What winter chores are on your to-do list this weekend?
Although we're expecting bitter cold temperatures today and a winter storm tomorrow that could drop more than a foot of snow, it's "business as usual" at my farm. My gardeners, grooms, and outdoor grounds crew are all busy caring for my animals, tending the garden beds, cleaning, organizing, and yes - making sure all the necessary snow removal equipment is in good working order before the inclement weather arrives.
Enjoy these photos.
To keep my farm running efficiently, there is always a long list of chores to complete. I create very detailed notes of all that needs to be done from week to week. Among them is the pruning and grooming of all the trees and shrubs in my maze. Pasang is busy trimming and shaping all the plantings, using landscape string to ensure hedges are perfectly straight and hand shears and pruners to cut.
Last week my gardeners covered the raised saffron bed in my vegetable garden with wire fencing to prevent any animals from snacking on the bulbs.
The fence is secured with garden sod staples – enough to keep the fence down and any creatures away.
In my stable, Helen works on cleaning the galvanized steel on the horse stalls. This metal is often selected for stalls because of its durability and resistance to corrosion, but it can still get dirty from every day use. Helen uses Simple Green on a metal finishing pad and a little “elbow grease” to get the bars and trim clean. Simple Green is an environmentally friendly, non-toxic, and biodegradable cleaning solution.
After using, any dirt and all traces of the cleaner are removed leaving the metal areas clean and safe.
Here is an area filled with grime.
And here it is a few minutes later.
Nearby, Rebeck folds the horses warm turnout rugs from Horseware Ireland, so they’re always ready to use.
Fernando and Pete are busy cleaning and organizing the basement storage area in my production studio guest house. It’s never too early to start on spring cleaning.
Here, Adan works diligently to spread compost over the garden beds. This will help insulate the plantings – we’re expecting a lot of snow and frigid cold temperatures this week.
My Chow Chows, with their dense double coats also need attention. Carlos gives Emperor Han a thorough brushing…
… and face cleaning. Carlos wipes around the eyes and carefully cleans around the outside of the ear canal – never inside.
Chow Chows have a lot of coat around the head, giving it a lion-like appearance, so this area needs a lot of grooming. Emperor Han loves the hydraulic grooming table and will jump up on the table himself. Doesn’t he look handsome?
And yes my dear Qin, you’re next.
Enma uses the mangle iron on my linens. This iron is a mechanical device that was designed to apply even pressure to fabrics in order to smooth out wrinkles.
Here’s Ryan harvesting from my vegetable greenhouse. It’s so nice to have fresh greens growing during the dead of winter.
Later, Ryan replenishes all the soil inside the head house, so he is always ready to do some indoor potting. I use these commercial sized bakers rolling flour bins to store my soil mixes – they work great and fit perfectly under the potting bench for easy access.
In my Equipment Shed, Chhiring is checking the snow blowers to make sure they’re in good working condition. Forecasters are predicting more than a foot of snow from this next storm.
The big plow is also prepared and hitched up onto my pick up truck.
We still have some snow on the ground from last weekend’s storm, but more is on the way. I’ll be sure to share photos – stay tuned and stay safe.
Anyone who visits my farm always saves a little time to see my handsome, well-mannered horses.
Last fall, I added two more Friesians to my herd - three year old Ulysses and 10 year old Stewart, a bonded pair from The Dorset Equine Rescue, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization based in Vermont dedicated to rescuing, rehabilitating, and rehoming at-risk horses. Over the last few months, these two have thrived - acclimating to their new surroundings, socializing with their new friends, and learning their new routines. Both are also bigger, stronger, and more confident.
Here are the latest photos and a short video, enjoy.
This is Ulysses, a three year old male Friesian. It’s so wonderful to see this horse enjoy his new surroundings and his new friends.
Ulysses loves to socialize with the other horses. Here he is with Bond.
This is the patriarch of the herd, Rinze. Behind him in the distance is Stewart, my 10 year old rescue. All these horses get along very well and are often turned out together.
This is what I call the “run-in” pasture. It is the largest of my fenced in paddocks and has a sizable shelter where the horses can gather for shade or food, etc.
Stewart is athletic and loves the wide open pasture where he can run and roll as horses like to do. Since arriving, Stewart has gained almost 100 pounds and is now at a good, healthy weight.
Ulysses, on the left, is still quite young. When he arrived he was 14.2 hands tall – now he is 15 hands tall. One hand is equal to four inches. Ulysses has also gained 95 pounds.
A Friesian can weigh anywhere from 1200 to 1500 pounds when full grown. They are also considered medium to large breed horses and can range in height from 15.3 to 17 hands tall. this is Bond.
Although Rinze is in his winter turnout blanket, he is a fine example of a Friesian. The Friesian is most often recognized by its bold black coat color. They also have powerful, sloping shoulders, compact, muscular bodies with strong hindquarters, and low-set tails.
Friesians have long, arched necks and well-chiseled, short-eared, “Spanish-type” heads.
Something has caught their attention – I wonder what it is. In winter, my horses are turned out during the day and then brought back to the stable where it is much warmer at night.
Friesians are loved for their excellent temperaments. They are gentle, affectionate, social, adaptable, and very eager to please. They are also highly intelligent and respond well to positive reinforcement training methods. On this day, five of my horses are turned out here – four Friesians and my Fell pony. Two other Friesians – Hylke and Geert – are in another paddock.
This is my pony Banchunch, full of personality and always wanting to play.
Here they all are in the afternoon waiting to go back to their stalls for lunch.
Ulysses and Bond want to be first at the gate.
Stewart and Ulysses are bonded, so they are always walked together. Bonded means they have developed a strong connection to each other, due mostly to the time they’ve spent with each other.
So far, these two are doing great and love the rest of the herd. I am so pleased with their recovery so far. I know they will continue to thrive here at Cantitoe Corners.
If you’re interested in supporting The Dorset Equine Rescue, Cosa Salvaje Tequila is partnering with DER. For every Friesian Horse bottle sold, a portion of the proceeds will be donated directly to the organization to help more horses in need.
If you're interested in raising chickens or just love learning about all the different and fascinating breeds, find a poultry show near you! Whenever my schedule allows, I always try to attend the annual Northeastern Poultry Congress in Springfield, Massachusetts.
The event is held every year at the Eastern States Exposition Center and features more than three-thousand birds, including large fowl, waterfowl, turkeys, pigeons, Guineas, and of course, a variety of wonderful breed chickens. It’s a great way to see beautiful chickens up close and to build relationships with knowledgeable, passionate breeders. There are also informative seminars offered on different topics, and an area for vendors of good, nutritious feed, and other supplies. This year, I brought home 13 birds including Araucanas, Silkies, Sultans, Crested Polish, Buff Orpingtons, and Rhode Island Reds.
Enjoy these photos.
The Northeastern Poultry Congress holds its show every January. I have been making the trip for several years – it is a very popular and well-attended event. All the show birds are exhibited and judged in the Mallory Complex of the Expo Center.
Poultry shows are family-friendly and allow visitors to see both traditional and new breeds. The first poultry show in the United States was in 1854, before there were even standards for showing.
Visitors are able to see the various breeds up close in their crates. Each cage is tagged with the bird’s breed, color or variety, and gender.
These birds are very accustomed to traveling and being shown. Breeders and exhibitors take excellent care of their birds.
This is a non-bearded White Crested Black Polish pullet. A pullet is a young hen under one year old.
Here’s my friend and fellow poultry fancier, Christopher Spitzmiller. We love attending this annual event whenever we can.
This year, I brought home 13 beautiful chickens. Once they arrive at the farm, the chickens are placed in an enclosure designated for new birds. They will be mixed in with the rest of my flock later.
Here is a black Araucana hen. She is stunning! And her eggs have pale blue shells.
White Polish roosters are quite handsome with their dramatic top crests and long legs.
Here is the white Polish rooster in front of a white Silkie rooster.
This is a white Sultan rooster – a rare and very old ornamental breed once loved by rulers of Turkey. It has pure white feathering with a dramatic bright red comb.
This large rooster is a Buff Orpington. Its color is often described as gold. They were introduced from England in the 1800s and are very popular among poultry fanciers here in the US.
I always have at least several Silkies in my flock. This is a black splash Silkie hen. The Silkie, also known as the Silky or Chinese silk chicken, is soft to the touch – like silk – and so friendly.
The Silkie’s head is small with a crest of feathers on top. These birds come in a variety of colors including black, blue, buff, gray, splash, and white.
Naked neck chickens are unique breeds characterized by the featherless necks. They are gentle, hardy, and have nice temperaments.
The White Crested Black Polish is known for its fun and unique appearance, friendly temperament and excellent egg-laying capabilities. It has lustrous black plumage and a distinctive white “top hat.”
Rhode Island Reds are also striking birds. This is a rooster. This breed is known for its hardiness and friendly disposition. One can see its deep colored plumage. Their combs and wattles are bright red and significantly larger than the hen’s.
Nearby is this Rhode Island Red hen. She is an excellent egg layer and can produce 200-300 brown eggs per year.
I have always loved raising chickens and other fowl – not only for their beauty, but also for their great companionship. I have more than 100 different chickens of various breeds at my farm.
If you want to learn more about raising chickens, geese, pigeons and other birds, I encourage you to attend a poultry show near you – you’ll love it.
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