This morning my great uncle called. Years ago he had passed along a bag of long beans that he had grown. He originally got the seeds from my great-grandfather, and has been growing them ever since. He was calling because his basement was repainted last fall, and in the muddle of re-painting, his collection of…
Author: toadstoolsfairyrings
POULE AUX OIGNONS
I have an ambitious idea for this year – and I hope that you will also be excited about it. My grandmother was French – she was born in Nice, France, but immigrated to the US after meeting my grandfather while he was there as a US soldier in WW II. She passed away when…
Crazy Goats, and the dangers of being too close
David has had his work cut out for him lately – three of the girls went into heat in quick succession. Little April was the first to cycle. Her dad’s African Pygmy genes came out in her, so she is very short compared to David. It would have been comic if goat foreplay didn’t look…
Alive
Yesterday we got out to the farm and all the cows came running over and shouted at us. They had hardly touched their hay, but they looked thin. We couldn’t figure out why at first. Just before I got Matilda for milking, Ethan discovered someone had tripped over the water hose and yanked it so…
In the garden: Purple Carrots
My purple carrots were small and stunted this year – I don’t think they liked all the heat. They still tasted good. The garden has had a hard time of it lately. One evening when we drove up the cows had busted in somehow. I thought everything would be eaten to nubs, but they had…
Working on Dreams
We have so many plans and dreams this year. Things that will make our life so much easier, and solve so many little, nagging problems. Last year I struggled to figure out solutions. This year I know what I want, but we haven’t been able to make it happen yet – which I find almost…
Homeschooling and Conflicts of Interest
You know how children seem to be attracted to whatever their parents don’t really like? I thought it couldn’t possibly happen to me – I’m fairly laid-back about most things. But Mirin has managed to hit on an interest that does indeed make me cringe – guns. I’ve never liked guns. Even when I was…
Yarn Along: Second Cuff, Second Time
I think I finally got the pattern I’m working on right the second knit-up. Rose has already claimed the first, large-and-floppy cuff for a legwarmer, so I’ll have to knit a second one of those for her, as well as a second, better-fitting one for myself. Confusing! But I do think I’ll have a free…
First Attempt At Bacon
Inspired by the River Cottage Curing and Smoking Handbook, Ethan cured some bacon last week. It’s good, but not quite what we expected – it’s a little heavy on the juniper berries and bay leaf. Not bad at all, but I guess we’re used to Southern-style bacon. We’re going to try it again with…
News From Explorer and Milking Matilda Again
It’s been a week since Explorer left, and we got some news that he’s been some trouble. Apparently when he got off the trailer he did a lot of snorting and bucking around (the trailer really pissed him off), but he calmed down after a little while. And instead of getting down to business and…
Toadstools And Fairy Rings 