Meadowlark Farms

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Moving!
2008-02-29 20:32:00
No, it's not us that are moving (sigh!)...but this blog is. I've decided to switch my blog over to WordPress, and I've also decided to change the name as there just so happens to be a Meadowlark Farm about 2 hours away from me. Who knew? The new site is still under a bit of construction, but it's ready enough for the switch. Here's the address:http://rockcreekfarm.wordpress.co m/Please update your bookmarks and I'll have a feed and email subscription available soon.If you were interested in the knitting aspect, I've put that on a blog of its own (along with some other topics, too!). Here's the address for that one:http://mediaknits.wordpress.com/Hope to see you all over at the new sites!
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The Growing Challenge: A Magic Valley County Almanac/Gardening Journal
2008-02-27 01:54:00
(Can click on all pics for closer view.)OK, so I haven't even finished the book A Sand County Almanac by Aldo Leopold and I'm using a play on the words for my title. A co-worker on the B.U.R.P team I worked on in the summer of 2005 for the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality gave it to me; and what I did read of it, was wonderful...beautiful. (I hope to start it again and finish it this year, though I haven't been reading as many books I'd like to lately. I'm currently - finally - reading Last Child in the Woods by Richard Louv which has been sitting on my shelf for quite some time.) I started my own Almanac in March of 2005, and after reading that bit of Leopold's, I was inspired to fill up my little notebook with all my observations on weather, plants, gardening, bird sightings, and the like from my natural surroundings. But, if you know my record, you could probably guess that my entries were sporadic and rare. Nonetheless, I continue to scribble in it now and then. ...
More About: Journal , Magic , Gardening , Challenge

Sunny Vacation!
2008-02-06 23:57:00
Picture taken in FL: December 2006Looks like I'll be leaving for Gainesville, Florida tomorrow! Just decided today, bought the tickets, and away we go! I'm very excited, a bit anxiety ridden, and can't wait to be in the warm Florida sun! Will post when I return next week.
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Ribbed Progress
2008-02-05 01:34:00
I've made some progress on my ribbed scarf. And since this picture was taken a few days ago, I'm a lot further now. Here's a close-up. I can't believe I'm even letting you get this close. Just don't get too critical - I know there are mistakes. I have picked up dropped stiches with my handy little crotchet hook though (I actually found that to be kind of fun, like walking it up a little ladder. You too? No. OK, it's just me.) I even took out a few rows when a hole was found a bit further down. That, on the other hand, was no fun at all - except for the pulling of the yarn part. I didn't like that I couldn't manage to get a smaller needle in down to where I wanted to rip to, because I wasn't sure which piece of yarn was my stitch at the beginning of the row. So I just decided to carefully as I could pull out to where I wanted to stop, but then both of my end stitches dropped down an extra row. I was able to fix one side by re-pearling it, but the other side I couldn't figu...
More About: Progress

The Growing Challenge: Seeds Galore
2008-02-02 01:27:00
My journey through seed catalogues is proving to be quite a long process. I have only just recently decided which ones I am going to order from (Territorial Seed Company & Victory Seed Company). While growing up, I remember seeing Johnny's and Cooks laying on a couch or counter where my mom had been purusing through them. When we lived out on my Grandpa's farm, out on the Salmon Tract, my mom planted a big vegetable garden full of peas, beans, carrots, tomatoes, and the like. It was the best thing ever to snap those green pea pods off the vine and pull the string back to reveal the sweetest little tasty morsels, perfect for eating right there on the spot. My mom now lives in town and though the space is limited, she still grows a few edibles - tomatoes, peas, carrots, and herbs, among a few other things. So, when my husband and I were living in the first house we owned, I too planted some vegetables - tomatoes and peppers. I bought them as plants at a nursery and a few from a ...
More About: Gardening , Challenge , Growing , Galore , Seeds

Busy Being Busy
2008-01-30 23:08:00
Knitting up my first scarf in garter stitch!So the posts on here have been few and far between. Sorry to anyone who really cares. I suppose having three blogs can be tricky in keeping them all updated, so to be fair, I just don't keep any of them updated. Truth be told though, I really have enjoyed this whole blogging thing, especially my Storytelling Around the Fire, which is exclusively for family and friends. I'd really like to get more posts up, so here I am - on the record, no less - saying that I will try to be more consistent. Make sure you take notice on the way that word try is italicized. Don't hold me to it, because I'm sure to disappoint. I don't know if I slack so much because I'm so busy; I think it's more that I'm spending my down time on other things. For instance, just this month I taught myself to knit. I learned from the Internet, and you better believe I was squinting my eyes at those instructions and racking my yarn twisted brain. I'm a show me kinda ga...
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Um...
2008-01-08 04:08:00
I don't even know what to say. © Meadowlark Farms 2008
More About: Pictures , Dogs , Animals , Bruce

Out at the Farm
2007-11-27 00:49:00
This is my father-in-law's farm. Our Little Boy loves going out there to see the cows, tractors, dirt, dogs, etc., and of course his Grandpa. (The pink gloves, by the way, are ones that a sweet little niece of mine left behind when they moved. They just so happen to fit my Little Boy's hands and gloves for a 20 month old are hard to find - these ones are even a tad big.)What's that up ahead? Picking up... ...a handful of......dirt. Phew. © Meadowlark Farm s 2007

I Can See Clearly Now
2007-11-14 20:09:00
We replaced our old windows......with new ones! Though I liked the charm of the old wooden ones, they were too drafty and far from energy efficient. No matter what the thermometer read, the air in our house was filled with an uncomfortable chill. Worst of all were the windows by our beds - and know amount of blankets was enough to withstand the icy draft. Our new insulated windows make a significant difference and make the house that much cozier. My husband, Mr. Contractor himself, did the hard labor - and just about everything else - but I was the official hold-the-window-in-place gal. Quite the title (length-wise at least). Here Mr. Contractor is taking out the old window. Little Boy Blue is helpful as always, even when he's simply standing there in extra big pajamas. Yes, sometimes (often) he wears p.j.'s during the day - nothing beats that all over wrap around warmth. Bruce wanted to help too, but believe me - after his last stunt - I don't know if his is the kind of help we...

Bark
2007-11-12 01:56:00
Bruce - our other 'farm animal' (who just recently chewed up the cable line that runs along the outside of the house - result...no Internet for a few days.) © Meadowlark Farms 2007
More About: Pictures , Dogs , Animals

Meow
2007-11-06 21:11:00
Our "Farm Animal," Molly © Meadowlark Farms 2007
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Food For Thought
2007-11-02 16:07:00
Fresh BakedYou may have surmised from this previous post that when it comes to cooking, I'm rather a novice. And though I sometimes think I can get away with stating, "Hey, I'm only 24!" I have a sneaky suspicion that there are plenty of ten year olds (if not younger) who have cooked more than me. Adding to the fact that I've been married for close to 6 1/2 years only makes the situation look even worse for me as I've had plenty of opportunity to test out my handiwork. So why have I fared so poorly in this department you may ask? It's certainly not that I don't like to cook - quite the contrary indeed. Whenever I get around to it, I enjoy the process - not to mention the result - immensely. I'm sure I can chalk it all up to a few unredeeming qualities I possess, but we won't get into that here. What I do want to talk about are the strides I have made in this category just this past year. I have made excellent progress as far as cooking and baking goes - largely spurred on by...
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Oh Tomatoes!
2007-10-02 02:52:00
The First Batch of Canned Tomato Juice!I didn't grow any tomatoes this year, and my mom only put up a few plants - so what's a gal to do when she's hoping to try her hands at a bit of canning? She gets lucky, she does. Lucky to have a mom, who has a friend, who has tomatoes - lots and up for grabs. (And lucky this friend is also a very kind lady!) So out my mom, my little boy, and myself went to the friends to pick tomatoes on a rather blustery day. The wind was whipping maliciously and chilled us to our bones, but the promise of home-grown tomatoes through the winter months kept our fingers picking.The Help (He Contributed the Green Ones)The Fruits of Our LaborsThis child-hood friend of my mother's has a marvelous, well-kept garden and the tomatoes were beautiful! We came home with a good amount and went to work canning the next day. On the menu were tomato juice and a basic tomato sauce. Out of a steamy dishwasher, I pulled out hot glass jars and placed them on a flower print ...
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Not Yet, But Someday
2007-09-29 01:34:00
Oh Give Me Land, Lots of Land, Under Starry Skies Above... OK, you got me...there is no farm, but one day (please let it be sooner than much, much later!) there will be. For now, we're fixing up this house and trying to get it sold. After that? Well, maybe we'll be able to purchase some land, but most likely, we'll buy another house to fix up and sell. Then...then we just might be able to afford some land. And yet, it's possible that we'll have to buy and fix up still another house. But one day...Meadowlark Farms will be our home and the Western Meadowlark will greet us with its beautiful song...Until that blissful day...I'm going to prepare myself with all I can as far as homesteading and living greener, and believe me - I have LOTS to learn. Maybe you already have a farm, long for a farm like myself, or just like to read about them. Either way, you might learn a little from me (or just laugh at my beginner idiocy) and I sure could learn a lot from you! So join me as I fumble...
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