Goats keep coming - Just kidding

Kidding season in the goat barn is over for the year. We had 4 does give birth to 8 total kids this year, 3 bucks and 5 does. I'm milking two does now and the family is enjoying the fresh goats milk again and we are looking forward to some goat cheese flavored with sea salt and chives cut from the kitchen garden. The beef steer is happily enjoying the green grass in the pasture and the hens are still free ranging for a few more days. When all the gardens are in, the hens will be locked up as well.

As we say goodbye to the busy month of May we look forward to the lazy days of summer filled with lots of hard work ending with trips to the brook or lake for refreshment. This picture, included in one of my June 2010 blog posts show the older 3 kids cooling off in our brook. We are so fortunate to have this special place to raise our kids.

Ange & I often marvel about what a 20 Acre woodlot can become with a mere 20 years of clearing, building and dreaming. No matter when you start, dream big. Hope to see you again soon.

Sweet Saturday

Hello Friends:

Maple season is slow in coming, so we have decided to host our 5th annual open house at the sugarhouse on Saturday March 28, 2015, 10-4. We are calling it "Sweet Saturday" and we also hope the weather is warm and the sap is running. So far we have only had a small run and now the sap is frozen solid. Angela & I and the kids hope to see you there. Reuben

Happy New Year

Wishing you all a Happy New Year with hope that 2015 will be a safe and productive year for us all. Reuben

Almost 5 years of blogging - and not one SELFIE yet!

In just a few months it will be 5 years since I started this little blog about some of the things we are working on here at Juniper Hill Farm.

When I started, the kids were 3, 5, 7 and 9 and I was less than middle aged. In the beginning we had two dogs and one cat, now we have the one dog and 5 cats. In the past 5 years we have planted many gardens, baled lots of hay, boiled lots of sap and cut all kinds of firewood. We've bought an extra house, raised a few calves, butchered lots of old hens and milked the goats, twice a day, every day. We added the Hud-son sawmill to our farm, cleared some more field and finished the barn. In eight days we built a little camp in Aroostook County and it took us just one more day to roof the camp as well. I guess we've been busy. During this time we've somehow managed to pay the bills, feed the kids and keep the cars running. I've surveyed more than ever, despite a housing market in the dumps for all that time. The Gatherer has got a job, outside the home, that she loves. The whole family is still busy with band and sports, poetry and church. Gid & I have joined the Fire Department to help in our community. During these last 5 years we've had hundreds of baseball, softball, basketball games and cross country meets. We've made lots of great friends and had to say goodbye to some special ones as well. It's been a busy time in our lives. Posting these little thoughts, almost 100 in the past 5 years, has taken some time, but it has been fun. Maybe someday, when I'm being fed through a tube, my kids can read them to my grandkids and have a laugh. I hope you've enjoy my rambling.

Gideon's Getaway - More progress

I'm finally trying to update you all on the progress on Gideon's camp, known as "Gideon's Getaway". After the framing was done, the sheathing was next. We used rough 1" pine boards straight from the mill. Using rough lumber can be a challenge, but the builder has to be mindful where a little gap can be accepted and where it cannot. The camp will be stout and warm once the siding is on and the place is insulated.

With the steel roofing we decided to lay it over a layer of tar paper. Not so much for water but maybe just to make us feel better. The steel went on quite quick and will make a solid roof for decades to come.

Caution was used to make sure that we didn't "overscrew" the steel. Sometimes less is more when it comes to screwing down steel roofing.

If OSHA is looking, we were using the "sky hook" and the lightweight invisible harness when working on the ladder. Actually I think if kids learn how to work at a young age they will be better off in the long haul. Lots of people were so sheltered as kids they aren't worth a darn as an adult. I'll post some more pics soon. As it turns out I'm a better builder than a blogger. See you soon.

Juniper Hill Farm - "Sensible Shelters"

Juniper Hill Farm is expanding again with the first of our "Sensible Shelters". The first of many to come, we call "Gideon's Getaway", is an 8' x 12' camp with an 8' x 8' sleeping loft. Across the country there is a Tiny House movement that is a great alternative for some single folks or couples. "Gideon's Getaway" is intended to be a first dwelling for a single college student while keeping living expenses down and giving a young man the freedom that he will want. After choosing a good spot we framed the deck. This camp is designed to be able to be loaded on a trailer and to go over the road to its future home, wherever that may be. Right now "Gideon's Getaway" has a view of the farm pond and access to the barn loop road.

It was a family learning experience with everyone pitching in to help where they could. Taking on a bigger building project later in life won't seem so hard when the kids get some on-the-job training at an early age.

With the frame nearly completed, the sheathing is next. The lumber was cut from our pine and hemlock right here on the farm and sawed on our Hud-Son band saw mill.

With so many folks struggling with housing insecurity, it is a shame that a sensible shelter like this couldn't be a popular alternative to homelessness. With traditional wiring and insulation, three windows and a door, this cabin could make quite a home for a single person. With steel roofing and Adirondack siding this camp should look good and last a long time. Gid already has a wood stove for heat and plans for lots of small items to outfit the little place. You will have to go to the outhouse for your dirty business, but that makes sense for anyone. Running water will come later. I'll post some more pics soon. Thanks for visiting.

Summer times

Things are still busy here on the farm. I´m milking two does now and the garden is really starting to produce. The wild blackberries are getting ready to harvest. I have been sawing some lumber on the Oscar 28, and trying my hand at making Adirondack siding for Gideon´s Getaway. I will post some pics soon. The recent rain storm washed lots of things away, but all ok here. We have made some progress at the Litchfield house, mostly grading improvements to get water away from the house. So far the new sump pump is working good. The firewood is underway, but I'm a bit behind schedule. My land surveying business is going well, my clients are very patient as I do my best to keeps things moving along. Gideon and I are helping at the Bowdoin Fire Department, learning what we can. Staying self-sufficient is as hard as ever when my time is at a premium. Try it.