Play dead!

On By stefrobrtsIn barclay, farm6 Comments

When Dave and I took hay to the critters they burst out of the back area and into the yard, which I thought was better than then knocking Dave over with the wheelbarrow full of hay. But Barclay started chasing the sheep, and the pasture gate was open, so out they go into the pasture, and before I could catch up he had a mouthful of wool on Marian’s side and was hanging on for dear life as she tried to run away from him. Being a sheep (and we’ve already established that means ‘not very smart’) she ran into the corner of the field, and when I caught up Marian was laying down, all legs tucked under, head straight out forward, chin flat on the ground, eyes closed. Playing dead! Barclay didn’t know what to do with that – he was jumping around, climbing over her, but there were no legs to grab, and she wouldn’t react to him. I finally picked him up and carried him back. When we got away from her Houdini went over to sniff her and she jumped up and shook, and then she ran over to the other sheep, and the whole bunch headed back to get some hay. What crazyness!

Of course, it would have helped if Barclay came when I called her away from her, or if we had the hay stored in a barn, where we could feed the animals without tramping through mud and risking getting knocked down every time. Our layout is just not right for keeping livestock all winter. It’s a lot of work, and the animals don’t have a good place to stay where they aren’t standing in mud and poop. I’m seriously considering finding them new homes and getting out of livestock at all. I feel like if I can’t take care of animals right and safely for everyone (including the livestock), then I shouldn’t have them.

A chicken in every pot…

On By stefrobrtsIn chickens3 Comments

Ahem..Flowerpot, that is! Our pesky chickens refuse to be contained in their area, and they have been causing havoc all around the house, knocking on the front door (Dave almost let them in the other day when he walked by and saw something orange on the porch and assumed it was a cat!), pooping on the walkways, and now settling in for a nice dustbath in the deck planters!
Our reward for them trashing the place – well, four more eggs today! And the smaller one is blue. It’s hard to tell by the picture, but it’s not white, and it’s not brown – it’s got a blue/green tinge to it. I think that is from one of the ‘wild’ chickens, since they are mixes. One must have a little ‘easter-egger’ mixed in her family tree.

Eeeek! Devil Dog!

On By stefrobrtsIn alki, pets3 Comments


Isn’t that how it is? You’re minding your own business, feel a big yawn coming on, then some idiot comes along and snaps your picture – mid yawn, eyes closed. Oh well, I hate the way I look in pictures too! (that’s Alki, BTW – her choppers aren’t as white as they used to be)

Barclay’s big weekend

On By stefrobrtsIn barclay, chickens, pets1 Comment

Here’s a funny chicken story for today – wish I had got pictures. Barclay went outside and the chickens were in the yard, so I watched him from the window, hoping he wouldn’t chase them. Instead he came up to one of the friendlier hens, got nose to nose with her, then barked and turned around and stuck his wagging tail in her face, wanting her to chase him and play with him – man that boy needs another puppy to play with!! The chicken didn’t know what to do! You should have seen the shocked look on her face!

Yesterday Barclay went to the indoor dog park in Hazel Dell. He has a great time there playing with the boston terriers, and there was a beagle/terrier mix there that he got on great with. A shepherd and a pit bull showed up just before we left, and the shepherd fussed at him a little, and he didn’t know how to take it, it kind of shut him down. But it was time to go anyway. I’m sure he’ll have forgotten it next time we go. He loves playing with the other dogs. It’s great to watch him just being a dog!

Then this morning (after the chicken incident) we went to a herding lesson. At first he kept wanting to bite the sheep on the back legs, and the teacher was joking maybe he needed to work cows! He was a white heeler, instead of a blue heeler 🙂 But then she got a little more action with the rake and he started to get it. I think he did really good for having had a month off thanks to the weather and then the holiday. And he always has so much fun doing it, and then sleeps the rest of the day!

The best part of today was when he wandered into the chicken pen and Dave called him from the backdoor, and Barclay came running! Then at herding practice I called him away from the sheep and he dropped what he was doing and came running. Then he did it again this afternoon when Dave called him into the house! We taught him to come as a puppy, then he ‘forgot how’ as an independant teenager, but now it’s finally coming back to him. Nothing in the world feels as good as calling your dog and seeing him running towards you!

Planning for summer

On By stefrobrtsIn farm, garden1 Comment

I have a lot of things I want to do this upcoing summer. I need to build some deeper raised beds. I have a lot of compost I can use from my animals. I want a bit more space for my bigger plants, like tomatoes. I’d like to plant more berry bushes. I want more stuff growing and for it all to be as low maintenance as possible. I bought a couple more books to help, ones specifically about growing in the NW. I found some of the advice for other regions just doesn’t apply, so I needed some local knowledge.

Funny to be thinking about gardening when last week there was snow on the ground!

Also got in 35 bales of hay last night to help keep the sheep and goats fed. That was an expense I didn’t need! But it was my fault for incorrectly calculating how many bales I needed when I bought it last summer.

And our van is in the shop for the 4th time in a month. First time was a complete brake overhaul ($900), second time was some failed sensors ($350), third time was a bad battery cable ($40), this time it’s leaking antifreeze because during one of the previous visits they replaced the radiator cap, which must have pressurized the system and caused a blowout somewhere else. The bills have been going down, so I’m keeping my finger crossed this is just a hose, and not the radiator itself leaking!

Rainy day guests

On By stefrobrtsIn barclay, pets2 Comments

We are near the bottom of a hill, and the water from above us drains down into our pasture. I don’t mind, it’s important for the water to have someplace to go, especially with so many wetlands being destroyed.


And it provides habitat for visitors like this – a flock of canada geese who dropped by to enjoy the field. They fly over every day. There is a pond to the south east, and another to the north west, so we are in the flight path morning and evening, but this is the first time I’ve ever seen them stop.

Resolutions – Silver Star Mountain

On By stefrobrtsIn outdoors7 Comments

Mt St Helens from the summit of Silver Star Mountain
(photo by Petrarch1603 – shared by creative commons license)

Gosh, Dorinda inspired me by blogging her resolutions – and they were so darned organized – which is just like her, in my view!

My resolution is the same one it has been for the last couple years, and every year something stops me. This is it – this year I’m going to do it. I will climb a mountain. Literally. I want to get to the top of Silver Star Mountain. It’s just east of town, and I see it every day, and I wish I could get to the top of it. Of course I am not in as good a shape as I was when I started wanting to do this a few years ago – seems like something always gets in the way and I end up getting even further from my goal.

Almost 5 years ago we drove up there, and it takes a 4×4 just to get to the trailhead. We started hiking up the trail and it was so steep, and the altitude was so high, I started to panic a bit, had trouble catching my breath, so we turned around and came back. Ever since I have wanted to get in better shape and try again! Of course, the humiliating thing is that Silver Star is completely non-technical, is listed in several guidebook as ‘easy hikes for children’, and is considered a grade A (that’s the easiest rating they have) hike for most outdoor clubs. It’s really shouldn’t be that big an achievement. But it will be for me.

So my goal is to get out and hike at least a couple times a week on local trails, and get in better shape so that by the end of the summer I can hike to the top of Silver Star. Anyone want to join me?

Laptop down!

On By stefrobrtsIn Uncategorized1 Comment

Argh, I’m spending a little time laptop-free this week. My faithful old Inspiron has broken down. parts are in the mail – hopefully the right parts. But until I get it fixed I have no access to my email. It’s like being cut off from the world! I can occasionally sneak in and use my hubby’s computer, but it doesn’t have my bookmarks and I can’t access email from here. So until I get back online – have a great New Years, everybody!

Another Casualty

On By stefrobrtsIn barclay, pets5 Comments


When I was little I loved my Grandma’s wind up polar bear. I was only allowed to play with him gently, under supervision, and he was pretty threadbare back then even. A few years ago when my aunt passed away, we were cleaning up the house and discovered the polar bear still in Grandma’s dresser drawer where she had always kept it. No one had moved anything since she passed away almost 20 years before! I took him home and put him on a shelf in the front room

Yesterday Barclay had been naughty and running around the loveseat to hide from us, so I pushed the loveseat up against the shelves so he couldn’t get behind it. Later he noticed he could climb on the loveseat and reach the shelves, and the first thing he picked was the bear!

AAARGH – ROBO-BEAR!!!!!

I’ll be so glad when Barclay gets done with his destructive-puppy phase.