Stella update!

No calf yet, but soon, maybe tomorrow. Tonight I was able to get milk from all four quarters, which means the baby is really on its way!

Stay tuned....

Barn Gutter at last!

Stella is always happy to model anything new, especially when it involves hay... even a new gutter. The front of the barn was a muck pit, thanks to me taking so long to get this installed, but better late than never I suppose. The rain water is set up to fill Stella's trough, at least until it's warm enough to bring a hose back outside. We placed the heated bucket where her trough used to be, because we really should be seeing some freezing weather soon. And snow too!

Can you spot her baby bulge? I think she looks in remarkably good shape for 5 months along.

Just another barn perspective with the gutter in place. Who'd have guessed that this is about all the major projects we'd get done this summer. It's sure nicer than last year, when we had half the space, and rain would blow in on the hay. Not such a good thing. This year the hay is high and dry.

And if you need a laugh... can you spot the DE-luxe carport in this picture? Our neighbors in back put this up a few days ago. I just laughed, and said, wait until the first wind storm! Just so happens we had one last night. Oopsie-poopsie.

Barn and Bob the Bull

I can't do anything else on the barn at this point until we visit the lumber store again.

Time for faschia, sheathing, tar paper, and flashing. Then it's my favorite job... roofing. No, seriously, I love roofing! If I was 15 years younger I'd do it for a living. Good times!

The real big news is that this afternoon Bob the bull arrived! Stella's "man-friend", hopefully going to get her with calf.

They hit it off at once! Here's Stella, taking a break on Bob... ah young love. Bob scoped the heifer, water and the grass. Now he acts perfectly at home. Let's hope for twins!

How long are you chicks in for?

Maximum security chicken prison. Time in the "yard".

If you can't do the time, then don't do the crime. Hard-cases, everyone of 'em.

Here are the little buggers, FINALLY venturing outside, even though you pretty much have to poke them with sticks to get them out of their comfy, heated digs. They are feathering out nicely and starting to resemble grown-up chickens. Soon the electricity gets cut off.

Stella actually got in the way and mugged while I took pictures of the chicks, until she got her picture taken. I guess she was going for that hill-billy, old timey grass stem in the mouth look, and wanted it noted for posterity.

You may, or may not recall the Speckled Sussex chickens that took the long ride to the butchers, and came home dressed out and frozen. But here's some home canned stock made with one of the more decent sized birds... probably one of the roosters. It's got to be some of the best stock we've made or tasted. While the birds aren't exactly broilers, they sure make some good soup!

Solstice lights, hooves and killer kitties...

Finally got our lights up this past weekend thanks to J. Went out to do some animal wrangling last night, so we took a moment to admire.

Notice the shock and accusation on these little muzzles.Usually we don't go out and hassle these guys too much after dark, but the goats needed their hooves trimmed, so here everyone is lined up when we finished... completely scandalized. Stella did not appreciate us "ma'am"- handling her goats. Not one bit.

And how about this little attitude problem?

Crichton first wanted to play, then quickly lost his temper with the stupid-pink-monkey.

Soon his rage boiled over, and he went for the kill.

Barnyard mods

I built a half-wall in one of the barn bays yesterday on my day off, to help block out the wind and rain a bit more. Next we'll build a stall door to match, so we'll also have place to shut animals in as needed. OR isolate the greedy goats who like to help themselves to Stella's protein ration of alfalfa or all-purpose farm blend. Baby Berry is so greedy he actually jumps in the low hay manger and eats while standing on the food. If you're considering goats, remember that they are greedy monsters! Anyway as you can see Stella took an immediate liking to the more enclosed space and settled right in for a cud chew.

Now that we irritating humans came out to harass her, Stella decided to get up and say hello. She's starting to settle in here at Seven Trees and seems a lot more relaxed.


Here are the "trouble brothers" taking a nap together. Fergus actually had his chin resting on Stewart, but both dogs know the camera powering ON sound, so if they are doing something funny or cute they can cease and desist, before we can capture it on camera. Of course Fergus sat up and Stewart woke up, but they're still kind of cute miscreants.

And here's Mr. Sophistication himself, Stewart, displaying his hotdog toy, with classic teepee ears happening. Stewart's a serious clodhopper and gets bigger by the moment. I believe he tipped out the scales at 67 pounds last night. Soon I won't be able to pick him up to weigh him anymore!

Turkey-day heathens!

Thanksgiving morning here at Seven Trees.

This is the herbivore-gang pre-breakfast. One thing we have discovered about Stella is that she is not shy about telling is she's hungry! Some copious mooing going on, until breakfast is served. We're especially happy as she's taken to hanging out in the barn when the weather is bad, and generally adapting well to her new home.

In honor of the Wampanoag and Patuxet's, here we are shunning a traditional pilgrim style T-day prep, and instead transfering over the pumpkin ale for secondary fermentation.

All after a dinner of crispy duck, chinese style. Mmmm-mm! Must also say the pumpkin ale tastes great, and we are looking foward to when it is bottled, conditioned and ready to sample!

This is Stewart with his duck, a graduation gift from his puppy-class instructor. He treasures the duck for it's fabulous hoot-squawkability, which he wanders around the house mouthing like a squeezebox. Here is collapsed in exhaustion after just such a session.

Stella is home!

Here we are at the Anacortes ferry dock. When the power still wasn't on at 11 Friday night, we decided to shoot for the 8:40 trip instead of the 5:35 one. So at 4am, we headed to town to take a shower at my work and then hit the road. We'll leave out the part about trying to back a trailer out of the drive by lantern light after maybe 4 hours of sleep...

About halfway to Orcas Island. The islands are so beautiful, just for a day trip, let alone for something as exciting as bringing home a new baby.

Here's me, trying not to be nervous about all that deep water going by so fast.


Check out the little Cairn terrier helping get the trailer ready for Stella. He's a guest at Stella's former home.

Here comes Stella, along with her pasture pals, lured in by apples.






Stella "just says no" to being caught and haltered.

And Stella "just says no" to getting on the trailer.

But she didn't want to miss the ferry, so here she is, looking up at us from the trailer, on the ferry.

And finally, little Stella peeking through out stock panel fence, wondering where her pals are, and who these strangers are who keep staring at her.