Tales of the Deer Stand

The waters were still in the Adirondacks yesterday...so many lakes, so many mirrors

To answer requests for the details of the deer hunt..... Hunter-in-Chief went out to his stand in the old pasture before milking. Saw three, shot one, thought he missed it. Chased all over the hill looking for it, following some incredibly lively deer, finally gave up and went back to look where he first shot. There was a nice doe. The ones he had been chasing were completely different deer, which explained their amazing stamina and agility. (Anyone who professes that a .243 isn't enough gun for deer is mistaken I fear.)



This deer was amazingly fat, with 2.5 inches of fat on her hinder parts. She was a big un too, very heavily muscled. Having a fisheries and wildlife student, who has studied meat cutting is a pleasantly advantageous thing I must say. Instead of a few haggled up steaks and a lot of stew meat (we process our own), we have tenderloin steaks, London Broil cuts and numerous other tasty dinner options. For farmers who have been out of meat for weeks and can't get our beefer processed just now that pile of frozen venison on shelf number one in the freezer is like Thanksgiving and Christmas rolled into one.

BTW, I took some pictures of the carcass before we processed it...just to show how big it was. If you want to see them I will put them up....maybe over on the View so I don't offend any sensibilities. Let me know if you do want to see them.



Update: A six point buck has just joined the doe. The kid was only out of the house about twenty minutes.... we had an outlaw from town stop and offer today to take the kid out and teach him to hunt. I kinda didn't know what to say to him....except maybe no thanks

Check out the odd asymmetry of the antlers on this guy

Update number 2...you have to check out Jan's blog for the darnedest story about deer and hunting that I have ever seen.....bar none! Do take time to watch the video. The ending is simply beyond belief!!

Hoss's in Long Lake

Do click and zoom. This is an incredible store and we were so glad we stopped. Two floors of all things Adirondack. They even have those little balsam fir incense thingies my grandma used to buy when we were kids. It was like stepping back in time!
And check out that center pic...guess who's home for the holiday!

On the Menu Last Night

Potatoes from Pines...we bought a hundred pounds for twenty bucks and they are really nice!

Beets, frozen during the summer.......

And.......... dum, da, dum, dum......venison.

Macro Monday

These cool and sometimes downright cold fall days have their upsides right along with the down. Many days we are greeted with sunrises of peach and apricot with every blade of grass frosted like a birthday cake for winter. Nights are surrounded by the sweet lullaby of sleepy geese rocking in the cradle of the river. They are flowing south now like pepper from a shaker, some days thousands at a time. Yesterday early one big flock flew north toward the river while a second surged west toward a cornfield gleaning party. They crossed each other in flight like origami on the wing. I waited and watched to see if they collided or broke apart, but one flock was a few feet above the other and they slipped by easily, barking like a big batch of beagles.

Even the weeds have their lovely moments, whether it is the frost coated goldenrod or this sprig of ordinary catnip painted purple by the freezing night time temperatures. This morning it is downright shiverish, which just makes that first cup of coffee all the more welcome.

For more Macro Monday

Sunday Stills...Horses

This is my favorite horse pic. This horse and another live on our way over to the college. They always look so color-coordinated out in their field.


Had to use the archives for this challenge. Our only horse these days is a mini named Jack and he would NOT cooperate. I did get a nice pic of one of his feet.....For more Sunday Stills...

****Happy Birthday, Scott!

Second Week of Deer Camp

For all you Yoopers out there. Go listen. Seriously
(or maybe not so seriously)


ITS THE SECOND WEEK OF DEER CAMP
I GOT A SWOLLEN HEAD
I'M LYING WITH THE DUST BALLS
UNDERNEATH MY BED

AN ICY BREEZE IS BLOWING IN
THROUGH THE TONGUE AND GROOVE
MY PANTS ARE FROZEN TO THE FLOOR
AND I'M TOO SICK TO MOVE

I DIDN'T DRINK TOO MANY
ONLY THIRTY CANS OF BEER
IT MUST HAVE BEEN THAT LAST SHOT
THAT PUT ME UNDER HERE

CHORUS:
IT'S THE SECOND WEEK OF DEER CAMP
AND ALL THE GUYS ARE HERE
WE DRINK PLAY CARDS AND SHOOT THE BULL
BUT NEVER SHOOT NO DEER
THE ONLY TIME WE LEAVE THE CAMP
IS WHEN WE GO FOR BEER
THE SECOND WEEK OF DEER CAMP
IS THE GREATEST TIME OF YEAR

I REMEMBER PLAYING POKER
THAT WEASEL MUSTA WON
HE'S WEARING MY NEW SWAMPERS
AND SLEEPING WITH MY GUN

HE'S SNORING LIKE A CHAIN SAW
THE CAMP SMELLS LIKE A DUMP
SOMEONE'S DIRTY UNDERWEAR
IS HANGING ON THE PUMP

MUKKU’S IN THE WOOD BOX
EENER’S PASSED OUT ON THE STOVE
HIS FLANNEL SHIRT IS SMOKING
I WONDER IF HE KNOWS

CHORUS

VITO’S CRAWLING THROUGH THE DOOR
I THINK HE GOT FROSTBITE
HE PASSED OUT IN THE OUTHOUSE
AND HE'S BEEN THERE SINCE LAST NIGHT

THEN GOOFUS STUMBLES THROUGH THE DOOR
HE SAYS HE GOT A BUCK
HE WAS COMING FROM THE WAYSIDE
AND HE KILLED IT WITH HIS TRUCK

THEN MUUSTI CRACKS A BEER AND SAYS
ITS TIME TO CELEBRATE
GOOFUS GOT THE FIRST BUCK
SINCE 1968

Complaint Free Wednesday

Normally on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving we here at Northview are frantically cooking ahead, cleaning the house, fitting chores in between etc. However, this year I am planning on spending any free time that I have complaining about the government. This guy made me do it.

He may wish folks would quit griping about the barrage of bad legislation and total insanity coming out of Washington today, but d I don't think he is going to get his wish.

Opening Day

It is opening day of the southern deer hunting zone here in upstate NY. Can't say as it is my favorite time of year. I love venison and our freezer is devoid of meat other then three sets of pig ribs.. As landowners we get a couple of dmp permits and three of us have regular licenses. I am hoping somebody fills one of our tags.

It is a worrisome time too though. Despite our posted signs strangers will be wandering over our property. Along with that willingness to break the law in pursuit of a deer usually comes disregard for safe hunting, sensible gun handling, fair take and the location of other people. And livestock. After all, if you freely walk past a posted sign to hunt someone else's land you are willingly breaking one hunting regulation. How much do you care about the others?

The Jersey heifers were brought in off the hill yesterday. They are the wrong color for the "if it's brown it's down" crowd and the heifer pasture abuts some land belonging to a housing development, which is a source of many of the sneaky clowns we will be unwillingly be hosting.

Hunter in chief is out in his stand already, waiting for the sun to rise. I wish him luck. I wish all you hunters out there a safe day...just please hunt the state lands or places where you have permission. .....I don't mean to be so cranky, but I am tired of calling the police on the ones we find, sometimes right in the pasture with the cattle....

Ball of Sunshine

Up in the heifer woods. This little bit of glade is on the WEST side of the pasture woods and this was taken at sunrise and yet this one little spot just glowed, with reflected light I guess. I wanted to go up there and bask in the beauty, but it was milking time so I settle for a fardistant shot from the porch and attention to daily duty.




And this is the best I could do for a shot of the faster-than-a-speeding-bullet cat food can stealing moves of our resident cat burglar. This is Gael, racing by with a stolen cat food can lifted from Elvis' breakfast. Periodically we needs must clean her can collection out of her crate in the pantry where she stashes them for future use....not sure what she wants to do with them...maybe build a space shuttle?

A Request

Things aren't going well for the family of one of my very favorite bloggers. If you can find it in your schedule and your heart, please go offer Sara some words of strength and kindness. (I know you are the kindest folks there are.)

Project Laundry List

What a great idea! We have never had a drier, although now that the washer has retired from the fray, I sometimes use them at the laundromat. We have instead two clotheslines made from really heavy rope. (None of your skinny little grocery store lines for this farmer. It takes some serious twine to keep overalls and suchlike off the lawn.)

In the winter we have my grandma's old laundry bars, the boss's late mother's set and two modern ones. I must be weird because I think a line of clothes ebbing and flowing in a nice brisk breeze is a lovely sight. Maybe I don't watch enough TV. Anyhow, there seems to be a movement back to doing the drying like grandma did and I am all for it. I have a suggestion for all those anonymous note senders who like to whine about other people's laundry....look the other way.

He Thinks Your Duck Call's Sexy

After months, nay years, of annoying us all half to death with turkey calls, Alan has switched to goose calls...and duck calls...(who knew that I could miss those turkey calls so much?)

Anyhow, this afternoon he went out after turkeys. Not seeing any he leaned on a wagon right behind the cow barn. Off and on he heard a little rustling in the brush nearby, but didn't pay much attention.

Practicing those duck calls on the hundreds flying over you know.....

Then something made him glance to the side. And there less than six feet away, staring intently at him, was a six-point buck. I guess it would be hard to say which one of them was more startled. That pesky call might not appeal to me or to duck, but deer...that's a whole nother story.

Congressman Rogers on the Healthcare Debacle

Sent to me by a good friend who suggested I forward it..... Take a couple minutes to watch it if you can. There is a lot packed into a short four minutes.

Around the Water Cooler

Liz has this shorthorn/Holstein bull calf for sale. Fifty dollars. He will make a nice compact steer for anybody who wants to raise some beef in the back yard. He is well started and a real lively guy.

Or the farmer equivalent, up in the parking lot at LJ Hand Farm Store....the boss was talking to a prominent local farmer yesterday, a fellow we think a lot of. We are kind of out of the loop up here on the hill, but the boss's friend knows everybody and all that is going on in the farm community.

What he heard was some really horrible stories that actually made us feel lucky as we face problems we have never seen before here at Northview. A lot of our neighbors are in trouble and just waiting for beef and heifer prices to take a jump to sell out. If and when that happens this county is going to look a lot different than it does now. We are better off than a lot and that is a pretty darned sad thing to say about the industry that is the backbone of this rural county.

Paterson's New Plates=GREAT BIG FAIL

Channel 9 is saying that this plan may be scrapped. Something about millions of ticked off drivers, a lot of very unhappy DMV workers, facing the prospect of taking care of those millions of ticked off drivers in addition to their regular work....Alas, you know and I know (and Cumptico-Calico) that our good gov and his cronies in Albany will just stick their hands in our other pocket so they can go on spending like fools. Still this plan had egregious written all over it. I hope they do dump it.

Macro Monday

It is almost Thanksgiving, so here is one of my favorite Thanksgiving cacti.

For more Macro Monday....

Sunday Stills, Fur, Fins and Feathers

Fur,
a little bit 'o' my milking shorthorn baby, Northstar
and below, Athena the Schaufelcat

Fins,
a carved pickerel, the only fins around,
Done by a friend of my parents

Feathers
A barred rock hen
and Saturday dinner (rooster below-we had five roos in our tiny flock far too many)

For more Sunday Stills.....

Haying in November

Winterberry Holly Photo by Alan

Is a pretty darned weird thing to be doing. However, that is what the boss has been up to. We had so much rain this summer (I blame China) that he and Alan had a terrible time getting in feed. Now whenever we have a day or two of decent weather he is chopping a load here and a load there, just to try to stuff enough in the bags to make it through til spring.

Yesterday he took off a field on Seven County Hill that was covered with brown and green fluffy, puffy grass. He canvased up an old hay wagon and chopped it into that resulting in the nicest bedding you could imagine. It was so nice to let the girls inside last night and to know that they had wonderful, soft comfy beds to lie in. Bedding has been kind of short and this was so much nicer for them. I limed the walkways and with the new bedding and the nice, white floors the barn was pleasantly bright for work.

They are calling for rain again today so probably no haying. No lack of things to do, although if I had my way he would get to sleep in his chair today. He is pretty darned tired out. I have to get my old guitar out, dust it off and hurry up and learn Steve Earle's Dixieland for tomorrow. Family get together planned and middle brother (the one with the talent) and I are going to play a bit I guess. Trust me, I will not be playing like Steve Earle...instead just a few bare and bony chords will escape from my arthritic fingers and tarnished strings. Liz is making chocolate cuppy cakes and Alan's newly famous pumpkin bars should be forthcoming as our contribution to the event.

Have a good one anyhow. It is Saturday and you know what comes after that.

Yeah, that's right...Sunday

Real People

Real farms
Real cows
All gone

Laura

We have a George too.
HT to Jeff at Alphecca.

A Fisher of Liz

Or was it a pekan? Anyhow she met one on the bridge between the house and barn yesterday when we were walking over to milk. She gasped, it snarled and the encounter was over just that quickly.

Personally I have never seen one, nor had she, but she described it perfectly. There were tracks....BIG tracks.....tracks at least four inches long from front to back. That is a big footprint!

Here is a story about how fishers are becoming quite common in the area.

And here is another story that makes me glad that this one snarled at Liz and then went on its way.

And here is a pretty good description of the critter and the lifestyle of the snarky and furry.

Wonder if this guy is behind the demise of our dear Lucy and the sudden absence of a favorite barn kitty, Calico Girl.....and the clawing of the ag bags. We were blaming coyotes and we certainly have those too. If you want to read the whole story check out Friday's Farm Side.

Apple A Day

Went to our favorite orchard yesterday to pick a bushel of apples to store. (If we get a chance I am going back for more before they close.)

We had the place to ourselves as the season is winding down. It is so beautiful up there. There is no place like home, but Bellinger's Orchard is sure a close second. There was no shortage of apples either. The trees are still weighed right down with varieties ranging from standards like Ida Red to new ones I had never encountered before like Ruby Jon.

We almost filled our half bushel bags with Northern Spies and Ida Red. Then came the fun part...wandering among the trees looking for tasty looking apples to test drive this fall to see if we want a larger quantity next time. Alan nibbled a dropped Empire that he picked up and was sold immediately. He probably picked half a peck of them just for his own entertainment.

We also grabbed a few Pink Ladies, a couple of the aforementioned Ruby Jons, some Ambrosias, Granny Smiths and some Winesaps. (It does look as if our tree in the yard is a Winesap as the apples look just right.)

To me a couple bags of good hard apples in the front hall is like money in the bank. No, better than money in the bank...it is apple snack season. We have been making applesauce whenever we get any apples. There is still time for more spiced apple jelly.......Liz bakes a mean apple pie. Alan has suggested expanding his pumpkin bar franchise to include apple bars....

Yeah, I think I do need to run up and grab another bushel before they close...which might happen this week.

I Got a Raise

The Winterberry Holly is amazing this fall.
This patch was filled with robins having a feast on their way south.

Well, almost....been writing the Farm Side for 11 years...been paid the same the whole time, except for the first couple of weeks. When I got my pay this month it reflected a significant raise. Of course I was tickled about half to death.

At Lykers

Alas, being a reasonably honest soul, I called the controller at the paper...and yeah, it was just a mistake. Oh, well, I enjoyed the imagined glory while it lasted...lol

Eclipsed wood duck, identified by Alan
at fifty mph as we passed,
and photographed by him as well (we went back and parked for that)

And Alan and I raced off to spend the money on groceries over in Cobleskill...now I just have to write four more columns that are already paid for. My cupboards are now crowded with things with which we can make other things.......and this is good.

On a sugar maple stump

Macro Monday

As you can see, I Have been climbing up to dust in high places. Why this pretty shelf is above the head of anyone my size is beyond me, but I do get to look at it every now and then when I clean the dining room.



For more Macro Monday

Sunday Stills....Currency

Or maybe coinage...I love wheat pennies and save all that I find. When ever I come across one I put it in a little Saki cup on the mantel in front of the old picture of the boss's mom all dressed up. After a few accumulate then I put them away and start again.

for more Sunday Stills...

Objects in the Mirror

Lately I have been cooking mostly wild game and the odds and ends of past beeves and porkers, dug out of the back of the freezer and turned into unexpected things, which are (amazingly) pretty darned good. Those gristly shank bones...a little vinegar, some spices and some time in the oven and they become the basis for soup or chili that is hard to beat.
And I never made turkey soup before. Turns out I'm not too bad at it.

Applesauce from the Winesap tree that Grandma Peggy kept. The apples have always been terrible, mealy, harsh, bitter, blah. This year I left them on the tree until this week. Who knew that they are a variety that needs some good hard frosts to flavor up? They are fantastic! And not a worm in the bunch. I am going to get out the shepherd's crook and shake down the few that are still hanging on.....before the chickens get them


One pound of sausage that was hidden behind the ice cubes, sauteed with onion, garlic and lovage, topped with a can of green beans and a big bunch of instant mashed potatoes, whipped up with an egg, some grated Parmesan and garlic powder....bake for an hour and a half and get out of the way, they will be back for seconds.


Just around the corner is deer season. The hunter in chief is also the guy who cuts up the deer with me. He took meat cutting class in college last semester. That should help us turn any that he gets into a better product for better dining. Now I just hope that he is successful.

MPC's Getting Noticed in the Mainstream Media

Roylane Jordan Daughter, Gypsy Rain

Salt Rising Bread

How many of you western NY folks are familiar with it?

Do you like it?

Around here if you have Montgomery blood having someone bring back a loaf (or two) from Hornell is like Christmas, Thanksgiving and the 4th of July rolled into one.
And one of those wonderful brothers I have and his lovely wife, did just that day before yesterday.
After a brief meeting at the bottom of our washed out canyon of a driveway, Alan conveyed the precious loaves to the kitchen where we looked on in wonder.

We have had salt rising bread for breakfast
Supper
Snacks
General occasions of irresistibilty.
There is still some left......maybe I should hide it.

Wordless Wednesday

Full Moon

Last night.

Strange clouds lined up from North to South

All the way across the sky

Like the backbones of sketchy fish

Laid out row on row

Across the sliding moon

Somebody please explain

The difference between this scenario and this one.

Two people whose job, (or potential job,) description includes rules governing dress.
Two people who feel that they have the right to express their religious beliefs with articles of dress.

One is fired.
And everyone is fine with that.

One gets an apology for the outrageous offense against them.
And that's okay too.

I just don't get it. I'm moving to France.

Macro Monday

For more Macro Monday

Sunday Stills....Halloween

No pumpkins here at Northview.... but we do have a black cat.




And that haunted house thing going on.










We even have ghosts!

Boo!

For more Sunday Stills.....

A Chicken on Every Blog

Did you know?

It is much easier to reduce a wild turkey to its least common denominator (soup) than a tame one? It comes off the bones so very neatly...

You can put homemade Italian seasoning on just about anything (except ice cream) and not go wrong? (And yes, that does include wild turkey) (Recipe 2T dried oregano, 2T dried marjoram, 1Tdried thyme, 1T dried basil..double as needed)

That you should not try to build a large wood fire when you are stupid with sickness. You might get too close to the stove door and melt your forelock.....dang it...my hair smells like the permanents my aunts used to give each other (and me if they could catch me) in my grandma's kitchen...with a little soupcon of dehorning calves thrown in.

Did you know that it has been raining here? I have my barn wheelbarrow out in the yard and it has been half full....twice...in the past week. That is a lotta rain...the river in the story runs right past us....who knew that you could close a river?

When you have a terrestrial ecology project due that requires pressed, dried upland plants (supposed to be pressed for 6 days minimum) and yet you and your team mates view procrastination as a viable alternative to getting 'er done on time, you can dry your plant specimens under the forced air hand driers in the men's room. People will look at you funny, but you CAN do it. (Not to mention the ones done that way turn out better than those pressed in the proper manner.)

World's Worst Cold

Or very mild flu. I dunno. Went to bed without supper. Spent most of milking leaning on the wall watching Alan milk my cows. Can't type for......See you later....

Wordless Wednesday

Thomas Sowell on Dismantling America

This is a great column and I thank Jeff at Alphecca for pointing it out.

"

Vet Check

Had our favorite veterinarian in yesterday to preg check most of the cows. Did better than expected, mostly because I guess my expectations have gotten pretty low this year.

Anyhow, Bayberry and Lemonade, both show cows, are pregnant. So are a couple I need to dry off now so they can rest before calving. It will be great not to have to milk number 203, Cider, a Straight-Pine Elevation Pete daughter on my side of the barn. She loves to lean on me...and she is a LOT bigger than me. Liz was pretty proud because she put some of the calves in there so to speak.

Other than that the guys got the trailer fixed so we can ship some stock today. Alas for Magma, aka Red, and Dixon, and the heifer Crispie, they will be leaving to pay some of the school tax. I hope the powers that be enjoy spending good cows on some of the nonsense and extravagance they find up there.

Macro Monday

Other folks have already done this but I couldn't resist. I have always loved milkweed

For more Macro Monday