Earthquake and a Cow Break
Joanna writes:
Well, according to the news, we've had quite a week here in Hawaii. Yes, folks, Ben and I have now bravely and valiantly Survived an Earthquake. Well, perhaps 'groggily' would have been a better adverb there. As it happens, the earthquake had only a minimal effect on us. It did wake us up early on Sunday morning and break a couple of the glasses in our house and keep us out of the ocean for a little while, but that's about it. That and the fact that the cows got a bit spooked and wandered off into the neighboring property, and Ben and Tom and Phyl had to go fetch them. (Ben could probably give a better account of that, but he's off trying to hitch a ride to a pick-up soccer game he learned about from a couple girls he met in town.) Amazingly, we didn't even lose our water, which we're getting quite used to due to the frequency with which Phyl runs over water pipes with the tractor.
After things had settled here on the farm, we walked down to a nearby cafe to scope out the scene and get Esther a muffin, as it was her last morning here, and apparently they don't have proper muffins in Germany. We had to wait a while for the power to come back on (we had gotten ours more quickly because we're right next to the hospital), but it ended up being a lovely morning with the entire farm family coming down to join us. Now Esther is gone, which is very sad, but at least we have a great excuse to visit Germany.
The only thing that has really changed since the earthquake (and may be totally unrelated to it) is the weather. It used to be pleasantly cool in the late mornings and afternoons, but now it's hot and sunny all day, and the air is much clearer, too--we got our first view of the mountain, which is usually shrouded in clouds. It's a nice change after the torrential downpours we had last week, but I've had enough, especially after getting my first sunburn today. We've been working a lot in the garden, hauling compost, preparing beds, planting, watering, mulching, and fighting the weeds. It's hard work, but rewarding.
We also got our first real experience with the biodynamic aspect of the farm. Well, the whole thing is biodynamic, but now we've actually helped to make the biodynamic compound, which is the lifeblood of the operation. We add it to all the water for new plantings. To make BC, Phyl put a pile of cow manure on a slab, and we all took turns turning it with shovels, four at a time, walking around it in a circle, for an HOUR. Luckily we had a high school class here to help with it. Then Phyl put the manure in a buried wooden box, added some special treatments (like calendula flowers that had been buried underground in a stag's bladder for a year), and covered it up. It will be ready in about three months. We're still not totally sure what we think of all the biodynamic principles, but they certainly seem to work. Luckily, Phyl and Catherine are both quite down to earth, and make it seem very normal and reasonable. I think a pretty representative quote for Phyl was when he was looking at some of the seedling flats, and exclaimed, "Woo-hoo! Look at those cabbages! In a couple moon cycles we're going to be kicking ass!"
In other news, the male baby goat is being castrated. With a rubber band. Apparently this is really how it's done. He doesn't actually seem that upset. Both of the babies will have their horns removed Friday, and then we'll probably begin to separate them from their moms at night so we can start milking again. Poor kids. I still love feeding them and playing with them, and am growing fonder of the donkey, too.
Well, hope all's well on the mainland or wherever you may be! There are a few more pictures on flickr--promise we'll really get that rolling as soon as we get some more time on a computer.
Well, according to the news, we've had quite a week here in Hawaii. Yes, folks, Ben and I have now bravely and valiantly Survived an Earthquake. Well, perhaps 'groggily' would have been a better adverb there. As it happens, the earthquake had only a minimal effect on us. It did wake us up early on Sunday morning and break a couple of the glasses in our house and keep us out of the ocean for a little while, but that's about it. That and the fact that the cows got a bit spooked and wandered off into the neighboring property, and Ben and Tom and Phyl had to go fetch them. (Ben could probably give a better account of that, but he's off trying to hitch a ride to a pick-up soccer game he learned about from a couple girls he met in town.) Amazingly, we didn't even lose our water, which we're getting quite used to due to the frequency with which Phyl runs over water pipes with the tractor.
After things had settled here on the farm, we walked down to a nearby cafe to scope out the scene and get Esther a muffin, as it was her last morning here, and apparently they don't have proper muffins in Germany. We had to wait a while for the power to come back on (we had gotten ours more quickly because we're right next to the hospital), but it ended up being a lovely morning with the entire farm family coming down to join us. Now Esther is gone, which is very sad, but at least we have a great excuse to visit Germany.
The only thing that has really changed since the earthquake (and may be totally unrelated to it) is the weather. It used to be pleasantly cool in the late mornings and afternoons, but now it's hot and sunny all day, and the air is much clearer, too--we got our first view of the mountain, which is usually shrouded in clouds. It's a nice change after the torrential downpours we had last week, but I've had enough, especially after getting my first sunburn today. We've been working a lot in the garden, hauling compost, preparing beds, planting, watering, mulching, and fighting the weeds. It's hard work, but rewarding.
We also got our first real experience with the biodynamic aspect of the farm. Well, the whole thing is biodynamic, but now we've actually helped to make the biodynamic compound, which is the lifeblood of the operation. We add it to all the water for new plantings. To make BC, Phyl put a pile of cow manure on a slab, and we all took turns turning it with shovels, four at a time, walking around it in a circle, for an HOUR. Luckily we had a high school class here to help with it. Then Phyl put the manure in a buried wooden box, added some special treatments (like calendula flowers that had been buried underground in a stag's bladder for a year), and covered it up. It will be ready in about three months. We're still not totally sure what we think of all the biodynamic principles, but they certainly seem to work. Luckily, Phyl and Catherine are both quite down to earth, and make it seem very normal and reasonable. I think a pretty representative quote for Phyl was when he was looking at some of the seedling flats, and exclaimed, "Woo-hoo! Look at those cabbages! In a couple moon cycles we're going to be kicking ass!"
In other news, the male baby goat is being castrated. With a rubber band. Apparently this is really how it's done. He doesn't actually seem that upset. Both of the babies will have their horns removed Friday, and then we'll probably begin to separate them from their moms at night so we can start milking again. Poor kids. I still love feeding them and playing with them, and am growing fonder of the donkey, too.
Well, hope all's well on the mainland or wherever you may be! There are a few more pictures on flickr--promise we'll really get that rolling as soon as we get some more time on a computer.
posted by Ben and Jo at 10:20 PM
3 Comments:
And there I thought that BC was put into cows horns and placed one in each corner of the paddock/field....learn something everyday. Neighbours of ours were biodynamic farmers and they always had great crops so there must be something in it. Glad the earthquake wasn't too hostile. love the Desert Mob
i can't really tell if the part about the bladder is true or a joke...or both.
How sweet you are Joanna! Please note: it's yarrow blossom (not calendular, that's in the salve) in a stag's bladder hung in the sun for a summer and buried in the soil for the winter.
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