Crann Mor Feirm: Crann Mor Life

Pink Moon Week 2 Apr 6 - 12, 2008

Sun, 13 Apr 2008 12:50:34 GMT

Ave H/L 73/47 Norm Ave 65/44
H 84 (4/10)
L 37 (4/6)
Precip .45 Monthly Cum 1.25

Sunday started off a beautiful week of weather. Sunny skies and temps in the 70's. We grilled some turkey burgers and hot dogs and ate lunch on the patio. Good to be able to sit comfortably outdoors, again.

The trees are responding to the warm weather, too. The Redbuds are coming out and leaves are emerging on many trees by the end of the week.

The garden is coming along well, too. The onions and peas are shooting up. Radishes are sprouting. We've got tomatoes, peppers and egg plants started in pots indoors. We'll plant them along with some beans after the last frost.

We welcomed back some old friends to Crann Mor this week. We noticed the Barn Swallow had returned on Sunday (4/6) and we saw our first hummingbird at the feeder on Sat the 12th. It appears that the Juncos have headed north. We haven't seen them feeding and flitting about the ground in a few days. The American Toads have been trilling and laying eggs all week. We see their ribbons of eggs in the pond. We've also seen tadpoles in the orchard creek.

I built a puppy pen out of chicken wire and tobacco sticks for when the puppies are ready to get outside and play. The puppies are doing well, getting bigger every day.

Pink Moon Week 1 Mar 30 - Apr 5, 2008

Sun, 06 Apr 2008 11:24:34 GMT

Ave H/L 60/45 Norm Ave 63/42

H 72 4/1

L 30 4/2

Precip .8

The big event this week was the birth of Rachel's puppies. She plopped out eleven of the little cuties on Thu morn. V had been taking Rachel's temperature and when it went down to 98F she knew the puppies would be arriving, soon. Rachel is dong well and has taken to motherhood very nicely. She is very attentive, feeds them constantly and is always with them to keep them warm. All the puppies look full and healthy.

Mary and Alexis were with us last weekend. The girls had a fun time doing girly things and girly talk. C enjoyed some time with her nieces although by age they are more like cousins. We all took a walk through the woods on Sunday.

V picked up some trees from the Conservation Office this week - 60 pines, 7 Pin Oak, 9 Black Walnut and 5 Redbuds. She planted the Redbuds on the bank above the orchard. They will be pretty there. I planted the Pin Oaks on the North Slope and the Walnuts on the East Slope and down below the pond. We are going to plant the pines on the slopes above the driveway.

The Trout Lilies were in full bloom on Sun the 30th. The Peach Trees are blooming and I noticed the first Quaker Ladies blooming, yesterday. They were on the North Slope. The "Pinks" will come out strong this month.

I took the chicken wire cages down from around the fruit trees. The dogs should keep the deer away from them and the cages won't interfere with their growth. The orchard came through last summer's drought and survived the winter beautifully. We should have plenty of fruit in a few years.

Worm Moon Week 4 Mar 23-29, 2008

Sun, 30 Mar 2008 11:47:10 GMT

Ave H/L 57/36 Norm Ave 60/40

H 69 3/26

L 22 3/25

Precip .6 Month 3.34

The finch feeders are a big hit with the Goldfinches. We have counted as many as 24 goldfinches at the feeders at one time. We saw one purple finch there, too. I put up a new post by the lily pond and hung the hummingbird feeders on it. Vicki is going to cook some juice and fill up the feeders for any early returning hummingbirds. The wild bird feeders on the fence in the backyard are attracting Nuthatches, Chickadees, Titmouses, Cardinals, Red-winged Blackbirds, Cowbirds, Doves, Juncos, Downy Woodpeckers, Red-bellied Woodpeckers, Sparrows and Towhees. A pair of Bluebirds are taking straw into the birdhouse I put on the fence.

Coltsfoot is in full bloom and its leaves are sprouting. Dandelion and Chickweed are blooming. Trout Lilies are beginning to bloom. Red buds are emerging on the Redbud trees. I mowed the yard for the first time this year. A few peas are coming up in the garden but I don't know if they are going to make it. We planted potatoes, onions, radishes, carrots and more strawberries this week. Vicki planted some lettuce in the cold frame.

We had a nice Easter dinner with Aaron, Tequila and Dylan coming over to join us for the day. Dylan is a joy to behold - full of life, joy and orneriness. It was really good to see them all again and to see them doing well. Dylan loves to play ball and can throw pretty well for a two year old. We took him down to the chicken coop for an Easter egg hunt. We found an egg in Gracie's nest. I handed it to Dylan who automatically tossed it across the coop. I guess Grandpa should have known better. :)

Mary and Alexis rode home with me Friday and are spending the weekend with us. They like the dogs and chickens and are excited about the pending birth of Rachel's puppies.

We went to a farm on Mocabe Creek Road and bought 6 more pullets. They are big stock chicks from McMurray's. Four white and two gray. Vicki is keeping them in the kitchen until the nights warm up a little. With the way the price of eggs is rising it will be nice to have big, brown country eggs on hand and a few left over to sell.

Worm Moon Week 3 Mar 16-22, 2008

Sat, 29 Mar 2008 10:39:50 GMT

Ave H/L 59/35 Norm Ave 58/38

H 68 (3/18)

L 27 (3/21)

Precip .65 Month 2.74

Spring officially arrived this week. We have been very anxious for its coming while we have been noticing signs of its soon entrance. Now, we're ready for the weather to shake off all the cold spells and get on with warm weather so we can sit outside and enjoy the birds and flowers.

There were some beautiful moons a few mornings as I travelled to work. It had been awhile since we had clear sky to see the moon. It is a beautiful sight and its presence and beauty does seem to have an affect on us if only because we have become accustomed to it and have made certain associations with the moon in our culture. The associations we make range from spooky evil to passionate romance. The farming community believes the moon affects the growing of crops and livestock - though that seems to be passing. But our most common response to the moon is some type of emotional feeling. I am glad there is still something that inspires our imagination.

Worm Moon Week 2 Mar 9-15, 2008

Sat, 29 Mar 2008 10:29:29 GMT

Ave H/L 54/30 Norm Ave 55/36

H 72 (3/13)

L 12 (3/4)

Precip .45 Month 2.09

The snow from the storm Saturday melted for the most part Sunday afternoon. It went away more quickly than it came. The rest of the week was more typical of March weather.

Strawberry plants arrived at the Conservation office, Wednesday. I took off work early Thursday afternoon to till a new strawberry patch next to the current patch. We planted 50 plants. We've got 50 more plants on order from Gurney's. We also planted 3 rows of peas alongside the fence in the garden. The cabbage plants are growing well inside.

Elliott County boys beat Rose Hill Christian and East Carter for the Regional Championship. They will play Mason Co. at the State Tournament in Lexington.

The Spring Peepers have started peeping again after the cold snap.

Vicki made me a nice turkey dinner to celebrate my birthday on Tuesday. I am grateful I got to see my 49th birthday.

Worm Moon Week 1 Mar 2-8, 2008

Sat, 29 Mar 2008 10:15:24 GMT

Ave H/L 53/34 Norm Ave 52/33

H 73 (3/3)

L 24 (3/8)

Precip 1.64 Month 1.64

The week began very warm - bees, butterflies were out. Coltsffot is blooming again. The week gradually cooled and we were greeted with snow and ice on Sat Morn - 4inches.

Vicki discovered that our hen, Gracie, is laying eggs, now. Nice, big brown eggs.

I stopped and talked to our neighbor, Ira, on the road, Tuesday. He told me he wanted to put up a post for our mailbox. He said he had a post and needed something to do. Our mailbox had been hanging flimsily from a metal post sticking out of the side of the hill. Ira put up the post the next day and fastened our mailbox to it. It looks very nice. Very neighborly of Ira. I called and thanked him and offered to repay him some way. He said he would give me a holler next time he needed some help. Ira and Brenda are good neighbors.

The cabbage seeds began sprouting Thursday.

The water pump went out on the Jeep. Got it fixed at Grayson.

The Worm Moon began Friday.

Snow Moon Week 4 Feb 24-29

Sat, 29 Mar 2008 09:58:11 GMT

Temps: Ave H/L 40/26F

Highest Temp: 46F

Lowest Temp: 19F

Precip: .6 Monthly cum: 2.66

Monthly ave Temps Feb: 45/30 Normal Ave: 47/29

I didn't meditate or write last weekend. I think I let my concern about my heart racing throw me off. I think I am going to change the focus of this meditation to make it more directly related to events, emotions and ideas in my life for the week.

One thing about the "Nin" keening really stands out for me - "wider than spear can shoot". To me it suggests the infinite possibilities and the unfathomable element of life. I received good news about the condition and strength of my heart from my visit to the doctor last Monday. The thought that my physical activities might be severely restricted was very discouraging to me. I enjoy physical activity - mowing the yard, digging, hauling tree limbs, etc. I felt like I might be reduced to being a fisherman only and I knew that would be a difficult adjustment (even as much as I like fishing :). Hearing the news that I was not going to be restricted was a great relief. It opened the door again to doing normal activities. The possibilities may not be infinite but they are great enough to be fulfilling.

I was aware that I if I live long enough I would have to slow down some someday far in the future. The heart attack confronted me with becoming an old man, overnight. An old man is better than a dead man but it was going to be a difficult adjustment for me. I'm not yet sure what I may or may not be able to do but I am looking forward to exploring the possibilities.

Snow Moon Week 3 Feb 17-23, 2008

Sun, 24 Feb 2008 12:15:56 GMT

This week was a little cooler than average. The normal average hi/lo is 49/30. We topped out with averages of 40/30 this week. We did have a very mild day on Sun when the temp reached 65F. But Thu evening took us back down to 15F. We received .45 inches of rain this week bringing our monthly total to 2.06. It's looking like we may be below normal for precipitation again this month. We had precpitation about every day this week but it was in very little amounts and was mostly freezing rain again. We had about a tenth of an inch of freezing rain Fri morning which made for slippery walking and driving in some places. We were able to make it up and down the hill OK, though. School was called off for a couple of days.

I missed the lunar eclipse Wed night. Vicki saw part of it. I was asleep. I think it was cloudy over most of the country. The next one isn't for a couple of years now.

I heard a Woodpecker drumming on Sun, the 17th. First one of the year. We have a lot of woodpeckers in our forest and when they all get to drumming all around us it really is a fascinating sound. We have been seeing several more Red-bellied Woodpeckers at our feeders this week. We see and hear them occasionally through the winter but they are coming into the yard frequently, now. We also saw a Northen Flicker poking for ants in the backyard this week. That's the first Flicker we have seen this year.

I have been tying flies getting ready for some Spring trout and bass fishing. I have been tying Adams, Cahills, Blue Winged Olives, and Hendricksons. Quill Gordons and Ausable Wolf are on the agenda for today. We're looking forward to catching and eating a lot of fish this year.

Snow Moon Week 2 Feb 10 - 16, 2008

Sun, 24 Feb 2008 11:58:52 GMT

It was pretty close to an average week for us at Crannmor in the temperature department. Our average hi/lo for the week was 43/24. The normal average is 46/28. Our highest temp for the week was 55F on Sat, the 16th. Our low for the week was 15F on Mon, the 11th. We had .59 inches of rain during the week which brought our monthly total to 1.61. The big weather event was a winter storm that brought a little snow and some freezing rain to us Mon - Wed. The roads were icy and snow-covered. I missed one day of work due to the icy roads. I could have made but it would have taken me about 6 hours to get there. Cindy was out of school Tue, Wed and Thu.

In spite of the wintry weather we saw more signs of Spring advancing this week. Vicki saw the first Robin in the yard. We noticed that the Bluebirds were around the yard more, paired up and chattering away. We also saw a large salamander swimming in the pond. We even saw baby spiders crawling about through the grass on the warmest day. It seems like Spring creeps in little by little each day. There have been times when I thought Spring exploded on us when the trees would seem to sprout leaves overnight. But now I think I just wasn't paying very good attention to the little signs of the creeping Spring.

Snow Moon Week 1 Feb 3 -9, 2008

Sun, 10 Feb 2008 13:13:58 GMT

The Snow Moon exploded onto the scene Wednesday with tornadoes across the region. I awoke at 2:15 a.m., Wednesday morning to see that a tornado warning had been issued for our immediate area. There was rotation spotted in the radar in a thunderstorm headed our way. We did get some very heavy winds for about a minute that ripped down several of our trees on the farm, but no damage was done to any of our buildings. We were very fortunate. Over 50 people were killed by tornadoes that night across our region.

The weather overall for the week was more like a Rain Moon than a Snow Moon. Here on the farm we recorded .72 inches of rain. Other places in eastern Ky reported from an inch to 4 inches causing some flooding for folks down in the valleys.

The temps were very mild, too. The average high and low for this week is 45/27. Our actual average high and low this week was 57/40. Our highest temp was 70F on Wed with the lowest temp 29F on Friday morning.

The transition to Spring is becoming more evident, everyday. Vicki and I thought that we heard some Spring Peeper frogs peeping early in the week. Sure enough, Wednesday morning on my way to work I saw frogs leaping across the road in the rain. I noticed that the Doves have begun calling again after a winter of silence. The flowers are getting in on the act, too. Daffodils and Irises are sprouting next to our house and Saturday I saw the first Coltsfoots blooming. You can see some pictures in our most recent album. I also included some pictures of the wind damage to the trees on the farm.

Saturday, Vicki and I spent the better part of the day cutting away a Beech tree that had fallen across Fox Trot path in the storm. Vicki trimmed some of the bigger branches to use for fence posts.

Rachel is out of heat now and greatly enjoys the freedom to roam as she pleases with the other dogs. We’re expecting pups around the first week of April. Should be a good time for them to arrive.

Hope ya'll have a great week!

Wolf Moon Week 4 Jan 27-Feb 2, 2008

Sun, 03 Feb 2008 13:42:11 GMT

The weather highlight of the week was 1.2 inches of rain falling onto Crann Mor Feirm. That brought our total for the month of January to 2.43 inches which is about an inch below the normal of 3.56 inches of rain for the month. The drought, though not severe here, lingers on.

The temps were near average for this time of year. We had a high of 55F on Tue the 29^th and a low of 16F on Thu the 31^st. The average highs and lows for the week were 45/27. The normal averages are 43/26. Our monthly average highs and lows were 42/26 which is the dead on the normal January average of 42/26.

A big departure for January was the amount of snowfall we received. According to the National Weather Service 3.5 inches of snow fell in our area in January. The normal snowfall for January is 7 inches and the snows we received were in doses of about a half inch at a time and these snows melted before the next fell. We are coming into the Snow Moon soon. We’ll see if that makes up for the January deficiency.

With the rainfall we experienced some hard, gusty winds of up to 40-50 mph. No major damage but with the soft ground and the heavy winds the fences caging the fruit trees and the split rail fence in the backyard did some heavy leaning which needed correcting.

Rachel, our Golden Retriever, came into heat this week. Jake, our male retriever and Rachel hooked up Saturday and so we are expecting puppies around the beginning of April. Spring is going to be very busy around here and puppies will add to the fun!

We celebrated Imbolc by spending a lot of time outdoors on Saturday. Imbolc is the ancient Irish holiday which celebrates the return of the sun, the first glimpse of Spring around the corner. Imbolc is the time when sheep begin lactating in preparation for the lambs. The goddess of Imbolc was Brigit, the symbol of light, inspiration and healing. We felt like we could tell a difference in the “tone” of the day Saturday.

Along with the sheep lactating other signs of coming Spring are the mating seasons of Bobcats, Skunks and Raccoons beginning this month. Screech owls will begin calling. Wood Ducks will be scouting for nesting sites. Great Horned Owls begin incubating their eggs and Turkey flocks will be at their largest at this time of year. We noticed that the Red-Bellied Woodpeckers and Wrens have been especially chatty, recently. Even though February is seemingly the “longest” month of the year the signs are in the air that Spring is on its way. Take heart!

There will be a dramatic astronomical event this month on the 20^{th (Wed)}. That evening there will be a total eclipse of the moon which will be visible throughout North America. It will start around 8:00 p.m. in its beginning phase and go through about 10:00 p.m., I think. Hope for clear skies and check it out.

Wolf Moon Week 3 Jan 20-26, 2008

Sun, 27 Jan 2008 13:49:58 GMT

This was easily our coldest week of the 2007-2008 Winter. An arctic cold front swept down from Canada across the Plains and Midwest and shocked us all with the bitter cold. The northern plains were the worst with temps way below zero. Our coldest temp here at Crann Mor was 1F on Friday morning, the 25^th. But we were also down to 7F and 6F on Monday and Tuesday, the 20^th and 21^st. Our high for the week was 40F on Tuesday the 22^nd. Our average high and low for the week was 33/14. Normal averages are 42/25, so we were well below normal this week. Our precipitation is also below normal. We have had skiffs of snow almost everyday but the actual precipitation is negligible. We only had .2 of precip this week and only 1.53 for the month. Our normal precip for January is 3.56. The National Weather Service has updated their Drought Monitoring to show that Eastern Kentucky is still in a drought with southeastern Ky in a severe drought. We have been catching up a little the past few months but we can use some more water falling from the sky.

Monday morning I awoke to find our water pressure low. Last year during a freeze our water pipes froze for most of a day and we had no water during that time. I tried to prevent that this year by wrapping the water pipes under the house with foam insulation and by covering the ground outside the house with a pile of straw where the water line comes in and is shallow. The low water pressure made me think my efforts were half successful – some freezing had occurred but we still had water flow. I let the water run from the faucet to keep it from freezing more. A couple of hours later I looked out the back door to see the sun rising and heard an unfamiliar gushing sound. I craned my head to look towards the back of the house and saw ice all through the back yard. The water pipe to our outdoor faucet had frozen and busted and the low water pressure in the house was because so much water was gushing from the pipe into the yard. I made an unplanned trip to Wrigley’s and got a cap for the pipe and some glue and in the 6 degree air cut off the pipe and glued on the cap. That solved the problem for now. This Spring I will install a gate valve under the house to turn off water to the faucet with the hope that it won’t freeze and burst again next year.

Even though the snows we received this week barely covered the ground and the roads Cindy’s school was dismissed early on Thursday and called off for Friday. The bus didn’t come up our drive on Tuesday either. And with the early dismissal on Thursday the driver called and asked Vicki to pick up Cindy down on the highway so she wouldn’t have to drive the bus up our blacktop and driveway. In the past this area has averaged 18 inches of snow in the Winter. When we get the average snowfall they must not have school at all in Jan and Feb.

I took the Jeep down to Ben’s to get the brake pads replaced. They were worn down to the metal. Ben’s shop is just down at the end of our road at the intersection of Route 7 and Hogtown Ridge. We thought we would only need the back brakes replaced but when we looked at the front it was obvious they needed replaced, too. Ben drove 10 miles down to West Liberty to get some pads for the front. All four brakes were fixed for $110. The only paper I signed was the check and while Ben and Kevin worked on the brakes I stood next to the coal stove to stay warm. We talked about fishin, the recent murders on Bear Ridge, the cold weather, the high gas prices, high cigarette prices and quitting smoking. All done in an hour.

Vicki started another painting this week. She is painting a goldfinch hovering in some wildflowers. It will be a beauty.

We found a product at Lowe’s Saturday that we are going to use to amend our heavy clay soil. The product is a 40 lb mix of compost and cow manure for $1.50. I am going to pick up a bag or two every week and use this to amend our garden soil and other spots where we plant vegetables and flowers. There is a little sawmill just up the road a piece from us. They bring their sawdust up to the side of Hogtown Ridge and anyone can pick up all the sawdust they want for free. We think it will make a good mulch and soil amendment to help our soil drain better so we are going to start filling up some bags and using that around the farm as well.

Wolf Moon Week 2 Jan 13-19, 2008

Sun, 20 Jan 2008 16:52:19 GMT

Wolf Moon 2 gave us an average week temperature wise. We had a high of 48F on Sun followed by a low of 15F on Wed. The average highs and lows for the week were 38/26. The normal averages are 41/25, so we were pretty close to the average for this time of year. Snow flurried about several days this week but there were no accumulations, although Cindy’s school was called off one day due to the skiff of snow on the roads. We did get a tenth of an inch of rain on Thursday. That gives us about 1.23 inches for the month so far.

Vicki sold one of her paintings in her Ebay store this week. This was Vicki’s first sale from her Ebay store and it was very exciting and encouraging for her. She will be placing some more of her paintings in her store soon.

I was in Loew’s one day earlier this week and saw they had fresh supplies of seeds and gardening supplies. That’s all it takes to get our garden dreams going so we went to Loew’s in Morehead and picked up some peat pots, watering trays and seed starting mix along with some seeds for perennial flowers which we will start and plant along the driveway – “Bell flower, Snow-in-Summer, and Carnations. We also got Rock Soapwort, Primrose and Sunflower seeds. We’ll start them all indoors and then harden them off outside and transplant them.

Caney came out of heat this week so she is back to running with the big dogs. She was grateful for the release and the opportunity to bed down with Rachel and Jake where she can stay warmer. Winter is tough for a short-haired dog.

Wolf Moon Week 1 Jan 6-12, 2008

Sun, 13 Jan 2008 12:39:22 GMT

Wolf Moon Week 1 Jan 6-12, 2008

Another wide-ranging week temperature wise. We reached 72F two days in a row this past week. Things cooled down by the end of the week when we reached a low of 29 F Saturday night. Our average high and low for the week was 60/42. Our normal averages are 42/26. The rains keep coming. We received a total of 1 inch of rain this week. A half inch of that rain fell on Wednesday. The creeks are running full and strong and there has been some flooding in the valleys.

It’s the time of year when Red Lichen Moss begins blooming and it is right on schedule. The tiny little blooms are clustered together in spectacular displays of bright, bold red. The blooms remind me of eency weency cauliflower heads that are striking red. They are worth a trip into some clearing in the woods to see them. Five-fingers are beginning to sprout new leaves. They will be sporting yellow strawberry like blooms in a few months. I also saw a Lamb’s Ear plant down in Bobcat Alley sprouting new velvety soft leaves. On the two days when the temp reached 72F I saw moths fluttering about outside while I was walking. That seemed strange for this time of year.

I saw a coyote cross the road in front of me in the fast food district of Maysville as I was driving through the other morning. Coyotes in town will get some people agitated I am sure.

Two men were murdered over on Bear Ridge this past week. The family claims they were robbed for some settlement money. The two men were both shot in the face execution style. Some are wondering if there wasn’t a more sinister motive to it all.

Vicki and I celebrated our eleventh wedding anniversary on Thursday. We went out this weekend to an Italian restaurant for dinner. Vicki ordered a calzone. It turned out to be as big as a football. That is not an exaggeration. She will have calzone all week, now. J Cindy and the neighbor’s granddaughter, Abbey, went with us. After lunch we went to the movies. Vicki and I watched “The Bucket List”. The girls watched, “P.S. I Love You”. Both movies are tearjerkers with some funny moments interspersed.

Cold Moon 4 Dec 30, 2007 - Jan 5, 2008

Sun, 06 Jan 2008 13:57:48 GMT

The Cold Moon brought some cold weather this week. The temp dropped down to 11F Friday morning, the 4^th. The low was in the low teens on Wednesday and Thursday, too. The high for the week was a nice 52F on the 31^st. Our average high and low for the week was 38/20. The normal averages are 42/26. This was a below average week for us temperature wise. We received our first measurable snowfall on Tuesday and Wednesday. About an inch of total accumulation was the result here. Enough to make it pretty and keep the kids out of school for the week. The main highways were clear and dry but all of the side roads were snow covered and slick and the school busses will not attempt to make it up our snowy, hilly driveways. The total precipitation for the week was only .13 inches.

On my daily walk I noticed a dozen Blue Jays perched in the trees around the bird feeder. They each waited in turn for an opportunity to feed. The Juncos have arrived in full force to winter with us and they are bunching up in the yard in search for food. Cardinals and Wrens often join them as they collaborate in their quest for winter nutrition.

Our Jeep passed its first test of the winter. It made it up our steep, long snow-covered driveway with no slips at all. I used the high four wheel drive and low gear. I think the Jeep will serve its purpose.

I stopped at our general store, “Wrigley’s”, on the way home from work one day and picked up some cracked corn for Vicki’s chickens. Fifty pounds of cracked corn runs $6. The corn will last three chickens several months.

The Moon and Venus rose together in the eastern sky early Friday morning while brilliant Mars was setting in the west. It was a beautiful sight. The Quadrantid Meteor shower was going on and I caught a glimpse of one meteor flashing across the sky as I drove to work.

Caney is still confined to her barn stall. Vicki took precautions to keep her warm by herself. We want to be sure she doesn’t find a mate.

According to the Kentucky Wildlife Calendar now and through February is the time of the year when bear in Ky are giving birth to their young and groundhogs will be awaking from their brief hibernation. Why they awake now when the coldest part of winter is still ahead I do not know but I am sure there is a reasonable explanation for that behavior. I think I would sack it in for another couple of months if I were a groundhog.

Cold Moon 3 Dec 23-29, 2007

Sun, 30 Dec 2007 13:30:18 GMT

The Cold Moon hasn't been all that cold here at Crann Mor this year. This week we saw a high of 59F on the 23rd and a low of 22F on Christmas Day. The pond froze over with that low temp. Our average high and low for the week was 50/32. The normal average is 43/27, so we were well above that mark. We got more rain, .7 of an inch fell this week - mainly some nice showers on three different days. We are about an inch above normal rainfall for December. The water is running off our hills into the creeks below and the sound of gurgling, babbling brooks is all around us. We can hear Apple Fork Creek at the bottom of our hill as the clear, cold water splashes and ripples its way over the rocks.

Vicki made us a wonderful Christmas Dinner. It was just the three of us. We enjoyed the peacefulness of our own company and the time together around the table. Vicki and I took a Christmas walk through the woods. Every season has its own beauty. The shape and color of the trees and their bark really stand out this time of year. It's as if the character of each tree is starkly revealed.

We ordered our garden seeds and plants for the coming Spring. We will be starting cabbage from seed indoors around March 1 - that's just two months away! Potatoes, onions and strawberries are due to arrive around March 30 and we will set them in the ground immediately. Vicki made us a blackberry cobbler yesterday from the berries we picked last summer. Mmmmm, mmmm, a taste of summmer on a cold winter day!

Elliott County lost their first game the other night to Covington Catholic. We are 10-1, now.

Caney, the stray we took in, has gone into heat. We are going to keep her confined to a barn stall for about a week to attempt to avoid an unwanted pregnancy.

I selected my symbols for the coming year and months. Here at Crann Mor 2008 will be the Year of the Fern. We have several ferns growing in the woods, the most prevalent is the Christmas Fern. We also have some beautiful bracken ferns among others. The fern is a fitting symbol for our farm this year.

Cold Moon 1 & 2, 2007

Mon, 24 Dec 2007 21:07:23 GMT

We began the Cold Moon of 2007 with some very mild weather. On Tue, 12/11, we reached a high temp of 73F. But, one week later we sank to a low of 18F. The average highs and lows for Cold Moon 1 were 45/41. The averages for Cold Moon 2 were 51/31. Cold Moon 1 gave us plenty of rain - about 2 inches. We dodged a snowstorm during the weekend of Cold Moon 1. Most of the storm curled around to the north of us following the Ohio River. Many storms seem to do that. A cloud did settle over Elliott County on Sunday and snowflakes flurried about all day but there was very little accumulation. We have been getting steady rains each week since November and water is still running off the hills and the pond is spilling over continuously. On Sunday of Cold Moon 2 a vandal struck our farm while we were having dinner with our oldest daughter. He knocked over two of the wire cages around the fruit trees, threw tools off the rack, knocked some rails off the wooden fence in back and dislodged the drain pipes off the gutters. You all know this vandal - it was the wind.

Early in the morning of the 11th I heard the coyotes yipping and howling back in the woods. That was the day the temp reached 73F and I saw a bat in the evening as I walked up and down the drive. The deer will begin shedding their antlers now that the ruts are over. Vicki tells me that there are several animals that feed on the shed antlers which would explain the difficulty in finding them. Nothing ever seems to be wasted in nature.

It's the Holiday Season and Vicki and Cindy contributed to the spirit by baking several batches of about 6 or 7 different kinds of cookies - oatmeal, chocolate chip surprises, cherry-coconut surprises, sugar cookies, heath bars and more. They made enough to fill platters to take to the neighbors, where we enjoyed nice visits with coffee.

The Winter Solstice occurred Sat morning of the 22nd. Here at Crann Mor we know the sun has reaced the Winter Solstice when it arrives at the south end of Rainbow Ridge. When it makes its way back to the north end of Rainbow Ridge we will have arrive at the Summer Solstice.

The mailman left my dream catalogs in the mailbox - Burpees, Gurney's and Jung's seed catalogs. Ah, a hot cup of coffee, sitting in the recliner in a warm house on a cold winter's day looking at the seed catalogs. It's a good thing.

Beaver Moon Weeks 4 & 5, Nov 26 - Dec 8, 2007

Sun, 09 Dec 2007 16:36:01 GMT

The past two weeks have seen a wide range of temperatures and weather here at Crann Mor. It was 64 F. on Nov 26th and we had a low of 19 F. on Dec 6th. We had several mornings below freezing and the surface of the pond has frozen over a few times. A good dose of rain has fallen, too. Over these last two weeks of the Beaver Moon .91" of rain has fallen. The ground is now soaked and the pond is overflowing the spillway - a big change from our dry summer! An Alberta Clipper raced down from Canada and delivered a shot of Winter to most of the Midwest and East. We caught a bit of it and about an inch of snow fell to the ground last tuesday night and wednesday morning. Cindy's school was cancelled for a day. The Jeep did great on the snowy, wet roads and made it up and down the driveway fine.

Before the cloudy, wet weather set in I had noticed how clear and bright the stars appear early in the morning, now. The drier air really sharpens the view of the sky in a beautiful way.

A highlight for us recently was getting the sewer unclogged. We have a septic tank system and the tank had filled and then backed up the pipes. We called a man to pump out the septic tank but the drains were still clogged. Vicki called another plumber who was able to unclog the backup by placing a small, rubber tube inside the pipes and filling that tube with water. The tube is 6 inches long and all I can figure is that some kind of vacuum suction must be created within the pipe because sure enough all the backup pushed right on out into the tank. This was after we and the plumber had tried to no avail augering the clog with augering coils. We're going to put RidX in the septic on a monthly basis and get it pumped before it has a chance to backup next time.

High School basketball season has begun and here in Kentucky that is serious business. Our Elliott County boys team went to the state tournament last year and won one game in the tournament. All of the same boys are on the team again this year so hopes are high again for a winning season. We attended their game against Greenup County last Saturday and we won 132-64. That's right, 132 points scored by one team in 32 minutes of basketball. It's going to be a fun year!

Well, if there was any doubt that two of our "hens" actually are roosters that doubt was erased this week as two of the three "hens" have started crowing at daybreak. We're glad to have roosters - we had missed the constant crowing of Mr Jenkins. It will probably take two roosters to keep up with all of the crowing he did everyday.

All of the leaves have fallen from the trees except for the Beech and Oak trees. They still have brown leaves on and will probably keep them on until the first tornado of the Spring. I wonder if the fact that Beech and Oak are hardwoods has anything to do with those specific trees keeping most of their leaves on through the Winter? Now that most of the leaves have fallen the evergreens really stand out in the woods. We have taken a close look and our pines, hemlocks, cedars, hollys and rhododendron all seem to have come through the summer drought very well. They all look healthy and have good growth buds forming. The Rhododendron buds are started already. We hope we don't get another late freeze like last year which destroyed the buds before they could bloom.

Vicki has opened a gallery on Ebay where she is offering her oil paintings for sale. Here is a link to the gallery: http://stores.ebay.com/artistgold She invites you to stop in and browse.

I was driving to work along Rt 32 the other morning and saw an unusual sight. I am used to seeing deer along the road almost every morning. Sometimes, they are grazing on the shoulder or they may dart across the road in front of me or a group of them may be holding a square dance in the middle of the road. On the morning in question I saw what appeared to be a huge deer lying down chewing its cud on the the shoulder of the road. It was an escaped cow, of course. She seemed very comfortable and right at home in her new spot.

I took the Jeep down to Ben Rowe's yesterday to get the oil changed and the tires rotated. Ben's place is right down at the bottom of our hill so it is very convenient. They got the job done quickly and asked me to start the engine to get the oil flowing through it. I did, They said to shut her off. I did. Closed the door. Paid the bill. Pulled the handle on the Jeep door. Locked! Keys inside! Right in Ben's rack. We only have one key. Ben called the Sheriff and told him what was going on. The deputy came after awhile and opened it with an inflatable bulb and a slim jim. Had a nice conversation with Ben and his daughter while we waited.

The stakes on the cages around the trees in the orchard were coming loose. I found one of the cages completely off and down the hill next to the pond. I replaced it and hammered all the stakes (tobacco sticks) back down to secure them.

Vicki and Cindy put up the Christmas tree, yesterday, while I took a walk in the woods. Vicki claims I purposely took my walk at that time while I maintain that she chose to put up the tree when I was out of the house. :) The house looks festive and ready for the Yuletide.

Today is the first day of the "Cold Moon" or the "Long Nights Moon". We are already experiencing our earliest sunsets of the year - about 5:15 each afternoon. The length of sunshine each day is down to about 9 1/2 hours.

I am feeling better each day. I am walking twice at work each day and a half hour or more when I get home. Thanks for everyone's thoughts and prayers.

Beaver Moon Week 3 Nov 19-25

Sun, 25 Nov 2007 17:38:17 GMT

Our week began with good news from the surgeon who performed my heart surgery. We saw Dr Hollingsworth on Monday and she confirmed the good recovery of my heart since the attack. She was very pleased with the progress and gave us an excellent prognosis for good health in the future. Many great thanks to Dr Hollingsworth!

We experienced a wide range of temperatures here at Crann Mor this week. Wednesday the temp got up to 73 degrees F. and Saturday morning the temp dropped to 19 F. On Friday, light snow flurries were falling for most of the day but there was no accumulation. A foretaste of things to come, no doubt.

The highlight of the week was Thanksgiving. Our girls and their children came to visit with us on wednesday. Willie and Alexis were outdoors playing with the dogs and chickens most of the time. They love thier visits to the country. On thursday V made another great meal for the three of us. I have enjoyed four days rest from work and the good company of my family. The boys weren't able to make it our way this time. We will look forward to seeing them around Christmas.

Most of the leaves have fallen from the trees and it is easy to see through the trees to the ground on all of the ridges around us. The exposure gives a different feeling to the area. In the summer, all is secluded and hidden from view by the leaves. Now we can look to far away hills and may see movement from an animal that may even be able to be identified. It seems to give a closeness, a neighborliness to hills in the distance. We can now see our neighbors' residence at the bottom of the hill and down the road, and we can even see cars and houses way down at the bottom of Hogtown Ridge. Sounds and noises are exaggerated now, too. Movements and animal calls in the woods can be easily discerned. We could carry on a conversation in normal tones with our far away neighbors. No need to holler in this holler. :) Maybe Exposure is the theme of Winter. Everything is more exposed - exposed to the elements, exposed to one another. Rg

Beaver Moon Week 2 Nov 12-18, 2007

Sun, 18 Nov 2007 13:42:08 GMT

Perhaps the biggest news from Crann Mor this week is the evolving discovery that two of our three pullets may turn out to be roosters. Check out the attached pictures and you will see combs developing and you may be able to see the capes starting on their necks and the hint of tail feathers. We figure we better get some more mature hens to occupy the roosters. :)

The grass seed Vicki sowed on the orchard back in September is coming up nicely, now. It's growing longer and some more seed sprouted with the rains we had earlier in the week. We are also noticing that the fruit trees in the orchard are showing their growth buds for next year. This is a good sign that they survived the summer drought. Now, we'll see if they make it through their first winter freeze.

The pond looks like coffee with cream this week after the hard rain. It only rained a few tenths of an inch but it was a hard rain and stirred up the clay pond bottom. We have had more but ge ntler rain previously and the pond didn't get muddy like this. We may try to get more rock and vegetation in the bottom of the pond to help keep it more settled through every rain.

The seeps are flowing again! Last Winter, the seeps out of the hill above the orchard flowed continously. I dug a ditch and the lily pond to catch this flow and filter it before it drained into the pond. That worked well but with the drought this summer the seeps stopped flowing. We have been catching up on rain lately (about a half of an inch per week) and it seems the water table is filling again. A good sight.

Last night Vicki heard a strange sound outdoors and called me out to listen. We heard repeated short, growly screams on the ridge across from us. I'm sure it was the bobcat but we don't know what triggered the repeated distress calls. It may be wounded, might have been cornered by some coyotes or possibly was running its kit off from her territory. Bobcats are solitary and a mother will run off her grown kits to find other territories of their own. We know the kit was born last Spring so the time is about right for it to be off on its own. Whatever the cause, it was exciting to be standing out in the dark hearing a bobcat growling repeatedly. Then again, could it have been Bigfoot? Sasquatch? Yeti? :)

Indian Summer

Mon, 12 Nov 2007 21:18:24 GMT

Indian Summer began, today, and it is off to a great start. The temp here reached 69F with a nice breeze from the southwest. We took a nice walk through the woods with the dogs and enjoyed the day.

Beaver Moon Week 1 Nov 9-11, 2007

Sun, 11 Nov 2007 13:12:48 GMT

Samhain

For those of Celtic persuasion the New Year began on the evening of Oct 31. The Celts followed the example of life beginning in the dark womb and so marked the beginning of a new year with the period in which we enter the "dark" part of the year, the part of the year where there is more darkness in a day than light. Likewise, they also saw a new day as beginning at sunset. So, for Celts, the new year begins with thoughts of the womb, gestation, reflection, development, progression towards the time when we will come forth again into the light of day. The Celts call this season from Oct 31 to Feb 1, "Samhain" (pronounced "Sowan") which is most often translated as "Summer's End". It's a time when the sap of trees returns to the darkness underground, when many animals enter the shelter of the ground for a period of dormancy, a time when the land rests. Here at Crann Mor we are going to attempt to incorporate this cycle into our lifestyle. We want to respect what is happening in nature and let it have its time of dormancy and rest. We also want to be a part of this cycle and give our own bodies, minds and spirits a season of rest, reflection and renewal. Our culture has created challenges to this cycle, especially with the hustle, bustle and most notably anxiety of the Christmas season. Many studies report that people in the USA report more anxiety at this time of year than any other. That would seem to be the opposite of what nature intends for us. So, we will attempt to stay in tune with nature and let this truly be a season of peace.

Natural Observations

We are experiencing a freeze nearly every morning, now. There is often a thin layer of ice on the water in the lily pond. Did I say "water in the lily pond"?! Yes, we had over three inches of rain not too long ago and another seven tenths of an inch of rain earlier this week so we have water in the lily pond and the big pond is also full - a welcome sight. Many trees are now bare of leaves and the characteristic smoky gray color has returned to the hillsides. The oak trees are still hanging onto their leaves, of course. They won't let go until the first tornado of Spring. :) Bees only come out during the warmest periods of day, now, and fewer of them are bothering at all. The Red-Wing Blackbirds are hunkering down in the thick cattails in the pond, winter sparrows have arrived and we have seen a few of the juncos which spend each winter with us. Deer are on the move and jumpy now that deer hunting season has started. Reports from hunters and our own observations are that the deer are much thinner this year. The drought appears to have diminished their food supply this summer and it may be a very rough winter for them and other wildlife. Our dogs have their winter coats on and Vicki has created a warm, enclosed spot in a stall of the barn with lots of straw where they bed down each night. She has done the same for her chickens. The chickens appear to be full-grown size, now, and we are expecting them to begin laying eggs any day.

Winter Gardening

We are thinking about and planning our garden for next Spring. What kind of plants and where we will plant them and when to harvest for storage and all those things that make winter gardening such a joy. We dug up and stored our dahlia roots last week. We'll see next Spring how they fared through the Winter. We have mulched the Strawberry plants with plenty of straw to keep their roots relatively warm this winter.

Cozy nights and mornings

One of the pleasantries of winter is sitting in a room with a nice fire going. We don't yet have a fireplace or wood stove but we do have an electric fireplace that is a credible substitute with realistic flames and burning logs and a fan that blows out heat. So, we will spend many an evening and morning in front of the fireplace, cozy and warm on top of our hill.

Winter Outlook?

Sun, 28 Oct 2007 14:03:25 GMT

One of the fun activities each autumn is attempting to read the signs of what the winter season is going to be like. One common sign in these parts is reading the color of the fuzzy hair on the wooly worm. Here in eastern Kentucky, the wooly worms have all been mostly brown with a tinge of black at the front and rear ends. I believe that portends a mild winter. What kind of signs do you read for your winter forecast and what are they saying for you this winter?

We may get our first frost this evening. We are up on a ridge so we may not get the hard freeze they expect in the valleys below. But it looks like it will be our chilliest night and morning so far this autumn. The bumblebees are "freezing" on the dahlia blooms. They stay on the bloom going after the nectar but move slower and slower as the temperature cools. This morning there were four and five bees on some blooms, all frozen in time, going to the last to get the nectar.

Over the course of the next year we are going to study Whitetail Deer, Bluebirds, Honeybees, Red Oak Trees and Quaker Lady wildflowers. We will make and update a separate entry for each study as we go along. We will file the entries under the category, "Nature Studies" should you be interested in reading what we are learning about each subject. Please feel free to add your knowledge through "Comments". Thanks! Rg

Cave Run Lake Photos

Fri, 19 Oct 2007 21:05:47 GMT

On our way to and from the grocery store, today, Vicki and I took some photos of Cave Run Lake which is nearby. See the album "Cave Run Lake" for what we think are some pretty Fall photographs from Eastern Kentucky. Thanks! Rodney

August Day

Sun, 12 Aug 2007 01:28:44 GMT

We enjoyed a beautiful, sunny August day, today. Vicki and I strolled around the farm this afternoon and Vicki took the photos which you can view in the Photo Album entitled "August Day". We got some relief from the heat we have been experiencing lately and the plants and animals were all in a better mood. Enjoy!

Kentucky Rain Pictures

Sun, 05 Aug 2007 23:52:22 GMT

This afternoon a light rain began to fall and I decided to go out and take a few pictures of the "Cold Kentucky Rain". :) By the time I reached the chicken coop and stable the light rain had suddenly become a torrential downpour - what we call a "Toadstrangler or Gulley Washer". I checked the rain guage immediately after the rain stopped. It had rained 1.7 inches in 20 minutes! The photos in the album "Kentucky Rain" were taken during the light rain, the downpour and then afterwards. The hard rain washed out some turtles. As I walked down Deerpath to see Crann Mor Falls and Rhododendron Falls I came across two Box turtles in the middle of the path. One had been washed over by the gulleywasher onto it's back. It appeared the other turtle was trying to nose itself under the shell of its partner and turn it back over. I completed the job for him. :) The Snapping turtle was a bit of a surprise. I found it in tall grass well away from the pond. It stays damp down in that grass so it must be a comfortable home for the Snapper. Hope you enjoy.

Summer Update 2007

Sun, 05 Aug 2007 14:00:36 GMT

We have been experiencing a severe drought in Eastern Kentucky this summer. Rainfall is far below normal. We have been fortunate to receive a shower every 3 to 4 weeks which has been enough to keep the lawn and meadows green but it has made it difficult for some gardens and crops. The hickory nut trees are already dropping their nuts which is a sign of the stress they are undergoing. It could be a rough winter foodwise for wildlife - turkey, deer, grouse, etc.

The only plants we put out for a garden were onions and a few tomato plants. We took the onions up early since they were going to seed too soon. We have green tomatoes but are still waiting for our first ripe ones. We kept the strawberry patch watered and we enjoyed some juicy, tasty strawberries back in June.

Our hen, Mrs Puff, was apparently captured by a predator early this summer. Perhaps it was a hawk, a fox, the bobcat or maybe even a skunk. There were no remains of the capture so it is difficult to tell what happened to her. We allowed Mrs Puff and Mr Jenkins, our rooster, to roam the farm freely. Since Mrs Puff's demise we decided to keep our chickens in a coop with a fenced in area for protection. Last week we bought five hens from a young man who raises chickens as part of a 4-H project. They are Domer-White Rock hens and should lay some nice eggs for us beginning this fall. They are two and half month's old now and seem to have adpated to their new home quite nicely. Mr Jenkins is strutting around like the cock of the walk, proud of his brood of hens.

Rachel and Jake, our Golden Retrievers, now roam the farm freely and enjoy chasing deer, rabbits and anything else that moves about. They spend most of their time near the house and take dips in the pond frequently to cool themselves on these hot summer days. Rachel has a nose for the box turtles that are abundant here and often brings us a turtle in her mouth as her token of affection. Poor turtles! :) They join us on walks in the woods and in their spare time wrestle playfully with one another.

The Dahlia garden is producting some very nice dinner plate size blooms. They are very beautiful and make nice cut flowers to put in a vase in our home. We will dig up the bulbs this fall, store them under the house this winter and divide them in the Spring. We should have twice as many bulbs next Spring and we plan to plant them in more places around the farm. We are also thinking of starting Begonia tubers next Spring.

The orchard seems to be coming along nicely, in spite of the drought. If we go too long between rains we carry buckets of water up from the pond to water them. They have suffered a little bit of stress but don't seem to be bothered by bugs or disease at this point. If they have rooted well and survive the Winter they should really take off in a spurt of growth next Spring. We will prune them at that time. They should begin producing fruit in two years.

At this point in the Summer our main efforts are maintaining the farm - mowing, weeding, cleaning the chicken coop, etc. We are also making our plans for our Fall work. We are going to do a lot of soil preparation for a new site for our garden and for Dahlias, Begonias and flower beds. We will expand the Strawberry patch to make room for the runners we will transplant. We need to winterize the chicken coop and prepare a stall in the barn for Rachel's puppies if we choose to allow her to breed this fall when she comes in heat again. So, while we approach life here at Crann Mor Feirm one day at a time and enjoy each day's blessings we also make preparations for the turning of the Seasons. What we do today will affect the beauty and function of Crann Mor next summer.

It is a wonderful way to live and we enjoy every minute of it.