This last week our five young Rhode Island Reds joined our ten older hens. All of them have been keeping us busy by trying to escape from the pen – so we cut back their feathers, which wasn't as difficult (or gruesome) as one might imagine. Now we are waiting for them to finally start laying eggs!      

Usually we don't see Joni at all. Weeks might pass without me catching even a glimpse of the cat who seems not to long for any human contact. We named her for Joan Didion, but maybe we should have named her for one of the Brontë sisters. Just as they were cooped up in their quarters at Hawarth Parsonage, Joni lives above the garage and is never to be seen beyond her self-confined area. Lately, I've…

I have been asking myself this for the last day and a half: Can life be without our Sally? She came to us and soon we could not imagine loving any other dog than her. She seemed to have these human qualities, being so sensitive and intuitive and with such strong feelings. Sally ran away. She was scared - of the butcher who came to take our goats (and send them after a happy, fulfilled…

What a scare we got last night! Josh checked on the three remaining chickens that we have - the majority of our chickens and our rooster Jerry fell victim to coyotes a few weeks earlier. Since then, locking up our chickens at night and reinforcing their Fort Knox has been a priority. But when Josh went down in the pouring rain to close the inner gate, the only animal in the chicken coop was our…

Our former resident and jack of all trades Mr. Doug Moore came by for a welding lesson! It was fun, but now i have even more respect for this fiery craftsmanship. You have to always protect your eyes from super bright light, your nose from possibly not so pleasant fumes and all other body parts from hot sparks. I was relieved that i did not burn a hole in my pants!