F.R. “Fritz” Nordengren (beta)

October Surprize

If you saw any of the political roast at the Al Smith dinner, then you learned the October surprise, that one of the candidates shares a middle name with  “Steve” the watch rabbit of Two Mile Ranch. (In the You Tube link, look around the 7 - 8  minute mark for the revelation.)

In contrast, my October surprise came tonight when I returned home from several days away to find the un-baited Havaheart trap was holding  “Steve”.  Okay, he’s not much of a watch rabbit, but I turned him loose, none the worst for his time in captivity.  I watered the pheasants, tossed them some cracked corn to scratch for in the morning, and unloaded the car from the trip away.

Even as a writer, I dont think I can find the words to describe the peaceful feeling of sitting here in western boots on the deck in the dark tonight, listening to the sounds of Two Mile, sipping ice tea, and being home again.

New hobby project in beta: Small Farm Life

I’ve had a project on the back burner for a number of years. My idea was a blog which collected the best of living on small farms and returning, or turning, to a rural lifestyle. I released a beta version over the past few weeks

Let me tell you a story about how it began.

I started blogging about my farm in a couple of venues, and most recently have consolidated my writing into this personal blog here at digitalstoryteller.com. As I blog here, I have a few regular areas of discussion: the farm life, my academic life, educational technology and everything that is left over.

Those blogging efforts, combined with my work on Powerprofs.org (with co producer Dr. Ann York) and some occasional contributions to the blog at Educause connect and TheScreenIsFlat.org, the brain child of Becky Hines, prompted me to rethink some organization to my writing.

Too many blogs, not enough time?

Probably not, but a clue to reorganize both the edit desk and the editorial board (both consisting of exactly one member) and regroup. And while I’ll still post some Boats Farms and Life updates here at Digitalstoryteller, the new project Small Farm Life, will be getting more of the small farm and living small discussion.

So check out SmallFarmLife.Com while it’s in beta. Be sure a leave a comment or two.

Pheasants (Take Two People)

I know many people anxiously awaited the email this week.  No, not the one about Obama’s running mate, the other email  The one about the pheasants.

One of the new projects this year was to raise and release pheasants into the habitat on the ranch.  The first pheasants arrived the week of June 12, and were well on their way to a release date sometime in October.  When they were put out into the fly pen — a 25 x 45 foot enclosed netted pen with top and side netting — 32 of the original 52 were still alive.  Over the next few days, a predator snuck into the confines and ended up killing most of the birds.  Although the hatchery suspects a mink, its just as likley it was a raccoon or a few raccoons.

So in my son Noah’s words, “Take Two People”, 52 more chicks were shipped from the hatchery and arrived at the end of July, and this weekend, I moved their brooder into the fly pen, and have done a series of staged releases.  15 were released Sunday, and 15 more today.  Assuming no predators attack tonight, I’ll release the final birds into the fly pen tomorrow, and then they grow for another 10 - 11 weeks before being released to the fields on the ranch.

With any luck, they will be safe under the watchful eyes of Steve, the watch rabbit.

Steve! The watch rabbit

There was a television show about a popular neighborhood bar called “Cheers” and one of the characters was named “Norm.”  And when ever Norm would enter the bar, he would say Hi, everybody”, and the entire bar would yell “Norm!”

Earlier this spring, a very small and skinny rabbit was around he cabin and Noah said “I’m going to name him Steve.”

“Steve”, as it turns out, decided to be a quasi mascot and pet, each morning he would greet me near the car, and many times, would hop down the driveway in front of me before darting into the tall grass.  He’s made a burrow in the barn, and –much to his credit and salvation — has not eaten the garden.  Most days, he can be found near the pheasant fly pen.  One of these days, I’ll update this post to include a photo.

By habit, when I see him, I yell out “Steve” like the folks in the bar in Cheers did for Norm.  This seems to have rubbed on my others, as “Steve” has become the mascot of the ranch.

If he could only defend the phesants against preators, I’d plant him his own garden.

Southern Iowa Barn for Sale

Since first settled in the 1850’s, this rugged piece of property in southern Iowa changed ownership every 3 - 7 years until the Andrews family held it for several decades in the early 1900’s. Somewhere in the 1930’s, Art Andrews build this typical wood frame barn, from local timber and boards.

It measures about 20 feet by 50 feet, and the siding is vertical 12 inch board and batten. My original plans were to restore the barn, but in the end, my needs are different and so I’d like to offer the barn to someone who shares an interest in restoring and preserving parts of history.

You can contact me by emailing fritz+barn@digitalstoryteller.com

Other photos and specific measurements can be sent upon request. The barn is located in Decatur County Iowa. Terms of sale and timelines are negotiable. Tear down can be arranged.

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