a long winters nap

 

Brian and I are sleeping in - taking our time, going for walks, cleaning up, sorting out, working on all the farm projects that have been put on the back burner, napping and generally recovering from 2014! 

It's hard to believe how much has come to pass in this year... we continue to feel totally grateful for this life that has unfolded. 

December so far has been full of amazingness on the farm and some great press for the wines and lots of getting our wheels back under us!! 

  

this is the mood around big table farm this weekend!

 

hummer says 'thank goodness that winery is done now clare can spend more time with us!' 

 

I have been getting some nice rides in : ) 

 

 We got a warm day so I checked the bees and was super happy to see at least one of my hives going strong!

the super nice birthday dinner the hubs threw me! 

 

we said thank you and good by to Duane and Jeb... always a hard day - I loved these pigs! 

 

We honored them by using every last bit of the animals - 

we had a great butcher day at the farm we did all the cut and wrap and made head cheese, rendered fat, prepared Prosciutto, hams and bacon!  

thanks for all the help jeremy and tim!

 

 

'fat on tap' 

 

'prosciutto!' 

  

June and her new baby! who was born on the 9th : ) -- Bella is also looking very pregnant...

 

 amid all the farm going's on we got written up in Wall Street Journal last Saturday! amazing...

Mr Colver helped us move all the horse manure over and get it mixed with straw and the grape pumice I'm very excited about the compost set up this year.  It's a HUGE pile and will hopefully add even more fertility to this farm.

 

 

Levi thinks the completed pile is just fine ; ) 

 

on the subject of compost I have started my first biodynamic prep it's 500 cow horn - 

and I'm proud to have made it from the ingredients provided all from my farm including the horns from the cows we slaughtered here on the farm : )

 

the scull is not part of the prep just a marker of where I buried the prep.   

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the last 5 photos are all shot with my birthday present from brian : ) he got me a new lense for my camera... LOVE it : ) hope you do too... it's gonna take a little practice - but I hope to bring you even better shots over the coming year...