This short quarterly post, will be about what has happened at Birdhouse Ranch, both good, and less obviously good this winter season.

This year, for all of us around the world, our lives have had many unexpected events. Here at Birdhouse Ranch we have had plenty of unexpected events. Each event has moved us to do things differently. Our daughter Lindsey, and son Emery are home zoom schooling their 2 daughters, not easy, not fun, and is a real loss of friends for the oldest 2 ladies, and much less time for their parents at the ranch. Our other daughter Kenia, and son Cyrus and their daughter, the youngest is able to attend preschool, and only missed half a year without her friends, but also have had less time at the Ranch.

Birdhouse Ranch has recently put up half of a tent platform, and hope in the next couple of weeks to finish it up. The platform is an important addition to our barn area, as it lets all of our family be at Birdhouse at one time, and each family will soon have a place to stay. On the last day of our 10 day camping stay, early in the morning, 2 steers broke in to a fenced area, muscled into our wooden barn, and woke us up. Cows are curious, and trouble, and we realized we had better make a pretty good perimeter around the platform, or they would out of curiosity, and with their bigness bump the platform, and break it. Cows dictate the ranch chores, which are many.

Pajaro Azul, our planted veggie hoop house, managed by Kenia and Cyrus, which fed the farm, and that many enjoyed eating from, collapsed under the wind, snow, and rain in January. This was a blow to our psyche, and took us down just a notch, but we cleaned up the hoop house, and planted the cold weather starts, surrounded them with straw, and now we wait. We now have beautiful, cabbage, broccoli, some stunted chard and kale, still yummy, the beets look good, but nothing is quite near ready. We are growing in the open, it is slow in producing, and won’t be ready really until next month, March/April. This has forced us into thinking about putting up a much more substantial green house, and moving its location. Birdhouse has an offer of an investment into a new greenhouse. We have never had investors, and are just beginning to consider this possibility.

The last of the 3 Queen horses, Onchao, inherited when we purchased Birdhouse Ranch, died in February. The 1st Queen died under the shade of 4 Oak trees, we named that hill Dead Horse Hill. The 2nd Queen chose to go to an area that was in a valley, a bit cooler, and secluded. She was the most difficult to find in both life, and death.

Onchao, the 3rd Queen, died near the road, where she would not be overlooked. Onchao was a people horse. We knew she was dying, she had paid us a visit earlier in the week, to make sure we would know. She was a free range, organic alfalfa horse, she ranged with the cows. She loved people, could be quite demanding, and often tried to dominate us humans for food. She died with all of her teeth, though she was quite old, and traveled about until her end. The cows make a trail on both sides of her, giving space, but surrounding her with their paths.

And lastly, our beautiful dog Roxy died.

She was a big, good natured dog, excellent with the 3 younger ladies, always gentle. Roxy moved on in January. She has a great resting spot, view, and is greatly missed.

Birdhouse Free Range will slaughter 2 criollo cows in April, and are selling April shares now. If you are interested in buying a share, want information, or have questions, go to our info page, and get in touch with Emery 415 828 4525 or Lindsey at info@BirdhouseRanch.com

Quarterly Ranch Update