Tag: maine

Maple Syrup and the Good Life

~ Crystal Sands ~ Leave a comment

I have much to report. We are on Day 7 with the Rhode Island Red eggs, and all seems well. Maggie’s two babies are getting big, and Maggie seems to be figuring out motherhood. Our little Salmon Faverolle, Prudence, has been sitting on seven turkey eggs. I candled them this week, and six are very well developed. They are due on the 29th. Please cross your fingers for Prudence and her turkey babies. We also found another of our turkeys, our fierce girl, Athena, was hiding 24 turkey eggs and sitting on them. It was Ron’s job to collect the turkey eggs, but he is fired now. I let Athena keep thirteen eggs that seemed to be similarly developed. I have broody mamas everywhere, I am their assistant. We are trying to raise a round of turkeys for food instead of pets. I am scared we are going to be in trouble, but we will see.

In addition to being a broody hen assistant, I told Ron last week that I am a hunter-gatherer of sorts. I am getting pretty good at finding local farms for things we cannot grow or raise or make ourselves, but after I hunt everything down, I have to connect with each farmer and then find times that work to meet. They are all so kind, and I appreciate that they all love what they do so much because I know the work is hard.

I often have great talks with the honey people, the beef people, and so on because they all care for their animals so deeply and care about providing good food to people.

But, today, I had my first long talk with the maple syrup people, and it was a treat!

This farm is super local. It’s in the same small town we live in, and they specialize in blueberries and maple syrup. Today, Ron made pancakes for breakfast, and we had so little maple syrup that we had to ration it. This is unacceptable.

I grew up in the south, and Ron grew up in the west. Neither of us had ever had maple syrup until we moved to Maine. I don’t know how I ever lived without it.

And I don’t want maple syrup from the store. I want it from someone in Maine who makes their living making maple syrup. It will be cheaper, better, and I believe 100 percent in supporting local agriculture. I don’t believe the global food system is going to hold up super well in the coming years. I want local to thrive as much as possible.

I went to the website to see if the farm store with the maple syrup was open today. They were not. They said they were busy getting ready for blueberry season but would take appointments. I texted the number, asked if the woman could meet me this afternoon. Thankfully, she could.

I met her right at 2:00 PM, and I went straight to the biggest jugs of syrup. I got three.

“You mean business about maple syrup,” she said.

I laughed. I hate taking up a farmer’s time unless they want to chat. I know they are incredibly busy this time of year. I am so thankful when they will make time to meet with me.

“Yeah, we love your maple syrup, ” I said. “We needed to stock up.”

Then, I told her about Ron’s waffles because they are the best waffles in the history of the world. They are so good we are planning to make them for friends and neighbors this summer.

“We figured out how to make sourdough waffles, and they are amazing,” I said, feeling the need to explain myself but also wanting to express my gratitude for sharing their good work with the community.

“Oh, do you make Belgian waffles?” she asked.

“Oh yeah,” I replied. “You gotta have the deep pockets for your delicious syrup.”

After that, it was on. She was telling me how you are supposed to eat waffles, and I was agreeing wholeheartedly. When it comes to maple syrup, she and I are on the same page.

As we were talking about how much we both liked maple syrup, she said some people like “just a little drizzle” on their pancakes or waffles, “but not me.”

“I have to make it so my waffle or pancake is so full of syrup it’s like a sponge.” I nodded in agreement. That’s how it has to be.

“But that’s not enough,” she continued. “I need some extra on the side to dip the sponge in.’

We were both laughing, and I was in full agreement. That’s exactly how I want to eat waffles and maple syrup.

We talked a bit more while she helped me get the syrup to my car.

“Really, pancakes and waffles are there just to give us a reason to eat maple syrup,” I said in conclusion, and she laughed and agreed.

As I was getting into my car to leave, she said something that really struck me.

“We’re living the good life, aren’t we?”

I paused and thought about that all the way home. Indeed, we are.

I am thankful.

photo credit: Nadine Primeau, Unsplash

Hope for Humanity in the Chicken Forums

~ Crystal Sands ~ 1 Comment

I have been studying the chicken forums on Facebook since we first got chickens more than ten years ago. I have found that social media is one of the ways I learn about humanity, and so, in the chicken forums all these years, I have not only learned about caring for chickens but I have also learned about the humans who keep chickens.

I learned pretty early on that, just like anywhere on the internet, there is a lot of misinformation circulating in the chicken forums. In the beginning, when I was seeking advice about various animal husbandry questions related to my chickens, I sometimes got some really bad advice. But it didn’t take long for me to learn who to trust in the groups and who to ignore. One of the things I learned is that being loud isn’t the same as being right.

Over time, I became experienced and would sometimes try to help others the way I had been helped. It’s hard to do online, but I would do my best, and overall, I was always thankful for the kind of people I found in the chicken forums, especially when I decided to narrow my presence to just chicken forums based on Maine. These forums were practical, helpful, and connected me to local resources. As much as I hate Facebook, I love the Maine chicken forums.

There was always a “edge” that would appear in these Maine forums though. Just like the rest of the internet, people can be mean in the chicken forums, and sometimes, when people ask for help, they get reprimanded instead.

But I am noticing a shift…

Just last week, I saw the shift illustrated beautifully.

A woman made a post about needing help covering the costs of chicken feed. She said she had been struggling financially and couldn’t cover the cost of feed for her chickens that week. In the past, this kind of post would have been met with some help but mostly reprimand.

And there was some of that. A few people said the thing I would often see before “If you can’t afford animals, you shouldn’t have them.” However, mostly, there was help. When I first saw the post, four people had offered to meet to give the woman some chicken feed. At that point, I didn’t know how far away the people were, so I posted that I couldn’t deliver food but could Venmo her the funds for a bag of feed and for her to send me a private message.

I checked back later that night, and the post had blown up–with offers of help!

Dozens and dozens of people were offering funds and feed, and I saw a post from the author that said she had already been delivered a bag of feed and was so thankful for the support and help. I think this shift in the chicken forums is significant, and the things I read lifted my hopes and spirits in a way I cannot describe but was desperately needed.

I think we are learning that we are going to have to help each other, that hardships are upon us but that, through community, we survive. I read a quote that really resonated with me not too long ago: Civilizations fall but villages live. I think we are beginning to understand we need a village and that we have to be kind to each other.

I love Maine with every fiber of my being. I could not live anywhere else in the U.S. The people of Maine are my people, but there can be a kind of grumpiness to the practicality here. I saw a few comments in that thread that were of that nature. I have learned that Mainers are truly trying to be helpful though, not usually mean. One woman said something along the lines of, “Times are just going to get harder. If you can’t afford your chickens now, you might need to re-home them.”

Of course, this comment was likely hurtful to the original poster, but I could see the earnestness there. Times really are likely to get harder. Ron and I think often about how we would afford food for our animals if I were to lose my job, and with AI being what it is and doubling in ability every six or seven months, I can see that it might happen to me one day sooner than I thought possible. I can see that it might be hard for many people to keep affording the feed for their animals, but chickens are critical for survival in hard times. They are how my great grandparents survived the Great Depression. People are going to need their chickens.

And, as I was thinking about the earnest advice about how times are going to get harder, I thought about what happened in the chicken forums that day. Times are already hard, but there are people there to help–lots of people.

And, what if, when times get harder, we just keep helping each other?

photo credit: Robert Katzki, Unsplash

First Snow

~ Crystal Sands ~ 1 Comment

Today was the first big snow for our turkeys and new chickens. The new chickens are still babies in spirit, even though some of them are about the same size as our smaller hens. They have grown up quickly, but they are a long way, every single one of them, from having a place in the flock that is anything other than the bottom.

I think a lot of people do not understand how important the social order is to chickens. They are so much like humans in this way. Because the young chickens are so far at the bottom of the pecking order, if they stay in the coop with the grumpy old hens, they will be bossed around and randomly pecked on the head from time to time all day long.

So, even in the cold and snow, they head outside.

I made sure I shoveled a good area near the covered dust bath, and as soon as I opened the door this morning for the flock to come outside, the little chickens made a beeline–at least most of them. A few of them were not happy with the snow on the ground, even though I had shoveled–and then swept with a broom–to do my best to get the snow clear.

(As an aside, as I type the words that I shoveled and then swept the ground with a broom to try to give my chickens dry earth, I realize that, tired as I am, I am willing to go a long way to give those chickens a good day).

One of the little Cuckoo Maran hens started her bee line and then suddenly froze. She realized she was in the snow, and then became paralyzed. She didn’t want to go forward or backwards. I watched her and realized I would have to carry her to her people, so I did. She normally makes a scene because she doesn’t like to be held. She got tired of it because I held her quite a bit as a baby. I have found over the years that the best way to have a hen let me hold her when she’s grown is to hold her a lot as a baby. Unfortunately for me, some of them still hate being held, no matter how hard I try. It’s a personality thing, but, of course, I try until they make it clear to me that they don’t want it. Then, I try to respect their wishes.

Ruby, for example, makes a full-on scene, scream and hollers and acts like I am killing her, when I have had to help her out of situations and hold her. The only exception was that time I found her stuck under the ramp of the coop. I still have no idea how she managed that, but she did let me help her out of that jam without making a scene that morning. Clara, on the other hand, always lets me hold her. She is a Lavender Orpington, and they are very sweet, chill birds. I can pick Clara up pretty much any time, and she goes right along with it. Interestingly, Clara is one of the few older hens who will hang out with the little ones. I wonder what that says about her.

Anyway, I took the little Cuckoo Maran (her name is Genevieve) to her fellow little people, and she was satisfied.

It is supposed to get down to -2 degrees Fahrenheit in the next few days, which is a bit of a rough temperature for early December around here. We are going to have to put loads of straw in the coop starting tomorrow.

The turkeys were very interesting with the snow. At first, they had a lot of hesitation. Well, I don’t think “hesitation” does justice to what they were. Turkeys feel everything so deeply, so they were really quite sad and seemed to be upset at us that this had happened. They moped quite a bit. I mean, you could literally see them moping about, so mistreated by us who allowed the snow to fall on the earth that they own because, rest assured, they own everything around here.

They eventually adjusted, however. We shoveled a path for them, but soon they were just out and about making their own paths. I think we got about 4 inches of snow, so the turkeys were able to walk through it–and they did. They were certainly more subdued today than usual, but mostly, they just went around as usual, barking at the FedEx delivery driver in fine form.

I got a little video of them this morning as I was wrapping up my part of the morning chores. I hope it makes you smile. I hate my voice, but this video made my heart so happy that I have to share it. https://youtube.com/shorts/bgjTrMPzcrE?si=RGyQMNGCmQqaodV9

Maine Farms and Businesses from Erin French’s The Lost Kitchen: A List By Episode

~ Crystal Sands ~ 3 Comments
A photo of the mill from my visit to The Lost Kitchen last December

“If you don’t have good ingredients, you can’t make good food.”
~Erin French

Erin French has inspired me so much as a home cook. I have always subscribed to the philosophy that, if you have really good ingredients, you need to let them speak for themselves when you cook. Erin French takes this to a whole other level, to an art form, and her work has inspired many meals and treats on our little homestead in Maine.

And, because I feel it’s so important right now to support our Maine farmers, I spent a few weeks over the winter watching every episode of The Lost Kitchen in order to have a list of the farms Erin uses to create her amazing dishes. Then, I realized I should share this list with readers.

If you are in Maine or visiting Maine, please check out this list. I have included links to every farm and shop mentioned in her episodes. In some cases, farms did not have a website but did have a social media page, so I have linked to that instead. I did my very best to make this list comprehensive.

If you are not in Maine or visiting Maine, I encourage you to find farms in your state and support them as much as you can. Buying direct from farmers at their stands, at farmer’s markets, or from their online stores makes a huge difference to farmers.

Season 1, Episode 1

Oysters
Johns River Oysters, South Bristol, Maine

Celery
Calyx Farms, Morrill, Maine

Season 1, Episode

Butter (I have used this better. It’s very good!)
Crooked Face Creamery, Skowhegan, Maine

Coffee (Their hot cocoa is also amazing!)
44 North Coffee, Deer Isle, Maine

Steaks
Caldwell Farms, Turner, Maine

Season 1, Episode 3

This was one of my favorite scenes in the hallway outside of The Shop at the Mill in Freedom.

Lobster
Young’s Lobster Pound, Belfast, Maine

Peaches
Locust Grove Peach Orchard, Albion, Maine

Season 1, Episode 4

Herbs and Produce
Village Side Farm, Freedom, Maine

Wood-Fired Bread
Tinder Hearth Bread, Brooksville, Maine

Season 1, Episode 5

Pork Chops
David’s Folly Farm, Brooksville, Maine
*Event venue as well

Season 1, Episode 6
*apples in every dish episode

Apples
The Buckle Farm, Unity, Maine

Moodytown Gardens, Palmyra, Maine

Season 2, Episode 1

Rhubarb and Garlic
Wild Miller Farm. Palermo, Maine

Custom Pottery and Plates
Campfire Pottery, Portland, Maine

Season 2, Episode 2 

Strawberries
*No location given, but Erin picks fresh strawberries. U-pick is a summer tradition in Maine. Check out Real Maine for a list of U-Pick locations for strawberries.

Season 2, Episode 3

Raspberries 
Pottery Farm, Thordike, Maine
*Also focuses on wood-fired pottery

*For more information on where to pick fresh raspberries throughout Maine, see this list from pickyourown.org.

Organic Beef (grass-fed and finished on apples)
Apple Bottom Beef, Jackson, Maine

The famous Airstream!

Season 2, Episode 4

Rope-Grown Mussels
Marshall Cove Mussels, Isleboro, Maine

Carrots and Baby Red Potatoes
Moodytown Gardens, Palmyra, Maine

Season 2, Episode 5

Squash Blossoms
The Buckle Farm, Unity, Maine

Microgreens
Graze Farm, Northport, Maine

Season 2, Episode 6

Blueberries
Erin picks blueberries on a small farm. Picking blueberries is a big Maine tradition. You can find a farm with high bush blueberries at Real Maine.

Shallots
South Paw Farm, Freedom, Maine

Season 2, Episode 7

Maine-Grown Scallops
Vertical Bay, Belfast, Maine

Quilts
Smith’s General, Yarmouth, Maine

Season 2, Episode 8

Fennel
New Beat Farm, Knox, Maine
*Their site has a search for recipes by ingredients tool, which is just priceless!

Season 3, Episode 1

Chocolate
Bixby Chocolates, Rockland, Maine

Beer
Oxbow Brewing Company, Newcastle, Maine

Season 3, Episode 2

Maple Syrup
Sweet Freedom Maple Syrup, Palermo, Maine

Tulips
Seek No Further Farmstead, Monroe, Maine (growing tulips in the middle of winter)

Candles
Danica Candles, West Rockport, Maine

Season 3, Episode 3

Artisanal Goat Cheese
Frederickson Farm, China, Maine

Season 3, Episode 4

Meat, Dairy, and Eggs
Misty Brook Farm, Albion, Maine

Season 3, Episode 5

Ricotta Cheese
Crooked Face Creamery, Skowhegan, Maine

Organic Vegetables
South Paw Farm, Freedom, Maine

Season 3, Episode 6

Peaches
Locust Grove Peach Orchard, Albion, Maine

The Shop at the Mill
*Erin introduces her shop in Freedom, Maine.

Inside The Shop at the Mill. The pictures cannot do it justice!

Season 3, Episode 7

Potatoes
The Buckle Farm, Unity, Maine

Season 3, Episode 8

Kitchen Tools and Equipment
The Good Table, Belfast, Maine

Season 3, Episode 9

Melons
Moodytown Gardens, Palmyra, Maine

Boxes for Tables
Heide Martin Design Studio, Rockland, Maine

Season 3, Episode 10

Fall Crops
Wild Miller Farm. Palermo, Maine

Season 3, Episode 11

Apples
*No location given, but Erin picks apples at an apple orchard. Real Maine offers a searchable site for apple orchards in Maine.

Coffee
44 North Coffee, Deer Isle, Maine

Season 3, Episode 12

Fall Crops
The Buckle Farm, Unity, Maine

It’s been awhile since a Ruby update…

~ Crystal Sands ~ Leave a comment

We are flirting with mud season around here, and I am thankful for the melt but also not a fan of mud season. The chickens are not fans of mud season either. I put straw in the run, but it’s still messy. The girls stand at the front door of the coop and look at the driveway like they really want driveway time. I have been avoiding it, just trying to train them to lock down a little bit with bird flu in mind, but tomorrow, I think they are going to get a little driveway time. I think I am going to have to do a deep clean on the coop. I have a little dread about it. It’s going to be hard, but it’s time.

When I went to collect eggs this evening, I saw that Ruby has a poopy bum, so I had to pick her up to check things out. She does have a few mites, so I had to treat her, which led to me bleeding because she is fierce. That chicken is so wild and stubborn and histrionic. I was so kind and patient the whole time, but she made such a scene that the other chickens started to get upset. I promised them all that it was okay and that Ruby was just being Ruby, and I think that worked.

Anyway, she has now been treated. She pecked me one more time for good measure when I put her down.

In contrast, I thought I had better do a health check on Hector while I was checking on people tonight, and while she is not doing the greatest, she is certainly hanging in much better than I thought she would be. I am sure we will lose her this spring, but she’s holding up well and seems content. She was so chill while I checked her. Her crop is a little bit squishy, so I will have to treat that tomorrow. When I was done, I held her right in my face, so I could check out her eyes, trying to see what’s going on in there. Does she look like she has pain? Is she mostly okay? I am happy to report that her eyes looked good. She is such a great hen. I am so, so, so sad she didn’t win the genetics lottery.

I am thinking about ordering a few hatching eggs for heritage chickens this year. I think that should help in the genetics lottery. I also realize that a lot of our flock won the genetics lottery because of Rooster. We have so many old hens, and they are all Rooster’s babies. And, of course, Rooster will be 9 this summer.

We are all just trying to stay sane and focused on preparing for tougher times. The straw we get comes from Canada, so we bought a lot today because we assume the price will go up if the tariffs are put into place on Monday. Of course, you never know if he’s really going to enact the tariffs or just threaten forever. Either way, we have a good amount of straw, and I had a Blue Seal coupon. That coupon covered two free bales of straw–and straw is not cheap.

There is a part of me that feels like I am panicking too much, but then I read a little bit about what is going on and feel like I am not panicking nearly enough. All I know is that I wake up each morning so differently than I ever have. I wake up scared. Then, I get my brain to adjust to this new reality and tell myself, “put the anxiety into action.”

And then I get up and start getting the food and water ready for my sweet chickens. And Ruby too.

A Boudica Update

~ Crystal Sands ~ Leave a comment

I am working on a new post on bird flu, but I may not have it ready until Monday, as this weekend is a big weekend for our son. He has made the finals in a concerto competition, so I will be away all day tomorrow. My son is well prepared, and it’s such an honor to make the finals. He will get to play in a lovely space with an audience and a pianist. He will get to play alongside the best young musicians our state has to offer. I hope things go well for him. It has been such a journey for him with his cello this year. Because of the long COVID, he is having to learn his body in a way I didn’t learn until my 30 or 40s. It’s hard for a teen to have the patience to handle an illness like this and keep doing what he loves, which is all very physical. I admire him, and I am thankful he will get to play tomorrow.

But I digress…I wanted to write an update on Boudica because I mentioned she was having some struggles. I was trying not to worry but was a little worried about her. When Gus died in 2021, I was so physically heartbroken and sick, I worried about my health. Boudica and I are so close. We read each other’s minds all the time and have similar personality types. It’s so wonderful to have that connection. I want that for longer.

Thankfully, we got pretty good news at the vet. She is overall quite healthy, but Boudica has some arthritis. We are trying some natural supplements for her, and they seem to be helping. I have no words for how thankful I am to have a chance for more time with her. She is one of the greats, though aren’t they all?

Anyway, I got this great short video walking with her this week. She felt so good after the first dose of natural supplement that she was able to go for a short walk with me in the woods. I love walks with Boudica in the woods. By the way, the supplements that seem to be working so well are from a Maine company, Coastside Bio Resources. Our vet recommended this company, so I am hopeful.

I hope this video makes you smile. This is my amazing girl, being so busy on the walk. She’s very serious, always working.

And, this reminds me of a story Ron told me. Later in the week, Ron took both Bairre and Boudica on a walk when I wasn’t able to go. It got late, and they were in the woods after dark. Do you remember that story I told you about Boudica being like the wolf who knew about the dying bison two miles away? Ron and I have talked about this and try to respect Boudica’s opinion. Well, Ron said, on their walk, Boudica just stopped in her tracks and refused to go any farther. She never does this.

Ron said, after first, he made her keep going, but she took a few steps, stopped again, and gave him a look that Ron understood to mean, “there’s trouble that way.” We have a lot of coyotes in the area, so Ron decided to listen to Boudica. He turned everyone around and came home.

10 Below

~ Crystal Sands ~ 2 Comments

When we woke up this morning, it was 10 below, and I was thankful Ron had decided to put the ceramic heater in the chicken coop last night. In general, chickens do not need a heat in the winter, but we have a “negative 7” rule that we just made up ourselves. If it’s below -7, we bring out some heat for the flock.

There is always a risk of fire when you add heat to your coop, but we do not use a heat lamp and use an oil-based ceramic heater. On top of this, Ron places a cage he built over the heater, and it adds some security.

I have to say the chickens were quite happy with a little extra heat, and Saint-Saens and Betty Jr., both of whom will be 7 years old this spring, happily slept on the heater’s cage last night. I imagine our old chickens have aching joints like I have. All the old girls and boys–from Rooster, who will be 9, to Saint-Saens, Vivaldi, Betty Jr., Mary Jane, and Pumpkin, who will all be 7 or 8 this spring, had a little more spring in their step this morning when I delivered food and water to the coop.

It was miserable out there in that cold, so I did not open the coop to the outdoors until much later in the day today. Poor Tuesday was out of there when I opened that door. She doesn’t mind the cold, but she surely seems to mind being stuck with people.

I was talking to a dear friend from the south last night, and she is so worried about the terrible cold that has hit the entire south this week. She was telling me all of the extra things she is having to do to get prepared and keep her chickens and rabbits warm, and it made me realize just how much we have to do all the time, every single day of our lives, during the winter months here in Maine.

It is a lot of really hard work. Busting ice is so therapeutic mentally, but it can be pretty hard on my body. And I have been fighting with a frozen poop-sickle near the back door of the chicken coop for a week. I finally had to take a hammer to it. I have hauled frozen chunks of poop out of both the chicken coop and duck house all winter, and I can’t get the wheelbarrow through when there’s deep snow, so I have all kinds of cheats for keeping things clean for the birds, most of which are pretty gross for me. And the water! We use buckets to haul water to the chickens and ducks, and the ducks have to have their tubs refilled several times a day on the super cold days–or the windy days. And, of course, how many times this winter have I shoveled the chicken coop and swept the ramps. I want them to be as comfortable as possible.

It was so interesting to me that I am just in the habit of doing all of it and didn’t think about how much extra work the animals are in the winter until I got my friend’s perspective. We concluded our conversation on winter preparedness with her asking me how cold it was here. When I told her, she asked how in the world we lived here, and that made me think more as well. I love here, and I actually like the winter. But why?

Honestly, I have no idea other than I really like having all four seasons (though, okay, spring in Maine can be pretty short and messy), and I have some Scandinavian ancestry. Maybe that makes me like winter. Or maybe it’s this–and I just thought of this–there is something about being tough enough to survive it that makes you feel alive.

If you love Maine or the north and the long cold winters, I would love your perspective. Why are you here? What makes you love it?

And, if you are in the south, please take good care. I know you are not used to this, and I hope warmer temps return very soon!

PS Today, I had to take my son to his first day of early college and was away from the house all morning. I barely saw Boudica before I left. It was just morning chores, breakfast, get the boy out the door. When I got home, I went outside to let the chickens outside for a bit (well, mainly just Tuesday), and Boudica saw me. She came running across the property, and friends, she looked so magnificent in the snow. I wish I had captured it on video. The snow was dusting up around her as she ran across the chicken yard, breaking a new trail in the cold sunlight. Her face looked so happy to see me. When she got to me, I reached down and hugged her with all my might, and she leaned right into it, extra hard. She missed me and let me know. What an honor it is to be loved by such a beautiful creature!

Merry Everything

~ Crystal Sands ~ 1 Comment

I am not feeling very well tonight. I think I worked so hard to get Christmas ready that I may have overdone it a bit. There will be no Christmas dinner tomorrow. I have promised a pie each to my two favorite guys, but tomorrow, for the first time in a long time, I am mainly just going to rest.

I am looking forward to it. Rest. It’s what humans should be doing right now, and I am overdue.

We have hard things coming for us, dear readers–at least I think so. I do not know what 2025 will bring, but I have a lot of worry about it. I also know that I am going to need my strength, and 2024 was not a strong year for me at all.

So, tonight, on Christmas Eve, I am just feeling thankful and not letting myself worry about next year. I am going to concentrate on a few days of rest, try to heal my body, celebrate the return of the light, and be cozy with my family.

It has been a lovely Christmas Eve. I got to see my daughter and her partner today. I worked on a quilt for my son. I made good treats for the chickens since they were cooped up for most of the day due to the snow, delivered presents to my neighbors, and received one of the best gifts I have ever received on Christmas. It is an ice lantern! Isn’t it beautiful?

My kind neighbor carried it to our house while I was out delivering presents in the neighborhood. Ron was shoveling snow in the driveway when our neighbor delivered it. He put the ice lantern in the most beautiful spot ever. It is up high, by the gate near the chicken coop, and it is just magnificent. It reminds me of how much I love Maine and how beautiful winter is here.

We have not had a wintery white Christmas here in Maine in some time. Tonight, as I look out the window at my lantern and see the snow on the ground and feel the warmth of the wood stove, I am grateful.

Merry Christmas to all who celebrate! Happy Hanukah to all who celebrate! And happy return of the light to everyone!

Late Fall

~ Crystal Sands ~ 2 Comments

I realize it is not really “late” fall. But I am looking out the window this morning at my maple tree friend, and all of her leaves are gone. Only the oaks still have their leaves. The yard is full of leaves, and the chickens are so happy. The love digging through the leaves.

It has been a strange fall in many ways. The weather has been quite hot by Mainer standards most of the time, with a swing into the chilly every now and again. Today, it is chilly. I think this one might stick. Ron has the basement full of wood and wood stacked near the garage for this coming winter. He is now on a mission to find wood for the coming years, and it seems like his work in that area never ends. We have had our wood stove since 2020, and so far, a storm brings down some tree some where every year in order to provide enough wood for the following year. It could be, however, that the strong winds have cleared out all they are going to clear out, so Ron is wondering if maybe we will have to buy wood to heat our home next year. We’ll see though. Who knows what the winter storms might do.

The chickens have mostly stopped laying. We are getting just three to five eggs per day, and we have feathers everywhere from the molt. I got this picture of Ruby the other day because she looks so cute. She’s still being her Ruby self. She’s very busy and still very vocal. The ducks had completely stopped laying last week, at least I thought. This morning, there was a single egg in the duck house. I was so happy because duck eggs are my favorite. Our plan is that we will not get ducks again after our flock passes away over time, but it will be tough to never have duck eggs again. We talked about how we could just buy some, but I have not seen anyone in our area who raises organic duck eggs.

I have been really busy wrapping up fall classes and processing more food from the garden. The long summer meant an epic tomato crop. I think I have made enough sauce for two years. I was gifted some organic grapes and made grape jelly. Ron planted a fall crop of greens, so today, I will be gathering spinach and lettuce and bagging it up to have it for just a little longer. A big freeze is coming tomorrow night. We have had a couple of light frosts, but the greens can handle that. Ron says they may not handle this one though, at least not the varieties he has planted. I guess it really is late fall.

Mostly, things are going well here on the homestead. Boudica and Bairre, our Pyrenees are busy and healthy. It’s cool enough that we can take them for walks every evening now. In fact, if Bairre doesn’t get a walk, he pouts and refuses to eat, so we are sure to walk. The evenings are just gorgeous, and the walks are good for my soul.

The only bad news is that after over a year with no rats, they are back. I just saw one last night, as I was getting the chicken food to put up for the night. Just a few weeks ago, I was feeling a little smug, thinking that being so neat and careful with the chicken feed has really worked to keep the rats away, but then I remembered that there is a garden full of food, our neighbor’s compost exists, and we had owls living right by the house last fall. I thought it was probably really just a matter of luck that we had no rats. I guess that was right. I am so bummed. They are beautiful, intelligent creatures, but they are so, so destructive. My teenage son loves the owls, and last fall, they hung out with him in the evenings. I told him I needed him to summon his owl friends. He looked at me like I was a crazy witch lady. I get that from him fairly regularly.

I guess that’s all the news for this morning. Stay cozy, friends, and stay sane. It’s a tough time for our culture. There’s a lot of instability. I am just trying to remind myself that, no matter what happens, it’s a good idea to keep learning to be self sufficient. In so many ways, it feels like we are on our own. In so many ways, it seems like we need to stick together.

top photo credit: Ronan Sands

Fall Is Finally Upon Us

~ Crystal Sands ~ Leave a comment

This is Tuesday, Ruby’s offspring. Like Ruby, she’s the special, only I think she is even smarter than Ruby. Well, maybe it’s hard to say about that, but I will say this: I think Ruby is so high strung that it limits her at times. Tuesday is calm, cool, and smart like Poe was. We have been trying to keep the chickens from hanging out in the driveway because I caught Kate just as she was about to take a step into the road a few weeks ago. Ruby is not thrilled about this, but Tuesday has figured out how to hop onto the top of their covered dust bathing area, jump into the pine tree, and then make her way out front. From there, she charms even Ron out of treats all day long.

This picture was taken the other day after she had been given some extra treats from all three of us and was feeling bold, I guess. I heard a noise at the door and when I went to see what the noise was, I found Tuesday with her best begging face on. With the pumpkin next to her, she totally looked like she was trick or treating, so I went to get both a treat and my phone and got this picture of that beautiful girl. Isn’t she fantastic?

The picture looks like fall to me–Tuesday in her orange and black, pumpkin on the porch–and fall is finally here in our part of Maine. We had a long summer, and we have yet to have our first frost, which is just wild. It was nice getting to eat from the garden for so long, and even tonight, we ate greens and tomatoes fresh from the garden. But there is a chill in the air. You can feel the fall finally coming.

Plus, today, we got just three eggs from the girls. I assume tomorrow will be a little better, but we are definitely well into the molt. The girls are beginning their rest for the winter. I’m going to miss the fresh eggs, but I am glad they get to take a break. Our girls work so hard.

Rooster is having a particularly hard molt. I’m so worried about him, but he seems determined. Yoshi is also molting pretty badly, and Lenore had a tough year for her first year too. Thankfully, she’s all done and looks beautiful. Ruby hasn’t started her molt yet. I’m not looking forward to it. I mean, she’s grumpy on a good day.

Interestingly, Marshmallow is STILL broody. I swear, that hen has probably not laid an egg all year! She was broody all summer, and when I finally got her to let it go at the end of August, she started to molt. She had a solid molt and looks great, but about the time she got all her feathers back, that hen was right back in the nest box being broody again. There is a part of me that just wants to let her have another clutch of chicks; however, I will never forget the summer of 2019.

I let that hen have some babies, and she was like a dinosaur attacking me every time I had to bring the food and water. She was wild. I bled. I had to start wearing oven mitts, and she would then just go for my arms. I swore never again. So she continues to sit, hopeful, and I have to resist any urge to give in. She might live forever this way.

Interestingly, she is Broody Hen’s offspring, who was the sweetest hen in the history of the world. I don’t know what happened to Marshmallow.

Anyway, that’s the update from the chicken yard for today. I just finished teaching way too many classes, but I am now working less for a few weeks. I hope to write more. I hope you’ll leave a comment and write back.