Pumped

Well when I woke up this morn, the day was crisp and cold.  Lots of blue sky, and ice on standing water.  It was too early to start milking, and the small child was still fast asleep.  So I ran the 4 wheeler down to the pond and brought the big pump up to the cabin.

It didn't take long to get it apart.  A socket wrench, a couple of 14 millimeter wrenches, a screwdriver, a 17 millimeter socket, and a little ingenuity... and there we have it.  It appears the only problem was a very large o-ring that is supposed to seat behind the primary impeller cover.  The o-ring was sagging out of it's groove.

Put everything back together, and time to milk.  Get that hour long chore out of the way, run the wakened child down to Gramma's and re-install the big daddy pump.  Put a new ball valve behind the leaking one and fire it up.  

Zoom the 4-wheeler back to the cabin and see water spraying before I get there.  It's working!  Water pumps more than 10 gallons a minute right up to the bench.  Yeah!  I only pumped 150 gallons and shut it down.  That'll have to be the limit until we re-dig the pond that seems to have altered over the winter.   Maybe an earthquake jarred the spring sidewise or something.  We'll see.

Then I finished the day's cheddar and got it in the press before trimming all the sheep's feet, and hacking back a couple pairs of horns growing inward.  And now I get to rest for a bit before the evening milking.  Woohoo!

Good news, bad news

As you might have guessed, there's lots going on in this neck of the woods.  Wednesday was my big delivery day, and it's starting to run pretty smooth.  Getting the kinks worked out, consolidating drop points, creating a more relaxed schedule.  Gotta like that.

While I was gone delivering goods to Alaska, my Mom took the initiative to scoop up all of our dirty clothes and soiled bedding/towels that had accumulated during our long water deficit which was compounded by the death of our indoor water pump.  Holy buckets, it was a big pile, and it's so nice to have everything fresh again.

Yesterday I found the time to R&R the pump which delivers water through our on demand propane hot water heater.  The old one obviously has bad bearings, and gets returned today in hopes that they will replace it.  And I hung a new old one on the wall to get us by in the meantime.  When you live in the bush, never throw anything out... it might come in handy in a pinch.

So that brings us up to the biggest good news, bad news.  I installed the bad ass gas-powered water pump down at the pond, did the obligatory engine break-in, and pumped 200 gallons of water right up the mountain.  I found out I need a bigger pipe wrench, and a 2 inch foot valve, and a replacement length of hose between the hard line and the manifold.  But it worked.

And then, with no inkling that it could even be possible, the pond which is a 1/4 mile away from our cabin ran dry.  At least I think it did.  When I saw the level in our storage tank quit rising, I ran down there. And there was maybe a foot in the pond.  But I just couldn't believe it.  I think we've been pumping out of that pond for, what, 5 years?  And pulling even 3000 gallons never put a dent in the level?  WTF?

Needless to say, the pump no longer lifts water the 197 vertical feet that it's rated for.  So now I get the task of splitting the case and figuring out the problem.  What I know after studying the parts breakdown, is that there are two impellers... and one would think they need replacement.  We shall see.

Long story short

I heard a squawk down by the chicken house and looked out the window to see a red fox making his getaway.  The air rifle didn't have a lasting effect, so the .22 came out.  The shot went over his head, but he didn't come back.  My hen was still alive but then she jumped out of my arms and died.  So I dry plucked her while she was yet warm, and brought her into the house to butcher.  My toddler's first question was "what's her name?" and it went on from there.  Homeschool in practice.  Here are a few pics... we probably won't eat the hen for a few days so that she can tender up.  T can hardly wait.

Notes

I feel like so much is happening recently... I suppose it's much the same story as every spring, but this year it seems magnified.  I'm overtired today, and a bit overwhelmed.

We have 11 kids on the ground now.  8 boys and 3 girls.  One of my leased does kidded the day before yesterday, a big and beautiful 10 pound buckling.  He's been moved out to the kid pen with all the rest, because he pees bucketloads and is sucking down 1/2 a gallon a day already.

I think all that's left for now is Iris, who is as big as a house.  If Yesna is bred, then she's hiding it pretty well... though every once in a while I think I can see a kid in her, but not most of the time.  Iris has milk now.  She could go anytime.  It'll be twins or triplets for her... wish for some girls for me.

This week we're switching up the feeding regime for the chickens.  A reindeer farmer in Wasilla has been getting spent grain from a brewery in Anchorage for years, and is recently selling it by the tote.  Add that to the freezer full of burnt salmon that came home this week, and the birds are happy.  

Arnold, the pig, got new digs this week.  I wish we could just let her free range, but she chases the does around trying to nurse.  So now she sleeps in the old generator shed and has a 600 square foot pen all to herself.  I might move the big bucklings in with her soon.  There's plenty of space.

Mango is suddenly giving nearly 2 gallons a day, pushing our daily take to over 10 gallons.  That's alot of milk, and more than I have shareholders for.  So it's time to make ice cream, and sour cream, and fool around with some lowfat cheese recipes.

I sampled the Tomme d'Arles sheep cheese last week... everyone loved it.  I'm getting ready to make another.  Now that there's a "catch lane" built, it's no problem catching Honey twice a day- and don't tell anyone (like Ben) that I'm thinking about getting another milk sheep.

Speaking of Ben, he came home from spring bear hunting for something like 36 hours.  And now he's off to the Alaska Peninsula to guide and fly for his brother's outfit.  I'll see him again at the end of May.

Meanwhile, things are moving along.  I've got ads up at WWOOF and ATTRA looking for a summer intern to help me manage the farm and take over for me when we're gone fishing.

It's getting greener... the leaves are just about to pop out on the trees and there's grass coming up here and there.  The garlic is ready to be uncovered, and I'm just waiting for the pump to get things rolling.  It should be here any day now!

I'm a little behind on the garden front... with as much going on as we do in the livestock world, it's totally possible the garden will just have to take a back seat this year.  But maybe I can get organized enough to really make it happen.  All I can do is try.  I'm stretched pretty thin right now.

Well, I think that about catches us up.  I better get chores started and make a plan for dinner.  Cheers!

Deep breaths

It's hard to believe that breakup is nearly past already.  From thigh deep snow to mud/ice to almost dry in a matter of days.  Today it's spitting snow, but there's no way it'll stick.

Ben is gone bear hunting with our client Tim, who is a pheasant farmer from Scotland.  I hope they have good luck and come home with some fresh black bear meat.  Tim patiently let me pick his brain about game birds and feed... he has 60,000 birds at peak season.  Wow.

They flew into the mountains on skis and when they came out the next day, our airstrip was bare.  So Ben landed on grass without wheels.  Now he's switched over to tundra tires and is landing on river bars again.

Chickens and goats are everywhere.  Everywhere.  I found Taslyn half way up the hill behind the cabin yesterday with the goat kids.  She scared herself by slipping above a steep exposed spot, and sat down and screamed for help.  Good girl.

A couple of nights ago I heard her yelling while I was doing the evening milking, and I looked out the window to see one of our roosters sparring with her on the tire steps leading to the chicken house.  Off with his head, and Little Girl wanted to eat him right away.  I've never butchered such a tough animal before... his connective tissue was solid.

Last night Mowgli died quietly in his sleep.  He'd been with me for 14 years, the only animal still living who I brought up the mountain with me in 1996-7.  He was the leader, the father and the grandfather of my dogteam which has all but aged out now.  All that's left are Tua and Henna who are both 12, and Quinn who is 10.

Tomorrow I might pick up a tried herding dog who needs a new home.  The gal is willing to let me test drive Freckles... I'm anxious to see if she will help me catch Honey the milksheep at milking time.  It's turned into quite a circus as I chase her around the dogpen.

Rhubarb leaves are just unfurling, and the chives/green onions are 6 inches tall already.  There is a faint sheen of chickweed seedlings all around the yard... spring is almost here.  I guess it IS here.  It's time to plant out the lettuce and kale and spinach and mache, and direct seed some peas.  The big garden, down below, is almost melted off and ready for cover cropping.  I'm going to mix up buckwheat and red clover for this go 'round.

Perhaps the most exciting news, is that I'm now milking and cheesemaking in the dairy shack instead of in our cabin.  It was really a breath of fresh air to move all the supplies out of our living space and into their dedicated home.

No, maybe that's not the top of the list of current events.  There is a gas water pump being shipped up from California to supply us with summer water.  It can't get much more exciting than that.  Happy Spring!