Free Kittens

Anybody want one? They need a good home. It got too cold and Daisy abaondoned them, so we've been bottle-feeding them back to health.

Is our garden trying to tell us something?

A real, honest-to-goodness carrot from this year's bounty:

What we did on our summer (er, fall) vacation...

Lots of hiking











Some biking










Camping














We saw lots of awesome scenery












Timed it just right for fall colors



We even saw some snow









And just generally had a great time

Vacation Photos

...will be forthcoming, I promise.

For now, let this tide you over. Suffice it to say, Fun (with a capital "F") is being had on this vacation. (Oh, and did we mention we got a slick new camera?)

Henhouse Visitor

Looks like someone had an urge for omelets...

Kittens!

Count 'em - SIX of 'em

Random happenings round the shire

Dan, braving the floodwaters to deliver pizza:
Painting the Barn:
Twins Game!
Cuteness, personified.
Exhibit A:
Exhibit B:

Well, we're all home together now. Thank goodness. The kids and I had a grand time at Grandma's house, but as they say: there's no place like home. And and Toby are already much better behaved, and so am I.

Last night Dan waded out through the waters to stake out where the edge of the road was so that his dad could tractor us in and out without danger of going off the road. The water level has receded maybe a few inches, but that is it. So, clinging to the sides of a wheelbarrow bungeed to the back of a tractor, we rode in bearing a gallon of milk.

There is something about being stuck on our 10 acre house site, no one able to get in, no one able to get out. The garden is still producing and we have plenty of meat in our deep freeze, we're not in any danger of starving. The cats are running about having a grand time catching moles and mice, Dan is (trying) to work from the dining room table. When the kids are too much, we send them outside to feed the kitties, who don't really need it, but are still grateful.

It's not so bad around here at the shire. If it weren't for the mad swarms of mosquitos, it might actually be kind of fun!

Flood Update (by Dan)

We haven't built an ark (yet). In fact, we are better off than many. We (only) got 6 inches in the past 48 hours. And the new drain tile that we installed around the house has passed the "stress test"! No seepage problems in the basement, and the sump pumps are just trotting along at an easy pace.

But, our farm is an island right now, and the amount of water around has at least tied (if not surpassed) the Great Flood of 1993. The timeline:
Thursday Evening - Water starts trickling across our road.
Friday Morning - Our road is passable only via 4WD truck
Friday Evening - Our road is passable only via tractor
Saturday Morning - Water is 2 feet deep; Can't see road and don't want to drive tractor into the ditch. Thus, our road is passable only via boat (or foot). I carried a load of supplies (milk, frozen pizzas, and cookies) out to dad. We're hanging out the rest of today and having a party. You're invited, if you'd like. Just wade on over!

I think the water is peaking this afternoon.

A photo journal of the event:

Flooded Garden:





Ferrying pumpkins to the market, by way of tractor.





Our new lakeside view.






Soybeans, gone...
I would estimate 1/3 mile of our road is under water.



View from the end of the road. (What road?)


View from our house.











Beauty, Amid Destruction

Dan's Commute This Morning

Should have bought that kayak this year after all....

Well, Toby has really hit an incredibly cute age, as you can see. And Ana has a rad new bike (thanks Maddie!).

Sorry folks, that's all I can come up with right now.

My hair hates this weather.

Truly there.

In case anyone was wondering, I am truly a country girl now. I am proud to announce that I've killed and cleaned my first chicken. Well, I didn't actually kill it. My friend Lila held the knife. But I (tightly) clutched her body as the last spurts of life left. And my hands pulled out her guts.

She was a mean, mean hen. Jumping all over Ana's feet and pecking away, she seemed to actually enjoy it. Ana ... not so much. So, we decided she needed to be offed. And shockingly, none of it bothered me.

Even more shockingly, none of it bothered Ana. She watched the whole dang thing. The killing, the plucking, the cleaning. As she watched the beheading, her fingers crept up to her own neck and she said "I have blood in my neck too, mama!" And as we sat down to eat our chicken dinner that night, Ana declared, "this is a really good bad chicken!"

You will pardon my lack of pictures.

Hmmm, not dry yet.

The garden is in full bloom! Or at least, what's left of it. A buck, who has become a regular, has taken care of all of our tastiest greens. So, no beets, chard, or spinach. Oddly, he left the romaine alone. He must be a nice buck. Hungry, but nice. We've already harvested our onions. We've been sneaking lots of tasty new potatoes, and the tomatillos have numerous blooms!

Unfortunately, our broccoli didn't put on any heads to speak of. And a nasty storm took out around 40 hills of potatoes, and nearly wiped out all of our tomatoes. I've had it with severe weather. Because this is the pits. What's a Minnesota summer without tomatoes?

A few weeks ago, we had a great surprise for my family. Aaron, Jodi and the kids plus mom and dad all came out for the fourth of July weekend. I thought I'd try to see if Mary could fly out too from NYC. We were in luck! We were able to secure a ticket at the last minute to get Mary to MPS and Dan and I came to pick her up and drive her back to the farm. All this without letting any of the other family know. We just let them arrive to find her sitting in the kitchen. It was so great, and by far the best money we've spent in a long, long time. The weekend was full of laughing and lounging with family. There is nothing better.



Ah, how conVEEENient. A handy brother who was willing to fix our sagging barn. Soon to be home for sheep and their babies!



Dad's priceless face. Too bad I didn't get mom's. That was scream to wake the neighbors (a happy scream that is).



Auntie Mary and Toby bonding over Muppets musin (mana mana was the weekend favorite). Toby's got this new "buddhist monk" doo. All he needs is a saffron robe.




Cousin Mania!