Getting Ready....

It's March 6th.....And, no sap, yet....We've been completely out of our own stock for over a month now.  Oy, Vey!  

We've had a challenging winter!  Well, actually, just a challenging February, really.   

Record-breaking frigid temperatures and record-breaking snowfall, according to all the meteorologists. 

However, the week ahead shows much promise, with predicted highs in the 40's, and lows in the 20's - perfect conditions to wake up the trees and begin collecting that sweet sap!






 

 

 The greatest challenge at the moment is actually getting to our trees to drill and tap them - there's easily 3 feet of snow out there!!  We began working on preparations earlier this week, but today and tomorrow we'll be busy little beavers. 








We are not working alone this year, however, because we've connected with another producer who lives about 9 miles east of us, right on Otisco Lake, the next "little finger" lake to the right of Skaneateles Lake on the map.  

She has fantastic equipment, knowledge to share, and a desire to educate the next generation of producers; we have young, strong "manpower", 500+ trees prepped, and a desire to learn - a perfect match!  More about that, and lots of pictures to come!
 

 Also, exciting - our little on-line store will be ready for purchases in April, thanks to our devoted friend, Josh!  But, I am still happy to hand-deliver syrup to my friends and family whenever possible, and folks are always welcome to stop by our home.   
And, this year, we plan to have not only maple syrup for sale, but also maple cream - a luxurious spread on toast, crackers, scones and more!

As Fall Progresses...

Autumn is my favorite season!  "Why?", you ask.  Well, for starters:

Apples, 
          Pumpkins,
                         Mums, and
                                    Campfires with hot apple cider and cocoa!

I especially love the changing colors, though.  In the northeast, especially out in the country, you see it first in the weeds and the mature crops ready for harvest, then the leaves, and finally the grass.  Each day, the ordinary becomes new and exciting for the observant, nature-loving person. 

For example, the view from my favorite spot has been changing - slowly at first, but daily in the last week!
 

 September 3rd

September 24th

September 30th

 I find it fascinating!  What a creative God we have to make such things happen.  And, how generous of Him to share such beauty with us.

Last year, we didn't get to enjoy the colors of fall for long, due to our weather.  However, this year, the change is happening gradually and in grandeur!  Don and Will's tree science studies tell us that this year's weather not only makes for brilliant color to enjoy, but should also make for a terrific maple season come February or March. 



Besides enjoying the beauty of autumn, what else have we been up to lately?  Well, if a picture is worth a thousand words....I have about 10,000 to share!

Hiking at local State Parks, adding more trees to our sap collection lines,  trail riding and walking at home,

Walking around the nearby lakes,
documenting the changing colors,
cooking over campfires,
creating an obstacle course for our energetic dogs,  raising Wiggles and family, jumping horses, and soaking up as much sunshine as we possibly can!!!

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 



Oh, yeah!  
We also visited the zoo, recently.  



My favorite animal?  I'm a Leo, so.... of course, I adore .......
                 

I plan to post some delicious fall recipes that include maple syrup combined with my other favorite fall ingredients, so stay tuned!

Ushering in Autumn

Good evening, Friends!  Well, today was the kind of day that reminds me why I love autumn in the Northeast.  Bright sunshine, azure sky dotted with fluffy, white clouds, and a light breeze.



It was about 68 degrees and DRY today, after a few days of damp, rainy weather.  It felt GLORIOUS to be outside!  And, the vegetation is just hinting at  it's vibrant fall colors, to be revealed in the coming weeks.

 

I breathed deeply... that crisp, fresh air while on my daily walk to the field at the top of the hill today.  The dogs bounded through the field, and tracked critters through the woods.  I love the way the trees filter the sunlight in autumn.  Depending on the time of day I walk, I get a completely different picture.

Tig in nearly six months old now.  He's grown so much since his arrival on May 26th - 33lbs. at his mid-August check-up!

Being in a family of yellow labs, he's beginning to pick up "lab" behaviors.  My little Aussie shepherd thinks he's a hunting dog, flushing game and hurling himself into bodies of water after critters!  Now, if he could get that "retrieving" part...

I soak it in - not just the sights of early autumn, but the sounds, too.  The geese overhead announce their presence as they head south.

 


 
Meanwhile, Don was thrilled to have one of his days off coincide with sunshine!  He and the boys had a perfect afternoon to exercise his resourcefulness on our new, larger chicken coop.  He's building it with materials we already have around the farm.  I'll be sure to share that project as it progresses.

After a delicious fall meal of turkey, mashed potatoes and carrots, I walked out to the pond with the dogs, and got a few early evening photos.

Then, a sweet family from Staten Island, New York City stopped by to purchase some maple syrup.  I so enjoy having people stop in for some syrup and a chat!  Our supply is dwindling, however.  We're down to about eight quarts!  Thankfully, only 5 months to go until the 2015 sap run!

He's getting so handsome, isn't he?

Beautiful Blueberries

Fresh fruits and veggies make eating so delightful this time of the year.  So many juicy, colorful, flavorful fruits are available!



And, who doesn't love fresh berries?  Magenta to crimson to deep violet, luscious berries are readily available in the Northeast this time of year....But, my all-time favorite berry is the beautiful blueberry.  I love its deep blue color just as much as its tart-n-sweet flavor.  I even think the bushes, with their smooth, deep green leaves, are lovely!

And, one of my favorite pastimes is picking my own blueberries on a late summer's day when the sun is warm and bright, but the heat is not too intense....when you can sense that autumn is not too far off.... 

Someday, I'm gonna have 2 or 3......or 20 (knowing my husband!) blueberry bushes on Westbrook Farm, but until then, I have to find someplace else to pick.

Last year, one of my new friends, Julianne, took me to this scenic little blueberry orchard on top of a hill just outside of Cortland, NY, called Hall's Hill. (www.hallshillblueberryfarm.com)  We picked several pounds to eat fresh and we froze enough to make blueberry "delights" throughout the winter.



I mentioned to her, a few weeks ago, that I'd love to go again, but we weren't sure if we'd be able to make it happen since both of us have been experiencing "transportation challenges" of late.






However, last Thursday, Praise the Lord, we made it happen! 




My friend, our daughters, and I grabbed our buckets and baskets, packed into her minivan, and head to the hills.  What a lovely afternoon we had!




Blessed with perfect weather and delightful company, I weaved my way in and out of the rows, tasting the different varieties of blueberries, and selecting the ones I wanted to fill our containers. We moms had the opportunity to chat, relax in the sun, and watch the cottony clouds float by as we picked, while our daughters chattered their way up and down the rows of blueberry bushes, and played with the sweet farm dog.






Now, this farm has at least 4, maybe 5 or 6, different varieties of blueberries.  Who knew there were so many choices?!  Different sizes and levels of tartness or sweetness...  Since they are not labeled, the only way to know what you are getting is...taste, of course!  And, note the rows of the ones you like.

Grace, Rosie and I identified 3, that, when combined, produce an amazing flavor explosion in your mouth!  So, that's what we picked.

 

I'm so glad I decided to take my camera along - such a gorgeous day!!





The final outcome:  9 and half pounds of juicy, blue deliciousness!

Blueberry recipes to come, I promise!  I've already made some muffins, but mostly we've been adding our blueberries to our yogurt, hot cereal and vanilla ice cream.....yum!

Oh, My! Chickies!

I have a little story to share, so please stick with me.....

About a month ago, we went to PA to visit some friends, and, as you previously read about, my children were baptized at our home church.  Well, during those days we had a friend "farm-sitting" for us up here.

He did a super job, but he didn't realize he would need to look UNDER the hens that happened to be in the nest boxes in our coop, therefore, when we got home, one "broody" black australorp was setting on a pile of eggs!




I decided to have Grace mark five or six with a sharpie and let the hen sit....just cuz.... It was an experiment, really.  I wondered if my rooster was still.....doing his job....if ya know what I mean!


I carefully counted 21 days, chickens' incubation period, and marked it on the calendar.  August 2nd.  We'd let her tend the eggs until the evening of August 1st, then, bring them inside and place them under the heat lamp to watch them hatch....or not.




On July 31, I send Will and Nate out to clean the coop.  Moments later Nate comes rushing back into the kitchen gently holding something between his work-gloved hands....a chickie!!  Alive and well.  The girls swiftly set up a plastic tub with shavings and rigged up the heat lamp, as the boys went out to gather the other eggs.

Unfortunately, another was halfway hatched, but had been dragged out into the chicken yard, presumably by one of the young hens;  maybe she was confused by that noisy broken egg in the nest box...

We put the traumatized little one under the heat lamp, but we believe the new nursery got too warm, too fast, because she died, as did one other that was just breaking out.  DARN!  I wanted to have everything prepped ahead of time and the temperature adjusted properly to 92 degrees, but that just didn't work out.  I hadn't factor in the day on which we left when I counted....   

Stuffed rhino was supposed to be a comfort while waiting for live friends!

So, we had one live chick and two eggs left.

Anxiously, we waited for almost 48 hours to see some signs of life from those eggs, but....nothing.  Don decided it was time to see what happened.....Were these two eggs even fertilized?  The first was not.....but...

"Peep, peep!"  Indeed, the second had a fully-developed bird in it!  Sadly, however, we discovered that it was deformed and the little guy didn't make it through the night.




So now, we have one very spoiled chick....

Oh, my....This just won't do! We learned, from another backyard flock owner, that single chicks usually fail to thrive.  Chickens are designed to live in groups and interact with each other.  They rely on each other.

Wiggles, that's what Grace named the feisty little one, appeared healthy and strong at 3 days old, but could he/she last until mature enough to go to the coop?  And, would he even know how to interact correctly with the other chickens when he did?


So, at 6:45 in the morning, with our coffee in hand, Don and I logged onto Craig's list to see if we could find Wiggles some friends.....


We ended up at this great, little family-operated hatchery called Beardsley's Pick-a-Chick Farm, in Whitney Point, NY. (beardsley.wix.com/pickachick)


Only $2.00 each for these healthy-looking two-day old chicks!  A $.50/bird discount due it being the last hatching of the summer.  And, what a colorful variety of cross-breeds!





We explained our "situation" and asked if there was a minimum purchase...normally six, but...
"Great,  we'll take five!"  I said with a grin, "But, can you help us pick pullets?" (Females are called pullets, males are cockerels)

One-by-one we chose the breeds/colors we liked, then checked their wing-shape to try to determine gender. (There are other more accurate methods used by professionals, by the way.)

Pretty sure this is a pullet.

Hoping we're wrong, but pretty sure Wiggles is a cockerel!

 Here's hoping we bought 5 hens, because we're pretty sure that Wiggles is going to be a rooster!













Did I really need 6 more birds this year?  This late in the season? 

Probably not.

With CNY winters being what they are, these new hens won't even lay until next spring.....









But, I couldn't bear the idea of Wiggles, literally, dying of loneliness.  Just as we are designed to need each other, so are chickens.  Besides, we are supposed to be working on building our flock so we can offer "farm fresh" eggs to the community, right?

That's my story, and I'm stickin' to it!