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This isn’t a stray dog in our front yard. It’s a coyote. A primarily nocturnal predator out for a stroll the middle of the day. Coyotes are the most abundant livestock predators in North America, causing the majority of sheep, goat and cattle losses. Our neighbor lost several sheep to coyote attacks just this past week. This one’s a little too close for comfort.Why We Need Guardian Dogs
31 Jan 2012 7 Comments
Mine.
30 Jan 2012 6 Comments
And So It Begins
28 Jan 2012 8 Comments
Hibernating
27 Jan 2012 1 Comment
Three plus raised beds of garlic is what we planted last October. The bunnies thankfully leave it alone, even though there’s not much else around to eat in the Winter. The individual cloves sprout greens then it kind of goes dormant during the cold weather. In May we’ll be harvesting scapes then digging up the heads in June/July. We’re still using garlic from last Summer’s harvest. I sliced some really thin then put it in the dehydrator. After a quick whirl in a food processor, homemade garlic powder. Tasty!
A Curious Sheep
25 Jan 2012 Leave a comment
Beatrice comes in for a close-up. If she’s nearby when I come into the pasture, she always stops by to say hello. She’s my favorite. She’s friendly and cute and likes to smell my face. I like to smell hers, too. 🙂
Stunning
23 Jan 2012 5 Comments
Jessica’s shaggy hair is magnificent. Who knew a cow’s coat could be so lovely? I’d brush it if she’d let me.
Feeding Frenzy
21 Jan 2012 1 Comment
Feeding time for the sheep is in the morning. We’ve got them trained to come to a small fenced in enclosure for their daily grain ration. They’ve got two feeding troughs so there’s enough room for everyone to get in there and get their share. Sheep aren’t as friendly (or annoying) as goats so having them all in one place gives us a chance to handle them when needed. It looks like someone’s carrying twins!
Snorkeling on the Farm
18 Jan 2012 1 Comment
Hermione can’t eat just the top of the hay, she’s mining for tasty morsels. The hay ring doesn’t keep the goats or sheep out (or evidently our cow, either) but it reduces wasted hay. I wonder if she’s holding her breath under there? Her hiney is just begging for a spanking!
A Good Boy
15 Jan 2012 10 Comments
Red Roosters
13 Jan 2012 4 Comments
in Recipes
Cranberry orange vodka slushies, aka Red Roosters, are a staple in our house this time of year. They’re super simple, just three ingredients:
A bottle of Ocean Spray Cranberry Juice Cocktail (cheap store brands just don’t work for this, I think they probably have a lot of water in them)
Frozen orange juice concentrate (the large one, they come in two sizes)
Vodka
Grab a container with a lid that’s freezer safe. I always use some sort of plastic for this recipe, like Tupperware. Dump in the entire container of cranberry juice into your container then add the frozen OJ concentrate. You may want to let it sit at room temp for about 30 minutes, that will help with mixing the OJ in. Depending on how strong you want it, fill the emptied frozen OJ can from 1/2 to completely full with vodka. Mix everything together well then put a lid on it and pop it in the freezer for overnight. The next day, scoop it into glasses and serve it with a spoon. The alcohol keeps the juice from freezing solid. It comes out like shaved ice and is super yummy.