Ann Torrence [the Ann-alog]

the character of the American west: stories, landscape, lifestyle

Homestead Log Week of June 26-July 2

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The loaner lambs are still here, being of marginal help on the orchard grasses but doing a stupendous job at fertilization.
The loaner lambs are still here, being of marginal help on the orchard grasses but doing a stupendous job at fertilization.

Last week started out snake-bit and ended up just perfect, which goes to show that rolling with the punches works. On Monday, I took my car into Richfield to get an oil change and then to have my collision shop install one tiny piece that came in late. The big brand oil change and tire place seemed to forget I was waiting in the tv room, when I finally went to check they had “just finished” it as they fished my keys out 6″ deep in a foot high stack of paperwork. Yeah right.

Having plotted a course modeled after the UPS approach of making only right turns where possible, I dropped off some donations at the thrift store and then scooted over the the body shot. A job that was going to take “just twenty minutes” turned into an electrical diagnostics problem that went on until closing time and I left with car, with rear wiper but she no function. I’ll have to go back. The orange big box home improvement store had only crap hose nozzles…Walmart was Walmart-weird, and after one more stop…now I’m whining. I got back safely. R made dinner. None of it mattered. We’re all good here at the ranch.

The weekend was much more fun with Torrey Apple Days. I took myself Friday night to the veterans memorial fundraising dinner and hung out with my neighbors. R was stuck in SLC by then, his last official day at work. He sanely chose not to drive down on the Friday before a holiday weekend. Saturday was the big day. First the parade, then music. We could have gone to the food booths, farmers’ market and the dance, if we’d wanted to. R wanted to practice his guitar for his debut on the Entrada stage.

Husbandry and gardening: the Rachio irrigation system is working great. I attempt to weed a couple beds right after watering or first thing in the morning. In years past, I’ve been close to giving up on the weeds by mid-July, but R put weed barrier and mulch in the garden paths and it is much more pleasant to work out there now. Wyatt helps by standing under me and licking my face. I made one last attempt to replant beans, basil and Brussels sprouts. If they don’t make it, we’ll have to do without–we are already only 13 weeks to frost. The turkey poults are going outside during the afternoons and loving it. I’m hoping that we can get them out of the garage before the 15th.

Food, harvest and preserving: I garden for the week the peas come in. We only have about 10′ of row this year, and I made the most of them, froze some for winter risotto and made a pasta with the rest. The zucchini just started to flower, so the eating should be good until the frost. I gave R the very first cherry tomato as a retirement present (I’m using that as long as I can get away with it).

Energy and conservation: putting air in your tires does amazing things for gas mileage. I should remember that more often.

Community: I helped line up the entries in the parade. Actually, I mostly helped block traffic on the street where the line-up was taking place because the road barricades weren’t doing the job. At the last minute, R drove up and we both hopped on the Entrada Institute’s entry, an almost dilapidated fire truck one of the board members owns and keeps running just for the parade. He mentioned something about a paint job on it; R was advocating for cherry red metal flake.

Creativity and recreation: Torrey Apple Days!

Next week: we go to Salt Lake toward the end of the week for festivities to celebrate R’s retirement with a Red Butte Garden concert sandwiched in. Until we go, we will catch up on lots of little projects and tidying up to make room for R’s full-time residency at the bunkhouse.

Seasonal observations: the big fire at Brian Head sent smoke our way a couple different times, once turning the sun scarlet red. The barn swallows seem to be settling on their nests but we haven’t heard any chipping babies yet. Lots of things started blooming: leeks and shallots, the first false salsify and zucchini squash. The cheat grass is starting to head up, which means the county poison truck should be out spraying soon. Bindweed is climbing and the tumbleweeds are a foot high already. So is the corn, not quite “knee high by fourth of July” but close enough. Who knows how much they will grow in two more days, but it’s not like corn patches keep a strict calendar. Neither would we, except for the irrigation schedule keeps us honest. Carson will be happy – his wound has finally healed and he can play in the ditch when we take our turn on Independence Day.

Cow-dog, meet your flock

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Some of the six kinds of heritage turkey poults we are raising this year.
Some of the six kinds of heritage turkey poults we are raising this year.

I think we have been here before. The turkeys are not deterred by the elecronetting, not one bit. So despite concerns about Blackhead Disease, they are free-ranging about the homestead. I hope the 8-foot fence contains them when they get sent to work in the Bluebird orchard, but before they go, they will be getting a wing-clipping insurance policy.

Getting a little too cosy with the man won't save you in November, but that feather pattern might. These are R's favorites.
Getting a little too cosy with the man won't save you in November, but that feather pattern might. These are R's favorites.

Turkey behavior is nothing like a large chicken. They don’t squabble as much (but when they do, it’s over food and it’s not pretty), they stick together, and they are much more friendly. I can get them can’t stop them from following me around the property when I’m doing chores. And they make a piercing trill as they wander about.

Not so favored that they get to eat off his plate.
Not so favored that they get to eat off his plate.

The turkey attention was kind of fun at first, but dining al fresco chez Ranch has its drawbacks lately.

Just checking, buddy - don't see no turkey on that plate.
Just checking, buddy - don't see no turkey on that plate.

R never did finish his dinner, after removing turkeys from his person and then washing his hands at least a half dozen times.

In the glass: grapefruit sparkler and Hendricks gin.
In the glass: grapefruit sparkler and Hendricks gin.

By now it is getting darker. The turkeys were angling to roost on the porch for the night. We finally had to turn out all the house lights and turn on their brooder lamp to get them to go into the Chickestoga. They need that big red light, like a Christmas decoration or a section of Amsterdam, to find their way home. I’m going to try to shift them to a solar patio lamp so they’ll go to roost once we move them.

Carson is in time-out for nipping or barking or some other puppy crime.
Carson is in time-out for nipping or barking or some other puppy crime.

We are having a heat wave. We don’t have air conditioning. We’ve been working hard and by sunset, we are spent. The next night, Carson wouldn’t stay quiet through dinner and the turkeys were relentless in their companionship. So R and his puppy needed a little break.

The turkey poults want to be in the middle of everything we are doing.
The turkey poults want to be in the middle of everything we are doing. Clean glass, blood orange soda and Bulleit bourbon

That private moment didn’t last long.

If he wouldn't try to herd the flock, they'd be sitting on Carson's back by now.
If he wouldn't try to herd the flock, they'd be sitting on Carson's back by now.

Carson handled the confusion really well.

Herded up under Carson's deadly cowdog stare.
Herded up under Carson's deadly cowdog stare.

I think we got ourselves a good’un, so long as we don’t wreck him with our own inexperience as puppy handlers. When he grows up a little more, he’s going to have another job added to his chores: keep the birds off the porch.