The latest news from the farm is that our resident Dude (a la The Big Lebowski), Carl, has recently taken a magical voyage as a pirate captain! I was able to take a photo before he shipped out:
Now, I know what you're probably thinking. You're probably thinking, "Hey! That's not a cat in a pirate ship! That's just a cat in a trough in a field!" And on the surface of it, you'd be totally correct. BUT! (Stay with me here-) what you cannot see is that Carl, like all cats, has the power to travel to other dimensions through time and space. And we humans being slovenly, loud, and more concerned with fruitless concepts like jobs and mortgages instead of much more (in the cat's worldview) important activities like licking our butts, napping in the sun, and, of course, traveling through space and time to other dimensions.
So, as you can now see, Carl is not actually staring at the bottom of that trough. In fact, this is just the beginning of an awesome adventure that will rival the greatest adventure stories of all time! With the power of his mind he is re-creating that trough into a pirate ship and the surrounding field into a vast, tumultuous ocean. And outfitting himself in a tiny pirate outfit which includes (of course) a tiny parrot that will sit on his shoulder and I suspect (knowing Carl) that he'll name it Snack-For-Later.
Upon his (no doubt) triumphant return I will relay the (no doubt) epic adventure.
They look so calm and docile, don't they? But in reality they only look like this after a half hour of outdoor chaos. They don't yet know how to walk on a leash and they have the collective attention span of a gnat. Walking them is not actually walking them… they tend to either be running at full speed and pulling against the leashes like it's a personal challenge; or flinging themselves at each other, the guinea fowl, the leaves, Wiley, me, random sounds… you get the picture. They tangle themselves up in the leashes in nanoseconds and once I get one untangled, the other one is on the verge of breaking a leg trying to fling himself over his brother while somehow having gotten himself wrapped up in BOTH leashes.
It all sounds fun and cute when I write it, but there is a serious side to all this. I'll try to summarize. I posted on Facebook a few photos of the puppies announcing that Aaron and I had adopted them. In came all the obligatory Ooohs and Aaahs and "oh SOOO cute!"s. But there was one voice of reason and sanity in the crowd, my Aunt Rebecca. She has been working for the guide dogs for the blind in Northern California for decades now and has a degree in Animal Husbandry. (If I'm remembering that correctly) Anyway, the point is that she's got the experience, the expertise, and the insight to speak knowledgeably about raising dogs. She, along with her sister Shanti, were exceptionally helpful when Wiley's behavioral issues first started coming to the surface. Her comment on the Facebook feed was basically, 'yeah they're cute no doubt, but raising siblings is different and a challenge.' So when a pro like her says something like that, I sit up and start to do research. It took all of 5 minutes for me to read enough online to make me feel like a colossal idiot for not doing this simple research before. Or at least contacting Rebecca and saying, "Hey, you're a smart cookie! Whatcha think about this idea Aaron and I have?"
Well, the truth is that it's a foolish thing to try and raise siblings or even two puppies of the same age together in the same household. What concerns me the most is how these two pups will develop as adult dogs. Here's a quote I found on a trainer's website:
"Dogs MUST be allowed to develop as individuals. At seven weeks of age, they are ready to look to the outside world for bonding and individuality.They are ready to leave the pack and move on.Pups at seven weeks bond easily to the human UNLESS they do not leave their litter.Maintaining siblings from the same litter interferes with this transfer." There is, of course, much more to it and I encourage you to do a simple google search on raising sibling puppies together. The long and short of it is that I had to make the hard decision and re-home Sawyer. I could not ask my brother to re-home his dog Atticus. Plus, of the two puppies, Atticus is the more submissive one and I thought that would be a better fit in the long run for Wiley. I talked it over with Aaron and though neither of us liked the idea, we knew in our hearts that it was in the best interest for all three dogs. So we reached out to a friend who started helping us spread the word about needing a good home for Sawyer. We also decided that if a good home wasn't found quickly, we could take him back to the shelter where we knew he would not have to wait long to be adopted. A lot of people were interested but none could take him so we did end up having to take him back to the shelter. It was an extremely difficult day for me. I sobbed and sobbed and Aaron was stoic for me. The people at the shelter understood the dilemma and were not harsh or judgmental towards us.
Atticus took it well. He whimpered when we got home and looked around like he was missing something but Aaron spent a lot of time playing with him and taking him for walks around the farm. Very quickly they have bonded and Atticus now only whimpers when he needs to be walked. I'm actually astounded at the transformation that Atticus has taken. Before, with his big brother, he was a meek shadow dog and I couldn't get a fix on his personality. Now we are really getting to know him and he's blossoming into a sweet, fun, inquisitive dog. He's great with Wiley- very respectful and idolizes him in a way. He wants whatever Wiley has and does what Wiley does. If Wiley lies down to sleep, so will Atticus! And the bond between Aaron and Atticus is getting so strong. Atticus likes me and is friendly and cuddly with me, but it's clear that Aaron is the center of his universe.
So that's the puppy story. It's a bittersweet one, but might have a double happy ending. We just heard from our friend Kathleen that someone was interested in Sawyer. Even though he's back at the shelter, we will do what we can to help this person adopt Sawyer. I just hope for them it's not too late. He's a wonderful dog and will be a loving member of any family who is lucky enough to get him.
If only my legs were longer! But even if they were, the boys will not fit on my lap for much longer. They have been with us four days and we are so glad we adopted two at the same time. Aaron and I were talking about how much more work it would be to have just one puppy, but since they play so well together, we can leave them to play when we have to go do chores and not worry. We trade off time with them and usually in the evening we both are with them for cuddling and a bit of play. Tomorrow they will officially be allowed to play hard and go outside because their surgery scars are healing so well and quickly. We will take them tomorrow to the backyard of the studio for some outdoor fun time. We have so much work to do around the farm, that it will be good not to have to run back to the house to check on them every so often. And it's especially important for them to get out in the sunshine and fresh air. I have also found a great location for puppy kindergarten and doggie daycare. The boys will need training and socializing and there's a place in town that has classes for the puppies and also doggie daycare for Wiley.
Wiley is slowly getting used to the puppies. He gets treats for greeting them without any barking and when I'm in with them and he's sitting watching, I tell him how good he's being and he wags his tail at that. I've also started practice training with Wiley in front of the puppies and they are FASCINATED. It is a great thing for all three- Wiley loves to show off and the puppies are so curious about him. They seem to be fast learners and when I fed the tonight they both sat while I was cleaning their bowls. Of course, once I got the actual food out all hell broke loose and they couldn't contain their excitement.
Aaron is still comfortable with his pup's name, Atticus. I have been calling my pup Loki but everyone seems to think it's because of the recent Thor movie and so I am loosing interest in that name. I'm already tired of people assuming I've named Wiley after the cartoon character. I should change the spelling of his name to what I wanted originally- Wily. He's named for the behavior, not the cartoon character. Anyway, the other names I am thinking of for my pup is Sawyer (for Tom Sawyer) and Argos (for Odysseus' dog). I like the sound of them both and think my puppy would 'wear' either well. Any opinions? Let me know in the comments!
In other farm news, Wanda is now situated in the lower section of the barn and seems pretty good with being there. She was not happy that it didn't have outdoor access, so I created a small run for her. I'll take a photo and post it tomorrow. Oh and the coolest news is that she has laid two more pinkish eggs! I'm so proud!
The other hens are doing really well and now that they are on healthier, organic feed I can see a difference in their eggs and appearance. The ones who were loosing feathers are actually growing back some fluff! They are all looking plumper and have become more active too. Aaron would like to get broiler chickens. Depending on the breed, it can take just six weeks for a hen to be ready to be eaten. I love the idea of raising chickens for food and processing them ourselves… or as I like to say, "murdering our chickens". I just think if you are going to eat meat and have the opportunity to raise your own food- that's the way to go. I know not everyone can, but it makes me feel proud to think I can raise happy hens in the healthiest way possible and process (murder) them in the most humane way possible. Every creature on the farm has a job and a role. The chicken is amazing because she fulfills so many of those roles: egg producer, bug eater, fertilizer maker, entertainer, and finally, dinner.
Yesterday we had our parents and Aunt Norma and Uncle Jeffrey come for a visit. Aunt Norma and Uncle Jeffrey are on their way down to Florida. They drive every year and so were able to come and check out the farm. They enjoyed it and I look forward to having them back in the spring to see all the changes. We went for lunch together in town and though our favorite spot- 7 Sense- is closed on Mondays, we had a pretty good meal at Crawdaddy's across the street. The puppies were left alone for the first time and Wiley was left in the backyard of the studio. I gave him a toy and water of course, but I was worried and nervous the whole time about all three dogs. The puppies were fine…. Wiley got out. We don't know how he did it- the whole place is fenced in and the fences are tall. But he was waiting for us in the driveway when we returned. I will NEVER leave him in the backyard of the studio again. I am grateful that he's been on the farm long enough to know it's his territory, but it still freaked me out.
Aaron has been hard at work cutting up the fallen tree with his new chainsaw. It's hard work, but he's doing a great job and I think enjoys it. We will have A LOT of firewood now for the fire pit so come down for a visit soon! I'll be sure to have plenty of drinks and s'mores fixin's ready.
The studio is getting really close to me being able to permanently move up there. The only thing that is really keeping me from doing so is we can't seem to get the gas heater to work. We think the pilot light needs to be cleaned, so that's on the list for tomorrow's chores.
Well, what do you know? Little Miss "I only have one eye" Wanda laid an egg this morning!
Here it is:
I call it the pink egg because it actually had a pink cast to it when I found it. It still does, but you can't see it in this photo I took with my cell phone. It's a pale, peachy pink in reality. This photo makes it look too brown. I'll see if Aaron can take a better photo of it. I should, and will, eat it; but there is a part of me that doesn't want to. I never thought Wanda would lay any eggs- not only is she mostly blind in one eye but she's quite old for a chicken. My Dad's theory is that now I am feeding her healthier, organic food, she's also getting more sunshine and exercise. Whatever the reason for this magical mystery egg, I'm very grateful for it and will enjoy it to the fullest.
The puppies are doing really well, as I write this, Aaron is checking out whatever they are barking at…. annnnnd…. it's nothing. I said that if it were really something to bark at, Wiley would be up and giving us the signal. So the puppies first night in their new home begins…..
The afternoon with the puppies was a blur of cute and sweet love and play peppered with lots of pee and poop. With two puppies, the minute you clean up one mess and come back from the trash can, a second mess is awaiting you. But if you leave the mess it will get trod in and tracked everywhere, including all over you. Also with two puppies, cleaning up messes turns very quickly into a game for them and it's all about who can catch the paper towels the humans are moving around on the floor. So far we have discovered that if one of us distracts the puppies with toys, the other can quickly clean up. Quickly being the key word. They are sequestered in Aaron's bathroom which is HUGE and has a lot of windows and stone floors that are easy to clean. We found a big doghouse in the back barn and cleaned it up for them to have a den. We want them to be crate trained, but right now they are recovering from being snipped and from having a bit of a doggie flu, so keeping them penned in the big bathroom is the best solution. The dog flue thing won't affect Wiley since it's passed through their poop, but we are still being extra careful. Next week they can come out of the bathroom and have some limited and highly supervised exploring around the kitchen. We also plan on taking them all over town for lots of socialization and happy experiences with other people and enviroments.
I own a very warm winter coat and for the past few days have been in dire need of it. I have dug through every box I thought it could be in and looked in every closet… to no avail. The mornings here are very cold and we have been waking up to frost for a few days now. That winter coat would really come in handy. But I've been forced to get back in touch with my native San Franciscan and dress in many layers. This morning I found myself dressed in the following outfit:
1. Two pairs of socks
2. One pair of leggings
3. Heavy duty denim overalls that are one size too big for me
4. A long sleeve t-shirt
5. A heavy cashmere sweater
6. My fleece hat from Israel (those who have spent recent winters with me will remember the army green goof-ball hat I wear almost constantly in the winter- the same one that my dear friend Sabine calls my "Sleepy Hat" since it was the one I would wear during yoga training and pull down low over my eyes so I could nap during lectures in an attempt to fool the teachers)
7. Work gloves
The central point is that I wore a cashmere sweater. TO WORK ON THE FARM. I fed the chickens in my CASHMERE. And while I was checking for eggs I thought to myself, "Well, only a New Yorker would tend to her chickens in cashmere." The truth is that I was extremely comfortable and warm. It was actually an excellent choice to do chores in for a cold, blustery morning. I think if I had found my winter coat and was wearing it, I would have been much too hot in addition to it being bulky and restricting my movements. So bottom line? Farming in cashmere turned out to be an excellent idea!
In other news, my brother decided to adopt a dog. Yesterday we went to the animal shelter in town and met a lot of dogs. Aaron ended up liking a "Heinz 57" type puppy. Or so the employee called him that since he's a mix of who knows what. We think for sure blue heeler and lab… but after that it's hard to tell. So after we met the pup, we went and got Wiley so we could make sure it wasn't a bad match. It went as well as it could for them. The puppy was calm and Wiley was more interested in smelling every inch of the pen we were in. Of course he had to pee on everything. But he was mellow with the puppy and that was very encouraging. We returned today to see the puppy again and for Aaron to officially adopt him. And, well, you see what's going to happen next, don't you? I ended up adopting the puppy's brother. So now we will have three dogs in the house and I suspect chaos will rule our lives for a few months at least. Here's a pic of our boys:
Aaron's puppy in in the back and mine is in the foreground.
I think they will be very big dogs when they are fully grown. And since they are approximately 3 months old, We won't know how big that will be till this time next year. My guess is 70lbs, Aaron's is 60lbs. They have very sweet dispositions, are playful, inquisitive, and gentle. They don't bark much at all, though I'm sure Wiley will teach them… sigh… They are very happy to snuggle and when I picked each of them up they just rested their heads on my shoulder. It was just after feeding time, so I'm sure they were ready for naps, but their steady, calm demeanor really clinched the deal for me. Many of the other dogs were barking and racing around. These boys just rolled with whatever was in front of them. They were happy to play and chase after me when I ran around and just as happy to snuggle in our arms or roll over for belly rubs.
They will be getting their shots, ball snips, and overall checkups tomorrow and then we are to pick them up at 7:30 AM on Saturday morning. Then… I expect chaos will rule. It will be a constant balance act for me between the puppies and Wiley. He's going to need a lot of reassurance and extra attention. We are not allowing him to play with the puppies right away. They will be recovering from the snipping so he'll have to wait. But all of his time with them (at first) will be closely monitored and short. Leave on a high note with him wanting more is my plan.
So that's the latest! We are very excited.
Tomorrow my parents arrive for the afternoon. Should be good times!
I have been alone on the farm for about 2 weeks and though I have no problem being alone, in fact, I enjoy it; I seem to be in dire need of human conversation. This realization began when I started to question The Goon Squad as to the whereabouts of Sweetie. Sweetie is what I've been calling the Himalayan cat that lives on the farm. I don't know if it's a male or female but it's extremely timid around the other cats and was the last of them to trust me when I tried to pet him/her. I haven't seen Sweetie at all today and usually I get a glimpse once or twice. Anyway, I started asking Carl, "Where's Sweetie? Have you seen her?" (I usually refer to Sweetie as a female) I then started in on Lucy, "Did you see her? Is she ok? Did something happen? Did the coyotes get her?" Now, I know a lot of people talk to their pets- I have always talked at Wiley- but this time felt a bit too close to real. The cats, I think, felt so too and looked at me with what could only be incredulity.
The chickens, Wanda especially, have been interesting conversationalists. Unlike the cats, they have much to say on a wide variety of topics… too bad that it only sounds like "ooooooo bok bok… oooooo" They have gotten more and more comfortable with me and a few are now starting to eat out of my hand if I have especially appealing looking treats. Also, I've started them on an organic feed and they love it… though, they loved the old food from Purina too. They just love to eat. They love to eat and poop and wander around scratching at the dirt. That's a chicken's happy life. Now that they are free-range and on organic food, I'm going to start working on making a chicken coop tractor for them. So that they can be moved around the fields and have fresh greens and still be protected from the coyotes and raccoons and random dogs that wander around the area.
Whenever I see those dogs just wandering around with a stupidly happy look on their face, I always imagine them saying to each other, "Come on Cletus! We goin' on an ADVENTURE!" Part of their adventure, if they happen to wander in to my yard, is me running at them with a stick trying to look scary and menacing yelling," Go home! Bad Dog! GO HOME!" and swinging the stick wildly in the air in desperate hopes that these are trained dogs and know what "bad dog" means. So far, they are.
Wiley is in dire need of a playmate and so I've started looking for a suitable companion for him. I think I found the perfect dog- she is his age, about his size and is good with cats. Her name is Lucky and she's part blue heeler. I'm waiting to hear back from the adoption agency where she is. Keep your fingers crossed for us that she is still available and that she and Wiley get along right off. Her cuteness is insane! Here's a photo:
What a face! And she's friendly with all types- exactly the type of girl Wiley needs. Patient, fun, and friendly!
In other news, I've started getting the lower barn ready for chickens. It's gonna be awesome! I'll take some photos tomorrow. But there will be a section for ducks and a section for chickens and they will both have access to a fenced in yard that they will share. There will also be a section for chicks and ducklings. I'm really happy with how this coop is turning out!
Also, I'm just about ready to move into the studio space. The painting is done and now I have to install window treatment, lighting, and shelves. And decide where the furniture will go. Here are a few pics:
Well, that's about it for now. Here are a few random photos from the past few days and when the videos finish uploading, I'll stick those on too:
The Guinea fowl grooming in front of the mirrors and Sweetie sleeping.
The front yard.
Raking!
Our neighbors across the street!
Wiley waiting patiently for me in the truck.
Wiley happy with his new ball.
Sunset
Cleaned up the front porch of the studio.
Another sunset.
This is a fun one…. Can you spot Hilda in this photo? I promise you she's there!
Hilda and Wiley
A video of the Guinea fowl preening in front of the mirrors in the late afternoon sun.
Yesterday I went to Knoxville to visit my parents and of course, I took Wiley with me. He was SO excited to see them again! When we pulled into their neighborhood, I rolled down the windows and he perked right up. He knew where we were and just went apeshit when he saw my Mom and Dad. The reason for the visit was so I could take my phone to the Apple store because of the coffee incident earlier in the week. We also went to Costco- might as well, right? Wiley got to spend most of the afternoon at doggie daycare playing with all the other dogs. I knew he needed some real dog interactions. The cats just don't cut it. They just don't want to chase him and he can't understand why. He came back that evening happy and exhausted. Mom went to pick him up for me and came back saying that the staff all said, "Wiley is THE BEST DOG!" I am always surprised to hear other people say that because even though I know he is, I see him behaving like a feral crazy thing towards strangers. But I suppose doggie daycare is different- it's disneyland for dogs!
This morning I took some photos and a video after I finished my daily chores. I'll post them at the end of this blog, but I don't know if the video will work or not. I have never tried to post one. The video is of a funny discovery about the Guinea fowl and some broken mirrors I found and left out to be tossed.
Anyway, the hens gave me 4 eggs today and they were very happy to have the fruit and vegetable scraps I tossed for them along with their regular feed. Wanda One Eye is doing really well, I think the fresh air and sunshine has re-invigorated her old bones. I think all the chickens are happier with the changes Aaron and I have made. And soon the girls will get new, organic food and so I'll be able to say their eggs are totally organic! My father is very excited about that.
The space I'm setting up for Wanda will also be where I raise my chicks. It's where the previous owners of this farm did it when they were raising chicks to sell. I should get Guineas now- then they will be full grown by the spring and ready to canvas the fields for ticks and fleas and all other nasty bugs I don't want. By the way, if anyone wants Guinea feathers for an art project or something, please contact me. I've got a lot and will send them to you as long as you send me a photo of what you do with them- even if you just use them as decorations! That is what I do with them. My brother is not a fan of this idea, but I dig it.
Today I got up very early and started cleaning out the lower section of the red barn. I decided not to do any painting in the studio today because my hand was aching all night from holding the paint roller. The ones we purchased are so heavy- maybe they are all like that? Definitely not made for people with small hands and previous carpal tunnel surgery. Anyway, I thought I'd focus on one task- to clear out the lower section of the red barn to get it ready for moving Wanda there. She can't stay where she is now- the yard is nice and all, but it would be nice to have Wiley be able to be outside and fenced in. Also, when it starts getting really cold, that set-up won't be enough for her. And since she's my pet, I want to keep her somewhere sheltered and warm and convenient for me to be with her.
As a side note, I wore my new overalls and flannel shirt from Duluth Trading Co. I am really enjoying them and I think I want more. Even though Duluth Trading Co. clothing is pricey- a tad more than LL Bean stuff- it's really well-made. Made to last! So, worth the money I think. Doing this sort of work in overalls makes tons of sense.
I cleared out all the junk- there was a lot- from that lower section all morning. Then I took a break and had eggs that the girls had just laid. I got 7 today! I went back to work and moved all the junk and garbage into the storage shed. We still don't have a garbage can from the company we signed up with, so we have to store our garbage. It sucks. If I don't get a can tomorrow, I'll have to take everything to the dump this week. We cannot go on like this! The junk is truly junk- broken chairs, lamps, a broken fan.... Once I separated the garbage and the junk, I piled everything that could be recycled into my truck. That took a long time. But there's a drop off point not far, so that's nice.
Wiley has become more and more manic in his chasing of one of the cats.... Lucy. Poor, scared Lucy. She's the other half of the Goon Squad and though her brother Carl interacts with Wiley in a very smart way; Lucy always bolts and so then the chase is on. He can't help himself- it's part of his doggie ways. He sees a small animal running and he must give chase. I'm worried now that if he catches her, he will hurt her. And it happens mostly in the morning while I am doing my chores and I can't keep an eye on him. He's also still fond of making the Guiena fowl panic and today he almost caught one. I was very upset and he was very happy. I think the only reason he almost caught one is that it got panicked in a corner and froze for too long. Almost as an afterthought Wiley tried to nip the bird... but was unsuccessful thankfully.
That's about the long and short of it.
I will say that one of the things about living here is that I keep feeling like people here really STARE. I get this feeling of icy, judging inspection from a lot of people. It's mostly from people when I am in the main town and not in the old part of town. You'd think that people in the south are really friendly- or at least act like it- but that's not so true. Maybe I'll spend more time in Sparta. Perhaps people there are less judgy.
This whole post is just going to be photos. Later today I'll write another post with an actual update.
The Toyota Tacoma arrives! It's a 4x4 SR5 V6 with a tow package and eventually running boards and a red pin stripe. Those will be added in the next few weeks.
This was the sunset last night. AMAZING! Come and visit to see for yourself!
A typical Sarah breakfast- vegetables and eggs. Look how beautiful those eggs are! Those are from my girls and were laid the day before.
I made Oatmeal date-rasin cookies. I should have photographed them on a different surface. They sort of blend in here. I have to say, I'll be making these again very soon. the dates are a perfect addition and where the recipe called for salt, I used sea salt and it made these cookies magical.
My typical view in the morning. Aaron is up in Columbus now, but this was taken a few days ago. Wiley wants in, Wiley wants out... He's like a cat.
Speaking of cats- this is Carl. He has taken up residency on our side porch. He sits all day and most of the night on one of the chairs I have out there. He's a smelly old man but I adore him.
The other day a mockingbird lost a battle and became someone's meal. This is in the chicken run, so at first I thought one of my girls got eaten. But when I looked closer the feathers are white and gray. I suspect Hilda....
The following photos are just some pretty pics around the farm I have taken this week. I need to learn to use the good camera so I can take some really beautiful shots.
Looking east out the front door.
Looking northeast from the front porch.
A panoramic photo of the font yard.
Front yard oak tree.
Front yard oak tree.
The northeast view from the front porch of the studio.
A fast moving storm came from the southwest yesterday.
