First Frost

Posted on October 14, 2026 by Donna

The first frost of the season happened here Sunday morning.  This was the first day I haven’t worked so I was able to deal with this.  The outside tomato plants all died.  So I picked all of the fruit off of them and will try to ripen them inside now.

The green bean and squash vines all died too.  So I picked all of the squash.  What is not ripe, I am also trying to ripen inside.  The green beans I picked and am drying them to collect their seeds for next year.

I also picked our quince today.

We did the animal chores, gave Jameson his last shot and wormed all three cows.  This is somewhat challenging but now accomplished.

I had carved the grandkids names into a couple of pumpkins when they were green.  They are less green now so I will try to finishing ripening these as well.

There were some successes in the garden this year.  There was a lot less issues with loss from pests.  The plastic pipe pieces we put at the base of the beans appeared to help decrease the cut worms eating them.  We put blood meal down in the soil, and it may have helped as there is almost no rodent damage of the plants (particularly the squash this year).  The new fencing seems to be keeping the rabbits out.  But the weeds are still an issue.  They choked out the tomatoes in the hothouse and the cucumbers, Swiss chard, and melons in the garden.

Coming back from picking the quince, I loved seeing Wally in the back of the truck.

For dinner, I tried to replicate the Pesto Sungold pizza which won accolades from Food and Wine.  I still have plenty of Sungold tomatoes and pesto.  Tom made a meat pizza.  He got the big green egg heated up, and we cooked them on it.  It was hot enough to warp Tom’s pizza pan.  The bottom of the crusts were a little overdone, but the pizzas were good.  I am pretty sure mine wasn’t as good as A. K. Pizza, but I still liked it and it was different.

In really sad news, the Winthrop Rhythm & Blues Festival will not take place in 2027 following the loss of their longtime home at the Blues Ranch.  We have been going since 2002 and were looking forward to the 40th anniversary.  They are looking for a new location, but it doesn’t sound like it will happen next year.

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Manure Spreading

Posted on October 10, 2026 by Donna

Today we spread the barn’s bedding materials.  Tom scooped out the barn with the tractor, and I used a pitchfork to clean up the pens and the edges along the walls and fencing.  Tom loaded it with the tractor into our rented spreader and then distributed it.

 

This is the north side of the barn after the cleaning.

Then we moved to the south side of the barn.  The chickens were pretty freaked out by all of this.

Even the sheep and goats in the fields were anxious.  Mary Ann and Daisy weren’t sure what was going on.

This is the south side of the barn cleared out.

Tom positioned the straw bales to be spread.  The turkeys were quite curious about this.

And here is the barn with the new straw.  Tom put netting up above the gates to keep unwanted critters out.  It’s orange so will take some getting used to.

But it is nice to have this autumn task done.  Getting ready for winter.

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A Fibery Week

Posted on October 8, 2026 by Donna

This was supposed to be a staycation for me.  Tom was going to elk hunt, and I took the week off to manage the farm.  I had made plans to work on fiber projects, eat vegetarian foods and watch TV I like (The Great British Baking Show).  But Tom decided not to hunt, partially due to wanting to spend last weekend with the grandkids.  But I decided to still do some of what I had planned.

My highest priority was to felt some of our Shetland fleeces. I had Skagit Woolen Works make some wool batts from brown fleeces so I have backing for the rugs.  But it is a lot of work and time to make them, but I finally committed to doing it on Tuesday.  Here is the process with the fleece lock side up being skirted and shaped.

Then the cut side up with some more skirting and shaping.

Then two perpendicular layers of batting of a similar color placed.

Then a sheer shower curtain is placed on top with lots of hot water and Dawn dish soap.  Then it is rubbing it all with your hands, initially softly to get the shape right and then harder to get it to felt.  There’s 10 minutes on this side, 5 minutes on the lock side and another 10 minutes on the cut side.  This is the result.

This was the fourth rug I did, a record for me.  Here they are dripping on chairs on the back porch after rinsing and stomping on the porch floor.

From left to right they are Harlen, Wendel, Bambam and Vanessa.  Here they are after squishing them in towels trying to remove some of the water.

I was quite tired and sore so made it to the couch and watched British Baking.

On Wednesday I laid them out on drying racks in the trailer.

Tom had a nice hot fire in the wood stove for them.

While doing chores Wednesday morning, I noticed Priscilla had a blue nose.  This is from the cobalt block.

These are the 7 young turkeys which will be butchered next month.  We will be selling half of them so let me know if you are interested.  I am considering keeping one hen for breeding.

For dinner I made Butternut Squash Posole.  I used our kabocha squash instead of butternut though.  It was really good.  And then I watched more British Baking.

This morning doing the chores, the sun was peeking up above the fog.  It was pretty but kind of eerie.

There are spider webs everywhere.  They are on all of the barb wire and most of the fencing rectangles.  The spiders have been quite busy.

I wasn’t able to participate in the weaving zoom yesterday as I got too far behind with the chores, but today I was able to join the spinning zoom.  I have been spinning Shaun’s lamb fleece from 2010.  It is really fine and fun to spin.

This is the view from my fiber room upstairs.

Tom has been busy collecting firewood.

And today we received a rental manure spreader so will be busy with that.

We took a trip this afternoon and came home with more fiber producers.  This is the view heading towards the sheep’s pasture.

Tom is driving the truck in the pasture (a rare occurrence as much of the year it would sink to the axles).  Plus there is a beagle in the pasture which is not allowed except in the truck.

And here are our new sheep.  This is Marietta Mary Ann.

And this is Marietta Daisy.  They are from John Park and have lovely wool.  They are not sure about leaving the truck.  Tom had to coax them.

But they hopped out into their new field of green grass.

And met our sheep.  Priscilla lived with them until last year.  But I am not sure if they will remember this.

They all seem to be getting along.  The cows are even jazzed up with the new arrivals.

So I probably do not “need” more fiber but happy to have high quality Shetland wool to play with in the future.  Tom was so kind to agree to this.  Tomorrow I will be visiting my mom and Al and making zucchini burritos, another vegetarian recipe.  And I am hoping to watch more British Baking this evening.  My staycation-substitute is going well.

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