Western Maine Tour 2015

With summer vacation coming to an end we decided to get off the farm for two days and take in a bit of western Maine beauty. Getting off the beaten path is more and more important to me as the kids get older and the speed of our daily lives seem to be almost unreal. Heading west (or northwest) in this case is something Mainers have been doing for hundreds of years. Some Wheeler's headed west in the early 1800's, but my line stayed on the home place to make it their own.

With a stop at the wire bridge in New Portland the kids and I marveled that the bridge sways so much but has stood since 1866.

A night at Uncle Ralph's camp seemed appropriate on this 2015 memory tour. My first visit was with my folks when I was only a month old. It seemed fitting that I do the driving this time, and Angela, the kids and I were glad that Mom & Dad could make the trip with us. Our "new" 2003 GMC Yukon XL seats 9 so we can fit us all and still have room for a cooler and our bags.

Celebrating 19 years of marriage, and now well into our 40's, Angela & I are showing some wear, but overall are in good condition. If this is what a mid-life crisis looks like, I LIKE IT.

Mom & Dad enjoyed the views on the trip as we visited the Height of Land overlooking MooseLookMeGunTic Lake, south of Rangley Lake. My childhood summer trips were spent mostly enjoying western Maine and northern New England. The hustle and bustle of coastal Maine and Route 1 never had much appeal for Dad and doesn't for me either. Leaving the WIFI behind and enjoying the simple things is such a treat. Next time you see your teenagers humped over their Iphones, texting, sexting, Instagraming or Facebooking you should wonder what memories they are creating.

Uncle Paul

"Well done, good and faithful servant" ... A harder worker I have never known, always willing lend a hand and do what was right. I'll miss Uncle Paul. I'd like to stop by for a visit and talk, but I'll bet heaven has Unc busy laying a new culvert or grading the driveway.

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.