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Home of Michael Perry – Author, Humorist, Singer/Songwriter, Amateur Pig Farmer

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Archive for March, 2010

Coop on Vacation

I’m taking a week to just hang out with my family.  We’re not going anywhere exotic, in fact most days we’re just knockin’ around the farm.  But posts for this week may or may not reflect reality or current events, as I’ve set them up to publish themselves so I can be off splitting firewood or toasting marshmallows or re-inventing myself as the Chicken Whisperer.

While we are very much enjoying our vacation right here on the farm (doing terrific things like picking up old bread bags stuck in the pine trees, cleaning the pole barn, and boiling down lard), some people (and some books) are going on real vacations:

Thank you MJ and Tim for the photo!

Whad’Ya Know? Show and Long Beds

I’m taking a week to just hang out with my family.  We’re not going anywhere exotic, in fact most days we’re just knockin’ around the farm.  But posts for this week may or may not reflect reality or current events, as I’ve set them up to publish themselves so I can be off splitting firewood or toasting marshmallows or re-inventing myself as the Chicken Whisperer.

During the recent World Tour in support of Tiny Pilot, the Long Beds climbed off their palatial tour buses (we each have our own bus, naturally – it minimizes all the vicious infighting) to appear with Michael Feldman on Whad’Ya Know? The show is archived now.  You can listen here.

We play at the end of the first hour and the beginning of the second.

As we left the stage, there in the wings was my dear friend Frank.  Turns out he was the next guest.  I’ve written about Frank in my books…also if you’ve heard me tell the “billions” story, he’s that Frank.  One of the kindest, smartest fellows I’ve had the pleasure of knowing.  Once his interview gets rolling and he starts talking about Wisconsin milk production, you’ll get a sense of his facility with knowledge.  I especially like his cheese comment.

Really Doing It

I’m taking a week to just hang out with my family.  We’re not going anywhere exotic, in fact most days we’re just knockin’ around the farm.  But posts for this week may or may not reflect reality or current events, as I’ve set them up to publish themselves so I can be off splitting firewood or toasting marshmallows or re-inventing myself as the Chicken Whisperer.

Because I wrote a book about raising pigs and chickens, and because one-half of our granary roof is tiled with photovoltaic panels, I am sometimes touted as being part of a sustainability movement.  We are indeed trying to raise much of our own food and find a way to balance convenience with renewability, but in truth, I am at best a skimmer and a dabbler.  But this guy here is really doing it.  It’s been fascinating to watch his efforts evolve and expand over the past few years – hoop houses, gasifiers, biodiesel, scythes, and now a big ol’ red truck.  I believe that truck reveals a solid streak of realism.  I admire people like Rob who combine sharp scientific smarts with nearly boundless energy and then back it all up with sweat.

Spoon River to Music

I’m taking a week to just hang out with my family.  We’re not going anywhere exotic, in fact most days we’re just knockin’ around the farm.  But posts for the next week may or may not reflect reality or current events, as I’ve set them up to just publish themselves so I can be off splitting firewood or toasting marshmallows or re-inventing myself as the Chicken Whisperer.

A friend with a cool name sent me The Hill, the album Richard Buckner built around Edgar Lee Master’s Spoon River Anthology.  Had my first listen yesterday morning and it’s a fine, brooding thing.

Pheasants, Maples, Next Winter

Playing catch-up around here after a week on the road.  Doing some writing of course, some reading (still dipping into Montaigne now and then), paying bills, cleaning out car, reacquainting myself with deadlines (at least two things due in the next week).

But also some good outside time.  All of a sudden I’m seeing and hearing cock pheasants.  Last year they seemed to disappear, but in the past few days I’ve seen several, including a real beauty at the end of the driveway and this morning another at the edge of the yard.  These guys all had fine tailfeathers (unlike Mister Big Shot, the tail-challenged luvah I wrote about in Coop).

Our friends Gale and Jan came to tap the maples.  It’s been weird here…straight cold, then straight warm.  Not quite right for the sap to run.  It has been below freezing the last couple of nights, but so far we’ve had pretty meager production.  Still, the two-year-old loves to catch a drop on her finger and taste it.  The look on her face as she tells me it is “tang-gee…no, sweet!” is worth it, syrup or no.

Yesterday afternoon I split a bunch of wood.  Still needs to be stacked, but at least it’s under the woodshed roof.  Feels good to look at it there, knowing it will be ready next January, even as the last of this year’s snow lingers behind the pole barn (and, apparently, more to come this weekend).

And then supper with my wife and tykes.  Simple, good.