Haven Ridge Alpacas

The Blue Line Forest

2019-09-08T20:37:00.000-07:00

The landscape at Haven Ridge is about to change dramatically. As some of you may know we have been evacuated twice for fire. Once for the Trailhead Fire and once for the King. This is extremely stressful and yet both times we had time to get all 20+ alpacas, 3 cows, 4 big dogs, 3 pigs+ their babies, 6 rabbits, and too many to count chickens and ducks (with a lot of help from friends). It’s a lot of lives to be responsible for and they count on us for their well-being and safety.

We have lived here nearly 20 years and work hard to keep our grounds clean and with good clearance but it’s still a 12.5 acres of forest and after 20 years there’s been a lot of growth. It’s more than we can keep up with and still be fire safe. With that in mind I got some referrals and called a logging company. It seems like it would be a simple task, sell the trees, they’re my trees, but it’s not. It’s California and there’s permits and if you can get other properties nearby to go in with you so the logging company only needs to bring out its equipment once, you’ll all profit better. The paperwork involved in all this means that we might get started next spring. Not a quick process at all.

That said, we got the ball rolling, have neighbors also interested in fire prevention, and a forester came out and evaluated our property. Then came out again and we went over the entire property with spray cans and marked all the trees that they will take. To be under the fire prevention permit they are only taking the ones that are larger than 12 inches in diameter and smaller than 30 so do not fear that this is a clear cut. This is going to make room for the healthy trees to thrive. If you are familiar with the bark beetle issues that have plagued our forest the last few years you will understand what a huge benefit this will be. This will give us space so that when (not if) fire comes our way we have a better chance of saving our house and preserving our hill. It helps that the U.S. Forest adjacent to us will also be doing their own fire clearance and our neighbors at the corner will also be part of our project.
So now I look around at the blue lines and try to imagine what my skyline will look like next year, what space we will have and while I’m nervous I’m also excited!! There is a lot of unused space out here that has always been a nice forest backdrop to our lives but I’m now seeing that it will be available to utilize to rotate the animals on and let the ground they’ve been on for 12 years now, rest.
No more cleaning pine needles off the little house, and more sunshine for the orchard. I’ll even be able to move the chickens out of the orchard.

It’s going to be a big change. It’s going to be a lot of work on our part to move all the odd piles of scrap to give the loggers the space they need and even relocating some of the animals. In the end I hope we will have made the difference needed.

So. We are selling these trees. A great deal of the funds go to pay the forester for all his time and headache with the paperwork and you pay the timber company and all that that entails and hopefully when all is said and done there’s some for you. There’s no guarantee on that it depends on the bottom line at the end and how much volume they harvested from your space. At the very least, you are getting your property timbered and cleaned up for fire safety and you don’t pay anything. It’s a win! But hopefully there’s enough for going out to dinner later. We are hopeful for a little more than that and whatever it is will be put toward getting Haven Ridge solar powered! I will make a separate entry on that as we get closer.

More About the Milk Cow (Zoey's second baby)

2018-01-23T14:56:00.000-08:00

Hannah has gone home. She was a great milk cow but her temperament was never going to win her a lot of love.
Zoey gave birth to a healthy little guy December 8, 2017. It took almost nothing at all to remind her about going into the chute for milking. She knows there's treats waiting for her. All the work we did with her early on just keeps paying us back. There's no kicking, no tail flicking, and no passive aggressive defecating.

Still not without it's own individual challenges. She still, as any good mamma would, does not let down unless the calf is there to stimulate her. That does mean time training the calf to not be shy about coming over to suckle. After about a week of persuasion and a little bit of chasing, he's got it now.

The hurdle before that is the extra time in my day. This is a winter calf, not ideal for our lifestyle. It means the nights are long, too long to separate mamma and baby for morning milking. I did try. By one a.m. the bellowing started. I tried to ignore it. I tried to sleep. I knew some noise was going to be inevitable and tried to rationalize it and tell myself that there is always a lot of noise the first time. The calf is just in a small stall, Zoey can still see and touch but another hour down and I started counting the hours since darkness fell and we had separated and how many more hours till daylight. Then I felt guilty. Guilty and irritated because now I am responsible for this noisy, miserable, mamma. But I wasn't about to give up on my milk acquisition. I am too stubborn for that. So I went out in the dark, glad for the very mild winter we have had so far. Other than some confusion from the flashlight, Zoey went right to the chute, baby went right to mamma and I got my milk and went back to bed.

    For now, because my sleep is precious to me, I separate in the morning. The baby thinks that it's half alpaca anyway so he goes over and romps with the other yearlings. For now I feel safe with this. He is, in reality, half low line Angus and he is naturally polled. This means no horns to push the alpacas around with. Mostly he is content to hang out with them and feel part of the herd until it's lunch time. I come out at lunch time to milk but as you can see, this does break up my day a bit. It means that there are some days where other obligations take priority and we just leave the little guy with mom. That's the beauty of the system. I am looking forward to the spring when the days get longer and the night is short enough that we can change the arrangement without too much stress on all involved.
     A few new experiences to note. Vertical cuts in Zoey's teats. These are apparently caused from the calf's teeth as he strips the teat. This didn't happen with the last calf and he is still too young to even consider weaning. The suggestion is to use a Dremel and take the sharp edges off. This will be similar to what we do to cut back the long front teeth of alpacas when they grow past the natural line of the gum palate. My intention will be to just take a light sander to the edges so not nearly as severe.
    In the meantime we rub her teats with coconut oil to help her heal. It doesn't help that it's winter and dry.
     We are a little more than a month into this and this is her second calf. I am getting nearly half a gallon a day. The cream is not as plentiful as Hannah's but it is thick and lovely. For this being just her second freshening we are pleased and feel that all things have gone as expected within reason of what living beings can offer. The teats are longer this year and easier to milk, she knows what's going on so the learning curve is easy, and my hands are more accustomed to the job as well.
     It's important to remember in this world of industrialization that farm animals are not machines. They can be bred to produce for the masses but that is not the goal with our homestead breeds. We need to work with them as their individual needs and personalities dictate even when it means changing how we do things. Owning our family milk cow continues to bring me great satisfaction even with the mental gymnastics of maneuvering around what is best for calf and Zoey for the end result. What have I learned from this? Next time make sure to breed for a spring baby when there are short nights.

Keeping a family cow. For real.

2017-10-08T21:05:00.000-07:00

About 6 years ago I met a miniature cow. That was when the seed was planted. I started talking about wanting a cow. Sometimes, I would talk about it just to annoy my husband but other times I was really pondering if it was something we should consider. I started asking more questions and doing more reading. First thing was to sort through the myths of keeping a cow as well as making sure the information gathered was based on actually keeping a homestead type cow vs. industrial dairy cow.

Books by John Seymour were extremely helpful and the most practical of all the books. Yes, the other Family Cow books were very helpful but not as practical for someone that just wants to keep a cow or two not run a cattle business.

So fast forward a few years and I make contact with our local lady who specializes in homestead specific cows. Not Big-Wall-Of-Meat cows. Not miniature cows either because they aren't that practical. No. These are heritage cows or crosses. She listened to me and understood what I was looking for and what my personal fears and concerns were. Did I say fear? Yes. Fear. Big animal that could run me down or gore me. So she was breeding me a specific cow. A Dexter and Jersey cross called a Belfair. The size and efficiency of a Dexter, the milk and cream of the Jersey. Efficiency is important. Nobody needs a cow that will eat more than she gives. Heritage breeds excel at this.

Now I have to convince my husband that this is a good idea. I'm not going to bore you here with the ins and outs of all the reading I did, or the history of my family and food allergies and looking for ways to healthfully feed my family or the ways to be self-sustaining. I will tell you that part of my research did include considering dairy goats and what I found was that while in a pinch I can see them as being good options, for the long term and not pinched, we do not really prefer goat milk or meat. It does not pay to invest in something that you will never really love. What I did was make a loaf of fresh bread, smeared it with fresh (I had just made it) butter and handed it to him. He did not put up much of a fight. No fight at all actually, one bite and he agreed, we need a cow.

I did, just as I did with the alpacas, go spend time with my friend and her cows. I learned how to milk. I asked a lot of questions. Two years ago we brought Zoey home. She calved the following May and the real test began, milking daily. Well, not exactly because she has a calf and that was part of the selling point of keeping a family cow. If I am unavailable to milk I can just leave the calf with her and there is no issue other than not having milk in the house.

     Now this brings me to the part of the story where I recall people being concerned, many years ago, that I was buying 12 acres and "What was I going to do with all that land?" and I replied, "Anything I want." Later I was asked, "What was I going to do with alpacas?" and now the question, "What are you going to do with all that milk?" and, "Nobody needs that much milk." To the people who questioned me, I am just glad that I do not have your lack of imagination.

     First of all, because I am sharing the milk with the calf, it's not more than I can deal with and second even now while I am cow sitting for a cow that does not have a calf on her we are by no means unhappy with our glut of milk. This brings me to the meat of this post, what DO I do with the milk? Is keeping a family cow worth it?

      The answer is simply YES. In fact right now I am feeding three cows. One, Hannah, is just here temporarily, Zoey, and her calf, who is 17 months old now. Roughly 8-10 flakes of alfalfa a day. Zoey is due with calf #2 next month and Hannah, is a Jersey in milk. Alfalfa is currently $12/bale as long as you buy direct and not from a feed store. I get about a gallon a day. Grass fed, non-pasteurized milk, last I checked is $12.75. From two day's milk I can collect about a quart of cream. Sometimes this is turned into ice-cream or caramel but most of the time I turn it into butter. It yields about 1/2 a pound. A pound of raw, lightly salted butter is $11.00*. From the buttermilk collected after churning the butter I add three tsps. yeast, 2 tsps sea salt and enough flour to make an elastic dough. Buttermilk bread with no sugar or additives. A large loaf of buttermilk bread is??? $4-5. Yogurt is also a favorite around here. We prefer the whey drained from ours and a half gallon of milk yields about three pints of yogurt. Today we made our first soft crumble cheese. I am excited to sprinkle it over tonight's salad.


Yogurt, out of the thermos and into the strainer.

When Zoey was in milk I did not get quite the same yield as I get from Hannah. That may be different this next time around since last time was her first baby and they are different breeds. Hannah definitely has a higher feed need. But you can see that the cost of feeding these cows is much less expensive than buying (assuming you can in some states) quality dairy and bread products. Also, keep in mind that Zoey's calf from last year will be next springs harvest, so some of that feed cost is going into next springs meat. All this plus you know where it's coming from, and what it was fed, and you are directly responsible for it's quality of life. If you are a label reader and you could write your own label for your food and know that it is the truth, this is the ultimate.

All of this does assume that you have the time to make all this but it doesn't all happen every day and some of it doesn't require much direct supervision. The butter, I pour in a food processor, turn it on and walk away. While it's spinning I start the yogurt on the stove. The Yogurt, once you bring it up to 180 degrees and hold it there for 15 minutes, you cool it back down to 108, add your culture, put it in a thermos and forget about it for a day. We drain it after that, which is our preference, but you don't have to. When the butter separates you will hear a distinct watery noise from your food processor. Strain the buttermilk from the solids and put the liquid in your mixer. Rinse your butter under cold water and let it continue to drain. Add your yeast and salt to the buttermilk in your mixer and mix in flour with the dough hook until it is elastic and not sticking to the side. Knead by hand into a ball and place in a bowl to raise. This will take an hour or so and now is when you clean up, add salt to your butter and "squadge" it, as John Seymour would say. When most of the liquid is squished out, put the butter in a mold or container. I freeze our extra so that there is butter when milk is not as available.
When the dough is double you can punch it down and place it in your bread pan for a second rise. When it's double again bake at 375 for 20 minutes. This is great bread for sandwiches, or just toast.

Cream in the food processor

butter solids separate

Strain out the buttermilk

press into molds and chill

buttermilk dough

There you have it. Milk, butter, yogurt, and bread. That's not even touching cheese if you are so inclined. That's what you can get with your own cow.

buttermilk bread

Now for the REAL.

     She will not always be in milk and you will still have to feed her. Just keep in mind the lovely beef from the calf one day. If, at all possible, you might work out an arrangement with another local dairy cow owner to be in milk while your gal is dry. That would keep the two of you in milk most the year long.
     You will be milking mostly once a day to keep production up. It will rain, or wind, or snow on you but this is true of all livestock. I don't recommend just jumping in with cows if you are not already acclimated to farm life.
     Cows are masters of the passive aggressive. They can be stubborn and willful like a two year old. Temperament of your dairy cow is important because they don't always want to be milked and it takes time and training to get her to a routine of behaving herself. She will still pick up her foot and knock over your hard worked for milk pail and yes, you do cry over spilled milk. IF she does it too often the term Kicked The Bucket will take on a whole new meaning for you. When you are not ready for it she will lift her tail and defecate. That's a special kind of passive-aggressive because you can't really yell at her for it. Sometimes milking just stimulates that. But I would be lying if I didn't tell you that sometimes I'm sure she does it on purpose. There is also the flicking of the tail. It seems so casual, natural even, but the third or fourth time she has slapped you with it you will realize there's more to it than that. You can tie up her tail and she will learn. Just like that willful two year old, she can be disciplined.

     There is much to consider, as with any livestock, before you commit to it. I am here to say that six years later after really thinking about it I am a very happy cow owner. Zoey is a great cow. I was fortunate to get her while she was young and be part of her training so now even though she out weighs me and has horns we have an understanding. Much like training our LGD's when they are small so that when they are bigger we have good manners, cows are very much the same.

      Not much is needed in the way of equipment for milking. You can strain using one of the reusable coffee filters but when you do decide to invest in more permanent equipment I recommend www.shenandoahhomesteadsupply.com

Are you interested in trying? Cricket Bishop will work with you and even offers "leases" so that you can try this lifestyle without the full "I bought the cow" commitment.

*prices based on OrganicPastures.com

Hail in June

2017-06-12T08:38:00.003-07:00

June 12th and yesterday it hailed.

Today continues to be cold and dreary and my poor shorn alpacas are out shivering. I tried putting coats and sweaters on them but they would have none of it.

I have just a few mamma's due anytime soon. I hope they wait till later this week when the temps are supposed to climb and be in the 90's. Never boring in the Sierras.

This week starts El Dorado county fair and all that that entails. Just to complicate things the trucks transmission went out. We are borrowing cars and trucks to get around. Thank goodness for the generosity of friends. If you're in Placerville this coming Friday, we will be in the horse arena at noon with alpacas and llamas.

Farmers market started this month and with it all the wonderful community that comes out and joins together at the park Saturday mornings. Wonderful friends and music come together and purchase locally produced crafts and garden fresh veggies. We are so blessed to have such a group that keeps this market going. Katie of Stardome Alpacas of Cool and I set up and have our handspun alpaca yarn and and hand knit gifts available as well as some commercially produced alpaca items. The most popular being alpaca SOCKS! Warm and soft. We are still working toward our goal of getting our own sock machine and providing our area with socks made from our own alpacas. Keep watching here as things start coming together!!

2017-05-18T20:53:00.000-07:00

A Day in the Life:

It's that time of year again, time for me to update this blog and talk about all that is new on the farm.

Of course it's spring so some of what is new is baby ducks, chicks, and goslings.

We are agisting a friends llama here and she is due the beginning of June.

We had two arrivals over the winter, unplanned breeding, but they are doing well. Noel was born the end of December, a deep brown little girl.

Janos, as his name suggests, was born in January. He has had a rough start dealing with both a herniated umbilical as well as some defecation issues and weepy eyes. He hung in there and we got him a special belt to help with the tummy and started him on antibiotics. 5 months later and he is keeping up with the best of them.

It has been a cold and extremely wet winter. Only now, more than half way through May, is it starting to dry out. Our Fire Wise council is still cautioning us that the fire threat is high this year because while the ground is damp it also increases the grasses. Last year over the 4th of July we were evacuated for the nearby fire. This is the second time within 3 years of having a fire threaten our area. A better way of viewing it though is that after living here for 17 years, we have only been evacuated twice. That's not bad considering the way California doesn't manage it's forests. It also means that with the fire and back fires and logging they have done to clear the burnt areas I am optimistic it will be another 17 years before I go through that again. I can hope.

Last year, after doing my diligent research, my husband and I made the jump and invested in a dairy cow. A Dexter/Jersey cross to be exact and her name is Zoey. She is small as cows go and not without challenges.

I can say that the early efforts of working with her as a young cow have paid off immensely. May 5th 2016 we were surprised by an extra set of eyes being unaware that she had been bred before she left her birth home. We knew it was a possibility but we didn't know. A little boy. We don't name him, he will be going to freezer camp this fall. It did speed up our original plans but in a good way! It has been a learning curve to to figure out how to get milk from her when she wanted to hold it back for the calf. And cream! We had to learn that she could even withhold the cream. Who knew! Well, our mentor did and she gave us some helpful hints on how to get around it and get our share of the goodies. All part of the plan was to leave the calf on her so that we were not required to milk daily should the need arise. When we were ready to ween him we tried a couple different nose rings that black him from nursing but swing forward when his head is down so he can eat and drink without issue. This cuts down on his stress (and less mooing for us) because he is still with his mom but has to eat like a grown up. We get about 1/2 a gallon a day, give or take. What do we do with it? We drink it for sure but we also make yogurt and butter. I also take the leftover butter milk and make a nice buttermilk sandwich bread.

I am often asked how much money we save by raising and butchering our own meat and now with the addition of milk, butter and bread. (cheese will happen soon) The answer is: We don't. Don't ever go into this thinking your budget will somehow be relieved by not needing to purchase these items. What is relieved? Your stress. Daily I read articles about what they have added to industrially raised food, sprayed the crops with, injected the meat with....It's never ending and only serves the bottom line of the industry. I know what my animals eat and I don't use chemicals. My dairy is not pasteurized or homogenized. My bread has 5 ingredients: sourdough starter, yeast, flour, buttermilk, and salt (sometimes, I indulge in some honey). No HFCS. That feels pretty good and I enjoy the routine of making it all.

What about the alpacas?? Well they're fine. We are looking forward to some new little additions this summer. The 4-H boys are sheared and ready for county fair in June and state fair in July. I am about half way through shearing all of them but it's been a late start, did I mention it's been a very wet winter? Just two days ago it felt like a late fall day, rain and cold. But I do have some very big plans this year concerning our alpaca business.

Together with a neighboring ranch in Cool we will be making our own alpaca sock brand made with our fiber not a co-op. Stay tuned as there will be a Kickstarter project to try and get this off the ground faster but by hook or by crook we are going to make it happen. They will be machine washable as they will be blended with another natural fiber.

You see, the socks I sell now are made in PA and sold out of La Jolla, CA. They are great socks, I really like them but they are 45% micro fiber. Several articles have come out now discussing the microscopic fibers washing from our laundry into the ocean and they are from all the polyesters, nylons, and polar fleece that so much of our clothing is produced with. It's starting to really accumulate and I don't want to be a part of that. https://www.organicconsumers.org/news/will-clothes-companies-do-right-thing-reduce-microfiber-pollution Yes, there will still have to be some nylon/spandex in our product to give it some stretch and the one size fits most aspect that people come to expect from socks but we will be pairing our alpaca with a natural fiber that will still give it strength, softness and wash-ability. I don't know about you but I'm not a fan of clothes I have to remember to not throw in the washing machine.

So please stand by for our Kickstarter project and support our goal if you are so inclined!

Hope But No Promises

2016-04-11T13:48:00.000-07:00

Farm life is a lifestyle full of hope and no promises. No promises anywhere, anytime. There is no promise that tomorrow will be like today because livestock and the weather, by their very nature, are going to change things up for you.

Today you have 10 chickens but later today a coyote might come through and now you have six. You look again 25 days later and you have 7 and number seven has 7 little chicks in tow. The sow you were sure you had bred turns out she was just fat, but 20 days later you find you were just off on your breeding date and now she has little piglets suckling on her. There was hope, but no promise.

You can’t make any promises either. You can have plans but you had better get used to being fluid on those plans. Yes, you planned to meet your friend for lunch but as you were pulling out of your drive you look over and see your precious Petunia Pig on the wrong side of the fence tearing through your neighbor’s garden. By the time you have lured her back to her pen, fixed the fence, and cleaned up you’re well beyond late and looking at an early dinner if your friend still has time.

You did promise you wouldn’t bring home any more farm animals but, “It was a good price” “It was abandoned” “We don’t have one like this! Think of the breeding possibilities!” Don’t make promises you can’t keep.

Hope. Hope springs eternal and hope is sometimes all we have to cling to in this precarious lifestyle. There is hope that the pigs will all stay penned. The hope that when we finish this grow out we will have a freezer full of food that we trust where it came from. The hope that with the work of raising, growing, and caring for one thing we will be able to trade for the items we still need. The hope that our friends, that live differently, will understand when we are an hour late because farm life happens. The hope that even when one of our herd/flock dies and our heart is broken that there will more life to follow. The hope that that tiny seed we pushed into the dirt will spring up as food later this summer if we water it. It seems unlikely but 30 days later, there are the leaves, pushing up and encouraging our hope. When the hail comes down and batters those leaves, we persist and plant some more because we hope.

I write this the day after finding a cria that died over night. Yes, he showed signs that something wasn’t quite right but I couldn’t find anything definitively wrong (not without $$$ of tests) so this was unexpected. I am sad. His birth was the hope of bringing in new blood, new color, and new temperament to my herd. In his death, following the necropsy, I have found a weak point in the genetics of my herd and learned that I need to move a different direction. The loss hurts but we cannot mourn for long because just around the corner is the hope that last summers’ breeding will bring new life this coming summer.

Farming is not a lifestyle for those who need promises. There are no promises that even when things seem ok that tomorrow a different truth might emerge. The learning curve on this point can be quite steep. You can hope and as you learn to go with the flow of things your hope will become grounded and your optimism will grow. You will find that hope is worth waking up to.

I promise.

Time To Get Ready

2016-02-01T12:14:00.000-08:00

It's February.

     Time to start seeds. Time to get fiber processed before the spring shearing rush. Time to think about getting new chicks. Time to get equipment ready for shearing.

I've sent about 50 lbs. out to Heart and Soul in Penn Valley to be cleaned and turned into roving. That will make getting it spun up into yarn happen a lot faster than if I clean it myself as well as make it more enjoyable for me. This also means nice clean fiber available for other spinners will be available for sale.   This year I have a bit of motivation for getting more product available. You see, come September the World Gold Panning Championship will be held in El Dorado County. I am planning on having the ranch open for any visitors exploring this area of the divide as well as products to show off what our beautiful alpacas provide for us.

     Next on my list of to-do's will be to get some dying done. As usual it will all be natural dyes. I am spinning whites as fast as I can so that I can offer a variety of color this summer at the farmers market.

     February has started out with snow on the ground and high 20's temperatures. We had great rainfall totals for January and I am hoping it continues for the next three months. It makes work sloppy and muddy but it sure beats drought and higher than usual fire danger.

     While the ground is soft I will be pulling some ground cover plants to be replanted later after I re-landscape an area that has been left fallow for some years and hope to revive the garden area in front of the studio/guest house. It will involve fixing the drip irrigation which has also been left to sit for last few years as we have coped with low well levels and too many holes in the main line. My goal will be to not only get the water set up and on a timer but get flowers back in and screened from the veracious chickens. I could pen up the chickens but that means they can't do their job of keeping the bug population in balance. So I would rather protect the plants. It's odd but it works.

   This month also brings us the bitter sweet moments where we will have to say good bye to the puppies that have given us so much joy these last few months. Some will go to their new homes this week and others will stay on a little longer to get more learning time in with the older LGD's as well as time to get big enough to handle themselves at their new job sites. My feed bill will be relieved but my heart will miss their fluffy little faces. I will breed again. My oldest and my first LGD's are eight years old now. It's sad but these are not long lived breeds. Sasha is showing her age lately and it will be time to bring in younger workers. I never imagined when I started an alpaca ranch how much these dogs would come to mean to me. I love having their eyes, ears, and noses on guard duty. They do what I cannot. Now I can't imagine ever running a ranch without them.

    For those of you who also keep fruit trees, now is also the time to prune and spray Neem oil. This is best done on a windless day. Fruit trees are some of the most rewarding to me. Once established they need so little from you and give so much back year after year. As the saying goes, "The best time to plant a tree is ten years ago and the next best time is today."

     Last I would like to ask you to keep in mind that now is the Time that your local 4-H kids are getting ready to purchase, hatch, or otherwise birth the market animals that will be available for auction at the next county fair. Know your farmer and support these hard working kids. Your purchase is tax deductible, and you will get some fine meat for your freezer. Your support continues "making the best, better."

Happy New Year! Welcome to the ranch.

2016-01-15T11:26:00.002-08:00

Well we went from no water to El Nino and you won't hear me complain. Well, maybe just a little. The soft muddy dirt means that the alpaca toenails are now pretty unruly and a mess to trim up.

Lots of changes to our little homestead and alpaca ranch this last year. We brought Greyson home. He is our newest herdsire and I am hoping for some lovely grey. He is a sweet gentleman who really loves his pellet treats.

Next, over the summer we lost our sweet Reighnee. This was not the first time she had gone downhill but we were able to get her back on her feet last time. This time after Three weeks of hand feeding, trying to get her C1 going again, she gave up. I miss her terribly and look for her even now when I go out.

We were expecting two cria this this year. The first was another sad day on the ranch. The poor guy was badly deformed in the face with no eyes, nose or upper pallet. He was the offspring of two I have bred many times before so we were really unprepared for such a travesty.

The second was a perfect, textbook birth from an outside breeding with Embervanna. He is a beautiful boy, almost a carbon copy of his dad, Keanu. Watching his development carefully as we hope he will be a hirdsire potential in a few years. Just love his coloring. That undercoat will develop to a grey! We dubbed him "Gambit".

In the homestead news my next big thing was bringing home Zoey. Zoey is a Dexter and Jersey cross heifer and I am just tickled with her! Never did I think I would be a cow person but I do love her. She fits right in with us. She will be bred with a low line Angus and we look forward to fresh milk in the spring of next year. She is a small breed and it fits right well with keeping heritage breeds on our little farmstead. She does have horns that I am learning to respect. Fortunately she is young so they are not full length yet and so we are learning together.

Last summer we had to shut down our fodder set up. It was always in a temporary location and the invasion of varmints and ants had me at my wits end. Couple that with higher temps causing the seeds to sour and we just shut down. We have a container waiting to be the new fodder location. Money and time were the challenges and having both at the same time doesn't happen very often. So we have just worked at it a little at a time. Cleaning it out was the first battle and then insulating it. Following that was sealing it up. For that we used a product called Metacrylic. It takes many layers but when you are done painting it on you have a very water proof surface. Then my husband worked in the plumbing and the lights. This week we got things started again. We still have work to do. The heat that was sufficient for the smaller previous fodder space is not enough for the bigger container, the ceiling still needs more insulation and paneling. Then the last part will be expanding so that there is enough feed for the animals we have added over time. Everyone will benefit from this especially my pocketbook.

We had a small "oops!" in that Obadiah and Ellie got too close while she was in heat. I thought the worst but was reassured by many breeders that a 1st gen ~~inbreeding~~ line breeding would be just fine and possibly give very desirable traits. Ellie has turned out to be a great first time mom. All six pups are healthy and normal. We have truly enjoyed our puppy time and even more pleased to say they all have good, working homes to go to.

That puts this blog back up to date again.

Yesterday I had the pleasure of being a speaker along with my dear friend on our local radio station, KFOK. We were asked to talk about homesteading here on the divide. A broad subject. The thing I wanted to share the most, that I want to encourage, is to remember that your homestead is unique to you. Don't get caught up comparing or keeping up with what another homesteader is doing. Some of us have been at this longer than others and no matter what our situations are very different. Also that it's not all milk and honey. Some days just SUCK! We lose precious animals. We have feed go bad. We have pipes break and no one to fix it but ourselves. Don't give up. The good times outweigh the bad and the milk and honey days are right around the corner.

California Drought and Small Farm Living

2015-03-04T11:18:00.000-08:00

It's another non-winter here at the ranch. Could not ask for more beautiful weather except that we are asking for wet, cold, snowy weather. We are asking for a lot of it. The reservoirs are so low one can hardly refer to them as "lakes" anymore. Rivers are mere trickles. The state that provides for much of America's produce is looking pretty sad.

We are on a well. This comes with it's own joys as well as challenges especially when you have livestock counting on you for their well being. First off we have a 3000 gal holding tank. This gives us a little breathing room in the event of a pump problem. I am surprised how many other well owners did not include this in their irrigation/plumbing plans. It was something we had to add years after purchasing our property. Not that the previous owner didn't have a tank it just wasn't closed. Not something you would want to drink from for sure.

What we learned from last years drought conditions was that our well was not recovering as quickly as it does when we have regular winters. This prompted the addition of a well pump timer. This means that instead of the tank always filling when the float is at a certain level it only fills for a set amount of time during a set time of the day. This has saved the pump from working to hard or worse, working dry.

This means that just like the rest of the state we aren't mindlessly using water. Anything that needs water is on a timer and/or a drip system. Public water is not an option for us where we live. We have never been mindless about our water supply, pumps are expensive and and we still pay for the electricity to run the pump but these last few years have certainly forced us into more restrictions.

So as I watch the alpacas sun themselves on this beautiful March day I am also doing my garden dreaming. This years irrigation will be very different from years past. My son has already tilled the soil with new alpaca manure and we will establish a drip system for each row, keeping water low to the ground to prevent excess evaporation as well as being able to adjust for the water needs of each different crop.

While we work hard to make use of what we have there is an undercurrent of fear as the drought continues. If the water source that feeds our well drys up, what next?

It's all fun and games till someone says "evacuate"

2014-10-14T21:17:00.003-07:00

We live in the forest and with that always comes the risk of fire. This year has been more tense than other years with the severe draught. The King Fire blew this direction and because we are a one way in and out road we were asked to evacuate.

My worst case senerios were laid to rest in that we had time. We spent Tuesday evening moving animals and had all of Wednesday to pack valuables and get out. That means 23 alpacas, 40+ chickens and ducks, 5 geese, 3 guinea hens, 12 rabbits, 2 LGD's, 7 puppies, and one hatchling duck and really good friends with trailers to help you move it all. Really, really, really good friends.

We bugged out for ten days and were guests at one my really good friends. It was, as we had no choice, a lovely vacation. My friend put us up in style and was a generous hostess. I got to be away from home with the comfort of my animals near by. We count ourselves extremely lucky.

The firefighters, dozen workers, and police/sheriffs all worked diligently. They not only kept the fire at bay but protected our homes from those that would have taken advantage of our absence.

It's been a few weeks now of being home. Still putting things back where they belong. Even once we were allowed back they were still working on containment leaving a still nervous energy just under the surface. Only a week later we had some Yahoo arsonist lighting fires up the freeway by Applegate. Seeing the smoke clouded rise from the other side of the canyon will make your stomach clench.

It takes time for your mind to wrap around the woulda-shoulda-coulda's and for all that I held it together for the animals and the family my body let me know on its own that it was stressed and it only now feels like things are settling down. Life is rocking back to normal. The season is changing and that helps too.

With the seasons change comes all the lovely fall hustle and bustle. Fire wood, canned fruit, and warm stew.

Sasha had puppies in late August. This time around things are much smoother than last year. Seven healthy pups! We will be keeping two as replacement guard dogs as Alexi and Sasha are seven this year! It doesn't seem that long ago that I was bringing them home as pups.

I count my many blessings as I write this. This year has brought me closer to my friends and brought new friends in my life. Sometimes I think this is as good as I could ask for but then something or someone comes along and makes it even better. One of these things is my children. Everyday they bring me joys that I didn't know yesterday. They were real troopers through the whole evacuation. They worked just as hard as everyone else even through the uncertainty of wondering if there would be home to come back to. Proud just doesn't seem to do justice to describe how I feel about them.

As the temperatures change cooler, imagine me with my steamy coffee and my feet treadling my spinning wheel. This is the season I revel in. There's no place like home!

Dear El Dorado County

2014-09-03T08:48:00.001-07:00

The El Dorado County Assesors Office needed to keep its abnormally large nose out of my blog and start paying attention to running its own business. There's nothing here. If you tax me more than I make in a year I will call it quits, go out of business and you will get nothing. Nada. Zip. Zero.

Homesteading is not for the Ikea Dependant

2014-07-10T17:54:00.001-07:00

Homesteading is not for the Ikea dependent.

Broadly defined, homesteading is a lifestyle of self-sufficiency. It is characterized by subsistence agriculture, home preservation of foodstuffs, and it may or may not also involve the small scale production of textiles, clothing, and craftwork for household use or sale. Pursued in different ways around the world — and in different historical eras — homesteading is generally differentiated from rural village or commune living by isolation (either socially or physically) of the homestead.

I have had the privilege of visiting many ranches over the last few months.  One of the most outstanding things I find about each one is how they make things work.  It doesn't matter that you don't have the latest and greatest from Crate and Barrel or the most brand new gadget from Martha Stewart.  Homesteaders have the greatest talent for looking around and seeing what's on hand to get the job done.  They waste nothing.  Everything has a new purpose when it's done with its old life.  

This is not a life for one who is dependent on having all the parts handed to them with a picture by picture guide to assemble and directions on how to use it.  This is a life for the Lego "master builders" who can look at what's on hand and make something out of it.  Why do we do this?  Well, usually it's because all our money is sunk into feeding our livestock so we can't afford to buy the latest and greatest.  But there are lots of factors.  We also take pride in what we sweat and toil over.  We often build it better than Made In China.  Our ideas are more suited to the individual needs of our ranch.  It means that we use hog panels for more than just hogs, bathtubs for things other than baths, and pallets for, well, everything.  It means that all that we do might not be picture perfect but it is real.  We aren't looking to get our picture in Better Homes and Gardens though we would be stink'n proud if we were featured in Backwoods Magazine because for us, that's real.  

Homesteading will not give you all the pieces you need to build the perfect farm.  You will need to use your common sense and creativity and from that will come a pride that will supersede anyone wanting to look down their nose at you because your chicken coop isn't quaint and cute.  Your chicken coop will be predator proof and your style of ranching will be unique to your climate.  Do not be discouraged, you are breaking the mould, doing something no one else could do because they didn't have bits and pieces laying around.  You are homesteading. 

I walked out my door today on a hunt for material that could be used to fence in some ducklings that are not quite feathered out yet.  As I walked down the drive I am surrounded but the things I love. Ducks, pigs, rabbits, chickens, the geese greet me as I walk by, the dogs wag their tails and the alpacas look up from their recline as they chew their cud.  "This is the life!" I think to myself.  It is not easy, it does not save me any money, but it gives me a quality of life that can't be compared.  I know other people only look into our life and see the bottom line or they see a ranch with (dis)organized clutter.  It's more than just the good feeling of raising your own food, it's enjoying the animals that bring us laughter in their antics as well.  It's the manure that to someone else is just poop but for us it's the life of the soil that brings forth good food.  It's not that we don't value the bottom line it's that we realize that money is just a stepping stool for getting to what is really important, enjoying life.  

Go outside and look around.  Are you keeping up with your neighbors? Or are you keeping up with your dreams?

Homeschool Lessons for the Parent

2014-04-25T17:09:00.001-07:00

I remember my misgivings when I first decided to homeschool.  Could I keep up? What lessons would I forget?  What about the subjects I wasn't proficient enough to teach? But the pros outweighed the cons and I pushed through.  I opted for a charter school that sent a teacher to my house every 20 days.  I felt that this was a good safety net.  And so here I am 10 years later.  I have pulled my oldest from the charter school but my other two still participate.  The pros still outweigh the cons.  I am not any more proficient at the subjects I was worried about when my oldest was 5 than I am now and he is 15 but the Internet and the library are awesome resources.  Here are some of the lessons I have learned along the way:

Keeping up is not the goal, keeping consistant is.  If you are consistant with the reading, writing, and arithmetic, you will keep up.  In fact you will likely surpass in many ways.  Just keep at it.  I work at school all year long.  There are many reasons for this.  One is, if I stop for too long it's too hard to get them back in the groove. That does not mean that we never stop.  Lots of little breaks keep us from burn out but even during the summer months, at least once a week, we are working at something.  It's not really that much of a stretch.  We are homeschooling, and we are on a ranch, daily work happens.  There is always that day where they are driving you to distraction, so I give them an assignment.  They are occupied, and there is peace. 

Of course there are lessons we forget.  Think about all the things you didn't learn in traditional public school. They didn't have it all either.  The difference is that I am with my kids more than most parents with kids enrolled in mortar and brick school.  We listen to a wide variety of audio books in the car and when subjects come up, we stop and talk about them.  You can't do this if you aren't with them. 

That leads me to books.  Yes.  Books are the key.  Lots of them, all of them.  The first task I set out with all my kids was to teach them to read and them give them the love of reading.  This is key.  My goal is not to teach them everything but to give the the skills to learn everything they want.  Show them how to find the information and make sure that the interest that they are showing for that subject gets thorouly explored.  Now we have learned about that subject, retained that subject, and learned that we don't have to wait to have information handed to us on a platter but we can go find it for ourselves.  This lends itself to every other subject.  It doesn't matter that I\'m not great at math and science because my kids can now go read the lessons and figure it out for themselves.  I cannot think of a better skill to pass on.

Classics are required reading and then the fluffier books get interspersed to keep the love of reading fresh.  I don't see fluffy books as fluff though.  There is a lot of great reading out there and all of it increases their vocabulary, imagination, and helps appreciate the older books.  All three of my kids are usually listening to an audio book, have books on their iPods and a hard bound copy of something for when electronics are not allowed.  Reading is key.  Reading the older books introduce that our language evolves and the vocabulary is so rich.  This pretty much negates the need for spelling words.  Oh yes, by reading they are learning spelling because they are seeing those words over and over again.  

Make your kids work.  If they ask you a question make them go look up the answer.  You are not the answer machine.  If they go look for the answer that information will stick with them better and you have reinforced the skill to go find answers.  

My oldest is now helping with his younger siblings school work.  This has been instrumental too.  He now sees why I pushed and fussed about showing his math work and all those grammer lessons are being reinforced.  He is also more patient about explaining to his siblings why we show work.  They see him have to do it and they are less resistant to it.  Yes, let them help.

When they are dragging their feet through a subject be ready to change course and do what does interest them. (this does not apply to math) If they are not interested they are not really learning, you are wasting your time.  That doesn't mean you don't do that subject it just means you need to change the lesson.  Not interested in middle ages? Ask them what part of history would they like to study and use that as a jumping point.  Trust that as history progresses, as their personal reading carries them on, middle ages will come back up with a renewed interest and learning will happen.  That science lesson about weather has them staring out the window?  Change the tactic.  Time to learn about the Wright brothers and now wind current takes on a different meaning.  

Don't sell yourself short on those bad days.  By the very nature of homeschooling your kids are more likely to ask questions and be more inquisitive than a counter part that has been trained that asking a question might make them seem dumb or call unnecessary attention to someone feeling shy.  This means that even on bad days, your kids are learning.

Other important lessons I learned: screen time should be limited, food should be healthy.  Yep.  No sugary snacks.  No wondering into the pantry when you feel peckish.  It's an easy pit to fall in when you are home all the time.  It distracts from getting work done and establishes bad habits.  If they are "starving" there is fruit but otherwise lunch is a firm 1:00 appointment with few exceptions.

Screen time is limited to 2 hours in the evening and only if the school work and behavior warrants such a priviledge.  That is any screen time, TV, iPod, computer.  If it has a screen and it\'s being used for entertainment it is limited.  I even have an alarm set on my electronic device to make sure I am consistant about making sure that at 9:00 all devices are turned off and on the charger.  The charger is in my room so no cheating.  For the times that a computer is needed for research, cd roms, and typing papers, obviously this does not apply but it is monitored.  Why? Why am I so strict about this? Because it changes their behavior.  There is a definite corilation between how much screen time and snack foods they have and the way they behave.  More of the latter and I have more fights, more disrespectful verbage, and just general anger.  When I limit these things they are more focused, and better able to make good choices when they respond to me and each other.  It's magic.  It also means that when they finish their work and they ask for iPods, etc and I say no, that when I look for them they are engaged in building forts, playing board games, outside playing, or reading a favorite book.  Oh yes, I am a mean mom and I do not hand out instant entertainment when I hear "I'm bored." 

Let me tell you what I have really learned that may surprise a few that are just starting out.  If you are constantly trying to keep up with State Standard school protocol, you are failing your children.  Why did you start this journey?  Go back to the beginning.  Are you doing this so that they can turn out just like all the other kids?  Or did you have something better in mind for your kid?  A life with more cerebral activity as well as the freedom to just be the person they were meant to be and not what peers and society pressure  them to be.  Right?  There is no doubt in my mind that my children would be different people if they were in a public school setting.  There would be more bitter, more anger.  The creativity would be stifled because someone would tell them that what they were doing, thinking, was weird. The availability to express those thoughts, drawings, music, would be pushed off possibly forever.

My kids are not all bound for college.  This is a fact.  I know this.  Rather than force them into an education that will not serve them I am learning how to make sure that no matter where life carries them they are capable of educating themselves to suit their needs.  Then, at some point if their path leads them to extended education, I know they will have the tools for success.

Is A Livestock Guardian Dog for You?

2013-08-23T23:28:00.001-07:00

Sasha is 6 years old. She and her brother, Alexi, are my Livestock Guard Dogs (LGD). When I brought home my alpacas 6 years ago I did a years worth of research before making the jump. Along with the research was the investment. I did not want to bring home my breeder only to have the wildlife from the neighbor forest come snatch them away from me and my $$ with them. Some form of security and protection was in order. This is where a friend recommended an LGD. While I had heard of a Great Pyrenees, I had never really paid any attention to what kind of dog it was. Thus began the next subject of research.

Sasha

Alexi

Up until this point a Great Pyr was the only kind of guard dog I knew about. While looking through the local classifieds paper I came across an ad for LGD puppies. She didn't specify what kind of guard dogs they were but I enquired and was then introduced to Anatolian Shepherds and Akbash. I started researching more breeds and loved what I was seeing. I also saw that these dogs where not for the faint of heart. They are strong-willed and like to think on their own. This is their strength! They can handle the situation without you calling the shots! That also means that they probably aren't going to come when you call. I recommend starting with this book: http://www.amazon.com/Livestock-Protection-Dogs-Selection-Training/dp/1577790626/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1377312423&sr=8-1-fkmr0&keywords=livestock+guardian+dog+sign
This book does a great job of explaining the breeds, the traits and things you should look for as you search for a working guard dog.

I read and re-read this book all the time. Now, with Sasha due with puppies in two weeks, I find myself reading it again. I have had several inquiries as to the availability of her pups and I refuse to count them before they are born. I would not have bred her without my own good reasons and without other parties interested but who can say how many there will be or, even with an ultrasound, how healthy they will be? What I want to say is, do your research. Understand that these are not lap dogs. Well, they could be:
But it's a tight fit.

I really want people to understand what these dogs are and how well they work with keeping the balance between predators and livestock. I also want people to understand what these dogs are not. They are not herding dogs, they are not there to do tricks. They are gentle giants and will protect whatever is important to you. They are not for people with small yards. They may also protect your neighbors things whether your neighbor likes it or not.

My dogs get locked in the barn with my alpacas at night. This gives me peace of mind on several levels. Alexi is very protective of the baby's. He has a very particular bark when one of my mammas is giving birth that has alerted me to the event more than once when otherwise I would have missed it. They have big voices. Nothing wants to come near my barn with those dogs inside. This also means my dogs very rarely bark at night. These dogs use their voice as part of marking their territory. Keep this in mind if you are going to have them out with your flock at night and your neighbors are nearby.

As big dogs this also means that their life span is only about 10-12 years. They are also slow to mature. They have a long teenage stage before they really settle into business. You cannot expect to get a young pup and just throw them into the pasture and expect them to go to it. It helps if there is a more mature dog there to show the ropes and you need to be nearby for the first little bit while the chain of command is established. My alpacas make no bones about letting the dogs know that they are not welcome to just push their way in and as a result my dogs are careful to skirt around them when they get rambunctious. With their lifespan in mind and also understanding that my dogs are very reluctant to let other dogs near, they are seen as a potential threat, is why I chose to breed Sasha. I chose another, proven, working dog to be the father. At 6 Sasha is well established in her roll and in the prime of her life. It is my hope that by the time she is feeling her age and ready to retire her offspring will be in a good place to take over.

Right now she is definitely feeling the tired all moms feel toward the end of their pregnancies. We are all really looking forward to this next adventure. If you're interested in a livestock guard dog I do hope you will research them before bringing one home. There are shelters that would be more than willing to help educate you and place a dog with you if starting from puppyhood is not in your interests.

For me, having these dogs means that I can drive away and feel confident that all will be well when I come back. I brought poultry in to the ranch after the dogs were established here and while Alexi still cannot be entirely trusted not to make sport with them Sasha sees them as objects to be guarded too. It took some time to get to that point. Now that she is trusted she has freedom to roam more freely on our property and since then I have not suffered any losses from preditors. For a while before that the coyotes used to come up bold as brass in daylight looking for an easy meal and knowing that the dogs where in the fenced area. They do not come near now. Sasha is on duty.

Homeschool Flexibility

2013-08-20T22:43:00.001-07:00

Today was the first day of school for the kids in the district where I live. I can't help but feel sorry for them. It's hot. It's still August. There is a fire nearby and the air is thick with smoke making it feel warmer than it is and breathing is something to avoid if you can. Everyday I find a new reason, or the same reason over again, for loving that I homeschool. We aren't without structure to our day but there is always room for flexibility. This is not something you get when you are on the schools schedule. If you miss a day of school it may take a week to catch up with what you missed. The school district will start breathing down your throat for too many missed days ($$$$).

Today I found a deal on line that I did not want to miss so my kids had their chores and reading books and I took off to claim my find. I came home and chores are done, and reading is done and they are ready for the more assisted part of their studies. It has taken years to get to this point but here we are. You see? Flexibility. I have never sent my kids to "regular" school. I don't even want to think about the ways our life would be constricted by needing to conform to such a rigid and redundant schedule. I love catering to the mood, the weather, the season, or outside the family event. This week we have friends moving. This doesn't mean school doesn't happen, it means we will focus on the subjects we can accomplish the first part of the day before heading over to help pack and move them. We will catch up on the subjects that take more time and focus next week. We also take advantage of car time, with clip boards and pencils in hand, so there is no dead time. If the writing is too difficult on the windy roads there are also books on tape which is how we manage quite a few of the classics.

I could list the many reasons I homeschool, there are a bazzilion of them and they are all equally valid, but I think over all the lifestyle we enjoy must be in the top ten reasons.

I am not a very organized person. I am not a teacher by my education. I am mostly responsible. There are days I really just muddle through. I do know how to use the library as a resource. I do look to other more experienced, and obviously successful, homeschool moms when I get stuck. With all that in mind, let me walk you through a typical day at Haven Ridge:

Sun-up: out to the barn. Feed, water, scoop poop for the animals. The kids don't have to do this but if they want any kind of allowance they do.

When the animals needs are met we head in for our own needs. My oldest (14) usually makes stove top oatmeal for us. I get coffee, wash up, check email.

Morning list: This "list" is all the regular things the kids need to do daily but I got tired of listing it all out for them. This includes making the bed, getting dressed, brushing teeth and hair, practicing their musical instruments (like how I slide music in there?) and then one chore. The chore changes with the day of the week. M-laundry T-pick up and vacuum living room W-clean their bathroom Th-work with thier 4-H animals F-clean room. By three of them touching these things once a week it keeps them from getting out of control.

On a regular stay home day this is where the reading, writing and arithmetic comes in. Get in and get it done. Some days they go to a homeschool group for extra lessons. Tuesday afternoons and evenings they have music lessons, gymnastics and karate. Other days depending on the week we are very active in our 4-H club. I use this as part of our curriculum.

If the kids get their work done in a timely manner they are allowed tech/screen time between 7-9. That is all. I have learned that the more screen time allowed the less respectful they are to authority. They get two hours. They can game, catch up on a recorded show or chat with a friend but at 9 it's back to the real world. There a exceptions to this for research purposes, papers to write or ebooks but I make sure they always have a paper book available.

Bed. Because Sun-up is always earlier than you wish it was.

Sometimes my husband works weekends and has a weekday off. Flexibility again! We still get our daddy time because we will just change our schedule with his. It is one of the best things that my husband does not have to miss time with his kids because they have to go to school.

I could talk about the failures of the school system, inefficient teaching, out of control students, immunization requirements, food allergies, safety, ridiculous rules, violence in schools and on buses, bullying, clothing requirements, potty language. . . . . . . . . . What it comes down to is that the ability to live our lives without someone else telling us when and where we need to be is the primary reason we do what we do. By doing that we are also able to focus our kids education toward their interests. They learn more when they are actually interested in the subject than when it is being crammed down their throat because this is what they are supposed to be learning at this grade level. Did that method work for you?

If you feel trapped by the mandated school schedule consider some of the variety of ways there are available now to bring your kids home.

Summer 2013

2013-08-12T10:32:00.001-07:00

As usual life keeps on moving and when I sit down all I want to do is sleep. So many things are always in progress here on the ranch and we have half a dozen projects all half done. Usually we have a shortage of either labor or cash. This is normal. I consider it progress if I can just touch one or two of these projects a day.

On the list of To-Do's:

1) Finish the new fowl hut, lovingly christened, "Wingchester Mystery Mansion"

2) We were donated a great little storage shed. This will be the new "Bunny Barn". It needs to have the interior built for the purpose of keeping bunnies (think meat, not pets) and moved to a level, more permanent place.

3) The garden never really happened for us this year. The volunteers are out there and they are doing their best but they came up too late for our short season. We water them and tend them the best we can with good intentions to do better next year. This years hold up was a combination of busy and the Bobcat was broken so moving manure was a tedious task. Some very dear friends with different resources than we have graciously took the bobcat and are fixing it. We hope it will be home soon and are so glad to have that taken off our plate.

4) the future fodder container, "My Fodders Fortune" is a more pressing task now. I had to let the fodder in the other space be dry during June's heat because it was all spoiling. Rather than wasting it I am trying to get the new space going where I will have more control and easier access this winter.

But why have we been so busy? What's so different this year than other years? This year we took on shearing our alpacas and some neighboring alpaca owners ourselves. It was not a one day and we're done event. It took all the way till last week! It was getting just a few done on weekends when we were both home and learning, and getting the right tools and learning about the wrong tools. It was done between AT&T overtime, military weekends, county fair, state fair, bad weather, and even good but too hot weather, and we would do it now but we are waiting for our blades to come back from the sharpeners. What else can I say? It will be better next year! Next year we will have all our tools, all our experience, and be able to start sooner. Next year will be great.

So. On to current events! We had one, beautiful, healthy cria this year. His name is Noah. He is light fawn and son of Reighnee and Barrett. He is for sale but in the mean time we are working with him to be hands on friendly and a good 4-H boy. My other thoughts for him is that he does have good stud potential. Nice coat, good conformation, great temperament.

Our LGD is expecting! We bred Sasha with our neighboring ranch's Great Pyr, Jake. http://quartzridgeranch.wordpress.com/2013/02/20/jakes-photo-shoot/We expect puppies the first week of September. This was not something we did without quite a bit of thought. It came down to a few key points: my dogs are 6 years old and it can take two to three years for a new LGD to settle in. The best way to train a new pup is to put them with an older, more experienced dog. My dogs are not that great at letting new animals into their territory so I am hoping that since it will be one of her pups that will solve that. I talked with other breeders and discussed my concerns, wanting to be responsible about breeding, and they all agreed my reasons for breeding and not rescuing were valid. Also rescues can be risks as working dogs. Just because they are a certain breed does not mean they are going to work. By breeding with parents that are proven workers we have a better chance of getting those good instincts in the gene pool.

This will be my first time with puppies so I am very occupied reading and researching so that I do right for my dogs needs and her babies. I do have a list of folks with puppy reservations but until they are hear and healthy we won't make any promises. If you are interested I can put your name on the list, first come first serve. Couple things to keep in mind when you are thinking about an LGD. These are not typical Lab type dogs. They are strong willed. They have a long "teenage" stage. You need to establish yourself as alpha. You need to make sure they submit to you in every way including their food which can be an issue. If I give my dog a bone I make him give it back several times before I let him have it just to remind him whose boss. I love these dogs and all that they do to give me peace of mind because I can't be on guard duty all the time. It is totally worth the time to keep their behavior in check so that there are no issues. I cannot stress enough how important it is to do your own research before taking on an LGD. You don't want to bring one of these dogs in to your ranch and set them up for failure. DO NOT listen to anyone that tells you not to train these dogs and just let their instincts work. An untrained dog is a nightmare for everyone. They don't have to do circus tricks just the basics, leash, sit, lay down, no, come. (good luck with "come"). These are big dogs. Sasha weighs 90 lbs but her brother weighs 140 lbs. Not dogs that you want to disrespect you or your family. I spent 15-20 minutes a day when I brought them home walking the property boundaries and teaching basic sit, stay, come so that my dogs were good guardians and not liability risks.

It's August and I see winter looming around the corner. The squirrels seem to be working overtime and the acorns are in abundance on the ground. The last year that happened we had a very cold, snowy winter. Following the example the squirrels are giving we are working hard to fill up the wood bin, fill the seams of the house and make other winter preparations. I find living out here much like the fable of The Ant and the Grasshopper. Those that don't prepare usually find themselves in a bad place come January.

There are all the regular comings and goings of summer months. We have jammed and canned, participated in the county and State fair, raised and butchered our meat chickens for the year, participate weekly at our local farmers market selling yarn, and the general management that comes from having livestock. My oldest is contemplating raising a market steer for 4-H this year. We will also be involved with fiber arts, making a blanket for the Linus project, auto mechanics, alpaca, poultry, and geology.

That brings this ranch blog current. School studies are about to pick up again. Our work is laid out for us. My goal this year is to make quick posts here and keep things up to date. We will follow Sasha's pregnancy, some of the 4-h projects, and the progress on the new poultry coop and bunny barn. It will be a very exciting season!

Fodder and Other Summer Adventures

2013-08-12T08:54:00.001-07:00

A whole season has passed me by without a word out there about summer at Haven Ridge. That is because it is busy and when I sit down to type I'm so tired, the motivation isn't there.

We had two crias born this summer,
Peninah was born June 11th to our own ReignEllan.

Augustus was born August 3rd to April Snow.

In the mist of these beautiful babies our summer has been filled with the efforts of gardening and the joys of adding geese to our little ranch as well. Pilgrim geese to be specific. These guys a very docile and social fowl that have quickly made a place in our hearts. They greet us when we come out and alert us if there is something out of the ordinary.

I have not had to mow the grass all summer long!

Pilgrim geese are the only auto sex goose, females being gray and males white. Seen here is Millie, Marha, Sophie and D'Artanian.

This summer has met us with a number of challenges. The top most has been the matter of hay, the availability of it as well as the price. Our usual supplier came up short- in many ways. Other suppliers have orchard grass for a premium price regardless of quality. This led us on a quest of finding quality feed at a price that didn't compromise the nutrition of my animals. Equally frustrating is finding a grower that is dependable. We are not in an environment that supports growing our own not could we grow the quantity needed year after year. This brings us to the Fodder systems, sprouting barley seeds hydroponically. There are a number of commercially available systems available that litterally have a "plug and play" start up. You plug in power and water, put in your seed and in seven days you have a tray of sprouted barley that the animals love, roots, seed, grass and all. They get fresh feed that is higher in nutrients because they are getting the whole plant including he roots. Unfortunately these systems have a high price for start up. It would pay for itself within the first year but I don't have that kind of capital. We did our research and combined information with our neighboring ranch, dealing with the same difficulties, to find the DIY solution.

We bought the grow trays from Amazon. I consider them too flimsy and we are working on a solute to that but for now they are sufficient. We set up in our current greenhouse both for light and for the existing water system. Then we started our trials.

First lesson is that quality, clean barley is ideal. Stuff that is full of chaff is difficult to rinse and encourages mildew.

We started. With seed from a local nursery but this wasn't good for our bulk needs and the quality, while pure, wasn't clean. Then I tried the local growers association. They came up with a clean organic seed but in efforts to try and get the cost a little lower we tried a local mill. This was the most disappointing because while the tag said 100% barley there was other seed in the bag. When the mill was questioned they said it was just what was on the conveyor belt and it couldn't be avoided. This really isn't good enough because the growth from this seed was the worst with mold. So back to the growers association we go.

Next was light. It doesn't need much light and it doesn't need a grow light but a light does give more growth in a shorter time. We found an LED flood light that we put on a light sensor works well. I saw no appreciable increase in our electric bill and the light comes on at dusk and off at dawn. Perfect.

Heat. Barley is a cold weather crop. This has been the most difficult hurdle to overcome. When the temps go over 80 fermentation happens. Not good and hard to control in a greenhouse that is not temperature controlled. When the weather is in the 70's is when we have the greatest success but as soon as the temps go up growing all but stops and it starts to smell like a brewery. This means that in our current growing space we can only do this process in early spring and fall. Summer is too hot and winter will freeze. What next?

Next will be the ebb and flow system in an insulated, climate controlled area. Nothing fancy, just the make shift storage area that is tacked on to the back of the studio house. We didn't build it there but there it is with insulation and water easily installed. The ebb and flow system is a vacuum that fills the tray to a set level and then sucks the water back out and repeat. This can work right out of a barrel of water that can be used and reused keeping water usage at a minimum. The light will have to run full time but again, with LED tech and no need for grow lights this does not figure in any appreciable costs. It should be mentioned that we are on a well so our first efforts of water were left to drain out on their own. We are still in the process of getting this set up so there will be more later and pictures to boot.

There are a lot of Internet resources that we used to research what we have so far but the one that really helped push me is the blog from Paca Pride http://pacapride.wordpress.com/2012/04/05/from-seed-to-feed-in-8-days-barley-fodder-sprouting-trials/

I really appreciate his willingness to share his own trials and errors and offer support to us as well. They too a doing this themselves without the aide of a prebuilt system.

I realize that this process takes a few extra minutes every day to keep the system going but the math is impressive. If you figure a pound and a half of seed per tray = about 4-5 pounds of feed and a pound of barley runs about .64 cents depending on where you buy.

I also realize that this is not the most self-reliant method. I am still relying on someone else to supply the seed. I do have control over the quality of the seed I buy and I am still feeding fresh grass over dried and I will be able to feed this all winter. I can also add extra seed to the trays for different feed needs. I will be doing one set of trays just for the geese that will be wheat rather than barley, I add flax seed to the barley as well to add extra omega 3. This also gets feed to my layer flock so I benefit from any extra nutrients I supply them as well.

Never feed moldy food to your flock but when my fodder does start to ferment I do feed that to the chickens. Fermentation can actually benefit their digestive system and then I also never feel that a trial was "wasted".

Fodder and Other Summer Adventures

2012-09-17T14:27:00.001-07:00

A whole season has passed me by without a word out there about summer at Haven Ridge. That is because it is busy and when I sit down to type I'm so tired, the motivation isn't there.

We had two crias born this summer, Peninah was born June 11th to our own ReignEllan.

Augustus was born August 3rd to April Snow.

In the midst of these beautiful babies our summer has been filled with the efforts of gardening and the joys of adding geese to our little ranch as well. Pilgrim geese to be specific. These guys a very docile and social fowl that have quickly made a place in our hearts. They greet us when we come out and alert us if there is something out of the ordinary.

I have not had to mow the grass all summer long!

Pilgrim geese are the only auto sex goose, females being gray and males white. Seen here is Millie, Martha, Sophie and D'Artanian.

This summer has met us with a number of challenges. The top most has been the matter of hay, the availability of it as well as the price. Our usual supplier came up short- in many ways. Other suppliers have orchard grass for a premium price regardless of quality. This led us on a quest of finding quality feed at a price that didn't compromise the nutrition of my animals. Equally frustrating is finding a grower that is dependable. We are not in an environment that supports growing our own nor could we grow the quantity needed year after year. This brings us to the Fodder systems, sprouting barley seeds hydroponically. There are a number of commercially available systems available that literally have a "plug and play" start up. You plug in power and water, put in your seed and in seven days you have a tray of sprouted barley that the animals love, roots, seed, grass and all. They get fresh feed that is higher in nutrients because they are getting the whole plant including he roots. Unfortunately these systems have a high price for start up. It would pay for itself within the first year but I don't have that kind of capital. We did our research and combined information with our neighboring ranch, dealing with the same difficulties, to find the DIY solution.

We bought the grow trays from Amazon. I consider them too flimsy and we are working on a solution to that but for now they are sufficient. We set up in our current greenhouse both for light and for the existing water system. Then we started our trials.

First lesson is that quality, clean barley is ideal. Stuff that is full of chaff is difficult to rinse and encourages mildew.

We started with seed from a local nursery but this wasn't good for our bulk needs and the quality, while pure, wasn't clean. Then I tried the local growers association. They came up with a clean organic seed but in efforts to try and get the cost a little lower we tried a local mill. This was the most disappointing because while the tag said 100% barley there was other seed in the bag. When the mill was questioned they said it was just what was on the conveyor belt and it couldn't be avoided. This really isn't good enough because the growth from this seed was the worst with mold. So back to the growers association we go. It is not worth a few dollars savings if the quality isn't there.

Next was light. It doesn't need much light and it doesn't need a grow light but a light does give more growth in a shorter time. We found an LED flood light, that we put on a light sensor, works well. I saw no appreciable increase in our electric bill and the light comes on at dusk and off at dawn. Perfect.

I really appreciate his willingness to share his own trials and errors and offer support to us as well. They too a doing this themselves without the aide of a prebuilt system.

it never snowed on the dogwoods

2012-05-20T09:33:00.001-07:00

It's summer time at Haven Ridge! It is full and it is busy. County fair is close enough that the signs are out and the forms are in. We have eggs in the incubator ready to hatch any day now. This years meat chickens are having their first day out on real dirt and snapping at bugs. They are roughly the size of a pigeon right now. We have roto-tilled the garden and gotten the design ready to plant. I am currently loading folks up with alpaca manure to aid with their garden needs as well.

And then there are the geese. We have the new additions to our little ranch, Millie, Martha, and Harriet. They are a joy and a challenge. I never knew geese were so pushy! They challenge every possible gap in the fence because, well, the grass is always greener on the other side! Of course. Then once they are out they just follow their nose to where ever it may lead them. This makes them hard to locate at bed time and worries this ranch mamma to death because they are just babies and don't know about the bad guys in these woods.

Speaking of bad guys we have already had our first bear visit. It went after the chicken feed and fortunately got discouraged by the lid and left. Our neighbor across the canyon has had one walk right by her while she was milking her goats! Broad daylight too. So we are on our guard and trying to keep things locked down tight. This is life in the forest.

The alpacas were sheared the end of April. Perfect timing as the weather just really got warm after that. I am looking forward to spinning our new Suri, Danny. I am going to try to be good and hold off until, my other responsibilities a down. I have promised a lady last fall I would spin her cat fur (chaingora) and I must get it done. It makes my nose itch so it has been easy to procrastinate.

The ducks and chickens have figured out its warm now and we are over flowing with eggs. It's very gratifying after all these years of building up our flock to finally have enough for us and enough to share. And that brings us the Farmers market that should be starting the second Saturday of June. I will be there with yarn, mom's market bags, some knit items, and hopefully - eggs! If you have never tried duck eggs this is a great opportunity. $3.50 / doz.

Haven Ridge has met some wonderful new friends here "up-country" at Quartz Ridge Ranch. We have similar goals and out looks with completely different animals. She raises goats and chickens and runner ducks and new guinea hogs! Heritage breeds. She knows her stuff and if you're looking for fresh goats milk I would confidently point you in her direction. She even let me try milking!

Knit Knite has turned into great fun. It's not every Friday but we do have good food, wine, and YARN. The best part is the friendship. Living rural has its draw backs and it's nice when the mammas can get together for some adult time. I'm thinking of making it more of an early afternoon activity for the summer months. Any feed back on that would be welcome.

If you're looking for me, look outside or on the go. This place doesn't run itself!

It's Been Pretty Wet

2012-03-28T12:47:00.005-07:00

The weather finally started acting like it's winter just in time for spring. The daffodils are blooming and it just wouldn't be normal if it didn't snow on the spring bulbs.

The animals are soggy and give me disparaging looks when I open the barn and shoo them out in the morning. The mud gets to me a bit too. It's hard to believe that in just a short month or so we will be shearing. This will be my first year with Danarious, my rose grey suri and I can't wait to get it cleaned and ready to spin.

With the coming of spring also means that I am gearing up to start vending at events and, my favorite, Farmers Market. This year I'm hoping to talk my new friend up the street to sell goat milk soap with me at the booth. Maybe knit up some alpaca loofah soap bags to go with them. Teresa raises heritage breed goats at Quartz Ridge Ranch both for milk and meat and I am pleased to have met her!

My first event this year will be in Cool, CA at Northside school for their Civil War reenactment event April 14 and 15. I will be duly occupied also as a 4-H representative. If you have any questions about getting involved with 4-H I hope I can answer them for you. As always I will have yarn, shawls, gloves, and maybe a hat or two. I will also have drop spindles and fiber for those of you who like to start from the beginning.

No dates for shearing yet but my shearer has had a pretty tough year, so I'm sure I'll hear from him soon.

Life here gets busier all the time. We are getting ready for planting season, I have a couple of students coming to learn about the animals and the process of bringing fiber from raw to yarn, and getting ready for El Dorado County Fair.

Soon we'll also break out the incubator and work on getting some baby ducks.

I love spring and all the action just waiting around the corner!

So You Want To Bring Home Alpacas?

2012-01-06T11:55:00.000-08:00

What do you need?

The first thing will be secure fencing. Alpacas won't challenge a fence like a horse might so you're not going to need to electrify it but alpacas are vulnerable to predators such as your neighbors dog or cougars. "No Climb" is the most common fence used, weld wire will work but isn't as long standing. I do have a radio wire around my fencing but that is to keep my livestock guard dogs from wandering. Also you will want to keep brush and tall grass down and away from both sides of the fence. Alpacas are curious creatures and are prone to snake bites. Once your fencing is up, scrutinize it carefully for sharp or poky places. Alpacas like to rub up on things and anyplace that sticks out could wound your animal.

Water Bucket. After acquiring many buckets to put extra water out during the summer months, I finally broke down and bought the self refilling ones. This was one of the best things I ever did. No more worrying about water when I have to be gone all day.

Cleaning Brush. Water buckets get dirty and need to be scrubbed out regularly. I found that a wheel brush from the car cleaning department of your local All-In-One store does a great job of scrubbing the rounded bottom and sides of the buckets.

Feed. A bucket, container, or other device for feed. Putting their grass in this container doesn't mean that they won't pull it out, roll in it, and eat off the ground anyway but when the weather is bad, it's good to have something to put it in.

Pellet bowl. Something with a flat bottom. Alpacas love their pellets and get very excited about feed time, sometimes they will wolf down too much and choke. A flat bottomed bowl keeps the pellets spread out so they can't down too much at one time. If you are still experiencing "choke" try putting some rocks in the bowl that will cause them to eat around the rocks and not eat too hurriedly.

Shelter. Someplace they can go to get out of the elements. Whether it's hot, cold, windy, or wet every creature needs a place to be comfortable. This can be a separate place from where they sleep at night or the same. This is also a good place to feed them so that their food doesn't go to waste in bad weather. If the shelter is the same as where they bed at night it should be a place that you can secure against predators.

Clean up. I use a trash catcher from Home Depot and a small plastic rake. I rake into the catcher and then dump into a wheel barrow. If you only have a few animals the wheel barrow is probably not necessary. Decide ahead of time where you are going to dispose of your manure. Alpaca is excellent for gardens.

Toe nail trimmers. Nearly the only maintenance your animals need aside from annual shearing and vaccinations, this $20 item is a must.

Good fitting harness and lead for each animal.

Extras:
We use these recycled, plastic street cleaners, stood on end over pressure treated posts for scratching posts.

If you live in an area that freezes, these frost free water bibs are a must. They turn off underground and the above ground pipe drains out. Make sure it is lead free.

A chute. There are a number of ways to manage your herd and if you have someone else to help you this may be unnecessary, but for a difficult animal or working on your own this contraption is wonderful. It secures the animal while you manage it's needs. This can be as simple as toe nails or as complicated as treating a wound.

Speaking of wounds, they happen. Alpacas rub their faces on everything, can't always see where they are stepping, get curious about dangerous things and just occasionally find themselves in trouble you cannot imagine.

A few things are important to have on hand:
Triple antibiotic ointment
Sterile saline (contact solution is fine, it's for rinsing out wounds or washing out eyes)
Vet wrap (lots of it)
Non-adhering gauze pads
And finally and MOST IMPORTANTLY the number to your vet and vet hospital preprogrammed into your phone. Email is good too. These are the days where we can take pictures of our pets wounds, email them to our vets and get more immediate advice on the action to take.

This is a good basic list to get you started. You'll hone in on your own specific needs as experience teaches you.

If you are raising your alpaca with plans to utilize it's fleece, take a good look around at your pasture. Alpacas love to roll and take dust bathes. If your designated area is full of weeds and plants that have sticky seed head you can count on all that getting stuck in your fleece and needing to be cleaned out. Not a fun project. The cleaner your pasture, the nicer the fleece will be.

Do you have a low to the ground sprinkler head? In the summer time they love to play in the water. A low sprinkler placed just outside the fence is a great way to help them cool off and a lot of fun to watch. Make sure it stays low so that it only sprays their under belly and legs. Water gets trapped in their coats and the hot sun will steam them to death.

As with anything before you bring home alpacas make sure you research carefully, visit other ranches, ask lots of questions and make sure there is a local vet competent with camelids. Make sure that the ranch you purchase from is going to support you post purchase. If you are purchasing young males that will need to be castrated in the future, keep in mind the cost for that, and mark on your calendar when you need to think of such things.

"Luck favors the prepared Darling.". -Edna from The Increadibles

It's not easy being green, or is it?

2011-10-21T20:38:00.000-07:00

Sometimes it's about paying attention to our actions, sometimes it's just about saving money. It's even better when it's both.

I live in a big house. Not exactly a suburban McMansion because it's much better planned out than that but it's still a lot of square footage. So we do lots of little things to keep costs down. Thermal drapes, efficient light bulbs, and keeping unused rooms doors closed are just a few things that keep our electric, heating and cooling under control. There is radiant heat and a whole house fan the former not quite as efficient as it was when we first started building as propane costs rose. Still for a 4 thousand square foot house, our electric bill is rarely over $150 and thats with seven people living here and a water pump that also uses electricity.

It irks me that I pay sewer and water taxes when there is no such thing in my area. I have a well and septic. You can then imagine that we are very conscientious about what goes down the drain. This is partly what led me to using natural dyes on my yarn. I don't want harsh things in my water table. This has also led me to making my own laundry soap and household cleaner. It's amazing what vinegar and borax can accomplish and with a little essential oil it smells lot nicer too.

So I want to pass on the laundry soap recipe website and tell you that not only is it a nice clean but it costs a lot less too. Living 30 minutes from a market also means that if you're out there is no quick trip to the store. Making your own means that when you're out you just whip up some more. I will add that I use a liquid Castile soap. My kids have very sensitive skin and Castile is nicer than soap. I remember when C was just a baby and getting a bath in the kitchen sink, a bar of Dove slipped off the edge and into his bath water. His whole body broke out in red itchy blotches. I am not a fan of the Lever company.

http://www.thefamilyhomestead.com/laundrysoap.htm

From the same site here is a multiple purpose spray cleaner. The author lists another recipe but I am uncomfortable using ammonia both for it's potential volatile nature and the smell is awful.

All-Purpose Cleaner

2T vinegar

1 t Borax

Hot water

a few drops of a mild dish detergent

10 drops of essential oil, optional

In a 16 spray bottle put vinegar, borax and hot water. Swish around until borax has dissolved. Add the drops of dish detergent and fill the rest of the bottle with water. Add the essential oil (I like using orange or lavender).

I use baking soda for scrubbing.

I wanted to pass this on. I want to add my voice to all the others out there that are saying no to harsh chemicals, no to spending big money on brand names, and no to adding more crap into our water table. I just need to get the dirt off my farm clothes and I don't need fancy labels, I don't need it to be colored or smell like the great outdoors. It just needs to clean the red dirt out of my clothes.

And one last thing: anything bleach can do peroxide can do. One will kill you if you ingest it and one will not. One is toxic and in some countries is a controlled substance the other turns to water in the sun.

Here Comes The Fall

2011-10-19T20:07:00.000-07:00

The leaves are changing, and we've had our first good storm opening the door for all the rest and leaving us with nice wet ground for future burn days. That was the first thing I did after the storm was get rid of the back burn pile. The front one will take a little more effort. It has grown large enough over the summer that I will need to use the skid-loader to pull it apart into smaller bits.

The colder weather has turned everyone's thoughts to keeping warm and the requests for alpaca socks and gloves have started. I must disappoint because I have neither. I have hats, and shawls but no gloves and no socks. I can tell you where to get them!

On the same line with keeping warm is the need for fire wood. The storm spurred everyone into action on the hill and I hear chainsaws around every bend. We are no exception. A good friend loaned us a log splitter and after one intense weekend all the logs that my dad had spent time bucking up were turned into about 6 cords of wood, both oak and pine with extra for next year as well. When they logged, down the hill from us, the logging company brought us all kinds of lovely oak. That was last year and so this year we are truly blessed and it will continue to bless us into next year as well.
Stormy weather? Bring it on!

Last weekend was also the last farmers market in Garden Valley till next year. I will miss all the people that comprise the market and the regular community that congregates there. This last week I brought two alpacas to visit as well. I was surprised at how many of the regular people that I had talked to numerous times seemed to see me in a new light with the critters there. Suddenly my spinning took on whole new meaning. I came away with three new orders. A nice way to end the summer. It is actually what brought me back to the computer to update the blog, my fingers needed to do something different after knitting all day. The boys I brought were very well behaved and both kids and adults were enamored with them.

Some weeks ago a new alpaca came to live with us. "Danarious" or just Danny. He is a young rose gray Suri and I am in love. He is very well handled and easily approachable. His coloring is something special and next springs shearing just cannot come soon enough as far as my spinning wheel is concerned. He fits in nicely with the rest of the herd.

The rest of the goings on here are very standard for this time of year. It's time to wind down the garden, clean up the summer things in preparation for snow, time to think about snow tires and stock up on gas for the generator. This year I'm going to try a cover crop over the garden. I have some winter cereal rye that is supposed to do well in cold climates and help create an insulation layer when it snows to promote good bacteria growth for good soil in the spring. I've never done this before so it will be an interesting experiment. I'm not sure when to start it or if I'm already too late. There are still things to be harvested from the garden and even then I want the chickens to come through and clean up before I put down new seed. For now it has warmed up a bit and I will continue to pull zucchini and tomatoes out until they give up as well. It is probably only a matter of weeks before the first frost. Stay tuned and I'll tell you how it's working. If all goes well, I will have rye for my chickens to snack on. Healthy for them, healthy eggs for me.

Well, it's a deep subject

2011-09-19T10:38:00.000-07:00

Home ownership is awesome. I have owned my home for nearly 12 years now. I love painting the walls anyway I want and not answering to anyone about any changes I might make. It's a good feeling when I pay my mortgage rather than flushing rent down the toilet toward someone else's benefit. But there are the downsides. If something breaks it's our problem to deal with and pay for. There is no landlord to call and say, "it's broke. Come fix.". This can be a small as a slight drip under the sink or as large as total roof failure. As a home owner you can take on as much or as little as you want. Maybe for you the best is owning a condo where you pay homeowners dues and someone else manages the landscaping for you and you have just a small space to care for or maybe it's a quarter of an acre or several acres. For me, it's twelve acres with several structures on it and well away from city provisions. This means that while I am on the grid for electricity I have two septic tanks and a well that are my joy to have because no one is telling me what I can and can't water or flush and my responsibility when things don't go right.

The privious owner was, to be nice about it, ignorant.
We have spent a great deal of time and money and sweat correcting his blunders over the last decade and once you get into the problem it's always worse than what you thought it was and twice as expensive to fix.

The septic to the original house had to be dug up and inspected because once we started pulling permits for the new house to be built we found that 1st owner had started the permit but never had it signed off. It and all the leach lines had to be uncovered. Funn.

The well is the current and on going headache. I suppose that for a man with an 8th grade education he should be given credit for what he did but for the amount of time that it has taken my husband away from us to manage it I will not forgive. He did things overboard, above and beyond what is nessacary because, by golly, if one foot down for pipe was what was nessasary, three feet would be better, right? So to dig it up we have to go way down. Then we find that the wire for the pump is wrapped around the water pipe, all the easier to break while digging. The wire is cheap, whatever He could afford at the time, not really the best for the job and you need to have special skillz to understand His rational for whee all the pipes lead to, where the shut off valves go to and so on.

This summer one of our goals was to finally put an end to our misery and get all this straightened out. Get the holding tank, the pressure tank, the pump the electrical all working together and in one place instead of in multiple places, and cut out the useless go nowhere pipes and set it up so even I can look at it know what's going on.

We're nearly there. The best part will be that even when the power is out we'll still have water! This also involved moving the generator to where it would actually do the whole property some good.

With all of that moved and re-established the third part of the plan will come together and thats where the chickens, ducks, and soon geese will get a new house with all the comforts. Heat, water that won't freeze in the winter, room for everyone and easy to clean out.

Back to the well. My husband is the DIY kind of guy and before you start imagining all the horror shows you see on the DIYnetwork, he really is skilled at what he does. The type of problems we run into are more along the lines of not having all the supplies needed or running out after running into unforeseen, previous owner, problems and the supply store being a thirty or forty minute trip away. That brings us to today. Got as far as getting the water from the tank pumped to the pressure tank and supplying the property but out of what was needed to get the water from the well into the tank. No biggy, we just use from the tank until Husband can come home after work today with the parts and finish. Except-- there are a number of small but significant water draws all over. Between toilets and keep full animal water buckets and auto sprinkler/water systems, in less than 24 hours we are down several thousand gallons of water.

So until this evening we are without water. A very familiar place with small inconveniences that we are more than accustomed to. We are just holding our breath till tonight when the last part of the system is glued in and we will be up and running again more reliably than ever before.

Still, it would have been nice if it had been done right in the first place. I'm not saying you have to have a bunch of schooling, just saying its ok to pick up a book now and then. Never let your schooling interfere with your education. -Mark Twain

It's Just a Little Snip

2011-09-09T12:06:00.000-07:00

This entry contains information from our latest visit with a vet. It will be graphic in detail so you are forewarned. Nothing here is meant to be medical advice. It's a blog.

Last week this time I was taking two of my 'paca boys to be gelded, Marksman and Tamerack. This is a fairly common procedure for boy alpacas because they can't all be breeders. The idea is that if you get rid of all the hormones and all their energy goes to making you lovely, soft fiber. They are called "fiber pets". As with most animals that you geld it also calms them down and makes life a lot more peaceful for all involved.

Tamerack has been a particular challenge to me. I have been in love with his fiber since I laid eyes on him 5 years ago. As he grew up I was looking at him as a potential breeder. I had someone else come out and give him a more experienced look over once he reached maturity and it was decided that it would not be a good idea. He has one leg that is ever so slightly turned out and his coat is not uniform throughout. That was two years ago. Ideally boys should be gelded when they are two. I am a little behind (and in breech of contract technically). He was causing so much ruckus and picking fights with all his other pen mates that I was ready to geld him myself. (Not a good idea by the way. This is not the kind of livestock that can have that sort of thing managed with rubber bands. Kay?) Finally an opportunity and the finances happened at the same time and I took him to get the job done. Marksman was just the right age. No worries there. He is a story for another day.

Dr. Elaine Krieg of Grass Valley was excellent. This was my first experience with her and she was calm, professional, and efficient. The first thing she did was check out his "undercarriage" and she informed us that he was very irregular. One side was extremely large. I had never noticed this before but then everything is really very tight up there and hidden behind their tails.

I am alarmed by this but mostly relieved to know that in a few moments we'll know why and know if it's serious.

When she is done removing the first side it is too small and too soft. When she is done removing the second side it is very oblong and hard at one end. This does not make me squeamish, I love this stuff. With an excited look in my eyes I ask her if we can dissect it. When she opened it up there was a hair ball. Yes. A lump of hair inside. She says sometimes a cell will go crazy and start producing where it shouldn't. Not cancer exactly but more like a T-cell growing in the wrong place.

All's well that ends well. Tam would never have been a good producer anyway and for the last week there has been little to no fighting in the pasture. Tam, being so much older than he should have been to be gelded has lost some of the softness to his fluff so this year will probably be used for felting or for rugs but I have great hopes for next year. His color is like peach oatmeal.

I actually have a picture of this, but they are on a different devise than I have access to right now. More later.