Sorry I haven't updated this in so long. I am trying to decide where to go with this blog. So for now all adventures (of the cottage-y and not so cottage-y type) will be chronicled on the other blog.
I'll keep this page up for now though, because people seem to be finding a few select older posts by googling those topics.
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Saturday, July 11, 2009
Fishing
First of all, sorry to not update in so long. So much of what I do in life could fit into this blog or the other blog and I instinctively blog there instead.
The biggest development in my life lately is that I've been really pursuing a fishing hobby lately. This is the perfect activity for an Urban Cottager. It makes you get out into the wild and gives you an opportunity to acquire your own food.
Not that I've caught anything yet. I've been fishing twice so far and the first time was a learning experience of sorts and the second time was sort of an afterthought.
I've fished before, of course. A decent amount as a kid and once recently at Glacier. But this new round of interest started because of the Father's Day dream weekend Nikki planned for me. She took me on a fishing weekend to Shenandoah. She had even gotten me a license and a full complement of trout lures to go with the beautiful spinner reel and rod set she picked out.
Our actually fishing experience was a little frustrating. We chose to hike along the Rose River to find a fishing spot. I guess I've been biased by my past fishing experiences at Canyon Lake in Texas, on Michigan lakes, or on the Texas coasts. I expected to find a large, deep, open area to fish at. We hiked the entire length of the Rose that had trails and never found what my pre-conceived notions would define as a 'good spot.'
It was still a nice outing with Georgie and Nikki in the woods, but as a fishing expedition was a bit of a failure. (And kind of an exhausting hike.) Then we got back to the parking lot and I talked to another fisherman. He asked if I caught anything and I told him only tree branches. He said he was there last week and was 'knocking them dead.' I couldn't believe it. I asked him where exactly he was casting and he named the two areas where we had been.
Since that time, I've come to understand the trout a little better. These are shallow, cool mountain streams and I guess trout actually thrive in them. The streams have brook, brown, and rainbow trout, and with a little more patience I think I could catch something for sure. I'm hoping we can head back soon, maybe with waders on.
The other thing I've realized lately is that I just have to learn to fly fish. Trout eat flies and such so it makes sense to present to them that way. Mr. Successful Rose River Fisher was fishing with a fly rod. And, as I can count on regular trips to Montana for the foreseeable future, it just makes sense to learn.
I should mention that my current bible of fishing knowledge is a book called Freshwater Fishing Tips and Techniques. It's an incredible book full of wisdom about natural conditions and settings and tackle and presentation. It's not too gear-focused though. It's a lot more focused on what the fisherman needs to know about his or her natural environment and how he or she is interacting with the fish. Highly recommended.
Oh, and the other fishing experience of late was at Ft. Washington, just south of town on the Potomac. Georgie and I had a little hike and then cast off for only about 15 minutes from the shore. Didn't catch anything and our water was interrupted every few minutes by a passing speedboat's wake.
Which brings me to something I've already realized. I'm a trout guy, not a bass guy. Put differently, I like the idea of fishing in a cold stream a whole lot more that fishing in warm water for big ole trophy fish. I think the natural setting is better, and my early impression is that the fish will put up more of a challenge to find. We'll see if that gets old.
The biggest development in my life lately is that I've been really pursuing a fishing hobby lately. This is the perfect activity for an Urban Cottager. It makes you get out into the wild and gives you an opportunity to acquire your own food.
Not that I've caught anything yet. I've been fishing twice so far and the first time was a learning experience of sorts and the second time was sort of an afterthought.
I've fished before, of course. A decent amount as a kid and once recently at Glacier. But this new round of interest started because of the Father's Day dream weekend Nikki planned for me. She took me on a fishing weekend to Shenandoah. She had even gotten me a license and a full complement of trout lures to go with the beautiful spinner reel and rod set she picked out.
Our actually fishing experience was a little frustrating. We chose to hike along the Rose River to find a fishing spot. I guess I've been biased by my past fishing experiences at Canyon Lake in Texas, on Michigan lakes, or on the Texas coasts. I expected to find a large, deep, open area to fish at. We hiked the entire length of the Rose that had trails and never found what my pre-conceived notions would define as a 'good spot.'
It was still a nice outing with Georgie and Nikki in the woods, but as a fishing expedition was a bit of a failure. (And kind of an exhausting hike.) Then we got back to the parking lot and I talked to another fisherman. He asked if I caught anything and I told him only tree branches. He said he was there last week and was 'knocking them dead.' I couldn't believe it. I asked him where exactly he was casting and he named the two areas where we had been.
Since that time, I've come to understand the trout a little better. These are shallow, cool mountain streams and I guess trout actually thrive in them. The streams have brook, brown, and rainbow trout, and with a little more patience I think I could catch something for sure. I'm hoping we can head back soon, maybe with waders on.
The other thing I've realized lately is that I just have to learn to fly fish. Trout eat flies and such so it makes sense to present to them that way. Mr. Successful Rose River Fisher was fishing with a fly rod. And, as I can count on regular trips to Montana for the foreseeable future, it just makes sense to learn.
I should mention that my current bible of fishing knowledge is a book called Freshwater Fishing Tips and Techniques. It's an incredible book full of wisdom about natural conditions and settings and tackle and presentation. It's not too gear-focused though. It's a lot more focused on what the fisherman needs to know about his or her natural environment and how he or she is interacting with the fish. Highly recommended.
Oh, and the other fishing experience of late was at Ft. Washington, just south of town on the Potomac. Georgie and I had a little hike and then cast off for only about 15 minutes from the shore. Didn't catch anything and our water was interrupted every few minutes by a passing speedboat's wake.
Which brings me to something I've already realized. I'm a trout guy, not a bass guy. Put differently, I like the idea of fishing in a cold stream a whole lot more that fishing in warm water for big ole trophy fish. I think the natural setting is better, and my early impression is that the fish will put up more of a challenge to find. We'll see if that gets old.
Saturday, June 6, 2009
South Mountain Creamery farm visit
We've been getting milk deliveries for a few months now from South Mountain Creamery. So I thought it about time I visited their farm. I took my one-year-old daughter and we had a splendid time.
As a farm, it in a very lovely setting. Lots of nice rolling hills for pasture and lots of big, old trees. I am sure the cows here have grass to eat all but a few months of the year. We did see a baler and a wheel rake though too.
As a business operation, the place was even more impressive. They must serve thousands of households, and they do so without looking at all corporate. They definitely have a lot of hired help, especially for handling the cows. But a lot of the people working there were clearly family and it definitely had a family-business feel.
The milking parlor was especially industrious. I didn't count but it looked like there were about 30 stands and they were occupied the whole time we were there. The cows definitely seemed to have the drill down and registered no complaint as they were hooked up to the machines. There was even an open pen behind the parlor where the next squad of milkers was waiting patiently for their turn. And all of that was done without any kind of bribe grain being offered.
The creamery also has a nice little farmstand, where they sell their delivery products as well as fresh ice cream. We had a scoop of blackberry and it was very good. It tasted richer and had more mouthfeel than your average scoop.
We also went across the street the calf stalls. There were about 15 calves in stalls, including one that looked born in the last day or two. Once a day they allow kids to come give the calves bottles. This was fun for everybody and it's free labor! The guy that actually worked there just drove up in a Gator and dropped the milk off in front of each stall. The kids did the rest.
When we got back, I told Nikki about the place and we both agreed that it would be really fun to have a similar business somewhere like Missoula. In fact, we thought Missoula would be the perfect place. I bet you could put up a stand at the farmer's market and sign 50 people up the first day.
The only problem, and this is something I don't know too much about, is it seems like to do this you have to breed pretty much year round. That might be weather-prohibitive in Montana. On the other hand, maybe you can just calve for, say, 8 months, and have the timing work out. It might work better somewhere like Portland, where you could theoretically calve all year round. But again, I don't know how long you can milk a cow after you take her calf off, so my math might be way off.
The thing that really appeals to me about this kind of dairy operation, is that I've never met a milk-based value-added product that I didn't like and didn't like to make. I've made cheese, butter, yogurt, and ice cream and I'd love to try my hand at cream cheese, sour cream, and cottage cheese. I'd even like to try the Central Asian delicacy kymyz (fermented mare's milk), though milking a horse isn't at the top of my list. Anyway, they don't have kymyz at South Mountain, it just got me thinking. Here are some pictures:
Here's the milking parlor.
And here are the calf stalls.
Here are some of the girls returning to their pasture.
Here's Georgie getting nibbled and licked by a hungry calf.
And here's my bottle-feeding a calf. This is the first time I've ever done this. The calves really can tug hard on the bottle.
As a farm, it in a very lovely setting. Lots of nice rolling hills for pasture and lots of big, old trees. I am sure the cows here have grass to eat all but a few months of the year. We did see a baler and a wheel rake though too.
As a business operation, the place was even more impressive. They must serve thousands of households, and they do so without looking at all corporate. They definitely have a lot of hired help, especially for handling the cows. But a lot of the people working there were clearly family and it definitely had a family-business feel.
The milking parlor was especially industrious. I didn't count but it looked like there were about 30 stands and they were occupied the whole time we were there. The cows definitely seemed to have the drill down and registered no complaint as they were hooked up to the machines. There was even an open pen behind the parlor where the next squad of milkers was waiting patiently for their turn. And all of that was done without any kind of bribe grain being offered.
The creamery also has a nice little farmstand, where they sell their delivery products as well as fresh ice cream. We had a scoop of blackberry and it was very good. It tasted richer and had more mouthfeel than your average scoop.
We also went across the street the calf stalls. There were about 15 calves in stalls, including one that looked born in the last day or two. Once a day they allow kids to come give the calves bottles. This was fun for everybody and it's free labor! The guy that actually worked there just drove up in a Gator and dropped the milk off in front of each stall. The kids did the rest.
When we got back, I told Nikki about the place and we both agreed that it would be really fun to have a similar business somewhere like Missoula. In fact, we thought Missoula would be the perfect place. I bet you could put up a stand at the farmer's market and sign 50 people up the first day.
The only problem, and this is something I don't know too much about, is it seems like to do this you have to breed pretty much year round. That might be weather-prohibitive in Montana. On the other hand, maybe you can just calve for, say, 8 months, and have the timing work out. It might work better somewhere like Portland, where you could theoretically calve all year round. But again, I don't know how long you can milk a cow after you take her calf off, so my math might be way off.
The thing that really appeals to me about this kind of dairy operation, is that I've never met a milk-based value-added product that I didn't like and didn't like to make. I've made cheese, butter, yogurt, and ice cream and I'd love to try my hand at cream cheese, sour cream, and cottage cheese. I'd even like to try the Central Asian delicacy kymyz (fermented mare's milk), though milking a horse isn't at the top of my list. Anyway, they don't have kymyz at South Mountain, it just got me thinking. Here are some pictures:
Here's the milking parlor.
And here are the calf stalls.
Here are some of the girls returning to their pasture.
Here's Georgie getting nibbled and licked by a hungry calf.
And here's my bottle-feeding a calf. This is the first time I've ever done this. The calves really can tug hard on the bottle.
Friday, May 29, 2009
Bull Moose Hunting Society
Here's a neat article about a hunting group in the Bay Area. I wish a similarly-minded organization existed in this area. Actually, it might, I haven't really looked. I should look into it, because this is really the kind of thing I'd like to do.
Saturday, May 23, 2009
Work
There's an article in tomorrow's NY Times magazine about the value of working with your hands in a 'knowledge worker' world. The article does a much better than I usually do about explaining the general inclination I have to transition from an office job to a 'real' job.
It made me kind of reflect on what it is that I've been good at in the past and enjoyed and what I would like to look forward to. I have always enjoyed, and I think succeeded, at jobs with the word analyst in the title. I was once an intelligence analyst and now I'm something like a media analyst and I think I'd do well as a policy or political analyst and maybe even as a business or financial analyst.
What I'm starting to realize, and I think this article helped make this more concrete, is that this general desire to figure things out, piece things together, and plan and execute ideas, is a desire at least as well, and probably more, suited to something like running a small farm. When I plan my farm I think of it as a complex system that I am the manager. I want to have a number of different animals and a diverse market garden all working together. Plant waste feeding animals (like pigs) and animal waste (as fertilizer) feeding plants. Time and labor thoughtfully organized to make sure that nothing is picked too early or too late and that every piece of machinery is in good repair when I'm ready to use it.
How much more fulfilling of a use of mental energy that would be. Talk about analysis. Everything working in sync is the ideal but probably never the reality. The analysis would come in constantly trying to figure out why some aspect isn't working and trying to devise a way to fix it with out upsetting the rest of the system.
That to me is the appeal of farming. Or the mental appeal anyway. I also physical rather enjoy the smell of trees and grass and water and manure. Not to mention the wonderful feeling of laying down for the night physically exhausted. That's a feeling a I haven't felt much in the last few year, maybe only when I've been moving furniture or something.
But back to the mental side of it. A good question might be, "If farming likely requires the same mental processes you enjoy now in office jobs, why change?" Well, aside for the aforementioned physical aspects, there's an element of independence I lack right now. I have some liberty to use my judgment on certain aspects of my job right now, but generally I am working to meet standards set by others to create a product fulfilling the needs of others. I've always been a little bit more independent-minded than that. I need to feel like I can just decide to grow rhubarb one year if I want and then never grow it again if I don't want to.
Also, the stakes aren't that high in the average office job. Sure, I could really screw up and maybe even publicly embarrass my employer. But the worst that could happen is a stern talking-to or a write-up or, at worst, termination. Negligence on a farm means living things, as well as the profits they could bring, can die. Somehow I think that pressure keeps your mind sharper.
Now that NY Times article is actually more focused on motorcycle repair, but I started the above train of thought so maybe it's worth a read for you too.
It made me kind of reflect on what it is that I've been good at in the past and enjoyed and what I would like to look forward to. I have always enjoyed, and I think succeeded, at jobs with the word analyst in the title. I was once an intelligence analyst and now I'm something like a media analyst and I think I'd do well as a policy or political analyst and maybe even as a business or financial analyst.
What I'm starting to realize, and I think this article helped make this more concrete, is that this general desire to figure things out, piece things together, and plan and execute ideas, is a desire at least as well, and probably more, suited to something like running a small farm. When I plan my farm I think of it as a complex system that I am the manager. I want to have a number of different animals and a diverse market garden all working together. Plant waste feeding animals (like pigs) and animal waste (as fertilizer) feeding plants. Time and labor thoughtfully organized to make sure that nothing is picked too early or too late and that every piece of machinery is in good repair when I'm ready to use it.
How much more fulfilling of a use of mental energy that would be. Talk about analysis. Everything working in sync is the ideal but probably never the reality. The analysis would come in constantly trying to figure out why some aspect isn't working and trying to devise a way to fix it with out upsetting the rest of the system.
That to me is the appeal of farming. Or the mental appeal anyway. I also physical rather enjoy the smell of trees and grass and water and manure. Not to mention the wonderful feeling of laying down for the night physically exhausted. That's a feeling a I haven't felt much in the last few year, maybe only when I've been moving furniture or something.
But back to the mental side of it. A good question might be, "If farming likely requires the same mental processes you enjoy now in office jobs, why change?" Well, aside for the aforementioned physical aspects, there's an element of independence I lack right now. I have some liberty to use my judgment on certain aspects of my job right now, but generally I am working to meet standards set by others to create a product fulfilling the needs of others. I've always been a little bit more independent-minded than that. I need to feel like I can just decide to grow rhubarb one year if I want and then never grow it again if I don't want to.
Also, the stakes aren't that high in the average office job. Sure, I could really screw up and maybe even publicly embarrass my employer. But the worst that could happen is a stern talking-to or a write-up or, at worst, termination. Negligence on a farm means living things, as well as the profits they could bring, can die. Somehow I think that pressure keeps your mind sharper.
Now that NY Times article is actually more focused on motorcycle repair, but I started the above train of thought so maybe it's worth a read for you too.
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Still in Montana
I haven't updated here since I got here but I've been chronicling our trip on our other blog. I would have cross-posted several posts if I knew how to do that in a quick manner. So far though, we had a number of interesting experiences, including finding some grass-fed beef from a heritage breed and using Nikki's dad's smoker to make some beef brisket.
Being in Montana makes me even more motivated to get out of the city and onto a farm somewhere.
Being in Montana makes me even more motivated to get out of the city and onto a farm somewhere.
Thursday, May 7, 2009
One more thing
I was going to add this at the end of my last post, but it is already t0o long. Nikki sent this to my phone yesterday with the message: EEE AAAWWHH
When I asked her where she saw a donkey, she wrote back that it's a "free-range rez donkey."
When I asked her where she saw a donkey, she wrote back that it's a "free-range rez donkey."
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
