Where's George?

 A not infrequent question around our house - Where's George?  Sort of in the "Where's Waldoian" sense - he and his sister have the most camo of any kitties I've ever had - you can be looking right at them, and not see them, or if they are sound asleep, one might not hear The Shepherd calling around the greenhouse before he shuts it up for the night. 

Such was last evening - Actually I hadn't seen him since he "breezed" through late the night before - the nice weather we've been having leads to lots of naps outside - under bushes and trees or in trees -

So that's where I went looking last night after I had been calling for about 1/2 hour and he hadn't appeared.  Outside to look in the tall grass by the creek, under bushes and shrubs in the yard.

They like to play up on the roof - gets them closer to the birdies, I guess?  They nimbly run up the river birch until they get to the limb that looks down on the roof and jump down - then go racing back and forth - I'm always afraid that they will think they can go running after a bird and oops, the bird flew away - and cats don't have wings...

So, I called and I whistled.  It was raining - I pull my hood up so my hair doesn't get all wet.  Gracie and Bella watch from the kitchen window - "What the heck is she doing out there?" you can see the question on their faces.  

The Shepherd was leaving to go to a meeting, so he wasn't in a looky-loo frame of mind. 

Well, even thought The Shepherd said he didn't think  that George was in the greenhouse, I thought I'd better check.

Being homemade, it has a big clunky heavy door - I peered through the cracks between the door and the frame and didn't see anything, but, just in case, I heaved and pushed and pulled and finally got the door open.

Who do you think came trotting out. ...

"Oh, Hai Mummy - thank you for releasing me from that prison cell.   Purr, purr, purr."

Sigh of relief.

So I sat under the eves of the barn in one of my favorite chairs and we had a snuggle fest.  I had the cordless phone in my pocket, "just in case", so I called my sister and we had a nice visit. 

It was raining, but it wasn't really that cold, especially since I had on a long sleeved fleece pull-over, a fleece vest, a rain coat and a cat - I sat and pretended that I was watching the eclipse - "hmm - is it getting darker? No, that's because it's getting late. I guess I'll go in and fix my dinner."   George seemed to concur so off we went. 

Caturday Report

 Hello everybody and everykitty!  Bella here with LAST week's Caturday report (what can I say, the help around here is abominable!)

Here I am, inspecting the things that came home from church last Sunday.  These are the mats that The Shepherd took to put his bonsai on.

But first I have to tell you about the Sheep & Goat day at the local Farm Co-op store.

The week before, early on Saturday morning, The Shepherd and Mummy loaded one of the vishus sheep and her screaming brat into the white trailer and took them away - turns out it was only for a few hours - they were the stars of the Sheep and Goat day at Ferndale Cenex.  Mummy took her spinning wheel and sat inside and entertained the peoples who came there to buy food for their animals. The Shepherd was impressed at how well behaved Donna and little Makks were with all the people around them. 

Last week, like most Sundays, The Shepherd and Mummy went to church.  The Shepherd is choir director and because it was Mother's Day, he was in charge of the service, and the choir sang a bunch of songs for the people. 

This is a picture of the garden that The Shepherd made at the church.  I think it looks very snoop worthy, but Blaine, where they go to church is a too long car ride away for me and Mummy would be afraid that I might get lost!

These are the bonsai trees that The Shepherd took for decoration of the front of the church.  He was mad at Mummy because he says this picture is "of the back" of the plants - she thought it looked nice anyhow. 

The little town of Blaine where they go to church is right on the border between the US and Canada.  The white building in the center of the picture is called The Peace Arch and it sits in the middle of a very beautiful park that is right on the border. 

Mummy was in charge of "snacks" after church last week.  She made these things called "wraps" - meats and veggies wrapped up in flour tortillas -

First she put a layer of a mix of cream cheese and caesar salad dressing on the tortilla.  Then she put down a handful of spinach leaves.  Then she put about a half a cup of what she called Greek Salsa-a yummy mix of chopped artichoke hearts, sliced black olives, sliced green olives (pimento stuffed), diced celery, diced English cucumber, shredded carrot finely chopped green onions, red bell pepper, Feta Cheese,  garlic, Cavender’s  Greek seasoning, some Pampered Chef Greek Seasoning Rub, a couple of shakes of Pamp. Chef Italian seasoning and some pepper, some Best Foods Mayonnaise (you probably could use plain yogurt. But she didn’t have any) AND a couple of tablespoons of white wine vinegar.  Rolled it all up and wrapped it up in some waxed paper (that's why the wraps in the picture look kind of "shiny" - she forgot to take the waxed paper off before she took the picture - Meow out loud, Mummy)  One of the ladies at church told her it was the best thing she'd ever tasted.  Mummy was pleased because she thought they were very tasty too.  She also had Ham Salad wraps and Chicken Caesar salad wraps, egg salad, homemade Roasted Red pepper hummus, bagels, some chips and a bowl of sliced apples and oranges.  Whew, that was a lot of food!  Plus they had a chocolate cake to celebrate the college graduation of their choir accompanist!  She was so tired she wanted to come home and take a nap, but she had to go to town to do the family laundry.  It was a very busy day! 

So that's last week's Caturday report.  Maybe there will be time to do another one tomorrow -  Hope you all have a good Sunday!  XOX  Bella

The Stuff I'm Made Of...

 

 On March 17, 1903, the Steamer North Star stopped at Bonita Landing in Douglas County, on the east side of the Columbia River.  James and Emma Reed, and their 4 daughters, Zella (3), Ida (9), Georgia (11) & Henrietta (14) disembarked.  James had sold his profitable farm in Troy Grove Illinois and moved his family and all their possessions to Washington State, what must have seemed like the ends of the earth, under the promise of good farmland, a wagon and a team of horses.  

When they got there, it was so muddy, they had to camp at the landing for a couple of weeks until the road was dry enough for the team to make it up to the top of the hill where their property was.  It was so windy that their tent only lasted a few days and James proceeded to excavate and build a log bunker, buried half underground to protect them from the elements.  The bunker, its logs chinked with mud and the remains of their canvas tent served as their home for several years, furnished only with a stove, table and bunk beds.  

Times were tough and sometimes, the family ate cornmeal mush 3 meals a day.  James finally was able to get a cow, and get a garden planted and he traveled about the countryside selling vegetables and cream.  

This story, from the book “Pioneer in Pigtails” tells of the hard life of the pioneer families that came to North Central Washington around the turn of the 20th century. The oldest daughter listed above, Henrietta was my paternal grandmother.  Several years later, Henrietta, or as her family called her, Dot, would meet and marry another homesteader, Pete Thomsen.  They built their home just east of Mud Springs, a home which, because my grandpa was afraid of spiders, had something unusual for the times, an indoor toilet.  That is the home where my father and his brother and sister were born and where my three sisters and I had full reign while we were growing up, because our house was only a couple hundred feet away.  

So, that’s the “stuff” I’m made of.  My grandma had passed by the time the Pioneer in Pigtails book was written. She definitely was hardier stock than I am... I never thought to ask her about the trip and her early days, but after reading the story, I realized why they always had a cellar full of jars of home canned food and why her garden, which she tended daily,  – even in to her 60’s and 70’s - was almost a quarter of an acre (although toward the end of her gardening days, it was more flowers than food - it also explained why she would cook one chicken when our family of 6 came to dinner).  

To say I'm grateful for all the advancements of the 20th century would be an understatement. 

Happy Mother's Day to all you moms, grandmoms, furkid moms and "dad" moms out there! 

Who needs a lightsaber?

Who needs a lightsaber when you have laser eyes?

Star Wars 35th anniversary coming up on May 25.

Who'd a thought??   

.

Well, that was FUN!

Saturday night we went to The Blue Horse Gallery & Cafe for a CD release concert for one of our favorite Bands - a group based in the Seattle area called Pearl Django,

We have been following these guys for about five years, ever since we first heard them at our friend's 20th anniversary party.  It's been about a year since we've seen them though.

The band  has been together for about 18 years - there have been a few personnel changes, but the music is still the best - 

Neither one of us had been in this Gallery for many years, especially not since they'd added the cafe.  It was a really comfortable place and I'm sure we'll be going back again.  

Here's our friends Curtis & Felicity, that 20 year "Anniversary Couple" - today - they will have been married 25 years in August.

Thanks for introducing us to the band you guys!






Pearl Django doing a few licks to warm up before the concert starts

Everybody gets to go outside now!

Last Sunday while I was at church, The Shepherd, who had stayed home due to a cold, decided it was time to move everyone out to the pasture.

That is Makks in front - He is only three days old here, but look at how much bigger he is than the other lambs!  

The only one who really didn't like the turn of events was Little Ole - who was not quite tall enough to see over the grass - and apparently spent a fair amount of time screaming for his mommy - "Help! I'm Lost - And I might be blind -all I can see is GREEN!"  poor little fella. 




Violet with Sandy and Frosty - Sandy just gets prettier by the day.

And the neighbors have been "flocking" by to see the new babies - one lady told The Shepherd on Saturday that our lambs are the highlight of her family's spring.  

And here's himself - look at those telephone pole legs.  The Shepherd has examined him from top to bottom - can't find a white hair on him - sure hope those horns come in good!

Contemplations on Working Cats

Sometimes I feel like that old commercial - "Parents - it's now 9:00 - do you know where your children are?"  

Our kitties are farm cats - they have a job, and that is to keep the rodents and bunny units out of the garden and the barn area.  So far, they seem to be  doing a pretty darn good job of it by the carcasses that they leave laying around (although I do wish they wouldn't bring froggies into the house!!!)

I really try to make sure they are inside at night – that’s when a lot of “bad things” happen to good cats – run-ins with hungry coyotes or raccoons, fights with neighbor cats looking to enlarge their territory -   When it is rainy or cold, not so much of a problem – but these spring nights are getting to be warmer and they stay out later and later – not coming when I call.  

Often, it feels like the blood rushes from my head – my ears hiss with my distress – How I managed to keep Sinda for 21 years is a mystery to me sometimes – she spent most of one summer across the street at a neighbor’s and after I would call and call,  she would come back home, but she used to actually lie down in the middle of the road – like she was daring the cars to run over her – I’m lucky I didn’t get hit by a car that summer in my efforts to “rescue” her!  

So, I give them over to their guardian angels –(and our fenced yard to keep the dogs and coyotes out) -  and breathe a sigh of relief when I feel Gracie jump on the bed to sleep with us or hear George jump up on the TV table,  With their feral beginnings It would be cruel (and impossible) to keep them inside  - George most certainly would tear the house apart trying to get out – we learned that last summer.  Inside/outside suits them fine – me, I still worry  

It's Caturday!

Hello Everybody and Everykity - It's ME, Gracie, reporting in with the Caturday report!

It rained cats and lambs this week here on the farm - there were two of the little buggers born last Caturday morning and then on Thursday, Mummy told you about the new big bruiser, Makks - Or "Marietta's MacDonald"  - is his formal name - He was born in the middle of a pouring down rainstorm.  The Shepherd kept coming back and forth from the barn and finally when the little guy was borned, Mummy went out too -  they both got VERY wet!

Mummy wanted to show you some of the pretty flowers that The Shepherd has in his collection.  This is a Magnolia tree,  it is about 10 or 12 years old, but it is only about two feet tall!  Aren't they pretty flowers? 

Here is Georgie's favorite spot to sleep in the greenhouse.  The Shepherd worries that he might get locked in there so he has to scan all of the obscure places that George likes to snooze before he can shut the greenhouse up for the night.  .

Mummy calls Bella "Miss Dirty Feet" - The Shepherd calls her "Pigpen" - ha ha ha  - they don't call ME names like that. The other night when Mummy stopped to close the gate, Bella jumped in the open car door and got muddy paw prints all over the seats in Mummy's car!  Good thing they are leather seats and the mud wiped off - not so much on the lap of Mummy's pants though.  She was not pleased.  (Mummy here - Bella has also decided that she wants to get in the shower with me in the morning! Go figure with that - so far, tho, she jumps out when I spray her feet with water)

So that's all that I, Gracie, have to tell you about - Mummy and The Shepherd went to a Farm Sale last week (they didn't sell the farm, thank god), but they did sell a whole lot of The Shepherd's sheeps furs.  And here is, as Mummy calls it, "a teaser" to show you what SHE bought -she said she felt it was her moral imperative (what ever that is) to support the other farms that were there selling things.  Sounds like a just a good reason to buy more sheeps furs to me...

Everyone have a great week!

Love, your roving reporter, Gracie 

Hot off the press! (sort of...)

This was the path out to the barn this evening - It was raining like crazy when I got home from work at about 6:30 or so - No Shepherd to be found in the house, so I called his cell phone - he was out in the green house planting starts for our garden this year - "Are you ready for dinner?" I asked -

"Probably not for a while -Donna's in labor" -

About 15 minutes later, he came in for the vet's phone number - she was presenting one leg and a nose, but the other leg was no where to be found... Called the vet, left a message for a call back. - But by the time he got back out to the barn, ta da - the little guy had popped out on his own.

Well, little is a relative term here - Little Ole from last week only weighed about 4 lbs - he still probably only weighs about 5 lbs. - Tonight's lamb - 6 lbs, 3 oz.! He is bigger than Frosty & Sandy and they are almost two weeks old!











I want to call him Makks. I don't know what The Shepherd will decide.









He is less than an hour old in these photos - he is jet black -not a white hair to be found on his body.

Now what do we do?

Here's a little movie of his first dinner.

I try my hand at making "Artisan Bread"

Lest you think that the cats and the sheep have completely taken over my blog - here is something completely different!

A couple of months ago, I brought home the "Real Food”magazine from our local Haggengrocery store. It's a magazine that partners up with upscale food and grocery stores with seasonal recipes and articles about local happenings. Well, it had a small article about a “new” flour brand put out by Fisher Flour Mills in Seattle (you might know them from their Fair Scones that are sold throughout the west at county and regional fairs during the summers)

I’ve always had a soft spot for Fisher mills - #1 As the daughter of a wheat farmer, I appreciate anyone who brings our product to market in a more direct manner and #2 – They are “local” – ie Pacific NW local.So when I read about their Shepherd’s Grain flour project, I really wanted to support it. The farmer’s share of a bag of flour is less than 15 cents a pound – When a group of enterprising farmers – many of their families have been farming in Eastern Washington since the late 1800’s – approached Fisher Mills about grinding this flour for them – they already had local bakeries and restaurants who were eager to get a “local” product for their baking.

Well, you really know that it’s time to put your money where your mouth is when you pick up a 5# sack of flour and it’s more than two times the cost of the “store” brand. Ouch…. But, I bought their plug for “Sustainable farming” and bit the bullet (and bought their flour).

As I said, this was primarily a flour manufactured for wholesale, and they now offer it to the retail market in pretty red & white plaid 5# bags. The bags have the “Artisan Bread” recipe on the back. You know, the one where you just mix flour, water, salt & yeast, stir it up some and ta da – a nice crusty loaf of bread pops out of the oven in less than three hours – no kneading or anything, just mix ‘er up and let ‘er rise.

Having made bread all my life (although not much recently) I have been skeptical of this recipe. But a friend from church brought some to a potluck a few months ago and it was very tasty – it was time to try it out.

Well, the first brick, I mean, loaf, from this batch, could easily have been used as a murder weapon. “What was the cause of death?” – “Blunt force trauma caused by a loaf of bread, your honor” –

But between baking the first and second loaves, I read another article in a foodie magazine that I get and allowed more time for the second loaf to rise.

And, I buttered it when it came out of the oven – so it was “crusty”, but not break your tooth crunchy. Unfortunately, my recent cold had rendered my taste buds inoperative, but The Shepherd declared it very tasty – and when would I make more?

So, this afternoon I made another batch - this time I used the recipe from the foodie magazine - used more water and less flour - definitely a "sticky" dough - too sticky to make the signature slashes on the top, (but it did taste OK) and I'm going to have to refine the flour/water ratio - The second loaf is supposed to last in the fridge for up to two weeks, so it will be OK to sit in there until next weekend when I'll have time to mess with it a little more.

I'm not going to bother with posting the recipe - there are many versions of it on the interwebs - just Google "artisan bread recipe" and you'll get about 795,000 results -

Yippee - we get to go Outside!

Friday afternoon, Violet was ready to get out of the lambing jug (and for reasons that will become apparent at the end of this blog) The Shepherd moved her and the babies to the front pasture.










The Shepherd is admiring Frosty's markings - he does have the cutest little face, don't you think?












And this one is just stunning - what a pretty little girl. It is really funny how sometimes they "just look like sheep" - and other times - the boys are very masculine looking (broad chest, heavy brow (think Worf, the Klingon from Star Trek) - and the little ewe lambs are just dainty and "pretty" -








Oh, and the reason he needed the jug "emptied out" - Vanessa had these two yesterday morning between 4 & 6 a.m. - Little Ole in front and his sister Dottie in the back.

Baby watch is on for tonight with Donna -

Don't look so stressed Vanessa - you could have had SEVEN lambs like that Finn Sheep did in Snohomish last week! Holy cow - talk about doubling your flock in one fell swoop!





Out into the big wide world. That dog is our neighbor's Tipper - waiting for her "mom and dad" to come home from work.

The Caturday Report!!

Hello every body and every kitty! It's me, George, with this week's Caturday report.

Well, I must inform you that Mummy received something called a book in the mail last week and ever since, she has been totally COMPLETELY USELESS!

She does nothing but sit in a chair with this thing in her lap, turning pages - turning pages. (It was Christina Dodd's new book "Betrayal")

I just don't know what to do with her.



So, Gracie and I went outside to enjoy some of the sunny days that we've been having here in the Pacific NW.This week, I have more than sun puddles to play in - I have sun lakes, sun oceans!











One of the things that happened this week was that Mummy put that awful flea medicine on my neck! (It's for your own good sweetie) It made Bella REALLY mad and she wouldn't even look at Mummy for a couple of days - especially she wouldn't let Mummy touch her!

Anyhow, I was feeling the need of a good dust bath to help that yucky stuff along.








Mummy says sometimes when I lay in the sunlight like this she can't tell me and Gracie apart - all my browns come out.











But Gracie doesn't have soldier buttons on her tummy like I do. Oh, boy, that sand feels so good.












To end the week, here is a picture of our front gate - The Shepherd planted a lot of flowers that all came up this spring. I heard Mummy say it is very pretty to come home to.

I hope you have a good weekend. Mummy and The Shepherd are taking all of the sheeps furs to a "farm sale" tomorrow. I hope they aren't selling our farm!! (no, George, it is a sale AT a local farm where other shepherds and fiber growers are bringing their fleeces to sell to local spinners so they can increase the size of their stash)

Bye everybody, Your Roving Reporter, George

Happy Easter!













Happy Spring!













Happy Happy Everything!

The Caturday Report!!

Hello everybody and everykitty - it's Bella here- trying to figure out what's going on in the barn with the vishus sheeps...













Mummy was supposed to show you these pictures LAST week of the sheeps and their baby bumps...


Well, she kinda didn't get around toit








And, yesterday - the baby bumps turned into baby sheeps.

The shepherd said the white one is Sandy - it's a girl and the black & white one is a little boy and his name is Frosty - because it was really frosty out last night when they were being borned.

Mummy took a movie of them eating their breakfast. I think their tails wagging is funny.



Hope you have a Happy Easter! Your roving reporter, Bella