Although I have been very home sick this has made it a little easier. These babies are absolutely a miracle. Watching them try to stand and realizing they have only been on the planet for mere hours really fascinated me. I got to help hold them and guide them toward their mothers breast for milk. I'm getting my sea legs here and its getting easier. Life is so beautiful!
April 5:
baby sheep!
This is one of the new baby sheep :) his mother only has one working breast so he has to be bottle fed every two hours..so I get to hang out with this little guy 3x a day. He's adorable...when he wants milk he'll come up under you and start nibbling on your jacket.
Last night I snuggled up with a cup of tea and watch Howls Moving Castle. I love that movie...besides it just being an excellent movie it helped me stay awake. These days I get really tiered around 8 o clock. Yes 8 o clock weird right, for insomniac me...For a fun fact of the day though I read that you're supposed to fall asleep and wake up and have one hour of waking about 2 times a night. So I may start going to bed when my body wants to sleep and get up for that one hour of waking time.
Where I get the eggs in the morning.
The duckies :)
I went through my last paired round of the chores this morning tomorrow I will get to do it by myself. Its quite straight forward but I'm glad I had a lot of guidance the last couple days.
Today I got to help Nicole take some of the hair off of some hide she is tanning. It was quite the experience. I will really appreciate every time I touch something that is leather or made of leather. It is quite the messy and delicate process. I learned that oak has tannins in them that you can use to constrict the hide. Did you know that if you drink certain teas without milk you will actually tan your insides? haha the tannins will latch onto the protein in the milk instead of you. Random fact of the day, hope I didn't scare anyone haha.
April 6:
Pre-Portland Photos!
Rain Roads
creeping down my window.
The night air
in the morning
flows over my face like sea water.
I cling to my dreams for safety
for warmth.
The feeling
still lingers in my muscles,
Floating, in a pool of water the size of the earth.
Musky leaves and moss decorate the brim.
Warn like your grandmothers baby photo
Coffee, wine, and tea.
Its time to wake up.
Wake up,
perfectly.
Morning walk..Roxie and I are getting spoiled here. Not only do I wake up around 7:30-8:00 now (easily and naturally) I am expected to take about a 20 min walk around the property every few days. Its wonderful to talk and walk. It has motivated me to get in better shape and get out and enjoy more of nature.
So they have decided to name him Kenny. Kenny didn't take more than two large gulps of the milk I brought him before he passed out cold on my lap. He was still asleep when I put him back in his little bed. Since these are a few days old I can update! One of the goats has been rejected by the mom so now there is one female goat that needs to be bottle fed. This will be interesting to compare the difference between the sheep and the goat babies. From what I've heard the goat has been a little bit of a pain to feed with the bottle. Kenny last night drank a whole bottle with no breaks he was attacking it haha. Anyways wanted to update everything, hope everyone is doing well back home. :)
Love, Koto
April 20:
Sourdough Starter, Potatoes, Ryan, & Luna
Sourdough starter day 4
Getting bubbly!!! version #1 from Wild Fermentation rye
Youtube version #2
Day 5 version #1 VERY BUBBLY! I am so excited to start experimenting with the different recipes that call for the sourdough starter....mmmm....from pancakes, to sourdough bread, to biscuits...the sky is the limit! That is if this particular starter tastes good :)
Learning the basics...how to use a power drill haha
Ryan got to visit for the weekend! It was so much fun to merge the two worlds...Although the whole experience felt dream like. It was way to short :)
Beautiful stream that we got to pass on our walk...
Ryan helping me feed the babies
She likes to climb...everyone at one time or another has become Mari's jungle gym.
BABY BUNNIES! They are finally looking like bunnies and not pink squirmy things...Nicole likes to call it bunny therapy...she said the other day that everyone should wake up and hang out with baby bunnies...that the world would be much happier. I have to say I agree..
Nicole had some acid reflux so I suggested she take a teaspoon of chia seeds...it helped her stomach and now is a favorite snack. We now talk about chia seeds and how awesome they are pretty much everyday. Such good memories from my raw vegan days. It has been great having them around since they are so much healthier than cereal, my body is happy.
Pretty flowers and a free toast sign from Sarah...I thought it was cute...
Chia seeds, yogurt, windward blackberry jam, honey, and sprinkle of honey granola. :)
Planting potatoes
To maximize the amount of potatoes you can grow you can cut them up... cut them diagonally where the start is (it looks like a belly button) then from there cut where the small sprouts will be evenly distributed on each side of the cut.
Different potato variety
Pretty,purple,potato....try to say that three times fast
Planting the potato seeds about 8 in apart
Helping to create a dry space to keep firewood. Arthur is helping to set everything up. I spy with my little eye a baby sheep...do you see him?
OM NOM NOM!
Nice day...I have decided to focus on one book at a time. I am now reading a book by Hildegard on healing plants. My focus personally is on the concept of illusion. I would like to move forward from my heart and mind in harmony. I desire to replace anything that is an illusion with instinct. To ground myself and feel fully present.
I want to use this time here to heal the vehicle that is my body...physically, mentally, and spiritually. How can you go anywhere or experience anything if your vehicle doesn't work? haha...
I feel from there the healing and learning will only come faster with more ease. For example today I helped move some heavy pieces of wood...When I would push the wheel barrow I would have to use my core to stay balanced so the wheel barrow wouldn't fall over. When I bend over to plant the potatoes I need to use my core and bend my knees so my back is protected. When I walk the small inclines daily my legs get stronger. It is amazing how gaining strength can be so easily hidden here in small tasks.
For our gathering tonight we had a bon fire! The moon didn't come out til around 11:30 P.M but it was nice to look at the stars and hangout in the fresh air. Lindsay read us a few poems with the moon included in it.
April 21:
First Day Preparing Lunch For The Crew
Making Corn Tortillas
I made pumpkin, yam, onion and black bean filling for some tacos
sauerkraut and shredded carrots
Corn and flour tortillas and home made garlic/rosemary bagels that Nicole made!
Yummmm :)Yummmm :)
Today it was my turn to make lunch. A lot of people at home know I love to cook...Preparing lunch for 8 people was a little terrifying for me though haha. I am used to making food for 1-3 people tops, I was a little nervous because if you make something bad then 8 people have nothing to eat.
It was a wonderful challenge as well because a lot of the ingredients here are seasonal so you have to get creative. Nicole helped me get started and from there it naturally all fell into place. I put some black beans in the slow cooker with seasonings the day before and shredded the pumpkin and yam. I am so thankful I did some prep work...I finished right on time today.
I put the shredded pumpkin and yam in the oven and made the tortillas while I was waiting. About when I finished cooking the tortillas the pumpkin/yam was finished. I seasoned the pumpkin/yam added sauteed onions and beans, then put the container in the oven to keep warm. As a side salad I shredded some carrot and mixed in some pre-made sauerkraut. The colors were very beautiful and I am happy everyone enjoyed their lunch! I am set to make lunch in about 4 days and I am excited to cook again.
I put the shredded pumpkin and yam in the oven and made the tortillas while I was waiting. About when I finished cooking the tortillas the pumpkin/yam was finished. I seasoned the pumpkin/yam added sauteed onions and beans, then put the container in the oven to keep warm. As a side salad I shredded some carrot and mixed in some pre-made sauerkraut. The colors were very beautiful and I am happy everyone enjoyed their lunch! I am set to make lunch in about 4 days and I am excited to cook again.
