Catherine Friend's Blog, page 13
June 27, 2010
What's for Lunch?I've been a little fixated on food latel...
What's for Lunch?
I've been a little fixated on food lately, since I'm trying to eat less of it. I'm not starving myself in any way, and feel full and satisfied, but I'm eating fewer sweets, more protein, and fewer carbs (but I'm not doing the extreme low-carb diet. No thanks.) My goal is to drop the 25 pounds I put on during a two-year-long eating binge, and then not binge again. In six weeks fourteen pounds have come off, so I'm doing okay. (But I'm getting desperate for a glass of wine...
I've been a little fixated on food lately, since I'm trying to eat less of it. I'm not starving myself in any way, and feel full and satisfied, but I'm eating fewer sweets, more protein, and fewer carbs (but I'm not doing the extreme low-carb diet. No thanks.) My goal is to drop the 25 pounds I put on during a two-year-long eating binge, and then not binge again. In six weeks fourteen pounds have come off, so I'm doing okay. (But I'm getting desperate for a glass of wine...
June 7, 2010
A Nameless Ram and Four Bucket HeadsWe bought a new ram l...
A Nameless Ram and Four Bucket Heads
We bought a new ram last week. (We sold Erik in the fall because we needed some new genes.)This guy, recently sheared, is 3/4 Corriedale, 1/8 Arcott-Rideau, and 1/8 mystery sheep. He has a sweet face, and we hope he'll enhance our already lovely fleece.
Anyone have ideas for a name? In the past we've had Rudy, Otis, Andy, Duncan, Perfect Tommy (Buckaroo Banzai fans will know who this is,) and Erik. We're open to suggestions!
The calves are ready to be...
We bought a new ram last week. (We sold Erik in the fall because we needed some new genes.)This guy, recently sheared, is 3/4 Corriedale, 1/8 Arcott-Rideau, and 1/8 mystery sheep. He has a sweet face, and we hope he'll enhance our already lovely fleece.
Anyone have ideas for a name? In the past we've had Rudy, Otis, Andy, Duncan, Perfect Tommy (Buckaroo Banzai fans will know who this is,) and Erik. We're open to suggestions!
The calves are ready to be...
May 16, 2010
A Weird SpringIt's the middle of May. We should be busy l...
A Weird Spring
It's the middle of May. We should be busy lambing.
We're not.
In a few weeks the pasture should be alive with baby lambs scampering everywhere.
It won't be.
Sigh. I know we made the right choice; I just didn't think I'd regret it so much.
Because Melissa had been scheduled for neck fusion surgery during the winter, with 4-6 months of recovery, we couldn't see her running around the pasture chasing sheep, a normal part of lambing. So we made the hard choice: December 17, our usual...
It's the middle of May. We should be busy lambing.
We're not.
In a few weeks the pasture should be alive with baby lambs scampering everywhere.
It won't be.
Sigh. I know we made the right choice; I just didn't think I'd regret it so much.
Because Melissa had been scheduled for neck fusion surgery during the winter, with 4-6 months of recovery, we couldn't see her running around the pasture chasing sheep, a normal part of lambing. So we made the hard choice: December 17, our usual...
May 5, 2010
This Farm's SecretThere are two members of this farm that...
This Farm's Secret
There are two members of this farm that few people have seen. They tend to hide in the grass, or run behind a building whenever anyone new approaches. Call them shy, elusive, anti-social. It's just very hard for visitors to see them. They'll show themselves to Melissa and me, and often makes sweet little cooing sounds as they scoot through the grass ahead of us.
Years ago Melissa bought two Golden Pheasants. She named the female Trixie. Trixie is a mottled brown, and hard to ...
There are two members of this farm that few people have seen. They tend to hide in the grass, or run behind a building whenever anyone new approaches. Call them shy, elusive, anti-social. It's just very hard for visitors to see them. They'll show themselves to Melissa and me, and often makes sweet little cooing sounds as they scoot through the grass ahead of us.
Years ago Melissa bought two Golden Pheasants. She named the female Trixie. Trixie is a mottled brown, and hard to ...
April 29, 2010
Calves and a Head's UpHere's the "Calves" part:The two Je...
Calves and a Head's Up
Here's the "Calves" part:
The two Jersey calves are doing great. Then Melissa brought home twins. They're half Jersey, one quarter Swedish Red, and one quarter Holstein. After working with them, I think they're 100% Holstein---pushy and stubborn!
But also cute...
And here are the Jerseys, now old enough to spend time outside cavorting....
And here's the Farmer who, on her way in for lunch, stopped to prune an apple tree. Not sure using a four-wheeler as a ladder is...
Here's the "Calves" part:
The two Jersey calves are doing great. Then Melissa brought home twins. They're half Jersey, one quarter Swedish Red, and one quarter Holstein. After working with them, I think they're 100% Holstein---pushy and stubborn!
But also cute...
And here are the Jerseys, now old enough to spend time outside cavorting....
And here's the Farmer who, on her way in for lunch, stopped to prune an apple tree. Not sure using a four-wheeler as a ladder is...
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April 12, 2010
There Be Calves HereI love the line from Star Trek IV: Th...
There Be Calves Here
I love the line from Star Trek IV: The Journey Home, when Scotty beams two humpbacks into the Enterprise's cargo bay and is overcome with joy: "Captain, there be whales here!"
As an experienced writer, I will steal this line and make it my own. "Captain, there be calves here!"
First, some early spring images:
The living footstools under our kitchen counter:
The tray our neighbors gave Melissa:
The neighbor's pasture burn, to the south of our driveway, done to stimulate the...
I love the line from Star Trek IV: The Journey Home, when Scotty beams two humpbacks into the Enterprise's cargo bay and is overcome with joy: "Captain, there be whales here!"
As an experienced writer, I will steal this line and make it my own. "Captain, there be calves here!"
First, some early spring images:
The living footstools under our kitchen counter:
The tray our neighbors gave Melissa:
The neighbor's pasture burn, to the south of our driveway, done to stimulate the...
March 30, 2010
Story of a BookThis is a writing tale. A few years ago (...
Story of a Book
This is a writing tale. A few years ago (yikes---four years ago!) I realized that while I chose to move into the country and start a farm (even though I had no idea what lie ahead), what about a kid whose parents pore over the Murray McMurray Poultry catalog and dream of raising sheep? What if she's not an animal person, and suddenly finds herself ripped from the urban life and plopped down onto a farm?
Once again, our small farm inspired my writing. The two are now so...
This is a writing tale. A few years ago (yikes---four years ago!) I realized that while I chose to move into the country and start a farm (even though I had no idea what lie ahead), what about a kid whose parents pore over the Murray McMurray Poultry catalog and dream of raising sheep? What if she's not an animal person, and suddenly finds herself ripped from the urban life and plopped down onto a farm?
Once again, our small farm inspired my writing. The two are now so...
March 11, 2010
Too BusyFill in the blank in your own way: I'm so busy an...
Too Busy
Fill in the blank in your own way: I'm so busy and so tired that _______.
I've got a great one, and it's not even farming related. It's just life.
First, a little background. I found myself having to write two books this winter (long story, will post to other blog eventually,) so I've barely noticed the ice, cold, and snow as I've had my nose pressed to my monitor, my body hunched over the keyboard.
I took two trips in February, both working trips. Melissa has been working like a crazy ...
Fill in the blank in your own way: I'm so busy and so tired that _______.
I've got a great one, and it's not even farming related. It's just life.
First, a little background. I found myself having to write two books this winter (long story, will post to other blog eventually,) so I've barely noticed the ice, cold, and snow as I've had my nose pressed to my monitor, my body hunched over the keyboard.
I took two trips in February, both working trips. Melissa has been working like a crazy ...
February 20, 2010
Llama Spit and Other ImagesBefore I leave for my annual w...
Llama Spit and Other Images
Before I leave for my annual weeklong writing retreat, I thought I'd take the opportunity to share some images from this last week as I did chores. Also, since the Farmer is very busy with an 8-week short-term job with Uncle Sam and won't have time to read this blog, I'm going to 'out' one of her hobbies, then slip away into the night so she can't yell at me. Now and then she'll say, "You aren't going to blog about this, are you?" When she asks that, then I can't. ...
Before I leave for my annual weeklong writing retreat, I thought I'd take the opportunity to share some images from this last week as I did chores. Also, since the Farmer is very busy with an 8-week short-term job with Uncle Sam and won't have time to read this blog, I'm going to 'out' one of her hobbies, then slip away into the night so she can't yell at me. Now and then she'll say, "You aren't going to blog about this, are you?" When she asks that, then I can't. ...
