Moons, Birds, Lambs and Cheese

This post was made in reaction to Joe who, according to a voicemail c/o LW, thinks I need to get my blogging act together.

We've had some good moons in the last few weeks. A super killer one happened I think last week, but I didn't photograph it. This is an earlier moon. All this moon talk reminds me of the Mighty Boosh Moon, and its feelings on the best of moons....which is a Youtube clip I can't seem to find. So here is another glimpse into the opinions of the moon.

We made some new moveable fence lines the other day, giving our oldest batch of lambs access to totally new grass. They were digging it, but even if you love all the grass, you still need a break every now and then.

They were not entirely pleased that I interrupted their break, but they didn't hold it against me for long.

Nope, they just went back to grass loving (and in one instance, butt sniffing).

We've been having such higher milk yields this year, that the existing system for chilling milk between cheese makes became a bit complicated. So a bulk milk tank was purchased and installed in our cleaning area next to the parlor. Now we can store crazy amounts of milk and keep it nice and chilled in a better way. Very neat.

I had a very good burger and started writing a letter on one of my weekly bar nights.

I loved Penny the Rooster. When he was a chick, we all thought he was a chicken. Eventually his comb, plumage, size and crow made it known that he was not, in fact, a chicken. And for a good long while he was still pretty chill. In the last few weeks, however, he began getting a bit aggressive. Jumping at me with his spurs and fluffing up his feathers whenever I came in to get eggs or if I had to pick up one of his ladies. He wasn't super crazy aggressive, but honestly I didn't feel like waiting to get spurred to make the decision to cull him. This became a learning opportunity for me. With E.'s instruction, I dispatched Penny into the beyond and learned how to skin and butcher him. It was not an entirely unmessy series of steps. Did I get blood on my chest, face and other parts of my upper body? Yes I did. Did I make a tasty stew out of him? Yes I did.

Did I ask H. to take photographs of me all bloodied up? Why yes, I did.

On another day I made plans to meet up with a neighbor for wine, cheese and conversation. It was about a mile-long walk. Rodo followed me of his own volition. At one point I paused in an area that had been logged last fall to enjoy a little sun. Rodo enjoyed it as well.

Then he got to play with a boy and a soccer ball...and another dog that really didn't understand what to do with the soccer ball (chase it, obviously).

On another day I was walking up to my room and I saw a bird struggling with a window. It was a bit addled and easily restrained.

I've been told it was a Wilsons Warbler.

Last year, with a larger farm crew, there was a bit more down time for quick jaunts or drives to nearby beaches. I kept telling H. that this was a true thing, but we never quite managed to have the time to actually have such an experience. One Saturday, during milking, I announced that we were going to do it no matter what. A few unexpected things came up that nearly derailed our plans and threatened to make me cry (on the inside) but in the end we met all our responsibilities and made it to Maxwelton Beach for a nice mid-afternoon sit and read experience.

Morning light as I fed the rams whilst walking down to the barn to milk. We're definitely seeing more sun and the days are feeling longer in that way. In other words, when we wake up it isn't dark, and it's still not dark at around 8 PM, so that's pretty cool.

Me and Persephone. She wasn't as into this photo shoot as I was, but that's nothing new.

An especially tasty breakfast I made for myself post-milking one morning. Radishes, greens of some kind, and perhaps hidden might be some fresh crab...there has been a lot of fresh crab in our lives over the last two weeks and I love it.

Our milking ewes enjoying some greener pastures and clover.

Stilton. Letter writing. Wine.

My day off last week was a good one as far as being warm and sunny. I went to a different beach and basically just stayed there for five hours, which mainly included a phone interview and finishing a book.

Stan and Brian using the tractor to get an old farm implement off a flat bed truck.

We split dinner making responsibilities on the farm, and on this particular evening it was my turn. I missed having fires in our lives, so I decided that dinner would be sausages cooked on a fire. And that is exactly what happened. Turned out well for everyone really.

Water for the lambies.

A breakfast of fresh crab, cucumber, carrot, lettuce, sushi rice and ginger. Altogether tasty and satisfying.

Earlier this week, my boss and I made the trek to Pike Place Market for the Women in Beer event, which also featured women in cheese or chocolate. It was a three hour thing where folks go around with tasting cups and try lots of beer and enjoy free samples of any number of cheeses, chocolates and other snacks. We manned our table together for part of the time, but each took a few circuits to try the wares. It was pretty fun.