Brewster Meadows

Tasman Sea, New ZealandWhen I first started working on this entry, I said "Spring is here and we are in the middle of another building project." Actually we are almost officially into summer, but the news hasn't changed much.

Up to this point we were a little distracted by our “trip of a lifetime” to New Zealand. We spent two wonderful, albeit too short, weeks exploring both islands. Both were spectacular in their own right. We rented a car and wandered around the north island, focusing on the Maori culture and the Coramandel Penninsula. On the South Island we rented a MINI-camper and were off to the Southern Alp and sites from LOTR (Lord of the Rings) and the Narnia Chronicles. What a spectacular country! Almost Skiing weatherWe topped off our adventure at a Sheep Station in Arthur’s pass. (Sort of trying to “do” Alaska in two weeks.)

A group called “BugWorks” hired me to do directed activities in various schools. I’m guiding 6^th graders as we explore the Missisqou Water shed. I’ve been working with a variety of elementary schools in the Mississaqua watershed. It’s great and lots of fun! Water Bugs!We go out and “play” in the water, collecting specimens, checking turbidity and doing some water chemistry as we determine the “health” of the streams that feed into Lake Champlain.

Oh yes, there was also a trip to Colorado where Deborah had a consulting session with some higher education folks and I had some over due time with my cousins and “the little mixed up ball of genius” named Dante who will be 4 on June 21.

So you see we have a little excuse for not writing and sharing the activities here in Brewster Meadows

Now that we are back we are in a flurry of building because the chickens are on their way. That’s right, folks, chickens! Deborah has always wanted to raise them so a chicken coop is our next big project. Before we left for Denver I constructed a brooder box, but now that Deborah is here, she has taken over the construction project of building the chicken coop. They will have their fenced in yard, come in at night, and hopefully, be protected from predators. We – and whoever visits – will have fresh eggs!

The garden received a lot of our attention, especially Deborah’s. She spent a lot of time preparing the garden plot for tilling and planting. After days of preparation, the garden is finally in. The corn is sticking up, the tomatoes are planted, the beets are sprouting, the zucchini is in, as well as all the winter squashes. There are also carrots, yellow and green beans, eggplant, broccoli, cabbage and cauliflower and a few that I have forgotten. The Lettuce circle is going great and there are some new lettuces planted in the cold frames. The strawberry beds are getting some overdue attention and the rhubarb is in full growth. Now it is weed and hoe and water and chase away the deer and groundhog.

The chicks are growing by the week and the chicken coop is coming along nicely. The plan is to have the chicken coop and chicken yard finished before the chickens outgrow the brooder box in the garage. That seems to be a real possibility.

And, as if there weren’t enough happening here, we have a new addition to the family. A little puppy named “Misty”. We went through a long list of names and I think “Misty” is it. She is a Goldendoodle – cross between a Golden Retriever and Standard Apricot Poodle. She is a sweetie and the boys are getting used to having another critter around.

And so the adventures continue at Brewster Meadows.