Weekly update

I woke up this morning to ground covered in snow! This is the first time in the 18 years I have lived in SC (4 in college and the last 16 years) that I have seen snow cover the ground twice in one winter! The kids are just getting up. I am sure I will be victim again to vicious snowball attacks!

Whew! It has been busy since I last reported in. Beside paying work, which is keeping me hopping (Deo gratias!), we have been doing quite a few things around here. Last week we slaughtered and butchered two pigs. Wilbur and Cissy were brother and sister. They were almost the same size when I purchased them at 10 weeks old. But Cissy out grew her brother by quite a bit. At slaughter Cissy was ~275 lbs and Wilbur ~180 lbs. We took W first on Thursday and made whole hog sausage out of half of the carcass. Fortunately we had some friends down to help us. Mrs. Curley had a friend in the kitchen (she also held a leg during the stick!). Friends of our boys also came to help. One skinned with me; one helped tend the fire; and one helped dress the head. We started at 9:30 AM and finished cleaning up the kitchen at 11:30 PM. A looooooong day, as Mrs. Curley can attest. But it would have been much longer without the help of these hardworking young men.

Friday, the Dorchaks came down to help with Cissy. Slaughter on Friday, butcher on Saturday. We're getting to be old pros at this. Things went very smoothly and quickly.

I remember our first slaughter in July. We worked on skinning for some 5 hours. At one point, I was alone in the little red barn. It was mid-July. The air conditioner pulled from my office and the blocks of ice on the ground could barely keep this 8X8 room under 70 F, even at 10:00 PM. As one of my friends was in the house dressing the head and the other tending a cut, I was left alone skinning the fore legs and then sawing the carcass in half. Almost near despair at the daunting task which still lay before me, I wondered what I had gotten myself into. But an hour or two later as we drank a few beers and relived the day, I realized something greater was going on.

Now I look forward to these slaughters with more pleasure than may be I should. It is not the meat in the freezer (although this is a very, very, good thing), but the camaraderie, community/family prayer, and good friendships forged over a day of hard labor.

Next slaughter ... March.

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Speaking of pigs .... don't we always ..... we built a new pen this past week and moved the three little ones on Monday. They were overdue to move to a new area. Now we have 4 empty pens which we can rest and grow back greenery on. It is fun to watch pigs explore and dig up a new area. We have a few more pens to build to ensure we don't tire out any ground and keep a good rotation. We have a little breathing room now.

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Plans for the spring: Our turnips are gone, mostly to the pigs. Our collards are all but gone. So it is time to think about spring gardens. I have laid manure on the garden areas in December, so they will be ready to plant on in March.

We need to get some more meat birds and some more laying hens. (Our Rhode Island Reds are starting to lay slowly. The Buff Orpingtons are laying at 30% efficiency.) We have a few which will be ready to lay in a June or so, but we need another flock to ensure year round egg availability. Golden Comets are the ticket. We expect to get some soon.

We also want to try our hand at Turkeys this years. You have to keep them very separate from the chickens, but I hear that while they may be a pain, there is nothing like a home-raised turkey for eating. I am hoping to raise enough to have a few for ourselves and a few to sell.

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I had some thoughts about current events (Super Bowl ads and CBS' new reality show), but decided against wasting my time commenting. But a letter to both the NFL and NBC on the former is definitely called for.

On the economy, as this stimulus package goes forward, I am struck by how both parties see solutions to problems in terms of expanding government. They quibble over emphasis and details, but the end result is the same. There is no real change. And so the same things happen over and over, they just get worse. We lose our freedom to determine how and where we make a living. We become simply tools serving the economy (as most of us are already considered.) Once our financial freedom is totally under control of the government, the stifling of our other freedoms will accelerate.

I have begun to notice SC Senator Jim DeMint becoming more and more prominent nationally in resisting bailouts and stimulus packages. I must keep an eye on him.

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Well, life and work is calling. Til next time, May the Lord grant us strength in temptation, endurance in trial, and gratitude in prosperity! Oremus pro invicem!

The Report

Wouldn't you know ... just as I decide to quit regular or daily posting two things happen: 1) I get literally hundreds of hits at Bethune Catholic (due my post on the new bishop for Charleston) and 2) my blog header and all the Requiem Press book images disappear. (Fixed them last night.) Thus, with the opportunity for a host of new readers of BC and new book customers squandered, I return for an update of what's going on around here.

First, I can't resist passing on a snippet of a great article written by Reid Buckley from The American Conservative (hat tip to Pro Ecclesia) on conservatism. (He sounds a little like a kindred spirit from the clip I selected):

When last did you hear a conservative spokesman deplore yet another six-lane highway, yet another fast-food alley, yet another graceless subdivision, yet another Super Wal-Mart or Lowe’s that sucks the life out of small village businesses, yet one more onslaught against neighborhood and nature that is masked under the name of progress? Unless it is a bridge in Alaska from nowhere to nowhere, you will not hear the deepest red-dyed congressman denounce the progressive uglification of our natural inheritance, as though beauty is of no concern. Have you flown recently from Newport News to Boston at 25,000 feet on a clear day and gazed down upon the horror of American civilization? What man hath wrought! What we have done to this beautiful land? Dear God, forgive us! But when last did you hear a conservative oppose a new mall because it is ugly, an affront to the eye, accustoming thousands of human beings to dehumanizing blows against the aesthetic sense until it is benumbed? The good, the true, and the beautiful are inseparably joined. One cannot damage one without doing harm to the others. Those who fail to comprehend this are morally in error on the dialectical front, though they may be personally virtuous.

.... Where are our Friedrich Hayeks of The Road to Serfdom, our Eric Voegelins of The New Science of Politics, our Russell Kirks of The Conservative Mind? Where is our philosopher? Meantime, on the practical front, what can conservatives do? The very first thing is to dissociate from the Republican Party, which has become an albatross around the neck of integrity.

Wow! This man can write (and where indeed is our philosopher?)

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So how about some pictures of the snow? You can see we got about an inch. My daughters built a snowman. The rest of the fun seemed to be in attacking me with snowballs. You should see the number of pictures Mrs. Curley got with snowballs ricocheting off some part of me.

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I read an article in Scientific American (I think NPR did a bit on it last week too) about how meat consumption increases greenhouse gases. Now, I am the first to understand that Scientific American is not all about pure science-they are often science with an agenda. With that caveat understood, the article gives data that beef consumption is the worst offender, pork and chicken somewhat less.

Many factors go into their data: methane, feed production, transportation, etc.

Although the article states:

Eating locally produced food, for instance, can reduce the need for transport-though food inefficiently shipped in small batches on trucks from nearby farms can turn out to save surprisingly little in greenhouse emissions.

I guess this depends on how local and how small the farm is. A smaller farm would have much less mechanized equipment, would probably use the manure productively-recycling it instead of dumping it, etc.

Everything is pointing towards small is beautiful, but our leaders know only the promise of centralization and economies of scale. They can't think outside the box.

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Until recently I never realized that pragmatism was the philosophy whereby one does what works regardless of the morality of the action. Knowing this, I would find being considered one morally repugnant-yet being a pragmatist seems to be an honorable title for most politicians bestowed by the media. Obama is now "a pragmatist".

I guess this could be good in specific instances (like his personal appeal to "Catholic" Nancy Pelosi to remove funding for Planned Parenthood from the Economic Stimulus Package), but in the long run, it is bad. Our country needs unadulterated virtue and moral integrity right now.

Speaking of moral integrity, we were all told by both the Obama people and the media that new Treasury Secretary (boss of the IRS) Timothy Geithner's tax flap was just "an honest mistake" . Read the evidence to the contrary provided by The Yeoman Farmer, here .

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People who know me, know I don't spend too much time in the kitchen. If I have a beer, I can grill hamburgers or pork chops. I can boil hot dogs and make my favorite tuna salad (hard boiled eggs, mayo, canned tuna, and a dash of Bell's Seasoning), and oh yes, I can fry or scramble eggs. But my ventures in the kitchen are usually limited to these rare occasions. Times may be a changing....

We have a lot of pork belly. Some we have cured into bacon, but we still have a bunch. So I looked around the Internet and found a recipe for pork belly which sounded interesting. I changed it a little to my taste (namely I got rid of the onions and used less olive oil cause we were running out and a few other small twists.) Here it is in essence:

Cut up 4 apples into wedges. Place apples, 1/2 cup of honey, 1/3 cup of olive oil and some thyme (I used too much) in the bottom of a roasting pan. Place pork belly on top (fat side up). Cook for 1.5 hours at 33o F. Add cold water and cook for another 45 minutes - hour. Remove from oven. Once cool, place pork belly between two plates with heavy object on top (I used a brick). Refrigerate for at least 3 hours. Take apples and any liquid left over and refrigerate. Cut pork belly into 1 inch squares. Puree the apple stuff. Fry pork belly (fat side down) in olive oil for about 3-4 minutes on medium heat. Then turn over and cook, pouring the puree on top of the pork belly. Serve.

It was delicious-but we could of used more of it. I have some more pork belly thawing now so we can do it again.

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Finally, dare I hope? I think one of the gilts is pregnant. Here is number 3 son giving Baby a belly rub.

We've been praying for a new bishop for so long, dedicating our Angelus for this intention, now we don't know what to pray for-of course there are no shortage of worthy intentions.

Oremus pro invicem!

Already broken my promise...if you read the comments to my last post, you'd see that the new bishop of Charleston, to named tomorrow(?) is Msgr. Robert Guglielmone, Rector of St. Agnes Cathedral in Rockville Centre, NY. (Hat tip to Jim Dorchak who reported it first.)

Anyone know anything about him?

Our Lady of Joyful Hope, pray for us!

Obligatory pre-leave post

Well, not exactly.

So you may have noticed that it has been a longer than usual stretch of inactivity here at Bethune Catholic. If I look back, I see I usually post almost every day but the weekends. It's not that I have nothing to write about. There is the cunning short story I read last night by Kressmann Taylor entitled Address Unknown; there is the media gushing as never before over a president; there is the snow storm to report on (and a cool video of a snowball fight); there is so much ---- but so little time.

Between paying work, non-paying work, and the farm, I have been stretched pretty thin of late, and I want to make sure the priorities are taken care of. Bethune Catholic has become a luxury like Guinness.

For the next while (who knows how long?), I think I will be going to a once a week (may twice a week if I can't help myself) post giving homestead updates and any strong opinions on other subjects that I may harbor.

I leave you with a picture to hearten you in in the cold weather and a prayer ... Oremus pro invicem!

The feast of St. Anthony the Great (patron of swineherds) passed without mention on Saturday. I have to put him on our special celebration calendar for the future.

Am not making my usual weekly trek to the city this morning due to projected bad weather. Looking out the dark window this morning, it doesn't appear to have snowed overnight as predicted, but none-the-less it is safer in snow, sleet, and ice (even just a little) to stay off the roads around these parts.

I dreamt last night that I was entering a Benedictine monastery today, and that my final civilian act was to put up a notice announcing it here at Bethune Catholic. It was so real that when I awoke this morning I was surprised for a moment to realize I was married and was not entering the monastery at all.

You can see I have nothing really to say this morning, so I will get back to work.

Oremus pro invicem!

Weekend Report

The weather held up (not too cold) for the Stand-Up for Life Rally in Columbia this Saturday. They had us on the back side of the capital building instead of the street side. I don't know why. Someone said because of the MLK rally today, they wouldn't let us use the street side on Saturday. Doesn't make sense to me.

Because the area was smaller, the crowd looked bigger, but who knows.

I will say this, more or our diocesan priests used to show up for the rally when Bishop Baker was here (he always showed up). Am I being too cynical?

I must confess I didn't pay too close attention to the speeches, but it seems I didn't hear much or anything about FOCA. However, I did finally meet Greencastle and two of her children at the rally. Of course I have known her husband for years, having worked at with him. Mrs. Curley spend more time talking than I did, but I am very glad we finally met. Her line a couple years ago that "Bethune Catholic" was akin to saying "an Irish Muslim" still cracks me up.

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We have just about finished the turnips and collards from the fall garden. We ate some, but especially the turnips which were very numerous, we used as supplemental feed for the animals. The goats will eat the greens, the chickens the fruit. Or, we have two pigs that will eat the greens but not the turnip, and three pigs that will eat both.

During the winter with not much greenery around, having these available for the livestock was great-although we ran out a month or so short.

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Dishwasher fixed (credit to Mrs. Curley for diagnosis), but still have two cars down. I have ruled some things out (and broke a vacuum hose myself during the investigation) but have a few more things to check. But first back to the office work.

Oremus pro invicem!

various

Goats are easier to slaughter than pigs (but harder than chickens). They are smaller and skin much more easily. Yesterday was my first male goat-but it came off without a hitch. We have ground meat again in the freezer.

We were supposed to slaughter some chickens today, but its a bit cold. Plucking is harder in the cold. Of course you can scald and then pluck, but the wet feathers maker the plucker even more uncomfortable.

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Headline story in this week's Catholic Miscellany:

Pope: Crisis calls for a new economic model

The current financial crisis should be seen as a challenge to find new economic models that promote honesty, development and concern for the environment, Pope Benedict XVI said.

"We need to try to establish a 'virtuous circle of living'" simply and fighting poverty, the pope said Jan. 1 as he celebrated Mass for the feast of Mary Mother of God...

Sounds like a good plan to me. May Distributism fits the bill?

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Last night we went to the county yearly library sale. I picked up a very large volume on composting; Homesteading by Gene Logsdon; The Furniture Doctor by George Grotz; and a few other odds and ends. Mrs. Curley picked up several cookbooks.

The children had a field day, coming home with the complete Tarzan series in hardback, most of the Black Stallion series, some Dickens, etc.

One blight on the night were the other patrons. My two daughters told of several occasions where they were told gruffly to MOVE!, and were even pushed once as they looked through books in the children's section. I notice that my high school boys weren't pushed around, but these book bargain dealers were quick to shove little girls.

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It's a good thing we are not doing the chickens today. I woke up not feeling well. Besides, I have 2 cars down and a dishwasher that has suddenly decided to leak. I hope I get this stuff fixed and I recover by the morning as tomorrow we plan to go to the Stand up Life march and rally in Columbia.

Oremus pro invicem!

Cold front here. There were rumors last night that we would see single digits by the weekend, but I think they were only rumors. Cold weather is good slaughter weather. We are doing a goat today and 10 overdue chickens tomorrow. Time to reload the freezer, you know.

I am trying to determine the legal requirements to sell some whole hog sausage in SC. I know I have to use a USDA-approved butcher, but after that do I have to have a dedicated freezer to store it and can I see it out of a cooler at the local farmer's market? The folly the red tape for a small, local producer, I have documented in other posts.

Looks like I have detective work to do.

Time to go.

Oremus pro invicem!

Put a new poem up at The Requiem Reader .

Trying to catch up in the office today as I was in the city all day yesterday, and I have to change the oil in three cars as well as check out some nagging problems. Busy day ahead.

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I've been thinking quite a bit about "new media" and my real love: books. As a publisher, I need to keep up with the trends or risk being left behind. (And if no one reads the books we publish, how much good can they do?) We'd like to put a couple of our books on audio, and I'd like to have a few e-books available too. Something to think about....

Oremus pro invicem!

NPR had a story this morning on immigration in Italy. Apparently there is a backlash against the immigrants, especially against immigrants from Africa. Because the native Italian population is aging (low birth rate) Italy needs the immigrants as workers, yet they resist the dilution of their culture.

The mayor of Citadella says:

"We're very frightened by what we see around us. We write the rules here, we want to safeguard our culture," he says. "Yes, we're raising the drawbridge, and we're on the battlements to defend ourselves from external attacks."

Yet isn't it the Italians themselves who have diluted their own culture in many ways (not just by creating the need for immigrant workers) by ignoring Church teachings, especially those of sexual morality?

History repeats itself.

Of course America is its own melting pot. Yet even here, I see resistance from even first and second generation immigrants against the new immigration from Latin America.

I don't know how things will play out in Europe, but here, it seems (and before I stick my neck out, let me say that many paragraphs-even books could be devoted to the following assertion and to clarifications thereof) that most immigration waves haven't had a lasting effect on the culture. Perhaps it is because immigration to America from various parts of the world has been a constant happening from the beginning. Certainly the culture has been changing from predominantly Protestant to the now evolving secular.

I note well that the predominantly Catholic immigration of past centuries had a temporary effect, but more Catholics were assimilated to the Protestant culture (even if they remain Catholic in name) than the American culture becoming more Catholic. This is evidenced by the transition to Secularism (or it is Modernism).

Europe, having already tossing its Christian roots to a great extent and embracing the secular culture may have a different path ahead. But what is it?

Oremus pro invicem!

From The Catholic World Report:

It might be a perception that my active rejection of safe environment programs for children as an unjustified intrusion on both the innocence of the child and the integrity of the family reflects a glimmer of courage. But there too, I simply am responding to the courageous resistance to these things already manifested by hundreds of concerned and faithful Catholic laity. They are the real bearers of the badges of courage. In the midst of their own schools and parishes they have borne insult, rejection, repudiation, and even discrimination because of their firm upholding of the truth. - Bishop Robert Vasa of Baker, Oregon

This simple statement, I am sure, can cause tears of joy in some circles. I have been mostly fortunate in the parishes and schools my family has been involved with. But my parents never received the credit for their constant battle for truth and the real Faith they waged when I was growing up-only persecution. Fortunately we play for the end game and not for accolades on earth. (But a little recognition, like this from Bishop Vasa, can buoy the spirit.)

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Yesterday my 14 year-old son asked me whether if I could have one of two wishes granted would I opt for world peace or certain knowledge of my vocation (at 14). I replied that if at 14 I had known my bride was to be Mrs. Curley, it might never have happened...that I may have sought Mrs. Curley out, found I didn't like her and rejected my vocation; that Mrs. Curley may have not liked the 14-year-old me and thought I was strange for insisting that "God appearred to me and told me we were to get married."; and that all the things I have learned and experienced in life, including in the struggle to determine God's will have prepared me for accepting and doing my best in my vocation.

I got to thinking that I was blessed, 1) to have a son who is pondering such thoughts, and 2) that though my response was true, it is a hard one to live, even now. What does God want of me now? Which direction/endeavor should I concentrate my efforts?

Same answer: Pray and be holy. All else will come.

Oremus pro invicem!

My son received the first three books in the Tarzan series by Edgar Rice Burroughs from my sister. Having enjoyed them in my youth, I picked up the first when son had finished it.

Oh it was enjoyable-maybe even more so than when I read it so many years ago. But I pay the price. Somehow, I can't justify staying up past midnight reading Tarzan. A late start to a very busy day this morning ....

Oremus pro invicem!

Not feeling too well today, must be eating out (business) twice in one week. I'm not used to 'regular' food. The boys get a rare Saturday off from work for most of the day as I have been staying in the office catching up on some things.

Mrs. Curley took the following pictures the other day from our yard, which just wouldn't have been possible with our 35mm camera.

And finally, a little demonstration by number 4 son, who has raised some RI Reds.

Oremus pro invicem!

Two things I received for Christmas

The first: Dirt Hog by Kelly Klober. This is a book I really wanted. K. Klober also wrote the Storey's guide to raising pigs (which I own), but this book is more specific to the kind of hog-raising we are endeavoring. Mr. Klober writes convincingly that outdoor-raised pork, and more specifically pasture-raised pork is best for the pig and the market. Of course we don't have enough land to pasture-raise, but dry-lots are the next best thing.

If you are raising pigs outdoors, the best two books I have found (and not really all that repetitive) are these by Kelly Klober.

The desire for the second was actually inspired by fellow-blogger Pro Ecclesia. This is a great CD. In fact my sons play it on almost every night when cleaning up supper.

I haven't talked much about RequiemPress in the past few months, but we haven't gone away. I think 2009 is going to be an interesting year for us, with some strong new releases. More to come....

Oremus pro invicem!

I usually don't visit Inside Catholic too much, but did yesterday, and read this from Eric Pavlat:

Have you ever had those moments where you feel like God has blessed you with an incredible word of knowledge, only to realize (sometimes only seconds later) that people have been telling you this for years?

I had one today during adoration. Deep in meditation, I came to the sudden realization that we should be good in order to please God, whom we love as children love a Father. This was a huge insight to me ... for about seven seconds. "Well, duh," I said to myself.

It remained huge for me the rest of the day and hopefully the rest of my life. I clearly remember as a child saying an extra rosary on the bus on the way to school or walking to St. Tim's during summer vacation for a visit or for Mass-because I wanted to please God.

I think what happens is that we grow up and think we aren't children anymore-but we must be. Christ said we must become like children...maybe this is what it means.

Being too intellectual about God has always been my downfall. I thought you could get to God by your head, but really your heart has to lead the way. So we grow up and realize that God doesn't have emotions, we can't make Him happy by our extra prayers, so things become an intellectual obligation, and our heart goes out of it.

Here I was a year or so ago trying to write a book on how fathers could/should copy the attributes of God, but I forgot about the fundamentals. When I do wrong, I seek God's mercy....not his justice. I wonder now whether I give more justice or more mercy to my children when they do wrong. (More frequent confession will help on this one.)

I spent the day in the car meditating on this point-God as our Father. A whole lot more than what I have written came out. Just when you think you know it all, you remember what you forgot.....

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One failure of our Christmas season (not having ended completely for us. The tree will remain til at least the Baptism of the Lord and likely til the Presentation) is that we didn't send out a single Christmas Card. Mrs. Curley and I are contemplating doing a "new year's letter" for all the family and friends we need to catch up with.

And of note, when I got home from the city last night, the family had postponed dinner for me as it was the Feast of the Epiphany. I suddenly noticed Mrs. Curley was wearing camo socks! Hmmm. Something to keep my eye on.

Oremus pro invicem!

So here is the Epiphany! Christ is revealed to the nations. As I wrote to my children this morning (I often write them a note if I am going into town to work) it is our job now to reveal Christ to those around us-beginning at home.

I feel I have to catch up (here) on two weeks worth of life, but as this is impossible, I will relate some highlights.

We carolled at the local Dollar General store on Christmas Eve. Christmas morning the boys served Mass in the new cassocks (ordered in June, promised in September, arrived the week before Christmas).

Christmas day was wonderful. We had some friends over and sang and rejoiced together. During the next few days, we did some day-visiting with friends, having some of the best pumpkin pie and boston butt found in the world. My sister came to visit, and again we celebrated Christmas.

Finally we got back to work here. As noted on the 29th, we had a dry-lot issue. We built a new pen, house, and moved the boar and gilts without incident (Is it experience or luck? Am I almost ready to write a book?). We will leave the two muddy pens empty for at least 3 months.

Of note, Mrs. Curley received a digital camera for Christmas. The video a few days ago is courtesy of "Mrs. Curley's" new piece of technology. (What happened to 'flipping the switch' on technology? Another story to be discussed, but already this new marvel of technology has proven the saying, true even of so-called labor-saving devices: the more you have, the more time you have to spend taking care of it.)

Merry Christmas! Oremus pro invicem!

After 2 weeks of barely being in the office, I find there is much to catch up on. I haven't been reading my favorite blogs; I haven't been posting; and I haven't done much work. The break has been good for the soul and body, but it is time to get back to the regular schedule. I will resume posting regularly tomorrow.

Oremus pro invicem!

Who are these boys?

Just a couple of the boys fooling around singing the country classic "Noah's Ark". We've been having a good time around here!

Oremus pro invicem!

This is a problem ....

(Note, I will put up my Christmas post soon, before the Epiphany).

We raise our pigs in "dry lots". We don't have enough pasture to raise them as we like. Our dry lots are not so dry with all the rain we have been getting these past few weeks. It hasn't been cold enough to suck the moisture out or hot enough to dry it out. Dry lots are supposed to be gently sloping so that rain can drain off. Most of our land is flat, real flat. Today we are going to be working on this problem before something bad happens.

Oremus pro invicem!

Cows, Colonialism, and Christmas prep

Okay, it's been a few days since I've hung around here, and it will be a few more before I stop in again. So here's the catch up.

First a few pictures of our cow(s) and cowboys. These are all during the first week we had the calves. Of course one didn't make it. Pictures speak for themselves-no comment necessary.

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For many years, I think, the people of rural America have been struggling with the realization that we are living in a colony. It is an irony especially bitter for Americans that, having cast off the colonialism of England, we have proceeded to impose a domestic colonialism on our own land and people ...The economy of a colony exports only "raw material" and imports only finished goods. It buys and sells on markets over which it has no control; thus both markets drain value from the colony. ... Thus, local life becomes the dependent-indeed, the victim-not just of the food industry, the transportation industry, the power industries, the various agribusiness industries, and so on, but also of the entertainment, the education, and the religion industries-all involving change fro goods once cheap or free to expensive goods having to be bought. - Does Community Have Value, Wendall Berry 1986

This comes towards the end of the essay. The beginning, defines community and gives a practical example is worth including in its entirety-but due to space limitations, you will just have to find it yourself.

Mrs. Curley and I have had an ongoing conversation (for years) about what (in terms of consumer goods and technology) we need, what we want, and what we get sucked into and need to purge.

The goal isn't self-sufficiency by yourself. It is a self-sufficient (or largely self-sufficient) community. Your neighbors are your insurance.

I have one anti-technology son. He is only 8, but he is dogged about it. Every time the car breaks he lets me know this wouldn't have happened if we used a horse and wagon. The other day in the shop he was watching as I built some boxes. On these I have to cut a rabbet (rebate or recess in the box sides to accept the bottom of the box). I can do it with the tablesaw (the second cut can be dangerous without the proper jig, which I haven't made, but I often do it), or I have a rabbet plane. In honor of mr. anti-technology, I took out the rabbet plane. I forgot how much I love using it. Funny thing is, it is an expensive tool (not quite as much as my old and inexpensive tablesaw) but it doesn't require electricity.

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I got in the shop late this year, but still have accomplished a couple things. All the shopping is done (except we forgot to get white candles but think we can pick some up down town.) We bought our tree earlier than ever this year, but decorated it with purple and pink ribbon until the 4th Sunday of Advent. The ribbon came off and the lights went on. (I must say we have a pretty tree. Icicles are a must!).

Today, as in the past, I get my phonograph out and play records while I conduct the wrapping marathon.

Christmas cards... well we haven't got to them yet. For many years it was an every other year accomplishment. The past few we've done okay. This year...well the Christmas season is just starting....

This evening we will go caroling. The location is still undetermined. The past 4 years we have carolled at the Dollar General or Exxon across the street from DG in Bethune.

The Lord is Coming! Oremus pro invicem!

.... William Safire in a recent column .... declared that our economy is driven by greed and that greed, therefore, should no longer be considered one of the seven deadly sins. "Greed," he said, "is finally being recognized as a virtue ... the best engine of betterment known man." It is, moreover, an agricultural virtue: "The cure for world hunger is the driving force of Greed." Such statements would be possible only to someone who sees the industrial economy as the ultimate reality. Mr. Safire attempts a disclaimer, perhaps to maintain his status as a conservative: "I hold no brief for Anger, Envy, Lust, Gluttony, Pride or Sloth." But this is not a cat that can be let only partly out of the bag. In fact, all seven of the deadly sins are "driving forces" of this economy, as its advertisements and commercials plainly show. - A Defence of the Family Farm 1986, Wendall Berry

The last can be seen even more so 20 years later.

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Funny story...not for the squeamish. Number 2 daughter comes in the house from the goat pen practically in tears. She hands Mrs. Curley a piece of unidentified goat fur and flesh.

She tells Mrs. Curley that one of the goats must have bitten it off another goat. Daughter thought is was a goat beard or the (I forget their names) thing-a-ma-jigs which hang off some, but not all goats necks.

Mrs. Curley looks at it in her hand, smells it, and then calls Number 2 Son over. "What is this?"

Number 2 Son: "Uh Ma, you know when we banded little Johnny? That's what came off!"

Ahhhhhh!

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Picking up some chicks on Monday. Have to get my chicken tractor and a new chicken house built today.

Oremus pro invicem!

We don't have the pasture (or forest) I would like to have to slowly fatten our pigs. Thus we feed them commercial feed and corn, supplemented by generous friends who donate acorns, boiled scraps, and (at least this past summer) over-ripe watermelon from the neighbors.

Now we don't feed our breeding pigs corn, just the pigs we are raising for slaughter. And even then, the percentage of corn is low when young and really only becomes up to 50% of their ration when they hit 175-180 pounds.

I was reading in the 1920 Pork-Production by William Smith that hogs fatten better/faster (5-10%) if you feed them wet ground or crushed corn as opposed to whole corn. (From observing their manure, I am guessing the crush corn is digest better and thus converted to flesh more efficiently.)

It is interesting all the research done in this field.

Still, I would like to pasture my pigs and raise them more naturally. I have an idea ....

Oremus pro invicem!

Who knew ...

that he was still alive until now? I am talking about "Slingin" Sammy Baugh who died this week at the age of 94. He still holds some passing records for the Redskins. I remember seeing his picture in a football hero book as a child. In the picture the Redskins were still in Boston-my old hometown

How did he get the nickname? It wasn't for his prolific (for the time) passing on the gridiron (from the Fox News story):

Baugh's reputation blossomed as a star high school athlete in football, baseball and basketball in Sweetwater. It began to grow during his college days at TCU.

It was there that he picked up the nickname "Slingin' Sammy" — but it wasn't for his passing. It was for the rockets he fired to first base as a shortstop and third baseman.

May his soul, and all the souls of the faithful departed, rest in peace.

In case you missed it, the case (very persuasive) is made against the Big Box stores at the Distributist Review . I have to admit that while I don't like shopping at Walmart or the other big boxes, in fact, I do. I am faithful in patronizing the hardware store in town, but after that I don't have many choices.

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Somewhat related, more from Wendell Berry:

We can only find it wonderful, when we put our minds to it, that many people now seem willing to mount an emergency effort to "save the family farm" who have not yet thought to save the family or the community, the neighborhood schools or the small local businesses, the domestic arts of household and homestead, or cultural and moral tradition-all of which are also failing, and on all of which the survival of the family farm depends.

This, written in 1986, may no longer be valid, that is I am not sure there is an effort any more to "save the family farm" except by those trying to make a go of it. Oh yes, there is a recent revival of people wanting to eat local and natural, etc. (I wonder how long this will last as the economy spirals), but it is amazing to me, after raising some pigs and seeing the market, and comparing the appearance and taste of supermarket pork and our pork, that anyone would buy pork in a supermarket again at all (not to mention other meat).

Yet, there are plenty of ordinary folks who don't want to eat something raised by someone they know, because the government wasn't involved. Huh-they are the problem!

Be forewarned, if you eat at my house the meat on the table (with the exception of turkey, and that will be changing) comes from our homestead.

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Okay on to other stuff. Here's a picture of our outdoor dog, Duchess. She should be in with the goats. Her herding instinct (part collie, part spaniel) is evident every time she gets in with them. I don't know if I posted about it (too lazy to check), but 15 months ago our (former) vet told us she had Parvo and needed thousands of $$$ of treatment. The shelter where we got her disagreed. As you can see, she is alive and well.

TS inquired whether I was the trim bald guy in yesterday's photo gallery. Alas, I am not so trim, but am certainly much trimmer than a year ago today. I offer you an "after photo". You can search the archives yourself for a "before photo" if they actually exist. Clothes are falling off me because I am too cheap to buy new clothes if they still have wear left.

Finally, in this same vein, Number 3 Son presented me with this picture that he took. Perhaps I am trying out for the part of scrooge?
Now really finally, in my "new" book, Pork Production (1920) we find a picture of a prize-winning Hampshire Sow (on the right and below, and note, she is NOT pregnant). Compare her to my "best of class" Hampshire Boar, Tarzan. A lot has changed! Leanness is in.

Oremus pro invicem!

With industrialization has come a general depreciation of work. As the price of work has gone up, the value of it has gone down, until it is now so depressed that people simply do not want to do it anymore. We can say without exaggeration that the present national ambition of the United States is unemployment. People live for quitting time, for weekends, for vacations, and for retirement; moreover, this ambition seems to be classless, as true in the executive suites as on the assembly line. One works, not because work is necessary, valuable, useful to a desirable end, or because one loves to do it, but only to be able to quit-a condition that a saner time would regard as infernal, a condemnation. This is explained, of course, by the dullness of the work, by the loss of responsibility for, or credit for, or knowledge of the thing made. What can be the status of the working small farmer in a nation whose motto is a sigh of relief: "Thank God it's Friday"? - Wendall Berry from A Defense of the Family Farm 1986

Not only do I agree with Mr. Berry in this essay, I have seen a difference in my attitude towards work in the past 4+ years. I used to be the guy who worked for the weekends-but now I know no difference and long for no difference (in general), when it comes to homestead work at least. I use every part of my mind and body in the process: design, build, fill, nurture, repair. Now I just have to make the homestead worthy of all the attention and investment.

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More pictures.... this time from the Duroc slaughter of a week or so ago. First up is a pre-slaughter picture. Duroc is the large brown pig on the right. This is within 2 weeks of the slaughter. (Make careful note to compare Duroc here, the brown pig, with the last picture below.)

Next we have a shot of the men butchering a side.

Finally we have the boys scraping the hair from some pigs feet, with a few onlookers.

Now here is the interesting part. As mentioned yesterday, I picked up a book on swine production circa 1920's yesterday. Below is a champion Duroc sow. A lot more fat than the way hogs are bred for length and leanness today.

Oremus pro invicem!

Little Big Guy Redux

Turns out Number 2 Daughter took more and better pictures of the Little Big Guy slaughter in October. I guess she is not squeamish-if you are, the last picture may be a little rough for you (and this wasn't even the most gory of the pics.)

The first is self-explanatory. Jim Dorchak (Jim-I will send a few of these pics) and myself (in the hat) are skinning Little Big Guy.



I really like this second shot which is taken from the other side of the goat pen. You see the goats in the foreground. You see some little pigs to the left. And then you see Little Big Guy hanging there with a couple of the boys hanging around as Jim and I (barely visible) work.

Here's Number 1 Son working on the hide. He has several hides in progress now and has read up on various ways on tanning hides.

Lastly is Little Big Guy's head. Number 2 Son diligently scalded and scraped the head for Dr. C who wasn't present for this slaughter. Number 2 Son kept complaining that the hair kept growing back. By the way, this was a huge head.

Oh yes and what luck. We have an "antique shop" in town. I found two books on swine production from the earlier part of the 2oth century there. They are not in great condition, but stay tuned. It is amazing how attitudes on pork have changed. I will show you pictorially in the next few days.

Oremus pro invicem!

Have been swamped with both work and car troubles...you know that thermostat? Was taking off the thermostat housing on Saturday and the bolt broke off. Fortunately it left about a 1/4 inch above the surface. Best bet is to heat it up and release it-anyone got an oxy-acetylene torch? Checked one out at NAPA on the way home from Mass this morning: $800 to get me started.

There is a machine shop/welder right outside of town who should have a torch...but I can't get it touch with him. So I talked to the one-man shop down town. I've only been to him for advice before-he stopped by the house a couple times too (Jehovah Witness). He doesn't have a torch but thinks he can get the bolt out.

We have pictures (some older) as the kids got some film developed too. Later tonight (Number 2 son's birthday today) I may have time to put some up.

Oremus pro invicem!

Name that tool

Picked this tool up at a yard sale in early November. What you can't see in the picture is the tip of the tool which has a notch or recess, much like the notch on a regular screw into which you would insert a flathead screw driver.

Obviously, I would think this tool is made to tighten or loosen (or simply turn) something fitting that notch-but what?

Oremus pro invicem!

Please pray for my good friend Jeff Culbreath and his family.

Oremus pro invicem!

Books and Shooting Pigs

Got Second Coming by Walter Percy out of the library last week. I don't know if I can finish it. He reminds too much of Flannery O'Connor (as posted in past years, I tried, but can't read her.)

Two books by Wendall Berry arrived from the main branch yesterday. One is a book of essays (Home Economics) and the other a novel, A Place on Earth. Looking forward to both. I have never read anything by WB.

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In thinking about the two bullets it took on Monday to bring down Duroc, I am convinced it is the angle which counts. (Recall my 2 shots were textbook as to placement, but it still took 2 shots.)

When the pigs head is down (as in eating), unless you crouch to aim, the bullet impacts at a vastly different angle. Note that the usual spot is at the vertex of the X between the ears and the eyes-see illustration-but this is only when the pig is looking up at you. Note the angle of entry difference in profile view illustrations. Thus, if the pig's head is down, you have to aim high to actually have the same penetration effect-that is into the brain. (Another thing the book's don't tell you.)

In practice, I have only shot two pigs with their heads up. Both were textbook on my part and the pig's part. The other times, the pig's head was down. I have, by chance (or bad marksmanship) shot high and brought them down with one shot. (The other 2-shot pig, my first, proves the theory again, by the way.)

Oremus pro invicem!

Tired

Folk Art festival on Saturday...boys were a hit. I am proud of each and every one. I won a handmade knife (coveted by each of my boys) at the silent auction.

A little break on Sunday, but Monday it was Mass for the great feast, and then late in the afternoon, Duroc was slaughtered. My aim was true and hand steady...twice. For some reason the first one-perfectly placed-did not bring him down. The second-almost on top of the first did. The rest was smoooooooth. Much help from Dr. C. and Jim Dorchak , both of whom brought helpful sons.

We hung Duroc in the garage overnight (it was just barely cold enough) and butchered today. I ground and spiced the sausage meat this afternoon and we all cleaned the house.

Now I have to get ready for a course I am teaching later in the week.

I have two trips into the city left to go this week. Don't expect too much here. I am tired, but very happy. God is great. We have great friends and many, many blessings.

Oremus pro invicem!

So, we changed the idle pulley and tensioner pulley in the S10, but I left the old belt on as I wanted to observe the failure if indeed we hadn't fixed it. Sure enough. We ran the car for 15 minutes or so while I just stood by. Number 2 son noted the engine temp was climbing. Then as it dropped, I saw the overhead radiator hose collapse in on itself and then sink, hitting the idle pulley, causing the belt to come off! So it wasn't a belt or pulley problem at all! The only indication on the hose was a shiny mark on the right underside.

I opted for the easiest and least expensive solution-new hose and new radiator cap. Changed them out today and preliminary indications look good. I'll have to take it on a few short trips before heading to the city with it.

God is good!

I do note that the economy collapse is beginning to affect people I know adversely. I pray that God helps these good people land on their feet.

Oremus pro invicem!

Cold one this morning. I was in town yesterday earning some keep, which means manure collection this morning took twice as long and had almost 3X the yield. (I manure the pens both morning and evening. The longer you leave the manure uncollected, the greater the chance it will be ground into dirt.) With our sandy, sandy soil, manure is the key to gardening.

Confirmed the Golden Comets to hatch for early January from a local farmer. Golden Comets are crosses between RI Reds and White Leghorns and .... I forget. They are supposed to be most reliable layers-which need after this years sporadic laying come August. These Comets, paired with our RI Reds (and last years layovers), should gives us good egg yield.

Wood shop work gets delayed again. The belt on the '87 S10 has been slipping off. Based on my investigation, I think (and am hoping) it is the tensioner pulley and the idle pulley. Will change them out this morning once it warms enough to work without gloves. This should be a short job-God-willing.

Jeff Culbreath writes this morning (so who won the pool?) on music in his family. I too am amazed at how my children have picked up musical instruments and become proficient. In hopes to join them, I have learned a song or two on the harmonica. In the meantime, they have picked up the banjo, guitar, and harmonica themselves. When I join them, I feel like a fifth wheel. I can't sing (yes family of my youth, I finally admit it.) and can barely play. But I love the music in the house.

Oremus pro invicem!

First a little advertising and shameless self-promotion this morning, from the press release:

Folk Art Show & Sale • Dec. 6th, 9AM-5PM • Held at the University of South Carolina, Lancaster. Dedicated to Southern Folk Art. They will have good provided by the Bo Thai Restaurant and live music will be provided by the Curly Family of Bethune. They are calling fold, outsider, avant-garde and self taught artists to join in. For an artist application, or more information, contact Robert Smith email or call 803-329-7471.

Yes that is us-but really not all of us. The boys mostly will be playing and singing. They have a little country band with banjo, guitar, harmonica, and sometimes slide whistle and auto harp. (I may put in a guest appearance for one song-but it is the boys' show.) If I get my act together, I will put some boxes and other wooden creations for sale at the show too.

Speaking of music and wood ... another tradition of our Thanksgiving day has been to sing and play music. This year I escaped without performing my rendition of "If I Were a Rich Man", but we still had loads of fun.

And Santa's shop is officially open, if a bit late. I was neatening the shop yesterday in anticipation of getting down to serious work on Wednesday. A lot to do with little time...

It's funny how things crop up when you are neatening up. I had found in the basement of our first house in Uxbridge, MA a metal door handle in which was stamped "Eat Dairy Maid Ice Cream". It has hung on my shop wall everywhere we've lived. I came across it yesterday just before I was heading to the hardware store to buy a door handle for our small barn.

I have discovered craigslist. I am sure I am a latecomer to the party, but what a resource! Found a possible source for some Comet laying hens for next season. (We have some RI Reds and will carry over some Golden Buff Orpingtons, but are still short a dozen or so hens.)

And in other farm news, the young gilts we brought home a week or two ago are really coming along. The biggest is certainly looking like a good possibility for a breeding sow. We'll see on the others.

Oremus pro invicem!

The time is coming

My sister an author/illustrator of Requiem Press' The Story of Our Lady of Victory (and a couple books from TAN) has a very timely and strong piece today at Catholic Exchange. Read it here .

And, I almost missed this: Greencastle's comments on Eric Brende's Better Off-Flipping the Switch on Technology, reviewed here a couple weeks ago.

Here's the lines I liked best (she is commenting on the quote from the book "Many hands make light work" and the thesis that part of that wasn't the physical help, but the friendship and camaraderie of working together makes work not seem so):

What struck me, is that this is the exact opposite of life as a suburban housewife. Perhaps the reason the feminist movement was able to be so persuasive, even, with all it’s talk of home life being lonely and unfulfilling. Here I am at home, the only adult around. I’ve got a few retired neighbors in the immediate neighborhood, and I’ve recently spied another stay-at-home mom who lives a couple blocks from me, but we don’t get together. It’s me and my mechanical servants (washing machine, plumbing, heat, stove, oven . . .) running the household.

But read the whole thing.

Oremus pro invicem!

"May He find us waiting, eager in joyful prayer ...."

and so begins this season of Advent.

One problem with long weekends without posting is that when I get back, there is so much to report on. However, this will not be a mega-post. I will try to spread things out over the week.

First up....the Turkey Bowl!!!!. For the first year we played it on Friday, and for the first year it wasn't a timed game (we played first team to 10 scores). And for the first time in a couple years, the game was close-due to the charity and understanding of number 1 & 2 sons (to be explained). Number 3 & 4 sons teamed with yours truly. My older two sons are now faster than I and more agile. Even so, with a 3 on 2 game, the team with 3 players wouldn't normally be allowed to have their quarterback run the ball. However, Number 1 & 2 sons graciously did allow for it. The result was that we were led by one at half-time, but ended up losing the game by 1 touchdown. It was fun and relaxed-more so than some of our timed games.

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Over the weekend, a friend gave me the book Backyard Livestock by Steven Thomas, revised by Dr. George Looby. Interestingly, no matter how many books you have on livestock-specialized or generalized, you always find new information that the other guy left out. This book is no exception, and in addition, Mr. Thomas has his own unique way of putting things at times.

I remember before our first pig slaughter I consulted four books: 2 specializing in raising pigs, one specializing in slaughtering animals, and the final one a general book on homesteading (by John Seymour). Only the last mentioned that a pig will thrash after sticking even if knocked out by the .22-so watch out. Sure enough, the pig thrashes and you have to watch out.

But back to Mr. Thomas, here are a couple quotes:

Plucking is hardly fun, and after doing a few birds, you may be ready to switch to rabbits for your source of meat, and just raise chicken for eggs.

... If you've ever tried to take your pig for a walk, you'll know why this section (Handling Pigs) is here. A pig has a tendency to go everywhere but where you want it to go and often great distances in the wrong direction. For young pigs, as in picking your young shoat from a litter, corner it, grab one of the hind legs, and corral it in your arms. Holding it upside down by both hind legs often servers to quiet a shrieking piglet. As with most things, this is not guaranteed.

More later... breakfast calls.

May He find us waiting, eager in joyful prayer ... Oremus pro invicem!

$1.59

is what I paid for gas yesterday down the street. Don't know how long this will last; I almost wish I had someplace to go.

Oremus pro invicem!

Wrap-Up

I alluded to the fact we bought some calves last week. They are Jersey bull calves, about a week old from a dairy farm. When we brought them home it appeared one was not well and the other fine. Then it reversed itself. The sick one seems well, frolicking and eating well. The other got steadily worse over the weekend.

The hope was that we could raise these as steers for 6 months or so, slaughter one for ourselves and sell the other to help pay the feed bill (even with these being Jersey's, not known for beef).

Mrs. Curley and the two older boys had been working quite a bit with the sick calf (We had given electolytes, anti-biotic etc but by Sunday he wasn't taking much even when they tried to pour it down his throat. We didn't have a drenching kit and the feed store was closed), but hope was waning yesterday as I went to work in the city. On the weekend we just couldn't get what we needed. I planned on bringing home a drench kit from the city to see if we could snatch life from death. But it was too late. He died yesterday afternoon.

I really felt I should have been there, but I had to work. I am proud of the boys for taking care of everything for me.

I don't know if the remaining calf will be happy by itself, they are herding creatures. Yesterday was a sad day.

****************

Last night I came home very late from the city and caught 1030 AM from Boston on the radio for a couple minutes. It was strange to hear Boston talk radio with personalities I remember on the back roads of South Carolina. Last week coming home late, I listened a station in Ohio. But as I write this now, I realize I probably should have been saying the rosary instead of channel surfing in the car.

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I think by now others have said it, but it occurred to me the other day that the 'change' Obama promised is turning into a Clinton Administration re-run; at least that's how the posts are being filled.

And another thing, how long are people and other countries (read: China) going to buy up Treasury notes so we can prop up the financial system and have a stimulus package. I am not sure I like where this is going either way. (By the way, the Distributist Review Blog had at least two posts this past week suggesting how to bailout Detroit properly. Someone should send these to our President-elect and to every member of Congress.)

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Busy next couple days with cleaning and minor home improvement projects as we get ready for Thanksgiving. In your spare time though, check out Anthony Esolen's latest at Inside Catholic. Here's the opening salvo:

We Catholics are commonly urged to "engage the culture"; not to flee for monasteries of our own making, but to work within the institutions of mass media, mass education, mass marketing, and mass entertainment to advance the banners of Christ, our King.

I do not wish to criticize those who toil at that thankless task. Nor will I suggest that their work will be futile; no true service of the Lord can be without fruit. But I do believe we have mistaken the signs of the times. We seek to engage a culture, when there is no culture to engage. Our task is rather to revive the memory of what a culture is.

If that declaration seems provocative, I ask you to consider that word "culture," and to cease using it to denote the habits and fads of the masses. For the "masses" do not produce culture. The people do, when they cherish and preserve and pass along to their descendants what is most dear to them: their memorials and feasts, their music and dances and rites of passage and of courtship; their know-how, their moral laws; most important, their worship.

Great stuff...Oremus pro invicem!

Now that's cooking!

Check out the stuffed pork loin on Jim Dorchak's new blog . That's good looking pork (if I do say so myself!)

Oremus pro invicem!

Inspired by the story posted below, here is the new ditty being bandied about around here (to the tune of the WWI classic "Oh How I Hate to Get Up in the Morning"):

Oh how I hate catch pigs in the morning.
Oh how I hate to chase them from bed.
But the hardest part of all
Is to hear the swine herd call,
A pig has escaped,
A pig has escaped,
A pig has escaped in the morning!

Oremus pro invicem!

Pig stories

So I picked up some more pigs yesterday from an old-time farmer in Lugoff. Most of his sows and the boar are in a largish pen made of pallets, wire, old lumber, and anything else he could get his hands on. The younger pigs can come and go as they please from the pen. They just hangout on the property, apparently knowing that if they want their regular food they better hang around.

However, he lets a sow out of the pen just before farrowing so she can make her own nest in the woods. We saw one with week-old piglets following her around.

Maybe this is the way it should be.

I picked up 3 gilts (they are each Chester White/Yorkshire crosses-except one which has a spot somewhere in the pedigree), hoping one will show good growth and temperament to be a sow for me one day.

These gilts are pretty little, ranging from 30-45 lbs. We put them in an empty pen formed of cow panels. It was pretty apparent that at least the littlest one could squeeze through the hole, so the boys strung some chicken wire around the pen to dissuade escapees. Alas, it was not enough. 15 minutes later as we all about to go in, we heard the cry from Number 2 daughter, "A pig is out!"

Mrs. Curley and girls hung back to secure the area while the boys took after the smallest pig who hightailed it into the woods.

We (myself and Numbers 1, 2, 3, & 4 sons) surrounded her once early on, but she escaped before we could get a plan in action. Number one son handed me a net on a pole, which I caught on numerous vines and branches as we followed through the forest.

We followed as closely as we could, trying to keep her generally surrounded. Finally she came out into the neighbors yard and then through it into his soy bean field beyond. Here we surrounded her and started to close in. I made a swoop with the net, but she was too quick and we were on the run again. Back over the creek, into the woods heading for home. (My neighbor tried to help by shouting we should direct her to his fenced area-but little pig must have heard, she quickly turned back towards the woods. We must have been a sight!)

Near our property, she suddenly turned West, and we continued to follow (leaving a worn out Number 4 son at home). After a bit I decided to turn back and get the truck.

I caught up with pig and the boys at Ford's pond. Pig was in the (dirt) road. I told number 2 and 3 son to circle around behind her. Number 1 son would cut off Ford's pond and when in position we would close. But pig wanted none of it. She took off down the road before Number 2 & 3 were in position. I followed in the truck. Suddenly she stopped and turned around. She slowly approached, then disappeared. As I strained from side to side to catch a view of her, I happened to look in the rear view mirror---there she went, right under the truck and back towards home. I turned the truck around (15 point turn it took, practically) and caught up with her again at Ford's Pond.

Number 1 son took up the chase through the woods.

Number 2 & 3 had no idea where we were at this point. I circled around with the truck trying to find Number 1, with no luck. I finally drove back and found Number 2 & 3 and returned to the homestead; we, having no idea where Number 1 son and pig was now.

At this point we all thought she was gone for good.

But, soon, as we discussed the situation with Mrs. Curley, we heard Number 1 son shouting out, "She right in front of me, heading your way."

We (myself and 1, 2, & 3) gathered our forces again and surrounded her. She got out of the circle, but we quickly contained her again. This time Number 4 son and Mrs. Curley came to reinforce our effort.

We closed in slowly and then Number 2 son dove and made a grab-YES! he got the hind leg.

Boy oh boy! Almost 2 hours and almost 3 miles of ground covered through forest, and she was returned to the pen.

Much perseverance in this effort. Without Number 1's tenacity (he said he lost her once for a minute, but heard her and picked up the trail again) and Number 2's quickness we would have lost her.

Number 1 son said he was going to give up but overheard me mutter, "I really wanted that pig.", so he kept on.

I am proud of each and every one.

We recounted the whole tale with some exaggeration (Number 2 son claims he never saw me run so fast) over dinner (after securing the pen of course.)

I am sure we will regale ourselves with another telling again soon.

St. Anthony the Great must be looking over us. I think when I write my book on raising pigs, or the small homestead or whatever it is, I will include a chapter on the proper technique to catch escaped swine if one is so unfortunate to lose one. We got it right in the last effort, but blew our chances at least twice in the process due to bad technique and inadequate force.

Oremus pro invicem!

When?

This morning when I did my periodic check of Stoney Creek Digest, it occurred to me that interested parties should start a pool to guess when the blogfast will end. Winner has to be the closest without going over. I would guess December 28th except I think something will happen in the news (especially in CA) which will prompt a brief break in the fast before then. Therefore, I will place the date at December 9th (2008).

Stay tuned. If I get my work done early enough today I have another installment of "The Pig-Chasers" to relate.

Oremus pro invicem!

I was asked the other day how much time I spend each working on the homestead itself. I gave an answer, but I can't really say how true the answer was.

A typical day sees me spend an hour in the morning working with the pigs (feeding/cleaning) and overseeing the other early morning chores with the kids. Then I will about spend 30 minutes for the afternoon feeding. Yet I am not sure how many days are actually typical-except maybe Sundays.

One day a week a work in the city and all the homestead work is done by the kids that day.

Maybe yesterday was a typical day. I woke and prayed at 4:30 AM. By 5:00 I was working on Requiem Press stuff. From 7:00 to 8:00, I spent my typical hour in the morning feeding, mucking etc. We ate breakfast. Then I worked on filling orders for a few hours. From 11:00 AM to 1:30 PM or so I took meat off chickens the kids had slaughtered and plucked. After lunch I may some business calls, checked email, did a post office run, and spent 30 minutes with the gentleman who runs the feed store talking about calves. Then I drove to Cassatt and looked at a couple calves (we brought them home-another developing story.) Being CCD night, we ate dinner early and took off for CCD.

Yesterday wasn't really a typical day, but it happens often enough. One Friday morning last month I began slaughtering and skinning a goat at 8:00 AM, was on a conference call for paying job at 10:00 AM. Was butchering at 11:00 AM and was back to computer after lunch by 12:30 for the rest of the day.

So how much time? Who knows. But I do know you have to be flexible and ready for anything around here!

Oremus pro invicem!

Time to weigh in ....

... on the controversy presently raging in my diocese centered in Greenville, SC? I think not.

I believe that enough has been said and written by people who know more about the situation than I do. (It is not that I don't have an opinion, it's just that I don't see a purpose in expounding and covering all the bases at this point.)

Although this diocese is small (as in a small town where access is great and many people know each other) I have no personal knowledge of the key players-but certainly friends of mine do.

Our family has been dedicating our Angelus everyday, followed by the Memorare and invocation of Our Lady of Joyful Hope, for a good and holy bishop for the Charleston Diocese. May God answer that prayer very soon.

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When I read the latest issue of CMQ a few weeks ago there was an article on the The Walsingham Project, part of which is a prayer crusade for the conversion of England.

In 1904, Dom Bede Camm OSB was preaching sermons in England on the English Martyrs under Henry VIII and Elizabeth I to inspire greater fervor for this same purpose. (Of course these sermons are collected in Requiem Press' first release Witnesses to the Holy Mass; you can read an excerpt here)

Getting back to the Walsingham Project, it has two dimensions: spiritual (the prayer crusade for the conversion of England) and intellectual. The intellectual dimension involves promoting the book by none other than Henry VIII: Defence of the Seven Sacraments. From their website:

Most Christians identify King Henry VIII as a co-founder of the Protestant Reformation, along with Martin Luther. However, prior to his severing ties with Rome, Henry was an accomplished theologian and staunch defender of the Catholic Faith.

He was even granted the title 'Defender of the Faith' by Pope Leo X.

In Defence of the Seven Sacraments, King Henry launches a scathing rebuke of Martin Luther’s rejection of the Church’s 1,500-year sacramental heritage. In a no-holds-barred approach, Henry refutes Luther’s novel interpretation of the ordinary means of grace given to the Church by Jesus Christ.

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Am going to look at some pigs this week as well as a couple bull calves (a few days old). Feed prices are coming down, and the kids really would like to be call "cowboys" as opposed to "shepherds" or "swine herders" (although I don't mind the last and I have never heard anyone call them them for former.) Not that the latter is really a consideration. Goat is very lean, Pork is not so lean, and beef is in the middle. Wouldn't mind a little beef now and then. We've been pretty much pork, chicken and a little goat. (By the way, we had delicious ham this past week that lasted 4 meals-which is saying a lot for our carnivorous crew here.)

Of course there is plenty of chicken too. Speaking of which, I found this picture I forgot to post earlier in the week, but which is too good to miss.

Oremus pro invicem!

Finished

I finished Better Off-Flipping the Switch on Technology by Eric Brende over the weekend. He makes a good case for minimizing technology. Here it is-an interpretation based on my example, not his.

Let us consider the Automatic Dishwasher as our objective study of a labor-saving and time-saving piece of technology. Is it really all it claims?

First, by having the dishwasher wash the dishes, you are depriving your body (mostly your forearms) of exercise. Secondly, washing dishes by hand is truly a two-person job: one to wash, one to dry and put up. By the time one person can rinse, load and unload and put up a load of dishes, most two people can have done the same dishes by hand. But you say-ah ha!!! TWO PEOPLE! Oh yes, the two people will talk and discuss and build their relationship or solve a problem, and the time will pass without them even realizing how much "work" they've done.

Finally, the dishwasher costs money to run, has an initial cost, and replacement parts are expensive: all this goes into each load of dishes.

This is not to say we are tossing our dishwasher. We have gone without before-but unfortunately we didn't take advantage of the opportunity it provided in sharing the work.

But this is the basic case Mr. Brende makes; that a lot (especially more advanced) of technology has a large initial cost, a maintenance cost, an operating cost, doesn't save as much time as you think, detracts from physical well-being (i.e. exercise) and detracts from social interaction.

I have made my livlihood via technology: in industry as a patent agent and more recently as a book publisher. There is no way I could do what I do at Requiem Press without advanced techonology...and yet this computer takes more of my time each day than it needs to-and it is solitary work. Technology can be a seductive mistress.

Mr. Brende makes mention of a tribe in Africa whose members work only 2-3 hours per week to live (gathering nuts and berries). The rest is leisure time. The trend is there: the more (and more advanced) technology that a society has, the more the members have to work to maintain it. There is a balance between being enslaved by our desire for comfort provided by technology and the nut and berry gatherers mentioned hereinbefore. Each of us must decide that balance for ourselves ...

Oremus pro invicem!