Attitude

I may suck at being a faithful blogger as of lately, but some day life may simmer down and I’ll do better. Right now it’s all about prioritizing.  Regardless this is good little saying I came across today.  I found it while cleaning out my friend’s house a couple years back.  I also wanted to share a few pictures from a recent trip to Florida.

Attitude….The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life.  Attitude, to me, is more important than facts.  It is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness, or skill. It will make or break a company, church, or home.
The remarkable thing is we have a choice every day regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past.  We cannot change that people will act a certain way.  We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude.

I am convinced that life is our attitude.  I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% how I react to it.  And so it is with you, we are in charge of our attitudes.

—Charles Swindoll

 

Lifelong Learning

This past Tuesday I hosted a all day photography class at my house. For years I have been wanting to take an adult ed. class. However, night classes just did not work for me with two young children. I heard of a young man who previously taught classes so I looked him up on facebook and him an e-mailed him and a few months later we made it happen.

It was VERY informational and we put our newly acquired skills into action photographing fruit, plants, rocks, and each other. I was amazed at how much we did not know about our cameras.

We had fun too! Now it is just a matter of putting all we learned into action.
It is SO easy just to set your camera back to the tulip mode or the running man instead of manual mode but that is the easy way out. My hope for 2011 is to share some fabulous photos with you all!

Fiddleheading in Maine

Years ago Maine Man used to go out scouting riverbeds and stream banks in search of ostrich ferns and return with grain bags overflowing with fiddleheads ready for resale. Back then (15 or so years ago) I really never gave it much thought. I'd cook up a meal or two and the rest he'd sell. Since becoming a foodie, a couple years ago I have BEGGED him to bring me out. Then I mentioned to a friend I wanted to go and THANFULLY he called this weekend and took us out.......I was beyond excited!

Here he points out what NOT to pick, the red ferns. To the right of that are the real deal. Couldn't he be a hand model? ;) Or if you are a sicko nurses like MM & I all you think of when you see hands like that is....nice veins....I could so slip an 18 gauge in that.

These tasty little morsels are often found around these unique looking plants. MM calls them skunk cabbage.

These furry little ferns are another example of what NOT to pick.

We picked about 3 gallons. A few meals for us and a few to give away. I'd like to go out at least one more time before the seasons ends to gather some for pickling. I will post about it if I am successful. In past years I have froze some but I was not happy with how they held up. They seemed to get frostbite easily.

On an ending note: THANKS goes out to my country neighbor for bringing us out and sharing his secret stash. GREATLY APPRECIATED!

Both the kids and adults had a good time.

FYI - In the country in Maine if you live less than 6 miles from one another your considered neighbors ;)

Everything Happens for a Reason

" Sometimes people come in to your life and you know right away that they were meant to be....to serve some sort of purpose, teach you a lesson or help you figure out who you are or who you want to become. You never know who these people may be but when you look eyes with them, you know that every moment that you are with them, they will affect your life in some profound way. And sometimes things happen to you at the time that may seem horrible, painful, or unfair, but in reflection you realize that without overcoming those obstacles you would have never realized your potential strength, will power or heart."



Wish I could say the above words are my writings but rather I borrowed them from here because it best summarizes this a little something I'm about to share with you all.

My farmer friend calls this cow an "African Attusa" not sure on the spelling and I was unable to locate anything on the www. This is his pride and joy but will be leaving his farm this week because he cannot afford to keep. He says they are sacred in Africa.


It all started in the summer of 08'. A predator killed one of our ducks and I stopped by his house to see if he had a duck to sell as a companion for the sole duck I had left.

I never ended up getting a duck there but we ran into one another a few times in between. In the summer of 09' he studded out his boar so we could breed our sows. We did not get many piglets in was a great experience.

He stopped by frequently checking on their progress during and after their pregnancies and we visited frequently with questions and concerns seeing how this was our first time.

Then this last December, as posted here I started making and delivering food to them on a weekly basis. Each time I went over we chatted farming and a lot about his medical issues.

LONG story short those weekly visits turned into bi-weekly, every other day and currently twice daily. I have now committed to taking him to his appointments as he really needs someone there to communicate his needs and advocate for what is right. After his last round of chemotherapy he became very ill and was admitted to critical care.He was discharged this past Saturday and I brought him home. We surprised his wife, it was awesome! I was privileged to witness them reunite. Every day he reminds of how grateful he is for the simple things: cooking his wife breakfast, watching the news with her,and just being able to sit around and chat with her.

We just returned from a doctors appointment and he has another in the morning followed by another and another and another. Regardless I'm in it for the long haul. Just thankful to have this old man in my life! My grandfather passed a few years back and this man fills that void in my life. I am also thankful for Maine Man who steps in when I'm at work. Lastly, I am thankful that my children have been a part of this evolving relationship.

P.S. All these pictures were taken at his farm.

Random Acts of Kindness

While preparing for this holiday season I had lots of thinking time. We made several homemade presents. Including a couple fleece no sew blankets , coasters made with Christmas napkins (this tutorial even has a video), vanilla extract, braided fleece dog toys, and several tourtiere pies. While crafting and cooking I thought about what things I may want to do differently in the new year. Year after year there are always the most common goals I set: loose a few pounds, get better organized, etc.... but this year my #1 goal is to practice Random Acts of Kindness more often! Then I thought, heck with the new year! Why not start now? So the weekend before Christmas I packaged up a couple plates of leftover ham dinner, some desserts, and a fresh tourtiere pie and dropped it by the old farmer's house a couple miles down the road. Then I woke up Christmas morning and cooked them up another meal and delivered it just before noon.
Why? Because they have no children, no local family, and they both have significant medical problems.
We met them about a year ago when I randomly stopped by the farm to see if he had a duck I could buy. We've been friends ever since. He is a proud man who asks little of others but always goes above and beyond to help others. Every time I see him he tells me a story and I listen. You never realize what you'll learn from others when you first meet them. Nor do I think others realize what how they teach others just by example. So from here on out I plan to bake & deliver a meal or at very least bread or a dessert every week. Why?
~It is the right thing to do.
~They have no family and my grandparents have all passed.
~They can use the help and we have the ability to help.
~It is a valuable lesson for our children, they too learn by example!

What are your goals for the New Year? I challenge you to add practicing more Random Acts of Kindness to your list!

I will end this post with a few quotes to think about:

~Treat everyone with politeness, even those who are rude to you-not because they are nice to you, but because you are. ~Author Unknown

~Beginning today,treat everyone you meet as if they were going to be dead by midnight. Extend to them all the care, kindness and understanding you can muster, and do it with no thought of reward. Your life will never be the same again. ~Og Mandino

~ Never doubt that a small group of commited people can change the world. Indeed it is the only thing that truly has. ~Margaret Mead

Grocery Shopping

On Christmas Eve I went out behind the barn and dug up a couple rows of carrots. Enough to fill two large bowls. They were under at least 6 inches of snow but the ground had yet to freeze. It would have been a whole lot easier to dig up a month or so ago but....I didn't. I had it with picking and processing, thought about mulching the beds but I didn't. Little more work but it still beats buying a bag at the grocery store!

Making Cider

I was recently invited to a friends to make some apple cider. Don't think I'd pass up that offer, do you?

I was a great experience! Can you guess what I've added to my "I want list"?
Maine Man says he can make me one. Do any of you have a homemade press?

BEST APPLE CIDER!

The kids joined us after school.

Left to Right

Kim (me) , Diane, Kim, Kim, & Gail

GRAND TOTAL= 22 gallons

We figured it cost approximately $1.00 a gallon to make.

Foraging for Mushrooms in Maine Woods

A while back our friend Lance stopped by to visit. He and Maine Man took a ride out back on 4- wheelers. Knowing he had previous experience in foraging I asked him to be on the look out for edible mushrooms.

Unfortunately, he did not recognize any on our land that were edible. A few weeks later he stopped by with some morels he had gathered on his own foraging adventures. I was so excited well........I took pictures and asked lots of questions!

Above is a Chicken of the Woods he says they are found on dead Oak trees.
Here is a link I found about them with lots of good information,recipes, and facts


Pine mushrooms aka Matsutake - He says they are found in hemlocks. Here is another great web site with information about them.

Last mushroom he shared with us is called a Goats Beard aka Bears Tooth often found on beech trees . Here is some additional information about them.


This last photograph was taken at the Common Ground Fair last month. This was a display at an Asian food vendors fried Shiitake stand. I was thinking it would be fun to try a inoculate some trees and grow these in our back yard.

I will end this post with three referenced sites for your viewing if desired and for easy access for Maine Man and I in the future if and when we ever get a chance to make these dreams reality.

Here is a newspaper article of a Mainer that has written a book about foraging along with a link to his website. Finally a you tube video on inoculating.

Maple Syrup Sunday

Last weekend we boiled down 9 gallons of sap. We used a propane turkey cooker and I cooked 2 batches, 4 gallons on Saturday and 5 on Sunday. It took all day, like 10-12 hrs each day. Most expensive syrup we've ever eaten. Had I planned ahead I would have gathered wood and cooked it that way but I did not. I also should have added to the syrup as it boiled down. The way I go about it this weekend will be based on the mistakes I've made. I will also use a shallow pan rather than the deep lobster pot as seen above. As of tonight we have 17 gallons to boil down. When the sap was boiled down I was unable to tell when it was ready. One web site said "it will have an oily appearance", and another said when it "reaches 219 degrees". I could use some HELP here from those of you that have experience with this!

Neither method worked perfectly for me. So I went by the guess factor and consistency, probably not the best method.

Batch # 1 after cooled had the consistency of honey. You could eat it by the spoonful and I DID! It is from nature, it must be good for you, right? :)
Batch # 2 turned out a bit on the watery side. Regardless of consistency it is the best maple syrup I've had since I was a child. As it cooked up the sweet aroma brought me back to my childhood at the sugar house in Canada. Interestingly, that is the ONLY memory I have of going there as a child.


On a final note, I will clarify that I did drink raw milk as a child. My brother reminded me after he read my post. My brother milked for some time as a teenager. He use to fill an old glass vinegar bottle after his workday was done. So I indeed did drink raw milk when I was at my Dad's on the weekends. Funny how I completely forgot about that. I think at the time I did not really know the difference. Last weekend we stopped and bought a gallon of raw organic milk from a farm in my brother's hometown and I made my first batch of mozzarella cheese and it was SO easy and tasty. The whole family liked it! I bet you can't guess what I'll be posting about in the next week or so. Things have been crazy busy here with Springs arrival. I will catch up on everyone's recent posts over the weekend.

Merry Christmas!

We had a WONDERFUL Christmas! MM was scheduled to work last night and was called off because the census was low on his unit. SO EXCITING for us!!
The only blip in the holiday is that I accidentally deleted all of my holiday photos (approx 100)
Boo hoo....I had never done that before. The kids knew I was upset and jumped right up so I could take a few photos despite their exhaustion from the holiday events. We will celebrate with our in-laws over the weekend so I will try and recapture some of what I lost. :(

Note to self: Don't play with buttons or attempt to delete a picture unless I'm really paying attention.

MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM OUR FAMILY TO YOURS!

Necropsy Findings

"Oreo" Necropsy Findings
* Lots of abdominal fluid

* Rumen was absolutely FULL (impacted) with very dry feed material. Rumen papillae were bunted, which may be secondary to the impaction, but we also see this in animals that ingest "toxic" materials. (No evidence of this in Oreo)

* Bladder was completely distended & unable to be expressed (i.e he had a urinary blockage which we see commonly in male goats) This caused fluid backup into the kidneys leading to some kidney damage as well.

Conclusions

Oreo had evidence of both urinary blockage and an impacted rumen. We did not find any foreign objects that were obstructing passage of feed in the GI tract. We cannot conclude which one of these was primary & which one of these was secondary at this point (i.e. did he get the urinary blockage first which led him to feel bad, go off feed & become dehydrated leading to the impacted rumen OR did the rumen impaction happen first & then he acquired the urinary blockage secondary to too much grain since that's all he was eating when he was sick? As stated, we cannot conclude based on necropsy findings. Oreo did not show signs of urinary blockage when we saw him last week, did he show any signs of straining at home? Also, unfortunately, we were unable to see the bladder on the x-rays we took because the rumen was so big it covered the whole abdomen.
Hope this provides some answers. Sorry again about Oreo & sorry we cannot offer more conclusive reasoning for what happened. Please do not hesitate to call with any questions.

Click here if you want to see the pictures of the procedure but enter at your own risk as they are graphic. (the pictures are displayed backwards, no patience to fix..sorry)

Some my think why share this?
The reason I share this is for educational purposes.

I am devastated by his loss and feel responsible. In hindsight I look back at what should of or could have been done.

Oreo had intermittent symptoms prior to getting really sick. He was having intermittent bloating and some times inactivity. I did not see as much, the couple times it happened I was working and John had told me about it.

I think the Sunday before he died was when we knew for sure something was wrong. I then consulted with Amy and she gave me advice and called my breeder whom told me to use probios with a couple other recommendations. Not having any probios on hand I used yogurt instead. We did that for a couple days and he only seemed to be getting worse. John called me at work on Tuesday of last week and said that he had taken a turn for the worst (in the necropsy report she wrote last week but he really had been seen 3 days prior to the day he died). While at worked I called around and spoke to a farm Vet and he was a bit of a pessimist and kinda scared me off but I do recall one thing he said "with a male goat you always have to rule out a stone" regardless of of me trying to convince him that he had a blockage of his GI track.
I called by breeder once again and she recommended a Vet that she has used for her goats. I called made him an appointment and begged John to bring him in. They x-ray'd him finding the rumen impacted and put in a g-tube and mineral oil and off they went. Again the next day I was working a 12 H shift. John diligently cared for him. That next morning I spoke with the vet and we scheduled the surgery for the next morning. The night before surgery I went out to check on him and he was unable to get up and was blatting. I got him up and started rubbing his belly and walking him and he seemed to improve. Regardless I called the vet as I could see his condition had deteriorated. His breathing was rapid for a few days and I mentioned it to everyone I spoke with. The vets thought it was from the pressure on the diaphragm which I am sure is accurate but he was heading into respiratory failure and died a couple hours after I dropped him off for surgery Friday, just before they were going to administer anesthesia is what I was told.

What should/could I have done differently?

Given him probios. I think it was good to start with the yogurt but I should have went to the feed store to pick that up right away.

I wished I was home on the days he was really sick, maybe I could/would have advocated more.
Maybe I would have more time to research, figure out what was going on.

He was straining but we thought it was to poop because after he did he always pooped a bit, I'm not sure if John mentioned it.

I should have listened to the key words that vet gave me over the phone, "with a male goat you always have to rule out a stone". If it would have stuck in my mind I would have had that ruled out. Kind of like a person with chest pain in the ED, we always rule out that it is not their heart.

Trapper Creek had made a comment that if calves "are removed to soon from their mothers, the rumen never does have a chance to develop properly, the proper enzymes they need for rumination just aren't present and they have a difficult time." I wonder if that is true for goats because we bottle fed our babies because I thought it would be "a good experience" for Luke and Leah. John thought I was nuts but went along (it's easier than resisting) but looking back he was right. God I hate it when I say that. :) To do again I would have let them stay with their Momma until they were weaned.

Live and Learn, right! That is what it is all about. We are new to farming and we will make many mistakes as long as long as we can learn from them and admit to them I guess that is all right.

Thanks to all my fellow bloggers for all of your support. Thanks to Amy who contacted me right away after reading my comment asking for her advice. BIG thanks to my breeder Melonie who has been an awesome resource as she always has been. Thanks for all your concerned phone calls and e-mails and thanks for giving us a break on Smores (pictures to come). He really helped Annabelle, Luke, and I deal better with this sad event. Lastly, a thanks to My Maine Man for all the time and effort he applied to save that little buggers life despite his supposed dislike of goats. :)

RIP Oreo!