If every day...

Miss Daisy is growing.
...Could be like this, wow life would be grand.
CLEANING:I spent the morning cleaning like a maniac. I always struggle with not having the house where I want it when I start back to work. I am such an anal, organizing freak sometimes, but when it tips over the edge, I can't make myself pull it back up. Well, this morning I did. I cleaned out the pantry closet and transferred a large amount of canned goods to the basement, might as well use those shelves! I still have to clean upstairs, but the main floor looks good.

VISITORS: Dave Arola had stopped by yesterday to ask if he could bring his mom and dad to see the house. Elmer and Helen lived here from 1950 to the 70's. Elmer's parents had homesteaded this land (and all the neighboring land as well.) I love to hear stories about the huge old barn, and their days when they would milk cows and ran a dairy here. She even brought me some slides of the house and old barn. I can't wait to get them developed. I had to bring AnnaFleece out to meet them. They had driven by a few weeks ago and she had ran to the fence and they wanted to meet her. Not many people have sheep who act like dogs.

BAKING:Kohen and I turned a huge zucchini that had been forgotten in the garden into zucchini blueberry bread. It tastes awesome! Thanks for the recipe Steph! Isaiah ate a whole piece.
Here it is if you want to give it a try!
Beat: 3 eggs (I used 2 duck, 1 chicken)
1 c. oil (or use 1/2 applesauce and 1/2 oil for a lowfat version)
3 T. vanilla (I used almond extract, our favorite)
Add: 2 c. sugar
2 1/2 c. zucchini grated
Mix in: 3 c. flour
1 t. salt
1 t. baking powder
1/2 t. baking soda
1 T. cinnamon
Fold in: 2 c. blueberries (I used frozen, wild ones)
Pour into two greased and floured bread pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 60 minutes.

BOYS: My boys have been angels today. Isaiah's battling some crud that he picked up at daycare, but doing really well. Kohen is napping right now. I may complain about him a lot, but this picture shows how precious he can be, napping with Two-three.

BAM: Bam has become an escape artist. He has an arrogant attitude and continues to display it. For the last three days he has slipped out of the electric polytape pen. He ducks and tucks his tail and has so much fleece that he is insulated against the shock. I know this because I watch him slip back in each time! I'll look out the window and he will be standing in the driveway, just looking at the house, challenging me. What a stinker. When I go outside he calmly slips back under the fence. Nate and I have tried adjusting pole placement, but obviously it isn't working. I think I'll move him into a cattle panel pen so I can quit worrying, especially with going back to work. Bam scooting back IN the pen.
HAY:Nate picked up five 1200# round bales on Thursday evening. It's planted hay and looks to be a nice mix that the sheep like. The only problem is we do not have any equipment to move them. The dump trailer held the five bales, and will make easy work of dumping them, the question is where. Nate used brute strength and pushed one out of the trailer on Thursday night so I could feed it to the donkeys. Unfortunately, he was able to push it, but not change its course of direction, and it landed outside the fence. Get the pitchfork out!
CHICKENS: I love when the chickens range into the pasture. My black bantams are awesome rangers and pick through the sheep droppings and eat any forgotten feed. Well, I was lucky enough that my six new polish love to be in the field as well. It's an awesome sight to look out the window and see a field dotted with 15 sheep and 15 or more chickens! Too bad the ducks and turkey just want to hang out on the deck...
DUCK:Speaking of ducks. We are starting to get duck eggs. I wasn't sure at first, but they are larger and a creamy color, not brown from my orpintons or blue from the aruacanas. I used some in the zucchini bread today with success. Here's a picture of one of them that I found in the chicken coop today. It is next to a large aruacana egg. Wow! That's big.
Life is good along the Rice River.

Back 2...

School. I'm writing this with mixed feelings. I'm not ready to give up summer yet. I want to wake up to the sun, not the alarm. I want to eat breakfast with my boys, not in the car. I want to comb through recipes to create a great homemade dinner, not think something up as I pass the grocery store on my commute home. I want to spend 40 minutes in the car driving to the lake or berry picking, not to work. I want to stay up until midnight blogging, not fall asleep in a twin bed with a three year old at 8:30! But, I know that I must work and help provide for our family, and my animals. Hear that Lucy, and Daisy, and sheep- I'm working so you can eat! (Though by looking at how fat everyone is they could go a few days without all the good clover and grass.)


Last night was open house. I had some excited students (and parents) stop in to visit. We usually shuffle some of the special education students on our caseloads each year. Since I am the senior special ed. teacher of the three in our building I took the initiative to 'keep' my students with ASD (autism spectrum disorders) on my caseload and then service the 3rd and 4th grades as well. Crystal, one of my coworkers, took the 5 & 6th grades, and Stephanie, the third member of our team took the 1&2nd grades. I think it will be a good working relationship. In the past we all had a mixing of each grade level, and had grouped by disabilities. The method we are using this year makes a lot more sense. Instead of keeping track and modifying for up to 15 classroom teachers, we can focus on 4-6. Of course I have more that I work with when planning for my students on the autism spectrum, but I love working with them.


The weather reports are also reminding me that summer is ending. I had to cover the garden twice in the last week, we had a hard frost/freeze on Sunday night. All the sheets on the garden paid off. It's a good thing my garden isn't any bigger, I would have had to strip beds for more covers!
I spent some time this afternoon in the sheep pasture (read: naptime for human boys, and who wants to clean that kitchen or do that laundry anyway?) Sharing treats and feeling fleeces. I can't believe the different types of fleece in my small flock. Ris has a fleece that is so soft and different from many of my original shetlands. Then you look at the icelandics, and theirs' is so diffent yet. I love the differences. I think I'll get a shove in the relm of spinning fleece a week from Sunday. There is a 'spin-off' north of Cook sponsored by a lady who is buying Maon from us. Yes, we are selling Maon. Bam is our ram. Who is getting bigger everyday. I'm tossing around the idea of hauling Ella along and trying to find her a good spinner's flock home. I'm just excited to get to learn the craft. I need a hobby besides hauling hay, water, and cleaning the chicken coop!
Here are a few more pictures from our Rochester visit. I have a video I took of Kohen picking corn, but it will probably take about 2 days to upload because I can't figure out how to reduce the quality, so stills it is.

Michael. Koe, Jacob.Kohen's first ear of sweet corn 2008.The pose that was struck when he was told we had to leave for home.
Alright, enough of this,I better go tackle that kitchen, and laundry, and chicken coop, and pay bills, and check the garden to see if I have enough fare to share at the farmer's market tomorrow morning...Enjoy the last days of summer.

Back...

from Rochester. Where we enjoyed visiting family, and the farmers' market. We also picked some sweet corn. Thanks Lester, Elaine and Rod. The boys loved the farmers market in Rochester. I wasn't too thrilled with the high prices or high numbers of people. It sure has changed in the seven years I have been going.

Kohen took the time to find a good melon.

Kohen also got to spend a lot of time with his cousins Brett, Jacob, and Michael. Jacob and Michael celebrated their 8th birthday with a spiderman cake, Kohen loved it.

I'll post more pictures tomorrow night when I have time and can keep my eyes open.

Randomness

This will be a bit of a catch-up post. Not the red kind. The "Tif has been too busy and not felt like posting" kind. In no particular order...

Dodge-Yes he's back, has been for a week. I haven't had the heart to post anything after I came home last Wednesday and he was sitting on the deck, with his leash. Never mind the 20 lb. bag of Iams that I had sent with him. I guess they decided to keep that for the next dog they get. We are back into the same routine. Barking, stealing things off the counter, eating Koe's corndog...

Lambs-Ellie let us down. She had a single ewe lamb that was dead when I found it early Monday morning. She acted pretty clueless. It is yet to be determined if she will stay here for a second try, or move on.

Work-The build up to the first day of school has begun. We had a special ed. inservice yesterday. I have mixed feelings as the year begins. It was great to be back with my coworkers. We have a great special ed. team. I miss them over the summer! I work one more day this week, three next, and then the school year begins.

Boys-With my return to work the boys return to daycare. Isaiah was ok with it, Kohen was so excited to see his friends. I forget what a 'grown-up' boy he can be. It seems that after a day of daycare he is more mature.

Ris- Kohen has instructions to stay away from the ram pen. We explain to him that Anna is his pet sheep, and Bam and Ris should be left alone. He's usually fine with just talking to them from outside the pen. Well, last night I was in their pen filling water and mineral. Ris always comes up for some attention, laying his head on my knee as I was kneeling down. I usually just give him a quick pat and shove him away. I moved on to fill Hee-haw' water. (He is still isolated from Lucy and Daisy, we don't want any new donkeys next year.) I heard Koe talking to Ris, but knew that I had locked the gate, so he couldn't get in the pen. I turned around and this is what I saw.

Luckily I had my camera with. Ris was pushing so hard on the fence to get a pet from Kohen that his breath was whistling through his windpipe. How's that for dedication! It's a good thing he's going to be a wether.

Lastly, who's that good lookin' man standing in my kitchen? Well it happens to be my dear hubby, following a haircut that's been a long time coming. We didn't eat breakfast this morning, instead I cut his hair. I fogot how cute he is when you can see his face!

Say Cheese!

Everyday is a new adventure in our lives, today did not disappoint. The boys and I headed to Duluth to meet up with Taryn and her boys to get pictures taken. Have you ever tried to get four boys ages 3 1/2, 2, 9 months, and 2 months to sit still, look at the camera, and smile? Well, it did not go too bad.

I then attempted to do some shopping. That was not as successful. The boys were tired, and Kohen only wanted to shop for things for himself. We managed to do Bath and Body, Best Buy, Cub foods, Cashwise, and Walmart. I thought it was ok. I treated myself to a large mocha latte on the way home, it was worth it.

So my ten minute Best Buy shopping was for a new camera. We've given up on trying to figure what is wrong with my old one. I'll take it to the camera shop tomorrow and hopefully it can be fixed. It was the greatest, a sony cybershot dsc-p200. Today I purchase another cybershot, though now they are considerably cheaper than three years ago. Plus it's pink. I was never a 'pink' girl. I think the building of testosterone in my house is making me more 'pink.' It's so cute! Plus it takes great pictures. This one is for Sabrina to show her how well the ramlings are growing. Ris is so friendly that I struggle with taking a picture of him, he's always coming for a sniff.

Ris and Bam

On another note, I know that summer is coming to an end. Not because school inservices start this week, or my garden is finally producing. But because I can no longer do chores at 10 pm! I went out at 8:30 tonight and it was already getting so dark I could barely take a picture with the new camera. Can you feel my frown?

Market of Farmers

I took a new step today. In typical Tifany fashion it was decided at the last minute, and proceeded in a mad rush, but I did it.
I brought some goods to the Farmers' Market in Cook today. Not a lot, just a cooler full of some eggs, swiss chard, zucchini, green peppers, salad greens, and basil. I actually sold most of it! And it was fun! It feels good to share some of our fresh, home-grown produce with others. I will definitely plan ahead more next time and not be out picking at 7:45 am, when the farmer's market begins at 8!
It is a good step for me. I always spend double digits when we hit the Rochester Farmers' Market. Granted, the selection at Cook is not as vast, but there was a good bit of fresh produce and baked goods. No sweet corn though. I know where we can get some! I'm smiling just thinking of it. Kohen has been asking if we get to go to the farm for corn soon. Guess we better plan a trip.
I'm going to take my camera in to try and get it fixed on Monday. Blogs are so much more exciting when accompanied by pictures. We spent the afternoon at the lake with mom, Taryn, Braeden and Chase. I could have gotten some great pictures, darn it!

Happy Birthday Babe!

Happy Birthday Honey! We love you. Don't work too hard today. We'll celebrate tomorrow night. With smoked ribs, beans, cornbread, sweet potatoes, a big blueberry cake, and friends. I better go and start cleaning.

(If you don't know, my husband loves to challenge me. He has a habit of asking for a different type of cake each birthday. Raspberry dream, lemon blueberry, and this pic from last year was from scratch carrot cake. This year the quest is a straight blueberry cake. We'll see how it goes- well I will, you might not. The digital camera is not working, it just shows a black screen, and takes a black picture, any ideas?)

A bit of a bunny funny

First the bunny part:There is more excitement here along the Rice River, that doesn't include donkeys or sheep. Yesterday Kohen, Grandma Butchy, and I trekked to an animal swap in Virginia with Maon and two roosters in tow. The hope was to go home lighter. No such luck. Maon had to come home with us, but there are definately interested parties out there. We did part with the Japanese Fantail Bantam rooster. We also made some acquisitions. Grandma keeps asking me why we always come home with more than we take? Not sure Grams. Anyway, I purchased six white polish chickens. Three hens and three roosters. I really only wanted hens, but the seller really wanted to get rid of the roosters too, and threw them in for five bucks. Well, we had spent about 2 1/2 hours in vain trying to pedal our wares, so we decided to head out. Kohen was at this point in typical three and one half year old mode. Bored, and getting naughty. As we packed up the truck to leave, he threw himself on the pavement in a lump of crying, "bunny, I want a bunny." Silly mom doesn't just scoop him up and pour him into his carseat, but gives daddy a call. Amazingly daddy says yes. The bunny man felt so bad for Kohen he sold us an adorable fluffy, fuzzy white lionhead buck for $3.00. So now we have a bunny. No, strike that. KOHEN has a bunny. Name yet to be determined. (What is with this family, we struggle with naming our animals more than we did our kids! Have I mentioned we already have names determined if we ever decide to add another babe to the brood-human variety that is.)

Now the funny part: Kohen quizzed grandma and I all the way home as to what bunnies eat. He asked if they eat carrots. Yes, we said, bunnies like carrots. Flash forward to us pulling in the driveway. Kohen disappears as grandma and I struggle with lifting Maon out of the back of the truck, settling chickens, etc. I start looking for Kohen, and getting worried. When I call he comes running from the backyard. "I got a carrot for my bunny!" He proudly holds up a carrot that is about the diameter of a chopstick, and three inches long, with greens still attached. I realize that my oh so smart boy has invaded the garden, intent on a treat for his new pet. Very cute right? We thought so, until he holds up his other hand, which contains a large fistful of carrots, with greens attached, all the same size or smaller then the previously mentioned carrot. "And I got him dinner!" he exclaims proudly. I shook my head, and had to laugh. He means well, I just hope he's not counting on lots of carrot dinners this fall. My garden has a row that is suspiciously empty now...

Gramma Jan headed back to Rochester today. We had a good visit and it was nice that she was able to watch the boys while I was out of state.

I'll try to get some new Daisy pics today, we'l see how much I get accomplished, never enough!

Meet Daisy

Well, I know you've already met her, but now she has a name...Daisy. Isaiah chose the name out of a bucket. And Kohen read it to us. Upside down. Is he a protege or what?

Donkey visitors

So our new little girl is attracting quite the crowd of visitors. Grandpa Bud, Great Aunt Barb, Nanny, Papa, Gramma Jan, Papa & Grama Butchy, Emily Webster & her friend Sarah, and more to come. She is very friendly and curious. My hope is that she will turn into a great multi-purpose donkey for us: a pet for Kohen and a guardian for our sheep.

Gramma Butchy meeting her new great-granddonkey!

Sarah came all the way from Pennsylvania to meet her!

Kohen gets a bit protective when others are visiting, reminding us she is his donkey. I'm not sure how he's going to do when she is taller than him. He loves wrapping his arms around her and burrowing his face in her soft neck for lots of kisses. Not an attractive shot, but this shows how wide poor Ellie has become. It will be interesting to see how many lambies are in that belly, and when they are going to arrive. I look forward to next year when I will hopefully have a much more concentrated and organized lambing season. Doesn't she have a beautiful icelandic fleece? It is quite different from shetland, just wavy, no crimp to it. Here is the promised shot of the wild blueberries we have been picking. Nate likened it to picking grapes. This is just one small branch, can you believe all those berries?Hopefully the baby donkey will have a name in a few hours. I'll update if we decide.

Profile update

So, we may have found a home for Dodge. I say may, because he has now been gone 42 hours. I am cautious to celebrate the fact, because of the Woody problem of last spring. But, the girls that came and picked him up were very excited, and I told them all of his bad habits. Barks incessantly if left alone, steals food off the counter in the middle of the night, will scale large obstacles for a stick of butter, can't hear, has to have his ears cleaned all the time, sleeps on the couch, sleeps on the bed, lives to steal pb&j sandwiches from little boys, will bark at someone when they are Leaving...and on, and on. They still liked him, and wanted him. He jumped in the back seat of the black cavelier, and our house is now four legs less. Kohen is not sad about the loss of Dodge. His relationship with Dodge had been souring more and more as Dodge continued to eat his snacks, trip him, and get in his way. We've talked to him that we will get another dog for him when he is older. But for now, we will live in a dogless house, with no nose swipes on the glass doors, only handprints. He gave us some good years and made a significant dent in the pocketbook, but it was coming to a point that no one was gaining any happiness, only grief, and ultimately Dodge was the one suffering the most.

Fantastic Fuzziness

Here are a few pictures I just took today of our little girl. We are currently in a dead heat for choosing a name. The voting will close tomorrow night 8/8, at 6 pm. She cannot go nameless any longer! Please refer to previous post for name choices. As you can see from the pictures, Kohen is doing great with her. She lets him walk right up and hug her. She wasn't as sure of me when I was crouched down to take a picture at her level.

In other news, Nate and I picked 9 quarts of wild blueberries last night. It was a great crop this season. Nate has already requested a blueberry cake for his birthday next week. I guess I'll have to start a recipe search. I'll try and post some pictures later. My camera is charging right now, too much time spent in the pasture with fuzzy four leggeds.

On the two legged baby front, Isaiah had his 9 month check up today and passed with flying colors. He weighs 18 lb. 15 oz. and is 28 inches tall! Grow baby grow!!

Name that Donkey

Here she is. In all her adorable fluffiness. Her ears and legs seem to be a mile long, and she's just a bit of a thing in between. Lucy is being a wonderful mommy. She's earning extra apples! Kohen is fascinated by her.


We have narrowed names down to 3. They are, in no particular order:

Lizzy
Lily
Daisy

Please vote on your pick. We can't keep callin' her donkey. Come and meet her. There isn't much cuter!

Look how little she is!

Getting love from daddy. (Notice AnnaFleece's head, she can't miss out on Daddy's love.)

Baby Donkey!!!

Yeah! Great news: Lucy had her baby today. It's a Jenny. Bad News: I'm in North Dakota, I'll post some pics when I get home tomorrow night. Nate said she looks like Lucy, brown, with a white nose and black cross. Now hopefully Ellie will wait till I get home to give birth. She's a first time mom and I'm much more nervous about lambies.