Thursday, December 26, 2013

Holidays and cold days

We made it past the consumerist holidays...almost. New Years is still on the way, but I look forward to leaving this cold year behind and moving into the next. Spring will be coming with the new year, and warmth with it.

I think it is getting easier each year to not participate in Christmas. I have less guilt now, which I believe is just a carry over from cultural programming. Of course most of my extended family is still not happy with our decision not to participate in a holiday we don't believe in. I'm not sure why, but that's how it is. Our little kids are young enough, it doesn't seem to matter anyway. It's just another day. Of course, when you don't participate, you realize just how much the nonsense has saturated the American culture. As if everyone in the country has to be a part of it, by default. It's on the radio, on Pandora commercials, I get ads from my banks, not to mention the decorations everywhere. Silliness really. All (mostly) in support of a consumerist culture. Funny, my family and I spend time together every day, showing each other how much we love each other with our words and actions. Every day is about sharing the love, isn't it?

We didn't do anything alternative to celebrate. The Solstice came and went with a subtle acknowledgement of longer days to come. It is just too cold here to be motivated to do much of anything. It's too cold to process a turkey outside. I don't want to go out into the woods to look for sticks, or build a pyramid in the yard, I just want to stay warm and have the temperature rise enough for the snow to melt. Being warm is all that matters.

The animals are hanging in there. The goats wander out in the yard to stand in the sun during the day. The chickens are laying again, thanks to the light we put in their coop and the few days of above freezing temps we got. Mostly our highs hover around the high 20's. When we get up in the morning the temperature is always nearer to 0 than not.

We did find a home for our older hens. A nice man came up from Hondo to pick them up. It might be just enough warmer down that way that the chickens will lay some eggs for him.

I was looking toward Las Vegas, NM as a possible relocation, but it turns out there is no water there and the wells are drying up. There are beautiful trees close in, which means more potential for forest fires, plus, they have a recorded lowest temp of -28 F. That isn't any better than here, is it?

Fowler, CO is warmer, has a bit more water in the way of annual precipitation, and is closer to a big city. And, come to find out, they are on a fast track to becoming sustainable, removing themselves from the grid, as a town, and working hard to make their community resilient in the face of things to come. Interesting, and fits most of the criteria Richard has outlined for a better place to relocate. Of course we still have to find a suitable place and a way to finance it. That doesn't change, no matter where we look.

Thursday, December 19, 2013

Eggs and Ospreys



We have eggs!

The temperature has reached 42 F today, although with the wind, it sure doesn't feel like it.

We found two eggs yesterday, when we were out milking the goats. Not much, but we felt so lucky to have them. Every time I opened the fridge and saw those two eggs, I wondered what we could utilize them for. Two egg omelette....french toast.....chocolate chip cookies.....brownies....one egg each for Richard and I for breakfast? I never decided. Richard decided to make zucchini bread with one of the eggs and egg re-placer, mixed with chia seed "eggs." The kids can't really have eggs, but they love zucchini bread.

And today....two more eggs!! Now we have a surplus of three. What could I do with three eggs, I wonder?

And on another note:

The SLV, or San Luis Valley is an interesting place, supposedly well known for UFO sightings. I have not seen any alien craft, but I have seen many aircraft of a military nature. We have helicopters (haven't seen any black ones out here), the C-130's that buzz our house, sometimes at night, waking everyone up in fear, and we have that other long, weird looking jet thing,  kind of like an SR-71, but not, and today there was this crazy looking plane thing, that may be an Osprey. Here's a link to what we just saw flying over our farm house. Here's another. Very odd. I'm learning all about military aircraft out here in the SLV--a true plane watchers paradise.

Tuesday, December 17, 2013

Long time, no eggs

We have had warmer temperatures the past few days...almost up to freezing...but not quite.

I'm afraid we may not see eggs from our chickens until spring. Chickens need 40 F days in order to lay. They aren't getting that here. We have decided to give away our older flock of hens and have someone coming to pick up the 16 chickens in the big coop. We are hoping to save a few dollars without having to feed them. Organic chicken feed is expensive, especially when they aren't laying any eggs for us to sell. We could build them a better coop with windows and passive solar gain, but that's more money and we need to spend time and money on the big barn before the goats start kidding.


Old chicken flock
 

We are keeping the Buff Orpingtons that we got last spring. There are ten of them, which is about perfect for our egg needs. Of course, they aren't laying now either, but we are considering building another addition on the big barn, which will allow some of the solar gain heat to spill over into the goat barn.

The turkeys and rabbits have the warmest house of the bunch. It's all closed in, has a big window across the south side, and adobe bricks against the back wall.

We haven't been able to get to a city to pick up those Lexon panels for the goat barn, so Richard used some leftover plastic form his cold tunnel projects to cover the space where the panels will go. It isn't quite the same, but it does let light and some warm sun into the barn while cutting out the wind and the cold.



Plastic sheeting on goat/llama barn


Because our temperatures are so low, the snow we got at the end of November is still hanging around. It's sad when 0 F feels good, and at night when the temperatures have been falling to -10 or so, 0 is a good thing.

kids' yard


I am still fantasizing about moving to Las Vegas, NM, even though they have been having their own water problems. Wells are drying out and the reservoir has been down for a few years now. I don't understand why more people are not utilizing the legality of collecting rainwater. With 16 to 17 inches of precipitation  a year, it seems like an easy answer to many of the water concerns. But maybe not and things might be more complicated than they appear. At any rate, I found a house over that way that is wonderful, and that we can't afford right now, but staring at it on the internet keeps my spirits up.

Tuesday, December 10, 2013

Crazy chasing crazy

Humanity is not only insane, but we appear to be crazy, chasing crazy around in circles. How is it possible that so many people just do not get the magnitude of our climate crisis?

I have been preaching on this for years, and mostly to deaf ears, but once again, I have to say it is vitally important that we change our selfish human ways if we plan on diverting human extinction. I can't think of a thing that matters more. More oil? Nope. That's what keeps this crazy train on the tracks straight to a Hell of biblical proportions--a living Hell on earth.

It doesn't seem to matter though, does it? As individuals, we are so blinded by our own Egos that we fail to connect to the larger Whole, let alone see the bigger picture. What's on the agenda for today? (Enter sarcasm.) More for me!! Me, me, me. Cut down all the trees. Drill for more oil and gas. We can use that leftover fracking material to de-ice our city streets and country roads. No worries about disposing of it safely (is that even possible?). Me, me, and more for me. Bigger car, bigger house. Let's go shopping. Take another vacation around the world. Use more jet fuel. Keep on polluting. It's no one's problem, is it? Certainly it's not mine.

We've got poisoned food (GMO's), poisoned water, poisoned land, poisoned insects dying, animals going extinct, diseases brought on by global warming, we've got floods and famine, earthquakes (from fracking), fires and droughts from high global temperatures, epic storms, freezing winter temperatures, and we are still not done. Let's go shopping. We need more stuff! More stuff made out of petroleum that we can hoard away in our basements, in our garages next to our spare cars. More, more, more, for me, me and only me.

I'm willing to bet that our recent "conflicts" with Russia ultimately stem from the Global Bully, the good ol' US of A, wanting, needing, to get our dirty, greedy hands on the resources we believe are hidden in the Artic. I wonder if we will have another war? World domination for total control of all resources...isn't that what being an American is all about? (Exit sarcasm and enter reality.)

How about if we skip Christmas this year and instead of celebrating some dead guy's birth, let's celebrate our planet Earth, our true savior, because if we don't get our shit together fast, all of these "festivities," focused around consumerism, will be for naught as our planet dies and humanity goes with it.

As many know, (or not), my partner and I decided a few years ago not to celebrate Christmas anymore. Not being Christian, and being anti-consumerists, it seemed like a logical choice. We figured we could do a little bit to help save the planet by not participating in buying senseless gifts, thereby not contributing to more "resources" being taken from our beloved planet for cheap plastic crap, or whatever other holiday specific trinkets are being sold to the public.

No. We no longer participate in American Consumerist Holidays, and instead focus on how we can do our part to help heal our Mother Earth. Is anyone listening out there? Sadly, I think not.

Here's an article that will make you think as you gear up for the last minute shopping insanity:

http://truth-out.org/opinion/item/20463-the-arctic-is-the-first-and-possibly-last-line-of-defense-against-a-climate-transition-to-an-uninhabitable-earth

And a must see for the holiday season:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DZjsJdokC0s

Happy Holidays NSA peeps!

PS: the cold makes me cranky.


Monday, December 9, 2013

Used fracking chemicals to de-ice?

Oh. My. God.

What are they thinking indeed? Are people just insane? This is not going to turn out well.

I am absolutely horrified. I think this qualifies as fractaculous!!!!


http://www.popularresistance.org/rural-ny-communities-use-fracking-waste-to-de-ice-roads/

Frigid cold

Cold, cold, frigid cold. 12 F outside right now. Alamosa is still at -6 F.

Still looking for warmer places. Maybe over by Las Vegas, NM, since Kirkland AFB has contaminated the greater Albuquerque area. Las Vegas has more precipitation per year than where we are now with average temperatures around 6 F warmer. But that is based on an old model of climate comparison, and as we all know, the climate is changing in unpredictable ways, so may be we will get lucky and the weather will be better all around. Or maybe the cold will follow me wherever I go....

The animals are all hanging in there, huddled in their barns. They come out when the sun shines, and thankfully the wind is not blowing today. The wind takes the temperature even lower with the wind chill thrown in.

We haven't had any eggs from our chickens in over a week. Too cold. Lucky we are learning how to bake Vegan for the kids. We did put lights in all the poultry housing, so maybe they will start laying again.

We are surviving the cold, and this week the forecast calls for higher temps, maybe even a few days marginally above freezing. Can't wait.

Wednesday, December 4, 2013

De-humidifying

The de-humidifier is working wonders on our tiny, condensation soaked house! The windows have dried up. The outside walls are no longer wet. Wonderful. Of course, the temperatures have been above freezing, even last night, so that may make a difference. No fear though, we have another week of snow on the way, so we can continue to test the de-humidifier as time goes by.

And, doing more research on the Albuquerque area, it seems Kirkland Air Force Base has been up to its own no good, contaminating the environment for years, and allegedly ruining the water in the aquifer beneath the city. Another one for the US government. People--zero. Won't be moving down there. Let's disband the military already. Oh, yeah, we need them to keep the War on Terror alive and well as the US terrorizes the planet for the limited resources left.

Tuesday, December 3, 2013

It's bigger than me

As I finish reading Voluntary Simplicity: Toward a Way of Life That is Outwardly Simple, Inwardly Rich, by Duane Elgin, I realize how petty I have been with my self-pity and abhorrence of the cold. I have forgotten myself as I cave to Ego  and the whims of being more comfortable.

Our vision for Green Desert Sanctuary began as a means to help our society transition from an economy that is failing, a culture that is floundering and a humanity that is killing itself, to a society, culture and economy that is based on the idea that we are all One. Not only do we all, as living beings, share this planet, but we are all a part of this planet. We are this planet, the bits and pieces that make up the whole. And we must learn to live as such before we do ourselves in.

It doesn't matter where we ultimately end up. The land, the town, the state...is all meaningless if we do not continue our work to help others live more sustainably, more simply and also more ecologically. Our human family has reached a critical turning point where we continue to battle one another in an attempt to secure more resources for our own little selves. Ego is definitely at play in the greater scheme of things.

Richard and I made a decision a few years ago to share our knowledge, our skills and our time with anyone interested in being a part of the changing world. The change is one of learning resiliency as our planet heaves and stretches with the pains of being raped and violated by mankind. The change also seeks to connect to our great Mother Earth and to listen to her, and be willing to sacrifice or give enough of our lives and ourselves that we may begin to heal our blessed Mother Nature so that she will sustain us for many years to come. The change is personal  and spiritual as we all come to a higher consciousness that lifts humanity to a higher vibration or higher frequency or higher plane of reality.

As we continue to look for a place to build our spiritual center and our sanctuary of sustainable living, we will continue to give our time and energy to those who want to learn. By no means do we know it all, hardly, but we continue to learn, taking classes as time and finances allow, and we will share that knowledge with anyone interested in joining us in creating resilient communities everywhere.

On a positive note, the temperature actually rose above freezing today. To all of us in northern NM and southern Colorado, that means a whole lot of mud with the thaw, and as I curse the mud, I am ever so thankful for the sun and the warmth on my face as I do my farm chores. Here's to simple living.

Saturday, November 30, 2013

Still cold

It is still freezing cold! Temps have not gotten above 30 F for so long now. I feel trapped in this horrid cold. Our front door freezes shut every night. Richard found my old hair dryer and uses it to melt the ice on the bottom of the door. But then it refreezes and we struggle to get out of the house again. Our windows ice over every night--1/4 to 1/2 inch, and then melt off through the day (if there is sun). I have used every single towel I have here in the house, trying to mop up the melting water.


Bathroom window


Last night I forgot to put the heater on in the living room. The main part of the house got down to 60 F overnight. Our bedroom/sunroom gets down to 59 F regularly, even with a heater and foam insulation in the windows. Last night it got down to 56 F.

I wonder what will happen in the house when the outside temps get down to -30 F? We may have to figure out how to get the old wood stove up and functioning. This is a task unto itself as we have to clear the room of furniture and other stuff (our buckets of flour...our pantry) if we want to use it. The stove is way too big for the tiny room it's in. Plus we should really get the chimney cleaned, which is another $150. The chimney has never been cleaned, according to the landlords who have owned this house for ten years or so. I'm afraid to use the stove without cleaning the chimney. I have seen the rubble of houses all around the valley---houses that burned. There is no fire department here, but maybe in Costilla or San Luis, some miles away. Too far to make a difference.

I have to move my birds (parrot and dove) out of the sunroom/bedroom because it's getting too cold in there. I guess they will share some space with the kids in their tiny room.

At least the animals outside are still doing okay, even though the goat barn still needs to be closed in better. We have to go to Santa Fe (or Pueblo) to get some clear Lexon panels for the barn siding. This will allow some light and maybe some heat into the barn. The goats would break any glass we try to use, so we are going to try those panels instead. We have to wait for the weather to warm enough that we can leave our dogs outside while we make the trip, which usually takes a full day, and has us getting back after dark. It is way too cold to leave the dogs out for that amount of time, and I don't want to kennel them for so long either.

Sometimes things just seem so hard, don't they? The cold always makes everything worse. And it's a matter of life and death for some of us, so we just have to keep plugging away, doing what we can with the time and money we have. I suppose things might be different if we lived in a decent house and had a heated barn for the critters. But, we don't.

Moving south seems like a great idea every winter. And then the summer comes and I forget how miserable and cold it is during the winter. I suppose we are blessed in the fact that none of the housing choices we were looking at worked out up here in the San Luis Valley. Maybe the Universe knows better than me, and perhaps my urge to move south of Albuquerque means more than I think. Maybe I should listen to my inner urgings. We worry about water down that way as the Southwest dries up. But at least it is warmer and there is no fracking going on (yet). Plus the livestock taxes are disturbing, so we may have to rethink that too.

Today we are headed to Taos to pay our rent while the bank is still open. That was the agreement, to deposit our check in the landlords' account. I wonder what we do if we can't get there? That seems absurd, doesn't it? But, I hate driving on snow/ice packed roads, especially on mountain roads. The forecast for the next week...freezing fog with periods of sunshine.

Thursday, November 28, 2013

We have sun!

It has been rough the past week with little to no sun. Depressing and really cold. The freezing fog has been hanging around for a few days now, making everyone miserable.


Winter Wonderland (yesterday)

turkey fence


























ice crystals on fence

Our overnight temperatures were below zero. I think it was -6 F this morning when we got up. All of the animals made it through. And I am so thankful for that!


Trees next to pasture (today)

grass

When the sun shines, it changes everything, doesn't it? Now the world looks winter white and sparkly. But still, the cold makes me look for warmer places to move...every single time. Maybe I should think more on that.

The condensation on our windows is out of control. Even the walls have water on them. It's a big mess. I'm wiping up water with towels, washing and hanging them to dry, which keep the cycle of moisture going, never-ending. The cabinets have water condensing in them. We have ordered a de-humidifier for the house here. Who would have thought we'd need it in this high desert place!

On this Day of Gratitude, I am thankful for shelter for us and the animals. We are all doing the best we can, considering. I am thankful for good health for my family and all of the critters. I am soooo thankful for the sun today! And later this afternoon we will sit down to a feast which includes one of our turkeys, organically raised. I am soooo thankful we stocked up before the storm (will we ever be able to get to town again?). More freezing fog forecast for the next couple of days. I am thankful for heaters and electricity, hot water and warm down comforters.

Happy Day of Gratitude!

Sunday, November 24, 2013

Cold temps in the forecast

Another couple of inches fell last night, but not enough to fully fill the dug out paths Richard made to the various barns, although it is snowing now and the wind is blowing. Drifting is happening and the paths may soon be gone.

path



The cold is coming fast now. The highs are only reaching about 28 F or so during the day and at night... this Monday it is supposed to get down to 8 F with wind chills down to 0. Richard has been trying to get the billy goats house a little more sheltered. The problem is, he likes to tear up his house. But, the wind is predicted to come from the north, instead of the usual south, and with the wind chills down so low, we have to give Molet more shelter. I think some extra alfalfa for all of them might help them get through the cold. The girls are all getting grain during milking and even Molet gets a little now and then.


Milk stanchion

Fairy Dust


We stacked our new load of hay behind the turkey house, which serves to insulate them and keeps the south wind and weather off the hay.


Hay behind the turkey house


The snow is falling off the roof of the house, and onto the windows of the sunroom/our bedroom. When it falls, it crashes and sounds like the windows are about to come down with it. Horrendous sound. At least that means there is some melting going on. There is a little bit of sun radiating through the mass of clouds that covers our little world now. I haven't seen Ute Mountain for days, just the lower edges, which makes it appear really huge as it fades up into the clouds. Today, when we went out to milk, there was no sign of the mountain at all. The wind is blowing and the snow is coming down again.

There is a slushy cover on the pond. The world is winter white. And cold. This is supposed to last until Tuesday. And then the sun will come back. I miss the sun. It heats my bedroom.


pond

Friday, November 22, 2013

Snow

The snow has arrived.




About six inches so far.


roof of dog house



It's still snowing. Forecast another 3-5 inches today. High of 31 F.



barn


The animals are all huddled in the barn. The people are all huddled in the house. But we still have to go out to milk the goats. In the snow. That keeps coming down. Glad we made it town before the snow came.


Tuesday, November 19, 2013

Snow coming

It's supposed to snow or rain for the next week...or for as far as the extended forecast is available on NOAA.

I really don't like snow. Or the cold. But, since I can't figure out a way to get around this, there is only one solution left: prepare.

Richard finished the turkey/rabbit/duck house enough that we could get the turkeys and rabbits in there. The rabbits are still in their old cage until Richard builds them cages on the back wall of the small barn. It is pretty passive solar with windows across the front. Richard even put adobe bricks (that have been sitting out in the weather) on the back wall to absorb heat from the sun shining in the front windows.



Front of turkey house



turkeys and rabbits in new barn

The turkeys seem pretty happy. They have more space now. The rabbits a least are out of the wind and cold. We have not moved the ducks into the house yet. First the yard has to be fenced and covered so the turkeys don't try to fly out. Then there will be more room for everyone to adapt to each other.

Richard is now working on the milking room in the goat barn. It is not finished yet so it looks like we may be milking out in the snow/rain for a little while longer.

We are planning on heading into town before the storm comes to stock up on animal food, hay, and food and supplies for us too. An hour drive is no fun in the snow.

We did pick up a fridge on CL for free. It's now in the garage. It will be a great place for goat milk and cheese. And extra supplies to survive the coming winter.

Tuesday, November 12, 2013

Houses we can't have...and goats gettin' it on

Heard back about the great house in Saguache, which has a contract on it. It may or may not go through. Who knows. The owner wants 20% down to carry it, which is about 20K. Now, I wonder, where would one get twenty thousand dollars in this economy? Isn't everyone living paycheck to paycheck, like we are? Ha! People are saving that kind of money? Maybe they'd like to loan some to us?

The person that may buy the house is from out of state. Maybe looking for a place to grow weed. That seems to be coming up a lot lately. Everyone thinks they can get rich off the ganja. Cannabis...legal in Colorado, except some counties don't want anything to do with it, including Saguache county. No growing, no distributing, no selling, no cannabis related business of any kind.

I guess we continue on, renting, where we can. I am thankful we have a place to be with all of our animals. I like it much better over on this side of the valley anyway. Even if it is colder. We have the wild horses. And the Sandhill Cranes. Less of the massive crop circles too, which means less spraying, I'm hoping.

Today big ugly billy goat, Molet, is out "playing" with the females. He doesn't play very nice. The little girls are locked in the barn, although he may have gotten to one of them before Richard separated them.



Molet, courting Oreo



Big ugly and tongue


That male goat is intense. He flaps his tongue around, makes loud moaning noises, head butts the barn walls, pees all over himself, and all because he can't get to the female goat he wants. It's just as weird when he goes through his mating ritual with an open and willing female. Not pretty.

If Molet has his way, there will be lots of goat babies next spring. Maybe we will find a permanent place to land by then. And yes, we do have ten acres down near Taos, but the roads are horrid, and come to find out, there is a livestock tax in NM on everything from llamas to goats, to sheep. I knew Taos county had some outlandish registration fee on exotic animals. Alpacas and llamas fall into this category. $50 per head, per year. Crazy. We can't afford that. And alpacas and llamas are pretty mainstream these days, aren't they?

Well, whatever. We will continue to pay on our land and see what happens. Maybe someone wants to buy it outright? Then we could pay off our owner carry and have a down payment for another place a little more farm friendly. The right place and the right circumstances will show up. That's how it works. I have faith.

Monday, November 11, 2013

Time and Money...and a shortage of both

We went up to Colorado Springs this past Friday for a doctor's appointment with the kids' Biomedical doctor. It's a long drive. Uneventful trip, I am happy to report.

The doctor's appointment was another story, with the kids jumping around and being the wild children they are. My daughter was diagnosed PDD-NOS about two years ago. My son, although he shares many of the same symptoms, and has worse allergies, and OCD behaviors, did not receive the diagnosis. Regardless, we are treating all of their symptoms from a nutritional perspective, eliminating problem foods and adding supplements to bring their health back, naturally. The list of supplements to try this time was long and their food choices are disappearing. It was an expensive trip. I am happy to say the nutritionist was excited about the llama milk experiment. So, in a year, if the girls have some crias, we will see what happens with that. I am rethinking the donkey milk thing again. Donkeys are easier to deal with, cheaper than camels and give more milk. Not quite the same, but the benefits of the milk have similar antibacterial properties for people who have gut issues. Plus, I can call our farm the Happy Ass Farm, which amuses me to no end. Happy Ass Dairy, maybe.

I realized some important things from this trip. First, I never want to live up near the Springs again. It just seemed dirty and dismal to me. I love the wide open spaces and spectacular views I have here in the San Luis Valley, every single day. The air is clean, there is no traffic, and the people are just so nice. Second, a little more space from my extended family is not a bad thing--there are just way too many cats up that way for me to tolerate. (I do miss my 20 year old daughter though. I'm still trying to convince her to move out here with us.) Third, even though it would be nice to find land closer to the doctor, it isn't necessary as we can make our appointments in the summer months instead. Fourth, being gone all day takes a few days catch up to get the farm back to normal.

And we are still not done with the barns!!! Winter is well on its way and we have to get the shelters closed in for the critters. Time and money. That's all we need. There seems to be a shortage of both of those things around here.

Richard is still plugging away on the turkey/duck/rabbit house. And the goat barn got a little recycled metal siding. This will keep the metal that is laying around from blowing away and re-use it in a useful way. Win, win.



Rustic turkey house--made with pallets


Barn siding



It's not very pretty though. Wouldn't it be cool if we could side the bars with corrugated metal, running vertical, like some people are doing with house spaces? We once visited a house in Taos where they used corrugated metal under the counter on a stool space. Looked very nice. Of course, outside, the metal might just blind us all, so maybe it's better we are using old metal, colored roofing. Although, we went on a house tour many years ago in Albuquerque where they sided the outside with corrugated metal, and the inside was a retro mix of steel and exposed pipes. It was nice. Not my thing really, but I can see the appeal. Maybe we can try it out one day. Only need more time and money....

Friday, November 8, 2013

Concert in Jaroso

Last night we went to a concert in Jaroso. One of our very talented neighbors, Michael Schraud, makes African Harps, called Koras, and there is a documentary being made about him and the harps and what not, so three Kora players came to town and played for an artistically inclined group of town's people. We were lucky we saw the poster in the post office. The concert was held at another neighbor -- Mark's little old adobe church, which used to be the town church, once upon a time. Mark Dudrow is also a musician, as well as an artist who makes some pretty cool clay tile art pieces.

The concert was amazing and the kids managed to sit through the whole thing, sort of, sleeping on and off. We met up with several neighbors, one who might even buy eggs and goat cheese in the near future. Quite the social event for our tiny town. I think everyone who went enjoyed it immensely. People dressed up and there was one older lady decked out all in gold lame, while some of us just wore our jeans and T-shirts. The common article of clothing seemed to be a scarf as the weather was a bit chilly and the tiny church was heated solely with a small wood stove along one wall of the church. It was toasty enough inside with the 50 or so people enjoying the small space and the lovely sounds of the music filling the air. Maybe Mark will have more concerts at the church in the future. Wouldn't that be fun?

I just love the quirkiness of this area. Not too far out to be touched by the magic that is Taos (or maybe the tiny town of Jaroso holds a little bit of its own magic and mystery). Only here would we accidentally happen upon a concert with musicians from around the world, who also happen to be filming for a documentary. Amazing stuff. A few months ago I had never heard of or even seen a Kora. Then we went to the Jaroso studio tour and met the man who makes them and saw his studio first hand. The Kora is an amazing instrument that produces an amazing and beautiful sound. If you ever have the opportunity to listen to a Kora being played, do it. You will not be disappointed.

Monday, October 28, 2013

Looking for good quality hay

Winter is coming and there is still so much to get done. Does it always feel this way, or is it as you get older that time seems to close in on you? Maybe there is just more to get done!

We have been stocking up on hay, finding it where ever we can at this point. We found a great source just outside of Alamosa. At least for now the hay has not gotten wet. The farmer also stores most of his hay in a hay bar. Imagine that.


Wild horses on the way to get hay. These were only a few miles from our farm.


Last week we went to La Jara for hay. Organic alfalfa. Field stacked. Richard tried to dig into the middle of the pile to get to the best of it, but as we use the hay now, we are noticing more and more moldy chunks throughout. Too bad. That was a great farm. Off grid. Old farmhouse with solar panels. Passive solar barns. They had Churro sheep! And a couple of Clydsdales, which they use to plow and do the farm field work. Awesome! Those are some huge horses. I would've liked to talk to the farmers there (They were out of town when we went. We met the ranch hand.), except for that moldy hay thing. Not sure I could hold my tongue.

Farmer tip: If you are going to be in the business of hay, build a hay barn!!!!!

So, while thinking about draft horses, I discovered some really cool people using miniature horses to plow and even pull wagons full of hay. Cool. I have to reexamine my thoughts on miniature horses. They may be good for something besides looking cute. Here's a link to some interesting info on minis.

I have also been considering a Dexter cow to add to our farm. I like cow milk. I prefer it over goat milk. but, regardless, the kids can't have either. No casein for my kids. Still, it'd be nice to have some cow milk now and then. Dexters are an old, dual purpose breed, both good for milk and meat, but much, much smaller than an average cow. They eat less and are easier to deal with. That's what we are looking for...easy to deal with. And, eats less...very important.

Now, I scan Craiglsist, looking for Churro sheep, Dexter cows and mini draft horses. And hay. I'm always looking for hay.

Richard has been working on the turkey/rabbit/duck house and it is coming right along.



Pallet turkey house



Saturday, October 19, 2013

Winter is coming

We had our first snow on the ground on October 15. Not much really, but enough to excite the kids. My daughter gathered up snow to make a nice sized snowball, which she then set on the windowsill on the north side of the house, so she could keep an eye on it. It took several days for it to melt. I think it finished melting just yesterday, October 18.



Snowball



Before the snow came, Richard picked a bunch of red cabbagges, which he took to the Taos Food Co-op Farmer's market (no website, but here's an article in the Taos News), which happens every Wednesday afternoon. We also have some catnip and a couple of huge pumpkins at the Co-op...available for sale. We still have carrots, onions and potatoes in the ground in the garden, plus, Richard is trying to nurse some kale and chard along with blankets and tarps to protect it from the nightly freezes.



Red Cabbages

On the way to Taos on Wednesday, we stopped by Farmer Daniel's to sell our eggs for his Wwoofers, who love them, and saw a flock of sheep wandering in the fields and in the road. They have a Great Pyr guarding the flock and maybe functioning as a shepherd as well. I love rural America. Or maybe it's just the magical air in NM that allows scenes like this to make me smile. I'm still pining away for a flock of Churro/Navajo sheep to keep at the farm.


Sheep

We have sold several goat shares this past week and some goat cheese too, which will supplement the cost of hay. A herd of eight goats, one alpaca, five llamas, plus two rabbits eats a whole lot of hay. We are now on the constant search for affordable hay.

Richard is still working on the goat/llama barn and also trying to build a house for the turkeys, ducks and rabbits, who we are going to put in together.

It sure feels like winter is closing in on us and there is still so much to do! The days are getting shorter and colder and sure seem to vanish in the flurry of fall farm activity. If only we had some housing, I'd love to sign up for some wwoofers to help on our farm. Perhaps another season.

Sunday, October 13, 2013

Beans, barns and Yaks


Garbanzo beans



Picking dried beans...not too much fun in the cold, blowing wind. Spent 20 minutes and still have so much to do. How many hours? I have a lot of respect for people who pick dried beans by hand. A little each day, I guess, and it will get done. While I pick the beans, Richard works on the barn for the animals.



Goat barn, newly expanded. Goats on turkey box.


Yesterday we went to the Yaktoberfest held by Cho Ku Rei Ranch, in Crestone, Colorado, which was entertaining (Yaks are cool).


Baby Yak at the Yaktoberfest, Crestone, Colorado.


We also went up toward Saguache and a house that is for sale up that way on 40 acres. The house needs work, but it's a great old Victorian, much like the house we used to have in Colorado Springs. I always used to think if I could move that house to a piece of land in the country, it would be just about perfect. So, here is a house, much like that one, in the San Luis Valley, on acreage enough for our critters and our Sanctuary...

Wouldn't it be something to live in a real house again? A solid, old house with hard wood floors, and enough bedrooms for all of the family? There was even a barn, big enough for all of our animals, and another little room that could serve as a milking parlor for the goats. So, there's that. The owner may do owner financing.
But, I'm a little nervous to ask now. I sent a lengthy e-mail to the owner of the church on 40 acres that I really want. It's about ten miles from where we are renting now. It has a stable area and a well in, but no electricity or running water. It would be a lot of work, but I'm game. But the owner wouldn't rent it to us now. He wants a sizable down payment before he will do an owner carry.

The house up near Saguache is surrounded by farms--big, commercial farms, growing potatoes and grains. I have to wonder if they spray? It feels a lot different up there, energetically. And it's a long way away from my beloved NM. I feel safe down here in the southern end of the valley. I will leave it to the Universe and see what transpires.


Alfonso...herd sire?


Alfonso has been getting friendly with the female llamas. We may have some crias next year after all, and can try out that llama milk for the kids, hoping it might relieve some of their autism symptoms. We finally had enough money saved to get some more tests run on the kids. We found out they are indeed gluten and casein sensitive, big time, and also peanut butter, almond butter, eggs, flax, some citrus, beef, lamb...and some other things. Wow. This limits their diet even more. No goat milk. No eggs. What is the point of the farm? Oh yes, we enjoy it so, and maybe one day when we can heal their insides, the kids will be able to have some of these things again.

There is some speculation that camel milk will help kids with autism, or help kids with leaky gut syndrome. This is why we picked up the female llamas, to breed them for the milk, because llamas are genetically close enough to camels that the milk should be about the same as far as benefits go. Now, how do you milk a llama? I have no idea. I hear it is quite difficult, but we are willing to try for the few precious ounces of milk that may make a significant difference in our kids' behaviors.

A hybrid alpaca/llama is called a Huarizo. A llamas gestation is about a year, so maybe next October we will have some little Huarizos/crias running about. They should have lovely fiber and be a manageable size. Just what I was hoping for. Or am hoping for. We shall see what kind of critters we get.

Alfonso has been busy with the ladies and has taken to chasing off the three gelded males whenever they come near the fence. And he wins, too. The male llamas run away whenever little Alfonso charges at them at the fence. That Napolean complex seems to be big around our farm. Makes me laugh to see proud Turbo brought down a notch. Barnyard antics...more entertaining than a television...any day.


Monday, October 7, 2013

Chicken Processing Workshop

Richard is holding a chicken processing class on October 12, from 10am to 3pm here at the farm. $40

If you are interested in learning how to take the old hens or unwanted roosters from your flock and make them ready for the freezer or stew pot, this class is for you. During this hands on workshop, you will learn how to humanely kill the chickens, defeather and clean the chickens so they can be safely stored in the freezer for future eating.

If you are interested, please contact Richard ASAP as space is limited.

Plan on wearing old clothes, dress warmly, and if you want to take a processed chicken home with you, please remember to bring a cooler with ice. Live birds will be available for purchase at the farm. It is not necessary to purchase a bird to learn the processing techniques.

Thursday, October 3, 2013

Fox in the hen house.

Last night or early this morning there was a fox in the big chicken coop. It appeared to have taken one of our black hens and injured the rooster pretty badly. Sad. So Richard processed the rooster for the freezer. That rooster was protecting his flock, doing his job, and we appreciate him for it. But it was his time.

And on October 12, Richard will be holding a chicken processing workshop here at the farm. The rooster was on the list for that class anyway. He had been getting unpredictable and was not past attacking me when I went to collect eggs. Some of our hens are well past prime laying age and they all seem to be pecking each other pretty badly in the big coop. They are older birds, some of which came down with us when we moved from our homestead in Rockvale, Colorado a couple of years ago. It is time to cull the flock.

The class will teach anyone interested how to process chickens for the freezer or stew pot. It's that time of year to stock up the freezer. We will have the live birds here and students can purchase birds to process and take home with them after the class. The workshop will run from 10 am to about 3pm, depending on how things move along. The suggested donation fee for the class is $40 per student, but no one will be turned away. If you are interested in attending, please e-mail Richard to register and get more details. Bring a cooler and ice if you plan on taking processed birds home with you. Also,it might be a good idea to wear old clothes, and maybe bring a change of clothes with you.

As a result of last night's chicken thievery, Richard spent this morning fortifying the old coop. He dug a trench around the coop and put chicken wire in the ground and up the sides of the coop. The fox is a digger. Hopefully the wire will keep the fox and any other predators out.


Chicken wire around the coop.

Chicken wire in trench around coop.

Back fill over wire, in trench, around coop.

Monday, September 30, 2013

Introducing the goat herd.

Goats...so many goats.

Today when we came up the road from our trip to Alamosa (we bought straw for the barns and a freezer) the herd of goats, plus two llama girls came running across the field, along the fence, like a bunch of dogs, running to greet us. Silly goats.

We have so much milk now, we are going to start freezing it. That combined with our house fridge freezer full of vegetables from the garden, we definitely needed to upgrade to a chest freezer. We found a little one at Sears.

So, anyway...goats. I want to introduce the herd, starting with the new girls. A nice family gifted them to us because they are moving, but actually not too far away from us, so they can come and visit often.

There's Pinky. She's an odd sort of color, and a mix of something...Alpine, Nubian? She's very big and very bossy. She likes to shove her way through the gate to get to the milk stand. And she likes to dance around when she's up there, which means, I get to hold her back legs while Richard milks. That way, she doesn't kick the milk bucket over. We learned the hard way.


Pinky with baby Aspen behind her, and Oreo's head in front.


Pinky's baby doe is Aspen, and she's just adorable. She is polled like her mother, which means they were born without horns. I love polled goats. Alpine likes to lay in the middle of the hay trough or hay bale if it's on the ground while she eats.


Aspen


Oreo is a unicorn, the result of a disbudding (dehorning) gone bad, but her one horn doesn't bother us much. She is pure Nubian. We did all have to learn how to get her head in and out of the milk stand though. I also have to hold her legs when Richard milks, but she is getting better everyday. She is the best at standing still of the three new girls.


Oreo, flipping her head around so her ears stand up.


Oreo's baby girl is named Cookie and she is a Nubian/Alpine cross. She came with a cough, but it seems to be getting better. She also has one horn.


Cookie


Bluebell is my favorite of the new girls. She is full Nubian and disbudded. She just is a nice looking and nice acting goat, although she has her issues too. She likes to lean to the right when she's on the milk stand, pushing against Richard as he milks her. If he gets up, she keeps on leaning, nearly falling off the stand. I do have to hold her legs when we milk. I think all of these girls may have been hobbled on the milk stand. They'll learn over time.


Bluebell


And of course there's Jewell, who came to us about a week prior to the five new girls. She's older and seems like she's feeling her age a bit. She's a big Alpine goat, and very well behaved on the stand. She is also disbudded. She does eat a lot of grain though, almost like she's slurping it up, and she licks the dish clean, every time. Her udder is drying up now.


Jewell


Our first girl, Fairy Dust, who is polled and a Boer/Alpine mix. She is the littlest of the goats, but very well-behaved on the milk stand. She does have some issues with trying to figure out her place in the herd. She thinks she needs to be milked first, maybe because she was the first one here. She had been with the billy almost full time, until we got Jewell and separated the billy goat from the girls. Fairy's udder is nearly dry now and I think she is pregnant. We may be getting goat babies around the Winter Solstice.


Fairy Dust


The male is Molet. Big, red, full blooded Nubian with giant horns. He scares me a little. We have tried to find him a new home through Craigslist, but he's still here, sharing his male goat aroma with the rest of us at the farm.


Molet


Quite a herd gathered in such a short time. And we have more milk than we can deal with. We will start freezing it, but it would be ideal to start up a goat share program. So, if you are local, and in Colorado, and would like to own part of a lovely goat herd, send us an e-mail and we can talk about how that works. The share will get you fresh, raw goats milk weekly. We may also do a goat cheese share.

Thursday, September 26, 2013

Llamas and alpacas do not get along.

What a ruckus! We passed the Fall Equinox and someone turned on the wind. Welcome to Fall. And, the animals are being crazy. Llamas jumping fences...

We had our three gelded male llamas separated from the two females, who are in with the goats. We added the male alpaca to the females and the goats. All was good...until Taylor jumped the fence into the male llama yard. She spent the night there just fine, while we tried to figure out what to do, or how we were going to get her back in with the goats without letting them all out. The goats are a little crazy too. They try to shove their way past when you open the gate.

So, we were milking the goats this morning when a real ruckus broke out in the llama barn. Alfonso had jumped the fence, apparently to defend the honor of Taylor, the female llama, and was now fighting the black llama Vader. Luckily, all of them have their fighting teeth removed, but still, the llama probably outweighs the alpaca by a hundred pounds, or more.


Vader and Alfonso


We rushed to break them up, but as I was yelling, clapping and creating my own ruckus, while debating running for a hose to spray them, Richard managed to frighten them enough to get them apart. None of them want to be touched by human hands, and they avoid us to no end (unless they are haltered and tied). He caught Alfonso and tied him up. Thankfully he still had his halter on, which I have been meaning to take off.

We finished milking the goats. Alfonso got loose on the outside of the yard, where he was tied, and he kept running back and forth, humming, mad, because Vader had jumped the fence and was now in the goat yard with Patty, the other female. Richard tied Alfonso to the car.

Meanwhile we let all the goats into the llama barn, got the other two male llamas back out to pasture, and herded the female llama, Taylor, back into the goat yard. Richard fortified the short chain link fence they have been jumping, added two lines of electric tape on top, just a visual, but it should deter them because of the height.

I chased llamas for a while, trying to get Vader corralled. No luck. I enticed him into the chicken yard with a bowl of grain, and we got him back out to the pasture with the other llama boys.

The goats were herded back into their yard and we put Alfonso back in with the girls. Everyone was back to normal, with  the males all talking snotty to each other over the fences.

What a morning. And this afternoon, the wind still blows...

Herd of goats

Tuesday, September 24, 2013

First Frost

Last night we had our first frost. We were warned by checking the weather, and also by a farmer friend. I had a feeling it was coming. So yesterday, we worked like mad to catch up on everything and try to get our tomatoes covered in time.


Frame for plastic to cover a row of tomatoes.


Quick hoop house over tomatoes.


My adult daughter and her significant other came to visit on Friday and Saturday. It was a lot of fun. They showed up just after we got the new goats unloaded and into the goat yard. We all learned to milk the goats that day.


New goats.

Richard has been working like crazy to get an extension on the barn done for the goats. It rained really hard on Sunday night and flooded the fields. Too many animals without shelter had us up early and working on getting everyone out of the weather. The barn is not done yet, but at least most of the critters have a chance to get out of the rain now.


Bigger barn.

While Richard put up the barn addition, I picked the produce. I pulled all of the cucumbers, no matter what size. I picked three varieties of peppers, found three red tomatoes, collected more calendula seeds, found a few marigold dead heads to save for seed, jarred my dried rose hips, and put mullein seeds in a paper bag to dry. And then I put straw mulch over the onions and carrots, just to be safe.


Cucumbers...some have been turned into pickles.

We worked like mad. It was a long hard day. But we did it! We got the tomatoes covered, picked the produce we could, and got the shelter made for the goats.

And...it frosted.

Frost bitten pumpkin vines.


But we were prepared. I am thankful our hard work paid off. And I am sad to see the gardening season winding down as winter closes in.