A hopping good time…

“Stop Adam!”  I should know better…  After all these years.  My wife has a special sixth sense for animals.  You might not believe me, but I know there is at least one other farmer out there who seems to know there is a problem before it even starts.  It usually works out OK.  For the animal.  We even got a kitten out of the deal (oh joy never-ending)…  This time, driving home, it was a frog…

So, meet Jeraminah.  She’s an American Bullfrog.  And considered a non-native, invasive species locally, as she will eat anything that fits in her mouth.  Including our native chorus frogs.  So the DNR/WSFW say to eat/kill them, as they are a threat to the local frog populations.  You can imagine how well that went over.  So, Jeraminah lived for a few days in our shower, while we er, Farmer Joscelyn found a rescue who would certify her disease free, and then ship her to Miami, to be re-introduced there.

The other winners here were the little farmers, used to catching the little tree frogs, something the size of a kitten was, well, just look at her smile.  It’s Christmas.  In June!

So if you happen to find one of these lovely gals, get in touch with www.justfrogs.com they are in Edmonds, and have lots of fun stuff to look at.

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BFF.

Or maybe it’s B.F.F.  Either way, she’s the best.  The best wife, mother and friend.  Supporter of my wild ideas, and faithful to God’s call on her heart.  She’s even enjoying the insane schedule we have put ourselves into for this summer.  There will be an update once the smoke clears, but we are both looking forward to the seeming slow down of the school year, and easing up of the farming that will be ours to enjoy in in the next few months.  Till then babe, hold on, I’m right here with you!!!

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Look who’s 3!!!

Yes indeed, by the time she wakes up, she’ll be a big 3 year old.  They do seem to grow fast here at the Adalyn Farm.

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The Gift…

It’s that time.  With all the hoopla over Santa, and the ‘culture war’ that seems to pit the ‘keep Christ in Christmas’ with folks who don’t care where Bethlehem is, it seems like some quite would be in order.  It’s my favorite part of the candle light service.  The hush, and the light.  If you want to admit it or not, it’s the season to give, for we have all received so much…

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4H for fun!

We’ve been at this farming thing for some time now…

As we walked through the fairs that we frequent in late summer, we kept hearing a repeating line “mommy/daddy I want to show one of our animals”.  Even when a young steer bolted straight at us in Sylvana, sending the 65# handler flying like a rag doll, she still stuck to her guns.  Although she’s thinking that for this first year she’ll show one of our chickens.

And that brings us to 4H!  Although you can show animals at fairs without 4H involvement, given out home school bent, and the opportunity to have her involved in ‘extracurricular’ activities, we hopped on board.  It was a ‘girls night out’ for her and mommy the first two meetings (and I just hate having one on one time with my little one 😉 so it worked out great).  This last week though, given some family illnesses I got to take her.  There is a wonderful air of ‘organized informality’ to it, with the older kids running the show.  This last week was elections (see below) and then meeting in the different groups (chickens, goats and camelids) to discuss goals and other things of note.  It was cool to see the older kids leading the evening.  Only a couple of times did parent’s even chime in, and typically only to direct an idea or discussion back on track.  It also struck me that most of the kids running/elected to the various positions were also members of FBLA.

So, here are a few quick shots of the voting (other than this I was too busy to hold the camera)

Little people practicing democracy!

The anonymous foot shot strikes again!  I’ve got the OK from some parents to post recognizable photos of their kids…  If I get 100% then the pictures will be more fun next time.  Kids are always fun.

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Happy Pumpkin Day!

Yep, we do it.  We get the kids all dressed up and teach them to beg candy from strangers.  Yikes!  It really is just one small blip on the radar of our holidays.  From now till the 2012 kick off, it’s going to be a race.  Halloween is typically the cut off day for us.  With the exception of ‘turkey transition day’ the rest of the fall and winter chores are done.  We have quarts and quarts of apple sauce, salsa, beans, tomatoes, ketchup, jam, pears, relish, pickles and I can’t even think of the other foods…  Not to mention that the freezer is packed.  I don’t think I could squeeze a frozen cherry tomato in there.  Fire wood is up, garden is mostly put to bed (or winterized for cold season crops) and with the exception of freeze protected waterers the critters are mostly good to go.

And so we load up, in boots, and head to the local pumpkin patch.  Frolic in the sun, drink the cider, and get lost in the corn maze.  Picking pumpkins is almost an afterthought.

Hurry! The perfect Pumpkin might get away!!

I know you can see the exit from here, but you have to stay on the path!

It’s only kind of muddy…  Kind of…

There is some satisfaction found in launching tiny gourds downrange at ghost like targets…

Assistance from a spotter is optional, but highly recommended.

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AAaaaaaaaaaugust…

August.  Hot (finally), busy and filled with fun.  Aaaaa as in, fall is coming and there is still lots to do!  I always know it’s getting on toward fall when I carry a stick with me in the mornings.  It’s either that, or I walk around like a blind person, with one hand stretched out in front of me.  It’s the spiders.  It’s about this time of year, all the little ones have learned to build webs, and have our place festooned with them.  Face fulls of buggy spider webs are not a fun way to start the day..

We have produce coming in as well, loads of beans and peas, the potatoes look like they are ready to dig (really?) and the garlic is overdue.  Blackberries are getting heavy, and the second fruiting from the yellow raspberries are starting to look promising.   We have some cooking apples in the orchard that need some saucing, and I am trying to figure out when we will go pick up our hay.  And then there are the fall veggies to get in.  I have big plans (Broccoli, Pac Choi, Spinach, Basil, Carrots, Beets) and they include a hoop house.  Like I said, big plans (I don’t think I’ll really have the time for it, but I have a hope).

I have all the downed wood from last winter split (thanks to the brother in law) and stacked in the shed.  I still have about 2 cords to finish from this summer and we’ll be snug for the coldnwet.  The spent layers are going into the freezer this weekend, and turkeys are scheduled for November 12th (We have a waiting list if you are interested in one).

So there isn’t much time here, between work, finishing up some client work, and the farm, well, the blog tends to slip a bit…  So here’s something to cool you off (not that you need it if you live in the PNW, but others might find it refreshing, I hear it’s been hot in a few places…)  It’s the last week of swim lessons for big sister (aka ‘the fish’) and it’s going to be nice to not have to keep the littlest farmer out of the pool while big sis has fun…

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Wu?

I’m not really sure where to start this one…  Lets see…

It started a long time ago.  Long, long ago.  And it would help if you knew my brother-in-law, or at least his sense of humor.  I think my wife and I were still dating, or had just gotten married, and I think it was Christmas, but it might have been her birthday.  Anyhow, her/our family passes the card around that came with a gift as the gift is being opened.  I remember the card being handed to me and looking at the signature.  “Wu? honey, I thought your grandma’s last name was ‘Wilson'” I tried to say it quietly (being all new to the family and such).  As I said I was new to the family, and had not learned to keep my voice to the sub audible level when posing a possibly dumb question.  Brett chimed in “Grandma, did you hear that?! Your ‘Grandma Wu?  I didn’t know you were Chinese?” (made all the funnier by some family history tied to China).  She laughed so hard we though she might keel over right there.  And she’s been Grandma Wu ever since.  For all five great grand kids, ‘Great Grandma Wu’.

So I suppose it didn’t start all that long ago, she was already in her 70’s.  I wish I had known her sooner.  I know I would have smiled more.  She did.  All the time.  Babbling silly nick names to her children, or cuddling great grand children.  Now we will need to wait, till we can see her again on the other side.

Although she always called me ‘that man with that dangerous camera’ she always smiled for me, and I never had to ask.  But I think I should now, so Grandma Wu, if it’s ok, I’d like to share some of the wonderful memories with some friends, is that ok? (I think she’s too busy laughing at me to answer)…

Garage turned photo studio at her 90th birthday…

At the beach.

And in my defense, her periods look remarkably like a small ‘u’.

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The 4th of July! Or.. “how deep a mother’s love…”

There is a hymn about the father’s love for us…  Seeing my wife’s toes last weekend I though of how deep her love is for her girls.  Our eldest wanted to paint her toes.  To give her a ‘special spa day’.  For a first try, I think she did OK!  I was happy to help with some touch up.  And with the 4th just around the corner, a ‘re-do’ was easy to explain.

 

Before….

After.

The girls picked their color scheme.  Almost as cute, watching the two year old almost walk into walls as she admired her toes.

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“Dad, your weird” or “What’s on your Pizza”

Yep.  It’s the same thing I told my Dad.  And now it’s my turn to hear it.  It was ‘make your own pizza’ night.  We made the pizza dough by hand, and used some of our own cheese.  Most of the dough ended up with the normal cheese and olives and such.  I went with an egg.  I don’t remember where I saw it, some foodie site, talking about all the stuff the french put on their pizza’s…

It was also one of the first nights we were able to dine outside (or pik pik as the 2 years old calls it).   Good times.  Although I think if I put an egg on a pizza again, I’ll do it for breakfast.

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