The second law of thermodynamics Ordinarily, when I hear the word “broken”, I immediately think of something that was previously useful and served some purpose, but, through some mishap or overuse has become useless or difficult to use. Often we are faced with the dilemma of whether to repair that item or dispose of it.…
From the middle of June until the end of September the harvest is being gathered in hereabouts. Our Northeast Ohio summer growing season is approximately four months long; we plant our vegetable gardens sometime in May, and we put it all to bed in September or October. The fruits and berries add another layer to…
January 1, 2020…is anyone NOT feeling the significance of this day and having a nagging urge to resolve something? Every year this date marks the beginning of eating plans, cessation of unseemly and unhealthy habits, and overall hopeful dreams for the next 364 days; most of these are short-lived. And yet, we do it every…
…and yes, it involves chickens Just look at that! I am at a loss for words that would adequately describe that glorious eastern sky earlier this week. Nevermind that I am all about pinks and purples…and the brilliant intensity was truly awesome. It was the sort of sunrise that compelled one to drop whatever she…
A hen, a woman, and a battle Isolated from the rest of the flock, snuggled in the brooder within the confines of our barn, Sloopy, our 18-month-old Buckeye hen, is the face of our latest chicken malady battle. We’ve experienced wry neck with sweet Clara I and salpingitis complete with lash egg with Ophelia…and a…
I guess I still have a lot to learn regarding planning. A really good plan, apparently, is NOT simply outlining steps of a project. Creating a great plan, which is now my goal in life, should also include the “what ifs”…contingencies…detours, if you will. Why am I surprised? As I look back at pretty much…
Learning and Growing That first year was intoxicating…we had our first taste of maple syrup from our own trees, we had the camaraderie of a small group of friends joining us in our quest, and we had glimmers of what could be in the future. As the saying goes, “We didn’t know what we didn’t…
A Ten-Year Adventure Begins In 1989 we purchased this 31-acre chunk of property with gleams in our eyes for “working the land”, having no clear idea of what that really looked like. There were ten or so acres of overgrown pasture, a dozen or so neglected and sickly fruit trees, a couple of rows of…
After a warmer than usual November and December old man Winter has finally arrived, unpacked all of his belongings, and taken up residence in northeast Ohio. I know that hot/cold/comfortable temperatures are all personal and relative, but most would agree that positive single digit or any negative windchill numbers fall somewhere between bitter and brrrr.…
