Just to add a bit of information to the previous post, we just had one of the more dramatic weather swings that I can remember. We had a nice little break from the weather and it warmed up into the 40s on Monday, continuing into yesterday. Yesterday evening that all changed...
It was 46° at 3pm yesterday, this morning at 7am it was -12°, and the windchill was between -30° and -35°.
The wind was blowing so hard last night that it was just a constant roaring hummm. Luckily for us, the pioneers that built our house put it in a good spot, sheltered from the prevailing winter winds by the hill. Somewhere along the way another owner planted a small windbreak of pine trees, which also helps a lot. I think I'd like to extend that windbreak a bit this summer by planting some more pines. I may not be around to enjoy the benefits of it, but someday a future owner might thank me.
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Friday, January 25, 2008
A REAL winter
We are having a real Wisconsin-style winter this year, just like the ones I used to know ( to coin a phrase). The temperature has been pretty consistently below zero every day this week, and on Monday we received a little over 14" of snow in about 10 hours. Other than an early January thaw, we have had cold and snow since right around Thanksgiving.
I think we are going to get out and enjoy some of this snow tomorrow and go skiing at Sunburst, which is a ski hill right down the road from us. It's isn't exactly Summit County Colorado, but it's close and it's better than nothing.
Absolutely nothing is happenning in farm news, other than I might try to get some cleaning and organizing done out in the barn this weekend. My tools seem to be spreading themselves out and I spend more time looking for tools and hardware than I do actually fixing anything. If I get that done, I'll try to get out on Lake Twelve for some "hard-water" fishing on Sunday.
I think we are going to get out and enjoy some of this snow tomorrow and go skiing at Sunburst, which is a ski hill right down the road from us. It's isn't exactly Summit County Colorado, but it's close and it's better than nothing.
Absolutely nothing is happenning in farm news, other than I might try to get some cleaning and organizing done out in the barn this weekend. My tools seem to be spreading themselves out and I spend more time looking for tools and hardware than I do actually fixing anything. If I get that done, I'll try to get out on Lake Twelve for some "hard-water" fishing on Sunday.
Monday, January 21, 2008
Happy New Year
I realize I have all but abandoned the blog since the last frost, sorry about that!
We are now in the planning stages for next year and there are going to be some dramatic changes in our approach.
Perhaps the most noticeable change will be the lack of livestock. We won't be raising any animals in 2008. As much as we enjoy our farm-raised meat and eggs, we need to take a summer off and take care of some much needed maintenance. It will also be nice to be able to leave the farm for a weekend if we desire and not have to worry about the critters! I wil definitely miss our pasture-raised pork, hopefully we can find a local farmer to buy some from. Grocery store pork just doesn't taste right anymore.
There will also probably be some big changes in the garden. Right now I am thinking about dedicating 6 of the 10 garden beds for Nikki and I, and then growing just 3 varieties of vegetable in the remaining 4. As much as we enjoyed doing the GardenShare program this year, it was occasionally nerve-wracking. I would like to concentrate on just a few vegetables grown for sale to local restaurants and co-ops, much like we did with our grapes back in '05.
Other plans for 2008 include having a couple big parties out at the farm. We hope to have at least 2 shindigs this summer, or perhaps even a hootenanny! We'll keep you informed, so make sure your tent is ready to go!
We are now in the planning stages for next year and there are going to be some dramatic changes in our approach.
Perhaps the most noticeable change will be the lack of livestock. We won't be raising any animals in 2008. As much as we enjoy our farm-raised meat and eggs, we need to take a summer off and take care of some much needed maintenance. It will also be nice to be able to leave the farm for a weekend if we desire and not have to worry about the critters! I wil definitely miss our pasture-raised pork, hopefully we can find a local farmer to buy some from. Grocery store pork just doesn't taste right anymore.
There will also probably be some big changes in the garden. Right now I am thinking about dedicating 6 of the 10 garden beds for Nikki and I, and then growing just 3 varieties of vegetable in the remaining 4. As much as we enjoyed doing the GardenShare program this year, it was occasionally nerve-wracking. I would like to concentrate on just a few vegetables grown for sale to local restaurants and co-ops, much like we did with our grapes back in '05.
Other plans for 2008 include having a couple big parties out at the farm. We hope to have at least 2 shindigs this summer, or perhaps even a hootenanny! We'll keep you informed, so make sure your tent is ready to go!
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