Getting Dirty & Loving it!

Despite the picture above things are starting to dry up around here. Yesterday I was able to walk our trail with the dogs to the back of our land without getting soaked. I still had to wear my hiking boots but not my knee highs. I did not come back clean by any means but that would be NO fun!

A couple days ago the ice went out in the ponds and the peepers started peeping. Such a wonderful thing! My boy was right out there knee deep for the first time this season.

The kids caught a few critters.

Tonight I was looking through my pictures of the pig processing and I was thinking about how to break it up into posts. Should I start from the beginning with a few pictures of Maine Man skinning it? (which is not the traditional way to deal with a pigs hide) Then have him explain his technique etc and go on from there? Or should I skip the gory details and just go to the the meat processing? What do you think?

Cabin Fever

Despite the cold Maine weather we still get out more than most. We have no choice, the animals need to be fed and their is always wood that needs to be brought in from the barn.
As I sit in the warm house I sometimes dread the thought of getting out but after I do I always feel refreshed. Staying cooped up all winter can make you nuts so when ever the opportunity arises we try to embrace the elements.

We took a ride outback with the kids in tow and tried to identify all the tracks that adorned our land. We came up with deer, squirell, fox, rabbit, coyote, and bobcat (maybe) tracks.

The kids ended the day with a pig ride.

In the last post there were some questions asking about moose meat. MM says there was approximately 400lbs of meat from that moose. What we didn't give away lasted us until the following fall. It was a HUGE savings on our grocery bill and money was tight that year because John was in nursing school. The meat is also MUCH healthier for you compared to the feed lot cow meat that most people eat. In addition I am SURE the quality of this Moose's life would not even compare to that store bought steak or hamburg. To describe moose meat I'd say it is lean and less gamey then deer. I actually prefer it over deer but the chances of getting into the moose lottery are slim. MM had applied for a permit for 20 years before getting one.

And to answer Joanna's question, we ate every bit of that moose and shared some with friends and family. MM doesn't just hunt for the sport of it, he hunts to put food on the table. We cherish that Moose's life and let nothing go to waste. As a matter of fact, when we eat dinner every night my children thank God for whatever animal we may be eating for sacrificing it's life in order to sustain our own. I know the photo can make you think otherwise but we honestly are not that type of people.

Spring At Last

It was a beautiful day!! When I walked outside after work today the feeling of the warm air and sunshine was refreshing. We had had a long winter but Spring is here. I worked the last 4 days so now I am off for the next 5, YEAH!
Above, was my first glimpse of green grass on the farm. The lawn and the back field still have a white lining but there are some visible brown patches. I should not be whining the folks up north were hit the hardest. Channel 13 news said "the blizzard pushed Caribou's seasonal snowfall to 192 inches of snow, breaking the previous record of 181 inches in 1955. More snow is predicted for this weekend." That is amazing!
Below is the beginnings of our farm stand. John's parents gave it to us a couple weeks ago. We will cover it with some type of canopy. I can see it now, the shelves filled with overflowing baskets of vegetables and coolers filled with farm fresh eggs. I have a vision of how to make this happen but I think this year we will learn a great deal by trial and error. We have always grown a good size garden but I think this years' will be by far the biggest. Especially with plans to do a lot more preserving along with having a small roadside stand. The reason for the stand is not really to make a great sum of money but a way of making a few dollars to feed and maintain the critters. For example, to make our laying hens pay for themselves we will have to sell approximately 3 -4 dozen eggs per week. We plan to keep 36 hens so we will have plenty to sell and still have enough to supply our family with fresh eggs.
This idea came about last fall when the kids and I tied up some cornstalks and gathered up some of our extra squash & pumpkins and put them by the road with a few homemade signs. Luke & Leah were looking to make a few bucks as they were saving up for their goats. They made about $60 in two weeks time. We put an honesty bucket out so that we did not have be home to tend the stand and when we were home we went out to greet our customers. Luke & Leah were always on patrol and yelled out "Customers" whenever anyone even looked like they were going to stop, even the mail lady who actually turned out to be one of our best customers. For a last minute project, it was a great experience for all, especially the kids!


These pictures came out pretty good considering it was pitch dark out and the shed is not equipped with lights yet. I used the "night" mode on my camera.