Where to start?

There is so much to tell all of you.

Right now the mountain is ... waking up. That's the only way I can describe it. The patch that I was told "That's the rhubarb" went from a bare patch of dirt to the biggest rhubarb I've ever seen. I can frequently be found crawling on the grass trying to identify a plant or a flower.

Okay - we have 12 Black Australorp chicks, now about 4 weeks old. Stupid things. I'm sorry, but until you've had them there's no way of realizing just how stupid chickens are. And apparently heritage breeds are smarter than modern hybrids! I've seen these silly birds climbing over each other's heads, trying to get farther into the corner, in order to avoid a worm. However, they're starting to learn that bugs are for eating, and they did quick work of eradicating many June bug larvae. (We collected about a quart of them and the birds ate them in about half an hour!).

We did something that, as I often do, was exactly opposite what everyone says we should do. Honestly, if we did "what we're supposed to" we wouldn't be living on the remote side of a mountain and driving half an hour to get free wifi in a restaurant parking lot. Goats are horribly hard to find here. The one breeder I found wanted $450 for a 3 month old doeling. Then I found a man who buys cull goats and sheep from the dairy, breeds them and then sells the baby and the mother for meat. The poor animals do not have a wonderful life.

Nikki is a French Alpine who arrived at his farm last fall and was accidentally covered by a Nubian buckling. She makes enough milk for pretty little Nanette but not enough to please a dairy. In other words - both of them were destined for meat. We got the pair for $300. For the past few days they have been avoiding our touch, hiding in the corner of the little barn and refusing to eat. We were getting scared, to be honest.

This morning, Nikki came to Mr D when he called her! He played with her in the field for a little while, with little Nanette following obediently. I wish my children came as quickly when *I* call as Nanette does when Nikki calls! Nikki doesn't like being milked, but she has a generally pleasant personality and will tolerate it, as long as I'm quick. I'm getting about a pint from her twice a day, and she's still feeding Nanette full-time. That's actually enough for us, and we want Nanette to grow up as healthy as possible.

People around us keep insisting that our land is worthless. What they mean is that there is little monetary value. Although blueberries grow, they don't grow *well*. Besides, there's a new aphid that has been attacking blueberries - it's most harmful to those who grow large fields of blueberries. (Monoculture is BAD!!!!! Mother Nature is slapping back!) Our land is too hilly to be easily logged (Hurray!) No good for blueberries, no good for logging - what good is it? Well, we have hummingbirds, robins, owls, ground hogs, mink, deer, beaver ....I'm just starting to get to know what the woods hold. We found two newts under a big rock. We had a feast of fiddleheads from our swamp, and I'm threatening to beat anyone with a stick if they trample my chosen patches of wild strawberries and raspberries. The ancient crab apples are started to flower. Balsam fir and poplar are "worthless" for selling, but they both make healing salves. We have no roses, but I've been told where I can find a huge patch of wild roses that I can harvest for cough syrup and other goodies.

Last night a neighbour said, as people have been saying often "You're going to have it hard this winter." Finally, I said, "Why? Seriously, why?" 

"Well, how will you get out to get groceries?"

Mr D said, "What groceries?"

"Milk."

"We have the goats. We'll jar up milk before we breed Nikki again."

"Okay, eggs."

"Hens will be laying by then. Anything else we'll buy in bulk. You already said you want CD to jar up your venison and game, and that she can keep a portion, so we'll be fine for meat. By the time the snow flies, we/'ll be all set to hunker down."

By winter, honestly, we won't want to leave! I should mention that we have built an 8x8' chicken coop that's absolutely gorgeous. The goats are in it, too, at least until we can get their barn built. We also need to rebuild the cabin's porch, which is falling apart, and we'll close it in at the same time. And we need to get a root cellar dug.

Time is up. Must run!

Thanks for reading! Please leave a comment - positive or negative - and let me know your thoughts. Don't forget to subscribe to Canadian Doomer in a Reader or by email.

News from the Doomstead! :D

Hello Everyone!

At times like this, I'm very glad I didn't live a hundred years ago, with adventurous family members going out west & waiting months and years for letters.

Days and weeks are bad enough!

Updates from Canadian Doomer are getting shorter, further apart, and more cryptic each time - her days start at 5 am and go until 9 pm when I gather she essentially collapses.

But!  The Doomstead is definitely turning into a small farm!  Ten garden beds are dug and a truckload of compost has arrived to put on them.  

A chicken coop has been built - with the help of the former landowner!  (Did I mention we're friendly here?  :D)  

And chickens have arrived!  She says they are pretty stupid.  I said that's why they're bird brains!  :D

And ... I'm not sure about this part: I thought they were going to just look at a goat, but the latest missive seems to indicate a goat as a new addition is imminent.

Goat milk can be easily purchased here at grocery stores, but with irregular trips into town, it's been essentially six weeks without milk and something needs to be done very soon.

Other than that, CD is still keeping a journal, is loving the place & says it has a wonderful microclimate.  I can't wait to hear about that; I've only seen it when it has been cold and WINDY!

I'll continue to post updates as I have news.  I'm hoping to visit within the next two weeks and catch up on all the news in person!

Best wishes, Everyone! 

Thanks for reading! Please leave a comment - positive or negative - and let me know your thoughts. Don't forget to subscribe to Canadian Doomer in a Reader or by email.