this day in history

It's the anniversary of the eruption of Mt St Helens. 29 years ago the Washington mountain blew 1500 ft off of it's top and side, killing 57 people, producing as much energy as 500 atomic bombs, and blacking out the sun in the middle of the day.

Days Off

Days off are good for lots of things. For sleeping in, doing laundry, sipping coffee, going on walks. My favorite thing to do on my days off, however, is to bake. I like cooking, I like baking, I love eating. It is a win win situation. Lately I've been baking bread every other week. I've found an oatmeal bread recipe that is quite delicious. I make bread the old fashioned way, no machine. It definitely takes time, but that's okay, because it's my day off.

Today I made a rhubarb custard pie. I also attempted making yogurt for the first time. Yogurt is easy to make, why have I waited this long to make yogurt?

Chocolate Chip Cookies. Another favorite. This time I added whole wheat flour and I liked them better. Now I can tell myself that they are healthy. Sweet, I've got a breakfast cookie.

Things I don't like doing on my days off: cleaning up dog puke from my car, going grocery shopping, paying bills.

being a puppy

It is a good thing that my charge, Jasper, is an animal and not a human child. When he has totally made me crazy I can, without much guilt and within the law, lock him in the greenhouse, put him in the garage, drive away...you get the picture. I come back later and I feel 100% better and he is as happy to see me as he ever is. Can't do that with kids, I'm told.

It is also a good thing that he has more sweet moments than irritating moments, or to the pound he would go. I keep telling him that he's one lucky dog, I don't know if it is sinking in or not.

He has a rotten habit of chasing Annabelle, the goat, who by the way is tethered to a skid and therefore can't get very far. She is, thankfully, agile enough to jump onto the roof of her doghouse/goathouse to escape Jasper's nipping teeth. But he will bark and bark and bark in a frenzy until I come out there and spank his puppy rump. And then he is golden, for awhile until he remembers Annabelle again and off he races. It is a rarity that I can finish a task without having to stop numerous times to discipline the goat chasing puppy.

At the end of the day, when I have a moment to sit and relax I can see the humor in the whole escapade. It is true that upon occasion, Annabelle will headbutt Jasper in the side just to get him going. And that is funny. And Jasper mainly wants to get her up on her house so he can eat her alfalfa pellets. That's funny too. But I tell you, it is so not funny when it is this constant and ear splitting battle each day.

special delivery

A phone call on Sunday from the post office led to a Sunday drive to pick up our newest farm animals. 80 tiny, cheeping, chicks. All fluffy and yellow except one little bitty brownie. Earlier in the week we acquired some meat chicks, this week's batch are all laying hens.

Lots going on around here. My college buddy, Mel, came to the farm for a visit late last week and helped us trellis our blackberries. She also worked in the greenhouse part of the day, making soil blocks, planting squash, and otherwise learning the tools of the trade. Mel has spent the last year in India and it was such a blessing to spend time with her and look at life through her lens.