This picture was taken while standing in the north 40. Looking south. Closest are the hay shed, manger, chicken coop and tack room. Behind that on the left is the house. Behind that on the right is the shop. You can't see it, but to the left of the house and further back is the frog pond. Waaaaay to the right is the fish pond. You can sort of see the big creek in this picture (which is actually pretty small but it is bigger than the other creek) at the bottom of the valley (where the green stuff is). The little creek flows from the little frog pond into the big creek, but you can't see it here. Off to the left is the east forest.

Looking at the shop from just north (up hill on the north 40) of the fish pond.

Standing in the same place, taking a picture of the fish pond.

A little closer to the fish pond.

A little bridge over the big creek in the east forest.

Henry's butt as he crosses another little bridge over another little creek in the east forest.

Me and the dogs heading out into the north 40.

Katy checks a chunk of rusty iron next to the chicken coop and tack room.

On June 11th the chicks arrive!

Late August and the chicks are half grown ...

Young chickens spying on us through the kitchen window. Note the porch roof: In December of 2001 the snow crushed the porch roof.

One of the white roosters preparing to attack me.

Hanging out near the coop.

A hen had two chicks under the porch. We sent Dane under the porch to get the unhatched eggs. We opened them all to learn about this sort of thing and found one almost hatched chick! We warmed it up and took it out to the hen, but she tried to kill it. It was always lonely, so somebody was usually keeping it compnay. Here, I'm letting it cruise around on my desk. Eventually, I shoved it under the chicken without letting her look at it and ...

the hen took it in!

We started three weeks late and it took us three weeks longer than it should have, but look! The hay is finally in! The quality is so poor, it will probably all end up as compost. But we learned a lot and will hopefully do better next year.

We got six goats for free. Every few days we move this electic fence and they clear a new patch of brush. See the box I made for the battery and zapper in the background?

Emily with our first baby goat. We named him "Blue".

Our first set of triplets - born on Easter, 2002.

My invention for getting over the electric fence.

In the spring of 2002 we got a duroc boar weaner and called him Cartman. He got out of his pen and in with the goats, but since he was so small, he didn't cause much trouble.

Cartman visits with Thelma and Dafney. Shaggy (background) isn't all that interested.

Two yorkshire pigs whose job it is to turn the compost pile in the background to get the buried treats (fermenting grain). You can see my spiffy pig shelter in the background. See this for more info.

A pig and her compost in winter.

Some wild turkeys toured the farm for about three weeks. Here they are hanging out in the front yard.

This contraption makes farm life ten times easier. Plus it's fun! Since it's electric, it makes no sound.

The "new" truck and trailer, with some turkeys in the background.

Henry and Liza. Liza's just a pup and is supposed to grow into a great pyr to protect the chickens. Instead, she seems to like to eat chickens. It's been suggested that if we wait, her protective instincts will kick in. The vet says that she isn't going to be a very big dog, although great pyr's are usually huge. Liza does have a pinch of anatolian shepherd and saint bernard.

Liza when we first got her in the beginning of July.

Dane and Brendan on the little Ford 8N tractor.

The Big Farmall model M tractor.

My friend David Rizzi stopped by and helped build compost mountain with the new John Deere tractor.

My trusty, rusty plow.

The crop field that the trusty, rusty plow helped make. Note the irrigation system I put in. I planted buckwheat on the left and fall peas on the right.

Heading into the east forest ...

This is the big creek running through the east forest. It's late August in the middle of a drought so the big creek is pretty small.

Dane, Emily and the dogs at the big creek in Spring.

My brother Tim installed this irrigation pump, 300 feet of poly pipe and spigots in three hours. And that included a trip to town for parts!

One of the neighbors gave us an old fiberglass boat with many holes in the bottom. Dane discovered the power of duct tape and took the boat out on the frog pond.

These mysterious firewood piles are everywhere. Soon we'll use the cart and trailer to pack them all into the wood shed at the house.

One of the residents at the frog pond.

Emily getting a horse riding lesson from Virginia, one of our neighbors.

Dane got a few lessons too.

The kids running naked through the north 40 in June.