Bonny,Bonnie, a maiden fare.
With a winsome smile and golden hair.

Oh pretty tot,i plead,i beg,i do imply.
Persuade of Seth to sign the deed and satisfy.

your old Gram and Gramp are waiting all in vane.
What is the hold up, perhaps you can explain.

The old homestead is awaiting, time is short my dear.
If old Seth needs prodding ,kick him in the rear.

One must strike while the iron is hot.
No stagnation, up and off the pot.


An email from Grandpa Harold, it makes business interactions so much more interesting when everything is in rhyme.

Miracle of life

That's right. I was watching the chickens tonight to see if any of the fools learned how to use my chicken ladder. They can't fly very well because we trimmed their flight feathers so getting up and down from their nesting boxes and high roosts is a real challenge, hopefully my latter, former trellis will help. Well, while I was watching I saw Momma Chuck otherwise known as Motown squatting, I noticed she was pushing out an egg, it looked like a lot of work, she finally beard down and out plopped an egg! It was so warm and it won't role, must only role with when they cool down. Really good interesting times those chickens, to think, I thought this was just a regular relaxing Sunday.

Now to go watch Fantastic Mr. Fox with the projector Aunt Bonnie gave us, oh and eat bean soup.

** the large eggs are from Grandma and Grandpa's meaner than spit geese. Grandma said she cracked one into the pan and the gosling was already formed, I just don't have the heart to risk it.

Letter to a fence sitter

It's 5 a.m I can't sleep thinking about how I can change Aunt Bonnie's mind, than it occurs to me Erin is voting for the first time...... what is a lunatic to do?

Rant on the internet!!

I'm not sending this to family, just letting them know I am trying to change their minds through crazy online dribbling.


The best crazy is obviously captured in the passion that is a good 6:30 am internet post:


It has come to my attention that there are a few fence sitters out there the last few days of this election cycle. Your choices have been narrowed down to Lisa M or Scott M. Thing is, are you really going to vote for Lisa because you have never heard of Scott, because of his slight double chin and dorky mustache

Here is a little insight,

1.) Defense of marriage act- Lisa voted for it, slap a gay or lesbian person in the face, if you vote for Lisa you are siding with someone who has voted for bills that discriminate against an entire portion of the United States population, cool you are voting for Lisa because she is not Crazy Cakes Joe Miller, hope you feel better for supporting this bill.

1.5) Now Lisa m. is Pro Life, (for now, while she is courting the conservatives) if it ever fell into the Senate's hands she'd be able to tell Seth and I when and how we can procreate. Cool, thanks Lisa I always wanted another person making my personal decisions.

2.) Legislation restricting the EPA in Alaska; if you even paid attention to how Lisa voted before all this dust rose you might notice she was really intent on helping the "economy of Alaska stay strong" by creating legislation that would restrict the Environmental Protection Agency's reach in Alaska, ask Fairbanks how they like their dirty air,ask the kids at Fairbanks Elementary how they like having indoor recess on cold days (every day) because of poor air quality. EPA, hah we Alaskans are smarter than you and all your degrees, we'll do your job, they are just a bunch of highly trained scientists anyhow.

3.) Endangered Species Act: Murkowski wants Belugas, Stellar Sea Lions and Polar Bears off the endangered/protected species act, they are hampering our development of Alaska's natural resources, "think of our future, I have sons" says Lisa, "they needs good jobs here in ALaska" we can't have our natural resources tied up in National red tape because of animals, federal biologists just don't understand our unique Alaskan animals.

B.S, these animals are on the list so we can't drill/ develop in their habitat, seems like short sided thinking to take them off the list so we can develop depletable resources now and in 30 years have no animals and no resources. Lisa's sons need jobs, put on your Polar bear parka and grab a shovel, we are working!!!


Take Uncle Bob's political advice for once, he really doesn't like career politicians, Lisa Murkowski is one, blam! Ever heard of Scott Mc Adams? Nope.

A vote is never wasted.

Lately

I've been slacking off on the blog intentionally. It's not that I don't have the time, I do. It's that I feel self conscience for even having one (a blog) the name is ridiculous and it seems like if you are on face book you can share pics with friends and fam easily. Regardless I update tonight because I have hopelessly let coworkers be friends and I just don't know if I can let them into the life on Harvard, the farmstead is buzzing along and it only feels right to share with the fam.

So here are some updated pictures of the chickens. My first batch are now Poulettes, it seems french for teenage chicken. There seems to be two little roosters with terrible sense of time and crowing abilities. Seth thought someone was hurt about 5:30 am the other day, it was just Tonto. Now Fluffy is in on the game crowing terribly (sounds like he is choking on something) too. And because Seth and I are simps we now have another family of chickens, a beautiful crazy mother hen named Courtney Love and her 8 delinquent chicks. The chicks are very young, maybe a few weeks and when we put them in the cage with Mo Town and crew there was a giant fight, many fights I eventually tried to break up with a hose than Seth stepped in with gloves! We now have two chicken coops and one giant unfinished fence to house the chaos in. I have put some pics up.

Besides fowl farming we went blueberry picking with Scott and Ash and have 4 gallons in the freezer now.

I include a picture of a salmon or sleeper shark we found on the beach in Haines, I took a trip with Rose and Ashley to see Pat and Caroline, very beautiful.

Also included is a few pics of M & G's trip here and my birthday dinner at the Saltry, so lovely in the sun. We stayed one night in Halibut Cove than roughed it one night at Bear Cove. Also took a day trip to Whittier and saw whales, glaciers, ice bergs and caught lovely shrimps with Melissa. Overall a memoral summer.

ANCHORAGE HAD 31 DAYS OF RAIN! When I hear mention of heat complaints it comes to mind that Anchorage isn't very ideal for summer activities like swimming or laying in the sun, it was 50 something for a month!!!! O.K, enough of that, it was sunny all weekend and of course it has been lovely sun since the first day of school last Wednesday.

Hope your last month has been exciting in a good way too.

RIP Harley.

Chickens outside!

Well, all of the eggs that were going to hatch, hatched and we now have 9 chickens! How? I borrowed a mother hen and her three chicks from Grandma and than Grandma called and said she had incubated on in the oven! Now we have:
Momma Mo Town
Tonto
Wayne
Ranger
Fluffy
Money Penny
Tia Peppe
Fool # 4
and fresh from the oven: a beautiful silver breath stealer: Garret Silvermen

Two will soon be going to Kim and Andy, the rest will peck out their days in our outdoor coop until the fence is finished and they are all big enough to weather the Ravins and free range.

Family was all in town for Jessie's wedding which was fabulous fun and now it is so quiet, just me and the chickens.

Until next time, bock bock bock

Here is Fluffy, named by our 13 year old neighborhood friend Tim. Fluffy is a favorite among everyone, she is calm, loving to all the birds, lets everyone snuggle into her feathers and I bet she will lay the most eggs.

Trip to the cabin

This last weekend we dragged the little boat-boat down to Homer to head to the cabin with Ashley and Scott. Once again we won the jack pot on weather and enjoyed sunshine on the beach. One day while eating a picnic lunch on the beach a little black bear wondered upon us, we were both and he scampered away. Seth saw a Mama bear and her two cubs playing in the grass, lots of eagles, seals following us in the rowboats and about 5 rafts of 40 otters. Besides lots of wildlife we did some great clamming and mussel gathering, looking under rocks became a favorite, Kerry in honor of you I will put up a picture of a mini peanut worm, everyone else- sorry this is one gross unusual creature.

When Seth and I came back we became parents to four chicks, only four of the 20 eggs hatched and from the smell in the incubator it seems that is all we will be getting. This weekend Mom is coming into town and Seth is building a coop, not to mention solstice celebrations and U.S playing against England ( I don't think we have much of a chance.)

Till next time- enjoy your mid June.

June 1st means lots to do.

You'd think with school out things would start to slow down around here, nope. Since our return from Homer over Memorial day I have been planting the garden, trading perennials and planning my booth for the Farmer's market on Saturday. I've been taking classes through the school district and trying to train for tonight's 12K race through downtown.

The weather has finally turned, almost 2 solid weeks of sun has turned to gray but this picture above makes it seem like gray isn't so bad. After Saturday things should quiet down and Seth and I can work on our chicken tractor, t minus 10 days till 20 eggs hatch and we will need a safe place for the flock.

Just some photos from Memorial Day Weekend

Spent Memorial Day across the bay from Homer at a yurt on a beautiful sandy beach in the sun. Watched otters and seals, ate many cookies and enjoyed a little summer freedom. Hope your 3 day weekend was relaxing as well.

New boat- boat

Seth and I bought a little ocean skiff last weekend and took it out yesterday to Whittier on the sunniest day of the year so far. We might have goofed around in the harbor replacing engine parts until we felt safe than headed back to Blackstone bay, deep bay lined with glaciers. We headed past an old boat wreck to the glaciers until the ice bergs got too big than headed to a beach to listen to avalanches high above us and watch the birds on the low tide line. On the way back we watched three humpbacks breach and finally I saw one flap it's tail. A good day had by all, now if this sunburn would calm down.
Hope your weekend was enjoyable.

Spring?

With school wrapping up, races starting and the leafs budding things around W. Harvard are busy! We are having the house painted so this weekend all the windows are covered, not very pleasant. I burned all my starts in the sun so the garden will be a little thin this summer and the triathlon snuck up on me, today! On Friday Seth and I bought a boat, the perfect boat in Seth's eyes so now we are set! Seth has been working on the engine changing oil, setting up an emergency radio ect.

Below is the boat and a picture of my race set-up, gold bike stand, maybe it's beauty will make up for my lack of training time-wise.

Hope your weekend is warm and relaxing.

I'm on a health kick

What's that you say? You love sandwiches, but plain bread is too boring for your refined taste? You'll love KFC's new Double Down! It's bacon and cheese sandwiched between two pieces of fried chicken, ah there is a heaven on earth, it's conveniently located on A and Norther Lights.

The art of cooking with peeps

HAPPY PEEP CONSUMPTION!

http://juliarothman.com
An artist you have seen around, I like everything she makes, wouldn't you like to have this wallpaper to greet you from a long day?

Iditarod

Just the day we left for Spring Break the big Iditarod started in downtown. My personal fav Sebastian Snuelle has not yet arrived, good times.

Spring Break in Washington

A good time was had by all in Washington, all two of us, that makes it unanimous, nice to see a little sunshine. Tales of "The storm of the century" were heard, apparently it really snowed in the Upper One while we were enjoying sun, rock climbing with no hats on and watching the grass green. Gail and Melissa's new house was a real treat as was Gail's cooking, whew, have to come home to fat camp. Staying with M & G and their cats made me realize how lazy Spycat is.

The picture below is of a newt I first spotted on the trail near the Columbia river, very large and slow, and I thought pretty far from any water.

Other pictures are of climbing at Vantage, the feathers and Frenchmen's Coulee, those three might all be the same spot, or different spots for different names, or all different spots and all the wrong names, ah well.

Back home it is sunny non-stop, light till 8:oopm and world class skate skiing. Seth and Caroline surprised me with new skiis and poles, makes a world of difference. Maybe Arctic to Indian this weekend, the ski that really marks the coming of Spring for me, only worth it to make the annual trek through a mountain pass with full sun and lots of good food in this opinion.

Cat has made a beautiful full recovery from her "incident" a little surgery after an epic sounding battle with Stan the neighbor cat, she is quickly using up her vet quota around here. Nick took excellent care of the birds and cat while we were gone, I had no doubt.

Jan, Feb, Maaaarch

The Olympics.

Fantastic skiing.


Wedding of the year which happened to involve my best friend.

Nasty cat fight, resulting in unpleasant baths and surgery.


Now there is trip to Ellensburg, ahhhhh.

Did I mention that this time of year never flies by, 2010 welcome!!!!!