Butterfly Hill Farm

Magic

2009-12-26T12:32:00.014-06:00

Early in our marriage until about 1990, Richard was always working with Wood. Judging by the projects he had completed before, he had been doing this for some time.

While on his Path of Life, he would simply pick up a stick or branch, take out his knife and start to whittle away. Magical things would appear as the chips and shavings would be cast this way and that. I remember the Ducks and Whistles well. Most of the time, we would be out in Nature, often at Pike Bay in Ojibway National Forest in Northern Minnesota.

I would watch intrigued. He seemed to subscribe to a similar school of thought as Michelangelo. Somewhere in that piece of wood, a form was waiting to be freed. He just had to find it. As the Chips fell, the form was evident.

He would also work on larger pieces which called for saws, rasps, sandpaper, paint or seal. In those years, he worked on wooden Decoys, a wooden Box, among others. Some of the smaller tools sat right by his chair.

Somewhere around 1990, he quit and hadn't done much since, until this Christmas. He did pick up other creative ventures, including gardening and the construction of natural wood structures for the garden. But I really had not realized how much I had missed his smaller wood projects.

With instructions of "no cost" and handmade for Christmas Giving, he scratched his head and came up with 2 ideas. They fit Melanie and me like gloves.

He made me a Walking Stick. He headed over to his Brother John's Woods which is only about 2-3 miles from here. He was looking for a relatively straight Shagbark Hickory Sapling amidst 2 or 3 about the same size. His intention was to "cut 1". As those Saplings grow, only 1 will survive anyway. He found just the strong shoot that he was looking for.

He brought the Sapling home and tucked it out of sight in the Garage. Over these last couple of weeks, he made visits to the workshop of the Elves and Fairies. While there, he cut off the Bark, fashioned a handle, and smoothed it down, but not to the point the character of the Wood or the actions of the Woodworker would be concealed. And there was my Walking Stick all set for adventures ahead.

And what did he do for Melanie? Richard made her a Cane Knife for harvesting Sorghum Cane which she had been wanting. But what should it be make out of? The wood needed to be strong and lightweight. He checked the woodpile we got from our Amish Neighbor who has a Sawmill. The Oak, while strong, seemed too heavy.

Then 1 day, while sitting in his Chair looking at the Fire in the Wood Stove against that Beautiful Rock Wall, his eyes drifted to the "lath" which he had used twice for support of the Rocks and Mortar while they "sat up". And now a bit of story about that "lath":

Bobby and Jodi (Hollis and Deleta's Son and Daughter in Law) had done some remodeling work on their House earlier this year. That House was where John Barton and Ethel Crawford raised their 4 boys; it is the House where Richard grew up. John built that House in 1939 with the help of his Brother Freddie, we believe. (Isn't that right, Hollis?) That little House has grown and changed over time. It has the distinct privilege of holding 4 generations of Crawfords.

Those laths were used as a basis for the plaster walls which John Barton Crawford used throughout 67 years ago. How can that be? In the remodeling, Hollis, the Treasure, is always looking for items which can be salvaged and especially those which might have Family Story. So he saved those laths and gave some to Richard.

After scratching his head, Richard concluded that lath would be perfect for Melanie's Cane Knife. It was strong and lightweight, although the wood is unknown. It came from the Crawford Home Place where we 3 (with others) had spent much treasured time. It had been used to support our Rock Wall as it "set"; that Rock Wall had been inspired by my Dad.

Once again, Richard headed back and forth to the the Garage where considerable work by the Elves and Fairies of Christmas must have been completed. He fashioned a handle, giving consideration to the size of Melanie's hands. He smoothed down the wood, but purposefully did not remove all of the markings from that former time when the house was constructed. Nail holes may be found as well as saw marks when the Lath was milled. The "graying" comes from natural weathering too.

Then he tied Green and Red Ribbons to both of his Creations and placed them along side the Christmas Tree. They surely did not fit "underneath" the Christmas Branch. Now, the Walking Stick and the Cane Knife with their delighted and surprised new owners will be embarking on some new Historical Experiences.

Somehow, these little Gifts seemed like "Magic" to me. Richard used Old and Found Treasures in the creation of something inspired and something new. He used his talents to "create". Not only are these ventures personally fulfilling and honoring, you surely can't buy these things in Stores. Why would you even try? ~~~~Note: Last photo is of John Barton Crawford's Brother Fred, his Wife Lora, and his Mother Renetta. They are standing in front of John Barton and Ethel Crawford's house which is under construction. The photo is believed to have been taken about 1942. (How about that date, Hollis and Deleta? Is there a picture of John and Ethel at this time?)

Basket

2009-12-26T12:27:00.002-06:00

December 25:

For Christmas, Melanie made me a beautiful Basket of what looks like Red Osier Dogwood which we had up North. We are out of range for it here. Melanie and Richard looked this up and discovered it was Gray Dogwood. She cut the Branches from right here on the Farm.

Both Richard and I saw the Branches laying in their wrap in the Garage. We thought they looked like tree or shrub Seedlings we received from the Conservation Commission in the Spring 2009 but somehow forgot to plant. We weren't quite sure how this could be.

Melanie just smiled. The Branches needed to set for a week before they would be ready to craft into a Basket. I had no clue. Christmas Elves and Fairies were at work.

Christmas Day

2009-12-25T17:59:00.017-06:00

We have had a Beautiful Christmas Day right here on the Farm. We had intended to have Dinner with Mother at the Nursing Home, then have our Christmas Celebration tomorrow. But a Winter Storm brought Ice, Snow, and Winds. So we called to let Mother know that we would be staying here, and we snuggled right in.

Our Morning Tradition includes fixing some favorite cups of Tea, getting comfortable near the Tree, and then 1 by 1 slowly unwrapping our Gifts. If you have followed the Blog earlier, you know that we decided we would spend no money on Gifts. We would make them from what we had right here on the Farm.

I even sat this 1 out. After the overload of the year, I just didn't have the energy to give Gifts, except for the Gift we gave to Mother. That was perfectly OK too.

So this morning, we had lovely Wrap which was from what we had created or salvaged before. I had painted the Paper Sacks several years ago. We even used Gift Cards from previous years. Using these things was like memories of Old Friends. Melanie made me this Basket of Gray Dogwood from right here on the Farm. I was positively gleeful. I had no idea.She made her Dad a wall hanging of objects from the Farm, including Branch, Feathers (Turkey and Quail), Rose Hips, Sumac Seeds, Thistle Top, Milkweed Pod. He found a Nail, a hole in the Wall and hung it right up by the Fire Place.Melanie made Trail Mixes for each of the Humans. Or rather, I should say that we found them in our Socks. Mine had Peanuts, Dried Pears, Dried Strawberries. We raised the Peanuts and Strawberries. The Dried Pears came from a brief scavenging excursion this fall of her Dad, her Uncle Gerald, and Cousin Hollis Dale. Those Mixes were great for the Morning. It meant we could skip Breakfast and stay with the Presents.After the Gifts were unwrapped, Max the Cat began his regular ritual. He went right for the Bows and the Boxes.We cleaned things up. We separated into piles the packing material, gift cards, boxes and wrap to be reused, Santa's pack (which we got from Blanche when she worked at the North Dakota Mill years ago), ribbons, the Gift Sacks. These treasures will go right back into tubs for use other years.

That little bit of stuff in the palm of Melanie's hand was our only waste. It is the only thing that will go to the Land Fill near Bevier. It was tape. Considering how expensive tape is, we can do better next year.I was inspired to put together a Soup for Lunch and Melanie and Richard helped with back up. It included: Chunks of Potatoes, Celeriac, Carrots (which were boiled until just done; 1 cup of the liquid was reserved for the Soup); Chopped Leeks, Garlic (which were sauteed in Butter until tender); Raw Milk (which was added to the above and heated until just below boiling); chopped Parsley and Chives which were added at the end.

In past times, I put out spiffy Cloth Napkins which have a Holiday Theme. I have spent far too much of my Life seeking that which was construed to be perfect. This Holiday I quit. The fact that I don't know where those Napkins are gave this approach a boost. I did not even clean the ones that we had been using. Nor did I substitute newer ones for the older more worn ones. That's not what Christmas is about. Why has it taken me so many years to figure this out? When afternoon came, we spent time being, enjoying each other, the Chickens, the warmth of the Stove, the Winter Day, and our Gifts. Here Max has just played with the little Pillows that Melanie made of Catnip. His excitement over his Gift was followed by a Bath and then a Nap. If you look carefully, you will note that Scampy is already napping in Richard's Chair. He is the Lump under the Throw.We surely enjoyed the Wood Stove this Day as Winter had closed in all around us.Santa was observed to be settled into another Nap. The Humans took rest time too.We had Baked Butternut Squash and Greens with embellishments for Supper.Throughout the last few weeks, we've heard from Family and Friends via cards, letters, pics, email, voice. To our surprise (but perhaps not), Angela Swiec called about 11:30 a.m. our time. She is now in India. She was 11 1/2 hours ahead of our time. We couldn't figure out the 1/2 hour. Maybe we are too tied up in the specifics of time. The specifics of time hardly matter.

Hearing those Voices, we are reminded that Christmas is Love. Love should be extended to wrap the Whole World around. That's our plan.

Seekers

2009-12-25T17:53:00.003-06:00

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Just

Plants

turning

their

Faces

the

Sun,

are

all

Seekers

the

Light.

~~~~

Glinda Crawford, 2009

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Santa Rests Too

2009-12-25T04:12:00.003-06:00

In the fall of 1970, I painted and gave away these lovely Santas. I have in mind who I gave them too, but details over the almost 4 decades since are fuzzy. I actually gave away the 1 I made for us. I just had to give 1 to Aunt Mary. How could I not? But 1 of them did come back to me.

Anyway, Dear Santa in his cushy Green Chair seems to be getting some much needed rest before and after the Flurry of the Holidays. From the looks of things, he may actually be sleeping through the Holidays too.

Rest is good. That lovely Self Nourishment is essential for us all. Perhaps it is the Gift that Santa has stored way down in his pack. We just overlooked it for a very long time before.

Light

2009-12-25T03:47:00.003-06:00

We 3 C's did not send our regular Holiday Letter this year. The Year was just too full. We are tired. We just needed a break. While not available to or subscribed to by all on our List, the Story of the Year was mostly found on this Little Blog.

Our plan is to send out Postcards, but we may not get to that. It is a considerable relief to just let go. Regardless, to all who may read this Humble Little Blog, to all those we usually send Holiday Greetings, and to our World:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We 3 C's send

Love,

Light,

Hope,

Joy,

and Peace

to All Beings.

May

these

coming Days
be filled

with all those things

that have meaning.

We honor and cherish
that glorious Light
arising in our World

in this tender time

of transformation and change.

May we

at last

become

all that

we are

meant to be.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Disappeared Fast

2009-12-25T03:24:00.006-06:00

The 2 of us who are of Croatian Descent in this Little Home made Povitica December 22. It is tradition to make it at this Season. The Povitica Making took 8 hours and had 3 Fillings: Cheese, Walnut and Apricot. All 3 Fillings would have been traditional to my Grandmother Dora. Melanie cut down on the Sugar some for the Fillings. That has become our custom for Sweets these days. Richard kept an eye on the proceedings from behind the lens of the Camera.

We were not exactly sure when we would make it. But we received some extra "umpht" for our Povitica Making for a window of time. The Family Gathering on my side just found a time to connect. That's a big deal considering the complexity of schedules at this season. Knowing that my Brother and his Family, Mother, and the 3 C's would be getting together to celebrate Christmas December 23 gave us that extra push.

Making Povitica just invites sharing. Beyond my Family, we wanted to be sure to give some to Louise, a lovely Elder, Treasure, and quite the Historian of my Father's Vintage. And we won't forget Marie. She is also of that Vintage. While Italian in heritage, she married a man who was 1st generation born to Croatian Immigrants. Marie also became a Povitica maker. Circumstances don't permit that for her these days.

After the big push of Povitica Making on Monday, we 3 C's let the Povitica cool overnight. What you see above did not last long in that version of completeness. We had to dive right to make sure it was up to standard. And it was. Considering all the special sharing, that Povitica disappeared fast.

Christmas Bird Count

2009-12-23T19:57:00.002-06:00

In the days since our "unofficial official Christmas Bird Count" on the Farm, some new Species are appearing. Richard says they are around. He just didn't see them on Christmas Bird Count Day, which was Sunday. They include: Bob White Quail, Red Tailed Hawk, Northern Harrier, Eastern Bluebird, Mourning Doves, Kestrels.

Melanie asked if her Dad included 43 Chickens. No, he didn't. He notes that Melanie has names for all of them. If you want more specifics, those data can be provided.

Grandma Says

2009-12-22T21:00:00.003-06:00

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Don't let

your eyes

get

bigger

than

your

stomach.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Down Shifting

2009-12-22T20:45:00.003-06:00

The last 3 years have been high on energy demands, and especially the last 11 months. High on the list of energy demands would include our move, the passing of my Father and giving support to Mother, our shifting to a new life style, adjusting to a new community and new rhythm, the intensity of the learning curve, fracturing and healing of my hip, our making a home, the length of this last Fall's harvest, to name only a few.

More often than not, it seems we have been in high gear. Of course, we wanted it all to happen immediately, but that makes little sense. Yes, we have made considerable progress. But, we are tired.

After Christmas, we are working to clear our schedules so that we can be home here on the Farm for a week. No unnecessary trips to Town. We'll just be hanging out here in the quiet of our home.

I think we will also be declaring a "slow down" for the month of January. All of this seems in sync with the "sleep time" of Winter. We need to nourish those batteries before the growing season begins anew. Nature is doing it. We should too.

It seems we Humans get swept up in plans and moments. We forget that we are still somewhat in charge. We forget that we need to nurture ourselves. This is not a sprint. We are in this for the long haul. Downshifting is good.

Beauty of Age

2009-12-22T20:32:00.004-06:00

Mother got a card from another Elder "Ellen" today. And is it ever sweet. The card was produced by Abbey Press. I am reminded of the "Beauty of Age", which is so often overlooked in my culture. Thank you, Ellen. And, while this Blog is never about advertising or "things", thank you, Abbey Press too!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Older I Get...

the simpler my holiday preparations become...

the closer I feel to old friends as I write my Christmas cards...

the more I cherish the oldest ornaments...

the more fondly I remember Christmases past...

the longer I hold on to a holiday hug...

the more I realilze Christmas is a matter of the heart...

the tighter my throat gets when I sing "Silent Night"...

the more I enjoy giving than receiving...

the more I try to see Christmas through the eyes of a child...

the longer I sit at night in the glow of the Christmas tree...

the more wondrously beautiful the Christmas story is...

the deeper my awe at God's infinite love...

the More I Love Christmas!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Snow Globe

2009-12-22T20:30:00.002-06:00

December 20:

It didn't last long but it sure was pretty. On these Moments of Swirling Big Flakes, I feel like we live inside a Snow Globe. And I have loved Snow Globes all my Life.

We forgot to keep track of when that 1st Snow came this Winter. Local Lore has it that the Date of the 1st Snow marks the number of Snows for the Winter. Our Neighbor says it came on the 6th. And to count, each of those Snows needs to be "trackable".

Quote

2009-12-22T11:36:00.003-06:00

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

God and I are like 2 fat men in a small boat,

constantly bumping up against each other,

and laughing.

~~~~

Hafiz, Persian Poet, 1320-1389

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Note: Betsy shared this over breakfast on Solstice.

Thanks, Betsy!

Christmas Bird Count

2009-12-21T19:43:00.002-06:00

December 20:

Richard does his own Christmas Bird Count for our Little Farm on the same day that Friends up North where we used to live also count Birds. It was 23 Degrees Fahrenheit with a Wind Chill of 14. The weather was overcast with winds of 8 Miles Per Hour from the Southwest.

This is what he saw:

American Gold Finch (40+)
Black Capped Chickadee (6)
Downy Woodpecker (3)
Hairy Woodpecker (1)
Red Bellied Woodpecker (3)
Blue Jay (10+)
Cardinal (10)
House Finch (1)
House Sparrow (10)
Purple Finch (2)
White Breasted Nuthatch (1)
American Crow (6)
Great Horned Owl (1)
Barred Owl (1)
Dark-eyed Junco (6)
Tufted Titmouse (1)
Turkey (1)
Red-Winged Blackbird (1)
Red-headed Woodpecker (1)
Starling (3)
American Tree Sparrow (2)
Cooper's Hawk (1)

The Christmas Bird Count is an organized count of Birds in prescribed areas by the American Audubon Society. Records have been collected for well over a 100 years. Ours isn't an officially tallied count because it's just 1 small Farm.
http://www.audubon.org/Bird/cbc/

Solstice

2009-12-21T19:41:00.002-06:00

On this Day of the Winter Solstice, WeatherUnderground tells me that the Length of Visible Light is 10 Hours and 19 Minutes. Length of Day is 9 Hours and 18 Minutes. Tomorrow will have Daylight which is 2 Seconds Longer.

Just Be

2009-12-20T15:10:00.001-06:00

December 17:

The Big Day has arrived. We lit that 1st Fire in the Wood Stove which is held by the Rock Wall and Hearth which we built. We have looked forward to this Day for so long, 4 and 1/2 years in fact.

It seems like whenever one has a long anticipated Goal, and especially one fraught with accentuated ups and downs, the achievement of that Goal comes with some moments of feeling like one is still pushing forward against a Wind that is no long there. All the Energy it took to achieve that Goal seems to be still in motion. The Momentum leaves one still heading forward. Yet it is done.

Some Big Question Marks are apparent. Is it Real? Did we really get it done? Now what?

Perhaps on those Days of Accomplishment of those Significant Goals, one should be "still", enjoy, and just be. And a Feast of Honoring and Celebration seems to fit in too. Now those are plans which seem to appropriately finish this off.

Resources for a Greener World

2009-12-19T20:46:00.002-06:00

These days, more and more people are drawn to Greener Practices. Don't wait for someone in a position perceived to be "higher up" (such as in Business or Government) to make choices for us before we act. Join the growing number of people who are saying: "I just have to do something." Consumers have considerable power to transform our world if focused on areas of much needed change.

Taking on Greener Practices is sometimes a bit daunting in these times when things seem quite mixed up. Many businesses are getting on the bandwagon, not because they have a Greener Ethic or Skill, but rather because that is what Consumers want. Other businesses have been in this practice for decades, forging a path when it was not fashionable to do so.

How do we find a Path? These are practices that we 3 C's have found helpful:

Start small.
Start with practices which seem to be calling to you. These are the ones highest on the priority list. With them comes energy for action.
Get a Guide. That could be a Friend, a Neighbor, Someone who is a bit ahead of where you want to be.
Check out Community Businesses with Sincere Green Objectives and Practices.
Check out Local or Regional Resource Centers.
Head to a store which specializes in Organic Food.
Seek out Family and Friends who are drawn to the same practice. This can become an excellent support group and place where problem solving and play go into high gear.
Check out the non-profit GreenAmerica. We find GreenAmerica an excellent resource to center and filter information for our practice. If interested, check it out. These Folks care. They put their Resources into building a better world for us all. Your membership will go a long way. http://greenamericatoday.org/ http://greenamericatoday.org/about/

Wisdom Tucked in Christmas Letters

2009-12-19T19:05:00.001-06:00

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Christmas blessings and peace---

both of which the world needs badly.

But not "Happy Holidays."

In my view,

that wish

has always seemed

to be mostly

an economic stimulus plan.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

from Angeline

Wisdom Tucked in Christmas Letters

2009-12-19T19:02:00.003-06:00

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

He who has

not Christmas

in his heart

will never find

it under a tree.

~~~~

Roy L. Smith

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

from Stacey and family

Tips: Boiled Eggs

2009-12-17T18:25:00.002-06:00

1: Use Eggs which are not the freshest. These have a tendency to stick to the shell.
2: (I learned this a long time ago from the more experienced cooks in my Family. This is fast and saves on energy and money.) Bring to boil. Boil 3 minutes. Let stand in boiling water 10-15 minutes. Exchange hot water for cool tap water to bring down temperature.
3: (I love this part. I learned it from Rachel Hextel, one of my former students. She learned it from her mother. I added the dance part.) To crack shells, drain out water and leave Eggs in pot. Shake the pot from side to side. Those Egg Shells just crack and crumble. Following this little dance between the Pot, the Eggs, and the Cook, removing Shells is easy.

Egg Salad Sandwiches

2009-12-17T18:18:00.005-06:00

4 Large Eggs, Boiled, Chopped
2 Tablespoons Chopped Chives
2 Tablespoons Chopped Parsley
2 Tablespoons Chopped Bread and Butter Pickles
1/3 Cup Mayonnaise
Lettuce
Homemade Bread (We used Melanie's Carrot Herb Bread; I wonder what you will come up with.)

1: Mix Eggs, Chives, Parsley, Pickles, Mayonnaise.
2: Thinly slice and toast Bread.
3: Coat 1 side of each Bread Slice with Butter. This will keep Bread from getting soaked, although this usually is not a probability as we gobble the Sandwiches up right away.
4: Cover with Egg Salad in the usual way.
5: Serve and eat. (Makes 3 Sandwiches)

Recipe: Wild Rice Vegetable Medley Soup

2009-12-17T17:35:00.003-06:00

Note: Back in the 1980s, we became fans of Byerly's Grocery Store in the Minneapolis area. Byerly's was upscale and largely outside our pocketbook range for regular trips. Even our car looked out of place. Living far away had its benefits. We could justify special trips there 1 to 2 times a year.

As I recall, 2 things stand out as to why I was drawn to Byerly's. 1st, the Folks there appeared to use the best of ingredients although we were not into "organic" then. But this little practice produced savory delights outside that which I was accustomed to. 2nd, Byerly's offered great selections plus talented Home Economists' regularly launching tantalizing new Recipes and Products.

One of my favorites was their Wild Rice Soup, which we would purchase packaged in the freezer section. Over time, I would pour over the ingredients listed on the package. This was the start of making my own version.

This recipe, which I made today, is reminiscent of that soup. While I am giving amounts here, I would suggest that you vary portions based upon your own tastes. All ingredients are chemical free. We grew those marked with an "*".

The Wild Rice was a gift from Dorreen; it came from Native Harvest, which is an outlet for local artisans preserving traditions, offering economic development, and recovering land of the Anishenaabe people on White Earth Reservation. The Wild Rice was harvested in the traditional manner. http://nativeharvest.com/

4 Tablespoons Butter
2 Cloves Garlic*
1 1/2 cups chopped Carrots (I used mostly orange but also included a yellow one)*
1 1/2 cups chopped Leeks*
2/3 cup chopped Almonds*
1 cup Frozen Corn, thawed*
1 1/2 cups Wild Rice, cooked until tender
1/3 cup flour
5 cups Raw Milk from local Farmer

1: Over medium low heat, melt Butter in bottom of stainless steel pot.
2: Add Garlic, Carrots, Leeks. Cook until tender and stir frequently.
3: Stir in flour until Veggies are evenly coated.
4: Add Milk, Almonds, Corn, Wild Rice. Cook until Soup simmers. Again, stir frequently as milk based products tend to scorch. Do not boil.
5: Serve. Makes about 5-6 servings. Yummy.

Standing Still

2009-12-17T17:15:00.003-06:00

The word "Solstice" comes from Latin, with "sol" meaning Sun and "sistere" meaning to stand still. The Sun from our views on the Planet Earth appears to stand still at either the northernmost or southernmost extremes. For the Northern Hemisphere this occurs at the Summer Solstice and Winter Solstice, respectively. When at either of these points, the Sun appears to stand still before it once again reverses directions. That shift will increasingly pick up speed about February 2.

If the Sun is standing still, at least in appearances, perhaps we Humans should too. "Standing still" for me evokes a kind of pondering, which surely is appropriate for these Seasons, any time, and in these changing times.

The Solstices are wonderful times to ponder our relationship to the Sun. We were blessed to be birthed on this wonderful Planet which supports Life. Those extremes surely must represent the "window" that allows for this Life to happen. Without the Heat Source of the Sun, not much would be growing down here.

As we hear news of changes in Climate and its relationship to Human Doings, we should surely ponder if this focus on ourselves without consideration for consequences is a smart idea. I don't think so. We 3 C's are willing to address changes that we must, one step at a time. It is the basis for our practice on this Little Farm.
~~~~
Source on Solstice: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solstice

Hearth Fire

2009-12-17T10:50:00.001-06:00

Chicken News

2009-12-16T19:23:00.007-06:00

These days, I could write several Blog Entries on the Chickens of Butterfly Hill Farm. We have been so busy with Harvest and putting the Garden to Bed that Quality Chicken Time and Chicken Commentary have been less.

Let it suffice to say: Things have changed. For starters, we now have 43 Chickens; 39 are Hennies and 4 are Roosters. Three of those Roosters are new of the Season. They were Lacey's Littles. Their stay here is not a given; they are being watched carefully for "fitting into the flock". One (Freddie) is in his 3rd Year. At the very least, you could say that Social Relationships have changed. The usual "Peck Order" has been up for grabs.

Egg production hit a nose dive at the end of the Summer and through the Fall. That is normal for seasonal cycles. Many of the Chickens were putting most of their Energy into molting, which means replacement of Feathers.

But now, the Hennies seem to be in high gear with Egg Production. Today we got 19 Eggs and they are gorgeous. It seems to me that an almost 50% return on 39 Hennies is a pretty impressive number.

We have been pondering the increase in Egg Production. Yes, most of the Molts are complete. For Winter Season, usually numbers are down. We speculate that Egg Production is up because they have supplemental Light on Cold Nights. Hennies need 14 hours of Light to produce Eggs.

Our Fine Feathered Companions have had supplemental Protein too. Richard put the Deer Carcasses in their Coop and just outside the gate. They have been thrilled and have almost picked those Deer Carcasses Clean. You should hear them thump-thump-thump on the Bones.

Melanie thinks those are the big reasons. Melanie has heard from several Folks that the Presence of Roosters actually will help with Egg Production. That could be a factor too.

In modern practice where most Eggs come from Factory Farms, Hennies are "burnt out". Cramped into small cages, they are forced into situations where they are Egg Production Factories. As a result, their lives are stressed and they are short.

We are careful not to "over stimulate" the Hennies. Melanie would like to keep them on Natural Cycles which allows for the normal lows in Winters. We think we have a good balance on this one, but we are ever watchful too.