Autumn Notebook

Both Ruby and Winston enjoyed hanging out near the horses:

And Rosella tried to touch noses with Remy, though the electric fence prevented it:

The very last flowers which went to church. It was communion Sunday and all three vases were placed on a small table with a white cloth underneath. The vase on the left held pink Morden Blush roses. The vase on the right held neon red Emily Carr roses. The vase in the center held yellow Heliopsis, red Yarrow, magenta Rugosa roses and Peony leaves which were turning red:

The trees bordering my north field began to show some gorgeous color:

And I purchased a lifting harness for Seamus. He hasn't needed it much yet, but I know he has periods of lameness when it will be helpful for both him and for me:

My sister brought a new toy for the cats, and both Sammy and Daisy like it very much:

Caspar, Clover and Bugsy like to sleep together on the big, green floor pillow:

Blue claims the morning hay and won't let Remy have any, although he softens once his belly is full:

Remy likes to sneak a bite of vegetation from beneath the bottom electric fence wire:

The Box Elder tree finally began dropping seeds, so I've had to spend much time picking them up twice each day. There is still too much green grass in the pasture for me to let the horses out:

Blue and Remy, my mischievous boys:

I finally got a buyer for Winston, so the next morning I was able to trap him inside the barn. He bawled for his mother and his herd, but was not as upset as previous calves. The buyer also wants to buy Ruby when she's old enough:

Getting The Red Poll Cattle Ready For Winter

I now have most of the Red Poll cattle crowding the barn door for a bowl of grain each morning - unless I'm a bit later than usual, that is. If I'm late, they leave in a huff:

Ruby and Scarlett, in for a snack:

Ruby and Winston finally began to follow the big cows into the barn. Winston has tasted grain and decided he likes it, but Ruby is still wary of it:

The morning rush. I can't let them in, though, until both horses are walked, one at a time, out to their corral:

The girls eat their two cups of sweet feed so rapidly that I don't have time to put a bowl down for the calves. Luckily, the cows start eating the hay on the floor as soon as they've finished their grain:

Ruby watched while Winston tasted his first bowl of grain:

Jasmine:

Rosella, Scarlett and Ruby

This was midday, not morning grain time - so they didn't get any. Nobody needs grain, but I am trying to train them to come into the barn so I can have them inseminated, get vet care or trap the calves when it's time to sell them:

Winston and Amy playfully butted heads:

Scarlett and Rosella both needed minerals and salt, perhaps because they are both producing milk:

Breakfast time:

Maple Ridge Road In Brasher, New York - Part 2

I was touring Maple Ridge Road in the town of Brasher, NY (see also Part 1, posted yesterday) and stopped to watch these Holstein calves:

There was a cluster of barns, but one of them had collapsed:

I was not taking photos of the suburban style homes, but took this one to illustrate the move of non-farmers to country living. It would be a short commute to several larger towns to work each day:

This old farm house might have looked abandoned, but the mowed lawn and tractor out back suggested that it is still occupied:

A neat and tidy family farm:

This appeared to be an old barn, being rebuilt:

A large dairy barn and silo, apparently no longer in use:

This house reminded me of my aunt's farm house in Oregon, where I first developed my love of cattle, chickens and rural life in general. Notice the silo out back:

A silo and barn, both in excellent shape:

The bucket underneath this tractor suggested to me that it was being repaired:

A very tall barn alongside the road:

A woodsy home, nestled behind White Pines. And yet there was still more to see on Maple Ridge Road. I'll post Part 3 tomorrow:

Maple Ridge Road In Brasher, New York - Part 1

When Upper Ridge Road became Maple Ridge Road (see yesterday's post), I continued on in search of family farms and picturesque rural scenery. At first, however, I saw mostly suburban style homes:

But it didn't take long to enter farm country, beginning with this large field, filled with baleage and haying equipment:

A picturesque farm with a log home, red barns, silo and tractor:

A large barn, filled with hay for the winter:

It was difficult to get a good photo of these outbuildings, but I tried:

The road crossed over a small brook. With grassy fields on both sides of the brook, it was sure pretty:

This pile contained logs big enough and straight enough to possibly be saw logs instead of firewood. There are a lot of farm sawmills in the area:

Forage wagons, used for collecting chopped corn on its way to becoming silage:

Lots of farm equipment, stored along a row of trees:

Well, this wasn't very scenic, but it's the way most farms used to dispose of their trash:

This old homestead was picturesque, and I would have said no one lived there except there was a pickup truck parked in front of it, leading me to wonder:

I came to a field of Holstein calves who watched me with interest. There was still a lot more to see on Maple Ridge Road, and I'll post Part 2 tomorrow:

Here And There, Around The Farm

The fantail pigeons seem happy, healthy and thriving. They haven't yet produced any babies this year, but that may be a blessing. I have 27 birds and really, that is enough:

 But some of them keep trying:

 Little Elvis gets fed a big bottle of milk twice each day. He has grain, hay and water available at all times but hasn't yet tried them. Well, he has stepped in his grain bowl and spilled it, but that doesn't count:

 I weeded the new plantings (the old plantings have to fend for themselves). This Dandelion came up in one piece, its taproot clearly illustrating why they are so difficult to eradicate:

 Wild Strawberries have filled the lawn (along with the Violets and Dandelions). I usually miss the opportunity to eat the fruit, but I'll try to be more watchful this year:

 The wall by my back door began to wobble whenever I entered or exited, so I removed the interior chipboard and discovered everything inside was soaking wet and rotten. The studs were so deteriorated that they crumbled when I touched them. I climbed up on the roof and found 6-8" of Cedar needles and cones, which had been damming the water during rainstorms. I removed all that, but caulking the roof and rebuilding the wall remains to be done:

 The two apple trees on the north side of the house began to bloom, but the trees in the orchard weren't doing so well. This was one of the two trees:

 And the other. They sure smelled nice:

 Two neighbors rode by while I was working out in the yard. They rode their horses over to chat for awhile:

 I covered the exposed roots of the Magnolia and returned to photograph its one and only flower:

 Just about the same time, I noted that the Lilacs were about half open. I figured they'd be fully in bloom and perfuming the yard very soon:

 Two farmer neighbors, an uncle and nephew, have been very helpful to me and one day, they introduced me to their three little bottle fed heifer calves named Rose, Mary and Thyme: