A sitting bench next to the fire, for reading or putting on boots.

Today is a bluebird blue sky and low wind day, our temps are in the 40′s and the doors are open — perhaps the last time until our January thaw.  So with smart phone camera in hand, I tried to capture the progress on the interiors here.

Background:

The two cabins are bisected by a 16 x 44 foot deck.  The deck runs east – west and the two cabins orient north – south.  Both cabins entry doors face the center under a tin roof which covers the deck/cabin intersection.

The big cabin

The stove and sink with built in drainer. Easy cooking for one or a dozen.

The big cabin is 14 x 24 and includes 9 windows and the glass pane entry door.  It includes living, dining cooking, storage and a guest sleeping area.

The original cooking space was a small two burner electric cook top inspired by summer homes I saw in Norway in 2003,  These small cottages use wood for heat, small hotplates for cooking, and often did dishes outdoors.

Other cooking was often done outside on a small grill with a griddle surface.  Over time, as I began cooking more and cooking for more guests, my thoughts returned to a gas range and some higher BTU burners.  The result was a Premier Pro Series that included an oven and broiler as well as some storage for cooking sheets.

The griddle over the center burners has become a standard fixture.

This prep table was custom built using wood reclaimed from the grain bin in the Andrew barn.

The prep table I crafted over ayear ago from some large planking I recoved from the grain bin in the Andrew barn, the old, leaning barn here build in the late 30′s or early 40′s by Art Andrew.  A pair of contemporary cast iron legs support it at each end.

Above it is a bakers center and the Two Mile collection of hand-me-down pots and pans.  I added a power strip above the table from the outlet below.  I rarely use appliances at the same time, but its easy to plug a few in and use them, they tuck them back away.

The baskets and organizers are hand made by my friends Eli and Carolyn Troyer and their family.  Their sons Ephram and Dan also helped with the roof framing on the barn and Writer’s Loft.

An IKEA Norden table serves as dining, working, and writing.

The center of the cooking area is a kitchen island and at the end is an IKEA Norden table (the name is coincidence).  The gateleg table folds to a narrow foot print (less than a foot) and opens to seat 4 – 6 people.  The slide out drawers hide office supplies and power cords, adapters and chargers for devices.

Above the island, a retractible ladder leads to the guest loft overhead.

The retractible stairs to the guest sleeping loft above the large cabin floor

Above is two singe beds and artwork by my twins from their elementary days.

The guest sleeping loft.

The Small Cabin

A many use work table: fly tying, computer work, seedling starts, laundry folding

Across the deck is the little cabin, measuring 14 x 18, it also has a sleeping loft over the bath and storage.

A work area and deck are used for work, video editing, fly tying, plant starting in spring, and occasional laundry and clothes folding.

There are bookshelves, a clothes wardrobe,  a deep freeze (for now until it moves to the barn) and some general storage.

The sleeping loft in the little cabin is accessed by a permanent, site built ladder.

The ladder to the sleeping loft in the little cabin

The sleeping loft in the little cabin.

A place to read or work from a laptop. This chair will move to the writers retreat when finished.

Okay, I’m guilty here now because I officially have a garage — well part of the barn is designed for the truck.  But for now, it has more stuff than truck.

The photo above was taken November 2007, just before the Thanksgiving weekend snow. The dog trot cabin had been sheeted and roofed, and the Tyvek housewrap was put on by a team of friends as we hustled to beat the cold and the sunset.

Four years later, the forecast calls for snow tonight, after a day and night of solid rain.

The heated and insulated roofs are covered with a foil-bubble insulation, the non heated spaces get a synthetic roofing felt

The barn isn’t sheeted, the roof is half covered with metal and building will stop for a week as we let the mud dry and regroup.  It’s probable that I’ll get the sheeting finished and the loft enclosed before Thanksgiving, although the work may be in the snow this year.  I had a chance to do some timeline guessing, and head scratchin’ and I think we’re still on target to be hosting guests mid to late summer.  But even better is I bet I can park the truck inside under the roof before the 2nd snowfall of the year.  And next year, the heat will be working in that barn, too.

With the metal roof over the open sided shed on the east side of the barn

And then another from the loft looking south — the roof is now covered after these photos were taken, and I’ll be working this weekend securing the sub floor and beginning to close in the gable walls.

I’m also sharing a very crude 3-d rendering of the finished barn.

The entire album is visible here

48x48Barn-CountryPlans

The overall size is 48′ x 48′.  A center main building, 24′x48′ will have a loft living space and then two 12′ x 48′ add on leant to sheds make up the east and west sides of the building.

The floor will have radiant heat, making it warmer in winter.

For reference, if you missed this shot, this is the plans and the building site.

My search for land began in earnest in 2002, after musing and dreaming of different ideas and realizing that despite my hard work, incredible good looks, and spoon-bending mental powers, there was not much chance of leaving my children much of a nest egg.  But land is always land, the financial value may rise and fall, but it’s always there and all the scientists in all the world haven’t figured out a great way to make more of it.  A place to come home, return to, and connect with nature always grows in value.

Much of the work on a ranch is daily care taking: keeping up with the consequences of altering the landscape. As William Paul Winchester shares in  a A Very Small Farm:

There is almost nothing an amateur working alone cannot do, from building a house or a barn or a shed to stretching a fence and hanging gates. And pitted against his constructive and orderly efforts are the familiar antagonists of a small farm — age, weathering, hard use by animals, and the consequences of altering the landscape.

But some improvements will only be enjoyed by my children and perhaps their children, 10, 20 and 30 years to the future.  The row of crab apple trees along the highway will offer a shaded, blooming vista by 2020 or so.  The native grasses in the pheasant habitat will have matured nicely.  The apple, cherry and other fruit trees on the east side of the cabin will be in their prime.  And as a private joke to a few of my readers, I might even have the trim finished on the cabin.

I don’t post much about my children — mostly to protect their privacy and let them build their own lives.  But this is Father’s Day and I think a great time to honor my children.  They excel in ways every parent would be proud.  They make good decisions, surround themselves with great friends, and share a magical connection that few siblings know. If it is true that “the acorn never falls far from the tree,” then credit is also due their mothers, who have instilled values, love, and pride in each  of them, through hard times and joyful celebration.

Two Mile is theirs.  Enough room for the three of them to build here and be as close — or as far — from each other as they choose.  It will be secured in a legal trust:  to keep it mortgage, judgment, and divorce proof, and will require the three to agree should they choose to sell.  And while I hope they choose to deed it to their children, the choice and future are theirs alone to make.

But I joke, too, that when it’s time for me to leave, they may drive directly from the funeral parlor parking lot and head straight for the real estate office.  Kind of like that old Ole and Lena story:

Ole finally dies, leaving Lena to settle his estate.  She goes to the newspaper and places an obituary:

“Ole died.”

The newspaper editor, says, “Lena, I know money is tight, but you shouldn’t feel restricted in your time of sorrow.  You should write more about Ole and the first FIVE words are free.”

Lena paused for a moment, and with the hint of a tear in her eye, re-wrote the obituary:

“Ole died.  Farm for sale.”

Chase, center, during an Improv comedy workshop. Image (c) Andrew Bossi, Flickr

Noah, center, posing in costume from this year's Good Friday services

Cara (Carolyn, after my mother) with Zinger in the grass.

My dad, Fred Nordengren, probably taken Thanksgiving, 1975

"Can you hear me now?" the best place for a cell phone call before the upgrade

First, some boring background.  When I moved to Two Mile, I had very spotty cell phone coverage….I could stand in the little cabin and make a call, and drop the call by walking to the big cabin.  The best reception was in a chair on the deck, ideal on a spring evening, not so great at 10 below in January, or in the June rains.  So when I updated my phone 3 years ago, I more or less bought a dumb phone and added an iPod Touch to my pocket. Two devices was not ideal, but worked as I was more often near wi-fi than near cell towers. Not only that, but ranch chores, muck, water, and livestock are not kind to phone.   A city-boy phone that costs more than a truck payment slipping from a pocket into the pond is just begging to be a hard-luck story the next time I go to coffee with the boys in town.

But it was time for a new phone, and Sprint sent me a pro-bono Airave so now, for a few 1000 feet in all directions, I have multiple bars and a 3G network connection. (Cue the other network guy asking “Can you hear me now?”)

So  back to the discussion, where was I?

My creative muse shared Posterous with me…..and in doing so begins a new view of Two Mile Ranch and Small Farm Life.  From the phone and its built in camera, and Posterous, I can send images, or text or links  that  will cross post  to our digital homes at Facebook, Twitter, Posterous, and a link over there on the right column here at Small Farm Life.  So to kick this off, I’m starting a 365 project, taking a photo a day for 365 days.  Mondays may be optional as I share favorite music on Music Mondays — also via Posterous.

To give you a peak, here’s what has been posted so far — the link will take you to the slide show over at Posterous.

Burning off the morning fog -- May 17

I need to take care of a little business

I’m pleased to say this year’s turkeys are all growing and looking well, there is a mix of Bourbon Reds, Narragansett, and Royal Palms. These will be processed as an state inspected facility and available approximately November 20.

Air Chilled

The turkeys will be air chilled — not cooled in a water bath — these will be outstanding turkeys this year, unlike any store-bought Thanksgiving you have tasted.

Your reservation lets me know how many birds to plan for and who is interested. An order secures your delivery date and quantity. Final prices are based on dressed weight. I’ll try to guide nature to come as close to your desired weight as possible. But this is natural growing process, not factory controlled.

About our growing season

I’m not a commercial grower, I don’t have stock year around, but instead, raise a small number of birds each year and let their pasture and pens “rest” during the balance of the year. This helps keep diseases in check and gives their foraging pasture time to recover.

Chickens

The chickens are a Freedom Ranger chicken from French breeding stock, originally bred for France’s Label Rouge qualities. These chickens grow well, have nice white meat and dark meat to please all. A few each year top 7 pounds and a few finish closer to 3.5. If you have a preference, let me know

Raised free-range, in closed pen at night to protect from predation, birds fed supplemental feed from all plant (non animal) sources

Reservations accepted Beginning January 1, 2011
Delivery: October – November 2011
Payment (Balance due on delivery)
Sold Fresh (pick up only) or frozen (limited delivery area and times)

Chicken : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : $3.00 per pound (Approximately 5 pounds each) (some smaller, some larger)

At the request of some customers, I am sizing a few more birds this year in the 3 – 3..5 pound range, its the same great chicken, just less of it.

Dates Available:
October 4 (limited), 11 (SOLD OUT), 18, 25
November 1, 8, 15 (limited)

Turkeys

These are heritage breed birds, not the hybridized, broad-breasted sold in the grocery store. Typically these are Royal Palm, Narragansett, and Bourbon Red breed. Hens run smaller, toms dress under 20 pounds.

Raised free-range, in closed pen at night to protect from predation, birds fed supplemental feed from all plant (non animal) sources

Reservations accepted Beginning January 1, 2011
Delivery: November (Thanksgiving week) or December 20, 2011
Payment (Half due in June, balance due on delivery)
Sold Fresh (pick up only) or frozen (limited delivery area and times)

Turkey : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : $4.00 per pound (Approximately 9 – 20 pounds each)

Available:
November 2o 5 remain
December 20

Ducks (Ducks are sold out for 2011) contact me

These are Pekin (white feathered) ducks, raised for meat. This duck cleans easily and presents well if serving whole. Necks removed unless requested otherwise

Raised free-range, typically spend most of day on two ponds during day and in closed pen at night to protect from predation, birds fed supplemental feed.

Reservations accepted Beginning January 1, 2011
Delivery: November (Thanksgiving week) or December 20, 2011
Payment (Half due in June, balance due on delivery)
Sold Fresh (pick up only) or frozen (limited delivery area and times)

Duck : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : $4.00 per pound (Approximately 5 pounds each)

Available:
November 2o (Very limited)
December 20

Please let me know about the poultry you would like to buy for this season.

*(denotes required field)

Name: *

E-Mail Address: *

Subject: *

Message: *

CAPTCHA Code: *

Powered by Fast Secure Contact Form

“The Good Life” takes you to a chance meeting between an MBA and a fisherman on a small island. As the MBA tries to teach the fisherman about business, the fisherman teaches him about life.