Blog Archives

Jun11
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We’re in for a blow!

This week has been so busy! My son’s 11th birthday was Saturday so after getting all the laundry caught up, washing the kitchen floor, and baking a birthday angel food cake that flopped out of the pan and all over the counter in a smushed mess when it was turned upside down to cool, and the subsequent Dairy Queen ice cream cake was served at the actual party, I had some time on Sunday to do some research and contemplating and daydreaming. So, while the wind was hurling porch furniture cushions onto the grass in the front yard, here’s what I came up with. 

But, I’m ahead of myself. I actually went into Walmart on Friday – something I haven’t done in a very long time and I bought a magazine and a few  bouncy balls that were 2 for $5. I figured the kids (six of them on our block that play together every day) could throw them around outside and entertain themselves for a few hours while I washed the kitchen floor… again. The magazine was Martha Stewart Living, July 2012 issue. Now, I don’t normally buy magazines anymore, either, but this one had a picture of S’mores on the front with a note to the side that said “the s’more upgrade (yes, it’s possible)” and I had to read exactly HOW this was possible.
On Sunday, I actually had time to sit and read. Of course the whole magazine, more or less, is about the 4th of July and the celebrations that go along with the holiday. Recipe’s for lobster bakes, chilled soups, cute table arrangements and settings. The home made graham crackers look pretty fabulous, too, but I haven’t tried them yet.
There’s an article in there about a couple that bought an old camp in Wisconsin and turned around while saving the integrity of the era in which it had thrived. The camp is called “Wandawega Lake Resort” (Google it! You’ll love it! I don’t know how to add a link to it yet, sorry.) and it is charming!  A tire swing, a tent hill, a few cabins, tennis court, horseshoe pit, shuffle board, archery range, the whole nine yards. All set up to enjoy the leisure time of camp. I began wondering how difficult it would be to create a spot like this, with the feelings it conjures of a time when we were kids, enjoying all that summer offers, at the farm. I thought about the corner of our field by the old apple tree, selectively cleared out, it could host a few scout tents and a camp fire pit. A 12′ circle mowed in the field, cropped close to the ground like a golf green to play giant marbles with a dozen or so bouncy balls. A craft cabin for rainy days where wind chimes, tree bark canoes, dogwood baskets, dream catchers and leather arts could be created. A tether ball, and archery range. An outdoor kitchen and picnic tables for group events. And maybe, just maybe a huge free standing fireplace with an enormous hearth down by the pond for winter skating parties. (well, maybe that last one could take a few years)
A Canada Day weekend at our place could turn into an annual event filled with good friends, tons of kids, campfires and s’mores! This thought makes me smile with my soul, as the sky opens up and washes my cushions down the street.

Daydreaming up a storm….

Apr13
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Got word from our builder today that construction will start on the barn at the beginning of May! I can’t believe how excited this makes me. Well, yes…. actually I can.  The barn will be mostly built by the time I get out there this summer!!

There are three large 12′ x 12′ stalls, one 12′ x 12′ washing stall with milking station and sink. A 12′ wide centre isle sloped to the centre with drainage reservoir  and a 36′ x 10′  storage room at the end for feed and tack.  The outside walls are made of a concrete composite plank siding which is fire proof and all walls are insulated with earth friendly batting.  Before there are critters housed in there, I suspect it will make a handy flop house for guests as it will be the only place this year with power and water in the same location!  I will post pictures when I am able to get them but for now, here are pictures of the workshop built last year:

I am still in the planning stages of so much of the layout of the rest of the farm and schedule so these next few months here and the summer months there will be spent finalizing all this.

The orchard trees were ordered considering their varying ripening times, to make harvest of fruits a smooth flowing procedure, rather than complete chaos of trees ripening all at once. Our fruits should come into season one after the other from Early May, to November.

Early May – rhubarb, June – strawberries, early ripening blue berries, then raspberries and black berries in July.  At the end of summer gooseberries, early plums and cherries, then one variety of apple, then the pear, then the other variety of apple, the four varieties of quince in October and finally the walnuts, butternuts and filberts in late October or early November.  All will come, mostly, after we have had enough time to process the previous batch of fruit and with a sufficient gap from end of August to September to process all the last veggies from the market garden.

I know, of course, that this is only if all goes according to plan, which it likely won’t.  So, we will play it by ear but with our eye on the plan and figure out where it goes from there.  I expect we will have several ‘operational tweaks’ in our future.

It is with all this in mind that we have decided to spend the first year with only foul. Turkeys, chickens, ducks and geese. This gives us time to focus on growing hay enough to stockpile the year before we acquire any  livestock that would require it. The same goes for oats, and perhaps barley and alfalfa.  Hard red wheat will be grown in a few years, as I would like to make flour and try my hand at storing the wheat berries for future.

A pond would be wonderful, but likely not on the agenda for this year. It would be great to dig, line with clay and wait for next year to watch it fill up but there is still a bunch of research that needs to be done to ensure a healthy pond.  I would love to be able to stock it with fish, but fear that unless it is terribly deep, the water will be too warm to keep fish worth eating.  Lots of questions to be answered yet on this seed of an idea.  I’m sure the ducks and geese would love a swim, too, so I will get these questions answered first.

The lilac grove, rose garden and lavender fields will all be gradual additions and have plants added as we find a suitable variety or a favourite. I will start on a perennial garden this summer and perhaps prepare ground for cut flowers the following year. I am so looking forward to chipping twigs for pathways and having a stroll through all that delicious flower smell!

New Barn!!