Hola amigos! It's been awhile, quite awhile, since I last posted. We've experienced a great deal of upheaval since I last wrote; such is life! We planned, organized and designed my girlfriends wedding (it turned out amazing!); my grandmother, whom I had been caring for this past year, left this life in December; I rewrote our curriculum and we've welcomed an abundance of life and mourned our fair share of death on the farm in the last few months.

There's really too much to recount so I'll begin anew, with trying to hatch some eggs. As we have mating pairs of geese, turkeys, ducks and chickens, we decided to side step the whole buying of baby chicks this year. Of course, I'm sure we'll still pick up a few adorable associates along the way, we've decided to try and breed, hatch and raise our own butcher stock this year. My mother so kindly donated a mid-range incubator and I've spent the last two days pouring over poultry books trying to decipher exactly how to ensure a healthy hatching. After ascertaining that I'll most likely fail, I threw our clutch in the incubator, or as I've fondly begun to refer to it - The Eggzabator, last night. Included in our hatch hopefuls are 6 turkey eggs, 12 duck eggs and a lonely goose egg. The problem with incubating these three breeds together is that the duck and goose eggs need more humidity then do the turkey eggs. And since I can't figure out how to get the Eggzabator to get more humid, I just threw them all together and I'm innocently, or ignorantly, hoping for the best. I never said I was a great farmer, just an enthusiastic one!

Another wonderful addition to the 'stead is Whitney Houston. What a horrible name, you say? Yes, I do have to agree with you. Unfortunately, I had no say in this matter. The story is long and sad and sweet; I'll begin. Arwen was accidentally impregnated, through lackadaisical farm standards assuredly. We didn't even realize she was prego until a week before she delivered. The day of her birthing, February 12, I inspected her to see if she had any telltale discharge from her vagina, as usually occurs in almost laboring nannies. As discharge was discernibly absent, I relaxed and went about my day, to be culminated in a date night with my partner Nik.

6pm finds me looking pretty and ready to hit the town (the local bar) when my mom calls frantically saying that she heard splashing water in the barn. Now, as preface to what I've just relayed, I must explain that there are two houses on our property. My Mum lives closer to the Habitat (barn yard) and is always calling to say that the animals are making weird noises. Keep in mind weird noises are what barn yard animal do. A squawk this way to mean that, a quack that way to mean this. That's what they do. Anyhow, she calls to say she hears running water, or splashing in the back and she's worried there's a raccoon killing the goats or something. Nik and I run back to the Habitat, as we always do when my mother worries, and what do we find? Arwen, in labor, with two babies at her feet and a third halfway out. Now did I mention how cute I looked? I looked good! And here I was, about to kneel in the hay and blood and all sorts of fluid from a birthing mama goat. Why do I even try? Anyhow, after pushing the last baby free, Arwen immediately stands and starts licking clean the larger, brownish kid. The other two she ignores. At first I thought the first one she had birthed was dead. He was covered in amniotic fluid and didn't seem to be breathing. I cleaned his face and that of the last kid born. The larger one, the one Arwen immediately took to, was already up and around, nursing some of that excellent colostrum. I tried for quite some time to get her to nurse the other two; she just wouldn't. After about 30 minutes, I took the two small kids inside.

For the next two days I bottle fed them every few hours and tried to help them thrive. They began to walk about 12 hours after they were born and I had the highest of hopes. I even named them in the belief that my positive energy and love could help them thrive. I named them Zora Neale Hurston and Herman Hesse. Good, powerful names after favorite authors. Unfortunately, they both passed within 4 days of life. They both passed at Woodburn Veterinary Clinic, after lots of time, energy and money. During that time my mom took it upon herself to name the surviving kid. I was so busy with the two runts that I gave no thought to her naming choices. Whitney Houston... Oh woe! The travesty of her discretion on top of the death of two beloved babes! I was in a funk that was inescapable for a week.

Whitney is now healthy and happy and the light of our farming days. She's got more personality then a lot of folks I know and she's never above a romp. I choose to take every experience as a learning opportunity and try to never miss the simple joyful happenstances that can be found. Apart from being more careful of breeding mishaps, I've come to cherish Miss Whitney more then I had hoped as she symbolizes the dichotomy of birth and death, renewal and the passing of energies. And she loves to poo on Nik's favorite chair in the living room. His subsequent annoyance is the remedy for all that ills!

Happy wintering!

A Photo!

A good friend of mine is an amazing photographer. And I say that she is beyond marvelously talented not just 'cause I know her and I'm pretty sure my talent rubbed off on her but because she's obviously phenomenally gifted. Anyhow, she ventured to our neck of the woods the other day and snapped some shots of my kiddos and animals. Here's one of Stella and Rosie the Riveter, of the the goosies. You can find my amazing photographer friend at www.jessicawatsonphotography.com

Finally! Oh how I've missed you blog of mine. I'm so sorry I've been away. These past five months have been so incredibly busy that I haven't had the time or the energy to post anything. Oh what many things we've done! January and February saw us rebuilding our rental out back. On our property there are two homes, ours and a smaller "Cottage" behind ours. My mother lived there for about a year but decided to move. So before we found new renters, we wanted to, and did, rebuild the inside. New flooring, new walls, new kitchen. What a great experience, learning how to take out old flooring and how to replace drywall. The kids were an amazing help. So was our community. Everyone pitched in to help us rebuild the old place. And guess what? We got some amazing renters in! With all the rebuilding, we were worked to the bone, so the kids and I took a day trip up to Seattle on the train. We visited the Experience Music Project and walked all around downtown. The kids even got to play in their own band, repeatedly, much to their enjoyment. In the middle of February, we welcomed 58 baby chicks into our library, as it was too cold (and our garage too full) for them to be outside. We got 25 Buff Orphingtons, 25 New Hampshire reds and a few odds and ends. We're planning on having them butchered to feed our bodies and souls sometime in July. We also raised 4 black Indian runner ducks that we'll keep for egg layers. In the brooders right now we've got 15 ducks - 5 Pekins, 5 Rouens and 6 randoms (I believe at least one is a Sweedish). As Calvin the goose has been harassing Gretchen the duck too much, we decided to raise a few geese as well. We just named them the other day: Barack and Michelle Obama, Rosie the Riveter, Tokyo Rose and Big Bird. They are so darn adorable! And you wouldn't believe how much they poo. In addition to the geese and ducks, we're also brooding a few bantams, silkies, turkeys and a Jersey Giant (being raised with the bantams). Needless to say that our library stinks right now, no matter how often I clean out the brooders! One of our doe rabbits just had babies a few days ago, 8 healthy, beautiful babies. I know we're going to eat them when they get bigger but it's really hard not to fall in love with them, they're just adorable. This spring has been full of love and adventure; I'm glad I'm finally able to share it here on my blog! Happy Spring!

Lost in Space!

So sorry that I've not posted anything in some time. Unfortunately, we've been adrift in outer space and have been unable to access the internet or any modern technology. When I do again touch down on Earth and begin to use her mechanisms with ease, I'll write of our exploits. Much love Earthlings!

Are you crazy??? You do your laundry in the shower?

Just over a month ago, we began washing our clothes in the bathtub. What, you may ask, was the catalyst for this change in routine? Although I'd love to point to a loftier reason, the fact is that our washing machine was acting the temperamental brat and I was unwilling to pay hard earned money to fix it. I began researching my options. On average, washing machines use 25-40 gallons of water each load. Add to that the 37 gallons of water a day per toilet (we have two) and the 50-70 gallons of water each day for a shower, times 5 (as there are 5 of us) and we're regular water wasters around here. I began to think that we could cut down on those numbers if we were to multi-task a little better. Years ago an excellent friend of mine used the shower to wash her clothes and herself at the same time. This not only earned her years of bragging rights, but left a lasting impression on me; I was filled with images of self-sufficiency and eco-empowerment. So, could I do this with a family of 5? How could it work and would we be overcome with dirty laundry? Destined to drown in muddy pants and soggy shirts?
The answer was easy enough to decode. We began with a schedule. I realize I'm at risk of ridicule with this coming admission, but damn the torpedoes! I scheduled our schedules. Every 4 days each person would take a shower and wash their own clothes. Nik was excluded because he showers at his work. The kids became responsible for washing their own clothes and I was responsible for washing the household laundry as well as Nik's and my own. At first the thought was overwhelmingly time consuming but the resulting figures are much less then originally planned. The kids enjoy the responsibility and the level of fun that comes with washing your own gear.
For curious minds, I'd like to explain the process. Start with the clothes themselves. We discovered early on that despite progress in the world of laundry, it really does matter what types of material and what colors you put together. Luckily, the kid's clothes are all similar in material and hardiness. Build your pile and start the bath water; close the drain immediately to catch any and all water. Let the bath water fill for a moment or two and add your soap. Because your skin will be immersed in the laundry soap, it's best to use a enviormentally safe and skin tolerant soap. We've found two that I like. Biokleen and Kookaburra. I use each one for different types of clothes. I use the Biokleen for jeans and tougher material and I prefer the Kookaburra for the pleasant scent and how well it cleans more delicate clothing. Pour your soap in as the water is just starting, so that the pressure of the water can agitate the soap and thereby produce more cleansing bubbles. Turn on your shower and throw in your clothes.
Hop on in and start stomping. Stomping on the clothes help the soapy water really get to the dirty areas. Soap up, wash, shampoo... all the while you're stomping on your clothes. I like to keep two rocks in the shower for those super dirty pant cuffs. I originally looked for a washboard and had the darndest time finding one, when a wonderfully snoopy lady at Mirador suggested I use rocks. And they work famously! After agitating and scrubbing and stomping, open the drain and begin to empty the water. At this point I'm usually rinsing my soapy pits. Once the tub is loosing water, pick up each article of clothing and hold it under the spray of the shower in order to rinse it off. This part has been the hardest part of all for me to figure out because I feel like it takes a lot of water to rinse off each piece of clothing. I have put a bucket in the shower a few times, on the floor - under the spray, sitting in the soapy water but higher then the suds. The bucket catches any extra water sprayed. Then I'd use the water in the bucket to rinse the soap out of each piece of clothing. This method works well if you're washing t-shirts, socks and underwear. It doesn't work so well with pants or towels as they're too big and heavy. Anyhow, once the clothes are rinsed, wring them out (I've already built some pretty rockin' biceps from this activity) and hang them up to dry. I recently installed a drying rack above the shower to hang wrung out but still wet clothes. Once I get out of the shower and get dressed, I take the wrung clothing into the kitchen and hang them on one of three drying racks. In the summer I hang them outside. Air is free; why not take advantage? The length of drying time depends on the thickness of the material. Jeans take a day or two and t-shirts have taken as short as a few hours if I've been cooking all day and the kitchen is extra warm. I love this method of cleaning our clothes because we're using very little energy, conserving water and believe it or not, I've come to respect our clothing so much more. Each sock, shirt or pair of pants was made by someone, somewhere. Most likely in a country very different then my own, under very different circumstances. I feel that fact deserves respect. Making clothing is a difficult task; I know as I've dabbled at my home sewing machine. Although I'd like to think that these folks get paid decent wages, have sick time and only work 8 hour days, I cannot be that naive. Their sacrifice is so often overlooked and under respected within our society. Washing my own clothes in this manner reminds me that although I may have paid money for this sweatshirt or that towel, I haven't yet paid it's true cost. The act of spending time with my laundry has afforded me a little time to reflect and find some peace, washing away the dirt.

The Last Two Weeks of the Year

Because I'm never satisfied with the order (or complete chaos) of the Back 40, we're always moving fences and performing general construction. Two or three days before Christmas you would have found the kids, with the assistance of Miss Lilly Ann, and myself pulling up fencing and driving new posts. Good times! I think I'm happy with the new layout, for now. Whahhhahwhahhaa

I realize I'm posting a bunch of photos this go 'round, but there's just so many wonderful things to see about now! To the left here, you'll see a photo of Jack Thomas. Isn't he just stunning??!? This photo was taken when Jack clocked in at just 5 hours old. And already a looker! Born into a wonderful family with great hopes for the person he'll grow to be.

So down to the nitty gritty... Christmas. The kids hauled and got everything they've ever wanted and more, thanks in part to our wonderful community. Thank you Sasa and Aaron, thank you Grandma and Grandpa, thank you everyone that worked to make this holiday into a wonderful memory for Joshua, Jason and Stella. And what did we as parents get, you may ask. Nik got books, a fireplace poker set, shirts, underwear, alcohol, lots of good stuff. And me? I got 27 laundry baskets and a box of laundry soap. Sounds pretty chinsey, eh? Oh but no, it was the best present I've ever gotten! The kids and Nik did every stitch of laundry in our house, including boxes of old clothing shoved in the back of the closet that needed to be cleaned in order to pass them down the line. They spent one whole day at the laundromat (why the laundromat, you may ask. Read on my friends, all will be explained), washing, drying and folding laundry. Yay family! Although Santa and Mrs. Santa remembered all of the animals at Christmas by filling each of their stockings with alfalfa pellets and whatnot, we wanted to sweeten their Christmas experience and so cruised the tree lots the day after Christmas and grabbed all the trees we could find. I think we must have gathered over 30 trees for their enjoyment. The goats promptly built a fort out of the deciduous fodder. No joke. I think bears must like the smell of evergreen foliage because just the other night, a terrifying bear broke in our front door! Really broke up the door and door jam too, that horrible bear did. Thank you, Ike, for running to our aid like a man in tights and cape!

So, now on to the laundromat explanation. Our washing machine has been on the fritz for awhile now and we've been doing laundry in the shower. I've often marveled at folks that take advantage of their shower water by cleaning their clothes at the same time, but have been too enabled by my plug in, easy as pie washing machine to conserve water by washing by hand. The trouble with the machine now has forced me to put my words into action. We've been doing laundry almost every day in the shower now. Each person does his or her own laundry, which means the kids clean their own. They've done an amazing job! And it's been a fun experience. It also really makes you look over each piece of clothing and make sure it's really dirty before going through all the effort that is required to clean it!

Happy Hanukkah, Welcome Kwanzaa, Solstice Greetings, Merry Christmas and Yay Winter!

Greetings Y'all! What a busy month we've had! It seems like babies are poppin' out of our ears and we're having parties every night. They're not and we're not, but there sure is an abundance of both this holiday season! One of our dearest friends welcomed a baby boy December 22nd. Welcome Baby Jack!
Although it's been a little tough this time of year, keepin' our little world atop our shoulders, it's been worth it! We're in the process of planning a change in the pasture, expanding the garden plot and designing the rabbit coops. Nestled somewhere in that mess is Christmas. Despite the fact that we're so busy doing whatever it is that we do (homeschooling and homesteading and playing and practicing and and and) Christmas is almost made better because of all the work. This season has been just wonderful! I think it might be that we just thrive off chaos around here. The chickens are starting to lay again, which is always a wonderful sign for the coming year. Billy the kid has yet to "get it on" with Arwen and Maybelle, but he's at least warming up to the herd, or rather, the herd is warming up to him. And we're about to end one unit on Constructive Reuse and begin another on State Politics. Yay! I love the hope brought on by a new unit session. Love and Peace all!