Thursday, March 14, 2024

Planting

We put some brocolli, romaine, brussel sprouts, and cabbage in the ground last week. I thought it a little late, but none seemed to fair well in the cold but not frost nights we have had recently. Maybe they will recover....

Today I put in our sweet corn. Corn can take a light frost, and in any event, we may not even have another frost.

Last year I did have to replant a few times (the corn) because too much frost got it. I am hoping this year is different, but we take our chances.

Oremus pro invicem!

Tuesday, March 12, 2024

A new litter is born!

 Patch did farrow last night. Unclear to me how many she had, but it is looking like 6 or 7. Will update later.





Oremus pro invicem!

Friday, March 08, 2024

Patch

This was taken 2 days ago. You can see her underline is getting full. This morning it was almost twice as big. I suspect we will have new piglets within the week. 



Oremus pro invicem!

Friday, February 23, 2024

Getting ready ....

I came across this picture from last summer today. We are right now in the midst of planning the spring and summer garden - itching to get some seeds and plants in the ground. This picture inspires....



Oremus pro invicem!

Wednesday, February 07, 2024

Walking and Running

I admit it, many years ago I was a runner and pretty good at it too, despite bad knees. Once I got married, I put on weight; running and bad knees are not compatible - so I did nothing much. About 23 years ago, I tried to take up running again in the peace of the early morning hours in our neighborhood. It lasted 6 months or so, then never again.

I was never a competitive runner, but ran to keep in shape, alleviate stress, and to think.

It turns out walking can do the same. Charlie is often talking about the benefits of walking, and I have to concur. 

I have been walking off and on for some 20 years now (more on than off). I can't stand a treadmill (which I was subjected to three times a week during my heart rehab), but I love walking through the woods or in neighborhoods. I can think, pray the rosary, meditate, or just enjoy the sights.

Over the years I have done a lot of backpacking with my sons, but my last trip was 3 or 4 years ago. Walking is good training for backpacking (although there are no hills to train on around here.)

I never really liked running, it was just a means to exercise. Walking is that, plus enjoyable.

Oremus pro invicem!



Sunday, January 28, 2024

Gardening

We thought about building a small greenhouse this year to extend the growing season (both ways.) We never got around to it, but amazingly, we picked our last broccoli in the middle of January. We have never had broccoli so late in the season.

We also had some Brussell sprouts late. Amazingly, some of the lettuce and other greens survived until the cold snap a week ago.

Cabbage was a disappointment, we never really got a single good head.

Now its time to start thinking about spring planting ... only a month or so away.

From the small holding in Bethune ....

Oremus pro invicem!

Saturday, January 27, 2024

Little Red

 Here is a video of Little Red and her piglets. They are now (not in the video) 2 weeks old. She has been a great sow so far.




More pictures of Little Red and her litter. She is proving to be a very good sow.












Oremus pro invicem!

Monday, January 22, 2024

Back home!

 I was in MA for a few days to help bury my brother - may his soul rest in peace. 

Coming home I thought I would be coming to warmer temperatures - but no, it was getting just as cold here overnight as in MA. I woke up this morning, and it was 49 F in the house before I got the wood stove fired up.

Everything was still here in place. We had a new litter of pigs (see below) and no burst pipes.

Thomas has returned to his final semester of college at WCC, but I leave a picture of him just after he felled a dead cedar tree over this Christmas break. The cut is so high because of metal in the tree he wanted to avoid.



Oremus pro invicem!

Saturday, January 20, 2024

Another litter!

 January 19th, just days after the feast of St. Anthony of the desert (patron of swine herders), we have another litter.



Praise be to God! Oremus pro invicem!