Untitled
Saturday Psalm & Praise
I was reminded of this song in "History Stories for Children" by Christian Liberty Press and sang it to my children....it has been going through my mind ever since.Were You There
By: Negro spiritual
Were you there when they crucified my Lord?
Were you there when they crucified my Lord?
Oh, sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble.
Were you there when they crucified my Lord?
Were you there when they nailed him to the tree?
Were you there when they nailed him to the tree?
Oh, sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble.
Were you there when they nailed him to the tree?
Were you there when they laid him in the tomb?
Were you there when they laid him in the tomb?
Oh, sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble.
Were you there when they laid him in the tomb?
Were you there when God raised him from the tomb?
Were you there when God raised him from the tomb?
Oh, sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble.
Were you there when God raised him from the tomb?
Merry Christmas
Christmas Day at Othala Acres was a very good one, with all the family here, including Ron's parents. We opened gifts and had a delicious ham dinner.Christmas was great for us... we were some of the fortunate ones in New Hampshire. Since the horrible ice storm on December 12, there are still folks around who had to spend Christmas in shelters, at family/friends' houses, or in a candle lit house (if they were fortunate enough to have a heat source that was not dependent on electricity).
We were lucky to only have lost power for 12 hours or so on December 12 (half of it was before we woke up for the day), and we have a fairly new wood stove. We really wanted to go to help others who were forced to leave their homes, but luck would have it that we were all suffering with a nasty stomach bug that kept us at home for almost a week during right about the time the storm struck.
Many people not only were forced to leave their homes or live on candlelight (or generators), but many had damage to their homes, vehicles and more due to trees and large limbs falling everywhere. There were long lines at the pumps with people buying fuel for their generators. Many parts of the state looked like a bomb hit with trees and wires down everywhere. Our immediate area somehow escaped most of the carnage around us... almost like a tornado leveling a town but leaving a strip of houses untouched. Very surreal.
Events like this really put things into perspective and make you thankful for what you have and how easily it can be taken away. Never take what you have for granted.
~Lily
What did you do on Christmas Eve?
I was herding pigs! We had someone come by and ask if we were missing pigs, because there were two white ones down the road. I said we don't have any pigs right now, but I'll go down and see what's up. So my son (home on military leave from the Marines) & I went down and found the guy and one of the local police officers in the neighbor's driveway. As I started talking to the officer, this huge Yorkshire sow comes barreling around the corner with the other neighbor's son right behind her. Tommy went back to get some grain as the rest of us tried to herd/coax the two pigs back into their shed. Of course the door was thin plywood that opened OUT, so we had to brace ourselves against the door to prevent 250+ lbs of pork from busting it back open. The town Animal Control Officer showed up and we chased them out into the pen and he nailed a big board across the opening so they couldn't get out the house door again. Of course they wait until their owner is visiting family in Maine to plan their break-out. I guess they got wind somehow that next week their time is up. Hope their owner has a big freezer. :)We had no idea they even had pigs. It's amazing how many folks around here have livestock and you wouldn't even know it. Everything from chickens to cows to pigs to horses. It's so very cool... instead of looking at me like I have two heads when I mention our critters like I'm used to from down in Springfield (Massachusetts), most people in this area go "really? we have/had those too!"
I love country life! :)
~Lily
Longshanks
Well, Edward's first day of hunting ever was yesterday. It was more like an hour of scouting, but we took the bow anyway and Edward is excited he got to hunt with daddy.However, the hunt went something like this..
Edward: "la la la la daddy do you see any deer? La la la I have camouflage on. la la la I hate posquitos. la la la"
Ron:" Edward... shhh"
But I wouldn't trade that experience for anything in the world. Edward did find some tracks and scat on his own, so that is haleful. Speaking of haleful, he gladly imitated me and took a knee after we got out of the truck and before we went into the woods to hail the deer and Ullr for the hunt.
This is how our ways continue.
p.s. Ingrid was so mad I wouldn't take her too. Next time I'll take her, just to get her out there, but it will have to be 'just for scouting'. There is no way we'll see anything with her and Edward in tow.:-)
...Ron
Frost?
I am sore today. The kind of sore that is haleful. The kind of sore that proves to your soul that you worked the day before.We have a few very large poplars here at Othala Acres. Over the past winter, the top third of one very large one snapped off and instead of falling, hung up in another tree. A 'widow maker' as we call them. It could fall anytime and make your wife a widow. Well it has been in the corner of the Gods Grove the past few seasons and only the sheep go near it so I was content to leave it. Last month I took it down. I cut the tree at about 3 feet off the ground and let it fell. It was a bit spooky because the top thrid of the tree was broken and the tree fell in two pieces. Fortunately they fell pretty much next to each other which speaks more of luck than my skill with a chainsaw. The same day I cut the tree into wood stove lengths.
Well yesterday I split all that wood by hand. Edward and Ingrid then helped me load up Lily's old wheel barrel and get it to the sheep fence where we then loaded it into the back of my waiting pickup. The Gods Grove looks funny having my pickup in it. Then the kids and I drove through the woods to unload and stack the wood next to the house. We got two truckloads full and it seems to be about a quarter of a cord of wood. This brings us to about a stacked cord of wood that I cut split and stacked myself. Nice accomplishment. All by hand. Yeah I know, "Yay Ron, Ron is so rugged. Now go get yourself a shower and a medal." :-)
The floor of Lily's poultry barn is almost done. The walls will go up very easily after that.
The sheep will need the fall shearing very soon and all the chicks and turkey poults are growing like weeds. However, almost all of them will be sold off. Cull time is hard because Lily has to choose which is the best of the best for our breeding stock.
With life comes death and with death comes life. That is the ways it has ever been and shall ever be. Never more obvious than on a farm. We lost a turkey hen yesterday and it seems the 5 babies we let her raise are gone as well. We found two of them and the other were nowhere to be found. They have gotten chilled, which is easy when they are so young, and have died. Fortunately we have over two dozen turkey poults (babies) from earlier hatches this summer that are thriving so we still have a very healthy breeding program. I just really hate losing turkey hens.
Bow season for deer starts in the next couple days and I was able to go up Gap Mountain and get the second deer stand we own. I should put it out tomorrow. I think Lily needs to come with me to help me place it where she wants it. This will be my first season trying my hand at bow hunting. I am sure I will like it although it will be odd hunting in warm weather instead of the cold on November and December.
Speaking of cold, Intellicast said it was 39 degrees a little while ago, yet when I went out to let the birds out and check on them, the dew on the roof of the house was no dew. It was FROST! First frost of the year. Well of the season.
Had the annual blacksmith event with Jim (Ealdhand) down in Litchfeld, CT this past Sunday. I don't think either one of us got photos. This was the third year we have done it and each year we get more into the period clothing and such. It is a 'old home days' event which mimics 19th century life, complete with Civil War soldiers and other civilian re-enactors. I brought a table I made this year on which we displayed a bunch things we made. Buckles, hooks, handles, hinges and such that a 19th century village blacksmith would be required to make. It added a lot to our setup as it gave us a bunch of talking points to interact more with the people visiting the event.
There are so many apples on the trees this year. Delicious ones but also very ugly. I need to learn more about them to see if we can get them to be good looking apples or if they will always be gnarled and such. They are heirloom apples (russet & blue pearmain) from trees that were planted about a hundred years ago and neglected for the past 50 years of so. Maybe they are destined to simply be cider apples, which re awakens my desire for a good cider press. I know where to get them. But at a price of $500 or so, it is a bit verboten right now.
Now is also the time to be thinking what bulbs we shall plant for next spring's flowers. Also any sapling transplanting should be done now. Get the whole root ball.
Oh, rabbits. The 7 babies born the other week are all head and eyes. So cute. Great coloration on all of them and so different. One has the coloring of a wild rabbit and she gets to stay with us. The rest we shall sell or send to the stew pot. We'll see how that goes. Rabbit and dumplings are so delicious.
--Ron
Hopkinton Fair
What an excellent haleful weekend.Saturday began with Carl and Dana, Thor and Nikki spending the day here at Othala Acres. There was some blacksmithing on my forge, some grilling of meats on the grill, some pistol shooting across the road and some easy mead/beer drinking in Ingsleigh Hall. The sharing of companionship down the Hall was the most enjoyable for me. I have spent a bit of time down there lately cleaning and painting. There are flags of the families different heritages hanging down there now. I am steering more towards 'ethnic' flags as opposed to modern national ones if possible. For example, I have the old 'Erin Go Bragh' irish flag instead of the modern tricolor one. The Engish Flag of the Cross of St George instead of the modern Union Jack. That sort of thing. It looks terrific. Can't wait to have symble there for Wintersfinding/Winternights in October.
Sunday was the Hopkington fair with the Burke-Smith's. Again, haleful time. Kids went on the rides with the mom's while I stood around with Mike waiting for them. Just standing around looking cool, each of us with our youngest daughter's diaper bags slung over our shoulders. Mikes wasn't too bad, but mine was a 'Blue's Clues' backback. Lucking I could care less but it was a but funny to see. After a few rides, some cotton candy and fried dough, it was out of the midway and into the agri section of the fair. Saw plenty of pigs that looked like our pig. So that means lots of Hampshires. Cows were mostly Holsteins I believe. Not too much variety there. But sheep and goats always have a diverse showing. NH used to be HUGE sheep country in the 1800's. That heritage has stuck with us, even though until the 70's we had more cows than people up here. The nickname used to be 'Cow Hampshire'. Some still call us that.
We had ice cream, frappes and ice cream sodas to finish off the fair. But one last mention of the fair would be the size of some of the giant pumpkins. Truelly amazing how some people can get their pumpkins that big.
--Ron
You are my Peace
During these turbulent times, it is good to remember where our source of peace comes from. This music video have family pictures set to music that the Lord inspired my sister to write.Wild Goose Chase
Friday, Ron & I went up to Zephyr Lake Park to ty to catch the pair of Toulouse geese that someone abandoned. When they saw us, they swam right up for handouts, and ate the bread we tossed for them. We both had nets, and Ron was able to catch one of them. Once he got that one in the crate, he came back to help me with the other one. At one point I tried to head him off as he ran toward the water, but slipped on the wet grass and went down on my ass as the goose high tailed it for the water.Of course he refused to come out and swam well out of reach with the local mallard ducks. We left for a bit and came back to find him back on shore, so we tried again. This time he went right over Ron's head and back into the lake. We hid and waited like a couple of lame hunters, but no way would he come back out again, so we gave up and brought the first goose home with us.
Today, we went up to the lake again to try another go at catching the
second goose. He was staying far away from the beach and hanging out
by the vegetation with the ducks. So I decided to go around and head
down the railroad tracks to try to get to where they were. I went down
the bank and they swam away slowly, but I started tossing little
pieces of bread into the water, and the goose turned around and
started back my way. I was surprised and excited to see he was coming
right up to me and even ate from my hand. So after a couple minutes, I
squatted down and tossed a couple pieces down in front of me. He bent
his head to eat them and I grabbed him by the neck. He let out a
surprised HONK! and struggled just a little and settled right down as
soon as I was holding him. I think he may have actually felt relieved
... one because I didn't eat him and two because he probably knows
people are where the food and safety really come from.
When we got home, I reunited the pair, and the first goose started
making soft little happy noises... they are definitely very happy to
be back together.
So happy ending! Yay! :)
I have to thank this wildlife rescue guy:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wu_KMGhA
on the best way to catch a goose. It definitely works well. :)
~Lily
Turkey and rabbits For Sale
I have a one year old Narragansett tom for sale for $35.Also selling our mixed breed rabbit herd (New Zealand and unknown crosses).... babies were born March 19th. Four males (3 albino, 1 brown), one female (brown & white spotted), and mom, who is a little over one year old (don't know exact birth date). Mom is brown and a great mom. $5 each or all 6 for $25.
I'll be posting the info with photos in the For Sale section of the website soon.
NH Chickenstock
This past Sunday (June 29), the first annual NH Chickenstock was held in the Tractor Supply Co parking lot in Milford, NH. There were lots of Backyard Chickens members and others there to sell, buy and socialize. There were chickens of all ages, turkeys, pheasants, ducks, guineas and rabbits. It was a lot of fun and really nice meeting Backyard Chickens folks face to face, and seeing friends from the local poultry show circuit. Plans are already in the works for the 2009 NH Chicken Stock, so keep an eye out for information some time next year!~Lily
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