To the Mall

Salisbury though it is small, oddly quaint and with a lone convenience store/gas station with banker hours, has a quality about it that is highly desirable: the dump!

The Salisbury transfer station is open on Saturdays as most are. One nifty guy in the town realized he could make a lot of money as a private garbage collector. You can see an overfilled half ton pickup meandering through Salisbury on the weekend. Then a couple other nifties thought about setting up a building at the dump to act as a shelter for discarded items that still have some life in them. Anyways, it is called the Salisbury Mall and we love it. I got a grease gun today. Then went over to the scrap metal pile and picked up 2 metal garbage cans. Sure beats other towns where you cannot take anything. So a quick trip to drop of trash usually fulfills a return with farm treasures! I did hold back on grabbing the red wheel barrow. I already have two from the dump- a third with yet another flat tire seemed a bit much. So Much depends on a red wheel barrow glazed with rain water beside the white chickens.

The rain has definitely gotten to us. I am hoping for haying weather. I want to see the chickens work down the field instead of keeping them in the short rotations they are in now. The garden is looking alright still. Tomatoes in the hoop house are hanging on, peppers are flowering, hilled some potatoes, some ready lettuce.

And the prettiest thing in the garden!

Waitering in the Rain

The rain is audible outside. Marianne and I checked the check book while I ate down a late dinner of American Chopped Suey in a white buttoned shirt with the shiny black buttons. We cater at work on Thursdays for the Gordon Research - baked breads, pretty little deserts and lobster one of which was poorly balanced and I dropped it- or gravity did onto the shoulder and then the lower back of a customer by yours truly.

Greener and Wetterest Pastures

The cows haven't calved yet. I check them morning and night, but alas they do not look anymore ready than when we picked them up, and we thought they were ready to pop then! They'll come when ready.
We picked them up in New Durham. My grandfather worked for the DES for about 30 years fixing and building dams. He knew where the farm was once the guy started describing it. And it is a pretty farm! An old, beautiful, cape that is tucked away comfortably from the main route. You see the sap house first, which looks partially abandoned amidst growing saplings. Then you approach an uncut hayfield, pull into a dirt drive, and it opens up unto sheep chewed pastures, and the farm. Oh it was so beautiful. The first couple pastures were the size of our new place.

Anyways, the cows were beautiful; all Jerseys on various stages of heiferhood, pregnancy and lactation. My grandparents bought the best one. She is a very large Jersey. I grabbed another. She looks like she has week front quarters, but she is a first calf heifer and quite difficult to tell. We'll see. Lovely girls. We are still waiting though to see the calves. They might be crossed with a Pinzgaurer bull. I love the cows. Hopefully can get some critters over at our place. I would if we had the extra cash to buy a couple and graze them on the back pasture; 3 acres of poor pasture that just needs a little rotational grazing.

And this brings us to the greener pastures. The first place we wanted to buy is a better farm- 55 acres, 30 of which are in open field, all bottom land, 4 barns, sugar maples, yada yada yada. But everything can look greener upon a wishful glance. Just as Marianne and I will aw at another beautiful house, or take a second look at a pretty girl/guy, be envious of a larger tractor etc. This weekend I realized how beautiful of a place we have. I sat out at the back pasture enjoying the midmorning sun staring at rare drops of water from strawberry flowers just enjoying it. Marianne and I also talked about the finances and how lucky we were to get the loan for the property. Later I was checking out the chickens and where I wanted to move them next, and realized how much the grass had grown and greened up where they were two weeks previous. I forgot how quickly you can improve an area with the hens. So here it is: our place, our greener pasture- and very very happy with it.

On that note I am heading outside to get a couple things done before dinner.
Godbless
Zac

MOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

MOOOrning
Guess what's moo?

I have quite a bit to write, but unfortunately it is 8:47am and absolutely no reason for me to be inside. So I would like to introduce everyone to Elida and Florence, and will finish post tonight.
Zac
p.s. If you're free tonight at 6:30 come over for BBQ at 314 Smith Hill Road in Franklin.

Grandpa's Pj's

Gram thought grandpa's tie dyed shirt and flannel boxers was a funny pj pick for Grandpa. I agree since it was a little more colorful than we're used to- although he is a very chipper guy. (note to self: expand vocab so better words can be used other than chipper)

I need to get running for the day. We were supposed to get 150 chicks in today, but the hatchery changed the date. Now they are coming on the same day I am getting another order of 125. More chicks than I want to handle in a day. I want to make sure that I get the brooder fully prepped and start hardening off the chick s I currently have so both brooders are available. Then I have to run down to Lamey's for the fresh pork. OH! Sent two large sows. If anyone wants fresh pork chops, uncured hams, etc let us know.
Zac

so much depends upon
a red wheel
barrow
glazed with rain
water
beside the white
chickens
-wcw

Every rose has its thorn, just like every cowboy-with no handlebars, I can ride my bike with no handle bars come on in here son and tell me 'bout yourself, so you like my come with me romeo I don't want to be alone rally round tha family with a pocket full of shellsweapons not food not homes not shoes, do you like making love?

-Songs in head in garden through day