Since I was a child I have loved animals and nature. My parents lived on a farm back in Indiana so it must have rubbed off on me. My love for farms began one Christmas morning as I opened the door to the living room and saw a beautiful play farm under the tree with a big metal barn and silo, pigs, sheep, goats, horses, ducks, and geese. It even had fencing you could put together to make pens and corrals for the animals. That was 1958.
Fast forward to today. My love for farms and animals and nature brought me here to Little Utah Farm with my husband. I took a video of my morning to share with you to give you an idea of what my mornings are like. When I watch it it makes me so thankful. This video is 1 minute and has sound.
Thank you for visiting Little Utah Farm,
Until next time, remember to believe in your dreams because they do come true.
Take about a dozen juniper berries and make sure they have a glabrous (smooth, no hairs), the milky-white coating is yeast. If you rub on the berry you will see it is green underneath.
Utah Juniper Tree Berries - Smooth with a milky white coating.
Put the juniper berries in a jar with a cup of flour and a cup of warm water and loosely cover. Let rest for a week on the kitchen counter. After a week, remove the berries and add a cup of warm milk and another cup of flour. Stir and let set for a day or two. You now have a great sourdough start. Store your start in the refrigerator and add to it after use.
Use the juniper berry sourdough starter with your favorite sourdough recipe.
Little Utah Farm has a recipe greeting card. Give to someone who enjoys unique recipes and inspire them to create a sourdough starter from juniper berries. The recipe is inside. You can cut the card and store it your recipe file. There is always a discount at Little Utah Farm Store so find the red text code on the product page to add at checkout. This Recipe Greeting Card comes in 3 sizes. Standard size 5x7, small 4x5.6, and large 8.5x11.
Spider Migration Over Little Utah Farm October 29 2021
Another phenomena happened my way on Little Utah Farm. Of all things a magnificent migration of spiders. I know it sound creepy but it was actually quite beautiful.
I was outdoors at just the right time to see it. I was walking our cat, Harley McFarley in the garden. I swept my hand through a few webs hanging across the garden gate. I hadn't been through the gate very often since Jack Frost visited. We we walked, Harley and I, onto the gravel yard in front of the barn and noticed a silky strand of web with thick cottony areas floating over the side gate vertically towards me like a ghost. It reached 12 feet high. I watched as it floated by me and across the alfalfa field until it caught on the branch tip of the cottonwood tree on the edge of the property. That was odd.
I continued walking with Harley towards the back pasture and out of the corner of my eye I saw long shiny webs flowing out from the trees and the wires. The sunlight was just right to catch the silky threads. Thoughts of spiders up above me entered my mind and headed for home. I hurried as best I could to the back porch towing a very upset kitty. We reached the porch and before grabbing the door knob I took another look towards the midday sun. It was then I saw an exodus of webs sailing high on the air currents across the sky to the east. I rushed into the house to get my camera.
Husband came home just then. I went out the kitchen door and greeted him under the carport with camera in hand. I pointed to the sky and that was the moment I found the perfect place to video the event. Right under the eves of the house. The sunlight was blocked just enough to help my lens see the fleet of sailing webs traveling east. After shooting the video, I watched a single strand floated above my head with a small spider dangling on the end like a parachute rider coming down to land. The spider made a soft landing on the roof of our carport.
FASCINATING !
I went out to feed the chickens and ducks in the late afternoon. I swiped my hand through a web that draped across my back door. I did not see any more in the sky. The sun had moved west. There were a few souvenir webs draped across the wires and tree tops.
The phenomena left me feeling bitter sweet. What a blessing to have seen it and then I thought of how full of faith or how in tune with nature the spiders are to leave on such a journey not knowing how it ends, to sense just the right time to ride on the air currents and prepare for take off. To know it is time to leave.
Video description:
Spiders migrating . Conditions on October 29 were just right for the spider's journey. These long strands of silk come from spiders that are migrating. It is called "ballooning or kiting" I have my camera zoomed in 25 power. What you see are long strands of silk 10-25 ft floating east across the sky. Some touch down to gate and carport, trees and plants but most were high as clouds. They kept sweeping across the sky like a parade. I did indeed see some adult and juvenile spiders riding these magic carpets. The insects swarming in the foreground would make a nice snack as the spiders drift by. Here is a video I took of the event.
In summer we had a few 100 year rains that flooded the town and surrounding farm fields. The waters breached the irrigation ditches as culverts and drains blocked with boulders and debris diverted the water away from its normal destination. Tons of mud, clay and silts covered the home properties and farm fields with a foot of clay, mud and silt. All that rain soaked deep into the ground and the trees and plants drank it up.
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Early Autumn Snow on Little Utah Farm
An early autumn snow hit in the first week of October and left us 10" of snow. The leaves hadn't even begun to turn color yet . The snow was heavy on the branches lush with green leaves and bowed down to the ground. We got some long poles and tapped the branches on all our trees to release the snow.
Our Crabapple Tree BEFORE we tapped the snow off the branches
Our Crabapple Tree AFTER we tapped the snow off the branches.
We could hear branches snapping and cracking all around the area. It snowed all day but the temperatures rose so the snow began to soften and fall from the roof and high branches.
Early Autumn Snow on Little Utah Farm
It took only 2 days for the snow to recede uncovering rich green grass and green canopy of leaves.
The weather warmed in the weeks ahead and we have been enjoying the sunshine and spending time outdoors.
Making whole wheat bread
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I was making some Honey Wheat Bread ( recipe in Whole Wheat Honey Bread post ) one afternoon when Paul, my husband, came home early from work and whisked us off to see something special. He wouldn't tell us what it was. Last time he showed us a whole herd of llama and another large herd of deer grazing just around the country corners of our neighborhood. I was excited to see what he had in mind. My hands were caked with flour. But there wasn't time to clean up. I knew by experience everything changes quick around here and I best get going.
The camera and coats were pulled of the hooks by the kitchen door. We hopped in the white F250 Ford Truck and headed on down the road. The truck turned into the driveway of the farm on 3000 North. Paul pointed off into the distance. "Eagles!" The Eagle Tree boasted 4 or more Bald Eagles looking out over the snowy alfalfa fields for food. I tried to get a picture but they looked like tiny dots in the lens. Paul took the camera and took off to get a closer view. As Ricky and I waited in the truck, Paul climbed over the green gate and made his way down the lane. It was a long walk down the lane. There was a wind break of tall red winter willows to his left. The dirt was wet and soft from the melting snow. He approached the end of the lane and turned right towards The Eagle Tree till he got to a fence. We saw him snap some pictures.
Three Bald Eagles in the old elm tree.
Iron County, Utah
www.LittleUtahFarm.blogspot.com
We saw him turn south past the fencing and kneel down amongst some rabbit bush. "What is he doing, Grandma?" asked Ricky. Just then we could see the beautiful chestnut red horse approaching him. "Grandpa has a way with horses" I said. And we watched him do his magic.
After some loving pats on the horses nose and neck and some kind affectionate questions, he snapped a picture of the horse. The eagles wings spread open and off they flew in to the sky. He and his new horse friend, wandered back down the lane together. The horse knew his boundaries and stopped halfway down the lane and returned to his pasture.
When we got home I cut the bread dough in half and let it rise on a tray near the floor heater in the living room. In an hour I slipped the loaves into the hot oven. Everyone knows the smell of home baked bread. The house was filled with the scent of it. For dinner we had hot soup, homemade bread and a high spirited conversation as we recalled how grandpa came home and whisked us off to The Eagle Tree.
Thank you for visiting Little Utah Farm (page views 17,037)
Deborah Moen
www.littleutahfarm.blogspot.com
Until next time,
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Living on this Little Utah Farm, has been a great teacher. I have learned a lot about myself and life in these past 9 1/2 years. Here is one such lesson.
I was born and raised in Southern California. I lived where the scent of roses filled the air and the green foliage, grasses, plants, trees, and mild weather thrived and continued all year long. I remember putting seeds or a new plant in the ground and it would thrive. We could plant most all year through.
When we moved to Utah we entered into a whole different world of landscapes and we met with the 4 seasons. My garden and the surrounding land were barren and brown to this California Girl. A Green Deficit sent me into a flurry of collecting artificial trees and flowers. It was the best idea I could come up with besides patience.
It took quite a few years, but I came to see the spiritual beauty in the 4 seasons, I began to feel the changes deep in my soul. There was meaning to the Colors and waning of Autumn, the white stillness of winter, the awakening of spring, and the flourishing of summer.
The garden on Little Utah Farm is flourishing.
Yesterday, I went into the shed to get a weeding tool and my eye caught a dusty old artificial pine tree in the corner. I laughed out loud at my old feeling of panic and the Green Deficit as my garden and the surrounding land is now bursting with all the goodness summer can hold. What was once a life savor for my sorrow was now ready for the trash.
I lifted the top section of the tree and then the base and carried it out to the trash. I thought and wondered how could I ever think this would substitute for the beauty and splendor my garden has shown me. I put the lid down on the trash can and a big smile sprouted on my face as I brushed the dirt and dust from my hands. This is indeed a milestone, real growth for me as I continue to learn on Little Utah Farm.
Thank you for visiting, Little Utah Farm. ( page views 15, 791)
I really would rather have Googled this event before it happened. It is times like these I am thankful for Mother Nature's help.
Ricky our grandson, came in and told me to grab my camera and get out back. "Grandpa says to hurry!" he coaxed. "Well... just a minute" I said." "No Gma, Grandpa says to come NOW!" I was thinkin' it was a cute pose with one of the dogs or an egg laid in an unusual place. As I walked across the back yard I felt something quiver in my solar plexus. I saw Paul at the gate of the corral, looking inside. "Deborah, come look at this" he said calmly.
I looked into the corral and Gaia our new female llama had her back to us and what did I see but what looked like to me shiny black rubber tubes coming out of her. I was blank. I just didn't have a reference inside my brain to figure it out right away. Waaaa ! It finally kicked in. Gaia was having a baby!!! A baby llama was arriving to Little Utah Farm.
I was as shaky as Ricky, Ethyl and Fred on the I Love Lucy show when Lucy comes out of the bedroom to announce "Ricky, It's time." Everyone runs around dropping clothes out of the suitcase and in a state of panic.
This was a complete surprise. We knew not of her pregnancy when we bought her at Ron Harding's Farm. The herd she lived with was wild and free roaming around in 80 or more acres. . Gaia was very young when we got her last December. She was around a year or or year and a half.. No way to tell. Our 4 boys are gelded and so we had no idea we would ever have a baby. We did give it some thought but dismissed the idea.
Shouldn't she be laying down? Will the others llamas hurt the baby? Wonder if something happens? Waaaa ! Then I gathered myself and called my llama friend, Christina Dunlap, in California. She owns Not Home Alone Pet, Livestock and House Sitting Service. "I need you" I spoke into the phone trying not to scream. She reminded me to take a deep breath and assured me usually nature would take it's course. She is really smart and kind with animals and also teaches first aide for pets. She continued to give me an outline of what to expect. I am thankful and appreciative for my friend, Christina, who by the way, was one of the two women who introduced us to llamas at the Pomona County Fair in California about a decade ago.
It seems to take forever for the baby to be born. It will present itself usually feet first then head. Whew * This is exactly how it went.
Llamas do give birth standing or in prone position.
Check to see if the baby's nose is obstructed by the membrane. Check * The baby was breathing freely and the head was dangling as Gaia walked around the corral.
We did separate the boys from mother and baby. We easily herded the adult gelded males into the corral. Mother and baby were in the nice green pasture.
Gaia sat down a few times and each time the cria ( a baby llama) gradually slipped out more.
Once the shoulders come out the cria hangs at the flank or hips and as she hung we held our breath. Then we all watched in awe as the cria plopped out onto the pasture floor.
In moments the baby was moving and wiggling about and Gaia saw her baby.
Llamas do not lick or dry off their babies. The babies thrash about to stand and the membrane is rubbed off. In 30 minutes baby was standing and falling....standing then falling... standing.
In the wild the female llamas all gather around the mother during the birth to protect the baby and mama from the intact males. Llamas are ready to breed once they give birth. After the birth and when baby is standing and nursing the `aunties` step away for mother and baby to bond.
The placenta was delivered in an hour. it was interesting like a giant hunk of liver. Paul buried it deep in the back.
Babies need to have colostrum in the first 24 hours of life which they get from the mother's milk.it has antibodies to protect the baby. Udders on a llama are so tiny they are difficult to see. Many people give the crias colostomy from goats milk kept in freezers for this purpose. There is also a wax plug in the teats which some people remove to make sure the milk is flowing. Llamas give only 2 oz of milk at a time.
Our new addition to our farm was born on the day of the Harvest Moon, September 30,2012. We named her Luna Llena ( pronounced loona yena) which means Full Moon in Spanish.
Watch Video: 7 minutes: of the mother, Gaia and the birth of her new cria llama, Luna Llena. Baby and mom had a good experience and are doing well and fine.
It was that time of year when Panguitch, Utah holds their historical Quilt Walk. Seven very brave and dedicated settlers walked over freezing deep snow to get supplies in the town over the mountains. Their families had little or no food. They made their way through the deep snow by laying down one of the hand made quilts they took along on their journey. They would walk across one quilt then lay another down. Panquitch ( an Paiute Indian word for `big fish`) Social hall was draped with beautiful handmade quilts for the occasion. The first settlers were run out of the area by the Paiute Indians.
Social Hall in Panguitch, Utah
Panguitch Social Hall full of quilts and will be
showing the story of the quilts in a play later on in the day.
At 10 AM there was a parade of tractors and vintage cars. Panguitch, Utah is a beautiful town with old buildings and historical brick homes. Their shops are filled with true western antiques, cowboy chaps and old bear, buffalo and horsehair coats and saddles that look like they are from Don Quixote. Their is one place called Smokin' Hot Antiques who had their business in the Old Fire Station. Very nice atmosphere and lot of good energy in that place which accounted for all the customers coming in to get their choice of vintage wares from leading edge cookware of the 18oo's and early 1900's to the `got to have it ` kitchen gadgets and more. I saw a brightly colored metal butterfly with a filigree sign that read "Be gentle to yourself" Paul bought it for me as an Anniversary gift. We were married 11 years ago June, 9, 2001.
There was the deep metal green `Thunder Horse Mercantile` building from 1906. The windows were layered with paper antiqued with browned crinkly corners. There was an opening where the paper sagged. I leaned inward... squinted and saw these awesome chandeliers layers with antlers and a wood floor and shelves that must have held various sundries and wares long ago. So much potential here and really it is good the way it is for now. Here is a short video of the parade Paul was yesterday. You may like what you see and travel here someday.
Paul went on to win 1st Place at the tractor pull. The stadium bleachers are old and weathered but provides a breezeway and welcome shade or shelter from the weather. It looks like it was built in the 1930's. It would be a great project for some Eagle Scouts to sand and paint it again. Actually it is the finest seating this side of Cedar.
Most folks filed in early, after the parade, and watched as the arena set up for the tractor pull. Some kids were playing on the top levels of the stadium seats on an overlook with a nice roof and benches. This cute little boy below was standing up their against the peeling white paint and I snapped his picture along with the others.
The old stadium at Panguitch Fairgrounds
Stadium lookout over the arena.
There was a lovely woman who sat down on the bleachers. I think her name was Alexa. She had on a long black print dress with chunky, very beautiful southwestern jewelry and a very lady like blonde straw hat with a nice smooth rounded top and a slender brim. She also had on a khaki jacket which draped along her body every which way she positioned herself. Very savy with the camera and technology of texting on her cell. She was in her 60's or 70's and just inspired me so much because I am sort of stuck in my stall cleaning couture. I have been lookin' for some feminine attire to wander about the garden in. Anyone have any ideas for me? Anyway, she asked when the pull began and I did not know. She mentioned forgetting her book so I offered her one of my recent Mary Jane's Farm Magazines and my pink lined paper pad to make notes on such as recipes or organic info. I love Mary Jane's Farm Magazine and she did too. I saw her write up a whole page and smile sweetly at the ideas in that book. She was wanting to make jelly, I think, or that wonderful jam. A really good issue Vol. 11 # 4 I just got it a few weeks ago. Well, she loved it and wrote down the subscription info. Now that I think about it, I should of gave her the card inside to order a subscription. I shared it with my new friends I met there named Samantha and her husband Randy. They were new to the area and moved from Nevada. Everyone seems to know Whittier, CA when they ask me where I am from. Most just say with a smile and nod of their head" Oh yes" They go on to mention they are from Pasadena or San Diego, which are all in Southern California
The tractor pull began and Paul was up real fast. he was in the 4,000 - 4,500 lbs Class. He really pulled his best on his shiny 1955 Allis Chalmer WD 45. He won 1st place! It was all over pretty quick. We got our lunch of cheese, salami and crackers out of the cooler. The ride home was divine with lots of white headed Yarrow reaching up to the sun and long green valleys and mountains high. I love this place. Everywhere we go we are in the country! The weather was breezy and easy in the high 60's with blue sky and a few white clouds over the mountains. How does it get any better than this? This was a wonderful wedding anniversary and he took me out to dinner too.
. We are going on a ATV ride with our club at the end of the month back through the mountains. We will gather for lunch right in front of the Cowboy Smokehouse on Main St. in Panguitch. I heard that food there is real good so I am looking forward to another fun day.
Thank you for coming by to visit Little Utah Farm. I love sharing with you. Watcha all been doin'?
