Overheard at the Almeida house

There has been some conspiracy afoot at our house regarding 4-H animal projects for this coming year. Now that the Cumberland and Fryeburg fairs (the kids both spent a day showing animals at Fryeburg with friends for the first time this year) are over the girls are making animal plans for this year.

"If I don't raise pigs next year I will have time to raise goats mom. I really want a goat." (L)

Back story: L and I went to a seminar two years ago about raising sheep and goats when we were considering getting sheep. It was there she found out about the Kids for Kids free Boer goat program for Maine children. She has begged to do that (get-a-free-goat) program for these past two years. The request has been consistently asked since then.

"Rebecca said she'd sell me some baby goats." (L)

"We love Rebecca's goat milk!" (G & L in unison)

I have referred to Rebecca, my kids' adult friend who raises dairy goats, as our "goat milk crack dealer." She's given the kids goat milk on two different occasions and they fight over it because they like it so much.

"Daddy you gotta try this milk. It's awesome!"

Wisely, the girls saved just enough goat milk for Fino to try to convince him that raising dairy goats is a fabulous idea for our family.

After the crack, err goat milk, Fino had this to say...

"I think we can build a goat shelter next to the sheep and they can share a pen. That would be do-able."

On another livestock subject...

"David is picking me up today to get that Romney ram. He's going to pick up Minnie (L's yearling sheep) on the way home." (L)

"Minnie is going to be at David's farm for 5 weeks and then I get her back. I can't wait for Minnie to have baby lambs!" (L)

"L., do you think we have to make the sheep pen bigger for the new lambs?" (Fino)

"Yes dad, we should. We can make it bigger and make the goat shelter then too." (L)

And because L. is an excellent strategist, she knows how to strike when the iron is hot. Or in this case, when dad is agreeing with her.

"You know dad, I saw this really cute llama when we were picking up the ram..." (L)

Here is the text I received while L. was picking up the ram with her adult sheep farmer friend David.

 
The picture is small but L. is standing in front of a llama.

"We are not going to get a llama this year L." (Fino)
 
"No freakin' way L!" (Me)

"OK maybe we need a year with the goats first before we get a llama." (L)

"Mom the llama would be pretty funny." (G)

"When are we going to Florida to visit Grandma?" (Me)

The Florida trip is coming up at the end of the month and it will be (mostly) animal-free. I need to recharge before another interesting year of 4-H livestock projects because when 3 out of 4 Almeidas are on-board with an idea, it's a pretty good bet it's gonna happen.

Kid Tracks Column: Leaves preserve memories of fall outings

When the fall colors start emerging on trees, the leaves become irresistible collectibles for kids.

When my girls were preschoolers we'd take a short hike and end up with a big stack of leaves collected off the ground that just had to be brought home.

Once the pretty colored leaves made their way into our house, the kids would ask me to help make something out of them. This prompted me to find some creative seasonal crafts that, even as teens, the girls still enjoy doing at this time of year.

Wax pressing: This technique I learned as a child is still one of the easiest, low-tech ways to preserve the colors of fall in their most natural state.

Put a flat leaf between two pieces of wax paper. The wax paper should be about a half-inch larger than the leaf around the perimeter. Lay a thin dishcloth over the wax paper (thin cloth is key to ensuring even, low heat during pressing).

Use an iron on a low heat setting and iron over the cloth, being sure to gently press the iron over the entire leaf.

Some people prefer to seal the edges of wax paper with the leaf inside. My kids don't like the look of the leaf in the wax paper, so they take the leaf out. There is a thin layer of wax left on the leaf when removed from the wax paper and this is what helps preserves it.

But I should mention that ironing leaves is a semi-smelly business. The heated leaf offers up an earthy smell that takes a while to dissipate.

My kids like to make collages with the leaves and put them in matted glass frames. It offers a nice finished look and preserves the leaves for at least a couple of seasons.

Crayon rubbings: The girls got into leaf rubbings when they were in elementary school. I waited to introduce this method, because it can be tricky to make a rubbing.

The only items required for rubbing are lightweight, white paper and thick crayons with the paper label removed (the larger, toddler crayons work great if you have them).

After the kids find a leaf they like, help them find a flat surface. If we're out on the trail, we look for a big rock that is a bit larger than the leaf they want to rub. When around home, a cement step works great.

Put the leaf on the rock and place the paper over it. Mom or Dad can help by holding two corners of the paper to keep it and the leaf in place. Without parental help, kids can get frustrated with the blurry image that results from the leaf moving around as the crayon is rubbed on the paper.

I always tried to pack a full array of colors in the kids' backpacks to ensure a varied ensemble of rubbings to bring home from the trail.

For older kids in need of a science project for school -- or for Scouts or 4-H displays -- my daughters can attest that a poster of leaf identifications with the rubbings can be colorful and informative.

Leaf impressions: This is a simple way to create art with leaves. You only a need a piece of white cotton fabric and some fabric paint that can be applied with a paint brush.

Kids simply collect a mix of leaf shapes and sizes. Then they paint the surface of a leaf and place it on the fabric paint-side down. Encourage the kids to apply pressure around all of the leaf's edges to get a clear definition of the shape.

A friend of mine encouraged her kids to press down on the leaf with a paper plate. The kids reported much better impressions of their leaves that way than using hands-only pressure.

Another way to make a leaf impression is to put fabric dye in a spray bottle, place leaves on fabric and spray the dye over the leaves.

Let the dye dry for at least 10 to 15 minutes before removing the leaves to ensure you don't blur the edges.

It's a great variation on tie-dyeing, but it's messy, so dress the kids accordingly.

Collecting two thick sticks and affixing the fabric to them like a scroll offers a festive, natural fall display.

Leaf ID notebook: Encouraging kids to start a leaf-collecting notebook not only helps them organize their collections each season, it minimizes the space needed to display them in your house.

My kids made their own collection notebooks by folding pieces of white paper and sewing the left edge with embroidery floss to make a simple binding.

They put each collected leaf on its own page. They can choose to use the wax paper method to preserve the leaf, make a rubbing or just glue it in as it is.

The key to using an untreated leaf is to make sure the notebook is placed under a heavy book overnight to keep the leaf from curling while it's drying.

As my kids got older, I encouraged them to write in the type of tree the leaf came from, using our tree identification book, as well as the place they found the leaf. It has been a great way to practice their tree ID skills and reminisce about our hikes together.

No matter the method you use to collect and display fall leaves, this time of year offers plenty of creativity and learning. Leaf collection is a simple and wonderful way to help your child explore the natural environment.

Originally published in the Maine Sunday Telegram, Oct. 9, 2011

Making my 4H fair list, and checking it twice

The girls are prepping their various 4-H projects for the Cumberland Fair. Everything - exhibits and livestock - needs to be at the fairgrounds next Saturday. Every year I think we'll be in better organizational shape the week prior to the fair. But every year something happens before the fair that sends my best intentions out the window. This year it's a work schedule change for me. And, the girls have more show animals than previous years. This year L. has 3 sheep (she had 2 last year) and G. is showing 3 cows (she showed 1 last year).

I have a working packing list so I can regularly add to it when I think of items. I'm posting it on my blog, not so much to share the gory details with all of you as much as a way for me to reference it when I need it in case I lose my original list (which is entirely possible in my currently sleep-deprived brain).

The Almeida's fair packing list (so far - I know I am forgetting something already!):

Livestock
2 pigs, each between 220-250 pounds. 4-H friend hauling
3 sheep (1 yearling, 2 lambs - one lamb that is nearly the size of the yearling). We haul w/trailer and our wanna-be truck (mini-van)
3 cows (1 cow, 1 heifer and 1 bull calf). Farm hauling
4-H livestock forms & livestock insurance cards

4-H hall exhibits
* 14 exhibits for L w/fair entry paperwork attached to each one
* 15 exhibits for G, including baked items made the night before the drop-off and fair entry paperwork for each one
* old computer laptop (to play G.'s movie submission and L.'s robotic club's movie for judging day)

13-foot camper that we are also hauling with our wanna-be truck (mini-van)

L.'s packing list
* grain for sheep
* hay for sheep
* water bucket for sheep
* grain dish for sheep
* hand clippers for sheep
* hoof trimmers for sheep
* brushes for sheep
* 3 sheep halters
* sheep coats
* grain for pigs
* 2 grain dishes for pigs
* 2 pig boards
* shampoo to wash pigs
* wash bucket, sponge and scrub brush for pigs
* powder & baby oil for pigs
* baby wipes for sheep & pigs
* boots for stall mucking
* boots for showing
* show clothes for sheep
* show clothes for pigs - Swiners shirt and extra show pants

G.'s packing list
* show shirt and pants
* boots for stall mucking
* boots for showing
* show stick
* (farm's) show box with brushes, clippers, combs, hair stuff
* baby wipes

Mom's packing list
(check standard camper gear before hauling camper to fairgrounds)
* Breakfast items for 7 days
* Lunch supplies for 7 days
* water bottles & seltzer cans
* paper plates and napkins
* plastic silverware
(We're budgeting to eat dinner at the fairgrounds every night because I can't handle meal prep with shows just about every afternoon/evening!)

* Sleeping bags for the camper
* 4 pillows
* portable heater
* extra hangers for wet clothes - it has rained nearly every day at this fair for the past 3 years we've camped there.

* 4 aprons and hats for our 4-H kitchen volunteer time

And this year not only are we prepping for the fair, I am adjusting to a new night work schedule that I was assigned at the office. I have been an early morning person for the last decade so when the sun comes up, unfortunately so do I even if I've only been asleep for 3-4 hours. Every night I get a little more sleep so I am sure in a couple of weeks my body will have this snoozing thing figured out.

Then there are the kids and their much more demanding school and homework assignments that need to be figured out for our week at the fair.

And there is the third pig to get off for processing *this* weekend and coordinating with friends for the pick-up.

Oh, and G. just took on a new dog to foster two weeks ago.

I definitely have my hands full for the next 8 days. Then there is fair week, which is another whole ball of wax.

As my friends in college used to say, "It's going to be a show!" for the next couple of weeks.

But like every year, the coordination is always worth the effort. The kids learn so many practical life skills with their various activities at the fair every year. And we have some wonderful 4-H friends that make this all do-able - and fun! - for my family.

But if you see me this coming week, or the week of the fair, don't expect much conversation. Or be ready for my sleep-deprived silliness. I'm well-known for the latter and it's even more bizarre coming from a 40-year-old than it was during my college years. Just plan to forgive me now for my weirdness.

Happy upcoming fair week to all my 4-H friends!

Kid Tracks Column: Citizen scientists add vital details to the big picture

Engaging kids in the natural world can be a great learning experience.

My children have always enjoyed making observations about trees, flowers and tracks while we’re hiking on trails around Maine. They like to point out details they think are interesting, amusing or just plain “weird.”

This has led me to consider ways to encourage their interest in environmental science in a more formal way. One of the ways my family does this is with citizen science projects.

Citizen science is a way to help real scientists learn more about a particular area through observation reports. It also helps scientists get the word out about invasive species and teach how to identify them.

These projects help scientists in Maine – and across the nation – understand how the natural world is changing and allow ordinary citizens to have an impact on environmental policy decisions. Volunteers typically are given observation guidelines and a way to file reports.

My busy family has been involved in a few seasonal citizen science projects that I found very do-able. Some projects can go on for years, so you should inquire about how to end your participation in the project before you sign up for one.

Signs of the Seasons: A Maine Phenology Project (umaine.edu/signs-of-the-seasons): This program documents the effects of global climate change with the help of citizens observing and recording the phenology (seasonal changes) of plants and animals living in their backyards. This has been a convenient project for us, since all we have to do is walk out our door to do it.

There are 14 indicator species you can choose to observe and my kids each chose a red maple tree. They started this project in early spring and have spent 10 minutes once a week sitting in front of their tree recording its changes and any visitors (bird or mammal) that stop by.

My older daughter is really enjoying this project because she is a photography enthusiast. She believes her camera helps her be a better observer, because it’s more active than simply sitting down and watching a stationary tree.

The University of Maine Cooperative Extension and Maine Sea Grant coordinate the program in partnership with the USA National Phenology Network, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Maine Audubon, climate scientists at the University of Maine and several other organizations.

My family signed up for a training program after finding out about the phenology project through a 4-H connection. There are also online resources for volunteers to get involved at any time.

Invasive Forest Pest Outreach, BugWatchME (www.albmaine.org): My family spends a lot of time on a variety of trails, so we decided to take a class last year with some Maine Department of Agriculture folks to learn about invasive insects.

The “Leave Your Firewood at Home” and “Buy It Where You Burn It” bumper stickers and posters you see have been created because invasive species can move easily and efficiently through firewood.

Right now, the Asian longhorned beetle (ALB) is a big threat to Maine’s hardwood trees. The beetle first arrived in wood-packing material used to import goods from Asia about 20 years ago. Worcester, Mass., lost 25,000 trees from an infestation of these bugs a few years ago. Officials hope to keep these insects out of Maine and have enacted a law that prohibits bringing firewood into the state.

This citizen science project is more about learning about invasive insect species and how to look for signs of them. My kids have taken a closer look at many trees – dead and on the ground as well as alive and standing – looking for signs of insects. We’ve never seen any ALB signs (and as of this printing, none have been found in Maine) but we have greatly expanded our knowledge of native Maine insects.

If you coordinate a youth (or adult) group, you can request a free presentation by an invasive insect volunteer, including games and activities.

CoCoRaHS – the Community Collaborative Rain, Hail and Snow Network

(www.cocorahs.org): Volunteers in this network measure precipitation (rain, hail and snow) in backyards in all 50 states. Becoming a weather watcher for this project required an initial investment of $25 for a specific type of rain gauge that measures to 1/100th of an inch. A yardstick for measuring snow is also needed and can be purchased at any hardware store for a few dollars.

My younger daughter and I attended a training program at Curtis Memorial Library in Brunswick last year, taught by staff from the National Weather Service in Gray, to learn how to measure precipitation accurately for this project. There are training videos on cocorahs.org also, so in-person training isn’t required.

My daughter trekked out every morning at 7 a.m. to empty the rain gauge and measure the precipitation (snow was a bit trickier than rain). Then she posted her measurements on the website. She did this for eight months and made a bar chart poster for her 4-H environmental science project to compare all of her recorded findings for the most notable storms during that time period. It was a great hands-on science project for her.

CoCoRaHS is affiliated with the National Weather Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the National Science Foundation and Colorado State University.

Great Backyard Bird Count (www.birdsource.org/gbbc): This is held for four days every February (Feb. 17-20 in 2012) and my family has done it for years. It’s a simple weekend project for families, and even very young children can help with the observations.

And although we love being outside in winter, I have friends who like this bird count because it’s a good way to teach their kids about the outdoors without actually having to be out in the cold.

You simply set up a chair by a window in your house and watch your backyard (or front yard in our case) to see which birds stop by. Then you record the time, type and number of birds you see and submit your report at the end of each day to the GBBC website.

If you’re not sure you’ve identified the bird you’ve seen correctly, there are some great online resources on the project’s website.

Maine Audubon Wildlife Road Watch (www.wildlifecrossing.net/maine/map/wildlife): Audubon scientists hope to collect data from citizen observations of wildlife on roads, whether it is alive or dead. The information can help scientists understand more about habitat fragmentation, where creatures are trying to cross roads and what can be done to reduce road kill and make the roads safer for people and wildlife.

Originally published in the Maine Sunday Telegram September 11, 2011.

Homework has begun, good thing it's fun

G. started school this week and already she has two assignments due next week in her film history class. They don't mess around with 10th graders and homework assignments!

The film history class kicked off with a study of silent films this week. One of G.'s assignments due next week offered a choice - write a paper about silent films or make your own. I actually think the instructor meant for the students to script how they would make their own film, the elements they'd use, etc. But G., being a movie making enthusiast, decided to take the assignment the extra step and make her own silent film. There was not even a moment's consideration to write a paper. G. is all about the visual art of communication.

She came up with a plot for her movie, solicited her sister to co-star and asked me to take the video footage. Once the video was shot (with much hilarity about exaggerated hand gestures) she then edited it in the style of a silent movie. This included abrupt transitions and adding effects to change the footage to black & white with an "old film" low-quality feel to make it as authentic with 2011 technology as she could (using free movie editing software and a cheap digital camera). She then tracked down some old silent film music to match up to the "action" in her story.

For those who follow my blog you will likely recognize some of the 'characters' have grown. The pigs are far from little anymore and neither are the lambs. The chickens haven't changed much though.



Disclaimer: I would like to note that no animal was harmed during the recording of this film. The only one in any distress was the camera person (me). I was bitten by one of the pigs while filming in their pen. No blood was drawn and no footage was taken of the incident so it was otherwise not noteworthy... except this is my blog and I can lament (again) that I am the furthest thing from an any-kind-of-animal whisperer there is. I am the source of pity and amusement at my house. It's a good thing I retain my sense of humor about being the receiver of "love-bites" ... well, after I whine a bit about it.

A tropical storm with livestock is uneventful

I am grateful Hurricane Irene was a nuisance rather than a more violent storm in Maine. We had spent some time in the days before the projected arrival of the hurricane to prepare our house, yard, kids and livestock for an extended power outage. We had a water collection plan in place in the backyard because the pigs have an automatic water source that is hooked to our house water and when we lose electricity, we lose the well pump too. The chickens and sheep have manual fill water troughs so we needed to make sure we collected plenty of water during the rain event of the storm for them too.

Who said being a Maine farmer was easy? Oh yeah, that would be no one.

I am thankful to CMP that we were only without power for about 10 hours on Sunday so our water collection plan did not have to be fully implemented in its delivery to the various pens. The girls, Fino and I went out to check on the livestock a couple of times during the storm and everyone fared well in our backyard.
The pigs were their usual playful selves. They didn't mind the storm much but like the Almeida humans, they casually hung around and took a nap during the worst of it. Unfortunately the pig's pen is back to it's full Swine Lake capacity. This happens a lot during a heavy rain storm because even though we expand the pen every year, the pigs like to root. They avoid the yellow wires of the electric fence while digging and their wallows (holes) end up creating a small berm around the perimeter of the pen. Pigs really are fabulous lake builders!

We're working on a plan to dry the pen out by digging a drainage trench. We're also exploring plans to completely change the set up of the pen to avoid these drainage issues next year.

The sheep were their usual hang out selves and snacked all afternoon on their hay in their shelter and chewed their cud (an indicator of healthy, calm sheep). L. and I actually hung out in the sheep shelter for a while because it was quite cozy in there.

We opened the door of the chicken coop (we free range them normally anyhow) and the chickens were scratching around the yard for a while. During the highest gusts of wind the chickens stuck closer to their pen. But they seemed unconcerned in general and did their usual foraging for bugs even though the storm pretty much blew the bugs elsewhere.

The kids played cards, read books and generally kicked back and relaxed. Our homemade candle collection was out along with some store-bought candles and flashlights in case our power was out all night. We didn't need to light the candles but we had a couple going because the scent was nice.

L., ever my creative thinker, decided it would be fun to cover each of her fingertips by dipping them in the candle's hot wax. Apparently this is some cuticle treatment but she admitted she just wanted to sport some wax covered fingers for fun because she was bored. She peeled them off and had little finger-tipped bowls to roll around the kitchen table.

It is so much fun to be 13.

I took some video of our backyard during the storm. The gusty winds were impressive but the animals were less impressed with the storm as were the humans at our house. And that was just fine with me.

Working mom knows how to maximize a day off

I decided to take a day off from work this week to hang out with my kids. I haven't really taken any days off this summer that didn't require some 4-H/fair event. I asked the girls what they wanted to do on our totally free and clear day and a few ideas were tossed around before we made an ambitious plan chock-full of activities.

This is when I was reminded that having been a full time working mom for many years has taught me some really good time management skills. I, as well as many other working moms, really know how to maximize the hours in a day.

We started my day off with a trip to open skate at Family Ice in Falmouth. The girls have been doing great skating this summer and have now graduated to the ISI Delta level. I, on the other hand, have been stuck in the Alpha (beginner) level since April. The girls gave me pointers on my cross-overs on the ice and G. took a couple of photos to show me the error of my ways. The upside is I get some "good job mom" comments and provide some amusement for the girls. I count that as a plus in my communication repertoire with my teen daughters.

I don't look too bad doing cross-overs but that darn front skate doesn't want to point in the correct direction (for an inside edge) during the cross-over, hence why I can't 'graduate' from Alpha.

Then we made reservations to do some lobstering on the Lucky Catch. It was a fun hour and a half and a beautiful day to be on a boat in Casco Bay.

Then it was off to lunch for fried seafood. My kids are all about fish and chip plates.

We had to run home after lunch to feed the animals because having livestock requires you deal with feeding schedules and such even when you'd rather not (which is a topic for another time)...

Then it was off for a paddleboarding adventure with my friend Shannon at Ferry Beach in Scarborough. L. has been asking to paddleboard all summer (she caught the bug back in early June) and Shannon was happy to have an enthusiastic partner. G. and I opted out so L. could maximize her board time and we simply enjoyed sitting around on the beach relaxing.

After paddling around for a while Shannon started showing L. some yoga moves on her paddleboard (you can read Shannon's story about SUP yoga)...

.... and suggested L. might want to give it a try since L. had a good sense of balance on the board. L. and Shannon had some silly fun trying some of the yoga moves on the board. It turned out, L. was actually good at it.

We left the beach just after dark because really, we couldn't miss this beautiful sunset.

A perfect sight to end a fun, albeit exhausting, day. I might not be very good at ice skating (or paddleboarding) but I sure do know how to manage the hours in a day when I put my mind to it.