• Christine Tailer 1 November 2013

    For the love of a machine

    No doubt about it. This old machine is one of my prized friends. She works as hard as I ask, and is always eager to get out and get the job done. I have never heard a complaint from my sweet, faded yellow, 580 D backhoe. I smiled as I headed up the hill to bake that pie.
  • Christine Tailer 16 September 2013
    Between summer and our imaginations
    We are building a passive solar, four-season greenhouse. The sheets of polycarbonate glazing lie stacked and ready. The metal frame lies scattered across the shop floor-like the pieces of a giant erector set, but putting together the actual greenhouse building does not seem to be the real challenge.
  • Christine Tailer 9 September 2013
    Mea culpa!
    It could not have been a more perfect day to get the honey off of the hives. The morning was cool and there was only a slight chance of rain. I smiled to think that the occasional cloud would help to keep the afternoon relatively cool as well.
  • Christine Tailer 4 September 2013
    A holiday weekend
    I woke up this morning to the rooster’s early call. It was not quite light out. I looked out of the loft window before I went downstairs. I paused. A gray fog was spilling through the trees, up the hill from the creek. The rooster called again. It seemed that the morning fog had dampened his call, but still, he was right. It was time to get moving.
  • Christine Tailer 26 August 2013
    Summer's passing song
    With each passing song, I felt the evening's cool breeze turn to a downright chill. I pulled my chair closer to Greg, and leaned into him for warmth. It had never occurred to me to bring a jacket when we left the creek, but I certainly wished that I had.
  • Christine Tailer 20 August 2013
    It all makes sense
    The old saying immediately flashed in neon across my mind, but as it did, it occurred to me that I would revise it just a bit. Don't put all your eggs into one, hastily made, basket. Somehow, it all made perfect sense.
  • Christine Tailer 13 August 2013
    Steam Power
    It is no wonder that I love steam engines. I suppose that it is no wonder that I drop whatever it is that I really should be doing, taking honey off the hives, canning tomatoes, or even weeding, and eagerly head up to the antique machinery show, thoughts of my father in tow.
  • Christine Tailer 13 August 2013
    Steam Power
    It is no wonder that I love steam engines. I suppose that it is no wonder that I drop whatever it is that I really should be doing, taking honey off the hives, canning tomatoes, or even weeding, and eagerly head up to the antique machinery show, thoughts of my father in tow.
  • Christine Tailer 6 August 2013
    Flying 43 solo
    By my count, all 43 of us were ready for the day. No doubt that I eagerly looked forward to Greg’s return, but I was also quite proud, that even flying 43 solo, we were all faring rather well in the meantime.
  • Christine Tailer 31 July 2013
    Transporting goats in a 4-door sedan
    The bale of hay in the front seat had kept the little goats quite occupied, and driving though town they had gotten quite a few waves and smiles, but most importantly, the little goats had easily made the acquaintance of their new yard-mates, chickens and ducks, and had happily adapted to their new goat world.
  • Christine Tailer 15 July 2013
    The Artist and the Billy Goat
    Friends, and family, and folks who were curious about living with solar energy recently stopped by the creek. It was the first day in what seemed like a month of Sundays that not a single drop of rain fell on the valley, and I could not have been more thankful.
  • Christine Tailer 8 July 2013
    Wet world
    The past two weeks of rain-washed, gray skies have led me to wonder if the world has flipped on its side and we are now living in what will soon be a rain forest.
  • Christine Tailer 1 July 2013
    Curious migration
    I continued to watch the video as Greg's reached into the frame hand placed a six-inch metal machinist's rule, that he often carries in his back pocket, beside the undulating snake-like thing.
  • Christine Tailer 25 June 2013
    Working out
    Our urban children call and say that they are on their way home from a good workout, and we have spoken with city folks who are proud to have personal trainers. We smile. For you see, we also work out – doing what our farm requires, outside in the creek valley humidity and sun.
  • Christine Tailer 17 June 2013
    A perfect weekend
    We watched fireflies dancing at the edges of the night field, and then we craned our necks back to watch the fire sparks climbing into the night over our heads. The clear sky was filled with stars and a brilliant half-shell moon.
  • Christine Tailer 3 June 2013
    The fox and the chickens
    The fox might be bold, but our rooster is a tough creature. He was missing most of his tail feathers and had a wound on his back, but with a bit of purple antiseptic spray he seems to be doing fine.
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