Tally-Ho!

Hannah and Luke had a riding lesson today at Barb Taylor's Tack and Field. I love going over to Barb's happy stable where I've been taking Hannah and Luke off and on for several years. I have old pictures of Luke as a tiny tot astride a great big horse, holding his own. He is much more steady on the back of a horse now. We did have an issue with Luke dropping the reins when his horse tried to graze. I explained to him on the way home that dropping the reins is like Omi taking her hands off the steering wheel, which I did to make my point. Hannah has a lot of potential. I love watching her ride. She has no fear and has a natural seat. She has to practice heels down, shoulders back, lower reins, posting, etc. It was a beautiful, sunny, hot, breezy day and I sat in the arena enjoying the kidlets riding all around me. I loved every minute of it.

Baby Ducks

Okay, the mother of the baby ducks is nowhere to be found. Could she be sitting on more eggs somewhere in the swampy area in back of the barn? I suspect she might have liked the whole motherhood thing so much she decided to make more. The six babies wandered into the barn last night looking for food. I explored the entire area around the barn and no mom. I made an "executive decision" to put the babies in a cage to raise them. The other ducks are all around, but still no mom this morning. The babies are quite happy with the bowl of water I gave them and are eating egg layer mash just fine. There is nothing cuter than baby ducks, with those cute little bills and tiny webbed feet. Luke was just asking for baby bunnies the other day, which I couldn't provide, but the ducks gave him a real thrill.

Luscious Mango

The "Luscious Mango" Matt brought home is not as bad as I feared. I asked him to pick up some paint for my sign before he came home from work. Paint stores are about a half hour from here so I thought I would save a trip. I asked him for a golden yellow, a colonial red (barn-type red) and forest green. He brought me this Luscious Mango, a cherry red and a brighter green than forest. I appreciated his trouble, as he had to wait for it to be mixed, pay for it, etc., but I was a bit disappointed with the colors. Now I think I like this mango. It will show up nicely on the road. Luke loves to paint and is very excited about our farm sign. The weather is perfect for painting - bright, sunny and breezy. I'm hoping to have the sign finished this week, if I can find the stencils I brought home from school.

Hannah's Lair

Hannah is sleeping in the sheep show trailer now. It took a couple of nights for her to get used to the idea but now she loves it. She can be alone with her books on tape and crafty projects. Hannah can sleep until noon if she wants to, undisturbed by my activities, little brother, or cats and dogs. Holly sleeps in the trailer with her at night. Luke and I deliver snacks and breakfast to Hannah out there. I was worried the White Boys would keep her awake but the sheep make more noise, Hannah tells me.

Drama at the Falls

The falls did not disappoint yesterday. After a stop at the post office we motored down the dirt road to our favorite swimming hole. Yes, the pond is great, but the waterfall is hard to beat. There is something wonderful about climbing down the gorge and walking the creek bed until the falls appear. We played and swam for a while until a local dairy farmer family came with a large clan of kids and we made our way back up the hill. Somehow - in a weird twist of circumstances and events - we managed to leave my beloved Izzy standing on the road side. My van is filled with farmer's market goods and we thought Izzy was in there somewhere. Izzy went to a farmhouse down the road and "knocked at the door." The kind woman followed him back to the trail to the falls, where the dairy farmer family was coming up from their swim. They told the woman my name and she called me. I don't have to tell you there was a wild, speedy ride down the dirt road to get Izzy, with rocks flying, deer jumping and wild turkeys scrambling with a certain woman screaming and crying how could this happen. I'm still trying to make it up to Izzy, with hot dogs, snuggling on the sofa and his ultimate favorite treat - fishy cat food in the can!!

To the Waterfall

We are picking up Shepherd Mary and going to the waterfall today. This magical place makes you think you are in Guatemala, or Virginia perhaps. A climb down a steep gorge is required, adding to the mystery of the place. Temps are going up to the mid-nineties today and the ice cold spring water will be soooo refreshing.

Surprise!

I was working in the barn before dinner and thought I was seeing things. I looked down the long, dark corridor and saw a duck, with, what I thought was, little ducks all around her. I blinked a few times and still saw the little ducks. Here was the Swedish duck who had been missing for a few weeks with a clutch of baby duckings! I called Matt over and we both just stood there incredulous at the sight. He ran to get Hannah and Luke, who squealed with delight when they saw the little fluffballs. We thought this duck was eaten by coyotes, or whatever, and was long gone. This lovely girl had lost an eye to an infection, despite our treating it, over the winter. I thought some varmint had got the drop on her with her diminished vision. Not so - she was sitting on eggs somewhere! Who knows how many she might have laid in the nest. I have no idea where it is. Tomorrow, when it's light, I'll take Hannah and Luke on a duck nest hunt around the farm. I'm so worried about my first baby ducklings. I've had many, many families of chicks survive okay, but there is something very special about these baby ducks, hatched by a handicapped mother, out in the wild. I think she brought them in the barn looking for food. Ofcourse I put out feed and corn for her, but she didn't stay to eat for long, and took her brood out into the darkness. I feel compelled to catch them and lock them all up, but I don't think she would like that. We'll see how it goes. What a thrill.

Ducks on the Move

The four ducklings I purchased on our annual class trip to Frog Pond Farm this year were getting too big for their current cage. We needed to get them to better housing. I don't want to let them roam around the farm until they are bigger and stronger. After watching Pip, the pain-in-the-butt dog who I hope will be eaten by a bear, grab my beautiful Jemima Puddleduck and run off with her, I am even more nervous. She escaped unharmed after Holly intervened. We decided to put the teenaged ducks in a larger pen that housed last year's ducks over the winter. Hannah and Luke helped me move the ducks and tidy up the site of their previous residence. Ducks are incredibly messy when kept in cages. They are much better off roaming around where they can poop and splash at will.

The Sign Project

There was an interim owner of this farm, between Chris Kupris and myself. From what I heard, he was quite the "playboy" who used this farm as a country getaway. I guess he had a little too much getaway on the farm, because he shortly found himself divorced. Sadly, the guy sold this beautiful 350 farm to developers who broke it all up. By the time I was able to buy it, only the barn and a few acres was left. I consider the barn to be the heart of the farm, so I feel like I have the best part. Anyway, the playboy had a very fancy sign made, which has been lying in the tractor shed. I want my own farm sign and decided I would recycle this fancy sign. Nothing elaborate is on the drawing board. Hannah, Luke and I sanded it down today and coated it with Kilz. I brought some stencils home from school and we will paint it ourselves. A fine sturdy stand is in the ground (Andrew referred to it as the Stonehenge structure), ready for us to hang the sign up when finished.

First Camp Fire

We enjoyed our first camp fire tonight. It was a great way to wind up a perfect day. We roasted marshmallows and made s'mores while watching the stars come out. The dogs and cats were so excited that we were spending time with them outside. When we left the kitties stayed in our chairs by the fire. I'm glad it didn't go to waste.

First Pond Swim

We hooked up with Shepherd Mary today and Luke was overjoyed. Mary is Luke's idea of the ultimate woman. After picking veggies in Mary's ample garden, we spent a lovely couple of hours up at the pond, chatting and getting reacquainted. Izzy decided to float on the raft, perched on my back with nails sunken into my sunburned shoulders. I didn't want to scare Izzy away from the water after taking four years to get him to go in, but it was not a comfortable float. The gorgeous weather with gentle breezes that made the grass and reeds sway back and forth was very soothing. Luke came out of the water with two leeches on his leg. Mary and I insisted on removing them, while Luk!e wanted to try other techniques, like applying salt, etc. I popped them right out. Nothing on Mary, Hannah or myself....thankfully. Zella, Holly and Izzy didn't have any leeches on them either.

Jammed Up

Oh, joy, they are here! The local berry farm came to the market today with their mother load of raspberries. I was worried I missed them last week when I couldn't make it to the market, but the berry farm people came today for the first time. We bought raspberries for breakfast and lunch today, then brought home a dozen pints for jam making. Tomorrow Hannah, Luke and I will be putting up raspberry jam. The weather is getting progressively hotter over the next few days, with Monday in the 90's. Not fun to work over boiling pots when it's real hot outside. I recently found my last jar of raspberry jam from last summer's berries, and now will be able to replenish my supply of summer sweetness.

Wrapper

Luke wrapped a whole box of Patchouli soap for me yesterday. It looked great in my booth at the Hamilton Farmer's Market today. Luke likes to keep busy and help out in any way he can. When he's tired he relaxes with his Halo book on the sofa or under the table at the market. Hannah and Luke are terrific with customers and I can step away for a few minutes if I want to.

Back on the Farm

Hannah and Luke fit right in as soon as we landed back on Omi's Farm. It's great to have two helpers with chores. Hannah fed Chris, my old cripped llama, and Luke helped me scrape and shovel the barn floor. He thinks tough, nasty farm work is fun and stayed in the barn with me until late tonight. I was happy to have someone with energy and such a positive attitude keeping me company.

Weary Travellers

Hannah and Luke covered a lot of miles in a couple of days. They flew from Texas to New Jersey, travelled to the Jersey Shore, then seven hours to upstate New York the next day. Whenever Luke gets stressed, he puts on his Cloak of Invisibility. People can't see him but he can see them. Hannah and Luke are terrific travellers and the only complaint I heard was that they wanted to get back to the farm to see Izzy and the other dogs and cats. I never thought of my farm as that exciting, except to me, but Hannah and Luke thinks it's the cat's meow.

More Fun in the Sun

The weather was perfect - hot, sunny, and breezy. Mia supplied me with a hat and a book and I was happier than, well, you know the feeling. Hannah and Luke played non-stop, digging in the sand and collecting shells. It was a perfect day.

Captain Mia

Mia, the field hockey captain, can't let a day go by without doing her exercise regimen. Our room at The Dunes Motel provided us with the opportunity to work out. I joined her, of course, and did my daily routine to the great amusement of Hannah and Luke, who insisted on helping Mia with her sit-ups.

Point Pleasant

I adore Point Pleasant Beach at the Jersey Shore. I always took my kids there when they were growing up. Our little funky motel, The Dunes, is just down Ocean Avenue from Jenkinson's Pavilions where the boardwalk and rides are, and is more private. It was years since I went to the Jersey Shore and I loved every minute of it. I won't let years pass by again.

Kidlets Are Here!

Mia and I picked up Hannah and Luke at the airport and whisked them away to the Jersey Shore for a day. It was a spontaneous move and proved to be a great idea. Mia booked a funky little motel with a pool, a block away from the beach at Point Pleasant. We got there in time to watch the sun go down and moon come up over the water. Some kids set off a few left-over July 4th fireworks. Luke built a giant castle with a surrounding moat and we wallowed in the happiness of being at the beach together for the first time in years. The breeze, the water, the sand, the moon, the stars all conspired for a very heady experience. We moved from the beach to the motel pool and continued the party through the night. I slept like a baby and don't know when I woke up and didn't care. We went back to the beach while Mia went out to get us breakfast. We played all day on the beach, which turned out to be a private beach, not the one the motel was affiliated with. I wondered why it was so empty. No one asked us to leave, and I'm not surprised as we were such a pretty and happy little group, having so much fun in the sun.