Seven-Generations

And now, the fix

2012-01-17T15:04:00.000-08:00

Much cleaner than the patch we put in. We'll need to wait a few days to make sure it doesn't leak, and then we'll bury it with gravel, then dirt.

The bad news is that the poly main line will eventually need to be replaced. Looking on the bright side of that big expense, we will have the opportunity to design our watering system for the farm. We'll get to determine where we want hose bibs, which also means I'll need to determine what the layout of the land will be and how it will be used. It's both scary and exciting, all at the same time. But isn't everything worth doing scary and exciting?

What did YOU do this weekend?

2012-01-10T14:09:00.000-08:00

A harmless question, wouldn't you say? Harmless unless your weekend was filled with angst, sleuthing, digging, flashlights, swearing, trips and more trips to the hardware store, calls to plumbers and well pump companies.

This is how we spent our weekend.

View from the leak, down the hill to our neighbor's back yard

It looks benign enough, but what a pain this was. The moral of the story is twofold.

The patch job done by us.

When it comes time to sell your house, it is REALLY a nice thing to have a fundamental, overall graphic of the property so the new buyers don't fumble around with the really important stuff
Do the job right the first time. In our case we will (the plumber is coming on Thursday), in the case of the former owners, not so much.

When did I become a dog person?

2012-01-03T13:46:00.000-08:00

Gracie LOVES to go to the beach

No, it's not a cigar!

Strike a pose

Bailey, our foster dog.

Our original, The one and only Cinnamon

One of These Things .....

2011-12-09T10:22:00.001-08:00

One of these things is not like the other

One of these things just doesn't belong

Can you tell which one we're keeping at the farm

Before you finish reading this blog?

Sign made by The Lovey using a salvaged redwood plank from an old (and rotten) portion of the deck.

Making Preparations

2011-11-22T10:15:00.001-08:00

In this time of slow growing winter crop and healing of injury, we are making slow moves to organize ourselves: in our heads, on the farm, in preparation for next year. The Lovey and I have created a farm blog. From this point on, all farm related topics will be posted on this site. That is, unless you all revolt like the Netflix customers. If that's the case, then we'll have a second think about our strategy.

In the meantime, here's the beginning of pumpkin pie:

7 pounds, 12 ounces of Sugar Pie Pumpkin. After processing, we have 3 pounds 3 ounces of pulp.
Perfect for 3 pumpkin pies.

She Said' Yes'!

2011-11-19T07:14:00.001-08:00

Congratulations to Number One Son and the Love of his Life!!!! So Excited for you both and thrilled that our son chose such a great woman to share his life with! YAY!

Not all Winter Squash are the Same

2011-11-16T16:26:00.001-08:00

So, when we last left our heros, we were trying to guess how much puree can be made from a 15 lb, 2 oz pumpkin. Cinderella pumpkin. Before I give you that answer, let me introduce you to two other pumpkins that were grown on Seven Cats Farm

Ladies and Gentlemen, may I present The Valenciano Pumpkin:

This is how it is described in seed catalogs:

"These creamy, white-skinned beauties are about 8-10 lbs in size, round and slightly flattened in shape. Vigorous vines bear uniform fruit with nice thick handles. A unique specialty pumpkin can be both eaten and used ornamentally. Flesh is high quality, dense and sweet. Not as rugged as orange pumpkins, harvest right away and keep protected for best quality off the vine."

This pumpkin weighed 8 pounds, 2 ounces when harvested. I was surprised at the yellowness of it's flesh when I cut into it. Not what I expected from a pumpkin. Sadly I made soup with this right after I roasted it, so I don't know the puree weight. The soup was squash-y tasting. Exactly what I was looking for.

The next winter squash I would like to introduce you to is called Sweet Meat.

Again, as described in seed catalogs:
"Vigorous and spreading, this amazing tasting squash can top 10 pounds or more. Sweet meat squash is soft grey-green to deep green on the outside, the sweet, fine-grained orange flesh is an amazing keeper and great for pies! Excellent grower in our cool California coastal climate.

Sweet meat makes a great addition to any meal. Taste almost like a sweet potato. We have even cut up chunks, put butter on them and popped them on the grill in some tin foil. YUM!!"

This was harvested weighing 9.3 pounds. Okay, It's AWESOME! It's name really captures what this squash is. I made puree out of this one (2 lb, 3 oz or roughly 25% of it's original weight) and then made pumpkin lasagna. Yum yum.

So - the answer to the original question? My 15 pound, 2 ounce Cinderella Pumpkin, after being cooked, pureed and hung to drip dry, weighed 3 pounds, 3 ounce, or right around 20% of it's total weight. Who was close?

How much puree will this pumpkin make?

2011-11-14T11:50:00.001-08:00

It seems like every recipe I find that calls for Pumpkin Puree list the amount as 'one 15 ounce can'. Very rarely do I find puree measured in cups. I have a zillion pumpkins that were grown to be eaten! Here's how I make puree. How many 15 ounce cans do you think are in this pumpkin?

15 pound, 2 ounce Cinderella Pumpkin

Here it is, cut in half so you can see the size of the seed cavity

I scraped out the seeds and cut it into quarters

Put it in a pan, flesh side down and added a little water so it would not burn. Next time I think I'll cook it skin side down. I want to bring out the sweetness by roasting instead of steaming.

Cook it at 350 or 400 degrees until done.

Scrape the pumpkin out of the shell, put it in a food processor and process, process, process.
I had to do this in batches.

Put the puree in a cheesecloth lined strainer to drain the liquid out of the puree. You want a dense mush instead of a watered down mush.

See the liquid coming out? Lots of liquid.

Finally, hang the cheesecloth to get the last bit of the liquid out. It's quite amazing to see the amount that is still in there at this point.

Okay - so, how much do you think this ball of pumpkin puree weighs? Remember, it was originally a 15 lb, 2 oz beauty. Leave your guesses in the comments section. In the next post, I'll tell you the answer!

I know, I know

2011-11-05T14:10:00.000-07:00

We post a lot of sunset photos, but really - it's kinda crazy the gorgeous sunsets we get here. Can't beat it. And this is not photo shopped. It's what's really out there. Gorgeous.

Kickstarter is like Kiva....

2011-11-02T14:46:00.000-07:00

... but different.

I hadn't checked out Juniper Moon Farm in awhile. Today I did and I am so glad! She not only introduced me to Kickstarter, but also to this wonderful idea. It's one of those "why didn't I think of that" things. So simple yet so smart.

I am moving away from Tupperware and the like and storing things in Mason and Ball jars. They are inexpensive, really sturdy, and they are NOT plastic. The issues she states in the video are what I have experienced. I think this is a great idea. And yes - she is using plastic, but it is non- BPA, recyclable plastic. The more I learn about plastics, I discover that a lot of what we have (not only in our house, but Americans in general) has nasty BPA in it. Click here to see what I'm talking about.

If you are interested in supporting this entrepreneur, she only has five more days (until Tuesday, Nov. 8th) to get funded. You are not charged until she is fully funded. Unlike Kiva, when funded, this is not a loan and you won't be getting your money back. But you'll be getting really cool lids.

Think about it. If this isn't your cup of tea, there might be someone else you would like to support. OR - maybe you have an idea that needs funding. Hmmmmmmm.........

The sky welcomed us back....

2011-10-23T19:45:00.000-07:00

We were on a little vacation. We were given a great gift upon our return home.

Beans

2011-10-19T13:21:00.000-07:00

It's what's for dinner!

Readying the Field, Part 2

2011-10-15T19:51:00.000-07:00

You take a tractor

And you till to make beds.

Don't walk in the beds! Only the rows.

Readying the Field, Part 1, or How To Efficiently Take Out T-posts

2011-10-09T20:15:00.000-07:00

We have been preparing for our Fall planting at Seven Cats Farm. Our summer harvest is done, starts have been started, and the big project is getting the field prepped for planting.

The first thing we had to determine was HOW were we going to prep the field. Initially, I thought I would double dig the entire field. Yes, all 1/8th acre. We had fenced it in and didn't want to rip all the fencing out in order to get the tractor into the field. However, the Gentleman Farmer has been visiting from Minnesota and gave us some really good pointers. As a result, I didn't double dig. Phew.

So, for the tractor to get into the field, we needed to take out our fence. First, we cut the tie-wraps that attached the deer fencing to the t-posts. The fencing (7 1/2' high deer proof fencing) was then pulled away from the field area.

Next comes the tractor! Attach a long HEAVY chain to the tractor bucket.

Wrap the chain once, twice or three times around the t-post.

Lift the bucket.

Voila!

Now repeat about 50 times.....

Monthly Progress

2011-10-06T07:57:00.000-07:00

Last Month:

September 9

This Month:

October 4th

And the changes keep coming....... stay tuned.

Yellow is the color of the day

2011-10-02T08:55:00.000-07:00

Sunset off our Western Deck

Sunflowers

Weird flower/ leafy thing at Filoli

Bees doing their thing while they still can

Beautiful zinnias. Reminds me of grandma

Lovely speckled apple, 'Stone'

The Orchard

2011-10-01T09:07:00.000-07:00

What a difference a season makes! Remember the orchard we planted in February? Those beautiful 23 sticks of trees? Well look at them now., a slight seven and a half months later!!!!

Looking East

The beautiful NectaPlum

Cherry

That's a Quince tree.... the one with the antennae

Nectaplum leaves.

It's been awhile....

2011-09-23T20:20:00.000-07:00

but we've been busy on Seven Cats Farm:
There has been canning

Dilly Beans

Winter Squash harvesting

Cinderella, white and pie pumpkins, spaghetti squash, green warty squash minus the warts

Insect sighting

Katydid

and a visit from The Canadian

The Canadian (She LOVES artichokes) and me

And a field trip with her to the First Heirloom Expo. But that's a whole other blog post.

And the times, they are a'changin'...

2011-09-08T10:54:00.000-07:00

Lazy Housewife Beans

The field is telling us that we are entering a new season. There are a lot of yellows and orange on the field. Funny, yesterday was one of the hotter days here. I was thinking how Fall is arriving with the Summer weather. Today we are back to our normal of mid-60 degree temperatures.

The summer season plants are nearing their end and the Winter crops are being planted or the field is being prepared for them to be planted. In the meantime, I have some things to carry me over.

The winter squash are doing fabulous! I stopped watering them yesterday to speed up the hardening off process. Here is one of the 'Cinderella Pumpkins'. My hand is in this shot on purpose so you can get an idea of size. It's heavy, too!

And here is the monthly beauty shot. It looks similar to last month's photo. Even without the tomatoes, I think the field still looks pretty darned good.

One more sunflower. Because I wanted to. :-)

What to do with all these Green Beans?

2011-09-02T09:29:00.000-07:00

57 pounds of green beans is nothing to shake a stick at. Green beans are taking over my life. So what to do with them all? We grew them here at Seven Cats Farm with the anticipation of selling them, however it seems that this year, that will not be the case. So, we have given some away to both friends and in sample baskets to local restaurants. I've cooked and cooked and cooked with them. In addition, we are preserving them for us to eat over the winter.

We've canned beans in the past. We did it again this year as well. You have to be really careful with you can them (they MUST be pressure canned) as beans are one of the easiest items that can be contaminated with botulism. But we like the taste of our own beans, canned.

This year we are also freezing them. Who knew freezing was so much easier than canning! Here's what we do:

First we sort them - the thinner, younger beans will be frozen, the older ones are for canning.

Then we snap the ends off (The Lovey cuts off the ends. Leave it to an engineer to need a nice, clean end) and then they get thrown in the sink for a good wash.

I cut mine into two inch (or so) lengths, and then they get put into a pot of boiling water for three minutes.

Then off to the ice bath they go!

After that, they are layered into a pan (I make many layers in one pan separated by foil) and put them in the freezer. That way they freeze, but they are not frozen together into one big blob.

After they are frozen, we measure them out and put them in bags and then back into the freezer they go, ready to be cooked up throughout the year until next August rolls around and we do it all over again!

There is more to a farm than tomatoes

2011-09-01T08:32:00.000-07:00

It is interesting as I observe the pattern of the field. What turns ripe and must be picked, what can wait, what cannot. It's like it's own little symphony - with each section having it's own solo. Right now, it's the green beans that are having their moment in the spotlight.

I planted different types of beans. Three varieties of climbing green beans and several varieties of bush beans. Remember, this is a year of experimentation. I wanted to find out what works and what does not. What performs best. Since space is not an issue (yet), I decided to use as much space as I could.

Pole beans take some time to grow and are certainly more work as, well... you need to provide the poles for them to climb up. Bush beans - you just stick in the ground and they grow. But they have a limited life and if you want beans throughout the summer, you have to do some succession planting.

All in all, we have probably 65 feet of green beans planted. That's a lot. And now we are reaping the rewards. 57 pounds and counting. Right now it feels like a curse as we must process all of this. I am sure when there are no fresh beans on the vine, I'll be grateful for the canned and frozen beans, OUR beans grown in OUR field, that are in the pantry.

Some things I learned about me

2011-08-26T12:49:00.000-07:00

The Late Blight problem was difficult for me. I was so proud of the 70 different varieties that were growing in my test field. I was excited to see what would thrive and what would not quite make it in this new climate in which I am growing. I was ready to really be scientific: logging the pounds of tomatoes each plant would produce, making notes, assessing progress. I was looking forward to the taste tests that were to come and the sauces and ketchup that these babies would produce. And then the death occurred. Ugh.

But I learned a few things about myself.

1. When I discovered that my plants had a disease, I did not think of 'cheating' and using fungicides (later I found out that chemicals wouldn't have fixed the problem anyway). My 'organic-ness' has been tested and I won. Losing the tomatoes was bad. Poisoning the ground I walk on every day, the ground that nourishes the food that in turn nourishes my family and all those who are lucky enough to eat produce from Seven Cats Farm would be worse.

2. When something bad happens, I tend to get really bummed. For about a day. Maybe a day and a half. Then I rebound. I will grow tomatoes again. Differently this time, but I'll be doing it differently because of what I learned during this growing process rather than because of the blight.

3. I was relieved to know that I hadn't done anything wrong. I was glad that the death of my tomatoes was because of something totally out of my control.

4. Some people think they know everything and do not listen. I am not one of those people.

5. The blight fungus not only made the tomato stalks brittle, it made them stink. A smell somewhere between cigarette smoke and eucalyptus. It made the cutting down and removal of the plants a bit easier.

6. The oxhearts were the vines that were the first to get the disease. They were also the most susceptible.

7. Farming is a good thing for me. Physically, it gets me up and moving. Emotionally - it allows me to be productive in a wide open, quiet space. I don't have to be nice. The field is my office and there are no 'office politics'. I am serenaded by bees and birds and am protected by dogs. I love the feel of the sun on my skin and even the drizzle of the fog.

The Lovey says that I have earned my farmer stripes. I am now a farmer.

Late Blight on my Tomatoes

2011-08-23T08:59:00.000-07:00

I've been quiet here in the blogosphere. I've been avoiding posting about this.... maybe hoping that if I didn't write about it, somehow it wouldn't be true. But sadly, it is true.

My tomatoes, those 136 babies of mine, lovingly planted with fish heads and guts - yes. Gone. All gone.

For those of you that follow me on Facebook, you have seen the horrible photos.

My tomatoes were attacked by Late Blight. This is an airborne disease that LOVES the drizzly and cool conditions we have had here on the Central Coast. In my 20+ years of growing tomatoes, I have never seen anything like this before. I noticed what I thought was a bit of leaf curl on a late Friday afternoon. The Lovey and I did some chores around the farm during the weekend, so the next time I was in the field was Tuesday. The 'leaf curl' had advanced to black areas on the stems and the leaves were just devastated.

I emailed Cynthia from Love Apple Farm. At her suggestion, I took a sample to the local Agriculture Extension in Salinas for diagnosis. Two days later the Late Blight was confirmed and I let Cynthia know. She was able to spread the word to a lot of people through her newsletter.

I, however, had to take all my tomatoes out. ALL OF THEM. I had tried to prune away the bad parts of the plants daily, but this disease spreads FAST. The tomatoes went from having a little curl to completely decimated and thus removed in a week. Eight days. Gone. I cried, drank away my sorrows a bit, cried a little more, and then got to work. Because the disease is airborne, we had to cover the tomatoes with a tarp so that it doesn't spread to others with tomato plants (or eggplant or potatoes). This will NOT go into the compost. We will bury them to completely smother the spores.

So my field now looks like this:

These words from an Aerosmith song are ringing in my head:

There's a hole in my soul that's been killing me forever
It's a place where a garden never grows

And for you that would like to take a listen, here it is:

Progress, Part 2

2011-08-05T09:27:00.000-07:00

So here's a photo of last month

And here's a photo I took yesterday. Things are growing!!!!

I've been on a YouTube Aerosmith kick lately....

2011-07-26T08:58:00.001-07:00

And my Steven Tyler crush is no secret to the Lovey. He's 63 and still got it. I want to be like him when I grow up.

How my Garden Grows

2011-07-18T10:06:00.000-07:00

Blogger is giving me fits today, but I did want to post some photos so you can join me in celebrating the progress of the farm. Slowly, we are growing!

Lazy Housewife Bean

Anazazi Bean

Bloody Butcher Tomato

Black Ethiopian Tomato

Cinderella Pumpkin

Carrots

Callendula

The flowers bring in the bees and the good bugs that will deal with the bad bugs.

Beets

Bee on Borage

The Barn

2011-07-12T09:07:00.000-07:00

We have a barn on Seven Cats Farm. A really cool, old barn. When we purchased the property there was some confusion surrounding it. Did it really belong to us? We took the surveyor's report and walked the perimeter of the land. We discovered lots of things, including the vast amount of poison oak growing EVERYWHERE. But we determined that yep, the barn is ours.

Fast forward a year and The Lovey has begun to clear out the barn. The first order of business was to cut the branches of the lovely old oak tree that were resting on the roof. The tree needs some professional attention, but for the time being my Lovey's love will have to do.

Then he began to clean out one of the rooms in our three-room palace. The treasures that were found in there... old barbed wire, ceramic sewer pipe, a rusted push mower, boxes of bolts and nails, an old plastic chair, two 55- gallon rusted oil drums, an old fireplace grate.... you get the picture.

Lastly, he began to grade the hillside approaching the barn. It's a tad steep and will someday require a little bit of a retaining wall, like so much of the land here. In the meantime, I am investigating orchard grass or some sort of alfalfa that will establish itself in filtered sunlight under an oak. A tall order.

We now have a parking place for the tractor. And soon, we just might have shelter for goats, the ultimate poison oak eaters.

Progress

2011-07-05T09:00:00.000-07:00

I am not a patient woman. I want my little babies to grow. And grow FAST. But that is not their plan and they are growing according to their own schedule. Where you are in the field every day, you miss the small and understated growth of the overall field.

But, there has been progress. My I present a photo of a month ago:

And of today:

I am excited to see what another month will bring!

When the cat's away, the mice will play

2011-06-28T10:10:00.000-07:00

So they say.....

But not if you live on Seven Cats Farm! The Lovey was away on business last week and what did I do? Farm, of course. But I also visited a farm! High Ground Organics had a U-pick on their strawberry field. SincIe strawberries are not yet a part of my farm (and strawberry jam is the Lovey's most favorite of jams), I decided to go wild and pick a bunch!

A bunch turned into 20 pounds of strawberries! Yummy!

I have a new canning book, Canning for a New Generation. I got the book because she uses little to no pectin in her recipes. And when she does, she makes her own from apple peels and such. My kind of gal. She also doesn't use a ton of sugar. So I thought I'd break in the book with a jam recipe.

I made two batches, one with a bit of lemon zest and one without. Both are wonderful. The consistency is more of a spread and less like the really thick, globby result that I get with pectin. And less sugar makes it taste like strawberries instead of like candy. I like both - the tart sweet of the lemon and the regular non-lemon jam, but the verdict will be made by the Lovey. After all, this is his thing. My bet is that he will go with the more traditional, non-lemon one.

And, just in case you're wondering, 20 pounds yielded 22 half pints. That will hopefully last us the year!

Boot Camp

2011-06-26T15:05:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I attended the First Annual Monterey Bay Master Gardners Boot Camp. It was extremely well organized for the first time of doing this. Cabrillo College's Horticulture Department is BEAUTIFUL! Located on the top of a hill with a fabulous view of the Pacific... well, it doesn't get much better than this!

The keynote speaker was Cynthia Sandberg, farmer and teacher extraordinaire from Love Apple Farm. Her message was that if she could do it, so could we. She gave a few pointers, but what struck me was her journey and how mine parallels hers so closely.

Like me, she came to farming through the love of gardening, mainly tomatoes. She has/ had a reputation as being 'the crazy tomato lady'.

Like me, she came from a career that was very different from agriculture. She was a lawyer, I was a career services counselor.

She loves her plants and calls them her babies.

She began to learn home preservation skills (canning, drying) as a result of farming because she wanted to keep the love and care she put into her summer harvest all year 'round.

Her first income from tomatoes was selling extra plants (on the honor system) that she grew from a table at the end of her driveway. That later turned into selling tomatoes and eggs. And then she began to teach classes (For those of you that remember the year - 2009 was the year of 206 - when I was giving away tomato plants from the back room of Bobbins Nest? What a crack up that was!).

Now she is the supplier of all produce for the 2-star Michelin rated restaurant, Manresa. She is certainly regionally recognized, if not nationally. She's been profiled in Epicurious, Saveur Magazine, The New York Times, mentioned on The Martha Stewart Show, and on and on.

Here's an odd coincidence. David Kinch, owner and executive chef of Manresa, is a Johnson & Wales University alumnus. He is also currently the Dean of the French Culinary Institute's California campus, the former Professional Culinary Institute where I worked the last 1 1/2 years in my previous career.

Since 2008, I've made that transition from 'professional' to farmer. Of course the actual work transition was immediate but the transition in my head took much longer. Three years later, I am proud to say I am a farmer. An organic farmer that practices sustainable methods. I have so much to learn and so much to do. It is so exciting!

Thanks for joining me on this journey. And Cynthia - my hope is that in 20 years, Seven Cats Farm will be as well known as Love Apple. Thanks for the inspiration and reminding me that it doesn't happen over night. I foresee a table at the end of my driveway this summer.

Ketchup

2011-06-15T17:48:00.000-07:00

To get us all back on track, here's a recap (to catch up) on what's been happening at Seven Cats Farm~

We've done soil samples - both home kit and lab analyzed. The results have been close, with the lab giving us much more information. Basically, our soil lacks some nutrients and a LOT of organic matter (it's testing out at 2%). I'll need to increase the organic matter through compost and cover crops... need to increase this by at least one percent. I am aiming for a total of 5% organic matter, but that will take time.

We started plants

and more plants

and more plants!!

and then hardened them off.

The Lovey mowed the cover crop

tilled it in the field and made rows.

And then on May 15, we put deer fencing around our humble test field and began to plant tomatoes.

Yep - we dug two feet deep holes, put in fish heads (and tails), aspirin, bone meal, worm casting and a little bit of all purpose organic fertilizer, then covered that stinky mess and put in our little babies.

136 tomato plants were planted! Plus corn and beans, squash and pumpkins, carrots and beets, cucumber and eggplant, fennel and okra, cantaloupe and watermelon, peppers and herbs, and on and on....

We water in and wait. And wait.

In the meantime we've had some pretty fantastic days and nights. Not so warm for growing, but what a view!

Highs in the low to mid-60's are not so great for fast growth. I was beginning to think that my babies would stay healthy but really really small. The things I direct seeded did sprout, but would stagnate at one mature leaf set (that is, if the evil crows didn't get them).

And then - look what shows up! One month after planting and things ARE growing!

And I've added a little extra bling for crow control. Mylar bird tape. That's my kind of bling.

Speaking of crows..... I think I hear them. Time to get to the field and run around like a crazy person. If the shoe fits......

Rooftop Garden

2011-06-03T22:27:00.000-07:00

So, it's been a long time since I have posted. Much has happened. Hopefully I can catch up and share with you what has been going on.

But today I want to show you the latest addition to Seven Cats Farm: A rooftop garden! Well, actually a garden with a roof.

You see, we have a problem at the farm. Last week, beans were ripped out of their beds. I called My Farmer and she said to cover my rows. So I did. I covered the beans. Yesterday, I was thrilled that everything planted was just starting to sprout. The transplants are greening up, and the directly planted seeds were starting to show their little heads. In two weeks I would have photos of a lush, green awesome garden. But Houston, we have a problem. I thought it would be gophers, but no. Our issue (today) is crows. Here you can see their damage.....

Crows have sampled everything I planted: beans, peppers, eggplant, corn, squash, melon. Ripped out of the ground were flowers, basil... The only thing that hasn't been picked are the tomatoes.

Was I sad? Yes. Mad? You bet. Defeated? Only for a moment.

After a quick check with the internet, I was off to Tractor Supply to get some sisal twine. I attached the twine to each of the t-posts that surround the field.... every eight feet. Using my incredible weaving skills (haha!) I wove a roof over the garden. The Lovey says it looks like the Holodeck from Star Trek.

My thought is that the crows will get spooked when they see they only have an eight foot square to fly in or out of. But - I didn't stop there. The Lovey had some CD's that he no longer needed. And lookie what I did!

When the wind blows, the CD's spin and throw off light. We'll see if it works. I also have mylar tape on order. The tape will reflect light like the cd's and will also make noise when windy. Wish me luck. I really would like my garden to grow.

Purple Bottle Brush

2011-05-10T09:36:00.000-07:00

Have you ever seen such a thing? Red, yes. But purple - magenta - pinkish bottle brush? These are in my backyard. Crazy.

Our cat is a You Tube star!

2011-05-06T19:30:00.000-07:00

Hello!
Here is a PSA for Project Purr, where we got our outdoor kitties - our first working herd. One of our cats, Oliver, is in this video - the fourth cat shown. We've had him six months and he's now a You Tube Star!

Your Peach on Drugs.......

2011-05-05T08:42:00.000-07:00

This is your peach leaf:

This is your peach leaf on drugs (Not really.... but it looks really gross):

This is Peach Leaf Curl. Ugly. It's caused by a fungus and if it's really bad, can cause defoliation and a decrease in fruit production. I've picked off all the affected leaves and have put them in the city green waste can. They compost at a really high level of heat, so I am sure that will take care of the fungus. I'll spray my little tree in the winter with a copper spray (yes, it's organic) and see what next year brings!

Cornbread in a Square Pan

2011-05-04T12:46:00.000-07:00

... is really good. Even if my stove makes it look like Mickey Mouse.

Really, a well-seasoned cast iron pan is AWESOME!!!!!!!

Cover Crop

2011-05-03T10:41:00.000-07:00

Remember this post? It was the first peak of growth in the cover crop that was planted in the rain. Ah, memories.

Well, here is the result of that cover crop:

Vetch

Oats

Bell Beans

Peas

More peas - I think their flowers are beautiful.

The Lovey mowing around the field. It's a little weedy there!

There are a few reasons to plant a cover crop. There is no crop to harvest. This is a 'sacrificial crop' to feed and build the soil. While it is growing it keeps the weeds out of the field.

Much of what if grown captures nitrogen from the air and sends it to it's roots. The plant would use that if we would let it produce it's seed. But we don't. This crop is cut down prior to fruiting to keep the nitrogen in the soil AND to add organic matter back into the soil. A double win - nitrogen and fiber! We all need a little fiber in our diet!

Sunset on the Farm

2011-05-02T09:54:00.000-07:00

Tomato Plants for Sale!

2011-04-20T11:13:00.000-07:00

Attention Central California friends! Currently, Seven Cats Farm has 51 varieties of organically grown heirloom tomato plants available. Each was planted and grown with love. Most have been sung to. :- ) We've grown some really interesting varieties this year!

Email me at: sydneyamw at hotmail dot com and I'll send you a list to choose from. Each plant is $2.00.

Night and Day

2011-04-05T08:44:00.000-07:00

So, when I am not up to my arms in dirt, I am painting. My 'job' as property manager is to paint. I'm getting our old home ready to be rented out (renter moves in May 1). Since I am a one person crew, this is taking far longer than I thought. I'm ALMOST done..... just have to do the kitchen, bathrooms and trim in the whole house.

I'm painting the place a brighter beige than the previous light tan.... It makes the place lighter.... lets in the sunshine!

First Apple of the Season

2011-04-04T09:09:00.000-07:00

Courtesy of the Lovey. What a great photo. This is one of our established trees in the back yard. Ahhh... Spring is the time of hope, isn't it!

Crazy Tomato Lady

2011-04-02T09:29:00.000-07:00

At last count, 8 1/2 flats = 272 plants

The Hills Are Alive.....

2011-03-17T20:56:00.000-07:00

On this St. Paddy's day, I'd like to show you the beautiful green of the mountains. There is so many colors of green going on right now - there are yellows, blues, and greys in this green. I love it. It makes me get all choked up. Stupid, I know, but true.

And if you really want to know, this is on Highway 101 heading north a few miles from where we live. Not bad!

Do not be deceived......

2011-03-14T09:56:00.000-07:00

Look at this beauty, just beginning to show her leaves. Loved green with maroon. Shiny. This is poison oak. Watch out world, she makes you itch!

Oops, I did it again......

2011-03-09T12:02:00.000-08:00

It's that time of year folks! Yep - getting ready for Spring, which for me means tomatoes. And this year - AGAIN - I planted way too many seeds. Now, in my defense, this IS the first year on the farm. More space, more seeds, more plants. Makes sense.

However, I went overboard. Again. Remember the year that I planted a bunch of seeds because I didn't know if I had saved them correctly? And they all grew? Yep - that was the year of 206 tomato plants. But the varieties were limited to 10 or 12, I think.

This year I did it differently. I have 'all this space', so I can plant all I want. Right? Well... no. I can't plant all I want. I need to determine what grows here and when it ripens so that next year when I will be selling, I have a good idea of what I can plant with success. Yet this year I actually have limited space because of two reasons: 1) the lovely deer that are so well populated around this area make it so I must fence where I grow and 2) the field where I planned to grow has trees on both sides, so I am limited to the beginning of the field where there are no trees and therefore the sunlight is not blocked. Next year said trees will be trimmed and much more light will get onto the quarter acre field.

But back to the very well thought out plan (said with HUGE sarcasm). I need to figure out what works well here at Seven Cats Farm. I'm thinking that I will plant all kinds of different varieties to see what grows. That goes for tomatoes as well as other things - yummy eggplant, fantastic beans (green and shell), melons, summer and winter squash, and on and on. This is the summer of experimentation! This is even more reason that my space is limited!

Do you remember last summer when LW gave me a bunch of tomatoes so I could save the seed? Ten varieties were saved here. Then there were some of the varieties that I grew last year and wanted to grow again, like Copia. That was a great tomato. And then (how could I resist), I went to a class last week on tomato seed starting, and got another (...... wait for it...... are you ready.....................)

48 varieties.

With my seeds from last year and with what I started from class, I have 66 potential varieties of tomatoes to plant at Seven Cats Farm. That's not individual plants, that's variety. If all the seeds sprout and grow into mature, fruiting plants... well, I don't want to even think about it. It will be well over 250 plants. I am thinking that there will be a plant sale in my future this year.

Anyone want to buy a really cool heirloom tomato plant that's been grown with love? I know where you can get some. They might have been sung to as well. Maybe. I'm just sayin'......

I gave my love a cherry

2011-02-14T19:51:00.000-08:00

... that had no stone,
I gave my love a chicken, that had no bone
I gave my love a story, that had no end....

Did your mom ever sing that to you when you when you were a kid? A cherry that has no stone is a cherry blossom. That's what I gave my love for Valentine's Day - an orchard. And that's what he gave me.

It was a LONG process.

Two weeks ago we brought the trees home.

Then The Gentleman Rancher let us borrow a post hole digger attachment for the tractor so we could dig 23 holes. What a HUGE time saver. THANK YOU to the G.R.!!!!!

Then I needed to make gopher baskets (we have an incredible gopher problem here on Seven Cats Farm), so baskets made from chicken wire are put into the ground to keep the roots safe. Most were purchased, some were hand made. We gathered composted horse poop from the neighbors as well.

On February 13, 2011, friends and family gathered to plant an orchard:

Baskets are bent into proper shape

Holes dug out, baskets put in, trees in the holes and then we backfill the holes with soil and compost mix.

Here is a photo of me with My farmer, her husband and one year old son.

Then we make a moat and water in the trees.

After lunch, we put guards around the trunks so critters can't chew on the young trees and kill them. Also the moats are mulched with wood chips! This is my Auntie tenderly wrapping an apricot tree. I think it's my favorite photo of the bunch!

And now, deer fencing! Eight foot t-posts, pounded into the ground to support 7 1/2 feet high fencing. Can you see the little trees in there????? We have fig, apricot, peach, almond, apple, pear, quince, plumcot and nectaplum.

Six and a half hours later and we were all tired, but done. 23 trees and five boysenberries are planted. Thank you to EVERYONE that had a part in making this orchard happen. That includes you - Woman Who Speaks with her Hands!

I gave my love a cherry, that had no stone for Valentine's Day. Excited, exhausted. The beginning of a dream. Maybe next year we'll give each other chickens, so we can have eggs (otherwise known as a chicken without a bone).

Thanks to Mimi for photos of the day.

By the numbers - a personal, photoless entry

2011-02-08T14:28:00.000-08:00

THIRTEEN:

THIRTEEN years ago this month I ended my marriage of THIRTEEN years. It was the hardest decision I have ever made. I knew that it would have a huge, immediate impact on THREE lives and who knows how many others it would effect. It took EIGHT months to gain enough courage to tell my now ex-husband that I wanted a divorce. There were FOUR years of hell that I lived in from the time I left my marriage until things began to settle down. I wouldn't want to live those days or years again, but that time shaped me in ways I cannot begin to explain.

2004 was a magical year. It was the year I returned to California, that #1 son moved to California, that I met The Lovey, that #1 Son was accepted into The Blue Devils A Corps. It was like everything fell into place that was supposed to. No pushing, squeezing, trying to make things work. It all just 'did'. It was the beginning of my dream life. My current life.

ONE:

I have ONE son. He is ONE of the best things that has ever entered my life.
The other ONE best thing that has happened to me is my husband, The Lovey. I have never known love like this.

TWO:

We have TWO outside kitties, our livestock

THREE:

I have been farming for THREE years. Who would have thought that an apprenticeship would lead to ONE incredible friendship and a new life on a farm of my own.

FIVE:

We interviewed FIVE people before we found the FIRST people to rent to.

SIX:

Judith MacKenzie has 6,000 pounds of fiber. After moving my fiber stash to the farm, I discovered I have much fiber than I thought. I can't compete with Judith, but I might be close.

SEVEN:

I was married on 7-7-07 at 3:04 (because 3+4=7)
I live on Seven Cats Farm
My Lovey's Birthday is on the 7th.

EIGHT:

We have EIGHT inside cats here on the Farm, except that the eighth one is buried on a hillside.

NINE:

I have moved NINE times in THIRTEEN years. Considering I've lived 4 1/2 years at my last address, I think that this is a lot of moves for a grown woman.
I have lived NINE months in my current home, La Casa de los SIETE Gatos. This is my forever home. The place I plan to live all the rest of my days. To live here. And to die here.

TEN:

Our farm sits on TEN acres.

THIRTEEN:

On the THIRTEENTH of this month, we will plant TWENTY THREE fruit trees. And with fruit trees planted as an orchard, a farm begins.
Who says THIRTEEN is unlucky? I think it's a good number.

And on a warm and sunny day in January............

2011-01-28T21:44:00.000-08:00

... 23 trees and five boysenberry bushes found their way to Prunedale...

...and if you look very very closely, you can see The Lovey's reflection in my glasses. :-)

Davey - I love you!

2011-01-27T17:04:00.000-08:00

Look what the boys from Davey Tree Expert Company brought me! I know it doesn't look like much, but that there pile is shoulder high!

This mulch will find it's way into the orchard or the berry patch.

It's a Good Day!

2011-01-25T08:18:00.001-08:00

Preparing for an orchard

2011-01-24T15:47:00.000-08:00

Bamboo markers with tips painted red - used as place markers

First marker placed

Can you see them?

I am just tickled.

My life is incredible.

Every home needs to have a purple wall

2011-01-14T10:17:00.000-08:00

The Question is, what color of purple? Maybe I should ask Oprah, because she knows about 'The Color Purple'....

Hobbes

2011-01-08T13:19:00.000-08:00

This is Hobbes, as in Thomas Hobbes the English philosopher. I think I've mentioned Hobbes on here before. He walks like a ballet dancer and curls up his tail like a monkey. Hobbes is our seventh cat. Quite a special number for two people that got married on 7-7-07 and have a blog site called Seven Generations.

We adopted him in 2007 from the Humane Society (I love that place!). Hobbes was found half dead on the side of the road weighing five pounds, severely dehydrated, only has his four fang teeth (also called canine teeth, but he's a cat so it's odd to call them canine, don't you think?) and had a hole in his tongue. He was nursed back to health by the Humane Society and when the Lovey saw him, he was instantly smitten. Such instant love is rare. And it runs deep. Hobbes now weighs 12 pounds and although he will never be in perfect health (he has chronic respiratory issues), it's nice to see him like this.

Hobbes has trust issues for a L-O-N-G time. It wasn't until we moved to our homestead that Hobbes began to really open up (that would be three years for anyone who might be counting). He now sleeps with us at night, lets us pet him, doesn't jump or run when we look at him. And - and this is a biggie - he purrs; an incredible, deep, rumbling purr. It's wonderful to see the transformation and know that we are a big part of him coming out of his shell.

Hobbes loves to stay warm. We will often find him under the covers. Here's his latest spot, under warm, clean clothes.

Dog Days

2011-01-07T09:49:00.000-08:00

How do dogs spend their days where there are feral cats outside? Like this.

Houston - We have Visual Contact

2011-01-01T14:21:00.000-08:00

We had three cats in our pride, but when we released them, the largest and most feral of the cats took off. We haven't seen her/ him since, but have not given up hope. Margaret and Lynne from Project Purr say that sometimes ferals will return in time. We're giving her plenty of time.

Meanwhile, the two younger ones are not only hanging around, but they are hanging around with each other. Great news! That means they have each others' back. We all need someone to have our backs, don't we? They come when called in the morning (feeding time!) and have begun to show themselves every now and then. It looks like they are living under the back porch.

So - I give you photos of Oliver Twist ( the lighter one) and Charley (with the swirly coat). In some of the photos you can see the Universal sign of a 'fixed' feral - the clipped right ear.

Born Free

2010-12-23T17:59:00.000-08:00

Remember that song?

Born free, as free as the wind blows - As free as the grass grows - Born free to follow your heart....

Well, somewhere in between Thanksgiving and today, we released our Cat Pride. But first, we had to build them a safety house. The purpose of this safety house is to give them a place (hopefully where they are familiar) to run to in case they are being chased. They can enter through one door and get out the other door while the chaser will be none the wiser and give up the chase. At least that's the theory.

So the Lovey and the Gentleman Farmer (who, while visiting with his Wife, was given an extended stay by Mother Nature and the walloping storm she delivered to his hometown airport!) constructed the Safe house.

This is their entrance. We put the pallets on the bottom to keep the hay dry and to also deter other wild things (skunks mainly). The Lovey made straw 'steps', and then the cat door into the shed.

This is the inside of the shed. The Lovey put a shelf under the cat door so our pride have a place to land or a place to leave from - depending on which way they are going.

On the opposite side of the shed is the exit door. Here, the Gentleman Farmer tightens the frame.

Once again, the inside of the shed and the inside of the door. Where the Lovey is sitting now is a barrel of cat food. It acts as a step for our land lions, and also is a sealed container of their food. You know, I do not like going too far to feed them in the morning. I know.... I'm lazy.

Lastly, the lovey built a roof over the hay. He even went so far as to shingle it. What a guy! this will keep the hay and their food dry when it rains. He made it JUST IN TIME as the rains came in earnest when he was done!

Yes - we are still feeding our little guys. Occasionally we see them. The next time I do, I'll take a photo and post it.

My First Three Ply

2010-12-14T14:59:00.000-08:00

I've been spinning for a LONG time. Spinning yarn, NOT spinning the exercise. But for as long as I've been spinning, I've always plied only with two bobbins. Not anymore! Behold my first three ply yarn!

These are totally my favorite colors. I love how the colors slowly change from blue to purple to green to purple to.... I got the fiber from a woman on Ravelry who was destashing. The fiber is Gale's Art, Four ounces of Bluefaced Leicester in the Grape Vine colorway.

Much work has been done with friends

2010-12-10T11:51:00.000-08:00

Much has been accomplished while our visitors are here. The most obvious is the removal of the tree that has been blocking our sunset view. The tree is now gone, but will be cured over the year and be used as firewood for next winter.

We did a taste test

2010-12-03T08:24:00.000-08:00

I'm all for taste tests. Unofficial blind taste tests to determine what you like better.

Sadly this year I did not grow pumpkins in our garden. It was a year of transition, and my thoughts on the backyard garden were more of putting it to bed instead of trying new things. Although we have tomatoes (LOTS of tomatoes) to eat, we are purchasing most of our produce from Redman House Farm Stand in Watsonville.

They had two different types of pumpkins for sale at the farm stand, Cinderella Pumpkin ‘Rouge Vif d’Etampes’ (on the left) and Sugar Pie Pumpkin (cut). I LOVE the look of the Rouge Vif d'Etampes, so much so that I begged My Farmer to plant them when I worked at Full Circle Farm. Sugar Pie pumpkins are just pumpkins, regular, orange pumpkins.

When I asked at the farm stand which pumpkin made the better tasting pie, the answer was that each had their fans. So I got both and made two pies. I used the same recipe with the only thing different being the pumpkin.

The hands down winner: The Sugar Pie pumpkin. When I was making the pies I thought the Rouge Vif pumpkin would be the winner. The pulp was so much easier to mill, it seemed smoother, less grainy. In the end, the Sugar Pie was much creamier. The pumpkin-y flavor of the Rouge was much more pronounced. Maybe it would make a better soup?

Next year I will be planting both. Because even though she lost the taste test, I still love me some Rouge Vif d'Etampes.

Our First Livestock

2010-11-29T12:11:00.000-08:00

Seven Cats Farm has it's first working animals. That's right. A pride of cats. Cats for rodent control on the farm. An organic way to help decrease the rodent population that might go after the (future) chicken feed. Or moles that will eat roots of veggies.... or.... or.....

Project Purr out of Santa Cruz, CA helps relocate feral cats that have lost their habitat or spare non-adoptable cats in shelters from an untimely death. They have quite a process to help ensure success.

Our little tigers came to us in a large hutch which was put on saw horses to keep them above the ground. We feed them in the morning, take the food out of the hutch at night, and clean their little box. They are imprinting on our land and are getting used to us calling when we bring food.

Next week, when we have their safety house ready (they need shelter from those that might hunt them), we will let them out for them to begin their work. We will continue to feed them daily. If they are not good hunters, they will need food. And, believe it or not, even if they DON'T hunt, the smell of their urine will help keep the little rodents away.

10 pounds of apples equals how many half pints?

2010-11-23T19:19:00.000-08:00

13. Thirteen half pints of really yummy apple butter. We're giving it to our Thanksgiving guests. :-)

Love in the Afternoon

2010-11-22T09:45:00.000-08:00

Here is my changing season tree. A persimmon tree.

Bearing gifts.

And showing some love.

People Thought I Would Miss the Change of Seasons

2010-11-20T11:28:00.000-08:00

When I moved from New England back to the West Coast, people thought I would miss the change of seasons, the Atlantic Ocean, the history that is there.

They didn't know where I was going. Where I was returning to. I do not live in Big Sur, but I live close. Take a peak at MY paradise.

The Hope of Spring..........

2010-11-19T08:57:00.000-08:00

Cover crop, planted in the rain.... and now look at it!

I'm Earning my PhD!

2010-11-17T16:58:00.000-08:00

In what? Shoveling sh*t. I've been Piling it Higher and Deeper. Below is a photo of two truckloads of horse manure from my neighbors that live .4 miles from Seven Cats Farm. It doesn't look like much, but this was three hours of work.

And there is more where that came from! Looks like I'll get to continue practicing for my PhD!

A Little Lincoln and Eight Years in the Making

2010-11-11T12:27:00.000-08:00

As everyone knows, I have issues with wool. I am a wool-aholic (sheep, camel, yak, goat, alpaca... I'm equal opportunity when it comes to the source). I love the smell of raw wool. I get a kick out of washing it (not such a fan of carding, but it's part of the process), spinning, dyeing, knitting.... oh, I could go on and on. The smells, feel, colors. When I worked at Bobbin's Nest - that was tough. I wanted to buy just about everything that came into the store. I you haven't been to the 'Nest, I'd recommend that you go in and have a little look-see. Erin has GREAT yarns AND fabrics! Ah... but I digress....
I learned how to spin when I lived in Connecticut. After I got the hang of it, I couldn't get my hands on enough fiber. In the spinning group to which I belonged, a woman shepherd had some fiber that she no longer wanted and so I purchased all of it. ALL OF IT. I didn't know enough to ask what breed of wool was it, washing instructions, anything. At that time I didn't know there was a difference!

What I found out later was that the wool I purchased was Lincoln. A great wool for fast spinning, but a very scratchy wool. Good for outer garments (think coat) or rugs. Oops. Anyhoo, I spun away with the color she had the most of - Pink. Bubble gum pink. Bright pink. Ugh.

Fast forward eight years later - and here I am, moving from the Lovey's house to our homestead and I run across this yarn. Again. Ugh. Pink. Oh well, I can't bring myself to get rid of it. I have a lot of really good memories wrapped in there.

Literally one morning I wake up, sit straight up in bed and say "I can over dye it!". And I did. Hot pink over dyed with navy blue gets you this:

What a Perfect Time for a Rain Storm

2010-11-09T08:10:00.000-08:00

Last weekend the Lovey and I practiced using our new tractor (we still haven't decided on a name). Last week, I ordered cover crop seeds to plant on that field. Our soil is very sandy, so cover crop will do four things: 1) keep the soil in place, 2) add organic matter and 3) fix nitrogen into the soil, and 4) bring bees into the field.

When we first moved in, I was sure this field would be our main field. As I observed it more and more, I determined that it doesn't get enough sun (the trees on the east and west shade it for all but about two hours a day). There is a patch at the most southern edge that gets good sun, so that will be our test patch this year. The rest will be pasture.

It took a week to get the seed in. The Lovey and I picked it up on Saturday. And then we saw the weather forecast: Rain on Sunday! We woke up, had a cup of coffee (mandatory), did a quick bit of seed math and then went out to spread the seed.

This first field is a quarter acre and I ordered two types of seed: One is a 50 pound blend of oats, purple vetch, dundale peas and bell beans.

The other was 20 pounds of buckwheat.

I got the buckwheat for the bee attraction, and the blend is to secure nitrogen in the soil. I added two parts buckwheat to five parts of the blend (the highlight is for me, so I can remember what I did!).

The Lovey and I then broadcast all the seeds in the field. In the rain. I've got to tell you, it was fabulous. The rain is doing the watering in work for us. It was perfect. And I cried. This is yet another milestone in the beginnings of our farm.

All we need is you....

2010-11-07T15:27:00.000-08:00

Settle yourself in with a warm cozy blanket, a cup of hot chocolate and enjoy the fire...

Practice Makes Perfect, and She Needs a Name

2010-11-04T10:14:00.000-07:00

Here we are, learning to use our new farm equipment. Our little tractor is BIG. She's a powerful machine. I was terrified as I got on her, but was able to drive forward and backward AND maneuver the bucket with some success.

The Lovey did great and tilled the whole field.

Our little tractor. She is shiny, strong, orange and beautiful. She's a Kubota from Japan, but her tools are made in the good ol' USofA. She needs a name. Suggestions?

Another Public Service Announcement for You

2010-11-02T09:15:00.000-07:00

How a Spider Interrupts Internet Service

2010-10-29T16:33:00.000-07:00

We have some very acrobatic spiders at the homestead. I am sure that there will be many spiderweb photos on this blog. They are beautiful. Here is one that is not so beautiful, but very interesting!

We have Internet access via satellite and our connection was very slow for a few days. It's usually slow, but this was WAY slow. The Lovey, fixer of all things computer, couldn't figure it out. Then we were outside and the Lovey looked at the satellite dish. He was surprised that the spider didn't fry because of where she had made her web. Take a look at what slowed our service way down!

Growing Apples

2010-10-28T11:18:00.000-07:00

Remember this photo:

We have two established apples trees on the farm. Those flowers have turned int this:

After a highly scientific taste test, the Nephew and I have determined that they are Golden Delicious or a close relative. The color, blushing, russetting of the skin, flesh texture and taste all seem to indicate this.

Pretty amazing. There were so many apples that I had to prune the apples in July. For every apple currently on the tree I probably took off four. Pruning does many things. It makes sure that the apples grow to a decent size instead of growing a bunch of small apples. As the apples increase in size, the also increase in weight. Pruning makes sure that the tree limbs don't stress too much and break. As it is - the limbs look like this:

One of the problems we had this year is deer. They do this:

It's pretty easy to see how they get in. This will be fixed soon. This is also where Cinnamon bolts out of the yard.

The Lovey, a lover of gadgets (and me, of course!) has invested in two motion detectors. One turns on a light when it senses motion. This one sends out a too-high-for-humans-but-just-right- for-deer noise. After their installation, the deer seem to stay away. Phew.

I've harvested about 1/5 of the apples on the tree. I need to get the rest off and into cold storage. There have been many batches of cobbler and applesauce. I'm going to try my hand at apple butter. Today I'll be dehydrating apples. I am saving my skins and cores to try my hand at making pectin (to add as a thickener for jams and jellies). But that's another story.

When Seven Makes Many

2010-10-27T08:50:00.000-07:00

When I planted our backyard garden in Santa Clara this summer, I didn't know what the future would bring. We were looking at houses and then very quickly got very serious about purchasing a house. So I planted a few low maintenance crops - just in case I wasn't around much.

Mid season, I knew what was going on. Land purchased. Visions of farming on the brain. I planted some beans to use as seed for next season. I had very few of some favorites I planted from last year.

Here is the harvest from seven seeds that will now go into the ground at Seven Cats Farm:

These beans are Good Mother Stallard. They have a great flavor and plump up quite nicely. You can be sure that these will be grown here on the farm.

Orange Just Might Be My Favorite Color

2010-10-25T13:12:00.000-07:00

We ordered it three weeks ago.

It took longer to arrive than we thought.

It arrived today.

They had to do some welding on it.

To make beds. It also has a lawnmower attachment.

Look at that man drive a tractor!

The Lovey and I are VERY pleased.

I am terrified. The farm is real now.

Nonsense Economics....

2010-10-24T14:10:00.000-07:00

Political economist Mark Blyth defines austerity as "the common sense on how to pay for the massive increase in public debt caused by the financial crisis -- mostly through the slashing of government services."

Meg, Meg, Meg....

2010-10-12T14:19:00.000-07:00

... All we hear in California is Meg.

Reconsider Columbus Day

2010-10-08T09:30:00.000-07:00

I've always called it Invasion Day. If you actually look at facts instead of what we learned in school you will find that Columbus, as a way of celebration for landing, declared to his crew that the women of the island was there for them, to rape.

Here is another view, from a Native on the Pine Ridge Reservation, the birthplace of my mother.

It's October First!

2010-10-01T09:36:00.000-07:00

... but I'm still stuck in June. Where did the time go?

Sunsets are something that The Lovey and I both enjoy. When we purchased Casa de los Siete Gatos we had no idea what we were in for. Here's a sample of what we get on clear nights (often times the fog blocks the view, but not always!):

It Feels Like Fall

2010-09-21T12:39:00.000-07:00

.... and I feel like cooking! Our tomato crop has been about half of what I harvested last year. I don't know why the drastic change, so I blaming it on the weather. We had a REALLY cool and cloudy summer. Also, the majority of tomatoes I harvested had blossom end rot or were sun burned. Good for cooking, not for selling (I'm not selling - yet). This will be our last year of planting at The Mayor's home. Next year - we'll be planting the first ever (and experimental) crop of Seven Cats farm.

Although we didn't have a huge crop, here is a photo of some of what was harvested! The cool striped one is called Copia. There is also Black Krim, Fourth of July, Orange Globe and Marvel Stripe.

You may remember this post when I roasted tomatoes last year. Well, I am doing it again this year. No canning of tomato sauce or whole tomatoes. I think this is much easier and it tastes better. I've refined the way I cook it a bit, thanks to friends input and a plain old taste test. The ingredients are the same, but the cooking method is a tad different.

Recipe:

Drizzle oil (I am using rice bran oil. You COULD use olive oil, as long as you don't heat it above 300*. Anything about that temp and olive oil's composition changes into bad stuff) in the bottom of a pan
Sliced onions to slightly cover bottom
Tomatoes, cut in half
Minced garlic over top
Drizzle oil over all.
Lightly salt and pepper

All that listed above is old. The new thing I'm doing is cooking at 250* for four or five hours. Then I squish the tomatoes with a spoon, and put back in the oven (this time at 300*) for an hour.

The new temperatures lets the sugars in the fruits caramelize, and then the last hour helps the moisture evaporate which then condenses the flavors. YUM!

Just Discovered Renate Hiller on YouTube

2010-09-04T11:43:00.000-07:00

Maybe you will find her as fascinating as I do!

Preparing for next year

2010-08-26T14:19:00.000-07:00

I love tomatoes. I know everyone loves homegrown tomatoes, but I think my love spills over and is bordering obsession. I love growing all different types of tomatoes. I love the way the plants smell even before there is a fruit on the vine. I love watching them grow. And yes, I talk to them, too. I think if you love the little guys, they will show their love by doing their best to give you tomatoes.
Here is how it all starts for next year: Saving seeds. Look at the different colors!

A HUGE thank you to LW for providing the tomatoes! With the seeds from your tomatoes and the seeds from mine, I think I'll have about 20 different varieties to plant next year! What a great start for Seven Cats Farm!

When the going gets tough,

2010-08-24T16:06:00.000-07:00

The tough get knitting................

Finding of Fact

2010-08-04T22:32:00.000-07:00

Read the whole article here:

The key "Findings of Fact," as determined by Walker, and split into three broad categories by me:

Marriage
•Religious leaders may determine independently whether to recognize a civil marriage or divorce but that recognition or lack thereof has no effect on the relationship under state law.

•Many states, including California, had laws restricting the race of marital partners so that whites and non-whites could not marry each other.

•Under coverture, a woman’s legal and economic identity was subsumed by her husband’s upon marriage. The husband was the legal head of household. Coverture is no longer part of the marital bargain.

•California has eliminated marital obligations based on the gender of the spouse. Regardless of their sex or gender, marital partners share the same obligations to one another and to their dependants. As a result of Proposition 8, California nevertheless requires that a marriage consist of one man and one woman.Eliminating gender and race restrictions in marriage has not deprived the institution of marriage of its vitality.

•Marriage benefits both spouses by promoting physical and psychological health. Married individuals are less likely to engage in behaviors detrimental to health, like smoking or drinking heavily. Married individuals live longer on average than unmarried individuals.

Sexual Orientation

•Sexual orientation is commonly discussed as a characteristic of the individual. Sexual orientation is fundamental to a person’s identity and is a distinguishing characteristic that defines gays and lesbians as a discrete group. Proponents’ assertion that sexual orientation cannot be defined is contrary to the weight of the evidence.

•Individuals do not generally choose their sexual orientation. No credible evidence supports a finding that an individual may, through conscious decision, therapeutic intervention or any other method, change his or her sexual orientation.

•Same-sex couples are identical to opposite-sex couples in the characteristics relevant to the ability to form successful marital unions.

•Permitting same-sex couples to marry will not affect the number of opposite-sex couples who marry, divorce, cohabit, have children outside of marriage or otherwise affect the stability of opposite-sex marriages.

•Gays and lesbians have been victims of a long history of discrimination.

•Well-known stereotypes about gay men and lesbians include a belief that gays and lesbians are affluent, self-absorbed and incapable of forming long-term intimate relationships. Other stereotypes imagine gay men and lesbians as disease vectors or as child molesters who recruit young children into homosexuality. No evidence supports these stereotypes.

Proposition 8

•Proposition 8 places the force of law behind stigmas against gays and lesbians, including: gays and lesbians do not have intimate relationships similar to heterosexual couples; gays and lesbians are not as good as heterosexuals; and gay and lesbian relationships do not deserve the full recognition of society.

•Proposition 8 amends the California Constitution to codify distinct and unique roles for men and women in marriage.

•Proposition 8 singles out gays and lesbians and legitimates their unequal treatment. Proposition 8 perpetuates the stereotype that gays and lesbians are incapable of forming long-term loving relationships and that gays and lesbians are not good parents.

•The Proposition 8 campaign relied on fears that children exposed to the concept of same-sex marriage may become gay or lesbian. The reason children need to be protected from same-sex marriage was never articulated in official campaign advertisements. Nevertheless, the advertisements insinuated that learning about same-sex marriage could make a child gay or lesbian and that parents should dread having a gay or lesbian child.

What's in our future????

2010-08-03T10:33:00.000-07:00

Random

2010-08-01T09:49:00.000-07:00

Duck and Chicken eggs from down the street. Yum

First harvest - plums

Second bean planting of the season in the Santa Clara backyard

Very cool spiderweb.

Knitter in Need Fundraiser

2010-07-20T09:09:00.000-07:00

Erin, owner of Bobbins Nest Studio, is holding a fundraiser for a 'Knitter in Need'. You can check out items being offered for raffle on their Flickr page here, and check her website here. Green Planet Yarn is also joining the fun and you can see their announcement here. Last day of the fundraiser is August 1st.

I've donated a skein of hand spun yarn that I originally spun for myself: over 350 yards of a lace weight alpaca/ silk blend. But it will be forever until I get to knit it, so I thought a Knitter in Need would need it more than I. I've also donated a dozen photo cards. I think they are nice. Go to the 'Nest and check them out.

If you can't get to Green Planet or the 'Nest to check things out , purchase a raffle ticket, or bid in the silent auction, you can still send money. This is for a family that has had a tough three years. Fate is not so nice sometimes. You have two weeks to give. Do it now and be generous!

There is red, and then there is RED

2010-07-13T10:04:00.000-07:00

Back to the Rental project... Here is actually the second thing done (after ripping out the stinky carpet).

One of the bedrooms was painted red and white. The red wasn't just any red. Oh no. It was shiny, fire engine red. Fun times. I don't want to even imagine what the decorations were like in that room. I'm all for color, but this is a rental, and I want whoever lives in this place to have good dreams instead of nightmares!

So - painting was necessary. I knew I was going to need at least two coats of paint - one primer and the other a nice eggshell off white (I chose Swiss Coffee, just in case you were wondering!). With all the hoopla about the new primer and paint in one, I chose to take the opportunity to do a little experiment. If I could paint once with the primer/ paint combo and get the same result as one coat of primer and one coat of paint, then I'd like to save myself some time!

So this is what I did:

First, I had to paint the paneling seams in the walls (yes - the red and white were painted over paneling). Then I painted one side of the wall with the combo paint, the other with primer, and I walked away for the evening. When I came back the next morning, you could still see the red through the combo paint. Sigh. So I ended up doing the whole room with 2 coats of combo paint. Yes folks, that means that it would have taken four coats of regular paint to cover the ungodly RED in that room.

Here is the result. You can see in the top right corner how one coat of primer covered..... not so great. Did I save money? Nope. The combo paint is pretty pricey. But I did save time. Now it is done. And I am rethinking my ideas about bold colors in our own home. Maybe I'll just do accent pieces.

7-7-07 at 3:04

2010-07-07T09:49:00.000-07:00

Three years ago today we tied the knot. It was the perfect day and the perfect (for us) wedding. Non-traditional in every way. Here is my something old (a ring I had when I was a young thing), something borrowed (a friend's necklace), something new (a camel and silk wrap - spun and knitted by yours truly), and something blue (a stapler). We had a potluck reception, had guests decorate our cake, and Number One Son's (who was also the Man of Honor) band played. What a great day it was!

I got plenty of flack from the folks back East. They lived through the days when I would point to my mouth and say 'Read my lips.... never again". I sadly thought that marriage meant ownership and I didn't want to spend the rest of my life not being me. I was sorely wrong.

The Lovey has shown me love, respect, caring, compassion, kindness, concern, strength, integrity, generosity. I hope he finds as much joy in sharing his life with me as I do with him. I can't imagine life without him.

Happy Anniversary, Lovey! I love you. Lots and lots and lots and lots and lots............

Dog Days of Summer

2010-07-05T16:36:00.000-07:00

The projected high today wasy 69*, but I would swear that it didn't go past 65*. We bundled up and took the dog to the beach. She needed to run and we needed to be able to keep track of her.

I think she had fun. We had a blast watching her. And now she is home, and sound asleep. Ahhhh, what a life.

Everyday Scenes.......

2010-07-03T10:47:00.000-07:00

We live in paradise, have I told you that? Here's how we spent yesterday evening:

Being eyed by wild turkeys who were protecting their seven chicks,

Spending time in our rocking chairs while watching the sunset,

And hanging out with the pooch.

Sleep well, little one

2010-07-01T22:18:00.000-07:00

We were introduced to her with the name G.G. which stood for Gorgeous Girl. She'd been at the Humane Society for six months, living in a small cage. She had stopped trying to get people's attention and spent the majority of her time with her face toward the wall. She broke my heart.

We took her home and renamed our six-pound lion Ayashe, Cherokee for "Little One". She immediately made her place in our home. He already had three cats, I brought two, but Ayashe was the first 'our' cat.

Yashe was cranky, didn't want to be bothered, and picked up bad 'bathroom' habits which she quickly expanded upon. But at night she would curl up on our bed and cuddle right in. She would stay there until morning.

Thirteen months ago, Ayshe had her first of several pancreatitus attacks. We changed her food several times, going to the extreme of making raw food, getting a grinding tool to grind bones and cooked chicken, freezing the weird concoction in hard-to-find ice cube trays..... and taking her to get acupuncture. The combination of Western and Eastern medicine did her good. Until last week. It was her time.

She was a little fighter. A girl that won you over because she was so loving at night you thought for sure you would see a tad of that during the day (nope).

She is now on our hillside with a flagstone as a marker. She will see the sunrise and sunset everyday. The sun will shine on her all day to keep her warm.

Good night, Yash. Your tiny body has left a big hole in our hearts.

The Lovey wanted me to show you this.....

2010-06-25T19:09:00.000-07:00

... from our front yard. Not a bad gift from the previous owners! You need to take the bad with all the good, right? I think this photo will soon find it's way to Bobbin's Nest in the form of a card.

And the Surprises Keep on Coming...............

2010-06-23T19:33:00.000-07:00

I love our new house. You know I do! We spend as much time here as we can. The temperature is about 10 degrees cooler than at our place in Silicon Valley. Although it's not crazy hot in the Valley yet, it's really nice to drive south to cooler temperatures.

The more time we spend here, the more we do. Of course, our #1 priority is to get the mobile home ready to rent, but sometimes we get a little bored or curious and begin to explore a bit.

Here is what we found on a recent retaining wall excavation:

Before:

After:

Looks like a retaining wall project just got bumped up on the Project Priority List. Yay.

Come on, Yarn Dyers! What about THIS!!!

2010-06-20T08:43:00.000-07:00

I think the color of this onion (a volunteer grown by your's truly and boy is it HUGE) is beautiful. Now - if only folks who dye yarn could capture the variation of the colors and put it in a yarn. You could call it 'Onion'. And look at the garlic! See the color in that! In fact, you could create a whole line based on food. Tell you what, I'll supply the photos, you supply the color. What a concept!

I'd buy it! Fingering weight, please.

The Sweet Smell of Success

2010-06-16T22:48:00.000-07:00

There is still work to be done, but right now it doesn't look so bad! And it smells GREAT!

Wet Dog and Vomit

2010-06-15T08:40:00.000-07:00

That’s how I described the smell of the mobile home on the property, a combination of wet dog and vomit smell. Since we are planning on renting the mobile, we needed to get rid of that smell. 16 years of cats and dogs and who knows what else had taken its toll. The previous owner steam cleaned the carpets. That didn’t do it. I left the windows open for a week. Nope – that didn’t do it, either! Alas, new carpeting was needed.

Many thanks to my mom and the Gentleman Rancher, who came over on their day off to help me remove the carpet and padding (the Lovey was in Asia on business travel. Nice excuse!). It was a dirty, stinky, hot, gross job.

The staples were removed, and the sub-floor was swept clean.

Baking soda was sprinkled (and in some places poured) over the floor, swept into all the cracks and crevices, and left it sit. You know, like putting a box of baking soda in the fridge to take the smells away. Same concept here. In the heavily stinky areas, I swept the baking soda in, vacuumed it out, swept another dose in, and let it sit. I did that three times in the really bad places.

So now it smells like nothing. Nothing. The smell of success.

Weather and local food

2010-06-14T08:31:00.000-07:00

From the last post, you can see the blue sky above our new country home. There is another color we often wake up to... grey. Thick, drizzly fog. Last night the fog began to appear around 8:00 pm ("Gosh, Lovey... are your car's windows dirty? Can you use the washers to clean it up? It sure looks hazy out there"). Twelve hours later and the fog is still here. It will burn off before noon, maybe before 10:00 am. It will be interesting to see how it effects crop growth when we plant next Spring.

We are meeting a few locals. Down the street from us - about two miles away, is a woman who's life dream is to sell her chicken's eggs and home grown herbs and veggies. We will be purchasing her eggs until we have our own chicks. She is a master gardener as well, so I picked her brain a bit (when do YOU plant your tomatoes in the ground? What can I grow - flowers and such - that the deer won't eat? How hot does it get?...). You see, we live on a hillside in a canyon, so there is a pretty steady wind (marine layer) that comes straight from the Pacific Ocean which is nine miles away. Funny thing - it was in the mid-80's and she said that it was unusually hot. Hmmmm.... again, it will be interesting to see what grows well and what does not.

Here are her chicken's eggs.... chicks that she has had since they were a day or so old, that have a good chicken life, that eat good chicken food. Eggs for $4.00/ dozen. Thank you very much!

Ladies and Gentlemen, we have contact!

2010-06-12T21:29:00.000-07:00

It's been a long time since I have had consistent internet capabilities. As we transition from our Silicon Valley home to the new 'country estate' (otherwise known as Casa de los Siete Gatos), we have only had internet at the Silicon Valley place. Well, yesterday all of that changed. Thanks to WildBlue and the satellite internet signal it is sending to our house! Wahoo! Now I can post and keep up to speed with what we have done, or what we have to do. Satellite internet is a bit slower than the dsl that we have up north, but I am thankful that we have it at all! Think how far the signal has to travel to the satellite! The Lovey says those things are 22,800 miles up in the air! When I think of that, I don't think this is slow at all!

To condense our past few weeks into one post, here is what has happened. We closed on the country estate and had our first weekend at the Casa. We moved all the cats down as well. Their transition was pretty smooth. Phew!

One thing we didn't count on were the sunsets! They are BEAUTIFUL from our back porch. Really beautiful.

The Lovey went to Taipei for a week of work. I stayed at the Casa with all the cats, and at the end of that week, we got our dog, Cinnamon. She's a shelter dog (of course) and a great little canine! Slowly but surely she is coming out of her shell. It's hard to take her picture because she is either connected to my hip or running like the wind. But I try! Here she is playing with her toy hamburger. She doesn't play fetch with us, but will take a ball (or a hamburger) and throw it up in the air, catch it, run and then drop and pounce on it, and then do it all over again. Funny girl.

Without internet, tv or radio, and after all your day work is as complete as it is going to get for the day, you get a lot of reading done. At least I do. I read 'The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo' and am now reading a book by Cesar Millan, the Dog Whisperer. Out here in the country it's also early to be and early to rise. The sun really designates when to go to sleep and when to get up.

It's an interesting way to live. A new way to live. Or is it the old way to live - and by that I mean 100 years ago 'old', not and old age 'old'. Whatever it is, it's a good way to live.

Still no internet ....

2010-06-03T13:49:00.000-07:00

So I thought I'd whet your appetite with these little gems:

Photos I like

2010-05-27T10:39:00.000-07:00

Onion

First fire in the fireplace

Bees