10.24.2011

Barn Raising

On Saturday, we began the barn-raising process. We have wonderful friends with all sorts of strength and skill, and we made some progress. I can't thank you all enough.


Ready to Raise

One...

Two...

Three...

It's UP!
Northwest Bent

Go Teamwork!
More upright timbers and photos to come!
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10.18.2011

Jars

This is what I've been doing to keep off the streets, keep up with my garden, and prepare for the zombie apocalypse (or just winter).
The garden continues to produce, and I continue to look for a job. Since I took this picture I have canned eggplant caponata, red wine pickled beets, and another batch of ketchup. Apples this week, then I should be finished for the year. Now to find more room in the pantry...
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10.05.2011

Manifest Destiné

This year we ordered meat chickens on the internet. On McMurray Hatchery's website, when you check out, there is a box you can mark if you wish to receive a free "exotic breed" chick with your order. When Farmer Fin asked me, "Should I check the box?" I was like, "Hell yeah! Of course! Why not?" He picked them up at the post office one Thursday in early August and installed them in the brooder while I was at the day job. Even the meat chicks are cute at two days old, but you could tell that little exotic one was something special. For the first time it occurred to me that the free exotic chick might be a baby rooster. But I figured it was just as likely a hen, statistically speaking, right?

Little baby chicks
The meat birds we called Jimmy II (Electric Boogaloo). See last year's chicken post: http://cottonhillfarm.blogspot.com/2010/08/chicken-bird-or-chicken-meat.html for the story of the original Jimmy. But the exotic chick was no Jimmy. After a few weeks I decided it needed some kind of name, even if it was a rooster. 

"We need an exotic name," said Farmer Fin. "You know, like an exotic dancer."