Two Weekends in May

Always eagerly anticipated are visits from grown children and those precious grandchildren. The first weekend in May all three of our grandkids were here. While their visits always prompt photos, this time we gave the prize to Sylvee and Grandpapa. We caught them returning from a walk through the herd checking for new calves or cows in early labor. It was breezy outside so Grandpapa improvised a baby carrier with his sweatshirt to keep 3 month old Sylvee warm. Food is always a big part of our gatherings. We were able to include fresh asparagus and our favorite spring dessert, rhubarb mousse. Easy and elegant, here's the recipe:
2 cups diced young rhubarb, 1/2 cup sugar, 1 envelope unflavored gelatin,
1/4 cup cold water,2 tsp. lemon juice, 2/3 cup heavy cream whipped,
additional whipped cream, sweetened.
Place the rhubarb in a heavy kettle, cover and heat slowly till juice is rendered. Uncover, add sugar, and cook rapidly until tender. Soften gelatin in cold water, Beat into hot rhubarb, stirring until gelatin is completely dissolved. Add lemon juice and chill till mixture begins to thicken. Fold in whipped cream and chill till firm. Serve with a dollop of sweetened whipped cream.
If you don't have rhubarb growing in your yard you can certainly obtain some at the Wausau Farmer's Market on River Drive which will open Saturday, May 15th!

The farmily scribe finished the annual newletter/order form and stuffed envelopes here seen ready to be mailed. This year we sent out 125 in our mailing. We celebrated the completion of this task by driving into Athens late on Sunday afternoon for a soft-serve ice cream cone and deposited our envelopes at the local post-office.

The next Thursday saw the arrival of the second batch of broiler chicks. This is what those cute yellow chicks have transformed into by week two: gangly teenagers! They've lost the baby fluff and are beginning to feather out. C'mon feathers! We help them transition to life on pasture by turning the heat on the brooder's warming light down gradually and then off. Nights are cool outside still, but there are other delights to be relished: bugs and grass!

Craig calls this the "maternity ward". Cows and calves taking a sunbath. Since Jonquil's birth there have been 7 other calves born. The calves really enjoy each other, racing around with their tails in the air playing tag.

Maybe we should have specified "rain" when we asked for more precipitation in our last post. This was the scene in the barnyard on Saturday morning, May 8th. Looks like something from our February post, doesn't it? But as our daughter, Camille, commented: "it's wet!" So it is and we'll take it. The newsletter from Central Wisconsin Graziers advised having a "drought plan" to deal with the major league ten year drought we are experiencing. So far this spring we've yet to reach the one inch mark in the rain gauge.





The "emancipated travelers" were less than happy with this snowfall. Rather than ranging out over the pasture they hung close to the feeder. Craig had thoughts of snowshoes for them, but by afternoon the snow had melted away and they were once again roaming hither and yon.

Now, for just a little on what everyone else was occupied with this week. Music was a big part of Gabe's week. Seen above practicing piano for his weekly lesson, he also played clarinet in Thursday's big spring scholarship concert at Prairie River Middle School and played a saxophone in a jazz band event on Saturday, the 8th.

Plus, he mowed the orchard on this sunny, Sunday afternoon.

Willa, who is on the girl's varsity soccer team in Merrill, is #15 in the center of this picture. This game was resumed after a rain delay and was played for a while under a magnificent rainbow which is seen fading in the corner of this picture. (Merrill did win over Mosinee, 1:0) Those of you who visit our table at the Wausau Farmer's Market would known Willa as Craig's helpmate at the market. She also is the voice on the end of the phone line reminding you that your chicken order is ready for pick-up.

...and she likes to drive the riding lawn mower here on the farm. Usually, it is an excuse to catch some rays although the first mowing of 2010 required jeans, sweatshirt and jacket.

Olivia is the master gardener here and is shown above in one of the garlic beds. Although mulched heavily these beds still require some weeding. Weeds are admirably persistent aren't they? She is counting down the last days of high school and has spent a lot of time preparing for her AP exams for classes she has taken this year.

Yeoman Craig is off to the garage to do some welding. And exactly what is he working on?

A new unit of steps for the granary. The granary is my favorite of all the old farm buildings here at Ninepatch. A couple of years ago Craig and the kids put new metal roofing on this building where grain (of course!) and our organic feed supplements are stored. The steps were a very old wooden unit: rotting and leaning steeply. Not one to do something that won't last for many, many years Craig is shown installing the steel deck he has welded together. Steps will be added soon.

Snow melt off the house roof filled our 55 gallon rain barrel. This water will be used for irrigation in the garden....just in case.

After looking at what was on my calendar for the coming week and remembering that the hummingbirds' return is usually the second week of May each year, I thought I'd surprise them this year by being ready before their arrival. Usually they hover in front of the dining room window as if to say "We're back! Where's the food?" because their return has caught me off guard. I cooked up my homemade nectar (easy: 4 cups water, 1 cup sugar brought to a boil, then cooled) and hung two feeders at sunset on Sunday.
And lastly, a post-script to an earlier post in which I mentioned Samuel Thayer. He has a new book: Nature's Garden. Check his website: www.foragersharvest.com