Miscellaneous farm "stuff"

"Oh, oh, Violet, she's in here again - what awful thing do you think will happen now?"

Pearl and Violet (in the front, isn't she pretty?) are surmising that since The Shepherd's Wife is in the barn with him something nefarious is about to happen -

"Don't worry girls, it's only worming paste - and it tastes like green apple, I think you'll like it."

With the barn door shut, everyone is easy to catch with the help of the shepherd's crook that I got The Shepherd for Christmas a year ago. He wonders how he got along so long without it It certainly makes things easier on the back (his, that is) I stand, pressed against the wall so I don't get knocked over and when he's got someone caught - "Blurp" there's your worming paste for the spring - on to the next one.
The swallows have nested in the barn again - I couldn't quite reach high enough to get everyone in the picture. It's only been 5 days since I took this picture and they are already out flying with their folks. I love watching baby swallows learn how to fly.





So, with worming fait accompli, the girls were turned out into their new pasture - but they couldn't help munching down a bit of grass along the way.

Speaking of munching, this year we've had a huge problem with bunnies munching everything they can get their little lips around. It is very apparent that Neelix kept the bunny population at bay. We sure do miss him.

He probably kept the raccoons out of the corn too - They have cleaned out The Shepherd's first planting. He is very discouraged!
He was also surprised to see a yearling buck bound into the girls pasture this a.m. The young fellow stood around and munched on some cherries for a bit and looked like he was going to make his way into the barn to see what was in there - but The Shepherd waved his arms and shouted and the little guy decided the better of it and bounded back out of the pasture an on his way. Cleared that 4 foot fence like an Olympic hurdler.

No, the new sign is not for the deer, it is for the neighbor's grand kids who had beat a path down the creek and were throwing sticks into H.B.'s pasture and taunting him. All we need is for one of those little buggers to get hurt - so we have two new signs on the creek to let them know that they are not welcome on our property. I think we should string some electronet along there, but, then again....

The whole creek bed behind our house is full of cherry trees. They are a tart cherry - but we never get to harvest any because the starlings seem to sense when they are coming on and beat a path to our back yard. They sure can get rid of a cherry crop in a hurry. Darn things.

I loved this picture of the cherries though - and yes, I picked that dark one and ate it right after I took the picture.

And a parting thought -

Do you think we should change his name from Cooper to Flash?

It's "that" time of year again...

All year, they grow, and grow, and grow, and grow. The Amish Pie Pumpkins tended by The Shepherd.

They grow in raised beds of barn compost. He does not till it - it composts down over the winter until the spring when he transplants the seedlings that he has grown from the seeds chosen from last year's best pumpkins.



We wash them, cut them up and roast them. This year the meat is so thick that we are having to roast them for over three hours!






After the roasted pumpkin cools, I scoop it off the skin into my huge yellow Tupperware bowl. (what would I do without it?)





I mash and mash and mash, and then I scoop it into freezer bags - 2 cups / 1# in a bag (a pint's a pound is the motto here).






It's just enough for a pie or pumpkin bread, or Farmgirl's Spicy Pumpkin Raisin muffins. I've mentioned these before - they are so moist and tasty. I use Pampered Chef "Cinnamon Plus" spice blend instead of the Cinnamon, Nutmeg & cloves. Try them - I know you'll love them!


Farmgirl's Spicy Pumpkin Pecan Raisin Muffins
Makes about 18 large muffins

1 cup raisins
3/4 cup orange juice

3 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg (slightly less if freshly grated)
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1 cup (2 sticks/8 ounces) trans-fat free margarine or butter, melted (I use a good quality butter)
1 cup golden brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup honey
3 eggs
1 15-ounce can packed pumpkin (or 1 pound fresh pumpkin puree)
1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts (toasted if desired)

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Place raisins and orange juice in a small bowl and microwave for 2 minutes; set aside. Grease muffin tins.

Combine flour, whole wheat flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinamon, nutmeg, and cloves in a large bowl and set aside.

Combine margarine, brown sugar, honey, and eggs in a large bowl and mix well. Stir in pumpkin. Gently fold in dry ingredients, alternating with the raisin/juice mixture. Stir in the pecans.

Generously fill muffin tins. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 25 to 30 minutes. (Bake baby muffins about 15 minutes.) Cool muffins in tins for 15 minutes, then remove from tins and serve warm, or let cool on wire racks. Store in an airtight container for up to three days or freeze.
*Lowfat version: Simply omit 1/2 cup (1 stick) of the margarine or butter.

© 2005 FarmgirlFare.com, the award-winning blog where Farmgirl Susan shares stories & photos of her crazy country life on 240 remote acres.

Introducing ARLO

Taking pictures of lambs is like trying to photograph a butterfly - it seems like where ever I was pointing the camera, he was somewhere else. Kind of a shy little guy, but then he was probably a little tired, as the vet was out this afternoon to check on his mommy and he got picked up and admired a bunch.

The vet thinks she has a partially retained placenta - we're giving her (well, John is, anyhow) penicillin shots - to keep from infection and supposedly should help things "clean them selves out"


















Saturday night before Easter, we had tickets to see the Gutherie family Legacy Tour concert - it is Arlo, his son & daughter, and son-in-law. They also had a pedal steel player with them who doubled on the mandolin - WOW - what a great condert. What a treasure Woody Gutherie was too.










They sing a lot of Woody's music - some that is from words Woody left that other people have put to music and some of Arlo's hits - he is very funny and such a good musician.


Anyway, when we were thinking about names for this little fellow, Arlo seemed just right -

Elsewhere on the farm

Luna & Scooter have become terrorists (oops, don't tell the HSA)

Common mom, mooove it!

Neelix is still on high patrol in the barn...

And this beautiful tree peony is blooming in the greenhouse. You never know what your're gonna get around here.