We've been kind of busy...

I have a few things to catch up on...

Since my last post, Kevin has been busy playing nursemaid to the two littlest bulls. Everything was going well until about a week ago when Redford stopped eating and had blood in his stool. After several days of giving him electrolytes, reverting back to bottle feeding him (it's never a good sign when things become so dire that you have to go backward), and desperately trying to keep him dry and warm (keeping him out of the rain and drying him with towels). He shovelled the floor of the shelter, burned the top layer of the dirt to eliminate any germs that might contaminate the other bulls. On the third say, Martin was convinced Redford was not long for this world. Then Newman started to show signs of getting sick and weak. Oh man, Kevin was beside himself. He called our friend Dani to ask him for his advice. Dani came by to check on the two bulls and assessed the situation. Dani diagnosed that both Redford and Newman were suffering from a throat infection. Redford's throat was swollen, which is why he couldn't eat. Dani used a white vinegar concoction (I really don't know all the details) and within a day, both bulls had perked up and Kevin was able to feed them their milk. Kevin's been keeping a very close eye on them, but it looks like they're out of the woods... and Kevin might be able to finally get some sleep.

By the way... below is a picture of the finished shelter for the bulls (you'll notice Bobbie McGee in the doorway checking things out).

Because November is a transitional month in terms of weather, it's very busy on the farm, with or without baby bulls.

The wind picks up and blows the rain clouds over the mountain range. Because it's drying up, but still a bit rainy, it's a great month to work in the garden. So, I started making some organic fertilizer (called bokashi: includes grass clippings, manure, rice flour, ash, molasses, mountain soil with microorganism) two weeks ago... and I've been weeding the garden beds, getting ready to plant our vegetables. So, this bokashi had to be turned twice a day for 4 days, then once a day for 10. It's a lot of work, but here's the result... so rich, so nutritious.

Today, I filled 8 bags... I'll be adding it to all the vegetable and flower beds this week. Then I will start again. I do all the mixing in one of the large concrete containers in the hatchery. Same container I was using for my compost.

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And while Kevin was busy taking care of the baby bulls, and I was playing in the dirt... we were also hosting our first guests of the season. It was great to meet Eva and David from B.C., Canada. Lovely couple. They set the tone for a great season. Here's a picture of Eva catching our dinner...

And they wrote a lovely note in our guestbook, too:

"After a busy nine-day G.Adventure tour of the natural wonders of Costa Rica, Hush Valley Lodge was the perfect spot for rest and relaxation.

What a beautiful place you have here Anne and Kevin. You have put your heart and soul into it and your passion for the farm and Costa Rica shines through.

Thank you Anne for the wonderful meals you prepared and for the extra mile you went in guiding us to Santa Maria and San Marcos.

Thank you Kevin for time spent touring us around the property and explaining the intricacies of fish farming and animal husbandry."

We said goodbye to Eva and David on Wednesday and we were out on Thursday celebrating Thanksgiving with our friends from the U.S. and Costa Ricans who used to live in the U.S. It's always nice to get together with the gang... and the food is always delicious.

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Oh... yeah, we've also been raising our new puppy, Bobbie McGee. She's a sweetie, but like all babies, she needs attention. She's smart and is learning quickly, but we can't let the training slide or she'll be running the joint.

So, please forgive me for not writing the last two weeks... life has been kind of busy.

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