The Riley Factor #55

The Riley Factor April 29, 2010
(All the Rock Creek Farm news that's fit to print, along with unfit to print rumors, prognostications & bloviations.)

FORT PLAIN NY, April 29 -- Much activity since last week's edition of The Riley Factor, although not too much of it Riley related.  The young Golden Boy has been let outside alone, unleashed, a bit to roam free.  He typically stays very close to the house and wants re-entry to the covered world in a few minutes.  He has taken to splashing in the lower pond whenever we take him near it or whenever he and Gabby wander there -- no swimming yet, just a lot of wading.  Today, Ephraim Blank is out in the back barn welding the recently acquired cultipacker and old sharpening wheel.  Aaron Miller from E&A Fence is out back around the greenhouse putting latches on the three gates that accompany the new electrified (solar) fencing installed around the greenhouse, shed and garden area.  Riley and Gabby love roaming and playing around that area, especially when Susan and Nancy are out there gardening.

Last weekend was the Fort Plain social event of the year -- the Annual Fort Plain Equipment Auction, staged only a mile from Rock Creek Farm in the large hay field at the intersection of Clinton and Cherry Valley Roads.  Susan, Nancy and Chris were there from 9AM until 7PM, and picked-up such valuables as a small hay wagon, a tractor back blade, hay rollers, the aforementioned cultipacker (heavy ridged rollers for running over planted seed to drive it into the earth) and varied and sundry other valuables for use in farming, gardening, playing and relaxing.

Tuesday was bad news day at Rock Creek Farm, as the now infamous red fox made a return.  You may recall that a week ago, on a Tuesday, the evil red demon caught and killed a chicken at 10:30AM in bright sunlight, only 30 feet from the driveway.  Nancy caught him mid-act and he dripped the chicken and ran off.  Susan chased him toward the back pasture fence and he ducked into the south circuit trails.  Well, this past Tuesday, he returned and killed six more chickens (a true tragedy of epic proportions), leaving only one fowl corpse behind.  Sad day for the egg industry.  Vice President of Eggs Nancy commented that those six Mrs. Cluckworthy's will be sorely missed.  Since all the chickens look identical, it is tough to say who survived and who headed to that great hen house in the sky.  A hunting party to be convened -- report to follow. 

This coming Friday night is antiques auction night in downtown Fort Plain, black tie optional -- way, way optional.  No doubt, another event to be remembered.  And May is chicks season -- on schedule for early May delivery are 20 New Jersey Giants (black chickens), 24 Royal Palm Turkeys (white feathers with black tips) and 15 Guinea Hens (also called Keets), which  look like gray pheasants or giant pigeons, and eat exclusively insects, with ticks being their food of choice.  All these May deliveries will be one or two day old chicks.  More on those topics and events your the next edition of The Riley Factor

The Riley Factor #54

The Riley Factor April 22, 2010
(All the Rock Creek Farm news that's fit to print, along with unfit to print rumors, prognostications & bloviations.)

FORT PLAIN NY, April 22 -- On Wednesday, beautiful weather saw Susan and Nancy planting 80-90 cucumber plants and 40 squash (zucchini, yellow summer, hubbard, butternut) in the new garden next to the greenhouse.  A few more low tunnels were created to protect the outside plantings until mid-May or so, when the last threat of hard frost is past.  And a patch for watermelon was created ... planting planned for today.

Chris spent the day tuning-up and preparing for the season all the small vehicles and equipment (ATVs, mowers, wood chipper (in Connecticut, called a spousal control unit, owing to its dark history of some 20-years ago in southern Connecticut)).  A trip to Zambri Polaris in Little Falls took a couple of hours and included a 30-minute course from the two owners on ATV mechanics, complete with seeing each tool for each job and inspection on the lift of each fluid-craving orifice of an ATV.  During which time, I was the only customer in the place.  Upon returning to Rock Creek Farm, Chris spent an hour dozing out back on the porch swing hanging on the garden shed.  In the evening, Susan, Chris and Riley rolled down the road to Armistad's field to view the equipment and implements on sight for Saturday's farm equipment auction.  The preview viewing was, apparently, a popular local event, as the field was filled with equipment and onlookers.  Although, we were in the minority since we were strolling with Riley and most others were strolling with Budweiser.

This morning, Susan took Riley out back on an early morning walk.  And the boys from E&A Fence were here putting the finishing touches on the new and some old back gates.

Tales of Freysbush Garage -- Leon spent Monday and Tuesday repairing the brakes, steering and horn on the old Jeep.  Full brakes all around, including the emergency brake, new power-steering hoses and a new horn restored the beast to its youthful prowess.  (Although the new horn is puny, and makes the behemoth Jeep sound like a clown car).  Best dialog of the day follows....

  Leon:  My first big job, over 40 years ago when I was just getting started in the auto repair business, was to convert an old Cadillac hearse into an ambulance, for a friend who wanted to start-up ambulance business.  Put a new engine in and all.  What a car.  He ran that business for a long time.  Eventually, he decided to add a hearse to his ambulance fleet.
  Chris:  Well, he had both outcomes pretty well covered.
  Leon:  (No laugh.  Quizzical gaze at Chris).
Tales of Hogan's Dead Stock Service --  A couple of weeks back, we had to have Ari the young Holstein calf put down due to a genetic digestion problem.  Very sad.  Ari was so cute and very lovable.  He hadn't grown any weight in a month since birth, and was not even 50 pounds.  After phoning to check, Chris took the calf's body to Hogan's, the local dead stock service (business that deals with dead farm animals, some of which can weigh over a ton).  The opening dialog....
  Chris:  (Upon arriving at Hogan's Dead Stock Service, with dead calf in the back of the Jeep).  Hi Art.  I'm Chris Fuchs.  I called about our dead calf.  You and I met a few months back, when you picked-up a dead calf at our place on route 163.   I brought the calf today in the back of the Jeep.  Where would you like it?
  Art:  (While methodically and purposely sharpening a large knife on a whetstone).  Name's not Art.
  Chris:  Oh.  I thought it was.  Aren't you the owner?
  Art:  (Still sharpening).  Yup.  Name's not Art.
  Chris:  Oh.  Sorry for the mistake.
  Art:  (Silence).  (Still sharpening).
  Chris:  So ... what is your name?
  Art:  Name's Dick
 (There, with a dead calf in my car, I resisted my initial impulse.  Here, I'll also resist my impulse to add an editorial comment).
  Chris:  So, where would you like me to put the calf?
  Dick:  Through that door with the other dead calves.  Put him anywhere.  They'll find him.
  (Scene ends as Chris slowly carries poor Ari into the den of dead stock.  It is sad to think that, at Hogan's Dead Stock Service, the calves have a room of their own).

The Riley Factor #53

The Riley Factor April 20, 2010
(All the Rock Creek Farm news that's fit to print, along with unfit to print rumors, prognostications & bloviations.)

FORT PLAIN NY, April 20 -- On Monday, Susan planted 300 red onions outside in the new garden located next to the greenhouse.  And Chris planted the final five trees in the orchard, after digging yet another five perfect holes ... two walnut trees, two almond trees and one beautiful we-forgot-what-we-bought sapling.  We also created three 30-foot long low tunnels (sides of hay bales with plastic tops) for early growing of transplantings from the greenhouse that can't yet be exposed to the cold night airs.

This morning, Riley joined Susan and Chris on a trip to Leon's Freysbush Garage to have a few minor issues addressed on the old Jeep.  On the menu were front brakes, power steering and the horn (who needs those modern high-priced options anyway?  Just give me four wheels of basic transportation and I'll be fine).  The best piece of dialog from the garage follows....
 
  Chris:  Leon, the third thing I'd like you too take a look at is the horn.
  Leon:  What's wrong?
  Chris: Well, the horn never works when it is raining or freezing.  And it only works sometimes when it is sunny.  For example, yesterday it worked fine and today it isn't working at all.
  Leon:  Sounds like the horn.

You cannot get dialog like that from Hollywood.  Only in Middle-of-Nowhere.

Yesterday, Chris was in the audience (actually, Chris was the entire audience, except for a few cows hanging around the gym) for Bovine-Mania 1, the facing-off of two of the largest members of the Herd of Five, to prove who has the most testosterone remaining from those days when steers were bulls.  In the red & white corner stood Gabriel the Holstein, eight months old, 500 pounds, and 48 inches at the shoulder.  In the black corner was Michael the Dexter, one year old, 450 pounds and 40 inches at the shoulder.  As the action began, the two stared-down each other in the center of the squared circle, and Michael made the first move, a bold head-butt to the noggin' of Gabriel.  Not one to be outdone, Gabriel charged back with a head-butt full-on to Michael's cranium.  When the dust settled after about 10 minutes of rough-house, the bout was judged a draw, and Michael was scratching his forehead on Gabe's ribs.  Good thing their horns were removed when they were small calves, or the blood-letting would not have been pretty.

On tap for today, more obedience training for Riley, more planting for CEO Susan and Vice President Nancy, and more of the ubiquitous earth relocation detail for Chris.  Swing low, sweet chariot, he's coming for to carry me home ...

The Riley Factor #52

The Riley Factor April 17, 2010
(All the Rock Creek Farm news that's fit to print, along with unfit to print rumors, prognostications & bloviations.)

Fort Plain, NY, April 17 -- A cold rain and wind blew into Middle-of-Nowhere over night on Friday, but it followed several days of nice weather and requisite early spring farming.  Riley spent Friday out in the orchard with Chris, who was re-staking, tying and fertilizing the 80 apple, peach, cherry and apricot trees, 20 of which had been planted on Thursday by Susan and Chris to replace those that died over the prior two winters.  Riley also contributed to the fertilizing of the 20 blueberry bushes and 12 raspberry bushes in the new berry patch, which has just been outlined in tall posts awaiting application of screening (walls & roof) and a door.  Nancy and Susan had planted a few new blueberry bushes and added the raspberries on Thursday.  Also on Thursday, 12 new grape vines were planted by the Three Stooges in the vineyard (actually a 40-foot square newly tilled (by Susan) patch in the northwest corner of the vineyard (vineyard trellis to be designed and built in the near future).  Susan and Nancy also fertilized the 4+ acres of semolina and hard red winter wheat in field no. 1.  After several fertilization methods were tried, Susan settled on the tried-and-true giant red funnel three-point spreader on the back of the John Deere tractor to get the job done.  Riley appears to be recuperating nicely from his Tuesday date with the veterinarian and her Scalpel of There'll-Be-No-More-Rileys.  Linda Richter arrived last night for a weekend visit, and Pauline, The Donald and Grandma are arriving mid-day today for a couple days of fun-in-the-Middle-of-Nowhere.

The Riley Factor #51

The Riley Factor April 14, 2010
(All the Rock Creek Farm news that's fit to print, along with unfit to print rumors, prognostications & bloviations.)

Fort Plain, NY, April 14 -- Riley spent Tuesday in the surgical suite at Glen Animal Hospital, enduring the infamous neutering procedure now ubiquitous in the civilized canine world.  He came through it unscathed, wandering relatively aimlessly in a stupor until about midnight when he awoke and had his first water and food of the day.  Today he is still a bit groggy and limited to in-house mild play while the pain subsides and anesthetic wears-off.  Riley was a big hit at the vet, and one the medical assistants ran out to the car as we were leaving to bring him home and lavished him with hugs and kisses, saying that he was a very good boy through it all.  As this edition of The Riley Factor is being penned (key-boarded on a word processor, for those of you readers not born until after 1980) Riley sleeps with his head resting on the lower wooden chair rail -- position looks completely uncomfortable, but he looks completely at peace.

Yesterday, we spent the day cleaning-up the GIANT composted hay and manure pile in the pasture near the barn, which came into existence over the winter from cleaning-out the stalls, spreading it on the new large vegetable garden and rototilling it into the soil along with quite a bit of used bedding hay -- went well and should make the soil perfect for planting in a month or so.  Susan also rode the New Holland tractor over to Ephraim & Rachel's place about two miles away, and tilled their two gardens as well.  Israel & Annie considered accepting our offer to rototill their garden, but opted instead to use a two-horse team dragging a one row plow, to be followed by a single horse dragging a harrow, to get their garden prepared for the 2010 planting.

The road crew will be returning today or tomorrow to give a final grading to the new road out to the new barn and the trails.  Muddy conditions around the property are much improved and fairly dried-out, except for the worst places (i.e., the quick sand area, where Brooksie was nearly lost, low those many months ago, is still a place the natives avoid).  The actual grass trails are still a bit on the soggy side, but heading in the right direction.  Plantings in the green house are thriving, with some already bearing vegetables.  Sunny day temps in the greenhouse are now always over 100 degrees, with a record high reading of 116 seen on a warm day last week, before the doors were opened late morning for ventilation.

The Riley Factor #50

The Riley Factor April 3, 2010
(All the Rock Creek Farm news that's fit to print, along with some unfit to print rumors, prognostications and bloviations.)

Fort Plain, NY, April 3 --  Riley sailed through his NY physical examination today with flying colors.  Neutering surgery scheduled for April 13.  If you guessed Riley's current wright at 62 pounds ... you win!

On a much sadder note, of digestive disorder ...

Ari the Holstein
March 2, 2010 - April 3, 2010
Rest In Peace