Our Castle Rock Farm

Life's Little Pleasures

2012-01-14T23:05:00.001-06:00

Who would have thought that sleeping in your own bedroom could be such a luxury?

Since mid-July we have been sleeping in the dining room, the girls in the library, and the boys in the den. Every morning the kids had to stack the mattresses, every dinner party was crammed into our makeshift dining area in the kitchen.

Here are some photos as we neared the end. The rush at Christmas was to finish enough of the rooms for the carpet layers to come in. Some were ready, some were finished after the carpet was installed. Such is life.

Girl's room as we sorted out the trim

Girl's room getting painted after the carpet was installed. Oh well.

Girl's room ready to move in - if not quite done yet...

Master bedroom getting the ceiling treatment

Take off your shoes in the master bedroom

Nearing the End

2012-01-14T23:02:00.003-06:00

After what seemed like an eternity, this renovation finally is coming to a completion.
Well, sort of a completion. There is never an end to all the trim, touch-ups, etc.
But is sure feels better to be on this end of the project than the beginning.
The attic bedroom is complete now with beds, books, and the obligatory Legos strewn all over the floor.

Welcome home.

Room With a View

2011-11-06T18:58:00.005-06:00

We are getting close to turning the page on our home improvement manual. Sheetrock will soon cover the walls that have been treated with new wiring, plumbing, and closed cell insulation.

The attic space, once a source of dread, is fast becoming the coolest room in the house. With the new window and lofted ceiling (thanks to the spray insulation) it is a room that past residents would barely recognize.

If you follow our blog, you may remember when we dismantled the chimney in the attic and 'planted' our brick garden by launching them out this window.

All we want for Christmas are our bedrooms back...

Sugar and Spice

2011-10-30T18:30:00.005-05:00

Spice (in front, black w/ red collar)

Sugar

Before and After

2011-08-06T21:07:00.001-05:00

I think taking out walls is the most fun thing about remodeling...

More Light (and Heat)

2011-08-06T20:59:00.003-05:00

Along with the new wiring we are swapping out all the old windows, door, and heat ducts - not an easy task to thread duct work to an attic of an existing home. Lots of plans and thinking.

I think T.J. our heating guy finally settled on Plan P, or maybe it was Plan Q or R...

Up, Up, and Away

2011-08-06T20:46:00.006-05:00

The attic stairway had a very low head clearance in order to close it off during the winter to keep out the cold, during the summer months to keep in the bats, and during the rental years to hide all the garbage they tossed up there over the decades.

Once the electrician, George, got the wires out of the floor boards moved I swooped in with the saw and opened the space up a bit.

And then there was Light

2011-08-06T20:32:00.003-05:00

After quite a wait things are really starting to zip along here. The electrician (Mara's uncle George) arrived here a few days back and took to the wiring like bees to honey.

It's amazing to watch a master electrician at work. I admit I pulled the hovering homeowner and no doubt frustrated George to no end, but I was just so happy to see the old wiring go that I couldn't resist.

Goodbye knobs! Goodbye tubes!

Interior Designers

2011-07-28T21:45:00.003-05:00

We couldn't pass up the opportunity to make our marks on the soon to be demolished walls. So out came the Sharpees and the permission to draw anywhere the kids wanted to (except the floors, which were in surprisingly good condition.)

Leave it to Beaver

2011-07-28T21:24:00.007-05:00

These lath piles outside the bedroom windows are starting to look like a flock (a den, a batch, a quaggle) of beavers have set up camp around our house.

Got lath? We can help.

By the way, the brick path you see next to the lath pile was paved from these bricks.

Before and After

2011-07-28T21:06:00.005-05:00

OK, more like Before and During. The (Happily Ever) After part won't come for awhile yet.

The top pic shows the water heater taken out of the upstairs bath and located in the upstairs apartment kitchen.

The middle pic is the same space, minus the water heater, the chimney (boy, that was a fun, hot, sooty afternoon), and door frame. We have it down to the studs in order to rewire, and convert it to the new hallway to the upstairs attic bedrooms and a new master bath. The wall between the hall and the new bath (sort of where the water heater is sitting in that picture there) will be made into two closets, half accessible from the hallway, half from the master bedroom.

The bottom pic shows the chimney demolition in progress.

It all sounds so easy, I'm just not so sure if we can pull it off.

Quitting Time!

2011-07-28T20:56:00.005-05:00

Well, at least it probably was for whoever drank this down and then set it inside the studs to be plastered over and hidden for the next 9o years or so.

No, I've never heard of the Winona Liquor Company. And, yes, it was empty when we found it.

Left in the Dust

2011-07-25T21:31:00.005-05:00

Our major renovation of the house has begun. We have completely moved out of the upstairs, gutted it down to the studs and will have a much more insulated, modernly-wired home to go up the stairs to at night.
Everyone here at Castle Rock Farm 'enjoys' carrying out old renter carpeting, trim boards, and loads and loads of plaster (the lathe we pitched out the windows into large piles reminiscent of beaver lodges).

Goat crazy

2011-07-12T22:46:00.004-05:00

The new batch of kids this year are lots of fun for all. We have 5 bucklings and 4 cute doelings. A special time this kidding season was witnessing the birth of the last set of twins in the pen we had set up out in the back yard.

As the photos attest, the goats are often guests for picnics and other outings in our yard. The girls carry them all over the property, brush them, and basically treat them as an extension of their doll world.

In other words, an ordinary day at Castle Rock Farm...

not tellin'

2011-05-22T20:08:00.004-05:00

But I will say make sure to rinse off the mushrooms before eating. We got a praying mantis and a snail coaxed out of their cozy fungi-plex just in time...

April in - Spare Us

2011-04-22T16:20:00.003-05:00

The snow this week just couldn't get enough of our humble corner of the world. We had 2 inches, while folks up higher on the bluff and downstream a bit measured 6 to 8 inches on their decks come morning. Of course winter hats, gloves, and boots have been cleaned and put away for the winter already.

Appears that shoes are also put away.

Kids.

Porch with a View

2011-04-21T20:59:00.010-05:00

I guess we have lived here long enough.

Our love of trees (having none to very few at our old home) is in direct competition with our love of the view of Castle Rock. Today we did a very hard thing: we cut down 5 trees. Some were smallish ones in the way of our new garden, but one was a majestic basswood tree. It just so happened to be directly in between us sipping tea on our front porch and the rocks on the bluff.

We kindly asked it to scooch over just a bit, but it was firmly rooted in obstinacy. We tried to look beyond the canopy, pretending to be content with knowing that beyond the foliage was the object of our gaze. Didn't work. Winter offers us a fine view, but how often does one sit outside in the winter? Once spring arrives our panorama slowly fades in a sea of green. Beautiful, but, well, not beautiful enough.

Fine, so we're bluff snobs. So be it.

The basswood came down with grace and dignity. A charming little twist at the end coming to rest on the hill to a cheering crowd of happy log climbers.

A baker's dozen

2011-01-22T16:21:00.004-06:00

This new flock of hens has not even paused in their egg-laying production since the brown, round bounties started rolling down the chute this summer. Our first flock of Araucana chickens went on strike the moment the ground froze last year. This new pack is a mix of Red Stars, and some weird ones with fluffy feet, and others with fluffy hair (OK, head feathers).

We have great fun finding creative uses for our eggs: omelettes, cookies, and a family favorite, lemon cheesecake, using fresh goat cheese.

Our next egg-cellent project: home-made pasta.

Anyone else out there doing creative things with eggs?

Pooling our Resources

2010-08-10T09:24:00.006-05:00

OK, so it's been hot. REALLY hot, here at Castle Rock Farm.

And, as many of you faithful readers know, our former residence is still on the market due to 'unfavorable macro-economic realities' (stinky economy). Therefore we have been forced, nay, challenged to discover creative (as in cheap) means for farm renovation and recreation.

Thus the heat drove us to create a 'farm pool' from an old wooden ice box we found in the barn, 4 bales of hay, and a spare vinyl tarp. Never in our wildest dreams would we think the kids would find it something to play in for hours on end, but they did. In fact, there was a strange attraction to it when the dew point reached the 100˚ level, so that even the adults here took a dip.

I say all this to lead up to the main event, which is the addition of a real pool here at Castle Rock Farm. I know it looks indulgent, and a bit snooty, but the offer (and price) came just at the right time from my sis (thank you!) so we are now the proud caretakers of a 4000 gallon backyard play toy.

The kids couldn't wait for the water to get to the top level and started splashing around as soon as the hose went in.

Who says life has to be all toil and no fun?

New Goat(s)

2010-07-22T21:40:00.006-05:00

We are pleased to present Princess Buttercup (pink crown) and Prince Humperdink (tan crown and pink tongue).
You have to watch the movie, The Princess Bride, to understand our sense of humor.
Castle Rock Farm once again is jumping with new life.
Too fun.

Old Goat

2010-04-28T18:15:00.004-05:00

No not me...

Dolly and Madison

Sugar and Spice

are 1 year old!

The Castle Rockers celebrated with a spring picnic with bundt cakes and ice cream. Had a great time, wish you were here.

Morel-velous!

2010-04-26T20:56:00.002-05:00

Where there's one, there have to be more...

Ode to Joy

2010-03-22T21:16:00.006-05:00

Our beloved butterball cat, Tom Bombadil died recently.

Our hearts (and laps) still yearn for his sweet nuzzle and purrrrrrrr...we are grateful that we had nearly a year with him.

He was part of the fab four that were adopted out last summer, only to find his way back to Castle Rock Farm because of his feisty spirit and spunk towards dogs. His incompatibility with his adopted family (we still love the image of a 6 week old kitten hissing and spitting at a poor old pooch) became the Joy of our farm.

“Joy all creatures drink
At the breasts of nature;
All good, all bad
Follow her trail of roses.
Kisses she gave us, and wine,
A friend, proved in death;
Pleasure was given to the worm,
And the cherub stand before God.”

Brick gardening in February

2010-02-28T18:30:00.005-06:00

As winter seems in no hurry to take the hint and leave, we here have decided to ram full speed ahead with our garden and plant the only thing hardy enough to withstand the cold here in Zone 4.

These are garden-variety chimney brick seeds (not the heirloom variety) but should yield quite a crop next fall if we keep them watered. Planting them in the snow gives them an extra nitrogen boost that is SO important to keeping the late summer blight that is prevalent with the brick crop here in the north.

Valentine, O Valentine!

2010-02-19T10:34:00.005-06:00

In spite of a business trip to Chicago for the College Art Association and a great encounter with the Puppet Bike, we were able to schlup together quite the receptacles for sweet Valentine's treats at this year's gathering.

The masks were constructed from 1957 civil patrol bandages. Who cares if we were up until midnight painting, gluing, and taping before the Amtrak left for the Windy City?

Isn't that what love is for?

Nice Ice

2009-12-28T21:30:00.005-06:00

The road-side ice rink is back in business.

We have had quite a few nice skates already this week. If we are fortunate the weather will cooperate and we'll be down there many times this winter. Of course our new skates we all got under the tree last Christmas are a bit snug this year. We're doing some fast 'switch-eroo's' for the faster growing feet at Castle Rock.

If you come to visit, be careful of that first step onto the ice - the spring is still running along the edge and making the ice there a bit 'iffy'. A good hop aught to do you just fine.

And So WInter Comes

2009-12-20T22:10:00.003-06:00

Our first winter storm came with enough snow to keep all of us busy shoveling for quite a few hours. So much for a day off from school for us all, we were too exhausted to enjoy it.

The goats seemed to appreciate the path cleared to their hay rack however.

View with a Room

2009-11-29T16:39:00.004-06:00

Some more photos from the view at the top of Castle Rock. The second photo shows Castle Rock farm below. The third photo is a great shot of Winona, Minnesota.

Enjoy.

Checking Out (the view)

2009-11-25T21:08:00.005-06:00

Earlier this fall we had an extraordinary event: all five goats ran off. Not for a day, but for four days. That's right; we had to buy store milk for almost a week!

We hiked the hills and vales, before church, after work, during school: with no trace of them. Neighbors told us that surely coyotes ate them and we would never see them again. We covered nearly every nook and cranny over and over. On goat-less day four the boys took a hike to show a friend the top of Castle Rock, and there they were - all five of them with bells jangling and tails wagging. Where they were hiding we don't know.

The good that came from this 'adventure' was that it got many of us to the top of the bluff for the first time, something we kept meaning to do but never had gotten around to it. Nothing like lost livestock to get a person up and at 'em.

(In the photo above, Castle Rock Farm is right behind the two goatherds in the picture - and about 400 feet directly below).

Checking Out

2009-11-16T20:19:00.006-06:00

Our family has had its share of 'flu-like' illnesses this fall, including a whopper of an infection that gave one farm boy here at Castle Rock farm a Go Directly to the Hospital card. He had to cash in his Ride in an Ambulance card as well, without passing Go and collecting $200.00.

Thankfully this young buck comes from a stout lineage and has bounced back full of vim and vigor.

Memories of beeping monitors, warm wishes from friends and relations, and delicious hospital food paled in comparison to the gift of a cute little snake that the brothers had waiting upon our return from the hospital. It was very grateful that s/he was re-released at the rock wall where cats Rosie and Tom couldn't make it a Saturday snack.

So, whip up a busy fall, stir in some H1N1, add car troubles, shake vigorously - and what pours out pretty much looks like our family.

Summertime, and the Livin' is Easy

2009-08-21T19:03:00.005-05:00

Catfish were jumpin, but we decided instead to have our chicken cordon bleu and twice baked potatoes that we had packed along for the ride.

The backgrounds in the photos shows Castle Rock and the Winona bridge downstream.

A wonderful evening on the Mississippi River.

Breaking Laura's Bubble

2009-08-17T21:20:00.008-05:00

OK, all you Laura Ingalls Wilder fans out there, we are about to disclose some troubling news:

Laura was a liar. A cute, calico-clad, tom-boyish liar.

I know this is hard to hear, but it must come to light. It has weighed heavy on this family's heart ever since we read the book, Little House in the Big Woods.

We have many friends who live across the country who ADORE Laura and frankly think we are rock stars because we live just down river from where her little house/big woods thing happened. They always want to know what our log cabin looks like, if the kids sleep in trundle beds, and if our pa can kill bear and wild pigs with one shot.

Yes. all of that is still true around here - we still make cheese, pop kettle corn, and give shiny pennies to grateful children on Christmas morning. But one thing we DON'T do is tell zingers like Laura did on page 163.

We want to set the record straight once and for all: the edge of the world cannot be seen from the shores of Lake Pepin, it just seems that way.

Our recent trip over-the-river-and-through-the-woods-to-grandmother's-house-we-went was along Minnesota highway 61, a long portion of which borders Lake Pepin.

In no place along the 10 mile drive up along the lake could we see the sky and the water meet. It was more like a Wisconsin sandwich between a slice of sky and lake.

There. We told you. We feel better.

This Farm is held together with Bailing Twine

2009-08-09T19:55:00.007-05:00

Now most farmers will tell you that most anything on the farm can be fixed with a little bailing twine, but, for heaven's sake, do we really need this much of the stuff?!

We are cleaning out spots in the barn that we 'glossed over' when we cleared out areas for the goats and chickens last fall, only find enough twine to stretch from here to the state line. (Thankfully the state line is only about two miles from here).

What we thought was about an inch deep of the stuff turned out to be a mountain of it. We planted it out behind the scrap metal pile for lack of a better place for it.

The best part was that we finally found the missing chuck key for our power drill that had fallen into the pile last winter. That, and one cotton glove that was also missing, and a couple of very dried out rodents that we weren't missing.

(oh yea, we also found a 1987 Winona Steamboat Days button...added in the spirit of full disclosure)

Kittens!

2009-07-22T22:18:00.003-05:00

These are the kittens latest pics (listed clockwise from upper left)

Vegetable Kitten (Yes, that's its name) - he loves to chase jump ropes and his siblings tails. Buries the needle on the cute-O-meter. Likes to sit in laundry baskets. Does eat meat despite his name.

Tom Bombadil - is a kitten who strangely likes rides in wagons and the basket of a tricycle. Loves to snuggle and has a big purrr. Looks just like his mother, Rosie Cotton.

Sister Margaret - she got her name because she is the only female in a pack of males. :) Her purr is actually bigger than Tom Bombadil's. Everyone who visits admires her calico markings. Has a very cute habit of sleeping on the front porch chair with her hind legs hanging over the edge.

Weedlie Doo - loves to sit on shoulders and watch while the goats are being milked. When he gets bored with that he moves to the feed box and watches the goat eat. First one of the litter to catch a vole.

Time Out!

2009-07-12T20:01:00.008-05:00

Whew! Our busy summer is full throttle here at Castle Rock Farm. The milk production is going strong, allowing us to start our next venture: cheese. The cheese soaking in the brine above is Feta. Also in the works are Ricatta, Cottage, and Cheddar.

Madison the boy wonder goat also left the farm for his new home upriver. It was sad to see him go, but we're glad that he will have a good life on a farm with lots of children, instead of a one-way trip to the sausage factory.

After Madison left we were all so distraught that we decided to build a treehouse. It helped with the grief.

Everyone helped in the construction.

Testing the branches was an integral part of the engineering. We also learned that floor joists hold much firmer when there are deck screws holding them in. (Notice the scrape on the forehead).

This is the view from the finished platform. A great place to bring a book and a glass of ice tea.

Weird sisters

2009-06-18T19:04:00.004-05:00

"Fair is foul, and foul is fair;
Hover through the fog and filthy air."

Maybe that is what these cackling brood of hens are saying when they visit our house, but we sure can't understand them. Nonetheless, we call them the Weird Sisters, in honor of the witches that haunt the mortals in Macbeth.

Here is a little video - listen if you can hear the strains of Middle English...

Don't Let this Happen to You

2009-06-13T21:07:00.007-05:00

Our chief lawn maintenance engineer had a close shave recently when he couldn't get the lawn mower started halfway through the cutting. Pushing it up the hill to try to restart, the mower decided to split and form two separate and unique entities.

Thankfully it was not running when this happened. We shutter to think about it.

Anybody need a 5HP motor?

A New Day Dawns

2009-06-05T10:44:00.004-05:00

Here's a photo to help bolster the 'chick vote'...we have some new hatchlings gamely pecking with their egg teeth as I write this.

And in addition to this wonderful news is the marking today of our first year anniversary of moving here to Castle Rock. Can it already be a year? Wow!

Family photos

2009-06-01T21:32:00.006-05:00

Today's featured family is Trixie and her two kids, Dolly and Madison. Madison, the buck at top is showing off his great spots and brown undermarkings, while Dolly bears many of her mother's markings. Couldn't resist showing off the business end of mama goat. A county fair ribbon contender, to be sure.

Chicken Little

2009-05-21T21:35:00.004-05:00

To complete our Dr. Doolittle impersonation we have 9 new chicks hatched from eggs incubated in our dining room. They now are at home in a large, newspaper lined box in the parlor. Ten originally hatched, but Sinbad, a little trooper of a chicken (who stumbled around out of the egg like a drunken sailor) didn't make it past day two. He (or she) was great company while with us and now rests in the back of the barnyard next to Pricilla.

Here, Kitty Kitty!

2009-05-19T21:08:00.008-05:00

We were delighted recently to watch our Rosie cat give birth to her kittens. She was a good sport to allow 8 very curious humans peeking around the dining room door! Actually we only witnessed the first two, she birthed the second pair after we went to bed. Probably wanted a little privacy.

Even though she is our 'barn cat' we have her all decked out with a cushion in a box in our living room and goat milk with fresh chicken eggs in a bowl on demand. The kittens still have their eyes closed, though some are starting to peek around with one eye a little.

The needle on the Cute Meter is buried with all these animal babies here...

more-Ls

2009-05-18T21:11:00.003-05:00

Too good!

And the new total is...

2009-05-18T21:03:00.003-05:00

62¢!

Goodness, gracious!

2009-05-13T18:53:00.003-05:00

If it isn't fresh morel mushrooms for the pasta dish, it's fresh violets for the salad.

Almost too pretty to eat (but we did, and they were delicious).

Salt of the Earth

2009-05-11T20:45:00.003-05:00

Linnea found this beautiful 1930's era salt shaker down by the pond in the dirt. A beauty of a find - I wonder how long it had been there?

Newer Kids on the Block

2009-04-30T08:40:00.004-05:00

Melba delivered two female kids at 3pm yesterday, bringing the total goat population close in number with the humans. Both girls are little versions of the mama goat - black with cute white markings and a sprinkle of white on one. This blog writer tentatively named them Sugar and Spice, however final naming rights are probably going to someone with more influence around here...

New Kids on the Block

2009-04-27T23:23:00.002-05:00

Trixie is the proud mama of two kids: a male and a female. The household exploded into a joyful yell as Britta came running into the house carrying the little buck. They took to the bottle right away (or sort of) and are resting comfortably in a hay box with lots of blankets.

Many of the kids (human ones) said this was one of the best nights ever.

Hail to the Spring

2009-04-25T11:32:00.003-05:00

Yesterday the temperature was 90 degrees. Today it is 45 degrees. In between the hot and cold was a doozy of a storm that dropped quarter sized hail.

Turkey Time

2009-04-22T20:34:00.002-05:00

Last Sunday we had a visit from this little friend. The boys were able to get quite close before she walked back up the hill where she came from.

Promised photos II

2009-04-12T16:47:00.002-05:00

Promised photos

2009-04-12T16:40:00.005-05:00

The photo students definitely can turn the ordinary to a moment of extraordinary elegance. Just may put off painting the front porch if it means more photos like this someday.

Pretty Picture

2009-04-10T12:29:00.004-05:00

Those who stand behind and 'backseat blog' have commented that there are enough photos of trash piles and something more aesthetically pleasing is in order.

The barn boards are getting a make-over and are slowing making their way back onto the barn. If only the scent of the linseed oil could be blogged it would complete the picture.

missed by an eyelash

2009-04-06T13:20:00.002-05:00

If this is what blizzards are supposed to be like that is fine with us. Instead of shoveling out the driveway we spent a rather nice day yesterday cleaning out the yard of trash. This pile was over (well actually, under) the site where renters had a burn barrel. Every time I dug down with a garden hand rake more stuff would surface: glass, aluminum cans, wire, even two shoes (though they didn't match).

And the total monetary find so far: one penny, one dime, and one quarter - for a total of 36¢!

Fox Update

2009-04-04T11:19:00.002-05:00

Expecting a blizzard tonight :(

But all the chickens are safe and sound in the barn. Whew!

The photo above is from the recent visit by the photo students. They descended on Castle Rock Farm armed with manual cameras. Some great work has come from the visit - as soon as we can scan some negatives I'll post their work.

Fox in the henhouse

2009-03-29T21:04:00.005-05:00

There is a fox lurking in our neighborhood. Next door the sly one has decimated their flock. We're on the lookout for any suspicious behavior.

Fox drawing by Linnea.

You know it is soon Spring when...

2009-03-17T20:49:00.002-05:00

...the snow is melting enough to reveal more of the trash the renters threw into the bushes.

Oh Happy Day!

2009-02-01T13:32:00.004-06:00

Where there was once only snow and cold, there are now warm and sunny (side up) delights from the barn.

Just in time for a hint of spring weather the 'girls' of the coop have come through with their first eggs.

Are we a real farm now? It sure feels like it...

Cold, Icky, Winter

2009-01-28T19:27:00.003-06:00

I absolutely refuse to post something hopeful, cheery, or interesting until the weather takes a change for the better.

While the pond still offers entertainment for the kids, we adults are thoroughly tired of this winter weather.

So there.

The Big Bang Theory

2009-01-17T18:54:00.004-06:00

While the origin of the universe theories jostle for attention at our universities, we at Castle Rock farm have our own Big Bang to worry about. We heard that the original owner of the property had worked for the county building roads, and we had even found an empty cardboard box in the barn labeled 'TNT explosives', but this receipt had me thinking - let's just hope old Mr. Mertes used up all the dynamite and didn't store any on the premises for me to accidently hit with my shovel...I really doubt one could buy 3 pounds of dynamite complete with firing caps and fuses for a buck fifty nowadays. At least on East Third in Winona.

"our best christmas ever"

2008-12-27T20:55:00.003-06:00

snow fun in wisconsin (say fast three times)

2008-12-22T11:41:00.004-06:00

Snowy views of our house and barn. The goats and chickens haven't left the barn for a long time. They enjoy the balmy temperature inside the barn from the piles of hay, heated water dish, and hanging light bulbs. Mom is baking gingerbread cookies today with the girls all decked out with aprons.

cross in the sky

2008-12-22T06:33:00.007-06:00

This morning at 6:09 am the International Space Station was scheduled to pass directly over our house with a very bright magnitude.

I awoke at 5:40 and quickly made coffee, put on the tea kettle and then put the parka over my pajamas and went out near the barn to wait. It was -8 degrees again this morning, so the air was a bit frosty. The moon was to the south hanging low on the horizon just over the small pasture next to the barn. I could see the black lunar disc in silhouette in addition to the glowing crescent. The stars were very bright, making the winter landscape glow with a pale blue light.

Whenever I find myself alone with the stars I can't help but think of Psalm 19, which begins:

The heavens declare the glory of God;

the skies proclaim the work of his hands.

Day after day they pour forth speech;

night after night they display knowledge.

Right about 6:09 I was treated to a rising space station coming over the cedar trees in the west and gaining in brightness as it passed overhead. That light represented the efforts and dreams of so many scientists, technicians, and politicians. And here I stood in the middle of my yard in my pajamas on a frozen winter morning. I said a prayer for the men and women riding so high looking down on us as we look up to them.

As the ISS passed directly overhead, my neck was craned upward with the opening of the parka venting my breath like a cabin's chimney. At the midpoint in the sky a falling star cut a streak north to south through the west to east path of the space station nearly at the same point. A cross in the sky. For those willing to see it.

art club mascot

2008-12-21T19:49:00.005-06:00

By the looks of the t-shirt that Ferdinand is wearing (in the top photo) you would think that we finally have some quality members of our art club at school. In fact he does closely resemble a certain unnamed advisor to the art club, but that is something not to be shared with the blog-o-sphere.

Ferdinand visited our lovely part of the northland a few weeks ago and had a nice visit with our fair ladies. Perhaps the blossoms of love will appear in about 5 months and we will have the joy of birthing kids - much to the delight of the human kids here on the farm.

Our time of late has been shoveling our way to and from the barn for milking. The snowdrifts along the drive are about waist high so far and this morning the temperature was -8 degrees F. The wind chill was enough to take your breath away.

Good skating weather. Those photos to come soon...

Rich Man, Poor Man

2008-12-01T20:14:00.002-06:00

While we have not turned up that coffee can of money on the property yet, we have found documentation that we are not the only poor people around here. Not sure what 'poverty money' would refer to, but $10 sure would have been a lot of cash back in 1908.

before capitalization ban on poetry?

2008-11-29T20:03:00.003-06:00

We found a tax ledger in the rafter of our garage from 1875. In it are many family names from the area and even the folks who built the farm (though the spelling is a variation). So we are fairly certain that the farmstead pre-dates the existing buildings of the 1910 era.

Googling 'e e cummings' doesn't reveal any western Wisconsin connection, but you never know?

Animal Farm

2008-11-14T14:06:00.004-06:00

Meet all the animals on our farm through the drawings of our 7 year old daughter -

Our goats (drawn on napkins):

Our chickens:

(how did Princess sneak into that picture?)

Our barn cats:

Peter's bird:

And the artist herself:

Down to The Wire

2008-10-27T19:37:00.003-05:00

The boys were a team of trench diggers for three weeks earlier this fall. Over 150 feet of clay and rock were upended using only the muscle in their arms and a couple of mattocks to make way for underground electric cable.

Hopefully we will be able to retire the extension cords to the barn before too much snow flies. (Yes, we have already had 2 snow showers already - now that's shocking!)

Autumn gently arrives

2008-10-19T16:25:00.004-05:00

As the sumac turn brilliant red, we try to savor the nice days. The boys show off their milking skills during a recent visit by grandma and grampa.

Even the cats seem to relax from their frisky ways.

Walls give way to Views

2008-10-13T19:41:00.006-05:00

With the coming of winter, we are busy buttoning up as much as possible of the barn.

While removing the barn boards (we don't suggest this for the faint of heart) we discovered all kinds of new perspectives and ideas for adding windows to the walls.

We also found several boards with BBs shot into them. Probably the same renter boy who shot out all the barn windows and many of the storm windows stacked in the barn. One thing we don't lack for around here is broken glass.

The shot were aimed right near the hay loft. Probably a pigeon was the intended target?

Sometime soon we will post photos of all the crazy hardware and other things we unearth here. Endless supply of little do-dads...

Just in the Niko Time

2008-08-30T07:26:00.005-05:00

Benji the Beloved narrowly missed a one-way trip to market thanks to the heroic efforts of a boy striving hard to turn three years old.

Like Batman needs Robin, Mr. Incredible needs ElastiGirl, and John McCain needs the Governor of Alaska (?), Niko the Boy Hero can now face all foes with his trusty companion, Benji!

Stinging nettles? Zap!

Pesky burdock? Zoom!

Flower garden? Oh, wait...let's not go there...

May this third year alliance between boy and goat bring peace and stability to our little slice of western Wisconsin.

Niko, you are our Hero! Yeah, Niko!

Good fencing makes good neighbors

2008-08-18T21:22:00.004-05:00

The other day was a busy day of fencing. The morning and afternoon we fenced in the barn pasture. Fortunately there is a high retaining wall that surrounds roughly half the perimeter of the area so we got away with using only 100 feet of fencing. We built a gate out of an old 4 x 5 foot window frame left in the barn. Saw no rattlesnakes.

Later in the evening several of the kids suited up with fencing gear and had a free-for-all match on the driveway. All survived.

The chicks were obviously worried about the outcome...

Ah ha! I'm not left-handed either!

Give and Take

2008-08-14T21:39:00.004-05:00

One real struggle we have here is tearing out and fixing in order to make the space useable. While we acknowledge that windows must be replaced, doors must be rebuilt, and piles of stuff must be cleared out, we find ourselves pausing and enjoying the quaintness of why we were attracted to this farm in the first place.

Hopefully we will have the wisdom to change that which is needed, and yet retain the charm.

Now and Then

2008-08-14T20:56:00.000-05:00

We are all getting less and less creeped-out by the barn as it gets cleaned from decades of grime and junk. Last night the goats spent their first night in the barn and Trixie gave a record milk amount!

With the start of the school year fast approaching we are all trying to enjoy every moment of the freedom we have this summer to pick through it all and slowly reveal the jewel in the dust.

Before: (cue spooky soundtrack now)

After (think: Copeland's Fanfare for the Common Man)

Meant to Be-Brewing Patience

2008-08-05T08:37:00.000-05:00

Many of you know that we have had our eye on this farm for many years. In fact, we attempted to buy the property 5 years ago. Our purchase agreement actually dated 5 years to the day from the first one.

Five years ago we were certain the Lord had this property in mind for us. Then suddenly the door was closed on the opportunity - we were perplexed (and in honesty, disappointed).

We now see why we needed to wait for His timing in order to prepare us better for the plans He has here.

- - -

Soon after moving in we were all sitting down to dinner when I looked in my tea cup and saw a face smiling back at me. No, we're not going to start divining our future with tea leaves, but we are reminded that waiting on the Lord and letting the sediment fall into the proper places can bring a smile (not to mention a good cup of tea).

View from on High (Don't try this at home, kids)

2008-08-01T13:31:00.000-05:00

Our location is steeped in local lore, with this being an area Native Americans once camped on summers long ago. It was also quite the hiking spot for visiting Winonans just across the river. This postcard dates from 1909 showing a picture of a walking stick equipped hiker at the summit of one of the outcroppings overlooking the Mississippi River valley. We can see this from our back balcony (and a great view from the hammock). A team of wild horses couldn't drag me up to that precarious rock...

Barn raising?

2008-07-27T19:59:00.000-05:00

A big part of the attraction of this place is the barn (circa 1912) built by Mr. Mertes. It is in relatively fine condition, but having said that there are many urgent and long-term fixes needed.

One of our first acts was to clear out the brush around the perimeter.

There was a lot of poison ivy (we're all still itching), a bad encounter with a brown recluse spider, and even a wind storm that took off the final clump of grapevines.

But the more we clear away the more exciting the barn becomes.

Little farm on the prairie

2008-07-24T18:39:00.000-05:00

Just downstream from Laura Ingalls Wilder's little cabin in the big woods is our new home, Castle Rock Farm.

Moving in the lawn resembled a prairie, and it was tempting to leave it that way. But we thought moving all the snakes a hundred yards away from the house or so was probably a good thing.

We are all so excited to begin this new adventure! Check back soon for more details...