If I said we had a reeeelly boring…nothing happening….wish I’d stayed in the office type of day, you’d guess there was something I wasn’t telling you…and you’d be right, very right!!!

Our morning began relatively normally, or as normally as working with a psychic bunch of sheep who think they know better than Greg which pasture he was going to put them in, a dog with ADT that knows he knows better than Greg which pasture he was going to put the psychic sheep in and also knows that whatever Greg knows he knows better or more and then there is the goat that now has an identity crisis. Alissia’s sister Danielle also apparently had an alter ego that believed goats were born to climb big trees and that climbing down from big trees wasn’t an option. She chose to try to fly and apparently had a crash landing. Due to Danielles injuries which prove that it isn’t the flying out of the tree that hurts, it’s the crash landing, she is on enforced bed rest and Alissia currently goes out to play with the sheep, which has caused her identity crisis, Alissia thinks she may be a sheep..or even a dog. Either way, Alissia is determined not to allow us to become complacent and is doing a sterling job of keeping us vigilant.

Wesley has given us a new word that will stay with us as long as we have Bran the Border Collie. When Molly the family milk cow is in her milking station. Bran races from the gate to the cow pen ( to check on Rodney and Daisy) and back to the milk station. During this race, Bran’ back legs and tail seem to precede his ears and his brain is apparently left behind altogether in his frantic race!!! Wesleys new and very appropriate new word is BRANtic.  (smart eh ??!)

Since our delightful Woofer Intern Wesley has “done” tree felling, Greg chose to show her how, ( in a perfect world) that log turns into siding. Smart move Greg, for 30 minutes, Wesley moved wood that had been “resting” on the mill, to clear the station and then, the boss noticed that the bearings were broken. Quick change of plan, chain saws and other sundry tree felling “stuff” were loaded into the bed of the beat up archaic Ford truck, our reliable workhorse and a really dead looking, BIG old cedar tree became the object of the afternoons intentions. Being me, naturally pessimistic, all the “what ifs” started and when Greg flippantly said “it always falls exactly where I want it to” something inside me said “OH DEAR, I have a bad feeling about this!”….and I was right!! All was apparently going well, Greg had his hard hat and his safety glasses on ( so he really looked the part !) the chainsaw had done what chainsaws are supposed to do but the tree didn’t !! Poor Wesley was on the end of a safety guide rope attached to the truck which was reversing back up the hill drive and Greg and his tree were on the other end, in the dip. All Wesley saw was Greg go down, all Greg felt was the 15 foot top of the tree which landed on him. Now, the top of the tree was not scheduled to detach itself from the main body of the tree and Greg’s foot was not designed to stop a 15 foot length of cedar tree. I think it was possibly amongst Wesley’s top “not to be repeated” moments and I believe she said that she probably got a grey hair as a result of the experience. Greg is fine, Wesley has been permanently mentally damaged  by the experience and just for good measure Greg chopped down two other, better behaved dead trees. Alls well.

Time to go, hopefully a less anxious day ahead. Take care, keep safe, M

Tuesday morning dawns over the Pacific NW and it is forecast to be a drizzly grey day. MJ said it is going to be a bad hair day…do I have to resurrect the plastic bag ?? smile.

Before I review the “goings on” down on the ranch I would like to ask you all to keep Mom S in your thoughts and prayers. Mom has been a great advocate of the ranch and despite her misgivings about engineer city boy son becoming a farmer has been there with advice and support. She had an accident yesterday and must be feeling like she was kicked by a cow today. ..keep smiling Mom, we love you.

After morning chores were completed Greg and Woofer Intern Wesley got down and dirty (really dirty!) cleaning out a drain in the cow barn. It is possibly common knowledge that anything on the floor in the cow barn is going to be NASTY,…and that drain was!!! The very technical ultra efficient bucket attached to a plastic pipe and topped by some big stones has served as a drain for many years…and for just as many years it has been chock- a- block choked up with cow poo, diluted cow poo, healthy cow pats, pooy mud and pooy rocks. Pooy cow barn drains aren’t good any day…on hot, humid days they are as nasty as poo can get and Greg, in his “BOSS” t shirt decided in his wisdom that yesterday was THE day to clear out the drain ..and find out where (and if ) it drains. Always a good thing ! smile.  Eventually the end of a mucky hosepipe nosed out of an overgrown pipe in the current sheep’s pasture after working its way under the barn. Wesley, concentrating on the job in hand and possibly wishing she was on a beach in Barbados, didn’t notice that Alissia the doeling had come to join the hole digging party and furthermore, didn’t realize that Alissia was taking her lunch and snacking on the underwear peeping out of the top of her jeans!

From cleaning drains, the intrepid two moved on to lumberjacking…smooth transition eh ?! Greg in the tractor and Wesley swinging chains  set to work moving fallen trees. Bran supervised from the cab of the truck and wished that he was set free….. so many sticks to chase, so much fun he was missing. Greg advised Wesley that the official name for her afternoons activity was a “Choke setter” and almost  choked  himself when Wesley brightly responded “Oh, does that mean I get paid ?” Quick transition on to another subject. Smile.

Last night we attended a meeting for the Farm Tour which is set for the first day of October. Attending anything at 6.30pm is difficult, attending a meeting directly from the barn on a hot steamy day is not pleasant. Still steaming from close contact with Macho the buck who is smelling strongly of a goat looking for love and the horses sheep and chickens who all have their own particular aromas, we headed down to Key Center for the meeting. We took seats at the end of the table, together, the fumes must have been rancid but the meeting wasn’t adjourned, so I guess either we weren’t that bad or, as I suspect, everyone is too nice.

 Got to go, please remember Mom and Mum who need your prayers and keep safe and well. Have a great day. M

Oh how the time flies, it’s Monday again and time for another week, it’s nearly September and soon we will be complaining about the cold the wind and the rain.These hot humid days aren’t much fun, working the land in the blazing sunshine. Every chore a challenge, sweating from every pore and hanging out gratefully in every patch of shade we can find. Soon Winter will look very attractive! Maybe a little spell of cooler weather will bring rain and a little rain may bring green back to the grass. Right now the fields are burnt and dry, we’d like a little cooler wetter weather…just for a while !!!!

Yesterday young Wesley removed an old gate and hung a new gate on her own.It is a “cosmetic” fix, the other old ( very old) and original gates have been retired from the front of the ranch and may reappear in some obscure place at the back of the ranch, out of sight.

Followers of Lamb Chop will have noted that Lamb Chop’s portraits, adorned with  varying styles of hat are missing… the hats were Lesley and Derek ‘s signature photographs and since they have gone we will have to invent our own series….any ideas from readers…please ???? For today as an alternative, we have a wonderful aesthetic, thought inducing view of Lamb Chops  BUTT!!!(before cleaning, sorry!)

Wesley now the sole Woofer here at the ranch has been keeping herself busy with a variety of projects and we are grateful for her hard work and initiative. My vegetable garden again looks weed free perfect, I know they are only lurking below the top soil and ready to pop up overnight, but right now it looks great! Thank you Wesley.

Wesley has also been up on Quest. I would say “riding” but Quest is proof that actually sitting in the saddle with reins in your hands does not entitle you to consider yourself actually “riding”. Bravely she mounted the beautiful big bay shire gelding, and our clumsy baby just looked around for a carrot and waited. Sadly, big beautiful and saddled up doesn’t mean that he is going to know exactly what we want him to do …..and if he did, he wasn’t going to do it any time soon !It doesn’t look like Wesley is about to give up though, I guess Quest is her new challenge. Good luck.

Little Hol-ley loves to be scratched almost as much as she loves her bottle. She just closes her eyes, rests her chin on the scratcher and drifts off to a happy place.

Times up, got to get going, Greg is chuntering and I guess that’s my cue to move. Take care, keep safe, M

Good morning, it’s Saturday and today Derek and Lesley go back home to the “real world” after two months here at the ranch with us. Two months ago they arrived as strangers, two months ago they arrived as Woofer Interns, knowing nothing about farming but dreaming  of a farming future, working together laughing together and crying together. Two months ago we found two new very special friends and we are going to miss them. Good bye and good luck D and L.

It was HOT yesterday, too hot to work but we have a barn full of eating machines that just know it’s time for food and care little about the means of getting it to them. Early morning chores are a breeze with our Woofer intern team and people, like little worker ants scurry back and forth with brushes shovels, poo pickers, water hose and flakes of hay. Stalls clean enough to eat dinner and it’s time for coffee break/ business meeting before all our different projects are addressed. Derek and Lesley finished the hay racks on which will serve two purposes…..obviously one to eat hay out of and the second, to make it almost impossible for the sheep and lambs to add a sprinkling of poo to their feed tray.  Greg and Derek set off to set up some guttering behind the chicken shack. This project has been on Gregs “must do” list for several years and he has been reminded of its importance after every heavy rainfall. Yesterday it was fixed. Greg faced his fears and he and Derek climbed onto the roof of the chicken shack ( which was I feel potentially suicidal anyway !!!) armed with everything he thought he might need and then remembered that he has a fear of hights…fine time to remember that !

The girl team took the tractor and a chain and set to work demolishing the front gate. Just leave it to the girls to do a great job of demolition and we didn’t let him down. Like two farming professionals Lesley and Wesley worked the big daddy John Deere tractor and the chain to remove the original aged cedar posts that support the farm gates.Staples rusty nails and barbed wire posed a little more of a problem….crowbar, hammer and nail puller all failed as Lesley turned herself upside down and inside out to get at the most resistant.” That post has to stay in” I was informed as we all scowled at the offending rotten, moss covered post. Instant executive decision….the post will stay in,..after we have taken it out ! It took seconds to get it out, it took less than that to remove the hardware that had been giving us the problem…but we couldn’t get the thing back in the hole it had come from!!! We wiggled it and we jiggled it, we thumped it with a lump hammer ( can you tell we were getting desperate?!) and still it perched above the hole. It may have been ancient, it may have been rotten but it had been the post that holds the fence that keeps Hol-ley the calf from taking a walk..out of the farm. Now we had a hole and an incarcerated Hol-ley who would have to stay incarcerated due to my executive call….and I’d have to own up to disobeying an order…do I look scared ? smile. We had a final attempt at wiggling jiggling and lump hammering and the post “sort of “ settled above the hole in the ground that was growing dramatically with all our efforts…enough to allow the fence to hold the post up ….as long as nothing breathed on it!!!

It’s Sunday morning now, yesterdays diary remained suspended in the ether as we lost Internet service. Because I write using two fingers.. actually  one finger, the other takes over when the first is tired, I use Word and then copy and paste it into the website. Apparently our router box is broken. That means nothing to me except that when I log on I expect it to work…and it didn’t, so currently we are on emergency service…( can I blame that on Hurricane Irene too ??????) Normal service will be resumed soon, I hope!!

Time to go, Take care, keep safe M

More will be posted at lunch time.  Network was down! G

It was hot out there yesterday, the chickens lay in the pot holes they have dug, feigning dead, feathers fluffed up, mouths open and wings outstretched. Bran the Border collie that never stops running was collapsed in a heap under the tractor, his tongue hanging lifeless out the side of his mouth. The horses found a shady spot under the big maple tree and the sheep just dropped where they were like multi coloured maggots around the pasture. Escape was just a distant memory for Alissia the escapee doeling, it was too hot to consider and besides…the grass on the other side of the fence was just the same. The chores were done in record time, shovels brushes and wheelbarrows stored and it was time to find some fun stuff to do. D and L disappeared into the depths of the barn to continue their project, feed racks for the sheep and together they got to work with power tools they have never used before….and having a great time ! Greg and Wesley continued with the fencing project at the front gate, by the time that young lady leaves she will be sporting muscles like Superman! My role was a little less strenuous but just as important…. I kept the workers supplied with Otterpops and cold water and felt useless!

An early start to evening chores was called in order to get everyone out the door in time for the Kitsap Rodeo. D and L  have never seen a rodeo and it is an experience everyone should have ! We hoped they would have fun….but didn’t expect them to have quite SO much fun !!! Our hard working conscientious Woofer team had brain burp and they suddenly transformed into Woofers having a great time…would the real Derek please step forward ? All I wanted was an elephants ear….but the gang found “walking on water”,huge plastic balls bobbing on an oversized kiddies pool and suddenly it was a MUST DO! I think the pictures speak for themselves!!

Derek and Wesley grooved and shimmied down the road, D holding the remains of a half eaten funnel cake on a paper plate precariously balanced on the end of a finger high in the air. I think that the beer garden may have had some influence on converting our responsible farming interns into a happy bunch of wild childs (? Children ??), I think Wesley was a strong backup to the D and L comedy routine and I think my mouth hurt with laughing.

I have so much more to tell but I think I’m on a secrecy promise….DOH!! I will close my diary just saying that we had a really great time and it was made so much more fun because we were sharing it with our Woofer team.

Take care, keep safe, M

It’s been a strange sort of day for me. My day off wasn’t through choice, I’m back under house arrest and hating my enforced “rest”. I have used the time wisely…Brownies and an apple and rhubarb dessert for after dinner goodies ! I really think that the only way I could “take it easy” is to be anaesthetised !!! Please don’t worry about me though, I literally have a “pain in the butt”…(again) and I’ll be better tomorrow….I WILL !!!! So Wednesday’s diary is what I have observed from my vantage point, staringly longingly out the bedroom window…(no Tony, I didn’t use the binoculars!!!) And I was miserable with a capital M.

All the animals went out to their respective pastures without event, apparently, getting Alissia out isn’t the issue, keeping her in it appears to be the current goat problem. There was Alissia, on the end of the lead rope walking like a little horned angel behind Greg, with absolutely no intention of lingering wherever it was that the boss had chosen to put her.. but giving a great impression of compliance. All was however not going to go to plan, where there is a will there is a way and she had a will and apparently a way !!. Effortlessley that wily little doeling Alissia managed to make her escape each time Greg returned her to her pasture. Unfortunately for Alissia, the pasture she escaped into just happens to be Roman the bully’s domain and he was none too impressed at her uninvited presence. A game of tag chase followed, Roman was in no mind to share a blade of grass and Alissia, bored and lonely in no mood to be caught. Greg returned her twice to her field, we have yet to find her method of escape.

Our little girl Daisy Mae is all grown up, yesterday the loveable little heifer was turned out with Molly, our milk cow. Under normal situation, but not much is normal around here and strangely enough…our cow situation isn’t normal either. Daisy Mae was bottle fed and has spent the first year of her life as a member of the loveable Three Amigos, consequently she is apparently not 100% sure if she is a cow sheep or goat. Up to yesterday her species was not an issue, all species eat grass, drink water and under ideal circumstances, stay within their allocated pasture.  It was decided that Daisy, now a lovely docile yearling was to be re introduced to Molly the cantankerous family milk cow. Molly is in fact Daisy’s mom but neither cow is aware of the family connection as Daisy was bottle fed and hand reared…consequently the young heifer has apparently (and luckily for us), not inherited her moms less than compliant demeanour. In retrospect, it was possibly not the best day for the reunion, Molly was very vocal, her calls resounded across the farm valley but it wasn’t Daisy she was inviting, her longing bellows were an enticement and lure to each and every bull in the neighbourhood and possibly the County to party. The cows were not happy to see each other, Molly resented the invasion of her territory and Daisy just wanted to be able to beat up poor Lamb Chop and love up Macho the buck as she has for the past year. Both cows took a corner, low  mooing came from both cows as they circled but no overtures of friendship were made. Daisy tried to get back to Greg…get me out of here….I can’t live with a cow! Last night, the situation was still not resolved, Molly was still needing a bull and Daisy Mae just wanted to be the third member of the Three Amigos and bed down peacefully in the stall with Macho the buck.

Well, it’s time to go. I’m going down to the barn today, please take care and keep safe, M

As the Web Page Title implies, this is an almost daily diary. Today, Maureen has the day off, so this is an almost entry. Hope you enjoy the photos. Lambchop was expecting rain and wanted to be prepared. Group shot was at our indoor picnic at mum J's.

We have a great deal going on today, so the entry for tomorrow should be a good one.

G

Yesterday Derek and Lesley had a day off, of all the days of wall to wall sunshine, scorching temperatures and brilliant azure blue skies, they chose to go to Seattle in the rain, Seattle swathed in ponderous grey clouds, muddy puddles and dripping gutters…and still they smile.

Wesley held the fort here with Greg and I, after helping Lesley and Derek to produce today’s fashion shot of Lamb Chop, which I am proud to say I helped  arrange and direct. As I scooted past Lamb Chop dutifully allowing his poopy butt to be washed and wearing a very fetching shade of blue, I was dodging raindrops heading somewhere else and feeding our photogenic lamb all at the same time. Pens were cleaned and horse stalls were  polished ( artistic licence ) before the fun stuff began.  Prayers were offered up to a higher force for good weather to bless our escapee Woofers, and momentarily the rain stopped…for long enough to get them off the ferry,..maybe. Maybe they even saw the tip of the mountain…most likely not ! They said they had a good day when they got home,.... they loved the ferry, said little about the city and still they smiled !!! We missed them.

After we three finished cleaning up the stalls, ready for horses sheep cows and chickens to instantaneously destroy the symmetrical beauty of the shaving beds in the stalls,( I sometimes wonder if I have ocd, smile) Greg and Wesley got to butchering poor old Annie, I loved that old ewe…I hope she tastes good ! Although it is not an assignment most people would look forward to, our Woofer Interns recognize the value of a safe clean and humane process and somewhere down the road in their farming future they may have to repeat the procedure, hopefully with as little stress to either party thanks to Annie. I have never eaten mutton and have only had unfavourable report of fatty gamey  tough meat…I’ll keep you updated.

After lunch Greg and Wesley started work on the farm gate and entrance, I went back to work in the vegetable garden. I hate gardening !!!  Still it rained ! . Something happens when rain meets dust/dirt and I was there to watch it..actually, I think I WAS it. A car drew up into the driveway, I tried to hide behind the grape vines, I tried to duck behind the raspberries and the driver of the car cheerfully called “Hello !” My cover was clearly blown, how stupid did I look wrapped around a raspberry cane ?... so I did what I could to save the moment. I began a close inspection of the roots in the ground and prayed they would leave before I had to show myself in my full muddy glory. Eventually I had to stand up as the visitor expectantly  stood and waited for some level of conversation. DOH !!! I had mud smeared across my face my neck and my hair, thick black manure rich mud and I was wearing it well . Stating the obvious, I think I made some inane comment along the lines of " I think I'm dirty" but it was only when I checked out the mirror I realized what an understatement I had made....I was filthy,  from head to toe I was streaked in nasty thick mud. Last night as I flicked through the tv channels, I came to rest on..."What NOT to wear", I could have answered that statement easily....mud !!!
My efforts were however not in vain and this morning as I checked out the garden I'm pretty sure I allowed myself a self satisfied smile and a pat on the back for the A team !!.Oh, and the farm visitor did say that she often looked like me when she was gardening..so i
 
Well, I'm a bit late posting this today, but the sentiment is the same, have a great day, keep safe, take care, M

It’s Monday and we are heading into another week here in the Pacific North West. We slept in this morning, I didn’t hear the alarm and Greg chose to ignore it. Typically today was the day that all hands were needed on deck early as Greg has an early morning doctors appointment and 5 tons of alfalfa is going to be delivered at noon. The last time I saw an alfalfa truck deliver to the ranch, an unloading fairy wasn’t included in the deal, which leads me to the inevitable conclusion that the Ibuprofen bucket will be readily available for free choice and aching backs for some and chronic aching backs for those of us already afflicted will be the order of the day. Conversation will be limited..if there is any and Tiger Balm will be recommended for those that need it. I try to take care of my people!

We had some little people to visit in the sunshine yesterday. Lamb Chop, as usual was THE personality of the day, whilst the majority of the barnyard population take a few moments to check out strangers, Lamb Chop, scruffy ugly little Lamb Chop doesn’t know the meaning of shyness and has no concerns or insecurities….bless him. Spot a stranger, his little lamb brain goes into overdrive and faster than his little legs can gambol he arrives to greet his public. I don’t know how he does it, but those little children were feeding him 5 at a time and somehow he managed to have one going down his throat, one in each cheek pocket and two in his teeth, beady eyes spotting the next supplier and still managing to be Lamb Chop charming all the time. Macho did pay an impressive appearance, Macho is THE man these days, and doesn’t feel the need to move fast, his world will wait, the peanut wafts from the gate will be his, lamb Chop no longer challenges the solid tank like body of the Boer buck. Along with Macho came “the smell”…Macho is working himself into the mood for love and a buck in love is a smell you would rather forget but if you get “hit” it will take a very long time !!!

Well, time out, 7.30 , time to get back to the barn. Have a great day, take care, keep safe, M