Pressing Issue

There's a bumper crop of apples (8 varieties: Gala, Braeburn, Yellow Delicious, Red Delicious, Granny Smith, Macoun, Cortland & Fuji) out in the orchard this year. It's more than we can eat or even store, so Grandpa bought a crusher and a press this week. We took time out from pumpkin season preparations today and made cider with some friends. Considering the time it took five adults and three kids to collect a bushel of windfall apples and then cut, crush, press and strain them, the two gallon yield doesn't sound like a lot -- but boy is it good!



Cutting





Crushing




Pressing -- the end result!

Layla and Melanie

Today we welcomed Layla and Melanie, two Lamancha goats (which are easy to spot, because they look like they have no ears), to Rainbow Hill. G chose their names because they mean "night" and "darkness" respectively. They are still babies really and are skittish about their new home. Melanie in particular is letting her displeasure be known -- loudly! Once pumpkin customers start showing up and feeding them, they will probably warm up to being here.

Melanie

Layla and Melanie

sEggsess!

Our first pullet egg

Frosh Pics

Her favorite (taken on a wooden choo choo behind a local coffee shop)

Mine (taken at our local indy bookstore)

Fall Preview

Eggsceptional

We put in 50 laying hens this week. Originally we were going to just have 25, but in view of the salmonella scare, Grandpa thought that people might be looking for alternative egg sources. In two to three weeks, we should be getting eggs; by mid-autumn, we could have 14 dozen eggs a week! Dan and some friends fenced in some yard today so we can let the hens out during the day. By late afternoon I heard a hawk nearby, but since there was no ruckus, I don't think it went after them. Let's hope the hawk, the owls, the fox, the raccoons and other assorted predators stay away!

Time Marches On

Jackson Lake 2006

Jackson Lake 2010