Grace Harbor Farms

Do You Know Who Loves You?

2012-01-29T15:12:00.000-08:00

Do You Know Who Loves You?
Tim and I have a “game” that we play with each other.
When we fight, or have a disagreement, we use this “game” to figure out how bad the damage is.
When the dust is starting to settle Tim would say to me (or I would say to him), “Do you know who loves you?”
The first standard answer from the other is, “Jesus loves me.”
“Who else?” Tim would ask.
Now, we find out how bad the fight was, how much damage had been done, or how deep the residual effects are. If I acknowledge right away that he loves me, then the battle wasn’t too bad, but if I come up with lots of other people who love me first, . . . well, it is taking longer to forgive.
“My mother loves me,” I say.
“Who else?” Tim askes.
“My kids love me.”
“Who else?”
“The ladies at church love me.”
“Who else?”
“Sunny (the dog) loves me.”
“Who else?”
“Santo (my horse) loves me.”
“Who else?”
By now I might have to get a bit creative about who loves me, but eventually I will say, “You love me.”
“Yeah,” Tim will say, “I love you.” Then we will hug and all is good.
Recently I started playing, “Do you know who loves you?” with my grandchildren. I found it a great way to say goodnight, or send them off to school.
“Do you know who loves you?” I ask.
“You do!” they exclaim.
“You are so right!” I tell them and give them a big hug.
A couple of days ago Faith, my 10 year old granddaughter who lives here on the farm with the rest of her family, added a new twist to the game. She was dashing home from the barn when she stopped, turned around and called out to me, “Do you know who loves you?”
“You do!” I called back.
It just doesn’t get any better than that!

2012-01-07T18:23:00.001-08:00

Buck
Can Talk

So, you
might ask, who is Buck? And what does he say?
Buck is
a 24 year old quarter horse who lives at Grace Harbor Farms. We love Buck, he
loves us, and he talks to us.
Yeah,
right, you say—as if horses can talk.
Well,
horses do talk and I would like to tell you some of the stories about how Buck
talks to us and what he said to Ryleigh today.
Buck
started to talk to us when we first got him. That was about four years ago. We
got buck from one of our neighbors, named
Sandy. We wanted a
horse that would be safe for children (and husbands) to ride.
Sandy told us that Buck would be
perfect. He’s a “Been There, Done That” kind of a guy.
He had been in 4H, lots of shows and trail rides, and they had even used him
when they went hunting for deer. “Buck won’t give you no trouble,”
Sandy’s husband told us.
When
Buck arrived he was a sad looking horse. He had been out in a muddy field and he
was covered with mud himself. He hadn’t been ridden in a long time, and now that
we know Buck better, we know that when he hasn’t been ridden or paid any
attention too, he gets very sad.
Buck
made friends with us quickly and settled right in. We had two other horses at
the time—Santo and Penny. Buck became the “herd boss”.
The
first time Buck talked to me was the next spring. I had the horses confined to a
small part of the pasture to keep them from eating too much grass. One afternoon
I dragged the hose over to fill the water trough. Buck was at the far end of the
field. When he saw me at the watering trough he started walking purposely toward
me. “Oh,” I thought, “he wants some fresh water.”
But he walked right past me toward
the hot wire gate that I had put up to keep the horses from the tall grass.
“What’s he doing?” I thought, “Is he
going to walk right through that wire?”
But he stopped with his nose just
inches from the wire. He put his nose as close to the wire as he could without
touching it. Then he lifted his head and looked at the tall grass on the other
side. Then he dropped his head down to the bare dirt at his feet and pecked at
it with his teeth. Next he turned his head and looked right at me, then he
turned his head and looked back at the tall grass.
The message was clear! He wanted me
to open the gate so he could get to the grass! I laughed. “Wow! That’s a smart
horse,” I thought.
I opened the gate for him. He
trotted through. When the other horses saw him in the tall grass, they galloped
to join him.
I came back into the house still
laughing. After I told the story to my mom and Tim, I said “We are not surprised
when the dog shows us his empty dish—why should we be surprised when a horse
tells us what he wants!”
So I learned that Buck could talk to
me. Through the years we have had many “conversations”. Let me tell you what he said
today.
Faith and I have been getting Jack,
her horse, ready to take her on a ride through the berry fields for several
months. Today was the day she was finally going to get to ride him in the berry
fields. Her mom, Heather, wanted to go, too. She wanted to see Faith have her
first ride with Jack in the fields. Ordinarily Faith’s sister, Ryleigh, could
have stayed with her dad while we all went for a ride, but Josh had to work
today, so Heather asked Ryleigh if she would like to go on the ride with us, she
could ride double on Buck with her mom. At first Ryleigh agreed, then changed
her mind and decided that she did not want to go. “Ryleigh,” Heather pleaded. “I
won’t be able to see Faith have her first ride in the berry fields unless you go
with us. Will you please go, for me?”
“Yeah, Ryleigh,” Faith agreed, “do
it for MOM!” “OK,” Ryleigh
said. “I’ll go.”
So off we went. Faith was on Jack, I
was on Santo and Heather and Ryleigh were on Buck.
Ryleigh was riding behind her mom,
behind the saddle on the bony back bone. It was not very comfortable even though
they added an extra saddle pad for Ryleigh to sit on.
Our plan was to ride to the east
side of the berry fields where Brighty lives. Brighty is a mini horse and great
fun to visit.
Faith and I were about 50 yards
ahead of Heather and Ryleigh when
Heather decided to get off and let Ryleigh ride by herself for a little while.
Ryleigh got in the saddle and Heather walked.
Buck wanted to catch up with Jack
and Santo, so Ryleigh asked her mom if she could trot. “Sure,” Heather
said.
Ryleigh let Buck know he could speed
up, and he immediately broke into a canter!
I turned around to see Ryleigh’s
terrified face and Buck gently cantering toward Faith and me.
Ryleigh didn’t know how to stop him.
As she passed me I called, “Pull the reins! Tell him ‘whoa’.” She did, and he
stopped just a few yards past us.
I jumped off Santo to comfort her
while her mom was still walking toward us. Heather didn’t know that Ryleigh had
been frightened.
When Heather got close, Ryleigh ran
to her and buried her face in Heather’s front, crying.
Suddenly Buck started making his way
toward Ryleigh. I turned around when I realized that I had left him unattended
after I had helped Ryleigh dismount.
Buck could have gone any number of
places, or just stood and eaten grass, but he chose to head for Ryleigh. I moved
over so he could pass me and at the same time told Ryleigh, “Buck is coming to
you!”
Buck came right up to Ryleigh and
put his mussel next to her cheek, as close as he could get to it, since she
still had her face buried in her mom’s front.
Buck’s eyes said it all. “I am so
sorry,” he said, “I did not mean to frighten you. Are you all right? Please
forgive me. I am so sorry.”
His ears were “relaxed” not forward,
not back, just relaxed. He was telling her that he loved her and he did not mean
to scare her. We were all amazed, and touched. It nearly made us cry to see how
sad Buck was that he had scared his precious friend!
And the story doesn’t end there. All
the way home Buck was extra careful not to frighten Ryleigh again. He walked
slowly, and carefully after she had gotten back on.
(By the way, Great Job, Ryleigh for
getting back on!)
When we got back to the barn as
Heather unsaddled Buck she said, “Good Boy, Buck, you did a good
job.”
Buck let out a big sigh. He looked
at Heather with sad eyes. “Did you see what happened out there?” his look said,
“I scared Ryleigh. It was not a good ride.”
You are wrong, Buck. It was a great
ride, and you are one GREAT horse. We love you.

Crew Lunch

2010-09-30T13:48:00.001-07:00

One of the things you may not know about Grace Harbor Farms is that I, Grace, make lunch for everyone who is working on the farm every day. This is a great opportunity for us to share each others lives. Here we are today, September 30th, enjoying apple pie after having chicken noodle soup for lunch. The chicken, apples, carrots, yogurt, onions, and milk all came from our farm. We have homemade bread most days, too. The morning crew also comes in for coffee, homemade granola and yogurt in the morning.

Cow or Goats?

2010-09-30T13:37:00.001-07:00

We made a decision a couple of weeks ago to stop milking goats altogether. We have been buying goat milk for many months from Wil-O-Acres Goat Dairy in Ferndale, and it was getting more and more cumbersome to try to keep both goats and cows here. So now we are a Guernsey Cow only dairy, but we are selling more goat milk than ever and Grace Harbor International is still making all the same goat milk skin care products. This is a big change for us, but it is working very well! The milkers are so happy not to have to keep the milking parlor set up for both kinds of animals, and it is easier to take care of the cows without having to spend time and space for the goats.

Wil-O-Acres is the farm we bought our first goats from in 1999 and Wendy Glunt, the owner, has been my goat mentor from the beginning of our business. When she decided to go Grade A with her dairy we agreed to buy her milk because we know the quality care she gives her animals and we watched her build her farm and get licensed. We are pleased to be helping another small local farmer make a living and develop her business. Wendy raises show quality Saanens. Her daughter raises La Manchas, but they did not want to make cheese, yogurt, or bottle milk. So they are the milk produces, we are the processors. I hope to get some pictures of their dairy up soon.

Zolma Turkeys and Free Range Chickens

2009-04-16T14:49:00.001-07:00

Kids Are Here!

Meet Zolma. Zolma? Yes, Zolma. This is the year that we name the goats names that start with "Z". That is one of the ways we keep track of how old the goats are. Zolma's mother is named Sharon, so she was born in the "S" year. That means Sharon will be seven years old this year. By the way, we chose "Zolma" as our first "Z" name because we have a friend by that name!

Sharon is a good mom. Here are she and Zolma in the little pen we fixed up for them right next to the store on the farm. Notice the free range chickens in the background. More about them later.

We're talking Turkey here!

We added turkeys to the farm last year and had no idea how entertaining they would be. They always come to the fence when visitors are at the farm. They are as curious about the visitors as the visitors are about them. They talk and strut. Great fun. We also have hens sitting on eggs and plan to sell turkeys for meat this year. If you want an unsual and expensive turkey dinner for the holidays, get on our list. We will save one for you. The price is worth it.

We are also going to be raising free range pastured poultry for meat. Our first butchering date is July 7th. If you want a chicken, or several, let us know. We will reserve them for you. You will be surprised at the difference between a "real" chicken and a "store bought" one.

We sell eggs in the farm store, too. Delicious, but we have only a couple of dozen for sale every day.

New Year, Waiting for New Kids

2008-01-09T15:38:00.000-08:00

January and February are the low months for milk production. The does will starting kidding in March this year and our milk production will finally start going back up. Goats are not like cows. They do not come into season all year round like cows do. The does come into heat in the fall and after they are bred they will kid five months later. In order to give them some time off, we try to dry them up 60 days before they are scheduled to have their kids. We try to spread the breeding out as much as possible, but there is still this two month time when the milk production is down. But those of you who have been missing us in some of the stores in Seattle will see us back on the shelves as soon as the kids arrive! By the way, come visit the farm during the Spring and early summer if you want to see the kids. They are adorable.

O Holy Night

2007-12-22T10:45:00.000-08:00

Friday night we took part in a living nativity in Blaine. Here is the story written by my mom:

Live Nativity Scene
Northwood Church’s evening to bless the town was elaborate: in the parking lot: a hay ride, a bonfire, and 200 boxes of Christmas dinners to give away. Inside: warm hugs and handshakes, mounds of cookies, hot and cold apple cider, the worship team banging out joyful sounds. Out back, between the church and the woods: a Live Nativity Scene -- for which Grace and Tim offered to bring a horse and some goats.
We closed the farm store just at dark and loaded up. Penny in the horse trailer was no problem since she is quite used to riding around; and two baby goats got to ride in the back of the pickup, peering out the canopy windows with cheerful anticipation. Of course Sunny went too -- but he rides in the cab behind us.
It could have been a nice tranquil adventure except that it seemed logical, with a trailer built for two, to pick up Lucas,Carol Molcar's miniature donkey, on the way.
Carol's farm was easy to find -- but once inside we didn't expect to be met by 4 enormous lamas – taller than the truck! – looming out of the dark and lumbering toward the trailer. Penny looked out her horse window and let out a stream of snort words. What are THOSE !!!?*!*!?*! Carol casually brings little Lucas around on a leash and loads him in beside Penny, which was no problem for him because he is used to riding around too. But Penny just keeps snorkussing at --everything!
Oh well... we pack ourselves into the pickup -- Carol squeezes in with Sunny in the back; Grace and I belt ourselves into the front seat; Tim slams the passenger door three times to make it stay shut, wedges in on his side, and guns to go. As we head for the gate, suddenly there is a terrible crashing back in the trailer. "Stop! STOP!" Grace yells. Tim pulls the emergency brake, jumps out, and Grace scrambles over the steering wheel because there isn't time to crawl over me.
Dear sweet Penny was jerking and kicking because little Lucas had crawled under the horse divider and was wedged under her chin! Needless to say, he was summarily unloaded, and relegated back to Carol’s truck, which delivered him to the church a bit after Penny got there first. But Penny simply hated everything about being a Live Nativity Scene and spent the evening leering over at Lucas and snorting with disgust. There were a few moments when the family posed with some dignity and looked the part, but I doubt Penny will EVER again be manger scenery. Real horses don’t like donkeys!

Penny and the Kids

2007-11-15T17:16:00.000-08:00

Every morning and afternoon I take Penny and the baby goats from the barn to the pasture. It is great fun to watch as the little goats gallop along with me. Penny is a 16, or more, year old grade mare that I bought for our grandchildren to ride. She's a real sweetie and Faith, my 6 year old granddaughter will start formal riding lessons on her next week. She has been riding her for several months, but now we are going to get serious! What fun.

Come and visit the farm when you can. We have redone the store with a new floor and new paint. It looks great, and all the better to serve you with, my dears.

Scottie now lives at Grace Harbor Farms

2007-11-05T07:19:00.000-08:00

Wow. God is so good. On Saturday morning I took a look at Craigslist to start looking for a new dog. There was a picture and story about a purebred collie who needed a home with more things to do and people who could spend time with him. I wrote to the poster and told her that I could not imagine a better home for her collie than Grace Harbor Farms. By noon he had become part of the family. He is wonderful! He's a 11 month old purebred collie, gentle, friendly, housebroken, playful--and beautiful. Thank you, Lord.

Come and visit when you can.

In Memory of Silas

2007-11-03T07:31:00.001-07:00

Any of you who have ever visited the farm, know Silas. I am absolutely heartbroken to tell you that Silas died on November 1st. He was hit by a car at the end of the driveway. I didn't see it happen--I found him about one minute after it happened. He did not suffer. He was gone when I got to him.

You can imagine the hole in my life, and the hole in the farm without Silas here. It is almost beyond belief. If there ever were a good dog, Silas was he. Every time I went from one building to the other he went with me. He loved to greet people when they came, but he would withdraw to his yard when told to. He never complained. He just wanted to be with the people, and was thrilled if he found someone who would throw something for him. Last summer he discovered "Apple Ball" trees and from then on he was not long without something to ask you to throw for him.

The farm will not be the same without Silas.

I am looking for another dog. If you are a praying person you can pray for our comfort as we grieve the loss of Silas, and pray that the Lord will help us to find the right dog to come to Grace Harbor Farms. Thank you for your prayers, and your comfort.

The cheese is ready

2007-10-24T06:47:00.000-07:00

We sold our first package of cheese yesterday after a three year hiatus. I didn't even have the labels on the packages yet when our mail carrier came in to pick up the mail order that were going out. I told her that we had cheese and asked her if she would like a taste. "Are you kidding?" she said, "I love cheese!" I gave her a taste and she immediately went back to her vehicle for some money. "Here, keep the change, " she said. "This is fantastic!"

We have four flavors so far:

Classic Chevre
Sweet Pepper and Garlic
Basil and Garlic
Dill and Chives

The Feta will be ready next week, and the Gouda next month.

Come try some!

Cheese is Back!!

2007-10-20T16:15:00.000-07:00

We are making cheese again! After many, many requests we are making cheese again. We have gouda aging. It will be ready in about a month

The chevre in this picture will be ready to eat on Monday, the 22nd. Wow. It's been a long time, more than two years since we made cheese.

We will have it for sale here on the Farm by Tuesday and it will be at the Farmer's Market in Bellingham on Saturday, the 27th. We are not planning to sell it to any other stores right now.

Flavors will probably include Pure Chevre, Sweet Pepper, Basil and Garlic, and Dill with Chives.

Yum. I have also missed the cheese so we are delighted to bring it back.

Opening Post

2007-10-18T19:19:00.000-07:00

Thanks for visiting the new blog of Grace Harbor Farms. Here we will keep you updated on thing around the farm. We currently have 42 goats producing milk, three doelings growing up, two buck waiting for does to come into heat, 18 chickens laying brown eggs, three horses, four cats, one golden retreiver and the three of us. Learn more as you look around.