September 26, 2016
My flock of peafowl is growing and thriving here at my Bedford, New York farm. I now have two adult peacocks, three adult peahens, and several peachicks.
Peafowl can add an exotic element to any farm, but caring for them is a huge responsibility. It is very important to me that all my animals get the best of care. And for the birds, this includes a safe place to roost - they like to be up high to see what is around them and to escape from predators if needed.
All my outdoor birds have access to natural perches made from old felled trees here at the farm. Recently, I had one moved and "planted" near the new peafowl coop. Here are some photos.
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Earlier this summer, it was necessary to cut down a sycamore tree from its location in the southeast paddock. Fortunately, I was able to repurpose it and make a wonderful perch for my peafowl to use during the day.
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Using a post hole digger, my outdoor grounds crew foreman, Chhiring Sherpa, digs a big hole for the tree next to the new peafowl coop.
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He digs the hole about four to five feet deep, so it can safely secure the tall tree.
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Using the post hole digger is not difficult, but it does take time, especially if there are a lot of rocks in the area. Chhiring raises the post-hole digger as high as possible, then drives the blades down into the soil, pulls outward on the handles to close the blades and lifts the excavated soil from the hole.
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Using a tamping bar, Chhiring compacts the soil in the hole, so it is level.
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The tree is already sitting nearby on the other side of the peafowl coop. Chhiring trims the bottom of the tree, so it sits level when placed into the hole.
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The trusted Hi-Lo is brought in to lift the heavy tree. Chhiring secures a heavy duty strap to its trunk.
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Driving the Hi-Lo, Pete slowly carries the tree across the field and to the new location.
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The tree was maneuvered into position.
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Pete carefully lifts the tree, and gently raises it over the newly dug hole.
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The hole is pretty deep, but maybe it isn’t wide enough?
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Not quite – the hole is a little too narrow and needs to be adjusted.
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Using the post hole digger again, Chhiring digs the hole a little wider.
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And then the tree is lowered into the hole. The most striking feature of the sycamore tree is the bark, which has a camouflage pattern of gray-brown. It peels off in patches to reveal the light gray or white wood beneath. Older trees often have solid, light gray trunks.
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The Hi-Lo is also used to make the tree straight. A live sycamore tree can grow 75 to 100 feet tall, and even taller under ideal conditions. Our peafowl sycamore tree is about 30-feet tall.
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Once it is level and straight, Pete and Chhiring backfill the hole with soil.
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They walk on the soil to tamp it down.
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Chhiring climbs half way up the tree to remove the strap and to make sure the tree is secure enough for the peafowl – it is important that the peafowl feel safe when roosting on its high branches.
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Because the peahens have been raised here at the farm, they’re all accustomed to the various noises – they are very curious animals. It did not take long before they approached the area to see what was happening.
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In the baby peafowl enclosure, they also ran to see what all the noise was.
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This baby peacock even lifted its small covert tail feathers.
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Pete cuts any branches that are too low, short or seemingly unsafe.
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Peafowl are beautiful birds, but do not underestimate their power – they are extremely strong with very sharp spurs. They will perch on anything above ground to get a better view.
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Full grown, peafowl can weigh up to 13-pounds, and peacocks with their majestic trains can reach body lengths of more than five feet. I’m so pleased my peafowl are healthy and happy at the farm.
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Here is my three-year old Black Shoulder Pied peacock. He is the alpha male of our flock.
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This is one of the two India Blue peahens. Both male and female peafowl have the fancy crest atop their heads called a corona.
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The white four-year old Black Shoulder Silver Pied male also comes over to investigate.
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Peafowl enjoy roosting at higher levels. In the wild, this keeps them safe from predators. My peafowl will love this tree.
September 24, 2016
My grandchildren, Jude and Truman, are learning how to play the piano.
Studying music is a wonderful way for children to develop hand-eye coordination, and discipline. Learning how to play an instrument is also lots of fun, and now that the children are four and five years old, my daughter, Alexis, thought it was the perfect time to start lessons. I decided it would be great for them to learn on my Steinway piano. It's not used nearly as much as I would like - mostly during the holidays when I host gatherings at my Bedford, New York home - having Jude and Truman play it would be so special.
Earlier this month, the piano was moved to my daughter's apartment in New York City. Pianos are one of the harder items in a household to move, considering their size, awkward shape, and bulkiness. When moving a piano, it's a good idea to enlist the help of a professional moving company. I used A. N. Piano Moving LLC. in Wayne, New Jersey. The company has been moving pianos and organs for many years. Here are some photos.
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This is my Summer House. I use it mostly for entertaining, especially during the holidays. It is also where I keep my Steinway Grand piano.
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Before moving the piano, we lined the entire hallway with towels to protect the hardwood floors.
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This piano is nearly seven-feet long, and about five-feet wide. It also weighs more than 750-pounds, so it was crucial to have it moved professionally.
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This is called a piano skid board – a must for moving pianos safely and efficiently. It’s a solid piece of hardwood finished with a padded covering to help protect delicate piano surfaces.
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Brian has been moving pianos for about 30-years. On this day, mine was the first of several Brian and Sean would move.
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Once the piano lid is lowered and locked, Brian holds the piano while Sean removes the left front leg.
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They then placed a moving blanket under the pedals to cushion it and to help balance the piano.
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The piano is tilted and gently lowered onto the piano skid board.
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Once the piano is resting on the board, the right front leg is removed. Pianos should never be rolled on their metal casters. The casters are decorative and not very functional, and when used, they could easily gouge hardwood floors. Grand pianos are spaced on the three corners, so all of the weight is centered between them.
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All the legs are placed into a moving blanket.
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Brian is especially careful when removing the pedals, pushrods and lyre. The pedal box, which may also be called the lyre box, is the wooden housing for the three pedals on the piano. The portion of the pedals that stick out of the pedal box are called the pedal feet.
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After Brian removes the pedal system, they are carefully wrapped in a moving blanket.
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With the piano on its long side and all the legs and pedals removed, Brian and Sean begin to wrap and strap the piano securely.
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Several moving blankets are placed over and around the piano to give it as much cushioning as possible.
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Heavy duty straps are used to secure the blankets so they don’t slip during the move.
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Brian secures the piano to the piano board by bringing the ends of the straps together and fastening them. Every edge of the piano is covered for protection.
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Brian carries the legs and the pedals out to the truck.
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The piano is ready to be placed onto a dolly and wheeled out of the house.
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A moving dolly is carefully placed under the skid board and piano. At first glance it doesn’t look like this piano is exactly centered but its weight is centered, which is most important. The left part of the piano with the keyboard has very little weight compared to the cast iron harp within the rest of the piano’s kidney shape. Most of the piano’s weight is from just a little left of the leg brackets to the back of the piano.
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Slowly, the piano is wheeled through the room and down the hall.
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Brian watches that the piano rolls evenly and slowly. He also makes sure none of the walls or the ceiling are touched along the way.
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Luckily, Brian and Sean use a lift-gate truck, so the piano can just be loaded onto the lift and raised to the truck bed.
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When moving a piano, at least two people are needed so one can control the light side and another can manage the heavy side.
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The piano is taken off of its dolly and, while still on the skid board, placed with the top of the piano facing the truck’s wall.
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The piano bench is also wrapped securely in a fresh, clean moving blanket.
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Sean and Brian secure multiple belts around the piano and to the truck’s wall to secure it for driving.
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Brian and Sean completed the move in about 40-minutes. It was done so smoothly and professionally.
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Later that afternoon, the piano arrived safely at my daughter’s home, and carefully re-assembled. Always consider the size of the room when thinking of getting a piano. If the walls are too close, the piano won’t be able to project and resonate like it would in a larger space. This piano fits perfectly in this spacious living room.
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Look how beautiful it is located in the corner with all the windows. I can’t wait to start listening to the children play!
September 23, 2016
Kitchen Week at The Home Depot is a great time to upgrade your kitchen - I hope this week inspired you.
Since a family's kitchen is among the most important spaces in the home, it’s important to ensure any remodeling job provides a well-designed space - one where the family can comfortably gather together for meals, and plan the day’s activities. A kitchen remodel is usually a significant expense for most homeowners, but it's one that will last for years to come and can increase the overall value of the home. If you're planning to redo your kitchen, consider your family and your lifestyle and plan your kitchen accordingly. Make sure to choose your gadgets first. It's easier to choose cabinets and countertops to fit appliances like your refrigerator and dishwasher, rather than the other way around. Think of color, flooring, hardware, and how it all fits together.
Some of the most popular questions I hear when it comes to kitchen renovations include: how to get the most organization out of a small space, how to select the best style option or color for the kitchen, and how to make the kitchen more family friendly. Our designers work hard to incorporate pieces and features that work best in any kitchen. Below are some of our solutions and tips.
We're always seeking new kitchen inspiration. Share your kitchen remodeling stories and favorite features in the comments. Plus, from now through September 30th, check with The Home Depot in your area for special offers with our Martha Stewart Living™ Kitchens.
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I like color palettes and designs that look and feel like natural wood, but are very durable and easy to clean – plus, it won’t expand or contract with changing conditions. My Textured PureStyle cabinets are an incredibly durable laminate that resists heat, mositure and stains.
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Beauty, quality, and affordability have made Textured PureStyle our most popular finish!
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I also like mixing materials throughout the kitchen. One idea is to use two or more different kinds of finishes. Tipton, from the Martha Stewart Living™ Kitchens at The Home Depot, features a Shaker-style door design with a clean interior bevel and a chic gray-brown finish of textured PureStyle™.
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Every kitchen can be beautiful and functional no matter what the size. To make the most of your kitchen space, use every inch. Choose cabinets and storage solutions that have a specific use, such as this Toe Kick drawer for holding larger sized platters.
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Selecting cabinets can be daunting. Our Martha Stewart Living™ Kitchens door styles include recommended embellishments that are perfectly paired. There is also a complete collection of Martha Stewart Corian and Quartz countertops as well as hardware, that are designed to work beautifully together.
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Make your kitchen work harder for you. Organizing features for every need and use in the kitchen, such as this pull-out spice rack can help keep clutter off the countertops.
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I am very proud of the features we have included in our Martha Stewart Living™ Kitchens. This decorative accent allows one to show off – use these cabinet doors with windows to display favorite dinnerware pieces.
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Use open shelves with corbels for displaying decorative and large dishes and bowls. The bottom, under the sink, is a toekick valance – a sink base with a toekick valance is both decorative and functional, allowing you to stand closer to the sink.
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A nice way to personalize a kitchen is to use stand alone pieces using our cabinetry. The furniture can be used to fit specific needs in the kitchen, and to hold both decorative and functional items.
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You can personalize space in other rooms of the house with our cabinetry too. This mud room is outfitted with storage room for every member of the family.
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One of the most popular questions I get is “how can you make a kitchen more family friendly?” Our Martha Stewart Living™ Kitchens were designed with families in mind. Purestyle Cabinetry and Quartz Countertops are easy to clean and maintain through every day messes and clean ups.
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Create a message center for your family to stay on track and organized. This Martha Stewart Living Message Center cabinet is almost like a hidden door – it’s the perfect place to hold keys or other odds and ends.
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Create organization stations based on use, such as this section for baking sheets, breakfast trays and muffin tins.
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Use smaller containers in drawers to keep loose items organized and close at hand.
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Always have the right wine ready for unexpected guests with these thoughtfully-designed cubbies. Plus, the small box drawers hold accessories and are extraordinarily useful storage spaces.
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Keep utility closets tidy to avoid letting your brooms, mops, and dustpans from taking over. Wall hangers go a long way to help keep these items in place.
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This pull-out stores often-used cleaning supplies, and is located near the sink for easy reach.
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Angled drawer dividers make it easy to store longer utensils, like rolling pins, and free up valuable countertop space.
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I love the color gray, and use gray in a lot of my own personal decorating. Use cool colors, like whites and grays, to open up a space, and make it feel clean and inviting.
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Identify dry goods quickly and easily without having to rummage through cluttered or cramped cabinets. Putting uniform labels on containers makes them look neat, tidy and legible.
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Additional drawer dividers designed in tiers will increase kitchen storage efficiency. If you are planning to renovate a kitchen, include these layered drawer features early.
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The Lazy Susan is still a wonderful way to store items in a corner cabinet. It’s an effective storage solution that can make reaching items much easier.
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Creating a banquet seating area is a smarter use of space than a formal dining area when space is limited.
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When planning your remodel, remember your kitchen’s busiest areas: the sink, stove, and refrigerator. Many designers refer to this as the kitchen “work triangle”. And, always create the most counter space possible.
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