A pre-hunting quicky blog

This is it.  Just another normal day to most of the rest of world, but the first day of the whitetail deer hunting season here in northern Minnesota, and for the residents, family, and friends of Ole Lake Farm a VERY BIG EVENT!

So, this is just a hello from me, the non-hunting support person at the house.  I'm sure Kevin will be in here later to report on the successful hunt today (I have been alerted by text message that it's a good opening day).  I will warn you, there will likely be pictures of dead deer and some blood involvement.  If you don't want to see that, just don't come by.

Not much happening that is very interesting on my end anyway, but I am please to report that despite the snow we had this week, I harvested some swisschard, kale, and arugula to add to my store-bought lettuce for lunch.

At present I have the hunter's supper in the works... lasagna, which I am told ( and I agree with) I do pretty well.

So, until the hunters get home, be well friends.

What is that SMELL?

As I reported last week in this blog, our buck Ranger has come home.

 He did not come alone.

Visitors to Ole Lake Farm will not be tempted to linger in the yard if the wind is blowing in from the goat pasture.  A foul, pungent, malodorous, pervasive, and altogether disagreeable aroma is emanating from those parts.  More specifically, it’s coming from Ranger. 

The reason for this olfactory assault is that if you are a dairy goat, it’s the season for love.  Much like an adolescent youth dousing himself with Axe body spray to attract the girls, a virile buck such as Ranger advertises his manliness (buckliness?) with his scent. It seems to be working too, as Daisy at least was showing a lot of interest in him on Tuesday the 28th.  I take note of the date because the goal here of course is kids next spring.  So, I am marking the calendar for March 27th.  Check back then to see if I am right.

Trouble is, while Ranger’s fragrance may be captivating to the does, to us humans, it is downright repugnant.  Think skunk… well not really, that would be an exaggeration.  A slight one.  It's not as bad as fresh skunk anyway. You know, it’s not easy to describe a smell is it?  Suffice to say, we are not hanging around the goat pen much these days.

Precautions must be taken before entering the goat's living quarters...

You're a handsome lad Ranger, but dude... you stink!

In other Ole Lake news, I screened some of that compost today.  

As it came out of the bin.  I use the rubberized gloves to rub it through the screen

The finished up good stuff, ready to be stored for spring.  There are still a few odd bits in there, but nothing that cannot go through the 1/2 inch screen

Now that is has gotten colder, the shop is closed up and heated.  The cats have moved in and have re-established where the most warm and comfortable places to sleep are.  Recently, Spot and Lily have taken to sharing this prime location in the window.  They haven't done this since they were kittens, about 12 years ago.

Looks pretty cozy to me!

So, that is all from me this weekend.  I suspect you will be hearing from Kevin tomorrow as the busy work of preparing for deer hunting continues. 

It's Getting Close

Hey everyone, you get a Blog from Kevin today.  My favorite time of year is getting real close, less than 2 weeks, so it time to start getting ready for the Great MN Deer Hunt!  Ole Lake Farm started getting ready today with putting up the ladder stands.  This is a job that requires helpers.  Dad and I took a trip across a swamp this morning to put up his stand.  Needless to say, I came back with boots full of water and wet to my waist, and he stayed dry.  It's just not fair.  With the help of friends and hunting partners Mike, his daughter Alexis, Kurt, Kori, Dad and myself, we got the last 3 up without any major issues.  

Kurt surveys his area for opening morning

Kori in her "house"

Then it was time to see if the guns are sighted in.  I'm just saying, if the woods was full of water bottles, they would all be nervous.  Everybody is sighted in and feeling confident.

Next week is the blinds and then on Thursday Nov 6th picking up Kellen and Kent to fill out the opening weekend group.  Till next time be well. 

Monsters and Goats

We have been having some amazingly beautiful weather this week, and today was no exception.  Perfect conditions for the 4th Annual Cross Lake Monster Dash.  It was my third time participating in this 5k and had a great time! 

 Kori dressed up as Paul Bunyan and came along!

The advantage of another birthday... a new age group and 2nd place

Chicky's new friend, I don't know his name yet...

This afternoon we did a little goat exchange.  Chicky has gone over to Righteous Oaks Farm to keep their little buckling company, and our buck Ranger has come home.

Getting reacquainted with the place

Daisy peeks coyly out of the pasture shelter

Compost, aka Black Gold!

Kevin has been busy with wood cutting activities for most of the day, but I didn't get a whole lot done myself.  I did manage to get out and dig a load of compost out of the bin.  This is the bin that was infested with yellow-jackets last summer, which very effectively kept me out.  They seem to be gone now.  There is a lot of long grass growing in there, along with a lot of great compost.  I'll be screening it to get rid of the roots and then storing it away for use in the late winter & early spring.  It is a major component to my seed starting mix.

A Postcard from Ole Lake

Sundays are good days to spend some quality time with your partner, so this morning Kevin and I did just that.  Cleaning out the goat’s indoor living quarters is best done with more than one set of hands.  We followed that little chore with a hike out to Ole Lake.

We call our place Ole Lake farm, but there is no lake.  Ole Lake is a real place, and was a lake a few hundred years ago.  Now it’s a pothole surrounded by tamarack bog, making it pretty much inaccessible sometimes, and fairly difficult to get to the rest of the time.  Winter is by far the easiest season to get there, but only if it’s been cold enough to freeze the bog.

Crossing the bog this morning was quite a workout.  If you’ve never had the opportunity to traverse such a place, imagine walking across an enormous waterbed (the original 70’s version, no baffles) that is covered knee deep with poufy, yet firm pillows.  Got that?  Ok, now add hidden roots and holes filled with water and muck that apply suction to your boots.  Pure pleasure!

Pitcher plants growing in the bog

Ever get that sinking feeling?

You may recall from yesterday’s post that the plan was to move the hens from the Summer Coop to the Winter Coop.  I finally got a couple of photos to record the event.

Kori pauses for a dramatic moment

Kori came home to help with moving the flock.  She is our best and most skilled chicken catcher.  We wait until after dark, when the hens are abed on their roosts.  Javier made the move on Friday; it is necessary for him to be the first one moved, otherwise he can get a little .... agitated by the ruckus that the hens make.  Agitation is not a desirable condition to have in your rooster.

And the handoff!

And lastly, I will close with photos of Spot and some wood.   Just because.   See you next time!

Golden eyed Spot

Teamwork

Just a few photos from this beautiful fall day here at Ole Lake Farm.

The Cub and buzz
 saw set up for wood cutting

Kurt, Kevin, and Rollie put in a lot of hours today cutting up firewood into useable sizes

 Just some of natures colors that I enjoyed on my way out to the woods to see how the guys were doing.

Seeds to save for next years pea crop

Here at the house, more applesauce was made, pea seeds harvested, squash cooked up to be frozen, and more corn picked.  We will wrap up the day with fall chicken moving; the flock is going back to warmer quarters at the Winter Coop.

Also today, harvested a supper's worth of brocolli, and was pleased to note a couple of very nice cauliflowers still in the garden.  It's just great that we can still eat fresh food from the garden this late in the season.  And there are still carrots out there too.

So, there you go.  Just an everyday weekend day here on the farm.  Until next time, be well friends!

Flowers Funny Farm

Every year, Aitkin Boy Scout Troop 52 gathers at Ole Lake Farm for a weekend of camping, planning, and games called the Flowers Funny Farm. This year, we split the kids into their new patrols to both complete challenges and play games to get them used to working together. They also spent some time planning for the various campouts and events for the coming year, and also held elections for new positions in the troop.

This year, it was particularly cold, so we spent a lot of time huddled around the campfire. The temperature on Friday night dropped down into the 20s, but everyone managed to stay warm. New this year we did an Amazing race in the morning with 5 stations where the scouts needed to work together to complete some tasks.  When all was said and done, 4 fiberglass fence posts were toasted and the spinning .22 target has all kinds of new marks on it.  In the afternoon we played a game called Jugger that a scout parent had found on-line.  It’s like paintball, field hockey and medieval games all mixed up. 

Spools are handy for all kinds of activities.  This year, the scouts built a tower with them!

Why are there canoes with no water in sight?  They are part of "The Amazing Race", Flowers Funny Farm style

Another part of the "Amazing Race" was the team skiing event.  Here the Flowers family tries it out

Sunday morning pancakes with Rollie's Special Syrup, provided by Rollie and Ardis

The site of the activities

Hobo dinners, a feast over the fire