South Pastures, Indian Plum and Sheep

Hey, you're here for more of my world, hope you had a chance to take the first farm tour last week, The Farm Tour Begins and you're ready for the next chunk of Vicktory Farm & Gardens. You know, this is brought to you by the good folks at:
'cause they have a weekly thingy with a deadline and that is the only way you get Lanny to cough up on promises. It's not that I don't want to follow through, I just procrastinate myself into forgetfulness. Grab you boots 'cause were going through some deep muck on our way out.

Mr. Mallard, who likes to hang out with the Silver Appleyards, he blends in you know, swims in the pond that separates the Barn Garden from the South Pastures.

But for us to get there from the Barn Garden we have to cross this bridge EBet has made for herself. I know I didn't leave you off in the Barn Garden but I was out here checking on things when you showed up to continue your tour of the Farm, Dear Reader, that's why I said grab your boots!

Let's get across EBet's bridge. It's not all that scary, the sheep are blocked off of it because they were crossing it to come over to the Barn Garden. They have four feet you only have two, so I am sure you will be okay.

The sheep are looking like they think I might let them out, I'm not the person in charge of them but I am a person and according to them that means capable.

They have water in their tub, so they're not in dire need, besides I know what they are like when the gate is open, I'm out here this morning strictly for the tour not dislocated hips. I do kind of feel sorry for them. They had to be locked up again because the coyotes came back and stole a lamb night before last .

Look at their sadness. They hate going back to the ol' lock up, but it keeps them safe at night. Our coyote protection is limited: Guard dogs are not an option; Dirt hates anything in the llama family; we had a miniature donkey once, that was pretty good but Dirt and he had a few go a rounds so Dirt is reluctant to go back there; traps are illegal in the state of Washington or the state of "whiney-baby-furry-creature-loving-city-dwellers".

Dirt enjoys evening coyote hunting, but that so far has proved that he does not have enough gear for dispatching the enemy, but the orange bucket technique worked great. We just have to figure out how to have each sheep wear an orange bucket.

I don't think they would cotton to wearing an orange bucket, well I'm not sure they would cotton to anything, although they may wool to a few things here and there.

Little lamb says he has enough self-esteem issues without having to go around with an orange bucket even though his pal Mr. Dirt has proven that, no matter, what a coyote will not go near an orange bucket.

On the east side of South Pasture Road is the turkey pen and fowl pasture. They aren't out either due to coyotes, but their concerns also include possum and raccoon that will get them in their night time roosts up in the trees or in their open house. EBet really needs to wrap her head around a better door set up but I guess it works for now. So if you come back in a couple of years it will be the same. Things only change if they don't work, aesthetics is not high on the list of priorities for the farm boss and bookkeeper.

I'll just skip down the lane and leave that nasty thought behind me, life is what it is.

Here we are at the Back Pasture Gate. This heads out to the wood lot and the lower beaver ponds where Dale used to train his dogs. It is gorgeous out there but we will leave that for another day. It's so peaceful let's pause awhile here, I get a faint whiff of a definite sign of spring.

And here is the source, Indian Plum, Oemleria cerasiformis, (oom-LER-ee-uh seh-ruh-sih-FORM-is) also known as osoberry, oregon plum, skunk bush. But I really only know it by Indian Plum and I think that a person can certainly see why it got that common name. It is from the family: Rosaceae and ... well, you just came here for the basic farm tour not the taxonomy and ethnobotony tour, you'll have to come back for those.

I will say, this is one of the first natives in this area to bloom and when we moved out here before I could afford spring flowering bulbs, this was my harbinger of spring and a signal to plant peas and taters when it begins to leaf and when it begins its bloom. Nature gives us way better signals to plant by than the calendar.

Well, we'll head back to the farm now, would you like to come in and have tea and a scone?

Oh wait, look over here I forgot to point out the South Pasture. In the distance where the trees start is the corner of this pasture that Dirt and I put in after we had been living here for a few years.

It's fairly on line with the house compared to the highway but when the trees that were here got cut you could really hear the highway a lot more. Sort of like your curtains in your house muffle noise even though the person isn't behind them talking.

Way over there is the tire swing that I showed you from the front pasture last week.

Yep, that's the pond that started at the highway. Ponds attract waterfowl but so do new pastures, Dirt seeded this one five times before the Canada geese left it alone. There isn't too many forms of wildlife that haven't cause Dirt and I some aggravation and messed with our bottom line, our break even point rarely gets hit it seems.

Ah, see? This is the canal that divides the two pastures.

And there is the tire swing, I promise, maybe if you make it bigger you can see it.

I like fence line pictures, not sure why, just do and the less perfect the fence the better. The white tape is actually hot wire. It keeps the horses out of the Barn Garden because water is not a barrier to them.

I should let the sheep out. I hope they belong in this pasture today. Which pannel is the "gate"?

Ahh the bungee cord is the give away, all the other pannels are "permanently" tied with baling twine, our favorite.

Well they were happy to get out and no hip or knee causualities, they didn't bowl you over did they?

But it sure seems like they think they should get to go out that other gate? Hmmm. I really should spend more time with the livestock, but I'm just a Dirt girl now that I don't have my dairy goats.

Well they're sure skeedadling off to something, I should too. Sorry you don't have time for tea and scones, maybe next time. Can you believe this weather? And several days in a row too. I think I've got a thing or two to plant today.

While I'm doing that you could go take in some more places around our planet. There are some cool places out there and you can get to them easily from here at That's My World Tuesday!

Have a great day, evening, morning, Dear Reader!

Ode to Dil a Down Daffy

Today's flower at Vicktory Farm and Gardens is the daffodil.

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Pierce County, Washington has celebrated her daff-o-down-dillies since they began to replace the hops as the Puyallup valley's main crop in the twenties.

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Kai says, "Lets go to the Daffodil Parade."

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The parade goes through downtown Tacoma, Puyallup, main street Sumner, and little Orting.

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Old guys and their old trucks and tractors, what would a parade be without them?

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Growing up, the valley was hillside to hillside, foot hill to bay filled with daffodils this time of year.

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There is quite a Scottish contingent in Pierce Co.
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A big bright drum,
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And a ol's scot on his bag o' pipes.

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Anne and Kai, anticipating what is coming next.

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All daffodils are part of the very large Narcissus family of flowers.

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These parade horses are ridden by the Tacoma Lariettes, a woman's exclusive drill team.
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More parade horses from the Medieval Fair.

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Narcissus include Paper whites, Jonquils, and Angel Tears.
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The best way to see a parade is on some one's shoulders.

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Daffodils are the first to bloom of the larger spring flowering bulbs, they come at a time in the Pacific Northwest when spring has really arrived.

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What parade would be complete with out floats?

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The theme is "Swing Into Spring" and I feel I have definitely swung!

_ It was a beautiful day for the parade yesterday and today was even better!

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All of the Pierce County's high schools participate in the Daffodil Festival, each school chooses a princess, that float is covered in daffodils.
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The Daffodil Festival officials are called Daffodillians and wear these lovely yellow jackets, I wonder if the lady on the left takes her jacket with her when she has her hair colored?

_ Sunshine and parades just make you feel like smoochin' something! Anna was getting kisses from Aksel all day long!

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Have I mentioned I hate slugs? Have I mentioned how much I appreciate that slugs don't prefer daffodils?
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Going to the parade on a sunny Saturday afternoon, marching in the band in the parade or watching a friend in the parade was always an event not to be missed.

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When I was a girl we took Sunday drives and the first ones in the spring to see the daffodil fields where definitely a toot on a horn.

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I like the bands that have very traditional uniforms.

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But Eatonville High School Cruisers have a very clever twist on the non-traditional uniform. Timber cruising involves walking or “cruising” a forest in order to measure the trees and collect other information about the forest.

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A sunny day, a sunny tuba, a sunny smile,

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a sunny flower. See more flowers at Today's Flowers a great place to see flowers from all over the world, some exotic and some common, all beautiful.

Dear Reader, I hope you had a good weekend, mine has been very good, and very spontaneous, thanks to my oldest daughter and my grandsons. This was a good Palm Sunday and I pray that everyone has drawn closer to God as they reflected on our Savior and the beginning of His Passion.

Reminds Me Of A Song by Irving Berlin

I was blue,

just as blue as I could be

Evry day was a cloudy day for me

Then good luck came a-knocking at my door

Skies were gray but they're not gray anymore

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Blue skies

Smiling at me

Nothing but blue skies

Do I see

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Bluebirds

Singing a song

Nothing but bluebirds

All day long

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Never saw the sun shining so bright

Never saw things going so right

Noticing the days hurrying by

When youre in love, my how they fly

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Blue days

All of them gone

Nothing but blue skies

From now on

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I should care if the wind blows east or west

I should fret if the worst looks like the best

I should mind if they say it cant be true

I should smile, thats exactly what I do

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The sky's were blue a bit yesterday and certainly when I went out to take pictures. But the sentiment in this song is this: the feeling in a heart matters little to what is really in the sky.

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Love may certainly have something to do with it but all love, all love that is real, and true and lasting, begins in God. God is Love. No matter the worldly look on a situation, in Jesus our situation is always a clear blue day

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Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another. 1John 4:7-11

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There is a lot of sky out there to see, go see some more at: Sky_Watch_Friday

Opinion On Seeds: "Heirloom" Versus Hybrid

I am by no means an expert, as I have pointed out numerous times and in my profile. I have, in the past, studied widely on this subject and others involving farming from all aspects and angles. I’ve practiced gardening and farming on a microscopic scale for nearly forty straight years, in town, on balconies, in the burbs, and out here in the tooleys, not necessarily in that order. And of course, I have been here, on this farm we dubbed Victory Farm and Gardens, for twenty three full growing seasons, growing fruit, vegetables and meat for our family table, extended family and others and even grew dry beans, not an easy task in the PNW.

There is a lot of controversy swirling about the issue of hybrid seed verses “heritage”/"heirloom" or open pollinated seed. Both sides play with the truth a bit to gain others to their side, some from both sides do it because they are attempting to build their particular industry up and others just because they like people on their side. Very few are immune to marketing ploys so very few resist using them. I'm no different. But I am rather stuck in the middle, or at least that's the way I see it.

The hybridizing industry is not just working for agribiz. There are hybridizers out there doing their “thing” for the home gardener and small truck farm, not just the mechanical corporate farms and of course keeping the fickle taste buds of the consumer in mind. Knowing the changing tides that taste buds and technology can bring, it greatly behooves hybridizers to keep a wide range of viable parentage. In order for a hybridization to work well the parentage must be impeccably pure, far purer than your basic backyard grandma saving seed.

So, as much as some overly zealous greeners condemn the hybridizing industry, we may find that the “evil hybridizers” may actually be in possession of true parentage of a particular “lost” seed if we should ever find ourselves out of a particular strain for some catastrophic reason. Catastrophe is always right around the corner, isn’t it? I’m rather young, historically speaking, but there have been several horrifying catastrophes predicted in my life time, some that caused great consternation and a fatalistic doomed feeling in impressionable youth, but I suppose much like other paranoia, just because they’re predicted doesn’t mean they won’t happen, I suppose.

Just because a seed is open pollinated doesn’t mean it isn’t new so it could hardly be called heirloom. New strains that are open pollinated and therefore seed save-able are developed all the time my favorite peas were developed at Oregon State University by Jim Baggett. But there is a difference between hybridized and new strains. And the reverse is true also, what exactly is heirloom or heritage, my daughters may consider a lot of things I did when first married as old-fashioned and heirloom, that then would make some of my favorite corn and cauliflower seed “heirloom” eh?

Hybrid isn’t a weak thing. But random cross pollination may very well be. There is something in livestock that really sets the concept, hybrid vigor, but you can quickly go from hybrid vigor to just a mutt, not at all more vigorous than the parentage just very unreliable it what they will deliver. A breeder can’t just throw any two parents together and get hybrid vigor and a product that produces what the consumer wants and needs.

I appreciate the work of the hybridizers and though I don’t believe they will go out of business depending on my purchase, I like to see a good conscientious hybridizer and when they make an awesome cauliflower, a tender tasteful parsnip or superb bean I like to thank them by buying their product. Yes, some heirlooms and new open pollinates are very tasty but there are some vegetables I wouldn’t bother with if it wasn’t for the work of hybridizers.

At Vicktory Farm and Gardens (and in most of my forty years as a practicing gardener) I have chosen to use both, both have their place in my garden for various reasons. I have tasted some pretty bland nasty "heirloom" vegetables from my garden and others or planted them only to have them succumb rapidly to a disease. I have also tasted some mighty taste-bud blowing hybrid vegetables that could not be achieved in places like coastal Washington if it were not for some carefully hybridized seed.

Much of what is said by the proponents of “heirloom” is true if you consider only certain hybridizers that have the specific focus of corporate mega farming, which in itself is a good thing actually. I'm not sure I would like to see the population be attempted to be fed on the produce of truck farmers or backyard producers, at the rate that they are producing at the present or even in the foreseeable future. The population of this country and the others around the world that our hard working nation would go hungry indeed, if the corporate farmers were shut down immediately as some fanatic political groups desire and push for. This would result in more people going hungry for political reasons, not because people in concert with the earth can’t feed people. People eat a lot! I believe it is necessary to have carrots and tomatoes, broccoli and brussel sprouts that are easily harvestable with a good shelf life to feed the masses especially if we continue to put in empty strip malls on “wasted space.”

This is not the same as saying that some practices don’t need to be modified or eventually dropped for the benefit of the environment or the population it currently attempts to serve. In the past year I read in the regional farm newspaper that wheat farmers in Washington and Oregon are adopting a no-till method and are finding benefits not only to the environment but to their spread sheet as well, some of these methods were discussed at the Second International Permaculture Conference that my brother and I participated in back in 1986. That seems like so long ago but on the other hand like yesterday.


For certain, true to type, clean OP seeds are mighty important for planning for the future, especially for the home grower, if we think that transportation and other things will come to a screeching halt, or just an incredibly expensive option. And yes, it is true that stock seed is a very good thing to have, you run the risk of not getting hybridized seed if you don't think so.

But some of history’s biggest famine tragedies didn’t happen because of hybridization, they happened because of increasing the narrowness of parentage due to the likes and dislikes of the consumer, a good hybridizer in for the long haul capitalistically speaking would guard against that just as much as any logically minded biodiversity advocate.

A more important concern for guarding against future food shortages and tragedy for the neighbor, political advocate and voter is the preservation and wide distribution of farm and garden land along with small low tech farming and personal food producing gardening skills in the hands of a great number of individuals. Similar to home economics, cooking, sewing and home maintenance skills; safe, rational, food producing skills will be hard to regain in a timely fashion within a needy population. Good seed stock won’t matter a wit if few people know the proper things to do to soil and seed to produce viable edible or wearable product at a reasonable price that will actually feed friends, neighbors and hungry enemies.

I Love To Pretend

Jennifer at Goats_In_the_Garden noticed the shelves in my Laundry/Hot House in a couple of posts back and commented on how neat they are. I had to giggle just ever so slightly over how looks can be deceptive, okay quite frankly I guffawed and snorted very loudly.

I like to pretend I'm organized and very with it. And it just so happens that I managed to catch on film (uh not film uh on a thingy I stick in my camera... never mind) a recently organizedish part of my workspace.

Then when I looked at the shelf she admired, I noticed another thing I like to pretend. I like to pretend that I am this groovy real life propagator and need to have stacks of plastic cells and the trays they go in.

And it just so happens that I discovered this great place in Sumner that placates my needs. McConkey's is this terrific wholesaler of everything a real nurseryman would need and fortunately they sell to non-nurseryladies so that means I get to go down and get myself a gazillion things way cheaper than in stores.

My 72cells came from the bargain area and all I pay is two bucks a pound and trust me that is a lot. The trays either solid or with drain holes and the plastic domes the two inch high and the four inch with little vents are in another area but I don't pay more than about eighty cents a piece.

I can't remember, oh yes I can, I remember I was looking for my large ten inch Western Pulp pots cheaper than the retail stores and I called two local companies, one was strictly wholesale and the other was McConkeys.

When I first went down to McConkey's I was very intimidated much like Cash and Carry, but soon this nice lady put me at ease and even though every time I go down there I manage to find the one question that is indeed dumb, she is very sweet. Okay at first she scared me cause she is sorta no nonsense when she is doing business but once the transaction is done we laugh about her fish and other silly things.

I love to pretend I am people I am not but would like to be and I appreciate that there are businesses that allow me to be silly and pretend. I just wish that it wasn't so far away that I make sure I fit it into other shopping errands other wise I would go down to McConkey's dressed like the other nurserymen that go down and pick stuff up. Or I just need to be brave and shop at Trader Joe's and Costco in my wellies and Carhart jacket with my gloves hanging out my hip pocket ala EBet. Because the ultimate level in pretend is to have the costume that goes with the day's script.

But I don't pretend everything Dear Reader. I don't pretend that I really appreciate that you read my crazy eclectic absurdities and I don't pretend to rely on God. I don't pretend that I know Him and desire to walk in His presence every moment of the day. I don't pretend the important stuff. My need for Him is real, His greatness and worthiness is real and to Him is the glory for ever and ever.

Dear Reader: To him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy— to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen. Jude 24-25

What Happened to My Internet Connection Today?

Spring cleaning is fully under way. Dirt is back to school, not sure if he actually had students today, they always seem to have those non-student days.

So something April foolish was going on 'cause my computer would not connect to the Internet for several hours. Not a good day to pull this on Lanny. Cuz...

Seven days of cleaning, organizing and.. and... and going crazy!
If I start cleaning and organizing one room, then I need to take something to another room, but to put it away, I need to clean this room. And then before I'm done here I need to go there and straighten up that.




And just when I am really getting my mind wrapped around how everything should be organized, okay at least the thing I am holding in my hand at the moment, someone comes along and asks, "what do you want me to do with this?"

"Argh, what?" I just need to think and work and to not stop and make dinner. I have a quest, not a windmill, I will finish total and complete clean out and organization of the entire house, barn garage and make a perfectly manageable life by Wednesday afternoon next.

And I would appreciate it if everyone would get to work, do what I told them to and anticipate what I will tell them next. No more stories, no more whistling, no more singing silly words to real songs, just work. Really, I mean it, no more questions. But why did you put that there, for crying out loud? And really, honestly, no more needs like eating. Get to work and get out of that basket!

Its a good thing that getting my house cleaned and the old yeast thrown out before next Wednesday is not what my salvation and purifying hinges on. 'Cause I'm not sure we'd make it to clean and free of old yeast and if I did I wouldn't be in any mood to make sure we use the right dishes for the right food or whatever it was that they did before Jesus came and released them.

Ahhh perspective. Work hard, have a smile on my face, encourage others to have a smile on theirs, the inspector is not coming next Wednesday, just do it all as unto the Lord. Keep plugging away in an accurate manner.

God bless you and keep you Dear Reader, and no the bailing twine didn't break, the twirling fan stopped twirling and tomorrow I will bother to replace it with the appropriate floor stand model. Oh, the Doctor finally called today, I know, its been two weeks since they first canceled my follow up appointment. We had a lovely chat about how incredibly healthy I am according to all the blood tests she ran.

Nothing showed up in all the things that could be reversable or stoppable. So there you have it, numb toes for no apparent fixable reason. At this time we just let it ride, no spinal tap or further test, yahoo. But she said I have incredibly terrific numbers on the whole glucose thing, great numbers. Pass the cake please, order the jumbo swim suit and leave the health guilt behind. Just kidding. Kinda.

Okay, really I'm kidding, I am really working on the whole "do it as if your doing it for God" motivation and direction. Not my body I am feeding and caring for but His, so yes. even though my numbers are good I will get back to paying attention to how much I eat. And I will never buy the assorted plastic jug of Jelly Bellys ever again!

Now I'll say it one last final time for the evening, Good night Dear Reader, God bless and keep you.

Could I have a glass of water? Okay, good night.