorts, where I look over my shoulder and try to catch a glimpse of where I was last year and the years before. Almost 10 years ago, I asked my wife if she wanted to be my "steady" girlfriend and nearly one year ago we moved into this house. Eight years ago we celebrated our first Thanksgiving together in Orlando with a loco German Shepherd from Laredo named Dante. Last year, we spent our first turkey day with a Blue Heeler who was then the size of a Beanie Baby with the appetite of a dope smoking goat. Four years ago, we crammed 8 people into our tiny apartment in San Francisco and I poured everyone big gulp sized glasses of port wine after dessert. I'm not sure but I think I spent the new few hours walking in circles around the neighborhood with Otto; I was determined not to ruin April's party with projectile vomiting. I did learn that port wine is best served in smaller glasses and savored in sips not swigs. This lesson proved useful at the port wine institute in Lisbon this year. Twelve years ago, at the University of Hawaii, I spent Thanksgiving at a YMCA with my roommate Mike French & two Mormon missionary gals who made the turkey. I don't remember much about what else we ate that night but I do remember the good company and that I didn't feel homesick despite it being my first Thanksgiving away from home.
fallen colors
Thanksgiving has always been my favorite of the holidays. It's usually the one chance I have to watch the Lions on television no matter where I am currently living and every year I find myself believing that this will be the year they finally win the Turkey bowl. It's the day when the whole house will fill with the aroma of April's top secret turkey recipe and stuffing and cranberries and sweet potatoes. A day when I can finally stuff myself silly with the darkest of dark meats that I have been craving all year. Time for family and friends to come over or for us take April's turkey to them, for small talk and watching the first quarter of the Cowboys game before diving into the finest feast of the year. A time for fellowship and finding room for the desert you didn't believe it would be possible to cram into your gut but always do anyways. Time when the clock seems to slow down enough to savor each passing moment the way you savor each bite of sweet potato pie.
Thinking back on the many tables where I have enjoyed Thanksgivings past, the many noble turkeys whose flavor I have savored, the fine folk I have shared the holiday with; I do feel immeasurably thankful. Thankful I am blessed with a beautiful, loving wife, a warm & happy home, a wonderful family, many great friends, one loyal dog and one Clyde and after over a year of searching...a new job. So on my favorite holiday, on my 30th year upon his earth, I offer my humble thanks and praise to God who makes all this possible. Selah.
November sunset
oh, it's one of those posts...(enlarge photo for maximum facetious german shepherd expression)
This season serves as a mile marker of sorts, where I look over my shoulder and try to catch a glimpse of where I was last year and the years before. Almost 10 years ago, I asked my wife if she wanted to be my "steady" girlfriend and nearly one year ago we moved into this house. Eight years ago we celebrated our first Thanksgiving together in Orlando with a loco German Shepherd from Laredo named Dante. Last year, we spent our first turkey day with a Blue Heeler who was then the size of a Beanie Baby with the appetite of a dope smoking goat. Four years ago, we crammed 8 people into our tiny apartment in San Francisco and I poured everyone big gulp sized glasses of port wine after dessert. I'm not sure but I think I spent the new few hours walking in circles around the neighborhood with Otto; I was determined not to ruin April's party with projectile vomiting. I did learn that port wine is best served in smaller glasses and savored in sips not swigs. This lesson proved useful at the port wine institute in Lisbon this year. Twelve years ago, at the University of Hawaii, I spent Thanksgiving at a YMCA with my roommate Mike French & two Mormon missionary gals who made the turkey. I don't remember much about what else we ate that night but I do remember the good company and that I didn't feel homesick despite it being my first Thanksgiving away from home.
fallen colors
Thanksgiving has always been my favorite of the holidays. It's usually the one chance I have to watch the Lions on television no matter where I am currently living and every year I find myself believing that this will be the year they finally win the Turkey bowl. It's the day when the whole house will fill with the aroma of April's top secret turkey recipe and stuffing and cranberries and sweet potatoes. A day when I can finally stuff myself silly with the darkest of dark meats that I have been craving all year. Time for family and friends to come over or for us take April's turkey to them, for small talk and watching the first quarter of the Cowboys game before diving into the finest feast of the year. A time for fellowship and finding room for the desert you didn't believe it would be possible to cram into your gut but always do anyways. Time when the clock seems to slow down enough to savor each passing moment the way you savor each bite of sweet potato pie.
Thinking back on the many tables where I have enjoyed Thanksgivings past, the many noble turkeys whose flavor I have savored, the fine folk I have shared the holiday with; I do feel immeasurably thankful. Thankful I am blessed with a beautiful, loving wife, a warm & happy home, a wonderful family, many great friends, one loyal dog and one Clyde and after over a year of searching...a new job. So on my favorite holiday, on my 30th year upon his earth, I offer my humble thanks and praise to God who makes all this possible. Selah.
November sunset
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
One Night in Oveido
Oveido (Wednesday, October 20th 5:30pm-Thursday, October 21st 7:00am)
Stayed: Hostal Belmonte
C/ URIA, Nº 31 - 2º D
33003 Oviedo - Asturias
Phone: ++34 985 241 020
Highlights:
Gascona (The Boulevard of Sidra)
Chorizo cooked in sidra and the automatic sidra snake at Mater Asturias
Adolfo Garcia's history of Asturias in comic book form
Evening walk through Campo de San Francisco
streets of gold
local hero woody allen, his glasses keep getting stolen
the amazing automatic sidra dispensing snake at Mater Asturias
Gascona, the boulevard of sidra
Stayed: Hostal Belmonte
C/ URIA, Nº 31 - 2º D
33003 Oviedo - Asturias
Phone: ++34 985 241 020
Highlights:
Gascona (The Boulevard of Sidra)
Chorizo cooked in sidra and the automatic sidra snake at Mater Asturias
Adolfo Garcia's history of Asturias in comic book form
Evening walk through Campo de San Francisco
streets of gold
local hero woody allen, his glasses keep getting stolen
the amazing automatic sidra dispensing snake at Mater Asturias
Gascona, the boulevard of sidra
Friday, November 12, 2010
Monasticism on the Move
“Travel can be a kind of monasticism on the move: On the road, we often live more simply, with no more possessions than we can carry, and surrendering ourselves to chance. This is what Camus meant when he said that “what gives value to travel is fear” — disruption from circumstance, and all the habits behind which we hide.
– Pico Iyer
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Bilbao
Bilbao (Sunday October 17th 4:00pm-Tuesday October 19th 1:00pm)
Stayed: Pension Mendez
C/ Santa Maria / Andra Maria Kalea, 13, 48005 Bilbao, Spain
Phone ++34 944 160 364
Best of Bilbao:
Watching Athletic Club thrash Real Zaragoza 3-1 at San Mames
The Guggenheim Museum
Buying 1/4 kg of cabrales blue cheese, spicy olives and fresh bread and having a picnic in the square
Twilight strolls through the Casco Viejo (old quarter)
Llorente celebrates his second goal
shaggy perro
cabrales, spicy olives, bread and tangerines
lego condos
Guggenheim
reflections on Koons' flowers
bilbao sunset
Stayed: Pension Mendez
C/ Santa Maria / Andra Maria Kalea, 13, 48005 Bilbao, Spain
Phone ++34 944 160 364
Best of Bilbao:
Watching Athletic Club thrash Real Zaragoza 3-1 at San Mames
The Guggenheim Museum
Buying 1/4 kg of cabrales blue cheese, spicy olives and fresh bread and having a picnic in the square
Twilight strolls through the Casco Viejo (old quarter)
Llorente celebrates his second goal
shaggy perro
cabrales, spicy olives, bread and tangerines
lego condos
Guggenheim
reflections on Koons' flowers
bilbao sunset
Back to Busyness
I was planning on taking my time and posting pictures of our trip at a leisurely pace until my writer's block passed but so much has been going down on the farm since we got back, I wanted to get some of it down for posterity. We had my good friend from UNC, Mr. Brown, staying at our place while we traveled and taking care of the dogs, chickens, vegetables and my beloved sourdough starter. It was a huge blessing for us and the boys since they didn't have to go to a kennel and we didn't have to pay for one. Mr. Brown did a great job and we came home to almost 25 dozen eggs and all 20 chickens somehow managed to avoid death by fox, snake and chupacabra. I can imagine how lonesome it probably got up on the ridge here during the 17 days we were gone for with his only compnay being a redneck blue heeler and a german shepherd who smells like sauerkraut. Mr. Brown comes from Daytona Beach and I am pretty sure he didn't have much farm experience before he drove up to help us out, I was impressed to find out he did make some amigos at the local barber shop and even took a lady out to the metropolis of Hickory for dinner and a movie. One of the first things we did once we stumbled in the door was to throw our 2 weeks worth of traveling clothes in the wash. I only brought 2 pairs of jeans and I swear one of em was doing the stanky leg almost as good as my wife before I crammed them in the washer. We had planned on using a laundromat over in Spain but the Spanish aren't as big on self service laundromats as we had anticipated. Our repeated searches for "un lavanderia autoservicio" or "un lugar donde podemos lavar nuestro ropa (while making rapid scrubbing motions with our hands)" were met with blank stares for the most part. One very hospitable pension owner offered to let us use grandma's washer but since we had to depart early the next morning and they did not have a dryer, we had to politely decline the offer. To make a long story shorter, I ended up using liberal amounts of cologne in strategic places in order not to offend the nostrils of the Spanish and Portuguese. This is not a new problem at all though, April read how in the cathedral in Santiago de Compostela they employ an enormous incense burner on a long chain strung from the very top of the cathedral called a botafumeiro. When loaded with about 40 kg of charcoal and incense and swung like a deadly pendulum; it does a good job of masking the stench of pilgrims like us who may not have bathed or washed their hiking socks recently.
I was pleasantly surprised to find quite a few voicemails and emails with orders for our jams and eggs upon our return home. It took me a good couple of hours to wash 25 dozen eggs but yesterday I had our first customer come out here to the farm to pick up 3 dozen. I threw in a free liter of my home-brewed lager with the eggs, I am not sure if that is a bonus or not but we hit it off discussing bread baking and his grandson's exploits in karate. Then a few minutes later, I got a call from a gentleman looking for 5 dozen, so I drove out to meet him in the Lowe's parking lot before my Lion's Club meeting and ended up chatting with him for a good 45 minutes too. Not the most efficient way of doing egg business but it sure beats waking up at 5:00am to sell at the Farmer's Market. The biggest and best surprise was a call from a lady I took the Master Gardener course with who was looking for something to use as party favors for her upcoming family reunion. She had purchased a jar of our spiced peach jam at the market and was interested in getting a variety of flavors and some spicy tomatillo salsa for her husband. She ended up ordering 20 jars and April and I spent Sunday afternoon peeling off the old "colorful modern" labels and replacing them with our new "old-fashioned" style labels so they would look sharp for her reunion. I think the success we had at the county fair has been really good for business and as discouraged as I have been at times about the viability of making money off the farm, a friend reminded me that it takes at least 5 years for a new business to really gain recognition and a strong customer base. So, we will just keep on keeping on. After the big jam order, I was amazed to get another call asking for as many of of our sweet pear jams as we had left from a different couple I had met selling at the farmers market. I was able to get 10 together but we are starting to run blessedly low on our stocks of jam in the pantry and much sooner than I ever expected as well. The final feather in the cap was this last weekend at the Lion's Club BBQ fundraiser where I was able to move some of the things I am not allowed to sell at the Farmer's Market like my pickles, relishes, apple sauce and apple butter. No one would try and shut down a BBQ fundraiser for the visually impaired so I set out my jars on the counter of the trailer where we were selling pulled pork sandwiches and plates and was able to move about 24 jars in 2 days. It may not be enough to pay the mortgage and lights but at least we are getting back the initial investment in jars, lids , 50lb bags of sugar and a little for our time and efforts as well. It feels like God decided to smile on us here a little bit after the pilgrimage we made to Santiago during the holy year. Plus, as I have been telling folks around here legend has it that doing a camino during un ano santo will get you a free pass through purgatory too when the time comes to meet St. Peter. That's a pretty good deal for walking 125 kilometers.
I was pleasantly surprised to find quite a few voicemails and emails with orders for our jams and eggs upon our return home. It took me a good couple of hours to wash 25 dozen eggs but yesterday I had our first customer come out here to the farm to pick up 3 dozen. I threw in a free liter of my home-brewed lager with the eggs, I am not sure if that is a bonus or not but we hit it off discussing bread baking and his grandson's exploits in karate. Then a few minutes later, I got a call from a gentleman looking for 5 dozen, so I drove out to meet him in the Lowe's parking lot before my Lion's Club meeting and ended up chatting with him for a good 45 minutes too. Not the most efficient way of doing egg business but it sure beats waking up at 5:00am to sell at the Farmer's Market. The biggest and best surprise was a call from a lady I took the Master Gardener course with who was looking for something to use as party favors for her upcoming family reunion. She had purchased a jar of our spiced peach jam at the market and was interested in getting a variety of flavors and some spicy tomatillo salsa for her husband. She ended up ordering 20 jars and April and I spent Sunday afternoon peeling off the old "colorful modern" labels and replacing them with our new "old-fashioned" style labels so they would look sharp for her reunion. I think the success we had at the county fair has been really good for business and as discouraged as I have been at times about the viability of making money off the farm, a friend reminded me that it takes at least 5 years for a new business to really gain recognition and a strong customer base. So, we will just keep on keeping on. After the big jam order, I was amazed to get another call asking for as many of of our sweet pear jams as we had left from a different couple I had met selling at the farmers market. I was able to get 10 together but we are starting to run blessedly low on our stocks of jam in the pantry and much sooner than I ever expected as well. The final feather in the cap was this last weekend at the Lion's Club BBQ fundraiser where I was able to move some of the things I am not allowed to sell at the Farmer's Market like my pickles, relishes, apple sauce and apple butter. No one would try and shut down a BBQ fundraiser for the visually impaired so I set out my jars on the counter of the trailer where we were selling pulled pork sandwiches and plates and was able to move about 24 jars in 2 days. It may not be enough to pay the mortgage and lights but at least we are getting back the initial investment in jars, lids , 50lb bags of sugar and a little for our time and efforts as well. It feels like God decided to smile on us here a little bit after the pilgrimage we made to Santiago during the holy year. Plus, as I have been telling folks around here legend has it that doing a camino during un ano santo will get you a free pass through purgatory too when the time comes to meet St. Peter. That's a pretty good deal for walking 125 kilometers.
Saturday, November 6, 2010
San Sebastian (Donostia)
Sorry for the nearly month long lack of posts on here, wifey and I just returned from our 10th anniversary adventure through Northern Spain and Portugal. I will be putting up some of the better shots from our trip up on here as I go through the plethora of pictures we snapped. First up is our two night stay in San Sebastian (aka Donostia in the Basque tongue).
San Sebastian (Friday, October 15th 9:00pm - Sunday, October 17th 1:00pm)
Stayed: Pension Amaiur
31 de Agosto, 44(next to Sta. Maria Church), 20003 San Sebastian, Spain
Phone ++ 34 943 42 96 54
Best of:
Monte Igueldo funicular and amusement park(even though most of it was closed)
Seared foie gras at La Cuchara de San Telmo
Saturday late night featuring Basque heavy metal & vino rioja
calm bay, grey day
disco shawl
Seared foie gras at La Cuchara de San Telmo
post foie gras bliss
ominous clouds
San Sebastian (Friday, October 15th 9:00pm - Sunday, October 17th 1:00pm)
Stayed: Pension Amaiur
31 de Agosto, 44(next to Sta. Maria Church), 20003 San Sebastian, Spain
Phone ++ 34 943 42 96 54
Best of:
Monte Igueldo funicular and amusement park(even though most of it was closed)
Seared foie gras at La Cuchara de San Telmo
Saturday late night featuring Basque heavy metal & vino rioja
calm bay, grey day
disco shawl
Seared foie gras at La Cuchara de San Telmo
post foie gras bliss
ominous clouds
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