A Soil Carbon Cowboy's Modified "Date Night"

With consecutive crop failures, organic farming is becoming anything but feasible financially.  Humbly, we have acknowledged that no matter how much our heart and soul is poured into our integrity, eventually one can only remortgage so many times!

So what does it look like to farm without chemicals and leaving the soil in better shape than we found it in?  How do we give BACK instead of TAKE?  Thanks to the life-work of Alan Savory, founder of Holistic Management, we have a renewed hope.  A six-day course in January lifted our spirits and filled us with renewed purpose.

I am proud of my husband for making this switch.  He has been grain farming from birth.  Some of his earliest memories consist of being dangled (while still in a diaper) into the combine to pull out a screw for his dad.  He lived and breathed grain farming and to say that it "runs in his blood" would be to minimize his ties to the earth he's worked these thirty-nine years.  But despite tearing off a piece of fabric from his life, he is using it to clean up the mess we are facing with our soil carbon, our costs and our farm.

No more grain farming.

Yep.  I had to check his pulse a few times in that process but here we are, seeding season and I am not kissing my husband goodbye for my usual spring/summer/fall widow-hood!  I'm watching him closely for a nervous tick to develop, but so far, he seems surprisingly peaceful.  Praise be to God!

So now what?

We are shifting our focus from mining nutrients from the soil and shipping it off our land, to putting nutrients BACK into the land using livestock and stock-density grazing.  It's about taking the carbon we've lost from the soil and getting it back in there where it belongs!  Phase 1 will include putting the whole farm to forage seed and getting a good plant root-establishment in place while setting up perimeter fencing and water piping for water supply throughout the whole farmland.  Once that's in place, we can get some animals on the land!  God-willing, the animals (primarily cows and some sheep... maybe goats?) could arrive as early as this fall but realistically, it will likely be spring 2015 before we're fully equipped.  So lots of work still this year but once the framework is established, all we will need to worry about is moving around inside-fencing (connected to the perimeter fencing) to create small paddocks for intense short-term grazing over all the fields.

Here is a great nine-minute video summarizing what we are working towards over the next couple of years.  The switch from seasonal widow-hood to weekly date-night of fencing together is much-welcomed (remind me of this after we've done miles and miles of fencing)! :)

My dear ladies and gentlemen, I introduce to you a whole new Circle V Farms... may the fruit of our endeavours bring glory to God, may we honour His request that we be stewards of His land including giving our land its sabbatical year, and may we bless Him daily for the land He has given us.

God bless you all out there!

CUT 2.3 from Peter Byck on Vimeo.

For those of you interested in the phenomenal story of Alan Savory, below is his 22 minute TED talk video.

Our Family Farm Video by One Degree Organic

We are excited to work with One Degree Organic in providing them with our oil sunflowers to be used in their consumer products.  They flew out to interview Duane and get a few pics of the family.   The goal being that consumers will be able to scan their product barcode and access videos of the farmers who contributed to one or more of the ingredients.  A really awesome concept that brings consumers back in relationship with their food.

Hope you all enjoy a little snippet into what my husband, Duane, does with every ounce of his moral fibre!

Mooooving news!

Well, I am officially a farmer's wife...

A couple of weeks ago, we purchased a pregnant Dexter cow. Dexters are one of the smallest cattle breeds and they are known for being hearty (good considering our climate), grazing similarly to goats on fewer acres and for having a docile temperament. All good for this family!

My dad and Duane picked up Minnie-Moo (Mina's name choice) and we were quite excited to greet her, although she didn't think the "moooove" was so much fun. She is cute as can be but there is one dilemma... she has rather pointy horns. Hmmm, I'd better establish a good relationship with her before I attempt milking her. Speaking of which, would you believe my father found us a device called "Udderly EZ Milking maching"? How awesome is that?? Well, for this pun queen, I found it very amoooozing.

As the past couple of weeks have progressed, Minnie has become increasingly more at ease on the Vaags farm. Even the goats peek over their pen to greet her now and again... that is, if Maggie isn't too busy butting poor little Libby around in there!

Tonight, Duane left to work his night shift and he warned us that he thought Minnie was going into labour... great. I've never seen a cow in labour before. What if she needs help? What do I do? Shall I offer to hold her horn?

Mina and I ventured out at 9:00 pm to check on her and as we walked into the pen, it appeared that her water was breaking. Great timing, eh? Next she was arching her back and was clearly not having a fun time. We stuck around for about twenty minutes then finally let her be. I called a family friend who manages cattle and he advised that if I didn't see a little nose and feet within the hour, to reach in and check if a nose and feet could be felt nearby... and if needed, to pull the poor calf out.

Pardon? Wouldn't it be my luck that as my arm is half way in there, Minnie would turn around and hoof me with her horns?? Then where, pretell, would I land with one arm stuck in the cow? The image in my head was not pretty... but I was willing for the sake of the cow and that calf.

So twenty minutes ago, I changed into some "I don't care if this gets cow poop and discharge all over it" clothes (mostly Duane's stuff) and headed out with Mina to see if our Minnie needed some help.

Thank God almighty we walked in to find her licking her baby calf!!!

So I didn't have to stick my arm anywhere undesirable, but surely the fact that I was WILLING makes me a good farmer's wife, n'est-ce pas??

In passing, am I ever glad that we as humans don't have to lick our own babies clean after birthing... how's that for leaving you with a disturbing thought? God bless everyone! And man o man is nature ever fascinating!

The attack of the killer turkeys

Springtime air is making its presence known and Duane thought it a good time to let the turkeys run loose amidst the yard.

Over the winter, we discovered that Daisy was infact Daisy “Duke”. We were wondering why one turkey kept getting bigger and puffier and uglier!! He never posed much of a problem; however, you could tell he was becoming a little territorial when we’d come into the coop to feed the goats and the chickens in the morning. He would just slowly walk towards you, excect when you turned your back… that thing could creep up behind you eerily fast! Every now and again, I would puff myself up with my big winter jacket and let him know who was boss.

The three turkeys have been enjoying their new found freedom these last two days; however, when I walked into my kitchen to look out the window yesterday, I let out a little scream when perched right there were our massive turkeys pecking at the window… and admist them, the big ugly Daisy Duke himself looking at me with some sort of new found power… can you say “creeeeeepy”? Tapping on the window showed an eager-to-peck-my-fingers-off side of the turkeys I had never seen before. Once again… creeeeeepy!

Just now, Anika and I were looking out the window and noticed them grazing just below near the bushes. Anika couldn’t quite see them so I decided to wrap her in my jacket and take her out for a quick peek. As soon as we got out there, Daisy Duke came barrelling towards us puffed up like a peacock or some war-adorned warrior. Normally, just pretending to kick at him would ward off any uncomfortable approaches, but he barely flinched as he continued to come right at us. I started running for the steps and sure enough was stuck having to turn my back to go up the stairs with Anika. The stinking crazy bird flew up and tried attacking my back!! Our poor neighbours… I screamed bloody murder! Sadly, no one has come to see if everything is fine yet… how reassuring. Gotta love country life!

This is worse than having guard dogs! I don’t even feel safe trying to get out of my house. I have to see my midwife this afternoon so I’ll have to get the van armed with my frying pan. Home sweet home…

So I just phoned Duane at work quite shaken up and we may be having Turkey for dinner sometime in the next few days. Anyone up for a feast?

Gobble this up!

Our family is expanding yet again… New additions consist of wild turkeys raised by a family nearby over the summer. Apparently these things played with their kids and are quite friendly. Duane brought Mina and me out to meet them on October 23rd. The intro went something like this: “Ladies, this is Road Runner & Angel. Daisy is still up in a tree but will be joining us when the previous owner catches her.”

In a tree?? I didn’t know these things could fly! Or perhaps it is more of a propelled leap? The goats were rather curious about their new pen-mates. There hasn’t been any incessant gobbling (is that a word?) so I’m trusting that peace is maintained amidst the animals.

My previous experience with wild turkeys was back in St-Norbert. There was a flock of them roaming about the outskirts of the city. I would notice them (from a distance) now and again on my walks down the dirt road. One day I drove by and stopped to view them across the street. My window was down and I decided to “communicate” with them. I began my interpretation of “gobble, gobble” only to discover one turning around and racing towards my door. My eyes widened in panic as the turkey seemed to be outpacing my electric window. Luckily the window went up enough to deter the sudden pecking attempts. I have no clue what I said to them, but clearly it was not well received.

So far, Road Runner, Angel and Daisy seem to have far better temperaments! I introduced Anika to them this morning and they didn’t attack me when I attempted a “gobble-gobble”. Phew. Duane thinks we will be “gobbling” them up by next Thanksgiving… sigh.

Until then, we are enjoying their unusual presence and funny awkward walking motions. Never a dull moment here on the Vaags Funny Farm!

Summer come and gone!

I am finding myself shaking off the remnants of another summer come and gone to welcome all too soon the crackling of fallen autumn leaves and a sudden crispness in the air. The weather itself seems undecided between these two worlds of seasons… one day is warm enough for a T-shirt while the next requires a sweater along with the welcomed goodness of a hot beverage in your hands. It seemed like yesterday when I was looking out our kitchen window watching the trees burgeon with new leaves. Then one morning I awoke to the trees masquerading in yellow majestic gowns to discover the next morning that they were now humble and bare. Witnessing time escape can certainly make one feel insignificant in the grand scheme of things!

Another harvest has also come and gone. We lost a majority of our oats due to excess moisture so Duane has been busy this fall with ditching the fields in preparation for proper drainage in the next few years to come. I am amazed at his uncle’s innovative contraption which reminds me of a massive snow blower… but for mud! Sometimes I think men get to play with cool machines! But then I see Duane spend a majority of his time fixing them and I think “maybe it’s not so fun afterall.”

Among the harvests this year was our little garden that Duane’s father so graciously tended to on our behalf. (He is still recovering from his stroke so continued prayer on your part is much appreciated.) Duane and I had never planted zucchini, spaghetti squash nor pumpkins before so we figured several plants of each would be a good way to start… No one warned us these creeping vines would take over the garden and multiply like crazy! We have an abundance of pumpkins and now I am on the mad hunt for pumpkin pie, cookies, muffins, bread, pudding and soup recipes. Any suggestions send them my way! If any of you would like some, come on over! Mélina and Duane plugged away at collecting our ample supply.

This was my first year having my very own garden and I couldn’t help jumping up and down and giggling like crazy every time I’d walk into the garden to see an abundance of vegetables growing right before my eyes! My very own produce store… within walking distance, too! The beets are so beautiful when you’ve peeled them to uncover a rich burgundy that could put any king’s most luxurious cloak to shame. And Duane’s open pollinated purple corn revealed intricate detail and colour in each and every kernel. How breathtaking!

Farm life continues to be just as ample in life lessons as it is in its harvests. Sometimes I think even more so! The art of attachment to cute fuzzy little animals is slowly being flushed down the drain as I’ve watched nature be all too cruel in its saying “survival of the fittest.”

Mama duck abandoned the rest of her eggs after four hatched. Only one is left alive. Consequently, “Duckie” remains the only duckling name to be used.

Of all the kittens born (7 litters of 4-5 kittens each), only a few are left. I have learned to be careful what I pray for because I had prayed that God help us “take care” of all the extra cats without having to “dispose” of any of them… a rampant feline disease answered that prayer… (sigh). Next time I will be more specific and ask that we find homes for all of them!

Caring for the chickens was fun, for the most part. Watching them pool near the door when I would greet them in the morning and then spill over each other in a clucking frenzy to get outside was always amusing. Collecting the eggs in random hidden spots made it feel like an Easter egg hunt every day. Even the shapes were unique: one hen always laid some warped egg that never fit in any cartons (that must hurt on a daily basis!) while another always laid a long narrow one, another was pointy and another had a very bumpy texture. Who knew they could differ so much? Our brown hens stopped laying despite my threats to make soup out of them. Chicken à la King, here we come! At one point, I would sing to them every morning and sure enough within weeks, they went from laying 15-18 eggs to 23-25! Then they dropped down to 8-10 eggs a day when things got cold (or my singing got worse?). At least my children don’t complain!

Speaking of children, Anika has developed by leaps and bounds (almost literally) these last couple of months. As I type this, she is roaming about in her walker (yes, I know they are outlawed) pulling down my cds because she’s already taken down every book from the bookcase… now I hear her ruffling through the bathroom… (sigh). Perhaps I should be thanking the Lord that she cannot walk yet?

On October 5th, she decided to master the art of sitting up from lying on her tummy and then back on all fours. She cannot crawl yet but instead manoeuvres her way around using a move similar to “the worm”.

On September 22nd as Melina and Duane were heading out the door to Mina’s gymnastics, Anika decided to wave bye-bye from my hip. I guess she’s seen me do it countless times and finally decided to join in. This has been followed this past week by her saying “Hi” and waving to nearly everyone and everything she sees. And when she’s quite enthusiastic about seeing you, she waves with BOTH hands.

Those busy hands have figured out yet a few more signs including “all done”, “diaper”, “eat” and “more”. I routinely get her to either turn the light on when entering a room or turning it off when leaving so she has that down to an art. Her little hand will pull back and reposition until she’s got it right and then she pushes the switch accordingly. Too smart!

I continue to delight in witnessing her grow and discover the world. Cuddles are becoming more frequent as are kisses. Last night, she actually said Ma-ma… but we’ll see if that was coincidence or if we’re finally on to something here. The weather was nice enough these last couple of weeks to enjoy daily walks together (which she lived for!). Outdoors continues to be her favourite place. She can spot the quad from a mile away particularly since I took her on a very slow little ride to find Papa one day. Her little hair blowing in the breeze and her little legs kicking in sheer excitement.

It amazes me what can be understood between two people without any words. Her love and fascination for her big sisters continues to grow. Despite my silly attempts to dance and goof around for her, I do not get nearly the giggles Mélina gets when she’s simply walked into the room! Every time we walk passed Isabel, Anika waves and says “Hi”. When sitting together, she goes straight for Izzy’s glasses. Izzy is rather tolerant of Anika’s pokes and grabs.

My other silent in words but loud in presence daughter, Isabel, is also growing like crazy. She is now in an integrated grade 3 program and continues to delight the children and staff around her. She loves the weekly swim program but still cries at the sound of her physiotherapist’s voice.

She’s lost four teeth in the last month! This fall we got her new fancy fairy dust glasses along with new AFO’s for her legs and feet and orthopaedic shoes. She has grown so much that I can no longer pull her onto my lap for cuddles without something hurting during or afterwards. This is somewhat challenging to accept. But life has to keep going and children keep growing. It makes me think of “I’ll Love You Forever” by Robert Munsch… only I wish I could be strong like the son and still rock Isabel back and forth as she ages.

Mélina continues to remind me that she is a Pre-Teen and not a child anymore. So, naturally, I have allocated non-child-related chores and correlating allowance. She fills out her daily chart and gets paid on Fridays. She is becoming quite money savvy and gladly, the more she saves, the more reluctant she is to spend it! (I’m so proud!). I took her clothes shopping this fall. My deal was that I would match whatever she earned and saved over the summer so off we went to the mall. She brought her gift cards and added up some practical outfits to discover they exceeded her gift cards by nearly forty dollars. She went thru the clothes and narrowed it down to an extra ten bucks out of her own pocket. Another proud moment.

She has handled getting braces rather well although every now and again she freaks me out by greeting us early in the morning with a protruding lip full of Kleenex to prevent the metal from scraping her lips. Most unexpected! She is loving being in grade 7, particularly the musical theatre class.

She is a calm presence and her wisdom can catch me off guard at times. And yet, that playful side to her that longs for an old fashioned doll house reminds me that she is still my little girl. She is so helpful around the house and not always because of her allowance. She is working hard at school and takes pride in the increase of marks she is getting over the years. We’re still working on getting past the fear of asking questions in class (I remind her how she NEVER hesitated when she was little). The weeks back and forth between here and her dad’s can be rough on her at times. Being the wise soul that she is, Mélina points out that there are pros and cons to each location but appreciates the time spent at either place. I love that she describes our home here as “wind in the grass”.

She spent the summer chasing and taming kittens. She made posters to help find homes for them. She rescued a bird that flew into our kitchen window (among many). Forts made of straw bales remain hidden treasures in the hay shed and now there is a secret hideout in the forest someplace. I delight in having her around.

As for me, I have found a new passion… making homemade bread. This is not helping me whatsoever in my battle of losing the pregnancy weight. But nothing beats a hot piece of fresh bread with melting butter. Finding time to write or even to relax in a bath is a luxury I have stopped hoping for. Duane is phenomenal in helping when he can but with summer being his busiest time of year, I dare not expect anything more from him! Soon the season will settle with the first blanket of snow and my husband will no longer be a figment of my imagination… I’m just teasing. He has been amazing!

Duane fills my heart with laughter and sometimes frustration, but I can never stay mad at him for more than a few minutes. My family always laughs and asks me to retell the story of our pregnancy scare shortly after Anika’s birth and the fear in Duane’s eyes followed by the most unexpected comment: “But you’re not remineralized yet!” Only Duane would be concerned about the state of my health and my ability to sustain another life. I love that about him. He gave me one of those “looks” when I was cutting my nails with great difficulty the other day and said “oh honey, looks like you’re remineralized!”

YIKES!!!

He is my odd duck and I’m a strange nut… somehow together we work. My heart always skips when I see him pull into the yard or walking towards the house. I thank God for him every day, except the moments when he walks in at the end of the day and I’m exhausted from cooking meals and tending to a very wrangy Anika and he says “Um, what did you do all day?” Yeah, not so fond of him in those moments. He learned quickly, though.

I think the best part is our constant quest for Truth sought out thru scripture. I love debating him and neither of us back down from challenging several points of view on a certain passage. I can look at the sunset and say “Isn’t God amazing that He could create something so beautifully repetitive without ever making it the same?” without Duane looking at me funny. Instead, he’s got that same look on his face that sings “How Great Thou Art”. I LOVE that! I can finally be me without someone thinking I’m completely nuts!

Well, I started this off somewhat poetic and now I’m ending it with a silly grin. I’ve lost the eloquence I was aiming to have and am left with a giggle in my heart instead. I wish all of you the greatest joys of life along with the reminder that intricate details are abundant around us without our awareness. Perhaps we can take note of that when we feel the world is crashing down on us… there is so much more to life that just ourselves. In fact, we are but mere specks in the grand scheme of things in this universe. But I love each of you little specks just as you are and the BIG presences you are in my heart!

God bless!

Eggciting News!

Duane's dad has been in the hospital for over two weeks now due to a stroke and let me tell you, I have sure missed his presence around the farm. I would hear him drive in sometimes as early as 5:00 a.m. to let the chickens out, fill their feeding trays, get them fresh water and maintain the roost. Next visit would be around noon when he'd bring the first collection of eggs for the day and on special occasions I'd get a funny little story about the animals. I'd see him again in the afternoon tending to the vegetable garden or mowing our lawn... the incredible generosity of his time is truly a gift. It's been quiet without him around and the farm feels somewhat lonely.

As we have been eagerly anticipating his recovery and return to the farm, I have taken on caring for the chickens and goats. This has included overcoming a phobia of being attacked by a chicken (ok, not a phobia but those things creep me out sometimes) only to have one attack my hand while collecting an egg. I now wear gloves. I've cleaned the eggs of yummy sticky chicken poop and have developed a little muscle (much needed) from carrying 4 gallon water pales to and from the well. I've chased the goats either out of the chicken coop or off its roof and have inhaled far too many spider webs.

Chickens, I have discovered, are very punctual. If ever I'm not at the chicken coop by 7:00 am to let them out, they are all pooled around the little door in anticipation of their daily freedom and it is a madhouse as they all try to get out simultaneously!

The funniest was this morning... One chicken has decided to create a little nest between two straw bales as you walk into the coop. Three of our kittens decided this was the best place to sleep at night. This morning they were too slow in getting out of the little haven and found themselves sat on by the chicken!! We had to pick up the pecking chicken to free the kittens who somehow didn't seem bothered by the whole affair. Really, though... a chicken hatching kittens??? No wonder dad loved doing this every day!

Just before dad went into the hospital, our Muscovy ducks had laid nearly 18 eggs. We weren't sure if they were fertilized or not (although Duane claims he witnessed the awkward "special hug" from afar one time). The mother duck left her eggs in random places and we feared her instincts weren't kicking in. Dad found a roosting chicken, stuck her in a cage with the collected duck eggs in hopes we could keep them from getting cold and dying. Eventually, by the time the mama duck layed her last eight eggs, she had created a nest and was protecting it diligently. Last week she wouldn't even leave the nest so we knew it must be getting close to hatching time. We put the other eggs that were with the roosting chicken back with the mama duck and her nest... hoping for the best. All we needed were ducklings being hatched by a chicken... but hey, with hatching kittens, maybe this isn't too unrealistic?

Even dad's been asking about the duck eggs.

Tonight, my regular routine of collecting the 6:00 pm round brought me face to face with the mama duck out and about in the yard! Could it be?? I got to the chicken coop where she's nested and before I even opened the door, I could hear a little "peep, peep." I opened the door and hidden down by the trough was a tiny little duckling head staring at me. I picked it up and said "welcome, little one!" and pet it as it closed its little eyes. When I began to quack (what a sight this would be for a stranger) it quacked back excitedly. Hopefully I didn't quack "tonight's menu is duckling"...

The other eggs are still in the nest but considering the mama laid one a day for two weeks, I'm guessing they will hatch one day at a time, too. How exciting! It's like a new present every day for two weeks straight! You can see in this picture the remaining eggs in the nest in the back. Let's hope they all hatch ok. I didn't like the way the rooster was eyeing up the duckling before I left, especially with the mama duck out in the yard. And of course there's the cats... Oh nature, don't be morbid this time around, ok??? But I guess that's why they lay 18 eggs?

I went and got Anika to introduce her to our newest farm addition. She was actually gentle with it!

Before I left, little Duckie decided to hang out by my rubber boots. I mean, who doesn't want to hang out by yucky, chicken-poop-filled rubber boots, right? As you can see from this picture, one would have to pay close attention to where they are stepping. This little guy is just tiny!

I know my last farm posting was rather morbid about dying cats and that I was feeling rather down about farm life at that moment, but this just puts it all back up there with "Farm life ROCKS!"

When I went to put the chickens in for the night just now, mama duck was back on her nest but I couldn't see Duckie anywhere. I quacked and sure enough a tiny "peep, peep" replied but not from the nest. I couldn't figure out where this duckling was. Finally, I looked down at the pail of water sitting in an old tire and sure enough a little "peep, peep" came from it. I moved the bucket and there was Duckie hiding inside the tire. I put him back near his mama and she snatched him up with her beak so fast, I thought she was going to eat him! Let's hope Duckie is still there tomorrow morning... Maybe I did quack "tonight's menu is duckling". (sigh)

So there you have it, our newest member... Duckie. Now to think of original names for the remaining 17 that will hatch. Any suggestions?

Hope life is as fascinating for all of you out there. It's a good reminder that while we are preoccupied with our own lives, there are countless miracles happening around us without our knowing. Remember that the next time your car won't start in the middle of rush hour... just maybe there's a duckling peeping around nearby... and not getting run over by a vehicle!

Take care, everyone! Please keep Duane's dad in your prayers. And God bless!

What a cruel, cruel world for a cat

Farm life can be so very cruel…

Growing up on a farm, my absolute favourite animals were cats. If I had a dollar for every hour of my childhood I spent playing with cats, taunting cats, pretending to be a cat, forcing my little friends to be my kittens, and chasing cats, I would be a millionaire! This common knowledge earned me the name of “Cat Woman” in my hometown of Ste-Anne, Manitoba until I moved away at the age of seven. Needless to say, I have worked tremendously hard not to get attached to the twenty wild farm cats we now have.

But every now and again, one of the new kittens becomes brave and friendly and you can’t help but open your heart! I’ve told Mélina not to name them, but before we know it, we are referring to them as Oreo, Shivers, Panda, Stickers, etc…

My first lesson happened this time last year. A litter of three female kittens had been found: Stickers and Chloe were the good ones, particularly Chloe. She would run up to me and jump up on my shoulder as I walked around the farm. What a charmer! To my horror, Duane’s dad who comes into the yard several times a day to feed the cats leftovers and to feed the chickens, accidentally ran over Chloe who had been running towards his truck. This was hard to take and I reminded myself not to get attached.

Next we found Shivers, a tiny runt. We tamed him and often giggled at his small yet stocky figure and bulging blue eyes. He got some strange eye infection and we found him dead not to long afterwards. Same story with a few more kittens. Even Mina said “any kitten I play with dies.”




Chloe and Sticker’s mom had another litter this spring, Oreo and Panda. Oreo outshone all the cats to-date. Kids could pick him up by the tail, by the whiskers and he wouldn’t falter. He kept purring and smiling. Yes, smiling! He became my greeter as he always hung out by the door in hopes I’d slip him a little goat’s milk. Anika loved the way Oreo would climb on her lap when we’d sit outside. He followed me everywhere around the farm. Last I saw him, he was on the deck purring away yesterday afternoon as I headed back into the house.

Finally, Sticker (Chloe’s sister) stood out among the rest. She was the most tamed and she’d always greet me at the door, particularly because she wanted food! She got pregnant this spring and had her first litter last week. Surely her genetics would mean not-so-wild kittens?? I found them yesterday morning: four of them. But they were mewing like crazy. I kept an eye on them the rest of the day in hopes that Sticker would show her face. Had she abandoned them? Surprisingly, I didn’t see Sticker at all the rest of the day. This morning, I headed back to discover two of the kittens dead, one at death’s door and the other mewing with all its strength. My heart broke! How dare Sticker abandon her kittens! I picked up the stronger one and brought it to another litter of three week-old kittens in hopes they could keep the little one warm and hopeful until I put Anika down so I could tend to it properly. An hour later, Anika finally went down for her nap and I pumped a bit of milk and put it in a syringe in hopes I would be able to get the kitten to drink something. I went out to the litter and my heart stopped… it was gone! I searched frantically but could only find the five 3 week-old kittens. Could the mother have come back in that little time and taken the kitten somewhere else? Would she have killed it?

Truly upset, I came back to the house. Duane’s dad knocked on the door and said “I found two cats in the water barrel by the deck… drowned. Better get rid of them before they stink up the place.” (Always practical)

I froze. Please don’t let it be one of my favourites…

I went with Duane and discovered it was Sticker and her little brother, Oreo. They must have tried to get a drink and fell in. She hadn’t abandoned her babies… she’d died!

This was all too much in one day. I bawled my eyes out with no sympathy. “I warned you not to get attached.” Much appreciated words of wisdom from my husband… NOT! I know they’re just animals, but you can’t help but love the ones that stand out. I don’t try to love them, I just do! I don’t like any of the other gazillion wild cats! Why can’t they be the ones that die?? Why is it ALWAYS the good ones??

There’s my rant for today. I’m exhausted from tearing the place apart looking for that baby kitten. I’m exhausted from bawling and I’m whooped from missing my two good cats. It’s just not fair. What a cruel, cruel world.

Kiddin' around

We've got two new additions!
Maggie finally had her kids just a couple of hours ago. They look identical but one is a boy and the other a girl. Maggie has been busy grooming and fussing over them. The little ones have been wobbling around and exploring their world trying to figure out where to get this whole "milk" thing. I was taking pictures and ooing and awing over the whole thing when suddenly Molly came away from hiding in the corner with little Mabel and head butted one of the babies. which went flying! I nearly dropped the camera from sheer horror as I yelled, "MOLLY!!!" To my horror, she headed (pardon the
pun) to the next one and did the same thing.
Okay, in retrospect maybe it's a little funny now, but I was horrified at the time. I'm not used to seeing cute little goats getting head butted and flying across a pen followed by a distressed "BAAAAA!!"
We have since separated Molly along with her little Mabel. What a rude welcoming! Thank goodness we don't throw each others' kids across the room when they're born! Sheesh!

Another kid in our lives

Praise God for the miracle of life and creation! No, we are not expecting another one, but we do have a new kid... Our Nigerian Dwarf goat, Molly, birthed her little baby yesterday.

It's rather funny because my extreme city-girl friend, Allison, was over for dinner last night and she is fascinated by farm life but very quickly creeped out and grossed out. Just mentioning certain things to her make her feel queesy. I told her we had a couple of goats and one would birth any day now so we headed out to see them. When we got there, we looked into the pen and just as I heard the tinest little "baaaa" I saw the little black kid wobbling on her new legs. Then Allison yelled "EWWWWW what is that???!!!!" I looked over and there was Molly eating a dangling red piece of placenta... I can barely type this because I'm laughing so hard!!!

So our dear city girl nearly fainted! She thought Molly was eating her baby. Never a dull moment over here, I tell ya!

Molly is such a good mommy and little Mabel is so very cute. Man, can those things baaaa loud when you pick them up!

Well, baaaaaaack to your day, folks! (yes, another groaner from yours truly)

An update for our loved ones

The full moon has risen and lights up this beautiful farm as though God were shining a flashlight right at us! Silence hangs in the air like a morning fog carrying the sounds of the crickets. There is great peace at this moment and rather than send my thankful prayer to find you without you even knowing it, I am sharing this with you directly.

Living in the country again has re-awakened my connection with the earth and nature… I’d nearly forgotten how intense that could be. I have found the beauty and grace of God in His natural sanctuaries that surround us here, in the plants that grow, in the fields that bloom and the harvests reaped by those who sowed with faith. My darling Duane has had an early harvest for his organic oats and flax. I had the benefit of helping on occasion when harvesting would lead into the wee hours of the morning. One of those nights, the sky was on fire with the setting sun to the west and a rising orange moon to the east and a lightning show to the north. I’d spent the day studying seeds in my herbology course so to go from witnessing the miracle of a seed to the magnitude of an endless sky filled with wonder… needless to say all I could whisper to myself was “How Great Thou Art, Lord.” To create such intense beauty affirms for me the beauty in all of our hearts. Anything His hand has touched must contain His beauty, right?

Married life has taken some adjusting on both of our parts. I apparently generate far too much heat at night, Duane snaps his ankle repeatedly when he can’t sleep, there are some smells on the farm that just can’t be “washed out”, etc… With summer being Duane’s busy time, we seldom see each other except at night when we visit scripture together and thank God for our countless blessings. We laugh often and learn from each other and our humbling moments. He is stubborn as a mule, though! He cut his hand while fixing a combine out in the field during harvest and I was there with the 4-wheeler telling him to get on so we could get back to the house to clean and bandage his hand properly (he was bleeding all over the place). Well apparently taking 5 minutes to tend to a wound is not possible in the middle of harvest… so I nearly had to grab him by the ear to drag him back to the house. I finally told him in sheer frustration “If farming doesn’t kill you, I will!” For some reason, he thought this was funny.

We continue to challenge each other through incredible discussions and philosophical debates. It’s WONDERFUL!!! I can speak my wonky language of imagery and he understands. Even when I can only speak in hand gestures with sound effects, he understands! If that’s not love, I don’t know what is.

I am reminded of the first time my father met Duane. It was at my step-brother’s wedding social. Keep in mind that my philosophy is to get on a dance floor and dance such homemade moves as “the dancing cow”, “digging the grave”, “goin’ fishin’” and “the spin cycle”. My theory being that when no one is on the dance floor and I go out and start dancing these moves, within 2 songs the dance floor is filled with people who no doubt thought to themselves “no matter how badly I dance, I won’t look as bad as that poor girl”.

It works every time!

Even though I’d only known Duane a month at this point, I didn’t hold back on the humbling dance moves. My father sat across from Duane and leaned over to him and said “it’s a good thing you don’t scare easily.”

Hmmm, thanks dad!

But here we are, happily married and enjoying a life dedicated to farming ethically, growing our first child together and growing in faith as husband and wife. We are truly, truly blessed!

The wedding was wonderful… a perfect day filled with sunshine for our outdoor ceremony at dad’s farm. We were even blessed with a little shower like a greeting from above. We felt so peaceful and calm as though the moment had always existed. Hard to explain but the beauty remains in the unspoken understanding and knowing.



Mélina and Isabel were such angels as Mélina pushed Isabel down the grass aisle in her wheelchair. I wanted to be married feeling the earth beneath my feet so my girls and I were barefoot. These two have taken to the farm like a fish to water. Mélina has blossomed leaving her uncertainty/sensitivity/timidity behind, exploring the farm, taming the kittens, loading hay with Duane and helping him clean the seed bins, riding the tractors and 4 wheeler, doing laundry and helping with dishes. She is soaring and I have thanked God for the reassurance that we are where we are meant to be. Duane gleams with pride when he talks about his step-daughters and the two of us sit there at the supper table or before going to bed and complain about how much we miss them the weeks they are with James. I have married an insomniac so I have a partner to help care for Isabel on those challenging nights. And some of our best visits occur at 3:00 a.m.

My pregnancy continues to go very well. Other than a few serious bouts of fatigue this past month, I have had no other symptoms except a rapidly growing belly. I am 23 weeks pregnant and this baby kicks to his/her little heart’s content, particularly when papa is reading the bible out loud. I love this rounding belly and the gift of carrying this little one around with me everywhere I go. My hand is slowly becoming permanently attached to my belly. What joy to have life growing within you! What privilege!

So there you have it. A bit of an update which finally excludes not-so-great news about Isabel. We are blessed to report a nice, smooth span of time without any complications. She has doubled her weight and has lost a few more teeth. She has officially starting grade 2 this week and continues to shine like a bright star amidst her peers who love her.

Life is abundant and this multitude of blessings leaves me shaking my head in wonder… how could I ever thank Him enough?

So thank you for touching my life and for sharing with me this moment in time. You are loved and cherished and best of all is the fact that I pray for you all nearly every night without you even realizing it! But alas, I let you in on this because I want you to know that time does not constrain any ties I share with any of you… that you are timeless in my heart and ever present in the pages of my life story.