February the Last

Way back on the 18th, Amira turned 9. She reminded me that after this year, all the kids would have double digit ages. Awareness of this thrust me into a feeling of having a triple digit age. But, then, lets not get competitive!


Here's Ruby, Eily & Ella on skates!


Rex made & decorated the cake. What a cool brother!


Here's the ensemble with Madelyn, Valerie & Rex.


Last week Valerie's class took a field trip to the Gray Lodge Bird Sanctuary. It was scenic & educational. Here's Valerie and her friends embarking on one of the paths.


Precisely on day 21, one of Larry's 7 eggs hatched. Sadly, the other 6 didn't hatch. A couple of them were rotten. One stopped developing at a certain point. And it looks like a couple of others were likely not fertile.

We probably should have put less eggs under Larry. She's a small hen and likely couldn't keep them warm enough. Ah, live and learn.



Rex loves to wrap Mr. Whiskers up like a burrito del gato.


Yes, I am totally bragging! These lovely specimens were started by seed last summer and survived some ferocious frosts! The cabbage above was served with a pork shoulder roast (from Book Family Farm) and some sweet potatoes.


Above is the tightest head of romanesco I have ever grown. And below are pix of cauliflower and cilantro. I never had success growing food at the last house. So, I'm just giddy with excitement when I can pick something out of the yard for dinner.






In the following photos we move off Rancho Wilhelm and over to Chaffin Family Farm. Amira's 3rd grade is going on a three day/two night field trip next month where they will camp in a century old olive grove, collect eggs, milk cows and have a lesson in permaculture. How cool is that?


Above is pictured the olive grove. Below are the 300 chickens that followed us until they came upon a fence.





Okay, part of the farm tour was taking the private road up to Table Mountain to see where the kids are going to have a campfire one night. Well, there are cows all over the top of this mountain. Above you can see one jogging alongside the car in front of us. The former city slicker inside couldn't help but audibly snigger at the sight.



Last but not least I leave you with a photo of a Stormy Morning cocktail I found on Pinterest. It contains Creme de Violette, St. Germain (my fave), champagne & lime. Just love the color. I'm going to have to try this one of these days.

We Robbed The Bees!

What a project filled February we are having. Adults, kids and livestock all seem to have a ton to do lately.

As if Valerie didn't have enough going on with piano and cello, she's moved on to tenor recorder. We all agree it sounds better than the soprano.



Both girls recently showed off their cello prowess at a recital. Amira seems to enjoy the limelight.



More entertaining than photos of Valerie playing cello were the photos of her "patiently" waiting to practice. I thought this sequence was hysterical!










When not wrangling some instrument or playing with rats or attending a 4-H event, Valerie has been working on a fort in the backyard with the world's best dad ever. Madelyn, Amira & Rex also assist with this project under the mulberry tree.

Not pictured we have also planted a Persian fruiting mulberry tree. Michael refers to it as the "stick" that cost him $30. I remind him that some day it will provide shade and fruit ... Perhaps even pie!




A couple of weeks ago my friends, Julia & Eve, took me for a walk in Upper Bidwell Park in the rain. It was amazing. We also go on nice days ... Well, Thursdays when we can no matter the weather. These two are also my Zumba buddies.




Yes, clipping the bunny's claws is a mundane task that shouldn't warrant a photo, but look at how darn cute he is!




We've definitely been feeling a little Spring in the air around here. So have the chickens. They kept getting out into my garden ... Which is probably good this time of year for pest control. But when it turns into cabbage control, they have to be lured back into the orchard.



Now, going into winter I left all the honey on the hives, figuring the bees would need to eat it. Well, those generous girls left me 1 3/4 boxes of honey filled comb. Since the almonds and pears and other trees are coming into bloom, I needed to make some space in the hives. Yes, we totally robbed the bees!







Michael pointed out that we rob the chickens daily. And while it is fun to burgle a nest for chicken eggs, it doesn't have the same sense of adventure as swiping honey.

Michael wore the full suit of armor for this and provided some muscle. A box of honey weighs about 50 lbs. Our trusty red wagon helped to haul the booty back to the house.



Here is a full frame of honeycomb that weighs about 10 lbs.



We had never harvested honey before and don't have an extractor. So, we used the "crush & strain" method using a couple of buckets with holes drilled into the bottom of one. There is a spigot on the bottom bucket for bottling. (Equipment repurposed from Michael's old brewing days).







We put some cut comb into jars right away and spent the day licking our fingers and smiling. We're waiting for gravity to help separate the rest of the honey & wax.



Thank you, Bees!

Groundhog Day (after)

There is definitely something in the air that has been nagging at me to start some seeds, clean up the garden, hang out the laundry and fantasize about sitting under a pergola gawking at a garden full of bounty. We just came through some seriously frosty days. But Punxatawny Phil says it is to be an early spring and Larry has gone broody. There are signs that it is time to get off my duff.

Michael built a little broody pen for Larry yesterday after some drama with a rival (Olive) involving a cracked egg and much squawking. Larry looks like she's in jail, but she is contentedly penned off from any would be nest intruders.




So, in about 21 days we should see a couple little chicks if Cap'n Fluffball has been doing his job. Well, 5 chicks if they are all fertile. You never know who his favorite gals are though.




Freckles is a good looking hen. But you can see the young cock out with Amira and a couple others.




I thought a nice name for the next rooster would be Cap'n Crunch, but Michael's suggestion of Colonel Sanders totally wins.

I checked on the bees the other day to make sure they still had food and a laying queen. I mean, the buds are popping on the nectarines and peaches and there are quite a few bees returning to the hives loaded with pollen from somewhere.




I'm pretty sure Elizabeth has loads of honey left and I saw some larvae and capped brood. Margaret has a full 50 lb super full of honey. I was about to pull out a brood frame when a bunch of the girls swarmed up onto my head and got tangled in my hair. I had to smoke my head to get them all out of there. So I told them I was sorry for the intrusion and then quickly put them all back together. We're just going to call it good and hope I can reclaim some of that honey for the house!


I did manage to start some seeds today. They are an assortment of peppers in their mini greenhouse in my office.


It seemed to work well for starting seeds. Once these graduate from the starter window I will move them out to our new greenhouse (thank you Elizabeth & Scott!)




I'm pretty excited about the potential of this one! Michael has totally shorn it up on a wood frame and everything.

Speaking of the farmer himself, he is perpetually digging for my requested spigots and watering systems.




Thanks, Honey! Now, if we could just train the gophers to dig the trenches where needed, much of Michael's time would be freed.

Today was such a beautiful day that I was inspired to hang out some laundry,




I'll be right back. I've got to get myself another self congratulatory trophy. Well, actually, Michael got one for me. Check this out -- I have wanted one of these spiral egg holders for ages but couldn't find them in the U.S.




Well, thanks to Pinterest I did! I showed it to Michael and the next thing you know it is on my counter!




Okay, more spring chores await!