Snap shots from this week...

spring is early this year! - I love this view it's just up the road from me...


Brian planted favas and peas in our garden!


don't worry this is not my wrist - this art belongs to Garrett of Park Kitchen!
you can see why I had to take a picture! : )




the first one this year!!


my boys last week after plowing enjoying the sunshine...


my freshly used plow : )

pigs

I'd like to say a thank you to Picnic and Pancake - they where wonderful pigs and there last day on the farm was Thursday! - they are missed and I'm grateful to them for there contributions to all of our lives. The last day went perfectly another good clean end in pasture with no stress. That part always makes it a whole lot easier for everybody me included.

The day that went by in about 5 minutes

I traveled to Washington with Duane, Sara, and six horses, three plows, harness, hay, tools and wine in this big rig of Friday! - now that's a good packing job~


The VanDyke Rig - pretty darn nice!

I'm am humbled and grateful once again to be part of this amazing group of horseman and women... it was the weekend of the plowing competition and everything was pretty mind blowing - the weather was perfect 60 degrees and brilliantly sunny and my boys were at there VERY best!! we plowed our entire plot and Laura who's been coming out to help got to plow too! There is so much to tell I don't even know where to start and fear I would bore you all to the end of the earth - I will say it's was pretty mind blowing to have my boys out in front of the plow and having it go so well I shed a few tears of happiness early on - for those of you who know me this has been a project I started dreaming and scheming about when we first decided to buy land to farm - and here 4 years later and a few bumps along the way we have come to this!!!

This would not have been possible with out Duane and Sara Van Dyke! Thank you both for your mentorship, friendship, time and love - I love you both! and here's to many more years of horses, plowing and a 'splash' together!






Heading out with Sara to start our plot! Thanks Sara for helping me get going on the right hoof!!


Laura and Huston


a little drive when we first arrived Friday evening - it was blissful!


Dream come true



Sara and her beautiful team!


Duane's Team with the bay horse being a rescue that I thought would never even be able to be handled let alone be able to ever do this kind of work!! amazing


Laura with the boys - she did great esp being her first time on the plow!!



Post plow chatting

my beautiful good boys!


and this three up of Belgians and there teamstress to my right!


Jerry a great horseman with his beautiful pulling horses plowed to my left!


a little fun trying to fit in with most of the teamsters most of whom sport handlebars! : )



just the beginning ...

very nice review!

Thanks to Katherine Cole for the very nice review - from her recent bind tasting ... get your 'cow' now it's going fast!

2008 Big Table Farm Resonance Vineyard Yamhill-Carlton District Pinot Noir ($45): Sur lie aging and a careful combination of new and used oak make this splurge wine a delight for the senses, with a silky texture and lightly spiced baked fruit flavors. Josephine the cow, a resident of Big Table Farm, gets a star turn on the keepsake-worthy label. Find it at Cork a Bottle Shop Alberta and Lovejoy, and Storyteller Wine Co.

Below from today's work in the studio this one is called 'limoncello' - it's official I will be having a show in Carlton in April! : ) more on that soon!!

thank you Katherine Cole!

very exciting stuff (if you're a wine geek that is)... Katherine Cole writes wine columns for the FOODday section of The Oregonian newspaper and MIX magazine. - she did a blind tasting of abotu 18 wines if I counted right and pulled out a few that 'stood out' ours was among them... nice!! check out the video if want to really geek out !!

click here for the video

eggs in another form

After moving the chickens on Sunday we enjoyed the fruits of our labor Brian made his amazing eggs Benedict which were paired with bloody Mary's : ) ummm - good man -



and today's painting... featuring what else my eggs : )

not one to complain about the weather

I don't mind weather - thank goodness since I moved to Oregon... - rain sure bring it on! - I have rain gear really good rain gear in fact no matter what type of weather I'm out doin' chores every morning and evening... I'm warm and dry I know how to dress for the stuff... we have houses for animals to get cover and aside from tearing up the ground a bit and having to move them in the rain... no worries right.. ?? NOT THIS WEEK!

this week the rain is officially cramping my style!! Duane said perhaps this coming weekend we could try my plow - I was thinking with all that dry weather there are a few spots on my place I could drag a plow just to give her a trial run with out it being pure 'soil sacrilege'! well with this freggin rain this week that slim hope is flickering out FAST!! look at this forecast people!! eshhh .. wishful thinking... --- sigh!