Friday, May 18, 2012

Memorial Day Weekend and some nice reviews

Come on out to the farm Memorial Day Weekend! Taste the Laughing Pig Rose, Riesling, Willamette Valley PN, Resonance PN, and the Syarh! We will be open 11 - 5pm Sat Sunday and Monday -- it's one of only two times a year we are open... don't miss out!!

(and all going well we will have our downstairs bathroom put back together and new toilet installed in time ; )

Also some very nice reviews that just came in from the pinot file...

2010 Resonance Pinot Noir -
(received his pinot geek rating - his highest 'score')
...A transparent wine of great pedigree and delicacy, with inviting flavors of pie cherries and ripe strawberries caressed by supple tannins and crisped by bright acidity. A very charming wine that won’t knock your socks off with powerful extraction, but offers a gentile, extremely enjoyable drinking experience.



 
...and some nice notes from rusty on the Pelos Sandberg Pinto Noir (sold out)  - Moderately light reddish-purple color in the glass. Perfumed with oak-kissed, fresh Bing cherries. Tasty core of dark cherries on a light and elegant frame with subtle notes of spice and oak. Finishes strong with a black cherry flourish.

Thursday, May 17, 2012

working the land at big table round 2

Duane came over last night for the inaugural run of a new 'old' piece of equipment on my farm. Daune bought this thing called a hutmoharrow (no clue how to spell that) it was acquired a couple years back when he and I were at the annual draft auction and he spied it and knew just what is was as he has used it when it was owned by a different draft horse farmer on his place : ). It's a horse drawn ground driven rototiller and it's very simple and works REALLY well! We've been talking about putting it to use in my garden for over a year and we got 'er done : ) - We started with the row that Laura and I plowed on Sunday and it took a little doing to get the horses going on it but with duane on the lines as always I was watching and learning new subtleties -- here I am 5+ years in working with Duane and still learning tons from him ... I guess when you've been doing this for 40 + years you know a thing or two... I'm lucky to have such a good teacher and friend thanks duane... so we got a bit more done and I'm gonna keep whacking away at it over the next few days and see if I can't get some more done...





I did get to work the hutmoharrow myself for a couple passes it's a bit of a trick to stand on this thing and drive at the same time. But kind of fun. I wouldn't say the safest choice but I'll make sure a second person is around when I harrow next. : ) 

addendum - On my run this morning I thought  about watching duane drive and thought about my husband at a dinner party what do these things have in common -- They dont' say much and when they do it's simple and not too loud.. Too often I'm the loud one at the table jovial and having fun... not a bad thing but there are times in life (like while driving horses) to quiet yourself focus and let the horse or other person at the table lean in and listen... I watched the horses set there ears waiting for daune to give the next step... less is more I'll get there : )

Monday, May 14, 2012

a full weekend

We are working on all sorts of projects on the farm right now. It was a beautiful weekend and fairly productive. I got all the last of the chickens moved into there out door pens so they get to enjoy this nice weather too! Brian has been diligently working on our downstairs bathroom re model. The old bathroom left a LOT to be desired so we ripped out old drywall, the dropped ceiling, cupboards you name it the works! I wish I had remembered to take a before photo... ahh well.... the new bathroom will feature some beautiful clear redwood we salvaged about 10 or so years ago and have been hauling around ever since.. It gonna be a fun way to use it. Three of the walls will be red wood paneling a la the rest of our house : ) this is one of the walls as brian was conceptualizing and levi acting as general.


levi putting his paw of approval on brian's design 



While Brian worked away on sunday Laura came over and we moved in the new bees she brought me (thank you laura!!)  and we got the swarm I brought home last week a little more settled in... so crossing fingers all the hives stick...




And last but not least Laura and I managed to plow a bed in the garden. We have more to go but things went very well and as usual I'm indebted to her for her help 'workin' the land' here at big table farm! This photo looks a little empty with out the horses but there where there maybe next plot I'll get a shot of them working our land.


BTW on the photo size discussion - for inquiring minds I think I'll stick with this size when there are lots of 'snap shots' and use the bigger size when there is some really nice ones I want to share... 

Monday, May 7, 2012

spring is in the air!


We have been getting some really beautiful days starting this weekend - so while the bees were busy working we did our share. We brought the cows down off the hill Sunday to there new spring pasture right around the house - I love having the cows around the house where I can watch them. They are getting ready to have there spring calves which should be any day now!  They'll be around the house for about a week and then we'll move them on. This is the one pasture I do go through and pick up the poo from then I'll mow the grass and pretend I'm actually civilized and don't graze livestock 4 feet outside my door : )



The new ducks could not be any cuter!










Thursday, May 3, 2012

new blog look and feel



I cant' leave well enough alone ... I'm in a spring mood and have been thinking about changing the blog to a light color for a long time so I'm trying it out on you all please let me know if you like the new light color? and larger photos??... I will also work up a new header too that's next : )




these are last years babies but this years are due any day now! you can count on new baby calf photos soon!!




Wednesday, May 2, 2012

random spring



laura and I took a lovley drive on Monday evening


new chicks (and a few ducks) on spring grass


These are just some shots taken with my iphone around the farm in the past week spring is in full bloom around here and it sure is revitalizing !