So a couple of weeks ago, we had an epic wind storm; the kind of storm that drives you to hurry home because it's just ominous. It's a bit counterintuitive when you live in the middle of the forest but you know, home just feels like a safe place when things are crazy. The weather came up as the sun went down and just as the light was changing, we watched these monsters slowly crash to the forest floor. While big storms, and the accompanying power outage, aren't for everyone, they certainly are for us. I did worry a bit about the freezers but we had enough propane to can a good portion of what was in them. Once we figured that out, we settled in to enjoy. The lantern is from Lehman's (no endorsement) and works like a charm. The mugs are a random assortment, including one from Shprixieland (also no endorsement). We had tea with water boiled in the kelly kettle (more about that some day) and enjoyed the real silence. Now, it gets pretty quiet here but the silence that comes with a power outage is magical and most definitely it's own kind of special. Not only do we slow down but all of the background hums and noises disappear. You really don't realize how quiet life can be until you take electricity out of the equation. Of course, that kicked off a round of "could we get off the grid" for us. Over all, I think we could do with minimal power, especially in the winter when we have the woodstove to heat water and the freezers don't need to work as much. The fridge is a factor though less of one if I'm home more. I guess that's what I realized about electricity (like most of what's in our homes), it's really there to be a convenience so we can go to work and not have the extra hassle of rustling up thises or thats. It's also nice to not overheat us. My mother in law had a wood cookstove as her stove (that's right, no other option) for most of the Woodsman's life and I do remember the heat it pumped out in the summer when she needed to use it. That I wouldn't want to go back to.
But there are options - cob stove outside? Anyway, if you're off the grid or heading that way and have some ideas, please do drop me a line. We have been working on the first step (which is reducing) everywhere we can and now need to consider how we can add in. On that note, I have to get to work! of potato season! Getting home from a long day of work and heading to the garden to rustle up something for supper is one of the greatest joys of my life. Sometimes I think it's even more so for the fact that I had to get home after a day at work but not sure. Maybe it would be even more delicious to just be at home? I hope to test out the hypothesis in the next couple of years. Anyway, spuds are one of the greatest treats to my mind. It's like a treasure hunt, getting your hands in there and hoping you get some magic. You pull them out and voila, supper that fills the belly and tastes divine. Some people suggest not using up room on potatoes because they're cheap at the grocery store but really, they're easy to grow and I think taste miles better than anything the grocery store has on offer. They're ready for the pot. I cut up the big ones and throw them in boiling water first, adding them in from next largest to smallest. When they're done you can toss them with a little butter and veg, crack an egg over the mass and there you have it: insta-supper from the yard. Not super pretty but soooo delicious.
I would like to send a big shout out to Eagle Creek Potatoes. They don't know I'm doing this nor have they in anyway paid for an endorsement but my potatoes have been the best they've ever been. Now, the Woodsman has something to do with this as well. He and the Young Man built me some amazing raised beds (best Mother's Day gift ever). But these potatoes are absolutely gorgeous. No scab, no blemishes, no nothing that's bad for potatoes. I didn't do anything special to the soil - just from the chicken yard to the garden. And basically neglect them from there. So, get some good seed potatoes and get growing. Many places will tell you not to bother with potatoes. I'm going to tell you to go for it. Even when they're scabby, there's nothing like eating a potato fresh from your own dirt. And they're pretty bomb proof - even when I toss in sprouty ones from the pantry, they do ok. So next year, consider potatoes for an easy, satisfying crop. I know it's bad manners to just have these long, quiet periods but it is what it is, I guess. There is a crispness in the air I would not have expected for another month but there it is. As someone with who's mostly North Atlantic, in her recent ancestry, I certainly don't mind, though it's doing a number on the warm weather crops. I see green tomato something in my future. The squirrels are crazy busy too, dropping pinecones from the heights and running around chattering. But it's still the time of year when I can eat a bowl of fresh peaches for breakfast (so does not make me sad). Which reminds me, I need to grab more peaches after work. Canning, canning, canning. This weekend I need to deal with freezers and the cold room situation. In other news, my hens are thinking this is a good time to hatch out. I know what you're probably thinking - it was too hot before and now they're comfortable but you know, it didn't get as hot as that. No, I can't figure them out but right now I have teen aged chicks, brand new, hatched on the weekend chicks, and two mamas on a nest. In goat news, Athena kidded out at the end of May. As usual she had three (doe, buck, buck), got them out like a trooper, cleaned off and cared for, and well mothered. Ironically, I decided that we were taking a break from breeding. There are tonnes of wonderful things about breeding, the obvious: babies. But also there's a deeper excitement of new life, the potential for milk (I say potential because ever year I start off well intentioned but fade), and just the fun of watching the sillies grow up. The bad isn't all that bad either. Ok, it's bad in the moment but it's part of life and most definitely part of farming. You can't get away from it in farming, no matter how hard you try. So, why go on hiatus? I just can't part with the babies! I love them way too much. We neutered all of the boys so I'd have to pressure to move any of them on. I love this year's doeling, Hekkla, and have decided that if someone needs a doeling, I will sell her but I hate that part. So, for right now, we're taking a break. I also have a tonne of personal life stuff going on so, we'll take the next season off and see what comes. So, there's your update. See you sooner, than a couple of months, I hope!
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AuthorI'm a 40-something writer and smallholder living in the wilds of BC with my family, our small herd of Nigerian Dwarf Goats, chickens, ducks, dogs, and cats. Archives
August 2017
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