By the way....

I appreciate everyone's comments so much! I love replying to comments, but I managed to switch something off (I think...) and blogger isn't letting me. But thanks for all your kind and encouraging words, and thank you especially to family and friends-far-away. You are so missed and so loved!

Billy Goats Gruff

"Mary, I'm going to Peterborough tomorrow."
"OK, that's nice, dear."
"And I'm buying three goats."
"WHAT?" 

Poor Will. In the course of our homesteading adventure these past months I've had to apologize several times for failing in awesomeness. If I were awesome, I'd be totally into goats. Also into wild cows, like Galathea the Devil Heifer.

Yes. We bought a cow. I haven't managed to photograph her because she is so terrified of people that she hides in the barn, invisible but for her glowing green eyes. The Devil cow.


But Will has been so sweet and so persistent in becoming a cow whisperer. He's been scything hay for one thing. (Yes...scything...with a scythe.) And a very adorable sight it is, I must say, to see him working in our hilly little pastures....under a blazing sun....sweating, smiling, and singing! He hand scythed, raked, and stacked several hundred pounds of hay for the delectation of Devil Heifer.

We continue to haunt the internet for information on taming wild cows, and the Dexter breed in particular.  (Dexters are a sturdy Irish breed, ideal for small acreages. They're also very pretty). I'm afraid halter breaking might be our only option, but that's a discussion for another day.

In the meantime we've brought her some company.

Hannah the milk goat....

and Mathilda and Morris....the pygmy/Alpine pair.

They are as sweet, funny, and friendly as puppies. They follow the boys everywhere....

...put the dog in his place....

and seek out human company whenever they can.

Their antics keep us in stitches all day. I knew goats were mischievous (ours aren't) but I had no idea they were such good company. They're very smart and trainable. The only animal that compares, in my opinion, is dogs.

But the best surprise by far is the sweet, fresh milk! Hannah gives us a litre plus of beautiful milk every morning and evening, and it's creamy, beautiful, and not even a hint of goatiness. Which is odd, because she's a goat.

These little friends have given a real boost to us two YouTube farmers and our problem cow. I've also decided to persevere with my commitment to smile sweetly when Will drops animal related plans on me. (I really shouldn't be arguing with a man with a scythe anyway). Will does all the work, builds all the equipment and shelters, feeds them and brings us fresh milk twice a day. He understands and interprets all the bizarre animal behaviour for me, especially Morris (the male of the species...oh my!), builds fences, fixes fences, innovates fences, just to placate his wife. He's a good soul, that Will Pemberton. And not one bit boring!

Chicken Tractor

Introducing Cornelius Cob and his twelve little wives....

Will built the "chicken tractor" by eye from pictures he found online. I'm inordinately proud of it (even though I had nothing to do with it) especially now that it's red....

Bonaparte Red. For these birds—nothing but the best, nothing but the best.

Hugh hanging out in the nesting box

better than tv

A scene from rural appalachia. This impoverished, naked child survives only on belly fat stored from his third breakfast. Actually, I added this picture to show the cool branches Will rigged up inside the coop for roosting purposes. As soon as the sun goes down, the chickens crowd to the highest and most desirable perch and squabble over it for half an hour or so. The other night I heard Matthias shout out his bedroom window, "SHUT UP, CHICKENS!" But Matthias, we LOVE our chickens! 

...and Will added wheels borrowed from a dump lawn mower. Whew! earth conscious, that's my man.

Finn hangs around, keeping an eye on things

Finn is our sweet little red heeler puppy, which we got earlier this spring while we were still living at mum and dad's. I can't say he's terribly fierce with strangers, and he's a bit jumpy-kissy-nippy, but we love him and he's shaping into a good farm dog. See how he loves me?

 The latest excitement is the new door on the back of the trailer, and the lovely lady whom we're expecting some time this week....

I somehow managed to fug up the layout in the tiny space of blogging time I'm allowed. Stay with me! There's more farmy goodness to come....

Nooks

coming up the driveway....

front entrance

That large red thing is a piece of drywall covering an old window (Seriously! Crazy old house...) which is a piece of art waiting to happen. 

first view (sort of) of interior

The living room. Will sanded the rock hard maple floor and the three of us (me, Will, my hardworking sister Angela) oiled it with some kind of eco friendly oil that was really expensive and smelled like apples. (Will can tell you more about it.) 

view from living room to kitchen, with two local inhabitants

my usual landscape—somewhere near the stove

nice sunny sink window

younger boys' room

Shelves in the Closet! Happy thought indeed....

older boys' room

laundry room and utility room (you should see it now—a disaster!)

The new roof! That's scaffolding on the front of the house.

That's it for now! Sorry I didn't upload renovation pictures. I was mostly upside down on top of ladders or painting with my head in a cupboard. Not inspiring and altogether too many spiders.

But we're here now! And loving it more and more every day.

eight times around the sun

Willy turned eight this past weekend. He always seems to "turn" about six weeks before his real birthday. Unless that's just me waking up to the fact that my oldest son is evolving before my eyes. It's been my joy and my challenge to let that "evolution" take place without interfering with my own model... And a real pleasure to get to know this adventurous, rational, tree-climbing, whimsical eight year old.

Our family birthday tradition is a "special" breakfast in bed, which we carry in singing "happy birthday" in a little procession with a candle, some small gifts and cards, flowers or leaves from the garden.

Willy requested cereal and orange juice for breakfast (now really, Willy, why can't you be reasonable!) and he was rather anxious about us forgetting. His last words before he went to sleep were, "Don't forget...the cereal...."

You have to understand, to children raised on wholesome, home-made, delicious (to Will and I) breakfasts like smoothies and omelettes, boxed cereal is an unheard-of treat. And let me tell you, four sugar-deprived children can devour a box of cereal at one sitting!

This year, I instituted the "birthday crown" tradition! (You can make a crown from a round of cardboard cut into crenellations...you know, the pointy things on top of the crown...and fabric top-sewn over it. As always, I'm pretty sure there's an easier way to make one, but I always choose the hard way. In case you've got a stash of liturgical fabric, just remember that gold embroidered priests' vestments make a decent crown...)

With some of his favourite family around (not all, sniff sniff), a new bike to rip around on, some lovely moccasins hand made by Uncle Ben (for sneaking around the woods, of course), a waffle maker and compass of his own (thank you, Grandma and Grandpa, how fabulous!), some truly exciting lego from Grandma Mary, and a lifetime supply of Tintin from his papa, this is the happiest, proudest little boy around. 

We've done various degrees of "official" birthday parties over the years, but the favourite tradition that must never change is the birthday breakfast procession.

"Simple and Special" is my motto, for family celebrations. (Thank you, soulemama, for such a concise  definition!) As always, it's the little traditions that are the most cherished and remembered.

Bricks'n'Mortar

We decided to break with local custom and have our woodstoves professionally installed and certified. (Our reasons are long and boring, being mostly to do with insurance, and this isn't the place to regale you with facts. However, local people might want to consider husband-wife team Top Hat and Tales for a really excellent, thorough installation, and such good company!) In the end, as I watched them standing on the peak of the roof, making a hole with a chainsaw, I was happy that it wasn't Will installing the chimneys. 

We also decided to invest in new woodstoves, after searching the country high and low for the magical combination of "deal" and "quality".  

The one part of the process we got to do ourselves was the ember pad. My brother Ben came to give a hand, and he and Will got good and muddy and artistic together. We found the bricks under one of the outbuildings. The boys carried them in and stacked them loosely to dry out. Ben did the pattern (he might not admit to it, but he's an incredible artist), and Will chipped the bricks for the edge of the curve. 

The result is beautiful, durable, rustic, and cost us exactly 7 dollars for mortar. (Plus a case of beer...because a worker deserves his wages, no?)

..and below are two "before's" of the kitchen, where you just see a corner of the post and beams, and the charming 1970's cupboards. (The secret truth is that I bought this house for the dear little cabinet drawers beside the fridge.) The foor is beautiful, under it's layers of grime and grout: it has that shining, "depth" of grain that you sometimes see in really old hardwood. However, there are nearly 1" gaps between some of the boards! and it's wavy. (Friends of the Beresford family will understand the unique charm of wavy floors.) So there might be a bit of surgery and new grout, as well as sanding and oiling. IT'S ALL SO TERRIBLY EXCITING!

Kitchen, and beyond that, a real, live mudroom. I am so proud to be a mudroom-owner.

kitchen + renovation bric-a-brac

Manly Flowers

My sweet friend Jen of Two Trees Farm recently gave me one of her pretty muslins...you know, those cheese-cloth things for wrapping babies, and which only come in ugly (to me) baby prints...

Well, brilliant Jen went to a fabric store and bought some much more grown-up looking muslin. Manly flowers, she calls them. (Jen has four little sons. "Manly" is important, yes sir.)  Rafe is past the baby-wrapping stage, but Jen's muslin makes a great scarf! And it smells like Jen's house, which is heaven. (Jen makes soap)

Anyway this is all by way of introduction to the concept of manly flowers, because I've been putting manly flowers on my boys (the ones that are too little to mind). This Easter I made Matthias some dashing new pants...

the elastic hasn't been added yet, so he is *even* lower slung than usual! The low pockets are for the fake low-slung look, but thanks to his nice flowered cumberbund, the pants stay on his waist!

I think they're pretty snazzy. And luckily for me, Matthias and I see eye-to-eye on most things.