I've been busy...

And my internet connection at the new place is really, really slow (picture dial up...).

I've been working a lot - this is a busy time of year for paving projects, and the associated traffic control plans. Don't get me wrong, I'm enjoying the work!!

I'm slowly settling in, but moving a farm sucks... There are so many bits and pieces. I still have lots to go, but it's getting there.

I've started putting up containers for the birds. I need to get them home - I miss them!! I had a quonset-hut shaped canopy frame that I moved that I'm going to use as the initial containment unit. it's 12 x 20, and will comfortably house the peafowl (1 peacock, 3 peahens).

I have a chainlink dog kennel that I'll press into service (after removing it from serving as the dog pen) for the chickens. The "official" dog pen, is currently being used by the chickens, so when I get them moved, it will be restored to it's original purpose, and the dogs will be happy.

Meanwhile, I've been baking bread, about one loaf a week. This is a heavily tweaked Oatmeal bread recipe, which now contains buttermilk, an egg, flax seeds, oat bran, wheat germ, and hemp hearts (they had them at CostCo), in addition to the original oats. I make the dough in the bread machine, and then put it into a regular pan (this is a 1.5 lb loaf) to bake. It's really yummy!

I have inherited a cat - meet Art. His full name is Artemis Fowl, so named because his bodily emissions rhymed with his first name... I have seen/smelled none of these, so this is good. He's a lilac lynx point, and didn't get along with Correy's other two male cats. While living there, he was allowed to come into the trailer, which he thought was pretty cool.

Here, Art is draped over some yarn that I spun this weekend. I really enjoyed spinning it, and evidently, he enjoys it too!

Here's a picture of the yarn, sans cat:

It's from Babs, a dorset/suffolk x that Becky owns. We did some trading and I got the fleece!!

I had ordered some chicks a few weeks back, and they came on Monday. I had ordered 15 Blue-Laced Red Wyandottes, and 10 Cornish Roasters. Normally, the hatchery includes extra, and their shipping label said that they had... However, they didn't, and one of the roasters died. Also, there are 11 BLRW's that look alike. There are 4 that look like Americanas. I was not pleased. When called, the hatchery (Murray McMurray), said that these birds sometimes look different as chicks, but will grow up to look like they are supposed to. Did they think I just fell off the turnip truck? This doesn't happen... I have to take pictures of them and send them to their email, and they will have the hatchery manager look at them. They will reimburse me, if, after they are grown to the point where it can be determined that they are not what I ordered, I can show them pictures.  Meanwhile, I've invested about 3 months worth of feed, for which I will not be reimbursed... To say I'm not ever ordering from them again is a understatement.

Since I first wrote this, 3 more chicks have elected for a do-over (didn't want to come back as a chicken, I guess), so I'm now down to 9 roasters and 12 BLRW's, assuming the 4 oddballs really are...
All that said, however, the chicks are cute. I start my chicks in a 100 gal. stock tank. The sides are high enough to keep out drafts, it's big enough for 24 chicks for a few weeks, and this year, I don't have to do it in the house. I have a shed, to which I ran power via an extension cord plugged into an outdoor outlet. Yay! No chick dust in the house making me wheeze and getting all over everything (it's actually microparticles of feed, dander and chick poop - not very good to have in the air).

I've decided to get some turkeys this year after all. I wasn't sure I was going to, but a recent visit to a naturopath indicated that I shouldn't eat chicken. She has offered to buy some of the previously mentioned roasters! It seems, and I can attest to this, that my body chemistry reacts badly with chicken, as it sets off an inflamatory response. However, turkey does not. So, I'll raise enough to have a couple for the freezer, a bunch to can, and a few to sell (I already have orders for 4).

I'm starting to think about gardening. I know the plants that I want to grow, and just have to get a place to do it. I have the materials to make raised beds, and because there are deer and other things here, I'll cover them with row cover supported over pvc hoops. I'll use drip because it's more efficient, especially in this climate. It's interesting - I lived in western Oregon longer than I had gardened in Reno (3 years in town - in Red Rock there was a 6 week growing season, so I didn't), but never got used to the climate. It was too cold and gray most of the time for tomatoes and peppers, and because at the time I had loose chickens, the salad greens didn't last long after their discovery. I had mediocre luck with squash, and the beans gave up. I finally did, too. I'm looking forward to gardening here - it's more like my little house in Reno, where I grew copious quantities of tomatoes, peas, beans and salad in my front yard. I'm also going to put in some herbs, because I love cooking with them.

I'll try to emulate Leigh's journaling about her garden - it'll be a good way for me to keep track of what I did!

One of the big projects is to put up fencing to bring Tang home. I'm going to use electric, since she's used to that, and it's cheaper than "real" fencing. Also, I'm renting, and I don't want to invest a lot in a place that isn't mine. Everything needs to be removable... which is easy, and hard at the same time. It takes a lot more planning because not only do I have to think about putting it in, but also how will it be easily removed.

As soon as the fence is in, I have to get hay - she has to eat (and boy, does she love to eat...). She is a total foodie. I won't go into why hay prices are high, but suffice it to say, some people are just being greedy. I understand that it takes fuel and fertilizer and time to grow a hay crop. What they don't seem to understand is that people can't afford what they're charging. I should count myself lucky that Tang doesn't need top-flight hay - she'd become rotund in no time. I can get perfectly adequate hay from the valley (where I used to live...) but will have to pay to have it hauled. It's still cheaper than the hay on this side of the cascades, but really, people... It explains the increasing numbers of horses that are hauled out to BLM or the Reservations and dumped.

Anyway, I'm really enjoying my space, and getting settled. My blood pressure likes it too!!

It's Done!

Sorry for being incommunicado... Last Monday, after OFFF, I found out that the house was to close Oct. 7 - EEEK!

Correy and I went over to the house on Wednesday, and spent until Saturday mucking it out. We started the trip by stopping by to see Annie, who's training is coming along very nicely, and who will be coming home next week. Since that was later in the afternoon, when we got to the house, we (Correy) made a plan of attack - I can hear Amy snickering...

 My neighbors allowed us to hook into their water via a series of hoses so we could flush toilets and wash hands, etc. Over the next 3 days, with no electricity, we worked from can see to can't see, taking 4 or 5 loads of crap to the dump (I lost count). To put it in perspective, I lived there for 5 years, all but the last one in a lot of pain from very bad knees.  Not much got done... at all. 

After filling the sheep trailer (6 x 10 x 4) with save-able stuff, I arranged to exchange it for Jordan's (Annie's trainer) stock trailer to get the 16' panels home. By the time I got back to Walton with it, it had started raining - a lot. We did the Walton Wet T-shirt contest, loading it up. The house was as clean as we could get it, and my agent had told the buyer's agent since it was considered of no value, we weren't cleaning it thoroughly. We pulled out of Walton at around 5 and reached Prineville at 8:30pm, very tired and somewhat drier than when we started.

Yesterday, a whirlwind run to the valley to:

• get the last load from the house
• drop Kiri and Whoosie off at their new home
• sign papers for the house closing.

The intent was to leave Prineville by 9 am.  I think we got out of the house to take the canopy off my truck, install the stock racks (purpose will be clear later), hitch up the stock trailer to return it, load the ponies at about 9:15. Needless to say, we didn't leave as early as planned.

We got to the valley about 1:15, and delivered Kiri and Whoosie to their new home. I'm glad that I got Kiri from the stockyard where she was bound for slaughter. When it became clear that she was pregnant, I wasn't thrilled, but figured it was a new experience for me, right? Now that Whoosie is 4 months old, Correy started working with both mares (her's is a new mom, too), and Kiri was not at all pleased to be reminded that she needed to be a horse. To be fair, she's probably been shuffled around alot (which I just did, too), so she has probably learned to buffalo people to get her way. To make it clear to her that it's not ok takes physical punishment, and I have a hard time doing that. I've tried being nice, using treats as bribes, but until you physically show her you are the boss, she's not buying it. I don't need to work that hard with a horse.  She's now with a early-20's young woman who, though looking like she's a sweet young thing with firey red hair, takes no shit. They have a 5+ acre pasture that is shared with 7 alpacas, and at least one cow. There is shelter and it will be a very good place. Since the new owner is a friend of Correy's daughter, Brin, I can get updates on her progress.  If nothing else, they will keep them as pasture pets.

We left there and went into Eugene to get lunch (it was 2:30). Since it would not make sense to drive out to Walton just to turn around for my appointment to sign, I called the Escrow officer and made arrangements to go in earlier. After signing (which was kind of fun - she had handled the previous failed escrow), we went out to the house to load up.

There was some wood from 7 trees that the sheep had girdled, already cut and well seasoned, which we took for Correy's wood stove.  This was the purpose of the stock rack - a support for stacking up the wood.  We picked up 4 pallets (one can never have too many on a farm), the two hoses from last weekend, a couple of boards and cut the 20' pvc into roughly 10' lengths. There were also many more canning jars (gold, if you have them) and a bunch of sheep coats.  When we were fully loaded the truck was wallowing. After picking up Brin to give Correy some "daughter time," we picked up the previously filled and parked sheep trailer to bring it home.

After dropping Brin off in Springfield, we headed back up the mountain IN THE RAIN. We went very slowly (max 50 mph) because of the load. It was snowing on the top of Santiam pass, but just barely starting to stick on the side (the road was just wet). Once over the top and out of the clouds, we could see stars - a welcome sight.

We pulled in at 10:30 - exhausted, wobbly and ready for bed. This is what we hauled back over the mountain. 

Note the tires...

Thursday, I just wanted to veg, but I had 2 traffic plans to do by Friday, the truck and trailer to unload, and 2 loads of laundry to do! And Correy and I dragged our sorry sore butts to Yoga. After Yoga, I became a veg. To make up for it, I worked until midnight on traffic control plans (just one more plan...), and then was too tired to sleep.

The buyer of the house was supposed to be signing Thursday, with funding and closing Friday. She didn't. I lost it... She decided she had to know if she still got the forest deferral (on taxes) if she logged off the property.  First, there is not enough lumber on the deferral plot to log right now - the trees are maybe 15 years old. Second, this was not a contingency, so wtf??  She finally signed Friday, after completely pissing off the escrow officer (not a good thing, I can tell you!!). The lender had already funded the loan, so we'll close on Monday,but because the banks are closed for Columbus Day, I won't have the $$ in my pocket until Tuesday. At least there's $$... I'm very grateful for that!

The traffic control plans turned into a bigger job than I had anticipated - one job turned into 8 sheets, good for the pocket book, but really hard on the wrists.  I need to get a more ergonomic set up in the trailer to do these.  I'm meeting with the company owners, etc., on Tuesday - I've been working for them without the "Hi, welcome to the company - here's how we do things", which has been a little frustrating.  I'm looking forward to all of us being on the same page, or at least in the same book!!

There's still organizing to do, and I need to get 5 dowels for my warping reel so I can warp my loom. I hope to get that done this weekend.  It will be good to get back to weaving.

Re-entering an old job

I have a degree in Biology, with a Chemistry minor, and I have monitored the swarming behavior of motor vehicles for the last 6 years for the City of Eugene. Part of my job there was drawing and/or approving temporary traffic control plans for work in the City's right-of-way.

I learned to draw traffic control plans while living in San Diego in the mid-90's. I ended up working all over So. Cal. for about 3 years, until I moved back to Reno in 2000.

In my search for what I want to be when I grow up, and the necessity for continuing income, of which there is currently none (having left my City job when I moved), I called a flagging company that I had worked with and offered my services. They allowed as how they would be "stupid not to take advantage of my experience" (their words). So, I'm again an independent contractor preparing traffic plans for this company.  They will have me working all over, including Vancouver, WA. 

It's actually kind of fun - I get to satisfy my inner geek by playing with the cad program I have, and I know that I'm doing a service by drawing a plan that will keep the workers and the traveling public safe.

I got one plan done today - getting used to the program again slowed me down. I'm also waiting for a call from the utility to clarify the work they're doing. The next few that are in the mail (20 locations in Salem - woot!!) shouldn't take so long.

It will be interesting to get feedback from the company about my work. It's very different from what their in-house people do (using a cad program allows for more accuracy and detail). We'll see!

Anyway, it's good to be working, even though it isn't necessarily steady, it's something!!