Day Trip

I realize I haven't written for a few days, but for the most part everything has been pretty routine lately. However, I was fortunate enough to have a day trip off the farm this past Sunday. Francy took Anne and I to the Beara Peninsula. We passed through several towns (if you can really call them that) on the way there. One of them was considered the most colorful town in Co. Cork. Every building was painted a rich blue, purple, yellow, or green. We aren't sure why Ireland's towns are so colorful, but it really is a staple of this country.

Everywhere you drive in Ireland the views are just spectacular. Everything is so green. Francy would beg to differ. He's very upset right now with the farms in Ireland. He says they aren't thriving like they used to because the EU sends checks to farmers because of surplus money or something. I can't always understand what he's telling me, and truthfully, I don't know if Francy knows all the facts either. However, I did have to agree that there were not many animals grazing the grass. I guess with these checks the farmers don't have to rely on crops and animals to make their money. Nevertheless, I was still impressed with all the unadulterated land.

The Beara Peninsula was also grand! It rained for most of the day, so the fog settled in a few times making it harder to see. Francy fished a little on a cliff, and I watched close behind. This checks off one of the things I most wanted to do in Ireland: fish with a local. I thought it was going to be a tough one to check off. Francy didn't catch any fish but he found Perriwinkles on the rocks. He said we would cook them for dinner. I wasn't too sure about them, and I ended up not having any. The day turned out so long, and I was so cold when I got home. I really didn't feel adventurous enough to try a new type of seafood. oh well...

There were two places that really took my breath away. The first was my purple beach. It was a rocky beach and with all the rain everything was very wet. The rocks were absolutely beautiful shades of purple, turquoise, and green. The majority were purple making the beach glow with the hue. Purple is one of my favorite colors, so it was a very special place. The pictures don't really do the rocks justice.

The other place I really enjoyed was this valley we drove through. It was so foggy, and Francy kept saying how it was a shame we couldn't see anything. However, I thought the drive was magical. If you looked up you only saw a heavy white from the fog. The air felt like velvet as I drove with the window open. I'm sure the place is really beautiful on a sunny clear day, but i got a different experience, and I liked it all the same.

One final site I saw the was the "Hag of Beara." The myth goes that a woman waited and waited for her lover to return from sea. She waited for so long eventually she turned herself to stone. It looked like a big rock to me, but apparently, this type of rock can't be found anywhere else in Co. Cork so maybe there is some magic behind the story. Who knows...

I really appreciated Francy taking Anne and I out. We were out for over 7 hrs. It was very generous of him to give us his time. It felt good to get off the farm though. I needed a change of scenery.

Tomorrow, we go to Macroom for the Country Market. Wednesday there is another American girl named Lauren joining Anne and me. Hopefully the three of us get along. I've been very lucky to have Anne here. We make good conversation, play cards, and eat great meals together. She's just another check on the positive part of my trip!

Tired

So the past two days I have been in a constant state of exhaustion! I yawn a lot, my legs tingle, and I just don't seem to have that ooomph of motivation to get me from place to place. I'm getting enough sleep. On average, I get about 7 hrs of sleep each night. Last night, I got 10 because I went to bed super early in an attempt to remedy myself. Technically I have every right to be tired. I carry about 10 buckets of water a day for the pigs. The milking equipment isn't light. I walk everywhere. I sledge hammered about logs in the ground today. But I'm not complaining at all! I really enjoy this work, and it's definitely eye opening. I've never really had a labor intensive job before, and I truly think it's something everyone should experience atleast once during their life. It's very humbling. Mind power is important and requires a lot of training but so does labor!

Today, I worked out in the field for the majorite of the day. Francy, Anne, and I build fences and fixed gates so the sheep can be more manageable. I also got to shorn a sheep. I used a pair of old shears. It was very difficult. I will put a video up next time I get my camera hooked to my computer. Francy made it look so easy, but it all depends on the angle of the shears and pressure in order to be a success.

Another thing I am working on is driving the small tractor. It's a stick shift, and I don't know how to drive one. Francy takes me out into the field to give me some pointers. Hopefully by the end of these two months I will have gotten a handle on it.

Not for the weak!

Two things happened today that were just not on my list of things I neither hoped or thought I would experience this summer.

1. I experienced three cows get castrated this afternoon. It's done a little differently nowadays; they aren't actually cut off just squeezed so they shrivel up down the road.

2. There was a murder last night on the farm. Not just one, not just two, and not even three. Over 60 hens were violently brought to their death beds during the course of the night. We are unsure what brought this catastrophe. It might be a fox or a muskrat. Those are our predictions. When you have 60 dead hens, you have to clean them up. I bucked up and picked those damn hens off the ground two by two by the feet. I threw them onto the tractor and watched them drive away to their grave in the woods. No no, I never thought I would have to do such a thing in my lifetime. It was not pleasant. It did not smell good. I hope to never do it again. I have pictures, but I choose not to exploit these poor hens online, and I figure you don't all wish to see this violence. However, you may e-mail if you are brave, and I will gladly send you documentation.

RIP my dear hens.

The Simple Life

Since days are starting to become a bit similiar, I am deciding to share a few interesting things that have happened these past few days.

On sunday, the leades house had an open day. The Rusheen School came with about a thousand people and there were sports, games, face painting, animal watching, and of course food. I roamed around because it was technically my day off. I spread a blanket out in the orchard and took in some sun. I also relaxed by listening to music and reading magazines. Laying in the orchard is becoming my favorite thing to do. It is just so peaceful there.

Monday night, I taught Anne what a Smore is. We make a fire just about every night because it gives us hot water. I decided why not put this fire to a better use and roast some marshmallows! I couldn't find a hershey chocolate bar so I bought cookies with a chocolate coating. It worked perfectly. Anne was a bit skeptical but I think she really enjoyed them. She made two! Me, I love smores and really can't get enough of them. Too bad they are so bad for you...

Tuesday morning, we went to the market place in Macroom. This market is a little different because every farmer has labels and the people pay for the items at a register not to the farmer directly. This means Anne and I were able to walk around the city until the market was through. I went to a toy store and bought watercolors and paper, so I can paint the beautiful landscapes of the farm. I have already put them to good use. I also bought a skirt at a thrift shop. Macroom is a very cute city, and I look forward to visiting it every week.

Ok I'm very hungy for some supper. Tootles!

A look at the farm

So here are some videos as I have been promising! The first is a short tour of where I live. The last three are a few steps that go into the daily milking of the cows.

A Day at the Market

Saturday June 20, 2009
I had to get up early on Saturday, around 6 am, to get everything ready for market. Saturday's market is in Cork City. We sell eggs, milk, yogurt, produce, meat, and sometimes hens and cheese. Anne and I were in charge of the stall. It was a slow day; we didn't even sell all the eggs which is very unusual. If you are curious prices were as such:
6 free range eggs for 2.20 euros and 12 for 4.00
Liter of fresh milk 2.20
yogurt 1.50
cabbage for 1.00
rubbarb for 1.50
turnips for 1.00
and meats at various prices

I used my Borders retail sales skills to my advantage haha. I also walked around the market. There were stalls similiar to ours but also stalls with cakes, crafts, and fish. I bought a delicious apricot bar and muffin for future breakfasts.

After the market, Anne and I relaxed for the rest of the day. I took a blanket out to the gardens and listened to music and read magazines for about 3 hrs. It was such a beautiful day; I don't see how someone could not have spent every minute of it outdoors. Then Anne and I took the 30 minute walk to the nearest pub for a couple beers. I tried Murphy's and Beamish. They are both stouts.

The 30 min walk home was not nearly as enjoyable because it was getting cold outside. Back at home, we started a fire and went to bed but not until we started a fire to keep our new home warm!

Sheep and Cows and Pigs...O MY

Day 2 at the farm and I already know my way around. I woke up before Anne this morning, and I checked on the chickens to make sure they had food and mixed food for the pigs. I began to feed the pigs, but when I got to the pen with the two "lover pigs," I got very scared. The two pigs are half my height and very very loud. They clearly knew why I was there and started jumping on the gate which I was having trouble opening. I knew I wasn't ready to feed them on my own, so I took my bucket of food and waited for Anne to get up.

After feeding the pigs, Anne and I milked the cows. Out of the three cows, we get about a bucket and a half of milk. Buckets are big...about 10 liters of milk. Francy, a worker on the farm, got us to help with the sheep. We moved them from the field to the barn, so we could give them medication. It is quite the task. There are over 100 sheep and they cram into a small pen. There are three sections to the pen. They start on the left then we move about 20 into the middle. In the middle section we medicate them and then move those sheep to the right. Then the whole cycle starts over until all the sheep are in the right pen. My job was two hold the one gate shut because it didn't have a latch. Sheep are very nervous animals and tried to get out of the pen with the medicine. I was putting my whole body into keeping this gate shut.

After the sheep, I raked a little more until "dinner" We always have dinner with Collin and his wife, Sally, in their house. Sally is a very good cook. Dinner of course consists mainly of potatoes, meat, and vegetables. It is a farmer's dinner.

Then I weeded the driveway. You see, there is an open farm day on Sunday that a school hosts. Almost 1000 people come and go through out the day, so we are currently tidying up the farm so it looks good for the day.

When the came to a close, I finished reading "Marley and Me" by the fireplace. I cried so hard at the end. This was the first book that every made me cry...ugh. Luckily, I was enjoying myself so much in the stone cottage where the fire was Collin told me Anne and I could move into it unti August 5th when the renters move in. We are so happy because we were currently in the basement of Collin's house. It's a nice basement and we each had our own bedroom, but it got very cold at night, and we didn't have a decent bathroom. This cottage is much better. The kitchen is no longer down the hallway but we are willing to make that sacrafice. Now the two of us literally have a house to our own. Day 2 had been great and full of surprises. I know I smell bad, and my boots are already covered in mud and poop, but hey that's the life of a farmer.

I promise to take pictures and video soon!