Polymath Chronicles

And my internet connection at the new place is really, really slow (picture dial up...).

I've been working a lot - this is a busy time of year for paving projects, and the associated traffic control plans. Don't get me wrong, I'm enjoying the work!!

I'm slowly settling in, but moving a farm sucks... There are so many bits and pieces. I still have lots to go, but it's getting there.

I've started putting up containers for the birds. I need to get them home - I miss them!! I had a quonset-hut shaped canopy frame that I moved that I'm going to use as the initial containment unit. it's 12 x 20, and will comfortably house the peafowl (1 peacock, 3 peahens).

I have a chainlink dog kennel that I'll press into service (after removing it from serving as the dog pen) for the chickens. The "official" dog pen, is currently being used by the chickens, so when I get them moved, it will be restored to it's original purpose, and the dogs will be happy.

Meanwhile, I've been baking bread, about one loaf a week. This is a heavily tweaked Oatmeal bread recipe, which now contains buttermilk, an egg, flax seeds, oat bran, wheat germ, and hemp hearts (they had them at CostCo), in addition to the original oats. I make the dough in the bread machine, and then put it into a regular pan (this is a 1.5 lb loaf) to bake. It's really yummy!

I have inherited a cat - meet Art. His full name is Artemis Fowl, so named because his bodily emissions rhymed with his first name... I have seen/smelled none of these, so this is good. He's a lilac lynx point, and didn't get along with Correy's other two male cats. While living there, he was allowed to come into the trailer, which he thought was pretty cool.

Here, Art is draped over some yarn that I spun this weekend. I really enjoyed spinning it, and evidently, he enjoys it too!

Here's a picture of the yarn, sans cat:

It's from Babs, a dorset/suffolk x that Becky owns. We did some trading and I got the fleece!!

I had ordered some chicks a few weeks back, and they came on Monday. I had ordered 15 Blue-Laced Red Wyandottes, and 10 Cornish Roasters. Normally, the hatchery includes extra, and their shipping label said that they had... However, they didn't, and one of the roasters died. Also, there are 11 BLRW's that look alike. There are 4 that look like Americanas. I was not pleased. When called, the hatchery (Murray McMurray), said that these birds sometimes look different as chicks, but will grow up to look like they are supposed to. Did they think I just fell off the turnip truck? This doesn't happen... I have to take pictures of them and send them to their email, and they will have the hatchery manager look at them. They will reimburse me, if, after they are grown to the point where it can be determined that they are not what I ordered, I can show them pictures.  Meanwhile, I've invested about 3 months worth of feed, for which I will not be reimbursed... To say I'm not ever ordering from them again is a understatement.

Since I first wrote this, 3 more chicks have elected for a do-over (didn't want to come back as a chicken, I guess), so I'm now down to 9 roasters and 12 BLRW's, assuming the 4 oddballs really are...
All that said, however, the chicks are cute. I start my chicks in a 100 gal. stock tank. The sides are high enough to keep out drafts, it's big enough for 24 chicks for a few weeks, and this year, I don't have to do it in the house. I have a shed, to which I ran power via an extension cord plugged into an outdoor outlet. Yay! No chick dust in the house making me wheeze and getting all over everything (it's actually microparticles of feed, dander and chick poop - not very good to have in the air).

I've decided to get some turkeys this year after all. I wasn't sure I was going to, but a recent visit to a naturopath indicated that I shouldn't eat chicken. She has offered to buy some of the previously mentioned roasters! It seems, and I can attest to this, that my body chemistry reacts badly with chicken, as it sets off an inflamatory response. However, turkey does not. So, I'll raise enough to have a couple for the freezer, a bunch to can, and a few to sell (I already have orders for 4).

I'm starting to think about gardening. I know the plants that I want to grow, and just have to get a place to do it. I have the materials to make raised beds, and because there are deer and other things here, I'll cover them with row cover supported over pvc hoops. I'll use drip because it's more efficient, especially in this climate. It's interesting - I lived in western Oregon longer than I had gardened in Reno (3 years in town - in Red Rock there was a 6 week growing season, so I didn't), but never got used to the climate. It was too cold and gray most of the time for tomatoes and peppers, and because at the time I had loose chickens, the salad greens didn't last long after their discovery. I had mediocre luck with squash, and the beans gave up. I finally did, too. I'm looking forward to gardening here - it's more like my little house in Reno, where I grew copious quantities of tomatoes, peas, beans and salad in my front yard. I'm also going to put in some herbs, because I love cooking with them.

I'll try to emulate Leigh's journaling about her garden - it'll be a good way for me to keep track of what I did!

One of the big projects is to put up fencing to bring Tang home. I'm going to use electric, since she's used to that, and it's cheaper than "real" fencing. Also, I'm renting, and I don't want to invest a lot in a place that isn't mine. Everything needs to be removable... which is easy, and hard at the same time. It takes a lot more planning because not only do I have to think about putting it in, but also how will it be easily removed.
As soon as the fence is in, I have to get hay - she has to eat (and boy, does she love to eat...). She is a total foodie. I won't go into why hay prices are high, but suffice it to say, some people are just being greedy. I understand that it takes fuel and fertilizer and time to grow a hay crop. What they don't seem to understand is that people can't afford what they're charging. I should count myself lucky that Tang doesn't need top-flight hay - she'd become rotund in no time. I can get perfectly adequate hay from the valley (where I used to live...) but will have to pay to have it hauled. It's still cheaper than the hay on this side of the cascades, but really, people... It explains the increasing numbers of horses that are hauled out to BLM or the Reservations and dumped.

Anyway, I'm really enjoying my space, and getting settled. My blood pressure likes it too!!

And I have a problem. I collect horses. I should be happy with one. But then there were two. Both are rideable, though one isn’t sure she should have to be…

FIBER NEWS: I’m gearing up to go to Fiber Market Day in Prineville on the 29th of March. I have lots and lots of fiber/yarn to dye. I’ve also been asked to do a Natural Dyeing demo, and will coordinate that with a class on Sunday. I’m really excited – I’m going to change my normal class to include a skein from each of the participants of different fiber (from their own animals). In addition to making it more personal, it will also give all the participants the chance to see that not all fibers take the dye the same way. My goal for the future is to expand this class so that people will have a sample book like the one that I did for myself a few years ago with different yarns, overdyeing, and a record of the % of dye to weight of fiber. To an extent, natural dyes are repeatable, though they’re dependent on the mineral content of the water. If you’re using well water, that is variable, depending on the time of year, just like the color content of the plants. The scientist in me loves this!

Back to the title content: When I got back into horses, my first horse was a Haflinger mare, named Honey.

Honey had been injured, and I thought that I could let her heal for 6 months to a year, and then ride her. Unfortunately, x-rays showed that her injury was much more extensive than first thought, and riding (and breeding) were out of the question. She was the blond bombshell in the pasture, until I found what I thought was the perfect home. A family had a son who didn’t want to ride, but wanted a horse to lead around, groom, and generally be a buddy with. The agreement was that she would come back to me if circumstances dictated that they needed to lighten their equine load. She didn’t. Last fall (a year later), I found an ad on CL, which from the description, was Honey. I emailed the poster, with Honey’s name in the subject line, and told them that I would pick her up on the weekend. The woman was very nice, explained how she ended up with Honey (the people lost their home, and “boarded” two of their horses with her, but never paid).

When I picked her up, it was obvious to me that she hadn’t been getting bute (horse aspirin) for a good long while, as she was quite lame. I made one of those difficult decisions, and had her put down. I kept a lock of her flowing white mane in memory of the pony who got me back into horses.

Fast forward to 2 weeks ago. I was cruising CL (there should really be a 12-step program for that site!!), and found a 4 year old Haflinger mare for free. She is untrained, other than haltering and leading. I called my horse conscience, who gave me the go-ahead (she knew Honey, as well). I took the afternoon off, went home to pick up the trailer, and headed north. The mare was in far northwest Oregon, which you get to by going through Washington. I got there just after dark.

The mare had been caught, and as I walked around her in their barn, she was snuffling in my hair. She was curious, but unsure, but seemed very sweet. They called her Annie – I’ve renamed her Sweet Annie, since she has a nice golden color, which reminds me of the citrusy scent of the herb (sometimes odors have color for me).


When I got home, it was 11 pm. She very calmly let me lead her out of the trailer, walked over a tarp like it wasn’t there, and into the barn, where Chris tried to eat her over the fence (the big turd). She was the bottom of the order at her old place, and seems to be at the bottom of the equines here, too, but over the alpacas.

Last Saturday, my farrier came out. Kiri was a poop, and had to have the stud chain to stand. She shaped up. Annie wasn’t sure about picking up her feet, but we were able to get her front feet trimmed, and her back ones picked out. I’ve been working on picking up her feet and she’s getting much better. Next weekend, I’ll have my farrier back to do her back feet, so she can be on the same schedule as everyone else.

I’ve actually put a saddle on her back – this for a mare that basically knows nothing. I didn’t have a girth on it, but she let me put it on and off.

The reasoning for this acquisition is this: I’m tired of dealing with other people’s baggage when it comes to “used” horses. I have trained a horse before, and it was the most satisfying relationship I’ve ever had with an animal. Sure, he had baggage, but it was my baggage and I knew how to deal with it. Annie will be trained my way, with my methods, and it will be all she knows. I won’t have to convince her that it’s a good idea (Kiri…) – she’ll just do it. She’s calm, accepting, curious, and will be great fun. She will be the last horse I have in my life (I hope!).

FARM UPDATE: The free chickens have turned out to be all roosters, after all. I’m able to take them back, so Monday, they will go with me to work.

I installed my new-to-me stove. My old stove's igniters quit on the right side, and then a couple of weeks ago, it started smelling like propane in the house - not good. In the process, it drained my 25 gal. tank. The new one is a 5 year old Kitchenaid, convection oven with probe, jetted for propane (this is why I like CL). There are no gas leaks, and all the burners light automatically except one, which needs a match. Hey – it’s better than nuking everything. I’ve been subsisting on Ramen and pasta (8 minutes for ramen noodles, 12 minutes for pasta). Don’t even try to do meat in a microwave…

As soon as I have some stuff dyed, I’ll post pictures. I’m always surprised at how they come out – like Sharon’s son’s comment: “Where came this?”

And Chris tried to eat her...  He was quite bent out of shape that he only had 24 hours to himself as boss of the pasture.  However, after locking Kiri in the barn, and then letting her out and locking Chris in the barn, I knew that this was not a routine that I could manage for very long (like never...).  Plus, neither of them were very happy being locked up - Chris paced and wove and worked himself into a complete lather.  By Monday, they were both getting twitterpated when the other one was out of sight, so I thought I'd try putting them together. Success! After a slight bit of "I'll show you," they wandered off grazing together.  The size difference is rather comical - Chris at 17.1, Kiri at about 13 hands.

Kiri has already established her place in the herd as higher than the alpacas.  She's very quick to turn her butt to them or bare her teeth at them, and after their experiences with the big boys, they are very respectful.  I think Chris will now get all the feed he's supposed to.  She seems to have let him be boss (good call...), so I don't have to worry about her stealing his ration. After almost a week, he looks like he's actually gaining weight.

I stopped last night to put in my turkey order (15 std. bronze, 15 royal palm and 10 midget white), and was deciding what kind of replacement chickens I was going to get.  My Dark Brahmas are really lovely, and very friendly, but they haven't laid an egg since Sept.  There is no free lunch on the farm.  I have had Buff Orpingtons in the past, and my sister has had Black Australorps, and I was trying to decide between them, when the feed store owner mentioned that they had some crossbreds (buff/Australorp x) that some guy brought back because he thought they were roosters (they aren't).  I went out to look at them, and they appear to be 3-4 months old, and took them home (there are 5). 

I have a chicken/turkey tractor that I broke last year when I moved the turkeys to their bigger pen. It's made out of a 2" pvc frame with 3/4" electrical conduit "hoops" covered in chicken wire.  Because it is raining today, I covered it with a tarp.  In the dark last night, I just put some straw in, their box, and opened the lid.  This morning (in the dark), I furnished water and food - one of the girls was out of the box the other 4 were huddled in their box wondering what was going on! Of course, Lyra, the chicken terminator, was quite interested.  The plan is to repair the tractor - it broke the fitting at the corner - and start moving them around when the weather gets nicer.  Where they are now will make a nice garden-ette, particularly with their manure added to the horse poop that has been piled there in the past.

It would be nice to make a quasi-green house where the chickens are at the end of the house.  It would help keep the underside of the house warm in the winter, and give me a place to grow greens, brassicas, and roots.  I may move them before the weather clears up - I want home-grown salads...
Like Leigh, I have 5 acres.  While I would love to be self sufficient, I know that I won't ever be able to feed the large quadrapeds from my land. The birds can scrounge a lot, but they still need more nutrition than I can provide from my land.  I can, however, work towards growing all my own herbaceous food and canning, freezing and drying it for future use.

Last year, I raised 32 cornish x chickens.  I should mention that I'm a practiced procrastinator.  I arranged for them to be butchered (I'll do one or two myself, but 32?) at 10 weeks.  I forgot how fast they grow.  I had cockerels that dressed out at 10 lbs.  I sold 6, gave a couple to neighbors for being "neighborly", froze 5, and canned the rest.  It's really nice to just grab chicken off the shelf to use in cooking.  This year, I would like to do some tuna and salmon.  It would be fun to catch it too, but I don't think I can make the time to go that far, but a couple of the grrls here at work are talking about it so maybe we will!

I got the auger, but fell feeding the turkeys when I got home and sprained my arm to the point that I couldn’t operate the auger. Fortunately, when I called the rental agency, they said bring it back and they’d zero out my account (I love these guys!). I got my arm x-rayed, and there was no break, but I wanted to make sure. So… On the way home, I stopped at my local organic farm (Morning Glory Farm), and got some wonderful cherries. I asked if they would sell me a box, and while they couldn’t right then, they would order me some.


So instead of putting stuff in the truck to go to the dump, I pitted cherries. I have a pitter, and it clamps onto my counter with the dishwasher door open.


In the background you can see a partially done seal-a-meal bag, and the seal-a-meal. I love this tool. It sucks out all the air and then seals the bag so there is very little, if any, freezer burn. Since I don’t have time right now to make my special Cherry/Basil Jam, I’ll store them until I do.
I saved some for eating, but they won’t last long!!
I did get the younger auburn turkeys out into the tractor with the bronzes (man are they getting big) this morning before work. It’s been very warm so while it looks like they have algae water, it’s really a vitamin/electrolyte mixture. This frame arrangement is easy to move because it’s light weight – it’s a good thing, too. With that many turkeys in there (about 25) it gets moved 2x a day!


This weekend, I have Tristan (Correy’s future SIL) coming to help me put up some sort of semi-permanent turkey shelter. I have several car canopy/carport tent frames, and plan to use one for their pen for now. I can add the run on with t-posts and wire, and cover the frame with more chicken wire and tarps. That will get them through the winter and be easier for my helpers to feed them all in one place. If you’re interested in building one for yourself, email/comment and I’ll send you the plans.

My chickens are not laying well right now – 2 raised chicks (only 3!), 2 are setting on nests – hopefully they’ll be more productive in the chick department – and two are running around with the roo like valley girls. It’s really fun to watch the roo interact with his kids – he’s very good with them. Of the three, 1 is a dark brahma, the other two are from the late RI red hen. They’re really cute – little reddish chicks with feathers on their feet! I’m hoping that whatever the other two hatch out are dark brahmas – it would be nice to have them reproducing themselves! They’re fast little boogers – I’ll try to get pictures soon.

Ok, so 3 weeks is awhile to go between posts. Blame it on life!
My family (sister and dad) came up the 17th of March to attend a concert that I was participating in. I joined the Eugene Symphony Chorus, and our spring performance was March 18. We sang Mozart's Coronation Mass - way too much fun for a first soprano - mostly in the stratosphere for the entire piece.


On Friday, we went to the Evergreen Avation and Space Museum, courtesy of Michelle McMillan's (blog link) family membership. My dad, who will be 86 in June (and is planning a ski trip to Mammoth as we speak), wanted to see the Spruce Goose. Initially, I thought my sister and I would just drop him off and head up to Woodland Woolworks, but it turns out they have my favorite plane there too!

We took a tour with one of their docents (Timothy) - he was great. He had been a pilot, and knew a lot of background about the planes, their missions, the construction, etc. I was very impressed. The best view of the "Goose" was from an upstairs balcony - I took 6 pictures to get all of ONE side in! Here's a picture of the nose...



After we went to the Avation Museum, we walked over to the Space Museum (they're in separate buildings), and had lunch at their cafe (very yummy). We then did a self-tour of the museum. They have all sorts of full-sized replicas of Sputnik, Mercury capsules, rockets, rocket motors, and, of course, my favorite plane, the SR71 "Blackbird."



Saturday, we hung around home, but my sister wanted to play in the mud, tiling, that is. I have been in the process of building a hearth for a pellet stove, and had gotten all the tile, with two to cut, and sort of stopped. She is the tiling goddess, and finished it. I still have to grout it, but that's not too hard!

Sunday, they headed back to my sister's in Nevada, where my dad would stay for a night, and then drive home to El Cajon, CA (east of San Diego). We had a wonderful time. With my mom's passing last fall, it's interesting getting us together. We have so much fun, but we're still missing her...

On the farm front, I have a new horse. He's a 9 year old Thoroughbred, off the track, but for 5 years. The lady I got him from is kind of flakey. She had gotten him in October to be a pasture mate for one of her horses after losing it's buddy. He is rideable, and is really a very calm horse. After trying to get pictures of his markings and tatoo to the Jockey Club to find out what his registered name was (no such luck), I named him Merlin. He is not as smart as my last horse, Doc, but he is going to be fun to work with. He has a very sweet face.



When I first brought Merlin home, Doc was still there. He went to the absolutely perfect home 4 days later – Merlin was bereft, and quite upset with me. I brought 4 of my 5 alpacas home to keep him company. It was hysterical! He’d never seen them before, but chased them around trying to see “What are you guys, exactly?” When one stopped to pee, he sniffed him all over, while the alpaca (Willy) was looking at him as if to say, “Will you excuse me? I’m busy here!” The boys are enjoying being back home.



Before my family showed up, I had gotten 35 Cornish x chicks. They were temporarily installed in the living room, but seeing as how I was going to be sleeping in there, I decided to move them out to the "big" brooder outside. All of that peeping would not have been good for my beauty rest!!



I have started tomatoes and peppers, gotten the 3 little pigs, and done a lot of dyeing for Fiber Market Day last weekend in Prineville - those will be topics for the next post, which I promise will not be as long in coming!

I’m Back… Photos and text copyright March 31, 2010, by Laura at http://polymathchronicles.blogspot.com/